Dogs help researchers improve their understanding of bone cancer

A team led by Dr. Jaime Modiano, a College of veterinary medicine and Masonic Cancer center expert in comparative medicine, discovered a gene pattern that the more severe form of bone cancer a less aggressive form in dogs. Dogs are the only other species in addition to people who have this disease with a frequency spontaneously develops.

Quotes "our findings pave the way for the development of laboratory tests that the behaviour of this tumor in dogs and children at the time of diagnosis can predict," said Dr. Jaime Modiano, College of veterinary medicine and Masonic Cancer Center expert in comparative medicine. "This enables us to apply individualised therapy to meet the needs of the patient." "Patients with less aggressive disease could be treated conservatively, reduction of side effects and the risks associated with the treatment, while patients with more aggressive disease could be treated with more intensive therapy," said Modiano. A new discovery of the University of Minnesota can bone cancer patients fight their disease more effectively, according to new research, published in the september issue of bot help.

Bone cancer is usually affects children; the course and the aggressiveness of the disease can vary from patient to patient and is very difficult to predict. Some patients respond remarkably well on conventional therapies. Their disease shows less aggressive behavior and they can survive for decades without repetition. Others respond poorly to treatment or their disease comes back soon. Often, these patients survive less than five years.

Recently, a team led by Dr. Jaime Modiano, a College of veterinary medicine and Masonic Cancer Center expert in comparative medicine, discovered a gene pattern that the more severe form of bone cancer distinguishes it from a less aggressive form in dogs. Dogs are the only other species in addition to people who have this disease with a frequency spontaneously develops.

In fact, dogs are much more likely to develop bone cancer than people, but according to Modiano-specializing in the relationship between man and animal disease-human and canine forms of bone cancer are very similar and the gene pattern is an exact match. The discovery of this key signature differentiate can be useful in the planning of the treatment of cancer patients human bone.

"Our findings pave the way for the development of laboratory tests that the behaviour of this tumor in dogs and children at the time of diagnosis can predict," said Modiano. "This enables us to apply individualised therapy to meet the needs of the patient."

The downstream impact of the findings

University of Minnesota researchers want to use their findings for the development of practical and useful lab tests for humans and for pets that will help clinical care providers determine what type of cancer is faced with a patient, and how aggressive that cancer can be.

Then, depending on what type of cancer has a patient, clinicians can interventions and treatment plans accordingly.

"Patients with less aggressive disease could be treated conservatively, reduction of side effects and the risks associated with the treatment, while patients with more aggressive disease could be treated with more intensive therapy," said Modiano.

The study was funded by the National Cancer Institute, the AKC Canine Health Foundation and the Kate Koogler Canine Cancer Fund.

Source:
Kelly O'Connor
University of Minnesota