Narrator:       This is Science Today. Translational research is essentially getting new discoveries from the laboratories into practical medical advances for patients who need them most. At the University of California, Davis, a novel drug therapy to treat lymphoma is already being used to treat dogs. Dr. Michael Kent of the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine says this type of cancer in dogs is very similar to types of lymphoma in humans.

Kent:   This is translational medicine at its best. It's realizing that a dog with a disease that naturally occurs is very similar to a human with the disease and we do have less regulation but we do put ourselves in the same kind of strict requirements that are required for a human trial and to make sure that it's safe to give to our patients.

Narrator:       Kent has just completed the first phase of a trial with dogs, testing safety levels of the drug.

Kent:   It's so vital that we take what's learned in the basic science side and learn to apply it to our patients. It benefits my patients in being able to get these drugs that will not be available for years for people, but allows me to try them now and hopefully benefit my patients in the process.

Narrator:       For Science Today, I'm Larissa Branin.