PVM Professors Contribute to Research on Potential New Bladder Cancer Treatment

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Two Purdue Veterinary Medicine faculty members played an instrumental role in research involving the Purdue University Center for Cancer Research focused on developing a promising new method of treating bladder cancer using a modified version of the anthrax toxin. Modifying the anthrax toxin makes it unlikely to cause harm to the patients.  The new approach combines the toxin with a growth factor to kill bladder cancer cells.

The lead investigator at Purdue is Dr. R. Claudio Aguilar, associate professor and assistant head of biological sciences in Purdue’s College of Science.  Dr. Aguilar’s research group worked with Purdue teams led by Dr. Timothy Ratliff, distinguished professor of comparative pathobiology and the Robert Wallace Miller Director of the Purdue Center for Cancer Research, and Dr. Deborah Knapp, the Dolores L. McCall Professor of Comparative Oncology and director of the Purdue Comparative Oncology Program, to conduct clinical testing.  They tested the new agent in dogs with bladder cancer, specifically dogs that had failed to respond to other therapies or who could not receive other therapies. Following the treatment with the toxin, the tumors decreased in size and the dogs did not experience any bothersome side effects.

“We have effectively come up with a promising method to kill the cancer cells without harming the normal cells in the bladder,” said Dr. Aguilar.  “It is basically like creating a special solution that targets cancer cells while leaving healthy cells alone.” The research was published in the October 4 issue of the International Journal of Cancer.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, bladder cancer strikes more than 74,000 people in the U.S. every year and about 17,000 die from the disease. Current treatments are expensive and invasive, often requiring patients to sit for hours at a time with a bladder full of an agent designed to kill cancer cells and tumors.  In contrast, Dr. Aguilar said the Purdue system works within minutes to target the cancer cells in the bladder.  He explained that the bladder has its own protective layer, which saves the good cells from the anthrax mixture, but offers no protection for the cancer cells and tumors.

Dr. Aguilar, who works as part of a team focused on cell identity and signaling at the Purdue University Center for Cancer Research says the new treatment “…is fast and effective, both of which are critical for people dealing with this devastating disease.” The investigators are also encouraged by the initial studies in a small number of dogs with bladder cancer in which the treatment resulted in some reduction in the tumor size, because bladder cancer in dogs often develops resistance to other treatments and can be as difficult to treat as human bladder cancer.

The Purdue researchers think a similar treatment may help people and animals with other cancers, including those affecting the lungs or skin.  The Purdue researchers also collaborated with partners in the Indiana University School of Medicine, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, and worked with the Purdue Research Foundation Office of Technology Commercialization to patent the new treatments.

Writer(s): Maya Sanaba | pvmnews@purdue.edu

Parking Information Released in Anticipation of New Building Construction

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Changes are on the horizon as the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine moves closer to the exciting start of construction of the new Veterinary Teaching Hospital!  In anticipation of the establishment of the construction zone in the parking areas east of Lynn Hall, Purdue Parking and Transportation Services this week announced a new parking plan for the College.  The permanent changes will begin on or after January 1, 2020.

The majority of the parking spaces east of Lynn Hall, the Animal Holding Facility, and the Utility Plant Office Facility will be unavailable. Only a limited amount of spaces will be available for client parking for the Small Animal Hospital.

To help offset the loss of these parking spaces, the following changes have been made to nearby parking locations (see map):

• The parking lot east of Sheetz Street, which used to be for A, B, and C permits, has been restricted to A and B permit parking only, to increase availability.
• Beginning in January, RE500 handicap spaces in the area impacted by the construction will be relocated to parking spaces opposite (north) of the main entrance to Lynn Hall (just west of the greenhouses).
• Beginning in January, parking spaces west of Lynn Hall, the Veterinary Pathobiology Research Building, the Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, and the Veterinary Animal Isolation Buildings 1 and 2 will be converted to A permit only parking.

Additional parking may be found in the following parking locations:

• A permit parking is available in the Harrison Street Parking Garage.
• Parking for A, B, and C permit holders is available in the Discovery Park parking lot located adjacent to the Harrison Street and Martin Jischke Drive roundabout. The CityBus Outer Loop provides regular service at 15-minute intervals between that lot and Lynn Hall.

Faculty and staff members interested in upgrading their parking permit (such as from B to A) may do so by sending an email request to parking@purdue.edu.

