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New system for diagnosing lymphoma in dogs
West Highland Terrier
Nearly a quarter of dogs will develop cancer in their lifetime. Of these, 20 per cent will be lymphoma cases.

Novel approach offers fresh hope for beloved family pets

Researchers from the University of Leicester have partnered up with Avacta Animal Health Ltd develop a novel electronic system for diagnosing the early stages of lymphoma in dogs, and for remission monitoring.  

The canine lymphoma blood test (cLBT) is the first its kind to monitor the remission status of a dog after chemotherapy.

The university team, led by Professor Alexander Gorban from the mathematics department, worked with experts from Avacta to develop technology for the differential diagnosis of canine lymphoma and remission monitoring.

The cLBT detects the levels of two biomarkers, the acute phase proteins Haptoglobin and C-Reactive Protein.

Having gathered a considerable library of biological samples,  Avacta tested the data by utilising the University of Leicester's leading statistical and data processing techniques. The team
selected their approach by analysing clinical data and testing various machine learning methods.

Prof. Alexander Gorban said: “This was a very interesting project, and Avacta was a very dedicated, focused company, with clear goals and objectives. There were very important and useful ideas and concepts involved in the study, and it was a pleasure to know that our expertise as a department was needed and could be utilised through working alongside Avacta’s professional expertise.

“The project was very successful, and we would be very glad to welcome more partnerships of this type as it has also been very beneficial to the reputation of the University of Leicester’s Department of Mathematics. The project involved full academic and commercial success, which has included a full academic cycle as well as full software development, which makes it an incredibly diverse project to have worked on.”

Kevin Slater, chief scientific officer at Avacta Animal Health, said: “The collaboration we have with the University of Leicester’s Department of Mathematics is having a dramatic impact on the types of new tests that we can offer to vets and their owners.  We are already widening the application of multivariate analysis to other diseases which commonly affect our pets, and subsequently, this work could also have benefits to human health.”

The paper ‘Computational diagnosis and risk evaluation for canine Lymphoma’ by E.M. Mirkes, I. Alexandrakis, K. Slater, R. Tuli and A.N. Gorban has been published in the academic journal Computers for Biology and Medicine

Image (C) Avacta Animal Health Ltd.

 

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Vets to run marathon for World Animal Protection

News Story 1
 Two recently graduated veterinary surgeons will be running the London Marathon in April to raise money for the charity World Animal Protection.

Alex Bartlett and Maeve O'Neill plan to run the race together if they are given the same start times.

Dr O'Neill said: "You're always limited in what you can do to help animals, so it is nice to raise money for a charity that helps animals around the world."

Dr Bartlett added: "I have never run a marathon before and am excited to run my first one for such a good cause!"

Both Dr Bartlett and Dr O'Neill have fundraising pages online. 

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News Shorts
BSAVA releases new Guide to Procedures

The British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) has published a new edition of its Guide to Procedures for Small Animal Practice.

It has added four new procedures; cystostomy tube placement, endotracheal intubation, point-of-care ultrasound and wet-to-dry dressings.

BSAVA says that it is an essential step-by-step guide to diagnostic and therapeutic procedures performed in practice. The textbook includes new images and illustrations, as well as high-definition videos for use prior to procedures.

Nick Bexfield and Julia Riggs, editors of the new edition, said: "We have built upon the success of the previous editions by responding to the feedback received from the BSAVA readership, and hope this new guide helps to further increase the confidence and accuracy with which these procedures are performed."

Print copies are available in the BSAVA store, with a digital version in the BSAVA library.