Cancer is one of the most common diseases not only in people, but also in pets. Like people, dogs can also get cancer of the mammary glands (mammary tumors). Canine mammary tumors are very similar to human breast carcinoma.
For this reason, research on breast tumors in dogs is also important for human medicine. Now, a study conducted by the University of Zurich has shown that there is a certain similarity between breast tumors in people and dogs.
Cancer cells reprogram healthy cells
For the development of a tumor and the progression of a carcinoma, it is not only the characteristics of the cancer cells themselves that are decisive. The cells that surround the tumor also play an important role.
Many tumors even have the ability to reprogram healthy cells in the tumor environment to support the growth of cancer cells. This mechanism is fundamental in human breast carcinoma, but does it work the same way in our four-legged companions?
The similarity of breast carcinoma in dogs and humans has been known for a long time. However, “until now it was unknown whether these tumor cells also influence surrounding tissue in dogs in the same way as they do in humans,” explained Enni Markkanen, a researcher at the Vetsuisse Faculty of the University of Zurich.
Tissues are of great value for research
The researchers analyzed the surrounding tissue of canine mammary tumors using molecular biology and immunohistological methods. To do this, they accessed the tissue file of the Institute of Veterinary Pathology located at the Animal Hospital. “With the permission of our patients, we perform pathological tests to better understand diseases,” argued animal pathologist Alexandra Malbon.
“In the process, we archive samples from various organs and tissues, as these samples can be of great value in answering future research questions,” added the pathologist.
Dogs help human cancer research
In samples of mammary tumors (from canine patients) the team of scientists was able to show that some cells close to tumors behave in the same way as corresponding cells in humans: in healthy tissue surrounding the tumor, they are produced substances that promote tumor growth.
“The tumor enslaves its environment: it forces the surrounding cells to work for its benefit,” said Markkanen. This mechanism works the same in both humans and dogs. Therefore, for breast carcinoma research, tumor tissue from dogs is, among other reasons, much more suitable than tissue from rats or cells currently grown in laboratories.