Initial signs of the pending construction will begin to be visible after Thanksgiving.  Crews will begin installing posts for the eventual construction fencing that will encircle the parking areas east of Lynn Hall following the Thanksgiving holiday break. But access to those parking areas will remain open until the beginning of the Winter Recess period.

Writer(s): Kevin Doerr | pvmnews@purdue.edu

Global Engagement Director Receives Purdue Outstanding Leadership in Globalization Award

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As part of International Education Week, Purdue’s Office of Global Partnerships (OGP) and Global Academic Committee (GAC) has named Purdue Veterinary Medicine’s Director of Global Engagement Will Smith, II, MA as one of two inaugural winners of Purdue’s Outstanding Leadership in Globalization Awards.  The awards are university-level awards given annually to recognize one staff member and one faculty member for their dedicated efforts to increase Purdue’s global recognition as a leader in higher education. Globalization in this context is defined as developing, facilitating, and maintaining programs and activities in partnership with universities, agencies, and private-sector constituents outside the United States.

Specifically, the awards recognize endeavors that involve faculty and/or students from Purdue and international counterparts in learning, discovery, and/or engagement. In describing Will’s accomplishments, PVM Associate Dean for Engagement Sandra San Miguel said, “Will’s leadership and expertise was directly responsible for exponential growth in the number of study abroad experiences, the quality of those experiences, and the number of faculty, staff, and students engaged in study abroad.”

The other award recipient is Dr. David Schoorman, associate dean for executive education and global programs and professor of management in the Krannert School of Management, who also teaches in the Veterinary Practice Management Program.

The Outstanding Leadership in Globalization Awards were created to further reinforce the importance of the global outreach undertaken by Purdue faculty and staff.  The awards demonstrate the institution’s commitment to the Purdue Moves initiatives of promoting world-changing research and transformative education, for the benefit of the entire Purdue community of faculty, staff, and students as well as stakeholders abroad.

OGP and GAC are now accepting faculty and staff nominations for the 2020 Outstanding Leadership in Globalization Awards for impact relevant to any or all of the academic mission categories of learning, discovery, and engagement. These monetary awards are open to all categories of full-time University faculty and staff members. Nomination instructions are available online for faculty nominations and staff nominations.

International Education Week, November 18-22, celebrates the benefits of international education and exchange worldwide and is a joint initiative of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education.  Click here to view a news release about Purdue’s inaugural Outstanding Leadership in Globalization Awards.

Writer(s): Kevin Doerr | pvmnews@purdue.edu

Small Animal Clinician Answers Questions about Alternative Diets for Pets

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A recent story that aired on WTHR TV in Indianapolis featured comments from Dr. Nolie Parnell, clinical associate professor of small animal internal medicine and chief of staff of the Small Animal Hospital, who shared advice about alternative diets for pets.  The story by reporter Dustin Grove asked whether alternative diets can work for pets like they do for people. 

The story referenced a report published by The Ohio State University that said diet trends can put animals’ health at risk.  “Nutrition is truly not all in a can or all in a bag and not all cans and bags are created equally,” said Dr. Parnell.  “Grain-free right now is probably the hottest dietary trend in the pet food industry,” Dr. Parnell explained, but she added that pets rarely actually have allergies to grains.  A grain-free diet also can potentially leave pets lacking enough fiber and carbs.

Dr. Parnell advised that the important thing to look for are the words, “complete and balanced.”  She said, “Those two words are probably the most important, regardless of whether it’s grain-free or with grain.”

There also are issues with vegan or vegetarian diets, as plant-based sources don’t always have all the amino acids that dogs and cats need.  “There are complete and balanced diets that are available that you can use, but it is a lot harder to meet those needs,” said Dr. Parnell. 

“Most owners look at the front of the can or the front of the bag of food.  But actually, all the information that’s important is on the back,” Dr. Parnell said.  She encouraged pet owners to look for the statement by the “AAFCO,” which stands for the Association of American Feed Control Officials.  “If the label states that it’s complete and balanced for a certain life stage, then the client should have confidence that the food can be fed to their pet.”

As for homemade pet food, Dr. Parnell said, “The ingredients are important because it has to be complete and balanced. If you go off the recipe, you’re no longer confident it’s complete and balanced.”

