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Updated: Nov 15, 2025
Analyzing Tumor and Tissue Distribution of Target Antigen Specific Therapeutic Antibody
Published on: May 16, 2020
Molecular targets for anticancer therapies in companion animals and humans: what can we learn from each other?
Irati Beltrán Hernández1,2, Jannes Z Kromhout2, Erik Teske3
1Pharmaceutics, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, 3584 CG Utrecht, the Netherlands.
Abstract:
Despite clinical successes in the treatment of some early stage cancers, it is undeniable that novel and innovative approaches are needed to aid in the fight against cancer. Targeted therapies offer the desirable feature of tumor specificity while sparing healthy tissues, thereby minimizing side effects. However, the success rate of translation of these therapies from the preclinical setting to the clinic is dramatically low, highlighting an important point of necessary improvement in the drug development process in the oncology field. The practice of a comparative oncology approach can address some of the current issues, by introducing companion animals with spontaneous tumors in the linear drug development programs. In this way, animals from the veterinary clinic get access to novel/innovative therapies, otherwise inaccessible, while generating robust data to aid therapy refinement and increase translational success. In this review, we present an overview of targetable membrane proteins expressed in the most well-characterized canine and feline solid cancers, greatly resembling the counterpart human malignancies. We identified particular areas in which a closer collaboration between the human and veterinary clinic would benefit both human and veterinary patients. Considerations and challenges to implement comparative oncology in the development of anticancer targeted therapies are also discussed.
Insights
Comparative oncology utilizes companion animals with spontaneous tumors to improve targeted cancer therapy development. This approach refines novel treatments and increases their success rate in human clinical trials.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Comparative Medicine
- Translational Research
Background:
- Novel targeted therapies are crucial for cancer treatment, but translation from preclinical to clinical settings has a low success rate.
- Existing drug development processes in oncology require significant improvement for increased therapeutic efficacy and patient benefit.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review targetable membrane proteins in canine and feline solid cancers that model human malignancies.
- To explore the potential of comparative oncology to enhance the development of anticancer targeted therapies.
- To identify areas for improved collaboration between human and veterinary medicine to benefit both patient populations.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of targetable membrane proteins in well-characterized canine and feline solid cancers.
- Analysis of spontaneous tumor models in companion animals for targeted therapy development.
- Discussion of challenges and considerations for implementing comparative oncology strategies.
Main Results:
- Identification of specific targetable membrane proteins in canine and feline cancers that mirror human counterparts.
- Demonstration of companion animals' value in generating robust data for targeted therapy refinement.
- Highlighting opportunities for synergistic collaboration between human and veterinary oncology.
Conclusions:
- Comparative oncology offers a valuable approach to overcome limitations in targeted anticancer therapy development.
- Utilizing spontaneous animal tumors can accelerate the refinement and translation of novel cancer treatments.
- Enhanced collaboration between human and veterinary oncology is essential for advancing cancer care for all patients.
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