Cat Cancer Genomes Reveal Similarities to Human Cancers

Researchers sequenced the genomes of tumors from almost 500 domestic cats and found remarkable parallels with human and dog cancers. Targeted treatments for cats with cancer might be on the horizon.

No one wants to think about the death of a beloved pet. But because cancer is one of the leading causes of death for our companion animals, detecting cancer early and finding treatments is imperative. Despite that fact that almost as many cats contract cancer during their lifetime as dogs do, research into cancers that affect our pets has tended to focus more on dogs than cats. A new study could help close some of that gap.

Senior author Louise van der Weyden, a staff scientist at the Wellcome Sanger Institute in England, and a team of researchers sequenced the genomes of tumors from almost 500 domestic cats. Their findings, published today in Science, show that the genes that drive cancer in cats are remarkably similar to those that do so in humans. And the results could open the door to more targeted cancer treatments for both cats and humans.

“Knowledge of the genetic alterations driving the tumor are essential for decision-making for which targeted therapies to use,” van der Weyden says. “Now we have this information for our feline friends.”

The study encompassed 13 distinct types of tumors originating from different parts of the body, including the skin, bones, tissue and blood. The researchers combed the data for mutations that may have caused the tumors to form and found that cancer-causing genes in cats are strikingly similar in number and variety to those in humans. For example, a gene called TP53 was found to be the most frequently mutated gene in the cats’ tumors; the same gene is implicated in various human cancers, including breast cancer and bone sarcoma.

“When you look at a cat, then look at a human, we really don’t look anything like each other,” van der Weyden says. “But when you think about the fact that human and cat genomes are remarkably similar..., it’s probably not that surprising but still super cool to see.” What may actually be surprising is that cats and humans share about 90 percent of their respective genomes.

The researchers hope that the work will inspire further studies of cat-specific cancer genes and pave the way for better treatments for our pets. “Development of targeted therapies takes time,” van der Weyden says. “However, it is the first critical, essential step that is needed.”