Bone cancer in pet dogs and how it mirrors human disease

Clinical, molecular, and immune characterization of naturally occurring osteosarcoma in dogs

['FUNDING_U01'] · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT DAVIS · NIH-11141121

This project looks at how naturally occurring bone cancer in pet dogs behaves—clinically, molecularly, and immunologically—to guide better trials and outcome measures for dogs and people.

Quick facts

Phase['FUNDING_U01']
Study typeNih_funding
SexAll
SponsorUNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT DAVIS (nih funded)
Locations1 site (DAVIS, UNITED STATES)
Trial IDNIH-11141121 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this research studies

If your dog is diagnosed with bone cancer (osteosarcoma), this work enrolls client-owned dogs treated with surgery and follows their outcomes over time. Researchers will collect tumor samples and blood to study tumor genetics, the tumor microenvironment, and immune responses. The team will combine clinical follow-up with deep molecular and immune profiling to define the range of natural disease outcomes. The findings will be used to design more predictive canine trials that can bridge to human cancer research.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal candidates are client-owned dogs diagnosed with naturally occurring osteosarcoma who are undergoing surgical treatment and whose owners agree to sample collection and clinical follow-up.

Not a fit: Dogs without osteosarcoma, dogs not having surgery, or owners unwilling to provide samples or follow-up are not likely to benefit from participating, and any direct benefit to human patients would be indirect and long-term.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this work could improve how canine bone cancer trials are designed, identify biologic markers of outcome, and make dog models more useful for developing better human and veterinary treatments.

How similar studies have performed: Previous work has shown that canine osteosarcoma resembles the human disease biologically and clinically, but using the dog model to predict human trial outcomes is still relatively new and being refined.

Where this research is happening

DAVIS, UNITED STATES

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.

View on NIH RePORTER →

Last reviewed 2026-05-15 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.