PD-L1, PD-1, and CTLA-4 mRNA In Situ Expression by Canine Oral Melanoma Cells and Immune Cells of the Tumour Microenvironment.

Canine oral melanoma (OM) exhibits poor prognosis and limited treatment options. The success of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in human melanoma has driven interest in similar therapeutic approaches in the dog, although the immunosuppressive mechanisms adopted by canine OM remain unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the expression of the immune checkpoints PD-1/PD-L1 and CTLA-4 by RNAscope in situ hybridization (ISH) in canine OM, to investigate their expression pattern and explore their potential role in melanoma progression.

Prognostic Significance of Microvessel Density and Hypoxic Markers in Canine Osteosarcoma: Insights into Angiogenesis and Tumor Aggressiveness.

Canine osteosarcoma (OSA) is an aggressive and highly malignant tumor of bone with a poor prognosis and it mirrors the disease in humans. Angiogenesis, the formation of new blood vessels, is driven by hypoxia-induced factors such as HIF-1α and VEGF, both of which play a crucial role in tumor growth and metastasis. However, the role of angiogenesis in OSA remains a topic of ongoing debate.

Flow Cytometry for the Detection and Quantification of Mast Cells in Lymph Nodes: A Prospective Study in 64 Dogs With Mast Cell Tumour.

Nodal metastasis is a negative prognostic factor in dogs with mast cell tumours (MCTs), thus early detection enables more informed decision-making and provides valuable prognostic information. The aim of this study is to assess the concordance between histopathologic findings of LNs and cytology and flow cytometry (FC), respectively, and to evaluate the ability of FC to differentiate between metastatic (HN2-HN3) and non-metastatic (HN0-HN1) LNs. Overall, 117 LNs from 64 dogs with first occurring MCTs were submitted for cytology, histology and FC.

Granulocytic neoplasm suggestive of primary myeloid sarcoma in 3 dogs.

Myeloid sarcoma (MS) is a solid tumor of granulocytic origin with extramedullary localization. This tumor is rare in humans and animals. The diagnostic approach is heterogeneous, and the definitive diagnosis may be difficult to achieve.

Hypoxia-associated markers in the prognosis of oral canine melanoma.

Canine oral malignant melanoma (COMM) is the most common neoplasm in the oral cavity characterized by local invasiveness and high metastatic potential. Hypoxia represents a crucial feature of the solid tumor microenvironment promoting cancer progression and drug resistance. Hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) and its downstream effectors, vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A), glucose transporter isoform 1 (GLUT1), C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4 (CXCR4), and carbonic anhydrase IX (CAIX), are the main regulators of the adaptive response to low oxygen availability.

A retrospective Italian Society of Veterinary Oncology (SIONCOV) study of 56 cats with appendicular osteosarcoma.

Osteosarcoma is the most common malignant primary bone cancer, but it is infrequently reported in cats. Feline appendicular osteosarcoma typically exhibits good prognosis when treated with surgery alone. A retrospective multi-institutional study was conducted to identify possible prognostic factors.

The Prognostic Role of Preoperative Hematological and Inflammatory Indices in Canine Appendicular Osteosarcoma.

Hematological indices play a prognostic role in human osteosarcoma (OSA), but data are limited in dogs. The aim of this retrospective multicentric cohort study was to investigate the prognostic significance of pre-operative hematological/inflammatory indices in a cohort of client-owned dogs with appendicular OSA receiving standardized treatment. Cut-offs associated with progression-free survival (PFS) for pre-operative hematological values/ratios were established using the minimal -value approach.

Ki67 Index in Patnaik Grade 2/Kiupel Low-Grade Canine Cutaneous Mast Cell Tumors with Early Lymph Node Metastasis: A Descriptive Study.

Several studies evaluating Ki67 in canine cutaneous mast cell tumors (cMCTs) have reported its prognostic value when tumors of all histological grades are included. This study aims to evaluate whether the Ki67 index has a predictive value in a homogeneous cohort of G2/LG cMCTs with HN2 lymph nodes (LNs) and to describe the clinical outcome. The second goal was to explore the correlation between the Ki67 index and MC.

A chimeric human/dog-DNA vaccine against CSPG4 induces immunity with therapeutic potential in comparative preclinical models of osteosarcoma.

The high mortality rate of osteosarcoma (OSA) patients highlights the requirement of alternative strategies. The young age of patients, as well as the rarity and aggressiveness of the disease, limits opportunities for the robust testing of novel therapies, suggesting the need for valuable preclinical systems. Having previously shown the overexpression of the chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan (CSPG)4 in OSA, herein the functional consequences of its downmodulation in human OSA cells were evaluated in vitro, with a significant impairment of cell proliferation, migration, and osteosphere generation.

Diagnostic Findings and Surgical Management of Three Dogs Affected by Osseous Metaplasia Secondary to a Salivary Mucocele.

Saliva is an irritant of the subcutaneous tissue, thus causing the development of a non-epithelial reactive pseudocapsule. Metaplastic ossification of the pseudocapsule is a condition rarely described in the veterinary literature. The main causes of calcification are trauma, tumours, various chronic inflammatory conditions and .

Patterns of nodal metastases, biological behaviour and prognosis of canine mast cell tumours of the pinna: A multi-institutional retrospective study.

Canine cutaneous mast cell tumours (cMCTs) of the pinna have been associated with an aggressive biological behaviour, although data remain scarce. The knowledge acquired over the past years on histologic gradings, and the value of lymph node (LN) staging, may help in better characterizing this anatomical presentation. The first aim was to describe the frequency, location, and histologic appearance of LN metastases in cMCT of the pinna.

Thyroidectomy in dogs with thyroid tumors: Survival analysis in 144 cases (1994-2018).

