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Scientists have made a major advance in understanding cancer in cats by identifying genetic changes that drive feline tumors, opening what researchers have described as a long-standing genetic “black box.”
An international team analyzed cancer samples from nearly 500 domestic cats across five countries, creating one of the largest studies of feline cancer genetics to date. The findings, published in Science, could help improve cancer treatment for cats and provide insights into how some cancers develop in humans and other animals.
The researchers have also created a freely accessible genetic resource that scientists can use to further investigate feline cancers.
Cancer is a leading cause of illness and death in cats, but researchers have historically had far less information about the genetic mutations behind feline tumors than they have for human and canine cancers.
“Despite domestic cats being common pets, there was very little known about the genetics of cancer in these animals until now,” said Geoffrey Wood, a pathobiology professor at the University of Guelph and co-senior author of the study.
The researchers examined tumors for mutations and other genetic alterations that help cancers develop and grow. Such changes can affect genes responsible for controlling cell growth, division, DNA repair and cell death.
Genes that directly contribute to tumor development are known as cancer driver genes.
The study found that many of the driver genes identified in feline cancers are also involved in cancers affecting humans and dogs, suggesting that cats may provide a useful model for studying some aspects of cancer biology.
One notable finding involved aggressive mammary cancers in cats, which develop in breast tissue. The most common driver gene identified in the feline mammary tumors studied was FBXW7, with mutations detected in more than half of the tumors examined.
FBXW7 normally helps regulate proteins involved in cell growth and division. When the gene is altered, growth-promoting proteins can accumulate, potentially allowing cancer cells to survive and multiply more aggressively.
The researchers noted that FBXW7 mutations have also been associated with poorer outcomes in human breast cancer, providing another example of genetic similarities between feline and human tumors.
The large-scale genetic database developed through the study could allow researchers to identify additional cancer-driving mutations in cats and investigate whether existing or emerging cancer treatments could be adapted for veterinary use.
The findings may also strengthen the role of cats in comparative cancer research, allowing scientists to study naturally occurring cancers in an animal that shares many environmental and biological characteristics with humans.
