Many diseases that occur in humans are also recognized in non-human species, and cancer is one of these diseases. At Penn Vet, the Veterinary Clinical Investigations Center (VCIC) provides the infrastructure to facilitate the translation of novel interventions from basic scientists to high quality investigations with naturally occurring diseases that parallel human conditions.
At the Penn Vet Cancer Center, we are uniquely positioned to study the impact of cancer research breakthroughs through this approach, not with laboratory animals, but with patients themselves. Conventionally, new medical advancements move from experiments with laboratory animals directly to human clinical trials. In clinical trials at Penn Vet, our patients present with spontaneous diseases in the same way humans do. By studying the impact of research models through clinical trials in client-owned animals whose day-to-day lives more closely resemble our own, scientists and doctors can better understand the outcome of therapeutics in patients.
In addition, our patients can more immediately benefit from breakthrough research conducted in strict protocols and controlled settings.