News and Updates
GOLDEN RETRIEVER FOUNDATION CHAMPION DESIGNATIONThe Golden Retriever Foundation® (GRF) seeks to acknowledge all donations, large and small. A special distinction is made for donations and bequests that, in one lump sum are of $100,000 or more. Procedures to follow when a donation/bequest of $100,000 or more is received:
Date Effective 2019 By GRF Board Resolution Initial Designees |
NEWS FLASH!!!To subscribe to the GRF updates, please send an email to - grfupdates-subscribe@yahoogroups.com |
Hemangiosarcoma Clinical Trial Launches July 1!From Diane Brown, DVM, PhD, DACVP AKC Canine Health Foundation is excited to announce the launch of a new multi-institutional clinical trial for hemangiosarcoma research. Your donation to this research initiative has played a significant role in advancing the CHF hemangiosarcoma research initiative, and together we are bringing a year-long fundraising initiative to fruition by putting dollars raised directly to work for dogs and to fight this devastating disease NOW. Because of a committed group of donors like yourselves, CHF has awarded $1.13 million in currently active, innovative research grants to tackle hemangiosarcoma alone. I am writing because I wanted you to know that direct action has been taken; your dollars are already being put to work for dogs. This study will take place at different locations around the country, so many can be involved, and it draws directly from work in human oncology. We are taking what has been learned from human cancer to help dogs. |
NEW SOCIAL MEDIA CHAIRPERSONThe GRF welcomes Anna Vosko to the position of Social Media Director. We are lucky to have a volunteer with Anna's skills to keep our social media sites informative and current. Welcome aboard, Anna! |
*Purina Parent Club Program:*This program was started in 2003 to help Parent Clubs address priority health concerns for their breeds and in areas not previously funded such as rescue or education. For every $100 of qualifying points earned by Pro Club members, Purina donates $10 to the participating national parent breed club. GRCA was one of the first Parent Clubs to participate. Points are accumulated throughout a calendar year and in April a check representing 10% of the value of the submitted receipts for the year is evenly split. Fifty percent will go to the Canine Health Foundation, in the name of the Golden Retriever Foundation (GRF donor advised fund) and will be specifically directed for research of Golden Retriever health issues. These monies are eligible to be matched up to 100 percent by the Canine Health Foundation if it meets the Foundations funding guidelines. The remaining fifty percent will be issued to GRCA to be used for rescue, education and/or research as determined by the Club. For the calendar year 2017, Pro Club members generated $17,910. Our total for the fourteen years of participation is $236,185. For information on how to join or on the program, please visit https://www.purinaproclub.com/why-purina/ppcp For more information on this program, please visit GRCA’s website at https://www.grca.org/about-grca/purina-parent-club-partnership-ppcp-program/ |
Cancer Research Update: EpigeneticsBy Missy Simpson, DVM, PhD, Epidemiologist Epigenetics affect how, when and whether genes are read by cells. By altering the physical structure of a DNA strand, for instance, genes can be turned on (expressed) or off (ignored by the cell). Countless environmental factors can affect specific gene expression. What a dog eats, where he lives, his sleeping habits, exercise and age all influence what genes are expressed and when. Simply stated, epigenetics make your dog unique; the next time someone asks you why your dog insists on carrying around a dirty old teddy bear, just say “epigenetics.” Because epigenetics also affect whether a dog carrying a genetic disease risk factor develops the disease or not, the study of epigenetics may hold the biological explanation for many of the disease associations reported in the medical literature. For example, it is well documented that adults who were malnourished as children are more likely to struggle with obesity and heart disease. Researchers hypothesize that this association may be attributed to changes in the expression of insulin genes brought on by starvation. Understanding the mechanisms of disease is an important step in prevention and treatment. Epigenetics in cancer research holds promise as well. Cancer cells leave a distinct epigenetic signature and researchers are working on identifying those signatures using blood tests. While this technology is still in its infancy, it could be a powerful method to identify the presence of cancer, its location, and its degree of malignancy earlier and less invasively than current methods. Medical science is advancing rapidly and we hope the priceless samples banked from your hero dogs will contribute to the development of life-saving treatments and diagnostics that are yet to be conceived. More information |
*Research News: Degenerative myelopathy*- In 2009, Joan Coates, a veterinary neurologist, along with other researchers at the University of Missouri and the Broad Institute at MIT/Harvard, found a genetic link between degenerative myelopathy (DM) in dogs and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig’s disease in people. Now, MU researchers Coates and Michael Garcia, an associate professor in the Division of Biological Sciences, have found that a biomarker test that helps diagnose ALS also can assist with determining a diagnosis for degenerative myelopathy. Coates is seeking clinical trial participants to evaluate a treatment for canine DM. For more information, please visit http://munews.missouri.edu/news-releases/2017/0503-biomarker-test-for-lou-gehrigs-disease-useful-in-diagnosing-canine-neurodegenerative-disease/ |
Amazon Smile:This is another program that can generate monies for GRF. Amazon donates 0.05% of the price of Amazon Smile eligible purchases to the charitable organization you select. For more information visit https://smile.amazon.com/gp/chpf/about/ref=smi_se_dshb_aas_saas AmazonSmile now rewards GRF! |
The Shine On Project: A Novel Way to Approach CancerThe vision “to create a world where we no longer fear cancer” drives the work of Dr. Jaime Modiano and his colleagues in the Animal Cancer Care and Research Program of the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. The “Shine On” study represents a turning point in their efforts to achieve this vision, by finding a way to prevent hemangiosarcoma, an aggressive, malignant tumor of blood vessel cells, in dogs. To do this, Modiano’s group plans to use a test to find hemangiosarcoma cells in the blood of dogs at risk for the disease. His group will then treat the dogs that have hemangiosarcoma cells in their blood with a new drug that kills the those cells before they ever have a chance to form a tumor. The Milestones for Shine On Shine On became a reality thanks to funding from the Golden Retriever Foundation, American Boxer Charitable Foundation, Portuguese Water Dog Foundation, and AKC Canine Health Foundation.
