Human DNA Cures Dog's Cancer

April 30, 2001 Manhattan, New York, USA

"Sinatra" the Siberian Husky is Swingin on a Star these days.

Last year, Ol' Blue Eyes the dog was singing I've Got You Under My Skin, after being diagnosed with advanced melanoma, a deadly skin cancer that affects both dogs and humans.

But thanks to a successful vaccine, the convalescent canine's skin is now cancer-free, and the pooch now has good reason to belt out a few bars of Violets for Your Furs.

Editor's note: We'll try to wrap this article up quickly, before Wags has a chance to whip out Frank Sinatra Volume 2.

"A year ago, our vet gave him only six months to live, but now he's running around with the energy of a puppy," says Sinatra's owner, Cecilia Hohenberger of Floral Park, Long Island.

"It is absolutely unbelievable."

Sinatra and Ms. Hohenberger have Dr. Jedd Wolchok to thank, as well as the rest of the research crew at Memorial Sloan-Kettering and the Animal Medical Center.

The melanoma vaccine is made of human DNA.  It is designed to stimulate the immune system to recognize and attack deadly skin-cancer cells.

The treatment was applied to 10 dogs with melanoma cancer, and in four cases, cancer growth was halted entirely.  In Sinatra's case, the disease was completely reversed.

"Melanoma is a very serious form of cancer in both humans and companion animals," said Dr. Phil Bergman, Chief of Oncology at the Animal Medical Center. "Currently available treatment methods are not effective for all types of the disease. DNA-based therapeutic vaccines are among the most promising new treatments becoming available to combat cancer."

As emotional as she is grateful, Ms. Hohenberger recalls how Sinatra came into the family years ago: 

"We've had Sinatra for as long as we've been married. We adopted him from the North Shore Animal League the day after our honeymoon," she said.

"We didn't even notice him until we were on our way out. Then we saw him staring at us with these beautiful, beseeching blue eyes. It was love at first sight."

Now world-famous, Sinatra is due to be honored at this Sunday's Dogs Walk Against Cancer, an annual fundraising event that will be held at New York's Riverside Park on May 6, 2001.

Proceeds from the Dogs Walk will go to the American Cancer Society, as well as a portion to the Donaldson-Atwood Cancer Clinic at the Animal Medical Center, where Sinatra was treated.

The Animal Medical Center performs such testing on volunteer animals.  All animals suffering from cancer are encouraged to enroll in the AMC's studies.

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