Like many dogs, Hank the 7-year-old mastiff-poodle mix enjoyed cuddling, but his true passion in life was keeping his family’s household on task—sometimes down to the minute. 

“We called him our sensitive little project manager,” says one of his owners, Alexis Jones, adding that Hank was a creature of habit when it came to meals, walks, and bedtimes. “He was a quirky little dude but very sweet.”

About a year ago, two small lumps that appeared on Hank’s muzzle would forever change his and his family’s lives. He was diagnosed with lymphoma, a type of blood cancer that develops in the lymphatic system. It was a heartbreak Jones and her husband, Phil, had experienced before, with their previous dog AJ also passing from lymphoma. 

“As soon as we heard lymphoma, my husband immediately started looking and seeing what clinical trials were available, if any, while I dug into what the research was showing about efficacy and new treatment options,” Jones says. 

Their research led them to the Veterinary Clinical Investigation Center at the University of Minnesota and the ORBIT clinical trial. The trial is a collaboration among the University and the Mayo Clinic, with support from biomedical companies Vyriad and Vetigenix, to test a new combination treatment approach to non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Hank was enrolled in the trial in May 2024. He has since passed away, but his and other participants’ contributions are helping pave the way for more effective cancer therapies.  

The treatment tested by the ORBIT trial activates the participant’s immune system to fight the lymphoma. Traditional chemotherapy involves using drugs that kill tumor cells but also can harm other rapidly dividing healthy cells, such as bone marrow.

ORBIT researchers are using a genetically modified virus to target and infect cancer cells. As the virus replicates inside the tumor cells, it destroys them and spreads to others. The presence of the virus also draws the attention of the body’s immune response, which joins in the attack. 

Adding another layer to this fight is a protein called PD1 found on the outside of immune cells. To defend itself, tumors create another protein that binds to PD1 and sends a message that effectively puts the immune cells to sleep. The trial is testing the use of an antibody compound that prevents this binding and allows the immune cells to continue attacking the tumor.

“The virus is starting the immune system, and now we're adding the second compound to sustain the immune system,” says Jaime Modiano, principal investigator of the ORBIT trial and the Perlman Professor of Oncology and Comparative Medicine at the College of Veterinary Medicine. “Then the tumor doesn't have a chance to stop the immune system, and we're preventing the tumor from silencing the immune response to get a better outcome.”

While the treatment sounds like a miracle cure, that’s not the reality. Modiano says some tumors can hide from the virus or develop resistance to it. Using the immune system to fight cancer also comes with its own set of side effects, but so far, the treatment has been determined to be safe to use for the trial’s canine participants.

Hank participated in the clinical trial for a month, with his lymph node size remaining stable but not decreasing with treatment. Without notable improvement, he was phased out of the clinical trial and began chemotherapy. He remained on palliative care until he passed in May 2025.  

“There are so many dogs impacted by cancer and lymphoma, and we've only started scratching the surface of what's possible,” Jones says. “Knowing that we couldn't change the fact that he had it—it was a matter of buying time. And if we're gonna buy time, I wanted it to at least be contributing to a larger benefit beyond just our own enjoyment of Hank.”

Jones adds that her family is grateful for the compassionate care Hank received through the clinical trial and is hopeful the contributions their cases have made can benefit other dogs diagnosed with lymphoma. 

“We are so grateful to Hank’s family for sharing their big, goofy boy with us, and for trusting us so much with his care,” says Caitlin Feiock, manager and research coordinator for the CIC and co-investigator for the ORBIT trial. “Dogs like Hank are leading the way in working to improve outcomes for dogs with lymphoma, and we're hopeful that what we learn here will give us insights for further improvements in treatments for dogs in the future.”

Visit the ORBIT webpage to learn more about the trial and its eligibility requirements. 

Make a difference in patient lives

Clinical trials at the Veterinary Clinical Investigation Center are vital to advancing science that may lead to new drugs, devices, procedures, and treatments for animals and people. If you'd like to support clinical trials through a gift, you can donate to the Clinical Investigation Research Support (CIC) Fund.