Texas Tech vet students publish studies on MEED and osteosarcoma
Bottom line
Fourth-year veterinary students at Texas Tech University’s School of Veterinary Medicine have published two peer-reviewed studies that push forward work in a rare equine inflammatory disease and canine bone cancer. Kayden Tanner’s paper, published in Animals in May 2026, used high-depth whole-genome sequencing to study multisystemic eosinophilic epitheliotropic disease, or MEED, in a horse and identified rare variants tied to epithelial integrity, cytoskeletal organization, and immune regulation. Marshall Mays’ paper, published in Frontiers in Veterinary Science on June 5, 2026, found that cisplatin and tamoxifen showed synergistic anticancer activity in canine osteosarcoma cells in vitro, suggesting a possible lower-dose combination strategy worth further study. Texas Tech said both students completed the work under the mentorship of postdoctoral fellow Tomas Lugo and associate dean Thu Annelise Nguyen. (eurekalert.org)
Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, the two papers land in areas where evidence is still thin. MEED is rare, severe, and poorly understood, with the Animals study describing itself as the first population-genomic look at the disease and noting that affected horses are often euthanized within a year of diagnosis. In canine oncology, osteosarcoma remains an aggressive cancer with standard treatment centered on surgery and chemotherapy, so even an early in vitro signal that a drug combination may improve tumor cell kill at reduced doses is notable, though it’s far from changing practice. (researchgate.net)
What to watch: The next step is whether either line of research moves beyond proof-of-concept, through validation in additional MEED cases and, for osteosarcoma, preclinical or clinical testing to see whether the cisplatin-tamoxifen signal holds up in dogs. (researchgate.net)
Key facts
- Institution
- Texas Tech University School of Veterinary Medicine
- Studies published
- Two peer-reviewed studies
- Equine study journal
- Animals
- Equine study date
- May 2026
- Equine disease
- Multisystemic eosinophilic epitheliotropic disease (MEED)
- Equine method
- High-depth whole-genome sequencing
- Equine finding
- Rare variants tied to epithelial integrity, cytoskeletal organization, and immune regulation
- Canine study journal
- Frontiers in Veterinary Science
- Canine study date
- June 5, 2026
- Canine finding
- Cisplatin and tamoxifen showed synergistic anticancer activity in canine osteosarcoma cells in vitro
Two fourth-year veterinary students at Texas Tech University have landed peer-reviewed publications that touch two difficult corners of veterinary medicine: a rare, devastating equine inflammatory disease and canine osteosarcoma. The work, highlighted by Texas Tech in mid-July 2026, centers on genomic analysis of equine MEED and an in vitro combination-drug study in canine bone cancer, with both projects completed under faculty mentorship at the School of Veterinary Medicine. (eurekalert.org)
The equine paper, “Genomics in Equine MEED: Whole-Genome Sequencing and Target Mutation Identification,” appeared in Animals in May 2026. MEED, or multisystemic eosinophilic epitheliotropic disease, is described in the paper as a rare, progressive disorder of primarily young horses marked by eosinophilic inflammation across multiple epithelial tissues. The authors note that only around 50 cases have been reported historically and that the molecular basis of the disease has remained undefined, leaving most prior literature focused on clinical and pathologic description rather than genetics. (researchgate.net)
In that study, the researchers performed roughly 40× whole-genome sequencing on an affected horse and compared the findings against control genomes, then situated the case within a broader equine population framework. Their analysis identified more than 6.3 million variants, with rare and private variants pointing toward pathways involved in cytoskeletal organization, microtubule dynamics, epithelial barrier integrity, and immune regulation. The authors concluded that the findings support a model in which cumulative mutations, rather than a single highly penetrant defect, may contribute to the epithelial instability and persistent inflammation seen in MEED. (researchgate.net)
The canine oncology paper, “Evaluating the synergistic effects of cisplatin and tamoxifen in canine osteosarcoma cells,” was published in Frontiers in Veterinary Science on June 5, 2026, with a correction posted June 19. Using a metastatic canine osteosarcoma model derived from an 11-year-old poodle, the team tested cisplatin, tamoxifen, and combinations of the two across a concentration matrix. They reported synergistic effects using the zero-interaction potency model, along with findings suggesting reduced proliferation markers such as Ki-67 and Cyclin D1 in treated cells. The authors framed the work as an early rationale for combination therapy, not a clinical recommendation. (frontiersin.org)
That caution matters because osteosarcoma remains one of the most aggressive cancers seen in dogs, especially large breeds, and current care still generally relies on amputation or limb-focused local control plus chemotherapy. Broader comparative oncology research continues to treat canine osteosarcoma as an important model for both veterinary and pediatric cancer, and newer studies are exploring immunotherapy, spatial transcriptomics, and limb-sparing approaches such as histotripsy. Against that backdrop, the Texas Tech paper fits into a larger push to find more effective, less toxic, and potentially more individualized treatment strategies. (research.vetmed.vt.edu)
Industry reaction so far appears to be centered less on immediate clinical disruption and more on the significance of the student-led scholarship. Texas Tech said this level of publication is a first for the school’s veterinary program, and both papers were positioned as examples of how mentored research can contribute to active questions in equine genomics and veterinary oncology. External peer review details published with the Frontiers paper also underscore that the osteosarcoma study has been scrutinized as an original research contribution, even if its findings remain preclinical. (newswise.com)
Why it matters: For practicing veterinarians, neither paper changes standard of care today, but both add useful signal in areas where clinicians often have limited evidence to work with. In equine practice, MEED is rare enough that even a single well-characterized genomic case can help build the reference base for future diagnosis and mechanistic work. In small animal oncology, the osteosarcoma study reinforces interest in combination regimens that might preserve efficacy while lowering dose intensity, although any relevance to patient care will depend on follow-on work in animal models and clinical trials. For referral centers, academic hospitals, and research-minded practitioners, these papers are a reminder that genomics and translational oncology are moving deeper into veterinary medicine, even when the first steps are small. (researchgate.net)
What to watch: The next milestones are replication and translation, specifically whether more MEED genomes are sequenced to test the proposed pathway-level model, and whether the cisplatin-tamoxifen findings advance into in vivo osteosarcoma studies or early clinical evaluation in dogs. (researchgate.net)