Abstract
One of the biggest challenges for analgesic drug development is how to decide if a potential analgesic candidate will work in humans. What preclinical data are the most convincing, incentivizing and most predictive of success? Such a predicament is not unique to analgesics, and the pain field has certain advantages over drug development efforts in areas like neuropsychiatry where the etiological origins are either unknown or difficult to ascertain. For pain, the origin of the problem frequently is known, and the causative peripheral tissue insult might be observable. The main conundrum centers around evaluation of translational cell- and rodent-based results. While cell and rodent models are undeniably important first steps for screening, probing mechanism of action, and understanding factors of adsorption, distribution metabolism and excretion, two questions arise from such studies. First, are they reliable indicators of analgesic performance of a candidate drug in human acute and chronic pain? Second, what additional model systems might be capable of increasing translational confidence? We address this second question by assessing, primarily, the companion canine model, which can provide particularly strong predictive information for candidate analgesic agents in humans. This statement is mainly derived from our studies with resiniferatoxin (RTX) a potent TRPV1 agonist but also from protein therapeutics using a conjugate of Substance P and saporin. Our experience, to date, is that rodent models might be very well suited for acute pain translation, but companion canine models, and other large animal studies, can augment initial discovery research using rodent models for neuropathic or chronic pain. The larger animal models also provide strong translational predictive capacity for analgesic performance in humans, better predict dosing parameters for human trials and provide insight into behavior changes (bladder, bowel, mood, etc.) that are not readily assessed in laboratory animals. They are, however, not without problems that can be encountered with any experimental drug treatment or clinical trial. It also is important to recognize that pain treatment is a major veterinary concern and is an intrinsically worthwhile endeavor for animals as well as humans.
Introduction
Background and Scope
The companion canine model in pain research is a relatively new addition to the field of analgesia research. In this report we examine the foundational studies that led us to develop the companion canine model, the evolution of this model, provide examples of its use in translation of novel analgesics to phase one trials, outline various other aspect of the model in terms of the pain research ecosystem, and briefly discuss other aspects and other large animal models that may provide potential insights into new indications for analgesic use.
Development of the companion canine model , began subsequent to our discovery of the calcium overload mechanism for selective inactivation of TRPV1-expressing neurons, axons, or nerve terminals by RTX (). TRPV1 is a heat and inflammation sensitive ion channel that is highly expressed by nociceptive primary afferents , , particularly Aδ and C-fiber nociceptive neurons in the dorsal root and trigeminal ganglion (). The companion dog model was developed to test this novel mechanism in a species and a pain condition more closely aligned clinical pain problems in humans, rather than transition from analgesic rodent results directly to human trials. After evaluation of RTX, use of the companion dog model was extended to analgesic assessments of a protein therapeutic agent Substance P-Saporin (; ; ). Saporin is a plant-derived toxin that inhibits protein synthesis. Attachment of the neuropeptide Substance P directs the conjugate to substance P receptor-expressing neurons. When injected into the CSF around the spinal cord the toxin-peptide conjugate is internalize by agonist-mediated receptor endocytosis and the toxin is eventually delivered to the cytoplasm where it stops protein synthesis (Yaksh et al., 2017). This mechanism is used to delete second order spinal cord neurons that are critical in transmitting nociceptive signals to the brain. Again, a novel approach to pain control that could benefit from evaluation in a veterinary canine clinical pain model. The ultimate translation to humans of these two agents led to two divergent results: for the small molecule ion channel activator translation has progressed to multiple clinical trials (NCT00804154; NCT02522611; NCT03542838) whereas the protein therapeutic underwent an abbreviated trial in human cancer pain patients but ended without positive findings (NCT02036281). The crux of the matter partially resides in the details of drug administration and tissue distribution and localization of the target receptor. Both agents are interventional and require precise injections at, or near, the site of the intended target. The elements of successful administration and mechanisms of action will be examined in detail.
This review mainly focuses on these two interventional agents and their use in canine disorders that exhibit a prominent pain component. We will not examine to any great extent studies performed on cats, and the reader is referred to other reviews to access the feline literature (; ; ; ). However, we briefly consider work done in swine, goats and horses. We also acknowledge that, in the course of drug development efforts, many studies of analgesic agents are conducted with purpose-bred dogs, especially to fulfill the toxicology requirements of an Investigational New Drug (IND) application to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). However, the results of such evaluations, while undeniably important, frequently do not include investigation of efficacy in a companion canine pain disorder, are generally proprietary, and are often unpublished. While some published toxicological studies are referred to throughout this review, improved access to such data may facilitate future analgesic drug development efforts.