Click here to view the WTHR story.

Writer(s): Kevin Doerr | pvmnews@purdue.edu

Wet and Wild! Second MOAAR Symposium Draws Crowd of 100

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With a focus on the skillsets needed to treat aquatic, amphibian, and reptilian patients, the 2^nd biennial Medicine of Aquatics, Amphibians, and Reptiles (MOAAR) Symposium at Lynn Hall was a success, attracting an audience of nearly 100. Purdue Veterinary Medicine’s Exotic Animal Medicine Club hosted the event on Saturday and Sunday, November 9 and 10.  Roughly half of the attendees were veterinary medicine and veterinary nursing students from Ball State, IUPUI, Kansas State, Michigan State, Mississippi State, Ohio State, University of Pennsylvania, University of Illinois, University of Minnesota, University of St. Francis, and University of Wisconsin.  They were joined by many Purdue Veterinary Medicine students, who also took advantage of the opportunity to learn more about exotic animal medicine.

The keynote speaker, Dr. Cara Field of The Marine Mammal Center, opened the symposium Saturday morning with an engaging lecture about her experiences in medicine and rehabilitation of aquatic animals. Additional speakers included Dr. Angela Lennox, Dr. Roberta Wallace, Dr. Frank Paladino, Dr. Carrie Ullmer, Dr. John Griffioen, Dr. Julia Becker, Dr. Jennifer Langan, Dr. Jennifer Strasser, Dr. Joseph Scimeca, Dr. Lori Corriveau, Dr. Steve Thompson, Joe Richichi, and Abigail Rosenblum.

Participants had the ability to select from a wide variety of lecture topics in two concurrent tracks ̶ one on amphibians/reptiles and one on aquatic animals.  A sampling of lecture topics included penguin medicine, reptile pharmacology, cetacean medicine, and common diseases in cephalopods. The symposium also offered wet labs for participants on emergency and critical care in reptiles, diagnostic techniques in fish, reptile hematology, and dogfish and ray anatomy.  A lecture and tour of the Hellbender research facility at Purdue was also available to attendees.

Members from the Hoosier Herpetological Society brought a variety of reptiles for attendees to see.  Participants had the opportunity to learn about and interact with the different reptiles on display, which ranged from snakes and lizards to a tortoise and even a caiman! Symposium sponsors included SAVMA (AVMA All for Students grant), the Purdue Veterinary Alumni Association, Lafeber Company, Mazuri Exotic Animal Nutrition, Pangea Reptile, and Purdue Graduate Student Government.

Writer(s): Maya Sanaba, PVM Communications Intern | pvmnews@purdue.edu

PVM-led Research on the Blood-Brain Barrier Featured on Cover of Scientific Journal

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The most recently published research by the Comparative Blood-Brain Barrier Laboratory (CBBBL) in Purdue Veterinary Medicine’s Department of Comparative Pathobiology, was featured on the cover of Oncotarget, a peer-reviewed bio-medical journal.  Dr. Gozde Uzunalli, postdoctoral research associate, was the first author of the article, which highlighted how the blood-brain barrier transitions into the blood-tumor barrier when it is disturbed by cancer cells. “We hope to be able use these results to increase drug delivery to metastatic brain lesions,” said Dr. Uzunalli, who has received two postdoctoral awards for her work at the CBBBL.

The research was led by Dr. Tiffany Lyle, assistant professor of veterinary anatomic pathology, whose work focuses on the pathology of the blood-brain barrier. As the principal investigator of the Comparative Blood-Brain Barrier Laboratory, she and her team have collaborated with other scientists at Purdue as well as the Indiana University Simon Cancer Center. 

The CBBBL research has provided the first comprehensive characterization of both the blood-brain and blood-tumor barriers in brain metastases of lung cancer, which will serve as a road map for treatment development. “Brain metastases occur most frequently in patients diagnosed with breast and lung cancer and melanoma,” Dr. Lyle said. “These metastases have a devastating survival rate, mostly because it’s so difficult to get drugs into the brain tissue because of the blood-brain barrier.”  

The transition of the blood-brain barrier into the blood-tumor barrier presents a roadblock for effective drug delivery to the brain. The formation of the blood-tumor barrier has been insufficiently characterized in lung cancer until now, Dr. Lyle explained.