The study is divided into three phases, each of which represents one of the three milestones that Modiano’s group expects to achieve.
Progress and Early Results Modiano’s team began working on the Shine On project in March 2016. A major challenge was to refine the blood test so that hemangiosarcoma cells in the blood could be detected not only in dogs with tumors, but also in dogs that had not yet developed tumors. Researchers spent the first six months investigating how to do this, identifying several molecules that they believe will improve the sensitivity and specificity of the test for early detection. In the next six months, they made substantial progress toward the first two milestones. Modiano’s team screened blood samples from 54 dogs in Phase 1. Thirty-one dogs were unaffected and the other 23 dogs had hemangiosarcoma, another type of cancer, or a spleen mass that was due to a condition other than cancer. They defined the smallest number of hemangiosarcoma cells that the test could detect in a routine blood sample and confirmed that hemangiosarcoma cells are not detectable in the blood of otherwise healthy dogs at low risk for the disease. Early results from Phase 2, where researchers tested samples from dogs that are undergoing treatment, suggest the patented blood test could show when a treatment might not work as well. In preparation for Phase 3, they established the safety of eBAT, a drug developed at the University of Minnesota to treat hemangiosarcoma and other cancers, in two clinical trials. They also documented the ability of eBAT to eliminate the cells responsible for initiating and maintaining hemangiosarcoma. eBAT’s remarkable safety record, potential to directly kill the cells that form hemangiosarcoma tumors, and ability to modify the cellular environment so it becomes inhospitable for tumor growth and survival make it a highly desirable drug for hemangiosarcoma prevention. Next Steps The plan is to continue enrolling dogs in Phase 1 and Phase 2 of Shine On for the duration of the study. Modiano expects enrollment for Phase 3 to begin in fall 2017. Golden retrievers, boxers, and Portuguese water dogs from the lower 48 states that are at least 6 years old and have no evidence of disease will be eligible to participate in Phase 3. Owners will receive information about how the test is done, how to interpret results, and options after testing. Complete information on eligibility and rules for participation is available on the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine Clinical Investigation Center website at http://z.umn.edu/shineon eBAT chemoprevention therapy will be available exclusively at the University of Minnesota Veterinary Medical Center in St. Paul, Minnesota, for eligible dogs participating in Phase 3 of the Shine On study. These dogs must have had two consecutive positive tests for hemangiosarcoma cells in the blood and have no detectable tumor. Their owners must consent to the dog’s treatment with eBAT. Conclusion Shine On represents a shift in both the way we think about cancer and the way we conduct research. The project is progressing on schedule, and Modiano’s team is optimistic, as the results so far are consistent with their predictions. Opportunity Modiano and his team are interested in expanding eligibility to participate in Shine On to dogs from other breeds, funding permitting. If you wish to help expand and accelerate recruitment and progress by contributing financially to this important research, please contact Andrea Fahrenkrug at afahren@umn.edu. |
National GRF Art Auction.I’d like to take this opportunity to thank you for being such a valued member of the Golden Retriever Foundation family. Without the generous support and hard work of so many committed and dedicated golden lovers, we simply wouldn’t be as successful as we have been in supporting the GRF. More information on our 2019 National auction will be coming soon. So, let’s get to work to continue the legacy of commitment and generosity to this vital foundation and to the breed that we all love so dearly! Thank you for your continued support. I look forward to hearing from you soon. Always Golden, Mailing Address: |
