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UF small animal surgery resident honored by national group

Dr. Valery Scharf and Dr. Stephen Jones. (Photo courtesy of Dr. Valery Scharf)

Dr. Valery Scharf, a small animal surgery resident at the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, has been honored by a national professional association for her research presentation relating to bone cancer in dogs.

Scharf, who also is a master’s degree candidate at the college, received first place in the research category of the residents’ competition at the annual meeting of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons, held Oct. 24-26 in San Antonio, Texas. Scharf’s presentation focused on her graduate project, which investigates the effects of a drug known as aurothiomalate, also known as gold salts, on osteosarcoma, a common bone cancer in dogs.

“We were able to show that the drug inhibits cancer cell colony formation in vitro, or in the lab, in both a human and canine bone cancer cell line,” Scharf said. “We were then able to show that the drug slows tumor growth and decreases metastasis when canine bone tumors were created in a mouse model.”

The study shows that there is promise for the role of gold-based drugs as part of bone cancer treatment in dogs, and potentially in people, although more research is needed before applying the research clinically, Scharf added.

Scharf’s mentors include Drs. Jim Farese and Rowan Milner.

“I was interested in this research because bone cancer is a devastating disease of both people and dogs, and we still lack an effective means of treating metastasis from these tumors,” she said. “Because this type of cancer has a lot of similarities between humans and dogs, developing new therapies for dogs may also lead to new therapies for people afflicted with cancer.”

Scharf received her D.V.M. degree from Texas A&M University’s College of Veterinary Medicine in 2009. She then performed an internship at The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine prior to beginning her residency at UF in 2010.

Also participating in the recent ACVS meeting was Dr. Stephen Jones, a second-year small animal surgery resident at UF. Jones received honorable mention in the research division for his paper on in vivo femoral kinematics in dogs. His faculty advisor is Dr. Stanley Kim.

The master’s degree/small animal surgery residency program is coordinated Dr. Dan Lewis.

“UF’s four-year combined residency/master’s program is unique and continues to set us apart from many other programs at other veterinary colleges across the nation,” said Dr. Gary Ellison, professor and chief of the small animal surgery service.

Founded in 1965, the American College of Veterinary Surgeons is the American Veterinary Medical Association specialty board which sets the standards for advanced professionalism in veterinary surgery.