“We wanted to see what changes in the blood-brain barrier were occurring rapidly and which ones were sustained over time,” Dr. Lyle said. “Identifying those changes and pinpointing when they occur during the transition will be critical to developing treatment plans and being able to identify where, and when, cancer cells need to be targeted.”

Click here to read a complete news release about the research.

Writer(s): Maya Sanaba, PVM Communications Intern, and Abby Nickel, Purdue News Service | pvmnews@purdue.edu

In Memory: Dr. Larry K. Sunbury

The Purdue Veterinary Medicine family received sad news this week that Dr. Larry K. Sunbury, a longtime veterinarian in Seymour, Ind., and friend of the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine, passed away unexpectedly at his home Saturday, November 9.  He was 86.

Born in Richmond, Ohio, Dr. Sunbury earned his DVM degree at The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 1957.  After graduation, he went to Seymour to work in private practice at the Seymour Animal Hospital.  His career there spanned 50 years before he retired in 2007. Dr. Sunbury also served on the Indiana State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners, following his appointment by then Governor Otis Bowen. He was regarded as a champion for the veterinary profession, the Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, and Purdue Veterinary Medicine.

Dr. Sunbury also served his community in a variety of ways.  An active member of First United Methodist Church, Dr. Sunbury fulfilled such responsibilities as Youth Group leader and Junior High Sunday School teacher. He also served his community as a county councilman for 12 years and as a board member for the Seymour Board of Works, the Township Advisory Board, and the Seymour Rotary Club, where he was named a Paul Harris Fellow. A Cub Master for 18 years, Dr. Sunbury received the 1997 Distinguished Citizen Award presented by the Hoosier Trails Council, BSA.

Dr. Sunbury had varied interests, and enjoyed Grand Cayman vacations, hiking, canoeing, driving through the Muscatatuck Wildlife Refuge, Texas and Florida summer vacations with family, and attending family reunions. He tried to attend as many of his kids’ and grandkids’ school and sports events as possible and always enjoyed the annual OSU football game weekend, especially when they beat Michigan.

Funeral services were held this morning, Friday, November 15, at the Seymour First United Methodist Church.  Memorials may be written to First United Methodist Church, Community Foundation of Jackson County Veterinary Scholarship Fund or the American Heart Association, in care of Voss & Sons Funeral Service.  Online condolences may be given on the funeral home website at vossfuneralservice.com.

Writer(s): Kevin Doerr | pvmnews@purdue.edu

Coppoc One Health Lecture Raises Awareness about Effects of Zoonotic Pathogen Spillover

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The sixth annual Coppoc One Health Lecture brought Dr. Raina Plowright to Lynn Hall on Thursday, November 7, to address the issue of pathogen spillover and its One Health implications.  Raina Plowright, BVSc, PhD, is an assistant professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at Montana State University, and has extensive experience as an infectious disease ecologist, epidemiologist, and wildlife veterinarian.  Her lecture titled “Pathogen Spillover: Lessons Learned from Emerging Bat Viruses” focused on how spillover happens, why it is important from a One Health perspective, and how taking a deeper dive into the root cause can help prevent additional spillover events. 

According to Dr. Plowright, viruses that originate in bats may be the most notorious for spilling over from wildlife into domestic animals and humans.  Understanding how these infections filter through ecological systems to cause disease in humans is of great importance to public health. 

In her lecture, Dr. Plowright described clusters of Hendra virus in bats that posed risks to horses in Australia.  Hendra is a virus that infects large fruit bats, known as flying foxes.  Occasionally the virus can spread from these bats to horses.  The infection is believed to be transmitted when horses eat feedstuffs recently contaminated by flying fox urine, saliva, or birthing products, such as the placenta and amniotic fluid.  Infected horses can then spread the virus to humans through contact with bodily fluids. 

In Australia, shortages in food sources and habitat loss have forced bats to change their roosting behaviors, leading to more interactions with horses and humans.  The stress of the ecological impact results in increased viral shedding, which ultimately causes additional concerns for pathogen spillover events.  Dr. Plowright not only explained those pathogenic concerns, but also concluded her lecture by discussing the related social and economic impacts.  These spillover events have caused controversy over vaccination recommendations for horses, land development, climate change, and the added expenses for communities facing increased fruit bat populations.

