Publications by authors named "Amy Durham"

Purpose: To describe the clinical features surgical technique, early and long-term outcome with or without surgery, and histopathological findings of melanocytic anterior uveal lesions in young dogs.

Methods: Medical records of dogs at a guide dog facility removed from training due to a pigmented iris lesion were reviewed from 2014 to 2021. Selected dogs had surgical iridectomies performed.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) density plays an important role in anti-tumor immunity and is associated with patient outcome in various human and canine malignancies. As a first assessment of the immune landscape of the tumor microenvironment in canine renal cell carcinoma (RCC), we retrospectively analyzed clinical data and quantified CD3, FoxP3, and granzyme B immunostaining in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tumor samples from 16 dogs diagnosed with renal cell carcinoma treated with ureteronephrectomy. Cell density was low for all markers evaluated.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Many degraded ecosystems have altered nutrient dynamics due to invaders' possessing a suite of traits that allow them to both outcompete native species and alter the environment. In ecosystems where invasive species have increased nutrient turnover rates, it can be difficult to reduce nutrient availability. This study examined whether a functional trait-based restoration approach involving the planting of species with conservative nutrient-use traits could slow rates of nutrient cycling and consequently reduce rates of invasion.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Canine cutaneous epitheliotropic T-cell lymphoma is a neoplasm with heterogeneous clinical and histopathological presentations. Survival times and responses to therapy are variable, and indicators to predict outcomes are lacking. Clinical and histopathological parameters from 176 archival cases from the University of Pennsylvania and University of Bern (2012-2018) were investigated for associations with clinical outcomes.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Histiocytic sarcoma (HS) is a rare and aggressive tumor in humans with no universally agreed standard of care therapy. Spontaneous canine HS exhibits increased prevalence in specific breeds, shares key genetic and biologic similarities with the human disease, and occurs in an immunocompetent setting. Previous data allude to the immunogenicity of this disease in both species, highlighting the potential for their successful treatment with immunotherapy.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Canine cancer, a significant cause of mortality in domestic dogs, is a powerful comparative model for human cancers. Revealing genetic alterations driving the oncogenesis of canine cancers holds great potential to deepen our understanding of the cancer biology, guide therapeutic development, and improve cancer management in both dogs and people. Next generation sequencing (NGS) based-diagnostic panels have been routinely used in human oncology for the identification of clinically-actionable mutations, enabling tailored treatments based on the individual's unique mutation profiles.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Oral malignant melanoma (OMM) is considered the third most common oral malignant neoplasm in cats, but its variable morphology and frequent lack of melanin pigment make it a diagnostic challenge. Twenty-two cases of cats with malignant oral neoplasms that were diagnosed as OMM or listed OMM as a suspected differential diagnosis on the biopsy report were examined using an immunohistochemistry (IHC) panel for S100, melan-A, PNL2, laminin, CD34, and pan-cytokeratin. Although OMM was suspected ( = 14) or previously diagnosed ( = 8), only 2 cases were immunohistochemically confirmed as OMM.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Breast cancer continues to be a significant health issue globally, affecting both humans and dogs, with canine mammary tumors serving as a valuable model for studying the disease in humans.
  • Research highlights differences in collagen structures between malignant and non-neoplastic mammary tissues in dogs, with cancerous samples showing longer, wider collagen fibers and increased collagen cross-linking characteristics.
  • The study also found specific molecular changes, such as over-hydroxylation of lysine residues in collagen and increased expression of genes related to collagen stability, which may contribute to the progression and spread of breast cancer.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Understanding the changes in diverse molecular pathways underlying the development of breast tumors is critical for improving diagnosis, treatment, and drug development. Here, we used RNA-profiling of canine mammary tumors (CMTs) coupled with a robust analysis framework to model molecular changes in human breast cancer. Our study leveraged a key advantage of the canine model, the frequent presence of multiple naturally occurring tumors at diagnosis, thus providing samples spanning normal tissue and benign and malignant tumors from each patient.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