Background: Few studies have assessed predictors of outcome in dogs with thyroid tumors undergoing thyroidectomy.

Objective: To estimate the survival and identify prognostic factors in dogs with thyroid tumors treated by thyroidectomy.

Animals: A total of 144 client-owned dogs with thyroid neoplasia that underwent thyroidectomy.

Surgical Excision of Intramuscular Sarcomas: Description of Three Cases in Dogs.

Compartmental excision consists of the complete resection of an anatomic district in which specific structures act as a barrier to local tumour invasion. It is a well-established procedure in human medicine, while only a few reports are available in veterinary medicine. The aim of this study was to describe complete muscle resection in 3 dogs affected by different intramuscular sarcomas.

Sentinel lymph node mapping with computed tomography lymphography for mast cell tumours and a comparison between regional and sentinel lymph node histological status: Sixty-two cases.

It is known that the regional lymph node (RLN) may not correspond to the sentinel lymph node (SLN) (the first lymph node draining the tumour), and many diagnostic techniques have recently been aimed at its detection. Although lymphoscintigraphy is the gold standard in both human and veterinary medicine for SLN mapping, it is relatively unavailable in veterinary medicine due to costs and difficult management of the radiotracer. This prospective study evaluated, as a first aim, the feasibility and sensitivity of the computed tomography lymphography (CTL) in detecting the SLN in 62 mast cell tumours (MCTs).

Improving Osteosarcoma Treatment: Comparative Oncology in Action.

Osteosarcoma (OSA) is the most common pediatric malignant bone tumor. Although surgery together with neoadjuvant/adjuvant chemotherapy has improved survival for localized OSA, most patients develop recurrent/metastatic disease with a dismally poor outcome. Therapeutic options have not improved for these OSA patients in recent decades.

Development of Monoclonal Antibodies Targeting Canine PD-L1 and PD-1 and Their Clinical Relevance in Canine Apocrine Gland Anal Sac Adenocarcinoma.

Canine apocrine gland anal sac adenocarcinoma (AGASACA) is an aggressive canine tumor originating from the anal sac glands. Surgical resection, with or without adjuvant chemotherapy, represents the standard of care for this tumor, but the outcome is generally poor, particularly for tumors diagnosed at an advanced stage. For this reason, novel treatment options are warranted, and a few recent reports have suggested the activation of the immune checkpoint axis in canine AGASACA.

Investigating a Prognostic Factor for Canine Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Analysis of Different Histological Grading Systems and the Role of PIVKA-II.

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in dogs is uncommon and often associated with a good prognosis, although some cases prove to be aggressive. In human oncology HCC is often very aggressive and diagnostic methods and prognostic factors are widely used to predict its biological behaviour. These include the expression of PIVKA-II.

The mitotic regulator polo-like kinase 1 as a potential therapeutic target for c-Myc-overexpressing canine osteosarcomas.

Osteosarcoma is the most common primary malignant bone tumour in dogs, characterized by a locally aggressive and highly metastatic behaviour. Despite the current standards of care, most dogs succumb to the disease, indicating the need for novel treatment strategies. Polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) is dysregulated in a variety of human cancer types, including osteosarcoma, and induces c-Myc accumulation.

Antigen mimicry as an effective strategy to induce CSPG4-targeted immunity in dogs with oral melanoma: a veterinary trial.

Background: Melanoma is the most lethal form of skin cancer in humans. Conventional therapies have limited efficacy, and overall response is still unsatisfactory considering that immune checkpoint inhibitors induce lasting clinical responses only in a low percentage of patients. This has prompted us to develop a vaccination strategy employing the tumor antigen chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan (CSPG)4 as a target.

Treatment of an aneurysmal bone cyst in a young dog: A case report.

Background: An aneurysmal bone cyst (ABC) is a rare benign lytic lesion affecting the medullary canal of long bones. It has been widely reported in human medicine, but rarely described in domestic animals.

Objective: To report the surgical treatment and long term follow-up of a dog affected by ABC.

Submucosal resection via a transanal approach for treatment of epithelial rectal tumors - a multicenter study.

Objective: To report complications and long-term outcomes after submucosal resections of benign and malignant epithelial rectal masses.

Study Design: Retrospective multicentric study.

Sample Population: Medical records of 93 dogs at 7 referral hospitals.

Canine Epithelial Thymic Tumors: Outcome in 28 Dogs Treated by Surgery.

Thymoma is a tumor rarely reported in dogs and should be differentiated from mediastinal lymphoma. Clinical signs may have a late onset, and thymoma is often diagnosed when symptoms related to the space-occupying effect or paraneoplastic syndromes occur. CT and fine-needle aspirates or core biopsies are helpful in differential diagnosis, but flow cytometry may improve the pre-operative diagnostic ability.

In Vivo Evaluation of a Pectin-Honey Hydrogel Coating on Polypropylene Mesh in a Rat Model of Acute Hernia.

Investigations about ventral hernia repair are focused on improving the quality, resistance, and biocompatibility of mesh. This study compared plain polypropylene mesh with a pectin-honey hydrogel-coated polypropylene mesh in an acute hernia model in rats. Forty Wistar rats, randomly assigned to two groups, were submitted to laparotomy, and a 1 cm × 2 cm fascial defect was created, centered on the midline.

Timing of adjuvant chemotherapy after limb amputation and effect on outcome in dogs with appendicular osteosarcoma without distant metastases.

Objective: To determine an optimal time interval between amputation and initiation of adjuvant chemotherapy (TI) in dogs with appendicular osteosarcoma without distant metastases and whether TI was associated with outcome.

Animals: 168 client-owned dogs treated at 9 veterinary oncology centers.

Procedures: Data were collected from the dogs' medical records concerning potential prognostic variables and outcomes.