A bone cancer known as osteosarcoma is genetically similar in dogs and human children, according to a study published today in Communications Biology. The findings could help break the logjam in the treatment of this deadly disease, which hasn’t seen a significant medical breakthrough in nearly three decades.
“While osteosarcoma (OS) is rare in children, it is all too common in many dog breeds, which makes it a prime candidate for the kind of comparative cancer biology studies that could enhance drug development for both children and our canine friends,” says senior author William Hendricks of the Translation Genomics Research Institute.
Although surgery and chemotherapy can extend survival, about 30% of pediatric OS patients die from metastatic tumors within 5 years. The cancer moves much faster in dogs, with more than 90% succumbing to metastatic disease within 2 years.
Using multiple molecular-level testing platforms, the team sequenced the genomes of 59 dogs, finding that canine OS shares many of the genomic features of human OS, including low mutation rates, structural complexity, altered cellular pathways, and unique genetic features of metastatic tumors that spread to other parts of the body.
“These findings set the stage for understanding OS development in dogs and humans and establish genomic contexts for future comparative analyses,” says coauthor Cheryl London of Tufts University.
The study also identified new features of canine OS, including recurrent and potentially cancer-causing mutations in two genes: SETD2 and DMD. The study suggests that these findings merit further exploration.
“The genetic similarity between dogs and humans provides a unique opportunity and a comparative model that will enable the development of new therapies within a compressed timeline,” says first author Heather L. Gardner from Tufts.
Coauthor Jeffrey Trent adds that the comparative oncology approach is vital to the rapid development of new treatments for people and pets that need help today.
“Leveraging the similarities between the human and canine forms of OS adds greatly to our understanding of how this aggressive cancer develops and spreads. More importantly, it provides an opportunity to develop therapies that make a difference in the lives of children and pets,” Trent explains.