The College of Veterinary Medicine is partnering with Washington University in St. Louis to help develop a new cancer-removing technology.

The two universities will work together to develop “cancer goggles,” which, with the help of a special dye, will allow doctors to see the tumor tissue. The dye will stain only the infected tissue, helping to increase doctors’ chances of removing the entire infected area at once.

Wash U has been working to develop the technology for some time now.

Professor Samuel Achilefu is the head researcher in charge of this project at Wash U. He said he hopes to establish direct collaboration with MU, as well as be able to care for animal health and eventually provide clinical translations.

Wash U chose to partner with MU because of the university’s great reputation, Achilefu said. He said MU’s veterinary school is one of the most prominent in the state as well as the Midwest.

“The evidence for this new technology is extremely promising,” MU veterinary oncologist Jeffrey Bryan said.

Bryan said the basic plan for this new research is to start looking at clinical cases in pets, inject the dogs that have the cancerous tumors, let the dye take hold and then the doctor would wear the goggles and remove the tumor from the dog.

“The biggest challenge will be determining if the dye goes all the way to the edge of the tumor,” Bryan said.

Achilefu said that after the clinical trials are completed, hospitals around the country, as well as around the world will be able to get prototypes of the goggles, which are already in high demand.

Achilefu said he has already received a great number of calls from around the world inquiring about the goggles. He said he believes the prototypes will be ready for distribution by the end of next year.

The majority of the research will take place at Wash U but the animal clinical studies will take place at MU.

“I think this is the beginning of a great collaboration between our two institutions, and I am so proud to be a part of this,” Achilefu said.