Investigation of sodium dichloroacetate for the treatment of canine osteosarcoma: in vitro preclinical assays

• Grant number: 14/23377-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: December 01, 2014
• End date: June 30, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Animal Pathology
• Principal Investigator: Maria Lucia Zaidan Dagli
• Grantee: Vanessa Cirinéa Tapia Barraza
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia (FMVZ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Nowadays, cancer represents a major challenge for science and medical practice in man. As for the animals, the problem is not different : it is necessary to intensify research in Veterinary Oncology in all its aspects , particularly with regard to new treatments for cancers in animals. The efficiency of an anticancer agent for the treatment of a particular cancer can only be definitely determined by clinical trials. However, due to ethical reasons, studies have to start in experimental systems. This project aims to investigate the sodium dichloroacetate as a possible new cancer therapy for canine tumors , performing in vitro and in vivo preclinical assays . The DCA , dichloroacetic acid is an analogue of acetic acid in which two of the three hydrogen atoms of the methyl group have been replaced by chlorine atoms . The salt of dichloroacetic acid and esters are called dichloroacetate. The sodium dichloroacetate is under investigation as a possible treatment for cancer. In this project, the sodium dichloroacetate will be tested in primary cultures of canine osteosarcoma cells. An osteosarcoma cell line created by Daniel Soares Sanches is available at the Laboratory of Experimental and comparative Oncology, and will be used in this study. Treatment with DCA will follow in doses reported in the literature (0.5 mM , 1 mM , 2 mM , 5 mM and 10 mM) for 7 days. Both cell proliferation as cell death will be quantified. Thus we hope to advance into new anticancer therapies, obtaining important results that will allow the conduction of clinical trials in dogs in due course.