Where Do Companion Models Fit in Drug Development Schemes? One of the main questions translational pain scientists might have about the topic of large animal models is why and in what ways are canine models superior to current approaches? The answer is that these models are not necessarily superior, rather they play a different role in the development process than rodent models. One place for the companion canine model in translational drug development efforts is shown in Figure 1. When interposed between the early developmental stages and a potential phase one clinical trial, positive canine results provide strong validation of preceding cellular and rodent model data. This is especially true for the interventional toxin approaches outlined here. As noted, the idea of stepping from rodent chemo-axotomy or neuronal deletion an equivalent trial in human spinal cord or ganglion is a large leap despite obtaining strong efficacy and safety in rodents and healthy laboratory canines. The use of companion canine models does not need to be a sequential step in the development process. Many questions can be answered to improve human phase two and phase three clinical trial designs by using companion animals in parallel with the conduct of an ongoing phase one or two trial. Examples include evaluations of drug/drug interactions, dosage protocols (frequency, escalation paradigms), and side effect monitoring; all can inform and accelerate human drug development if deliberately thought out and implemented early on. Our experience the more novel interventional agents was that evaluating performance of these approaches in a transitional model closer to the human greatly facilitated our understanding of administration procedures, dosing parameters and safety well in advance of both the IND campaign and first-in-man human clinical trials in the intrathecal compartment. The companion canine model filled this critical gap by treating naturally occurring disease in (often elderly) animals with pre-existing conditions. Beyond this, the anatomy of a dog or pig is much more comparable to human, and better suited to examining interventional agents. There are also therapeutic gaps for effective treatments for animals with painful conditions including palliative care for cancer and control of osteoarthritis pain that need to be filled. Other than opioids or NSAIDS, no other effective treatment for pain from advanced cancer is available, and less than satisfactory pain control is available for arthritis. This situation is identical to that in humans and the use of companion canine models allows the unmet needs of both species to be addressed. Some of the advantages of the companion canine model and comparison to rodent models are listed in Table 1.
FIGURE 1
TABLE 1
| Canine model | Attributes and elements | Rodent models |
|---|---|---|
| Owner is familiar with animal’s activities of daily living (ADL) | Activity levels eating activities and food preferences sleeping, gait and movement | Monitoring of activity is possible in the home cage, open field or by other devices |
| Owner is familiar with animal’s “personality” | Emergence of neurological or “psychiatric” problems may be evident | Must actively assess presence of anxiety or depression |
| Naturally occurring diseases (actually not models) | Pathologically similar to human disorders and occur over a long time period. No need for artificial inducing agents | Needs inducing agents, e.g., carrageenan inflammation or iodoacetate or kaolin for joint osteoarthritis models |
| Exhibit complex behaviors spontaneously | Pets will seek out the owner and respond to family or visitors, validated outcome measures are available | Exhibit complex behaviors, need experimental settings or apparatus for measurement |
| Many breeds, genetic diversity | Higher prevalence of disorders in some breeds can be used to enrich for recruitment | Outbred strains or inbred strains can be used to explore specific traits |
| Tissues more similar to human | At the histological level, dog cells are more similar to human than are rat cells | Tissues less similar to human. There are differences in transcriptome between the 3 species |
| Efficacy measures can be judged by multiple observers in the home or clinic | Nearly continuous monitoring is possible. Can be correlated with activity monitor readouts | Efficacy generally measured by evoked responses to acute stimuli, inflammation and incision models for hyperalgesia, models of joint pain, chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy etc. |
| Allows better estimation of starting dose in human phase I trial | The doses used in the companion animal model were almost identical to those use in human trials for cancer pain and osteoarthritis | Provide initial dose-response of candidate drugs that may approximate starting dose in humans |
| Positive results provide strong incentive to proceed to human clinical trials or provide an indication for a “no go” signal | This is an important advantage. Clear-cut analgesia in the canine companion model is a strong predictor of positive translation in human trials | Positive results begin the process of translation |
Advantages of companion animal models.
