Modeling clonal blood cell changes in dogs during cancer treatment
Official title: Modelling the dynamics of spontaneous clonal hematopoiesis in pet dogs during cancer therapy
Funded at Tufts University Boston · NIH-11381056 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This grant studies how spontaneous clonal hematopoiesis can develop in dogs undergoing cancer therapy and what that might mean for future care.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Tufts University Boston NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2025 |
| Project end | July 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $693,642 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA294792-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11381056 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Dogs with cancer that are undergoing or about to undergo chemotherapy or radiotherapy and have aging-related blood changes.
✕Less likely to help
Healthy dogs or those not receiving cancer therapy are unlikely to benefit from this study.
What this research studies
This project uses pet dogs as a model to understand how mutations in blood-forming cells arise and evolve when cancer therapy is given. Researchers will create and study an in vivo dog model to observe aging-related blood changes and how treatment influences leukemia risk. The goal is to identify potential strategies to prevent secondary blood cancers in cancer patients by translating lessons from dogs to people.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal targets to reduce the risk of secondary blood cancers in patients receiving cancer therapy.
How similar studies have gone: Previous aging and CH research in humans shows CH is linked to leukemia risk, but this model aims to mirror treatment-related dynamics in a large animal.
Where this research is happening
-
Tufts University Boston
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: London, Cheryl a — Tufts University Boston
- Study coordinator: London, Cheryl a
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Diagnostics Core for Lyme disease testing and sample archiving
A centralized diagnostics core at a CLIA-certified lab provides standard Lyme disease tests and sample handling to support patient studies.
-
Clinical Coordination Core for Lyme disease and tickborne infections
A patient-facing core is coordinating care and enrollment for people with early Lyme disease and for antibody-based studies among groups at high risk of tick exposure.
-
Understanding why some people have ongoing symptoms after Lyme disease
A long-term study follows people diagnosed with acute Lyme disease to see who develops persistent symptoms and why, with care from a team of Lyme experts.
-
How bacteria talk to each other and what that means for infections
Researchers are studying how bacteria communicate and adapt in crowded environments like infections, with the goal of understanding what makes some bacteria more harmful or harder to treat.
-
Transdiagnostic therapy to improve mental health and TB treatment outcomes in India
A doctor-research team will test a flexible mental health therapy called CETA to help people with tuberculosis who also struggle with depression and unhealthy alcohol use, aiming to improve their TB treatment success.
-
Precision nutrition for personalized health in All of Us New England
A patient-focused program will study how different diets affect health in adults in the All of Us community, using real-world meals and controlled feeding sessions.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.