#1131: Genetic Background and the Angiogenic Phenotype in Cancer; Jaime Modiano, VMD, PhD, University of Minnesota: $254,232
Abstract: Certain dog breeds are prone to develop certain types of cancer; yet, there has been little progress to define genes or other factors that account for this risk. Our recent work on hemangiosarcoma is the first to clearly demonstrate that a dog's genetic background, defined by "breed," can influence the profile of genes that are expressed by tumors. Among other important implications, this implies that certain breeds are diagnosed with specific cancers more frequently than others because of the behavior of tumors after they arise, and not simply because they arise more frequently. Specifically, this may apply to the observed predisposition for hemangiosarcoma seen in Golden Retrievers, German Shepherd Dogs, and Portuguese Water Dogs. In addition, one-size-fits-all therapies may be inadequate to effectively treat this disease. This project will extend our observations on gene expression profiles in hemangiosarcoma from Golden Retrievers to German Shepherd Dogs and Portuguese Water Dogs, and it also will define how new targeted therapies may effectively control the disease in these and other dog breeds. Markers in those candidate genes that differ between normal and affected dogs and may serve as disease predictors. These markers will then allow identification of carriers of CCLR, and potentially reduction or elimination of CCLR from the dog population.