RESINIFERATOXIN FOR INTERVENTIONAL, PERSONALIZED PAIN MANAGEMENT
Foundational Studies Defining the RTX Mechanism of Action
The eventual clinical use of RTX had its beginning in our basic research into the question: How does pain start? It was well appreciated that nerve endings and axons in the skin and deep tissues are the physical, cellular-level structures that receive and transmit painful stimuli originating from frank tissue damage or external sources (e.g., heat). However, the range of effector molecules in the nerve endings responsible for transducing noxious stimuli into electrical impulses remained to be defined at the molecular level. In 1997, the TRPV1 receptor was cloned by
Based on observations made by vital imaging of the stable TRPV1-eGFP cell line and primary cultures of DRG neurons (many of which express TRPV1) it became apparent that binding of RTX to TRPV1 opened the ion channel and induced a substantial calcium overload. Exposure of the culture to RTX could kill the cells in a matter of minutes
Preclinical Animal Models for Translation of RTX
Once the mode of RTX action was clarified and preclinical rodent studies showed efficacy, the idea of conducting a human clinical trial by injecting RTX somewhere along the route of the nociceptive primary afferent neuron gained momentum. As noted, there were reservations about killing cells in the DRG centering around the possibility of generating a denervation hyperesthesia or a synaptic rearrangement in the spinal cord dorsal horn that would be deleterious in some way. We had not seen this in the rat studies. Even when we unilaterally injected RTX directly into the trigeminal ganglion
RTX injections made directly into the trigeminal ganglion of rhesus macaques further impelled the therapeutic development of RTX (
This knowledge gap was rectified in the first canine study which tested the efficacy of intrathecal RTX in eight companion dogs with osteosarcoma, debilitating osteoarthritis, or both (Figure 2). The owners had brought their animals to the veterinary clinic because pain was not well controlled after exhausting standard of care options. For these animals a single 1 μg/kg dose of RTX was infused over 10 min into the cisterna magna. Pain intensity was rated by the owners on a 0 to 10 visual analog scale before, and at 2, 6, and 10-weeks post injection. A significant analgesic action was observed at each post-injection time point and amounted to an ∼85% decrease compared to the pre-injection pain rating (Figure 2, from
FIGURE 2

Efficacy and long duration analgesic action of RTX in companion canine model. RTX analgesia was tested in naturally occurring neoplasms and/or osteoarthritis in the dog after a single intrathecal dose of a single intrathecal dose of RTX (1 μg/kg) administered under general anesthesia via cisternal puncture. Reports by the owners using Visual Analog Scale rating demonstrated a sustained reduction in pain in the eight dogs. The bars represent the average rating ±SEM (*ANOVA with Scheffe’s post hoc test; p < 0.05). The animals initially presented with limb guarding as they walked, but this improved over time and daily activity increased, as was evident from video recordings. In fact, the entire demeanor of the dogs appeared improved following intrathecal RTX treatment. The efficacy of RTX action was further demonstrated by discontinuation or reduction in the use of supplementary analgesics (opioids and NSAIDs in all eight dogs). As the time points on the X axis show, the RTX-induced analgesia did not diminish despite neoplastic advancement. These data formed a bridge between the initial rodent data
Delineating the Site of Action of RTX
At the time of these earlier experiments, the intrathecal actions of RTX were attributed to deletion of TRPV1-expressing DRG neurons. However, further studies in rat, dog, and human revealed that when RTX is administered into the spinal CSF the most vulnerable neural structures are TRPV1-containing axons of Aδ- and C-fiber in the dorsal roots that are bathed in spinal CSF. In fact, the neuronal cell bodies and their axonal connection to the periphery are largely spared in comparison to the centrally projecting axons in the cauda equina. These issues are examined in detail in
The Value of a Transitional Model: Lessons from Resiniferatoxin
We have mainly described the mechanistic and preclinical rodent studies that led to the initial work with RTX. However, this work was done in parallel with canine studies which gave invaluable insight into the utility and usage of the drug. In the next sections, we describe the contributions of these transitional studies. The majority were conducted in companion canines with naturally occurring disease, but we will also address the advances that came from pig and other non-rodent animal models.