In this retrospective descriptive study, we characterized the clinical, histologic, and immunohistochemical features of 13 cases of canine gallbladder neuroendocrine carcinoma (GB-NEC). Immunohistochemical stains for neuroendocrine (neuron-specific enolase [NSE], chromogranin A, synaptophysin) and gastrin markers were evaluated, and clinicopathologic and follow-up data were obtained for all cases. The average age at diagnosis was 8.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Breast cancer is the most common cause of cancer-related deaths in women worldwide. Identification of reliable prognostic indicators and therapeutic targets is critical for improving patient outcome. Cancer in companion animals often strongly resembles human cancers and a comparative approach to identify prognostic markers can improve clinical care across species.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Metastatic disease represents a serious and often fatal development in patients with solid tumours, including women with breast cancer and dogs with mammary tumours. Therefore, preventing and treating metastatic disease has remained a priority in cancer research. Desmopressin, a synthetic derivative of vasopressin, traditionally used to treat patients with bleeding disorders, has been proposed as a potential anti-metastatic agent due to its effect on haemostasis as well as multiple other anti-proliferative and anti-angiogenic mechanisms.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Angiosarcoma (AS) is a rare neoplasm with limited treatment options and a poor survival rate. Development of effective therapies is hindered by the rarity of this disease. Dogs spontaneously develop hemangiosarcoma (HSA), a common, histologically similar neoplasm.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Applied Genetic Technologies Corporation (AGTC) is developing a recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) vector AGTC-501, also designated rAAV2tYF-GRK1-, to treat X-linked retinitis pigmentosa (XLRP) in patients with mutations in the retinitis pigmentosa GTPase regulator () gene. The vector contains a codon-optimized human RPGR cDNA () driven by a photoreceptor-specific promoter (G protein-coupled receptor kinase 1 [GRK1]), and is packaged in an AAV2 capsid variant with three surface tyrosine residues changed to phenylalanine (AAV2tYF). We conducted a toxicity and efficacy study of this vector administered by subretinal injection in the naturally occurring mutant (X-linked progressive retinal atrophy 2 [XLPRA2]) dog model.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The purpose of this study was to investigate the associations and explore the relationships between hormonal factors (serum estrogen, estrogen receptors and ovariohysterectomy) and other clinical/histological prognostic factors and their impact on outcome in dogs with mammary carcinomas. Data from two separate prospective studies on dogs with spontaneous mammary carcinomas were used for this research. All dogs underwent standardized diagnostic testing, staging, surgery and follow-up examinations.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

This retrospective study aimed to describe and classify cats with intraocular lymphoma, determine the proportion of cases with presumed solitary ocular lymphoma (PSOL) compared with ocular manifestations of multicentric disease and assess the clinical outcomes of these patients. One hundred seventy-two cases identified through biopsy submissions were reviewed histologically; 163 of these cases were subtyped according to the WHO classification system. Cases were categorized as having PSOL or ocular lymphoma with suspected systemic involvement (SSI) based on submission forms and follow-up data.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Validating digital pathology as substitute for conventional microscopy in diagnosis remains a priority to assure effectiveness. Intermodality concordance studies typically focus on achieving the same diagnosis by digital display of whole slide images and conventional microscopy. Assessment of discrete histological features in whole slide images, such as mitotic figures, has not been thoroughly evaluated in diagnostic practice.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: To report outcomes in cats with discrete intermediate- and large-cell gastrointestinal (GI) lymphoma masses after surgical resection.

Study Design: Retrospective clinical case series.

Animals: Forty client-owned cats in which intermediate- or large-cell GI lymphoma was diagnosed.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Olfactory neuroblastoma (ONB) is a rare intranasal neoplasm in both dogs and humans. Similar clinical presentation and overlapping histologic and immunohistochemical features of ONB with other intranasal neoplasms can make diagnosis and treatment of intranasal neoplasia challenging. Furthermore, in part because of their rarity, there is a lack of reporting on therapeutic regimen for these neoplasms.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Nasal polyps in dogs are space-occupying soft-tissue masses that have been encountered concurrently with intranasal neoplasia in surgical biopsy specimens. The proportion of nasal polyp co-occurrence with primary nasal tumors was examined, and follow-up biopsies on dogs initially diagnosed with nasal polyp were reviewed. Histologic sections from 321 cases of intranasal neoplasia and 50 cases of nasal polyp from 2004 to 2017 were reviewed.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Fluorescence guided surgery is an emerging technology that may improve accuracy of pulmonary resection for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Herein we explore optical imaging for NSCLC surgery using the well-studied protoporphyrin IX (PPIX)/5-aminiolevulinic acid (5-ALA) system. More specifically, we evaluate fluorescent patterns observed when using (1) commonly utilized in vitro and murine NSCLC models and with (2) spontaneous canine NSCLCs, which closely mimic human disease.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Pathologic features of 12 cats with naturally acquired systemic hypertension and concomitant hypertensive encephalopathy were analyzed. All cats demonstrated acute onset of signs localized to the forebrain and/or brainstem, including stupor, coma, and seizures. All cats had systemic hypertension, ranging from 160 to 300 mm Hg.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Canine mammary carcinomas (CMC) represent a range of histolopathological subtypes with diverse biological behaviours. Several individual factors, including stage, grade, subtypes and presence of invasion, predict outcome. Less is known how these factors interact and impact prognosis.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF