Researchers from North Caroline State University have discovered that a dog’s genome may be man’s new best friend, rather than the actual canine.
Comparison of human and canine genomes have allowed scientists to discover that the gene commonly believed to be responsible for one-in-four brain tumours may not be as important as originally thought.
Meningiomas are brain tumours which grow in the space between the brain and the skull, rather than on the organ itself. The condition is associated with genetic defects of large segments of chromosomes, making it hard to understand which of the specific genes is involved – it’s like finding a needle in a haystack.
However, now Dr Matthew Breen, professor of genomics at NC State, and a host of colleagues from other universities have published a study in the Journal of Neurooncology. The scientists, including Natasha Olby a veterinary neurologist, have compared the tumours found in both humans and dogs to narrow down the search for the offending gene.
“[W]e compare the affected areas of a human chromosome with related areas on dog chromosomes. This works because dogs and humans are genetically similar and both get the same kind of cancers” explained Breen. “While we share much of our genetic material, the DNA of a dog is organized differently to our own and this makes it possible to isolate smaller ’shared’ regions of genetic data rather than looking at an entire chromosome.”
By studying samples of canine and human meningiomas the researchers have narrowed down their research to focusing on human chromosome 1 and 22, after being able to discard other chromosomes after correlating with the results found in dogs.
Breen is hopeful that this research will allow researchers to narrow down the search for the specific genes involved with the disease and believes his study will benefit both species.
“It’s proof of the ‘One Medicine’ concept – the idea that human and animal health relies on a common pool of medical and scientific knowledge and is supported by overlapping technologies and discoveries.”