Development of the Canine Brief Pain Inventory and Other Scales
One of the key elements in preclinical animal studies is the selection of a valid and informative analgesic endpoints. In the canine, pain evaluation tools have been developed and validated to allow usage by the research community. It is important to note that many elements relevant to the impact of pain on “life experiences” are not captured by pain rating scales alone. This includes the ability of pain to interfere with the activities of daily living and estimates of overall improvement in the well-being and quality of life of the companion animal. In humans these elements are measured as part of the human Brief Pain Inventory (hBPI). To capture these elements in an evaluation methodology, a canine Brief Pain Inventory (cBPI) was developed and validated by Brown and others in several reports (
Activity Monitoring as a surrogate endpoint for pain and evaluation of oral NSAID analgesia
Importantly, the subjective measures can be augmented with more objective methodology such as activity monitoring
Treatment of Naturally Occurring Bone Cancer Pain by Intrathecal RTX in the Canine Companion Model
Osteosarcoma is a fairly common cancer in large breed dogs and generally localized to the appendicular bones (
The double-blind study used a time-to-event analysis as the primary endpoint, evaluating how long it took for dogs to require additional standard-of-care intervention following IT injection of RTX or placebo. In this study certain procedural effects occurred, and a detailed examination of them provides insight into experimental complications that can be encountered with the companion canine model and how to anticipate and avoid unexpected events. Apparent spinal headache symptoms in some dogs, which did not improve until the second week post injection confounded the short term cBPI assessment. The apparent post-dural puncture headache was seen in 17 out of 18 animals treated by the intracisternal route and may have influenced owner evaluations of pain severity or interference related to osteosarcoma pain in the first 2 weeks. As a consequence, early treatment-related improvements were not significant. Despite this impediment to cBPI measurements, significant differences at later time points were detected for analgesic endpoints such as 1) improvement in lameness (rated by a veterinarian blind to the treatment rather than the owner) and 2) time to unblinding in order to obtain additional analgesic treatment (significantly shorter for the vehicle animals). The important point is to recognize that RTX is an interventional agent, and any procedural problems can affect drug performance and impact pain evaluations especially at early post-injection time points.
It was, therefore, suggested that trial designs with interventional agents should include extended periods of evaluation as part of the primary outcome and multiple independent endpoints for determination of analgesic actions to account for any variability due to administration parameters. Also, progression of the disease can be an issue if bone tumors or arthritis develops outside the zone of initial drug delivery. If the candidate analgesic is an oral drug, evaluation is less likely to be influenced by procedural parameters. However, other factors such as drug adsorption, metabolism and pharmacogenetics need to be incorporated and consideration given to behavioral and differences among breeds (
Treatment of Human Cancer Pain by Intrathecal RTX
Two studies of RTX to treat intractable pain in advanced cancer have been conducted, one using an intrathecal route and the other an epidural route. Preliminary data on for the intrathecal trial are available in abstract form
FIGURE 3

Analgesic action of intrathecal RTX in companion canine osteosarcoma model. compared to cancer pain control in a human patient. Dogs with appendicular osteosarcoma (n = 6), and a human patient with intractable cancer pain (n = 1) were injected intrathecally with RTX (1.2 μg/kg and 13 μg, respectively). Subsequent to IT RTX treatment, dogs were released to their owners and pain assessments were made at monthly intervals. Owners for each dog rated pain severity and interference with function using the Canine Brief Pain Inventory (79). Pain Severity (A) and Pain Interference (B) scores for companion dogs treated with RTX were significantly decreased relative to dogs kept on traditional standard of care oral pain medications alone. Data from the one human patient were collected over 7 days before RTX and 15 days after RTX injection while an in-patient on the oncology ward. Beginning immediately after RTX treatment, NRS pain scores (0–10) decreased from about eight to about 4 (C) Concurrently, self-administration of immediate release oxycodone was decreased (D) as was slow-release oxycodone during the same period (E) Statistical comparisons were made using two-tailed Mann-Whitney U test (**, p < 0.01) (data from
Protein Therapeutics for Cancer Pain
Substance P-Saporin and Substance-P Pseudomonas Exotoxin
The companion canine model has also been used to evaluate another type of long-acting pain control agent; a protein therapeutic called substance P-saporin (SP-SAP) (
