UT Southwestern Veterinary Research and Oncology Clinic - VROC

05/19/2026

In the most recent MedBlog, learn how the Veterinary Research and Oncology Clinic is advancing cancer research that could benefit both animals and humans. 🐾

The story also follows Bailey May’s treatment journey, including a video highlighting her care and the innovative work happening at the clinic.

UT Southwestern’s Veterinary Research and Oncology Clinic in Dallas provides advanced cancer care for dogs and cats. As part of an academic medical center, the not‑for‑profit clinic also contributes insights that may help improve cancer treatment for people.

05/07/2026

Bubba, a 5-year, 11-month-old Labrador Retriever enrolled in a treatment research protocol evaluating fenbendazole in combination with CHOP chemotherapy, has officially completed his final chemotherapy treatment—an exciting and meaningful milestone.

While we will truly miss seeing Bubba’s sweet smile and wonderful personality during his visits, we are thrilled for him as he begins this next chapter and look forward to following his progress. We wish Bubba and his family all the very best moving forward! 💙

05/01/2026

It’s an exciting day for our clinic as we celebrate our one-year anniversary! 🥳

Our goal is to provide effective, safe, and innovative treatments for companion animals, improving their health while also advancing understanding of similar cancers in humans.

Since opening, we have seen more than 175 companion animals and treated more than 45. We currently have 15 clinical trials underway.

Thank you to our patients and their families for trusting us with their care, and our team for their dedication and tireless commitment to every animal we serve. 🐶🐱💙

04/27/2026

A new article, “CAR‑neutrophils produced in vivo to treat glioma,” highlights a breakthrough approach led by Purdue researchers. The team successfully reprogrammed neutrophils in vivo using lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) engineered to deliver RNA. These RNA payloads drive expression of a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) via the Meu‑SMRT translation platform.

In an orthotopic mouse glioma model, the reprogrammed neutrophils demonstrated significant anti‑tumor activity, driving tumor regression and enhancing the effectiveness of standard treatments, including temozolomide chemotherapy and CAR T‑cell therapy. Importantly, the nanoparticle approach has also demonstrated safety in canine models.

Led by Drs. Robert Timmerman and Ashish Ranjan, the next phase of this work will be conducted through the Veterinary Research and Oncology Clinic (VROC). The team will evaluate PULSAR radiation therapy combined with the nanoparticle platform versus PULSAR therapy alone in dogs diagnosed with glioma. Dr. Isabelle Francoise Vanhaezebrouck was a contributing author to the work. 🔗 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41551-026-01656-0

04/11/2026

Happy ! 🐾💙 Today we celebrate the pets who bring so much love into our lives and remind us why we do what we do. It’s our privilege to care for each and every one of our patients.

04/10/2026

In celebration of (tomorrow), some of our UT Southwestern Radiation Oncology radiation therapy techs donned their VROC shirts today! 🐾

04/10/2026

Meet Baby Girl, a 12-year-old German Shepherd bravely battling squamous cell carcinoma of her left maxilla.

Baby Girl is the first patient at VROC to receive online adaptive PULSAR on our clinical trial, randomized to monthly treatment. She just completed her third treatment with adjustments made along the way thanks to encouraging tumor regression.

