The genetics of cat tumors are no longer a “black box,” researchers say, thanks to a groundbreaking study published in Science. This research, considered one of the largest developments in feline cancer studies, marks the first time cat cancers have been genetically profiled at such a large scale. The findings could enhance our understanding of cancer in both humans and animals and provide a freely available resource for scientists working on feline cancer genetics.
Cancer remains one of the leading causes of illness and death in cats, yet it has been relatively unexplored. Dr. Geoffrey Wood, a pathobiology professor at the University of Guelph and co-senior author of the international study, highlights the significance of this research. “Despite domestic cats being common pets, there was very little known about the genetics of cancer in these animals,” Wood says, “until now.”
Genetic Parallels Between Cats and Humans
By analyzing tumor samples from nearly 500 domestic cats across five countries, researchers uncovered genetic changes driving cancer formation in cats, revealing remarkable similarities to human and dog cancers. They identified specific driver genes responsible for certain cancers, including aggressive mammary cancers.
“The most common driver gene in cat mammary cancer was FBXW7. Over 50 percent of the cat tumors had a mutation in this gene,” researchers noted.
In humans, mutations in the FBXW7 gene in breast cancer are associated with a worse prognosis, paralleling the changes seen in cats. Other similarities to human driver mutations were observed across various tumor types, including blood, bone, lung, skin, gastrointestinal, and central nervous system cancers.
As cats are exposed to many of the same environmental cancer risks as their owners, some causes could be partly shared. “This study can help us understand more about why cancer develops in cats and humans, how the world around us influences cancer risk, and possibly find new ways to prevent and treat it,” says Wood.
Potential for New Therapies
Researchers were excited to discover that certain chemotherapy drugs were more effective in cat mammary tumors with the mutated FBXW7 gene. While this finding was observed only in tissue samples, it may open new avenues of therapy for breast cancer across species.
“Having access to such a large set of donated tissues allowed us to assess drug responses across tumor types,” says Dr. Sven Rottenberg, co-senior author at the University of Bern, “in a way that hasn’t been possible at this scale before.”
Bailey Francis, co-first author at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, adds that the research may benefit dogs as well. “When knowledge and data flows between different disciplines, we can all benefit.”
One Medicine Approach: Bridging Disciplines
Collaborating across the Wellcome Sanger Institute, U of G’s Ontario Veterinary College, the University of Bern, and other institutes, researchers sequenced DNA from tissue samples collected by veterinarians for diagnostic purposes. The findings suggest that therapeutic approaches in humans could be trialed in cats; similarly, information learned from cancer clinical trials in domestic cats could inform human clinical trials.
This is known as the One Medicine approach, promoting the two-way flow of data and knowledge between medical and veterinary disciplines to benefit both human and animal health. Dr. Louise Van Der Weyden, senior author at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, points to areas of future research. “We can now begin to take the next steps forwards towards precision feline oncology, to catch up with the diagnostic and therapeutic options that are available for dogs with cancer, and ultimately one day, humans.”
This research was funded in part by EveryCat Health Foundation, the CVS Group, Wellcome, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, and the Swiss National Science Foundation. A full acknowledgment list is found in the publication.