Treatment of Naturally Occurring Bone Cancer Pain by Intrathecal Substance P-Saporin in the Canine Companion Model
Three studies have been conducted with this reagent in the dog. Two published reports evaluating the toxicology and basic neurobiology of SP-SAP in dogs provided positive information on dose response and target engagement, such as loss of NK1 receptor expressing neurons in the dorsal spinal cord. The third report examined pain control in companion canine dogs with pain from bone cancer using the intrathecal route of administration (
Treatment of Human Cancer Pain by Intrathecal Substance P-Saporin Conjugate
A small cohort of cancer pain patients (n = 3) was treated with SP-SAP and reported in two abstracts (
Treating Osteoarthritis Pain
An Example of Translational Progression Using the Canine Companion Model:
The progression of research from rodent to canine to human is exemplified by the development of RTX for the treatment of osteoarthritis pain. It was evident from our initial RTX studies in 2004 that this compound was a very versatile interventional pain control agent suitable for multiple pain indications. In the rat, in addition to analgesic and anti-hyperalgesic actions of RTX on hind paw inflammation
FIGURE 4

Analgesic action of intraarticular RTX in companion canine osteoarthritis model compared to preliminary data from a human clinical trial. These five panels show the fluid transition from the companion canine model to a human osteoarthritis clinical trial. In both species RTX was delivered intraarticularly (fore or hind limb in the dog and into the knee joint in the human). The canine work is from reference 37, the human clinical data are adapted from a published abstract (
The compelling efficacy of intraarticular RTX in the companion canine model, without apparent localized side effects, formed the impetus for toxicological studies in purpose bred dogs and prompted a full development program for control of clinical signs of osteoarthritis pain in companion animals, by one of the authors (AN, unpublished), in parallel to human clinical trials. In these studies, while the dogs can display short-term responses to drug administration (feeling hot, panting and salivating) no joint toxicity was observed. Furthermore, a group of aged beagles with light to moderate OA (not requiring NSAID treatment) was treated in the hip joint with no safety signal of concern. These observations in aged and laboratory dogs inform about the safety of the drug locally and form a path for further studies in humans beyond the knee joint. The lack of observable toxicity at the therapeutic dose for the animals or at the cellular level for the joint capsule provided essential information for submission of the investigational new drug (IND) application to the FDA. The question posed for the current topic is: How well did the companion canine results predict efficacy when translated to the human? In the case of RTX, the information gathered through companion animal studies provided much value and helped accelerate the human drug development program compared to traditional expected timeframes.
Treatment of Human Osteoarthritis Pain by Intraarticular RTX:
After the IND milestone was reached, a double-blind placebo-controlled phase I trial was designed and conducted in humans (
One difference between the canine and human osteoarthritis studies was the long duration needed to differentiate the active drug arms from placebo, which was about 3 weeks in humans. This is a substantial difference from the dog study where onset of action was discernable in 2 days. This was an open label study and comparison to vehicle controls was not possible. There may be a myriad number of explanations for this difference. One factor is that the placebo response in human pain studies is known to produce a strong analgesic action regardless of the treatment. However, with tanezumab, an anti-NGF antibody, patients with osteoarthritis pain experience an analgesic response that differentiates from placebo as soon as 1 week after treatment. It is possible that other factors, perhaps related to intraarticular instillation of the vehicle, might have produced short term actions that are additive with the placebo response. Comparison to just a needle insertion into the joint was not made. More studies will help to resolve some of the administration procedural elements that shape the human response. The important point is that effective and long-term analgesia was obtained in the human and these two therapeutic characteristics were predicted using the translational companion canine model. Additionally, other important information is generated during the course of the canine trials. These include procedural steps such as anesthesia, justification of starting dose, type of interventional administration protocol, general side effect profile, and duration of action, which is a critical factor for determining dosing interval and how long to conduct the study are all robustly anticipated. Thus, the companion canine model provided actionable data on potential clinical efficacy in humans in two different clinical pain conditions, osteoarthritis and advanced cancer, and was a key element in guiding the expenditure of effort to reach the stage of human clinical trials.
