Genetic profiling of nearly 500 domestic cats with cancer has revealed driver mutations that closely mirror those seen in human tumors, positioning feline cancer as a potentially valuable model for diagnostic and therapeutic development.
In the study, published in Science, researchers analyzed 493 tumor–normal tissue pairs spanning 13 feline cancer types. Using targeted sequencing of orthologs of approximately 1,000 human cancer-associated genes, the team identified 31 likely driver genes, viral sequences, mutational signatures, and inherited variants linked to cancer risk.
The most frequently mutated gene across tumor types was TP53, a well-established tumor suppressor in human cancer. Recurrent copy number changes included loss of PTEN or FAS and gain of MYC, alterations that are also common in human malignancies. These parallels suggest that core cancer pathways are conserved across species, supporting the biological relevance of feline tumors for comparative oncology.
Mammary carcinoma, an aggressive and common feline cancer, showed particularly strong overlap with human breast cancer. More than 50 percent of feline mammary tumors harbored alterations in FBXW7, a gene associated with poor prognosis in human breast cancer. The second most common driver in these tumors was PIK3CA, also frequently mutated in human breast cancer and targetable with PI3K inhibitors. In laboratory experiments using cultured tumor tissue, certain chemotherapies appeared more effective in tumors with FBXW7 alterations, highlighting a possible route toward genotype-guided therapy in cats.
Importantly, the project establishes the first large-scale genomic reference dataset for feline cancers. It also opens the possibility that clinical trials in pet cats, who share environmental exposures with their owners, could inform human oncology under the “One Medicine” approach.
Lead researcher, Geoffrey Wood, from the Ontario Veterinary College, Canada, said, “Our household pets share the same spaces as us, meaning that they are also exposed to the same environmental factors that we are. This 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.”
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