National Cancer Institute - Cancer.gov

Clinical Trials

Name:  Exploratory Study of an Oral Blood-Brain Barrier Penetrant, Procaspase-3 Activator (PAC-1) in Combination with Hydroxyurea for Treatment of Canine Meningioma

The CBTC has opened a clinical trial in canine meningioma. Funding for the clinical trial has been generously provided by the American Kennel Club-Canine Health Foundation. We are evaluating Procaspase-3 Activator (PAC-1) in combination with Hydroxyurea for the treatment of canine meningioma. The trial is being led by Dr. Timothy Fan, and is open for recruitment at University of Pennsylvania and Virginia-Maryland Medical College. Dogs enrolled on study will also come to the National Cancer Institute to receive advanced imaging as part of the study.

Additional trial concepts are currently in development.

Sponsor: AKC-Canine Health Foundation

Study Numbers: 6-8 dogs anticipated

Participating Sites:

Eligibility Requirements:

  • Prior MRI with a diagnosis of meningioma
  • Informed owner consent
  • No prior radiation or chemotherapy

Status: Closed

Name:  Molecular Combinatorial Therapy for Canine Malignant Gliomas

Dogs and humans are the only species in which primary brain tumors are common. In dogs, a type of malignant tumor called a glioma has a particularly poor prognosis, and there is no cure for it. In this clinical trial, we are testing the safety and effectiveness of molecularly targeted cytotoxins, which are chemotherapeutic drugs, delivered directly to the patient's brain tumor. The drugs used in this trial are designed to affect only cancerous cells, and not normal brain tissue.

Sponsor: National Institutes of Health

Participating Sites:

Eligibility Requirements:

  • Dogs of any age, breed, or sex > 3 and < 45 kg body weight
  • Clinical signs of mild to moderate neurologic dysfunction referable to the brain
  • MRI evidence of a single telencephalic intra-axial mass lesion consistent with a glioma
  • No clinical or other diagnostic evidence of other significant systemic disease

MRI Consensus Document

The CBTC has published a MRI Consensus document  in an effort to develop  consensus recommendations for a standardized brain tumor imaging protocol for clinical trials using the canine model, such that: 1) multi-institutional studies can be performed with minimal inter-institutional variation, and 2) imaging protocols are consistent with human consensus recommendations to permit reliable translation to human clinical trials.

This effort is led by Dr. Rebecca Packer.