Ex vivo Boosted Immune Cell Therapy for Canine Hepatic Disease

A 12-year-old male American Cocker Spaniel was diagnosed with a type of chronic hepatits (CH) called cholangioheaptits. Routine supportive medication was administered to the patient, and ex vivo boosted immune cell (EBI-C) therapy was used for the treatment. A histopathologic examination of the liver 19 months later revealed that the cholangiohepatitis had progressed to cholangiocarcinoma. The medication and immune cell therapy was maintained. Two months after the new diagnosis, the patient's state worsened, and the dog died 635 days after the first visit. EBI-C therapy is a type of immunotherapy, where immune cells are isolated from the patient's peripheral blood mononuclear cells, expanded ex vivo, and then infused into the patient intravenously every two weeks. EBI-Cs (mean: 2.78 × 10⁸ cells) were obtained 38 times and infused every two weeks. Most EBI-C were T-lymphocytes (99.24% of total EBI cells). T-lymphocytes produce large interferon (IFN)-γ, and IFN-γ inhibits liver fibrosis in dogs with CH. Moreover, in bile duct cancer, an increase in T-lymphocytes correlates with decreasing tumor invasion and metastasis. Thus, we propose that EBI-C therapy is applicable as a new supportive therapy for canine liver disease if other treatments like drug medication, surgery, or radiation are unavailable.