A breakthrough in overcoming difficult-to-treat cancer, which does not respond well to surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy, has emerged from animals. The new treatment showed effectiveness not in the commonly used lab rats but in their natural predators, cats. As pets that live alongside humans, cats are expected to yield similar treatment effects as those seen in human patients.
Daniel Johnson, a professor at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine, noted on the 28th (local time) that his research team confirmed significant treatment effects when testing a new targeted therapy on cats with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, published in the international journal "Cancer Cell."
Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma is a malignant tumor that occurs in the mucous membranes of the head and neck, accounting for more than 90% of all head and neck cancers. Smoking, alcohol consumption, and viral infections are considered major causes. The drug used in this study is the first targeted therapy aimed at the key protein "STAT3," which regulates cancer occurrence. STAT3 has been found in various cancers, including head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, but until now, it has been known as a protein that is difficult to inhibit.
According to the clinical trial results, the cancer progression was suppressed or stabilized in 7 out of 20 cats (35%). There were no severe side effects from the treatment, and only some mild anemia was observed. The average survival period of the cats that responded to the drug was 161 days, exceeding 5 months. Considering that the average survival period after a cancer diagnosis is 2 to 3 months, this is a significant achievement.
A nine-year-old black domestic shorthair cat named "Jak" was diagnosed with only 6 to 8 weeks left to live. After receiving the new drug, his symptoms significantly improved, allowing him to spend over 8 months with his family. Jak's owner said, "During that time, my son graduated from college, and my daughter also completed her master's degree," adding, "I was grateful to be able to spend Christmas with Jak one more time."
The research team stated that these findings demonstrate the possibility of targeting proteins that promote tumor formation for cancer treatment, emphasizing that the effectiveness shown in cats, rather than rats, is particularly significant.
Professor Johnson remarked, "Pets living in environments similar to humans also show cancer incidence patterns very similar to those in people," and explained that clinical trials involving pets provide much more reliable data for humans compared to experiments using laboratory rats.
The research team plans to conduct clinical trials involving human subjects. Jennifer Grandis, a co-corresponding author of the paper, stated, "This achievement may open new avenues for treatment for both pets and humans."
References
Cancer Cell (2025), DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ccell.2025.07.015