2024 veterinary news in review: #19
dvm360 is counting down the Top 20 news stories and articles from 2024 with this series of spotlights.
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The dvm360 editorial team is counting down our Top 20 news stories and articles of the year, from January 1, 2024, to November 15, 2024. Rank was determined by measurable audience interest and engagement.
A spotlight is shining on 1 article each day through New Year’s Eve, when the No. 1 dvm360 story of the year will be shared. The following article is No. 19 on this list:
Heartburn medication potential key to fighting cancer and immune disorder in canines
written by Caitlin McCafferty, Editor
Originally published May 24, 2024
Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (VMBS) researchers discovered that proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), commonly used to treat acid reflux and heartburn in people and animals, could potentially be effective at fighting cancer and other immune disorders in dogs.1 These findings are also building on similar ongoing research in human medicine.
“While we can’t use PPIs alone to treat cancer, we’re hopeful that we may be able to improve the effectiveness of chemotherapies by combining them with PPIs sometime in veterinary medicine in the future,” explained Emily Gould, DVM, MS, DACVIM (SAIM), PhD, an assistant professor in the Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences at VMBS, in an organizational release.1 “Using them at certain stages of cancer treatment may improve treatment success.”
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According to the release, proton pumps are considered “channels" that regulate how different molecules are distributed throughout the bodily systems.1 Although they have been designed to govern stomach acid production, recent research suggests these medications could also affect other types of pumps within the body, including immune cells or cancer.
A study that was recently published in the journal Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology investigated which cellular systems affect PPI, with hopes the findings will give both human and animal medicine experts a more holistic understanding of PPI effects.2 The researchers found that their work demonstrated treatment of neoplastic in vitro MCs from multiple species with esomeprazole, more so than famotidine, alters cell structure, induces significant cytotoxicity, and could even alter murine mast cells.
For information about on this story, including protein pump inhibitors, references, and more, continue reading the full article: https://www.dvm360.com/view/heartburn-medication-potential-key-to-fighting-cancer-and-immune-disorder-in-canines
