by: Federica Cavallo | data 11/12/2023
Hello! We are a group of researchers from the University of Turin who have been collaborating for years in the fight against cancer. We have developed a vaccine (MeraVax) against the CSPG4 molecule expressed by osteosarcoma, a difficult-to-treat bone tumor that affects children and adolescents. This tumor also affects dogs. That's why we created MeraVax: to stimulate the immune system of both dogs and humans to combat the tumor.
We are currently testing MeraVax in dogs with osteosarcoma, with very encouraging results. However, to complete the research, we need to produce additional doses of the vaccine and acquire specific needles for its administration. With this project, we aim to validate the effectiveness of MeraVax against osteosarcoma in dogs and obtain the necessary data to extend its study to humans. Your contribution could help dogs today and potentially benefit young patients affected by this disease in the future. Thank you for being a part of this scientific progress.
Who we are
We are a multidisciplinary team of researchers from the University of Turin who have decided to join forces and expertise to contribute to the fight against cancer. In our group, you will find experts in tumor immunology; talented veterinarians specialized in oncology; and skilled pathologists.
Together, we have formed a passionate and determined team to tackle an important medical challenge, combining the potential of immunotherapy with that of comparative oncology. Immunotherapy aims to stimulate the patient's immune system to react against the tumor. Comparative oncology is the study of "transversal" tumors that develop naturally, similarly in both dogs and humans. Our team, through the integration of various skills, has been working for years to identify treatments and cures that can benefit both humans and animals. In particular, our mission in recent years has been to develop an innovative vaccine against the CSPG4 molecule, which is present in various types of tumors, including osteosarcoma, a devastating bone tumor that primarily affects children and adolescents. What makes this challenge even more special is that osteosarcoma also afflicts our four-legged friends, dogs, and this same molecule is present in these canine tumors as well. We are a multidisciplinary team of researchers from the University of Turin who have decided to join forces and expertise to contribute to the fight against cancer.
Therefore, we have developed our vaccine, MeraVax, in a way that it could serve as a true bridge between species. It has been designed to stimulate the immune system in both humans and dogs.
The goal of this vaccine is to prevent the progression of the disease and the development of metastases, which pose a significant challenge in cancer treatment, thereby paving the way towards recovery. We are currently testing MeraVax in client-owned dogs affected by spontaneous osteosarcoma, thanks to generous owners who understand the importance of the study.
The results are more than encouraging. However, to complete our veterinary study and produce the necessary doses of the vaccine, we need to raise funds and purchase special needles for administration.
What are we planning to do with your help?
Thanks to donations, we could purchase the 5 kits needed to produce the vaccine for dogs already in treatment and enroll other 12 dogs. In this way, within 18 months, we could treat enough dogs and carefully study their response to the vaccine. This study will not only help to confirm the vaccine's effectiveness in treating osteosarcoma in dogs, but will also provide essential data to evaluate and, in the future, apply the vaccine in patients affected by this devastating disease. With your support, today we can make a difference in the lives of sick dogs, and tomorrow we hope to extend this treatment to children and adolescents affected by osteosarcoma.
We are grateful for every donation, big or small, that can bring us closer to achieving this ambitious goal: saving the lives of our loved ones, whether they have two or four legs! 
For the support and participation in this project, we thank UGI, IGEA, ISABELLA Dental Care
Il mio nome è Federica Cavallo. Sono un Professore Ordinario di Immunologia presso l'Università di Torino, Facoltà di Medicina, e ho una solida esperienza di oltre 30 anni nella ricerca, sia di base che traslazionale, nel campo dell'immunologia dei tumori. Il mio impegno e i miei contributi scientifici hanno ricevuto un prestigioso riconoscimento con la mia nomina a socio corrispondente dell’Accademia delle Scienze di Torino. La mia formazione in Scienze Biologiche e il successivo conseguimento del dottorato in Immunologia dei Tumori presso l'Università di Torino sono stati il trampolino di lancio per la mia carriera, interamente dedicata allo studio delle intricate interazioni tra i tumori e il sistema immunitario. Da oltre due decenni, guido con passione un dinamico gruppo di ricerca di giovani ricercatori, attualmente operante presso il Dipartimento di Biotecnologie Molecolari e Scienze per la Salute dell'Università di Torino. Il nostro obiettivo principale è l'approfondimento delle dinamiche del microambiente tumorale e l'identificazione di nuove strategie antitumorali basate sulla stimolazione del sistema immunitario. Al centro della nostra ricerca si trova lo sviluppo di vaccini mirati a specifiche molecole espresse dai tumori, che svolgano un ruolo critico nel mantenimento delle caratteristiche maligne delle cellule cancerose. La nostra missione va oltre il laboratorio scientifico: ci impegniamo a tradurre le nostre scoperte in soluzioni concrete per combattere il cancro. In collaborazione con i colleghi dell'Ospedale Didattico Veterinario della nostra Università, stiamo attualmente conducendo esperimenti sull'efficacia di uno dei nostri vaccini su cani di proprietà che, purtroppo, hanno sviluppato un tumore, analogamente a quanto accade nelle persone. L'obiettivo principale è dimostrare l'efficacia del nostro vaccino in ambito veterinario, aprendo così la strada per una sua potenziale applicazione nella clinica umana.
