Oral feline tumors reduced by STAT3 drug, offering potential for human cancer treatment progression
In the world of veterinary medicine, a significant breakthrough has been made in the treatment of malignant oral tumors in cats. This development, while initially intended for human Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC), has shown promising results in a recent cat clinical trial.
For many years, surgical treatment options for cats with malignant oral tumors have been limited due to their small anatomy, often leading to severe consequences. Joanna Rubin, VMD, founder and owner of the Bridgeville Animal Hospital, has seen similar issues firsthand.
However, a change is on the horizon. Bluedot Bio, a cancer therapy start-up, has licensed the patent for the Cyclic STAT3 Decoy (CS3D) technology to pursue the development of an oral cancer drug for cats. This novel mechanism offers a potential solution to bypass drug resistance issues, which are common in cancer treatment.
The primary objective of the Phase I trial is safety. Based on preclinical evidence, the trial's molecule is expected to be exceptionally safe. The results are encouraging, with two cats in the trial experiencing remarkable tumor reduction, and a third of the animals showing a persuasive disease control rate.
One cat, named Jak, was given only six to eight weeks to live upon his cancer diagnosis. Remarkably, he lived more than eight months after his diagnosis, a testament to the potential of the CS3D therapy. Another cat's tumor shrank to a state of slight ulceration followed by significant healing over weeks.
STAT3, a transcription factor involved in almost all cancer hallmark features, has been a challenging cancer drug target due to its intracellular location and lack of enzymatic activity. However, Jennifer Grandis, MD, a physician scientist and professor at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), along with her research team, has developed a novel decoy mechanism that targets STAT3.
The university where the further development of the new STAT3-targeted therapy mechanism for oral cancer took place is the University of Duisburg-Essen (Universität Duisburg-Essen) under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Jadwiga Jablonska.
The new therapy has shown promise in mitigating oral cancer in a cat clinical trial, offering a potential translational avenue for human HNSCC. With an estimated 900,000 new cases of HNSCC globally, and no STAT3 inhibitors approved by the FDA, this breakthrough could benefit an exceptionally large patient population.
Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma is approximately the seventh most common cancer in humans. Despite this, research into effective treatments has been limited. The success of the CS3D therapy in cats could pave the way for further research and development in human HNSCC treatments, offering hope for those affected by this disease.
