Cats’ cancer genes show striking similarity to humans’
No one wants to think about the death of a beloved pet. But because cancer is one of the leading causes of death for our companion animals, detecting cancer early and finding treatments is imperative.
Despite the fact that almost as many cats contract cancer during their lifetime as dogs do, research into cancers that affect our pets has tended to focus more on dogs than cats.
A new study could help close some of that gap. Senior author Louise van der Weyden, a staff scientist at the Wellcome Sanger Institute in England, and a team of researchers sequenced the genomes of tumors from almost 500 domestic cats. Their findings, published today in Science, show that the genes that drive cancer in cats are remarkably similar to those that do so in humans. And the results could open the door to more targeted cancer treatments for both cats and humans.
“Knowledge of the genetic alterations driving the tumor are essential for decision-making for which targeted therapies to use,” van der Weyden says. “Now we have this information for our feline friends.”
The study encompassed 13 distinct types of tumors originating from different parts of the body, including the skin, bones, tissue, and blood. The researchers combed the data for mutations that may have caused the tumors to form and found that cancer-causing genes in cats are strikingly similar in number and variety to those in humans. For example, a gene called TP53 was found to be the most frequently mutated gene in the cats’ tumors; the same gene is implicated in various human cancers, including breast cancer and bone sarcoma.
“When you look at a cat, then look at a human, we really don’t look anything like each other,” van der Weyden says. “But when you think about the fact that human and cat genomes are remarkably similar…, it’s probably not that surprising but still super cool to see.” What may actually be surprising is that cats and humans share about 90 percent of their respective genomes.
The researchers hope that the work will inspire further studies of cat-specific cancer genes and pave the way for better treatments for our pets.
“Development of targeted therapies takes time,” van der Weyden says. “However, it is the first critical, essential step that is needed.”
If you’re enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.
If you enjoyed this article, I’d like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in that two-century history.
I’ve been a Scientific American subscriber since I was 12 years old, and it helped shape the way I look at the world. SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe. I hope it does that for you, too.
If you subscribe to Scientific American, you help ensure that our coverage is centered on meaningful research and discovery; that we have the resources to report on the decisions that threaten labs across the U.S.; and that we support both budding and working scientists at a time when the value of science itself too often goes unrecognized.
In return, you get essential news, captivating podcasts, brilliant infographics, can’t-miss newsletters, must-watch videos, challenging games, and the science world’s best writing and reporting. You can even gift someone a subscription.
There has never been a more important time for us to stand up and show why science matters. I hope you’ll support us in that mission.
