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dogs lead the way to identify heritable cancer traits

Immunophenotypes in lymphoproliferative diseases (LPD) are prognostically significant, yet heritable risk factors remain elusive. In a manuscript published in the July 2005 issue of Cancer Research, the leading publication in the field, Modiano and colleagues tested the hypothesis that the prevalence of LPD immunophenotypes differs among dog breeds. They show that the oldest breeds, including Spitz dogs and Asian “lap dogs” share a predisposition for excess T cell LPD, suggesting they retain ancestrally inherited risk factors. In contrast, recently derived European breeds are predisposed to excess B cell tumors. Golden Retrievers show approximately equal prevalence of B and T cell tumors, each with unique genetic characteristics. Thus, dogs offer a valuable resource to identify heritable factors for LPD. Please visit our collaborators web pages for additional information on cancer cytogenetics (Breen), heritable factors that contribute to cancer risk (Ostrander), and the canine genome project (Lindblad-Toh).

Dog illustrations by Chet Jezierski, © American Kennel Club (used with permission)