Swine Model for Interventional Analgesics
Fine Tuning Periganglionic or Intraganglionic Routes of Administration
Preclinical swine models are preferred in cases when the injection technique and/or anatomical precision is critical to the success of an experimental therapy. Recent advances have led to an increase in needle guidance and precision medicine technologies to deliver local analgesics and lesioning agents (Wood et al., 2007;
This idea is bolstered by recent studies supporting the role of the peripheral generator in the etiology of several types of pain, including phantom limb pain, which was previously hypothesized to have a central origin. Recent studies have shown that lidocaine inhibition of the ganglia can prevent pain in the phantom limb, strongly supporting a DRG location for the peripheral generator in this pain condition (
Anecdotal “Very” Large Animal Experiences
Goat and Horse
Using models based on other, larger animals is another topic that is raised frequently in reviews of animal models for analgesic drug development. Table 2 lists a selection of studies that have used the companion canine model. At present a limited amount of experience treating pain with RTX in larger animals, which so far are horses and goats (Figure 5). These few cases, albeit anecdotal, are instructive. The horse in Figure 5 was a working horse and a source of livelihood for the owner. It became incapacitated by pain in the lower forelimb subsequent to an injury. RTX treatment was by intraneural injection. After establishing a dense local anesthetic block proximally, the nerve was surgically exposed and RTX was delivered intraneurally. There were no adverse events and the horse returned to work and could be mounted and ridden. Unfortunately, pain behaviors returned after about 3 months and the animal was euthanized. The goats that were treated came from a herd of Nubian goats located at the Bronx and Queens Zoos in New York. They developed osteoarthritis subsequent to infection with a caprine retrovirus (
TABLE 2
| Publication | Species, pain indication and technical aspects | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Experimental models in rats after intra-trigeminal or intrathecal RTX and in dogs with osteosarcoma, drug formulation, dose-ranging | First in vivo demonstration of intrathecal RTX analgesia in canine companion models of osteoarthritis and osteosarcoma pain | |
| Companion dog, unilateral osteosarcoma, dose response, hemodynamics and analgesia | Efficacy demonstrated for intrathecal RTX in cancer pain, reduction in use of other opioid and non-opioid analgesics | |
| Rhesus monkey, intra-trigeminal RTX as a model for control of facial pain, head and neck cancer pain, and trigeminal neuralgia | Unilateral microinjection into TG. Target engagement shown by ipsilateral loss of capsaicin induced eye wipe and plasma extravasation. No Adverse effects on skin, wound healing, feeding | |
| Development and validation of multiple metrics for canine pain in osteosarcoma and osteoarthritis | The brief pain inventory and other metrics were adapted and validated to evaluate spontaneous pain states in the canine companion model, objective endpoints such as activity monitoring, and evaluation of analgesic agents | |
| Canine toxicology studies of substance P-Saporin conjugate demonstrating target engagement and evaluation of adverse events | Examination of a ligand-directed plant protein that blocks protein synthesis in substance P receptor (NK1) expressing second order spinal cord neurons | |
| Canine companion model, osteosarcoma pain, evaluation of substance P-Saporin delivered intrathecally | Veterinary clinical trial of a ligand-directed bioengineered pseudomonas exotoxin that blocks protein synthesis in NK1 expressing second order spinal cord neurons | |
| Double blind evaluation of RTX in canine bone cancer | A veterinary clinical trial of intracisternal or intrathecal RTX, owner and veterinarian evaluation of spontaneous pain and interference with daily activity | |
| Swine, experimental heat pain, unilateral lumbar peri-ganglionic infusion of RTX | CT image-guided delivery of RTX demonstrates lateralized confinement of injection], analgesia to laser heat pulse and loss of TRPV1 from ganglia | |
| Canine companion model, osteoarthritis pain, evaluation of RTX delivered intraarticularly | A single injection of RTX produced long-duration analgesia, increased activity with no side effects and without negative side effects | |
| Maus et al. (2019) | Swine, technical evaluation of MRI for peri- or intra-ganglionic infusion of gadolinium contrast agent | MRI and contrast agent for visualization of needle placement and small infusion volumes into DRG. Potential for gene delivery |
| Horse, laminitis, evaluation of soluble epoxide hydrolase inhibitors as analgesics | Initial studies of efficacy for this prototype enzyme inhibitor |
Examples of canine companion and other large animal models in pain research 2004-present.
