CORVALLIS, Ore. – According to Oregon State University, the survival of dogs with cancer may be linked to the microorganisms in their gut. This finding emerged from a clinical trial involving a new form of immunotherapy.
The study, published in Veterinary Oncology, involved 51 dogs treated with a cancer vaccine designed to stimulate their immune systems. Prior to treatment, researchers collected rectal swabs to analyze the dogs’ microbiomes.
Natalia Shulzhenko from OSU said, “Our study is a first step toward using the gut microbiome as a tool to develop prognoses and to manipulate cancer, not just in dogs, but potentially as a model for human treatments as well.”…