Dr. Plowright worked as a veterinarian on five continents before receiving an Australian Fulbright Fellowship to complete her PhD in ecology and master’s degree in epidemiology at the University of California, Davis. She then accepted a position as a David H. Smith Fellow in Conservation Research at the Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics at Pennsylvania State University before joining the faculty at Montana State University. Her research focuses on the dynamics of zoonoses in wildlife, the conservation implications of diseases in wildlife, the transmission of pathogens across species barriers, and links between environmental change and disease emergence.  

Named in honor of Dr. Gordon Coppoc, a Purdue professor emeritus of veterinary pharmacology, and his wife, Harriet, the Coppoc One Health Lecture was established as an annual campus-wide lectureship that highlights the important linkages between veterinary and human medicine.  Dr. Coppoc was a longtime faculty member and former head of the Department of Basic Medical Sciences in the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine.  He also served as director of the Indiana University School of Medicine ̶ West Lafayette and associate dean of the Indiana University School of Medicine before retiring in December 2014.

Following Dr. Plowright’s lecture in Lynn 1136, a reception was held in the Veterinary Medical library. 

Writer(s): Andrea Brown and Kevin Doerr | pvmnews@purdue.edu

Paige Allen Receives Honorary American FFA Degree at National Convention in Indianapolis

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Paige Allen, MS, RVT, assistant director of academic advising and recruiting for the Purdue Veterinary Nursing Program, was recognized at the 92^nd Annual National FFA Convention and Expo in Indianapolis. She received the Honorary American FFA Degree, which is awarded to those who have provided exceptional service on a national level to agriculture, agricultural education, or FFA.

Paige’s passion for educating young students about their options in the veterinary world was noticed by the National FFA Organization Board of Directors when she was on the organizing committee for their Veterinary Science Career Development Event (CDE). She went on to become the superintendent of the event and worked with many people to make it a success. “I am humbled and honored to have received such an award,” said Paige. “My husband teaches agriculture at South Newton High School and it was through his work that I realized what FFA does for students and I knew that I wanted to be a part of it.”

Paige served on the Veterinary Science CDE organizing committee until she stepped down because of her election to the Board of Directors for the North American Veterinary Community (NAVC).

 Congratulations Paige on receiving this national FFA award!

Writer(s): Maya Sanaba, PVM Communications Intern | pvmnews@purdue.edu

Faculty Feature: Dr. Sulma Mohammed

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This week’s issue of the Vet Gazette Faculty Spotlight focuses on Dr. Sulma Mohammed, who was promoted to full professor of cancer biology in the Department of Comparative Pathobiology this past summer.

Dr. Mohammed grew up in Omdurman, a city in Sudan that she describes as being “a melting pot of cultures and traditions from all over Africa.” As the oldest child in her family, she shouldered the responsibility of caring for their goats. “I was responsible for feeding them and milking them every day,” Dr. Mohammed recalls. “That built a bond between me and animals.”  

Dr. Mohammed enjoys the problem-solving aspect of veterinary medicine and has always believed in the importance of One Health, the idea that the health of animals, humans, and the environment are all interconnected. “There are intriguing similarities between the development of mammary tumors in dogs and breast cancer in women and, as a veterinarian studying cancer, I am able to help both species,” said Dr. Mohammed. She describes her biggest career achievement so far as being recognized by a variety of organizations for her work on cancer and global cancer disparity, including African First Ladies, Harvard Global Health, and the American Association for Cancer Research.

Dr. Mohammed conducts research in breast and cervical cancer biology with a focus on cancer prevention, biomarkers, and disparities in these diseases. She also serves as an advisor to graduate and undergraduate students and teaches medical microbiology to students in the Indiana University School of Medicine – West Lafayette.

One of the biggest things that Dr. Mohammed enjoys about being part of the Purdue Veterinary Medicine family involves the way diversity is embraced. “Everyone is seen as part of a family that dedicates itself to advancing veterinary medicine, providing quality care, and conducting meaningful research,” said Dr. Mohammed.

When she is not working and traveling all over the world, Dr. Mohammed enjoys going on walks and watching political analyses on cable news channels.

Dr. Mohammed is one of three faculty members promoted for the 2019-2020 academic year.  Each was honored at the College’s annual Promotions Reception, which was held April 30.

Writer(s): Maya Sanaba, PVM Communications Intern | pvmnews@purdue.edu