FIGURE 5

Consideration of goat and horse as models for analgesic drug evaluation. As discussed in the article, painful conditions in the horse and goat represent other opportunities for animal analgesic assessment. The goats were treated intrathecally for painful osteoarthritis by RTX injection into the cisterna magna by one of the authors (DCB). This produced noticeable improvements in activity. There were only two goats that had the arthritic problem, and this highlights the consideration of incidence and consistent access to a population with the appropriate disorder. The horse in the example was treated intraneurally with RTX and is shown just prior to surgical exposure of the nerve. This injection also produced a long duration analgesia (∼3 months) but it was not permanent (as expected with a distal peripheral injection). Compared to the goat, many more horses are candidates for such treatment, for example, laminitis is estimated at 10% of the equine population (
The horse has also been used for evaluation of other analgesics. An example being developed by Hammock and others are soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) inhibitors (
Molecular Transcriptome of Canine DRG
Molecularly-Validated Target Selection
We have described in this review that several models, particularly the dog and the pig have distinct advantages over the rodent in predicting efficacy, dosing and usage in humans. It is important to note the different ways the process of using the companion canine model builds on itself. In the canine intraarticular RTX osteoarthritis
Further Adoption of the Canine Companion Model
It is disconcerting that, while bemoaning the lack of translational success using rodent models of nociception, neuropathic pain, cancer pain, and affective components of pain, the research community has been slow to adopt alternatives to the traditional approach. There is a recognized need for new animal models such as the companion canine model but, apparently, there is little interest in developing programs that utilize these types of approaches. This may be due in part to difficulties in establishing the research infrastructure, and in part due to the limited applications to which this type of animal research is relevant. For example, the mainstay mechanistic research performed in most university settings is generally not appropriate in larger animals due to costs, logistics, and ethics. The appeal of rodent models, and the fallacy of rodent models, lies in the perception of standardization and repeatability. However, it is debatable whether analgesic efficacy in a given homogenous rodent model is broadly predictive of the human translational value, due to both the heterogeneity of naturally occurring disease, the difference in metabolism and kinetics, and various other factors associated with individual humans and complexities of underlying degenerative disease processes. The canine transitional model provides accelerated assurance that the analgesic efficacy is translational. It can also be accurate if conducted following good clinical practices with control groups. Research on this level is very practical for developing evidence for transition from laboratory work into human clinical trials. Rather than discover new mechanisms, analgesia research in larger animals builds on the laboratory based mechanistic insight to ask an important question: “Is the compound an effective analgesic?” Even if using a novel reagent, results from such analgesia studies are frequently judged as deficient since they are perceived as not providing new mechanistic insight. This “insufficient novelty” not offset by the gain in new knowledge that the analgesic agent under consideration actually works. Unfortunately, the “mechanism” viewpoint may extend to grant reviews, as this kind of work may not be prioritized because of the prejudice against the value of a practical line of inquiry. Nevertheless, as we show in this review, the combination of positive results in rodents, with a positive outcome in a companion canine model constitute invaluable translational milestones for a successful outcome in human trials.
Summary
Translational advantages of the companion canine model
As noted, one of the subjects mentioned frequently as a possible remedy for the lack of translational success of mouse- or rat-based models was the inclusion of large animals into the repertoire of pain research. As we show in this review, evaluating drugs in larger non-rodent species can serve as an excellent “accretive second level of assessment” for efficacy and side effects and provides a strong set of observation for informed decision making about further drug development needs. One advantageous characteristic is that the pain-causing problems frequently arise from naturally occurring diseases or disorders and thereby are not really models at all, but bona fide pain problems that are very similar to the human disorders. We used dog osteosarcoma pain as part of the preclinical basis for our human phase I trial of RTX in cancer pain and for many other disorders. Several aspects that can influence the success of translational pain research are summarized in Table 3.
TABLE 3
| Transcriptional Validation Is the target gene expressed in target tissue? In some cases, the foundational data needs to be verified. Solution: Measurement of gene expression levels for target molecule by RNA-Seq |
| Neuronal and neural circuit cross-species validation Are the neuronal populations in the model species the same as in human? Is the relevant neuronal population in PNS or CNS? Centrally, is the circuit “wiring” the same? Are the transmitters and peptides in the neurons the same? With peripheral tissue damage are the plastic changes in spinal cord the same? |
| Peripheral validity Are inflammatory mediators similar? Do they perform the same function? Are the local tissue transcriptomic changes the same? Are the infiltrating leukocyte populations the same? Is the timing of inflammation/damage-response similar? Again, some of the outstanding gaps can be filled by conducting RNA-Seq on the model (26,38), anatomical techniques. And methods that combine both such as spatial transcriptomics |
| Types of preclinical models Standard rodent inflammation and nerve injury models of various types + more specialized models such as burn, osteoarthritis and osteosarcoma. This is a vast literature. With judicious interpretation they are good initial “activity detectors.” As soon as larger animals become subjects the number of studies falls off precipitously. In the dog the primary models are osteoarthritis and osteosarcoma |
| Interpretation of data from models Dogs like other animals can be influenced by the testing environment (clinic or outdoors), who is in the vicinity or handling them and the presence of other dogs to interact with. These factor need to be accounted for in the study design and data interpretation and can be added into the testing protocol. Ideally, efficacy should be obvious. If complex statistics are needed to discern an analgesic effect, a similar situation will likely pertain to a human trial. |
| Measurement Tools Pain rating methods include the canine brief pain inventory and other scales and subjective evaluations. For pain disorders affecting the limbs locomotion and force plate measurements can be obtained. However, such testing can be painful if the pain from the underlying condition is severe, and this may make obtaining reliable pre-analgesic testing difficult to acquire and assess for comparison. Similar considerations apply to gait analysis |
| Problems that May Be encountered Damage to the injection site from the physical injection procedure can occur if the active pharmaceutical is administered by an interventional procedure. Orally administered drugs may cause aversive effects such as nausea that may not be obvious but influence testing. The main requirement is that the treatment produce a robust analgesia. Marginal analgesics may not produce a signal but theoretically could be active to a limited extent in humans |
Elements related to translational success.