03/31/2026

Congratulations to the following faculty on their 2025-2026 VROC seed grants!
- 𝖪𝖺𝗂 𝖩𝗂𝖺𝗇𝗀, 𝖯𝗁.𝖣.: “𝖣𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗅𝗈𝗉𝗆𝖾𝗇𝗍 𝗈𝖿 𝖺 𝖫𝗈𝗐-𝖢𝗈𝗌𝗍 𝖡𝖾𝗅𝗍 𝖲𝗒𝗌𝗍𝖾𝗆 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝖱𝖾𝗌𝗉𝗂𝗋𝖺𝗍𝗈𝗋𝗒 𝖦𝖺𝗍𝖾𝖽 𝖱𝖺𝖽𝗂𝗈𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗋𝖺𝗉𝗒”
- 𝖸𝗎𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖫𝗂𝗇, 𝖯𝗁.𝖣.: “𝖣𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗅𝗈𝗉𝗆𝖾𝗇𝗍 𝗈𝖿 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖥𝗂𝗋𝗌𝗍 𝖫𝖨𝖭𝖠𝖢-𝖡𝖺𝗌𝖾𝖽 𝖯𝗁𝗈𝗍𝗈𝗇 𝖬𝗂𝗇𝗂𝖻𝖾𝖺𝗆 𝖱𝖺𝖽𝗂𝗈𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗋𝖺𝗉𝗒 𝖲𝗒𝗌𝗍𝖾𝗆 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝖳𝗋𝖺𝗇𝗌𝗅𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇𝖺𝗅 𝖵𝖾𝗍𝖾𝗋𝗂𝗇𝖺𝗋𝗒 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝖧𝗎𝗆𝖺𝗇 𝖮𝗇𝖼𝗈𝗅𝗈𝗀𝗒”
- 𝖧𝖺𝗈 𝖦𝖺𝗈, 𝖯𝗁.𝖣.: “𝖬𝖾𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗇𝗂𝗌𝗍𝗂𝖼 𝖬𝗈𝖽𝖾𝗅𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝖲𝗂𝗆𝗎𝗅𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇 𝗈𝖿 𝖬𝗎𝗅𝗍𝗂-𝖬𝗈𝖽𝖺𝗅𝗂𝗍𝗒 𝖯𝖴𝖫𝖲𝖠𝖱 𝖳𝗁𝖾𝗋𝖺𝗉𝗒 𝗂𝗇 𝖫𝖺𝗋𝗀𝖾-𝖠𝗇𝗂𝗆𝖺𝗅 𝖢𝖺𝗇𝖼𝖾𝗋 𝖯𝖺𝗍𝗂𝖾𝗇𝗍𝗌 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝖯𝖾𝗋𝗌𝗈𝗇𝖺𝗅𝗂𝗓𝖾𝖽 𝖳𝗋𝖺𝗇𝗌𝗅𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇𝖺𝗅 𝖱𝖺𝖽𝗂𝗈𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗋𝖺𝗉𝗒”
- 𝖸𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖹𝗁𝖺𝗇𝗀, 𝖯𝗁.𝖣., 𝖲𝗍𝖾𝗏𝖾 𝖩𝗂𝖺𝗇𝗀, 𝖯𝗁.𝖣., 𝖪𝖺𝗂 𝖩𝗂𝖺𝗇𝗀, 𝖯𝗁.𝖣.: “𝖫𝖫𝖬-𝖡𝖺𝗌𝖾𝖽 𝖠𝖨 𝖠𝗀𝖾𝗇𝗍 𝖲𝗒𝗌𝗍𝖾𝗆 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝖢𝗅𝗂𝗇𝗂𝖼𝖺𝗅 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝖱𝖾𝗌𝖾𝖺𝗋𝖼𝗁 𝖶𝗈𝗋𝗄𝖿𝗅𝗈𝗐 𝖮𝗋𝖼𝗁𝖾𝗌𝗍𝗋𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇 𝗂𝗇 𝖵𝖾𝗍𝖾𝗋𝗂𝗇𝖺𝗋𝗒 𝖱𝖾𝗌𝖾𝖺𝗋𝖼𝗁 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝖮𝗇𝖼𝗈𝗅𝗈𝗀𝗒 𝖢𝗅𝗂𝗇𝗂𝖼 (𝖵𝖱𝖮𝖢)”
- 𝖫𝖺𝗋𝗋𝗒 𝖯𝗈𝗉, 𝖬.𝖣., 𝖱𝖺𝗊𝗎𝗂𝖻𝗎𝗅 𝖧𝖺𝗇𝗇𝖺𝗇, 𝖬.𝖣., 𝖯𝗁.𝖣.: “𝖨𝗆𝗆𝗎𝗇𝖾 𝖢𝗈𝗋𝗋𝖾𝗅𝖺𝗍𝖾𝗌 𝗈𝖿 𝖺 𝖱𝖺𝗇𝖽𝗈𝗆𝗂𝗓𝖾𝖽 𝖯𝗁𝖺𝗌𝖾 𝟤 𝖢𝖺𝗇𝗂𝗇𝖾 𝖢𝗅𝗂𝗇𝗂𝖼𝖺𝗅 𝖳𝗋𝗂𝖺𝗅 𝖢𝗈𝗆𝗉𝖺𝗋𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖯𝖴𝖫𝖲𝖠𝖱 𝗏𝗌. 𝖲𝖠𝖻𝖱 𝖢𝗈𝗇𝖼𝗎𝗋𝗋𝖾𝗇𝗍 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝖢𝗁𝖾𝖼𝗄𝗉𝗈𝗂𝗇𝗍 𝖨𝗇𝗁𝗂𝖻𝗂𝗍𝗈𝗋𝗌 (𝖠𝗇𝗍𝗂-𝖯𝖣-𝟣)”

03/30/2026

We were excited to host Elekta trainers at the Veterinary Research and Oncology Clinic (VROC) for onsite training on Evo, an online adaptive radiotherapy platform that improves radiation delivery accuracy to tumor while minimizing normal tissue exposure.

VROC is proud to be the first site in the U.S. to install the Elekta Evo linear accelerator and the first to implement Evo, marking an important milestone in advancing veterinary radiation therapy.

The training brought together our VROC radiotherapy team and medical physicists from the human radiation oncology clinic, fostering collaboration and hands-on learning as we prepare to deliver the next generation of cancer care for our patients.

03/27/2026

Happy Friday from some of our wonderful furry patients! 🐾😍

03/17/2026

Wishing everyone a Happy St. Patrick’s Day! 🍀 🐾