Making Advanced Discoveries in Golden Cancers

The three-year project will examine genetic traits that contribute to risk and progression of hemangiosarcoma and lymphoma.

Golden Retrievers have been one of the most popular breeds in America for decades, but unfortunately these dogs also have one of the highest incidences of cancer. Hemangiosarcoma and lymphoma account for more than 30 percent of the deaths in this breed. Although breed susceptibility to cancer was first reported 30 years ago, the relationship between inherited traits and susceptibility for these cancers is still not known. The Golden Retriever Foundation and Morris Animal Foundation are funding this study to discover and characterize heritable and somatic cancer mutations in Golden Retrievers.

The three-year project will examine genetic traits that contribute to risk and progression of hemangiosarcoma and lymphoma in Golden Retrievers. The long-term goal is to understand what causes these diseases. Because both cancers occur with such high frequency, reducing their incidence (while retaining the positive phenotypes of the breed) will be a complex task, but the development of reliable genetic tests would allow breeders to build programs whereby high-risk combinations of factors could be avoided. In addition, effective strategies could be developed to control and treat hemangiosarcoma and lymphoma in Golden Retrievers and other dogs. What is learned from this research may also lead to effective prevention and treatment strategies for these diseases in people and other breeds.

Co-sponsored with the Morris Animal Foundation, Grant Number: D10CA-501

RESEARCHERS

Jaime F. Modiano, VMD, PhD
University of Minnesota

Matthew Breen, PhD, CBiol, FSB
North Carolina State University

Kerstin Lindblad-Toh, PhD,
Uppsala University, Sweden

Comment: Because of Dr. Modiano’s work with PWDs in the past, this will definitely benefit our breed.