RVC’s Oncobiome Bank to improve cancer care
Samples were taken from canine and feline cancer patients at the time of diagnosis.
The Royal Veterinary College (RVC) has launched an Oncobiome Bank, which is expected to improve care and long-term outcomes for veterinary oncology patients.
A collection of clinical samples will help researchers to draw links between intestinal microbiomes, disease development, treatment responses and outcomes for dogs and cats.
The intestinal microbiome is of significant interest in human oncology research. The community of bacteria and other microbes has been previously linked with immune function, cancer risk, treatment and patient outcomes.
However, while this has been well-studied for humans, it is less understood for dogs and cats.
The Oncobiome Bank, which is funded by RVC Animal Care Trust, stores residual faecal, plasma and serum samples from dogs and cats. The samples are taken from cancer patients at the time of diagnosis by the RVC’s Oncology department.
The project is expected to support future DNA, RNA and metabolomic research projects. Researchers will be able to use the samples to investigate links between cancer, cancer treatments and the gut microbiome.
It could also develop some emerging approaches in oncology, including dietary intervention, probiotics and faecal microbiota transplantation, as well as informing findings for human medicine.
The RVC says its Oncobiome Bank could be the first dedicated veterinary oncobiome bank in the UK and Europe. It joins the RVC’s existing biobanks, including the Companion Animal Brain Bank and the RVC’s Canine Pericardial Effusion Biobank.
Andy Yale, lecturer in veterinary oncology at the RVC, said: “I’m incredibly excited to be launching the RVC Oncobiome Bank, as the role of the microbiome in veterinary oncology is still in its infancy and represents a largely unexplored frontier. While human medicine is beginning to uncover how profoundly the microbiome can influence cancer development, treatment response and outcomes, this area remains very novel in our field.
“By establishing this resource, we aim to enable future larger-scale, clinically meaningful studies that would otherwise take years to develop and ultimately generate insights that can be translated into better care for our patients. I am very grateful to the RVC Animal Care Trust for funding this initiative.”
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