The questions that are pertinent to the companion canine model are: 1) What advantages accrue to the translation to human and/or veterinary patients? 2) How well will the information obtained translate to phase I trials and beyond? 3) How complex of a study design is needed and for how long? and 4) Will the study follow Good Clinical Practices guidelines? Clearly one advantage is pharmacological. The results obtained provide strong data for 1) dose justification 2) duration of action, 3) strength/efficacy of analgesia, 4) potential side effects, 5) potential for evaluation of drug interactions, and 6) other types of behaviors that may emerge while the dogs are in the care of their owners. The companion canine model has additional advantage of continual observation of the treated patient by one and often many observers. Both pain rating, daily interference, owner evaluation of behavioral metadata, and evaluation of spontaneous behaviors, can all be obtained remotely, and more specialize evaluations can be conducted at scheduled visits to the veterinary clinic. Assuming all goes well, the data obtained should be additive with preceding rodent data.
Lastly, evaluating a potential analgesic in the companion canine model has the potential to be a cost saving step in the development life cycle for industry. One example where the companion canine predicted failure in human clinical trials was that of TRPV1 antagonists, which were unsuccessful in the dog, and subsequently failed in clinical trials (
In conclusion, interposing a large animal transitional model such as the companion canine model between the early stages of analgesic drug identification and the later stage of human analgesic clinical trial can provide many advantages. Obtaining an unbiased, objective assessment of analgesic activity, or lack thereof, is valuable, actionable information and a basis for guiding further development.
Statements
Ethics statement
Written informed consent was obtained from the relevant individuals for the publication of any potentially identifiable images or data included in this article.
Author contributions
MI Wrote the manuscript and generated figures. DB Wrote the manuscript. AN Wrote the manuscript. MS Wrote the manuscript and generated figures AM Wrote the manuscript.
Funding
1ZIACL090033-08, Integrative And Molecular Studies Of Pain And Pain Control, Clinical Center, NIH.
Conflict of interest
Author DC was employed by Elanco Animal Health company and author AN was employed by Ark Animal Health company. MI is on the Scientific Advisory Board of Ark Animal Health company.
The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
Publisher’s note
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, or claim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.
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Summary
Keywords
cancer pain, osteoarthritis pain, resiniferatoxin (RTX), TRPV1, transient receptor potential vanilloid type 1 receptor, opioid, palliative analgesia, activity monitoring
Citation
Iadarola MJ, Brown DC, Nahama A, Sapio MR and Mannes AJ (2021) Pain Treatment in the Companion Canine Model to Validate Rodent Results and Incentivize the Transition to Human Clinical Trials. Front. Pharmacol. 12:705743. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2021.705743
Received
06 May 2021
Accepted
14 July 2021
Published
05 August 2021
Volume
12 - 2021
Edited by
E. Alfonso Romero-Sandoval, Wake Forest School of Medicine, United States
Reviewed by
Abdallah El-Sayed Allam, Tanta University, Egypt
Anthony H. Dickenson, Independent researcher, London, United Kingdom
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© 2021 Iadarola, Brown, Nahama, Sapio and Mannes.
This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
*Correspondence: Michael J. Iadarola, michael.iadarola@nih.gov
This article was submitted to Translational Pharmacology, a section of the journal Frontiers in Pharmacology
Disclaimer
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.