Your furry friend may soon live much longer, thanks to the efforts of an Arizona State University scientist. Stephen Albert Johnston wants to help prevent the spread of cancer in all lives and he is starting with dogs.

The busy ASU professor and business owner has researched the disease for over a decade. Johnston is the CEO of Calviri, a vaccine development company, and has authored numerous scientific articles. In addition, he was named the Arizona Bioscience Researcher of the Year for 2016.

Stephen Johnston and his team have found that many canine cancers share characteristics with human cancers. They created a vaccine for dogs that is designed not to cure cancer but to prevent its occurrence. His vaccine caught the eye of the Open Philanthropy Project, which awarded Johnston with a multimillion-dollar grant. The $6.4 million will fund a seven-year trial on healthy dogs. The animals will be studied and tested for at least five years. The vaccine could prevent them from developing any form of cancer. Further testing and development has the potential to assist in the fight against human cancers. 

Some estimates claim that half of all senior dogs will develop cancer, especially among select breeds. Labrador Retrievers, Boxers, and German Shepherds are among those prone to this disease. The National Cancer Institute reports that 6 million canines are struck by cancer yearly.