WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind., April 5 -- The Gerald P. Murphy Cancer Foundation announced today the launch of the first randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled cancer prevention trial in pet dogs. The study will enroll 700 Rottweiler dogs nationwide to test whether daily dietary antioxidants can reduce bone cancer.
Healthy, cancer-free Rottweilers 5 to 6 years of age will be randomized into two treatment groups (supplements versus no supplements) and then followed for up to eight years. Scientists will look at bone cancer incidence, overall cancer incidence and longevity.
The nationwide study is being led by the Murphy Foundation, working together with a skilled network of practicing veterinarians, and is funded by P&G Pet Care, the makers of Iams and Eukanuba. Rottweilers have a strong predisposition to bone cancer.
"Rottweiler owners stand strongly committed to helping us figure out just how to reduce the number of dogs that succumb to cancer," said lead investigator David J. Waters, DVM, PhD, Executive Director of the Murphy Foundation. "This trial takes an important first step toward that goal. Our end goal is to help not only dogs, but their human owners as well, by preventing this devastating disease."
"The intervention we're testing is a potent antioxidant combination that significantly reduces the sensitivity of cells to oxidative stress," said Michael Hayek, PhD, associate director of research and development, P&G Pet Care. "In a pilot study, daily treatment with these supplements rendered the blood cells of dogs more resistant to oxidative stress challenge in the laboratory."
"This landmark study will test whether a change in diet that heightens your defenses against oxidative stress translates into reduced cancer risk or increased longevity. That's very exciting," said Waters. Enrollment of dogs into the trial is expected to be completed during the next 30 months.
Previous emphasis in cancer research -- for humans as well as dogs -- has focused mainly on treatment, not prevention. Murphy Foundation scientists are recognized for their contributions to advancing the frontiers of cancer prevention research, and for pioneering the application
of new discoveries to both humans and animals, a field known as comparative oncology.
About the Gerald P. Murphy Cancer Foundation
The Gerald P. Murphy Cancer Foundation is a not for profit research institute named in memory of its founding director and developer of the PSA test for early prostate cancer detection. The foundation conducts joint research with Purdue University and is located in the Purdue Research Park in West Lafayette, Indiana.
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