Our Best Friend Will Help Us Find a Cure

Researchers(1) have discovered that humans and dogs suffer from cancer in genetically
similar fashions, particularly in regard to three blood and bone marrow cancers -Chronic Myelogenous Leukaemia, Burkitt's Lymphoma and Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia(3).

As human and dog species have evolved, generations have changed, cancer has become prevalent, and both human and dog show similar genetic abnormalities in response to cancer. Researchers suggest that the common ancestor shared by the dog and human predisposed the species to cancer; hard to believe that over millions of years of evolution, the genomes of humans and dogs have retained this ability to develop into cancer. Perhaps the human bond with the dog has contributed to the dog developing cancer e.g. poor diet. Researchers(2) are already linking obese dogs with cancer.

This human/dog cancer discovery means that scientists will be able to study these specific cancers mentioned more easily because in dogs it is easier to find the cancer associated genes than it is in humans. The dog genome contains 78 chromosomes; the human genome contains 46 chromosomes. Researchers have found that the same translocation of the chromosomes has occurred in dogs that have also been found in humans. Translocation is basically a rearrangement or relocation of the chromosome that may lead to an abnormal cell activity, which may lead to cancer.

This discovery is fantastic news for dogs suffering from cancer. If humans suffer from the same diseases then there is more likely to be more time and money spent on research to find a cure – cure the dog, cure the human.

Donna Cox

Primary Reference:
1.Breen, M. & Modiano, J.F. 2008 ‘Evolutionarily conserved cytogenetic changes in haematological malignancies of dogs and humans – man and his best friend share more than companionship’, Chromosome Research, Volume 16, pp. 145-154.

Secondary References:
2.Weeth, L.P., Fascetti, A.J., Kass, P.H., Suter, S.E., Santos, A.M. & Delaney, S.J. 2007 ‘Prevalence of obese dogs in a population of dogs with cancer’, American Journal of Veterinary Research, Volume 68 (4), pp. 389-398.
3.Dictionary of Cancer Terms, accessed 27th May 2008, http://www.cancer.gov/dictionary.