Determine how LSD1 Inhibitors Alone Attenuate Feline Oral Carcinomas after Radiation Therapy

The University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine is currently recruiting cats diagnosed with oral carcinomas for a clinical research trial. 

Enrollment Criteria: Currently Enrolling

• Inclusion Criteria: Any cat diagnosed with oral carcinoma that does not have any other major illnesses.  Participation in study can be offered if conventional therapy is no longer effective or possible, and/ or is declined by the cat’s owner. Definitive therapy (radiation) must be pursued for these patients as part of a standard of care after a naïve sample has been collected from the tumor.  
  
• Treatment: Once enrolled in the trial, after radiation therapy; cats will receive LSD1 inhibitor orally once a day. We will ask you to fill out a drug administration log for the duration of the study to track the drug being given at home. You will also be asked to monitor your cat for any adverse reactions while taking the study drug.
  
• Cost: The owner is responsible for the cost of the initial evaluation, confirmation of diagnosis, as well as any diagnostics and medications which are not related to the study (i.e. medications to go home for pain medication). Estimates will be given by our Oncology service, for any costs which you are responsible for. The study will only cover the study biopsies with sedation, study drug up until disease progression, any adverse events related to the study drug up to $1,000, and related study visits.
  
• Contact: Please complete the Study Interest Form for more information.
  
• PI: Dr. Marillia Takada 

Background: Oral carcinomas, especially squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) are the most common head & neck cancers seen in cats. The prognosis of feline patients with oral carcinomas remains poor with currently available conventional treatments, especially in regards to controlling the local tumor growth. Therefore, there is a need for new and more efficacious therapies to improve our feline patient’s outcome. In cancer cells, LSD1 (lysine-specific demethylase 1) functions by sustaining so-called cancer stem cells within the tumor, which are known to be responsible for tumor recurrence and resistance to chemotherapy and radiation therapy. LSD1 inhibitors have shown to slow down the growth of oral carcinomas in mice models, and to inhibit key signals inside the cancer cells that are needed for their survival. For this reason, LSD1 inhibitors are currently being tested in people with similar cancer in a clinical trial setting. We hypothesize that cats with SCC could also benefit from this therapy. We hope to demonstrate that the LSD1 inhibitor is safe and well tolerated in cats with oral carcinomas, and are efficacious in controlling tumor growth and preventing dissemination of disease.