A new study published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry has found bone tumors have preprogrammed genes, meaning the genes of the cancer remain unchanged even after a tumor is found in the body.
These findings resulted from research conducted on both canine and human bone cancer cells at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine, Medical School, and the Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota. The project was conducted by Milcah Scott, Hirotaka Tomiyasu, D.V.M., Ph.D. and Aaron Sarver, Ph.D. It was directed by Jaime Modiano, V.M.D., Ph.D., professor in the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, and Subbaya Subramanian, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Surgery.
Bone cancers are similar in canines and humans, so researchers are hoping to use this information to learn more about this type of cancer that predominantly affects dogs and children.
“Everything we have seen to be true with dog bone cancer cells, in the lab or in experimental animals, is the same with human cells,” Modiano explained.
These new research findings will help guide future research for osteosarcoma, the most common type of bone cancer. Funding for the study came in large part from the Zach Sobiech Fund for Osteosarcoma Research. Sobiech was a patient at the University of Minnesota Medical Center and became an Internet sensation thanks to his song “Clouds.” He passed away from the disease in 2013. Since then his Fund has raised more than $1 million toward osteosarcoma research.
Looking for a cause
In the past, it was unclear if the behavior of osteosarcoma was programmed into each tumor or if it was simply a consequence of how long the tumor had been in the body before it was diagnosed. Previous research showed a certain gene signature could predict the behavior of bone cancer as more or less aggressive. The study aimed to identify why these genes were turned on or turned off in the bone tumors, and how they worked to determine the tumors’ behavior.
What they found
Researchers discovered a mechanism responsible for creating the gene signature and the resulting tumor behavior. The findings support the idea the behavior of bone cancer is programmed in each tumor when it forms and that program remains unchanged through disease progression.
What it means
“Our findings gives us great hope for the future that veterinarians and physicians will be able to provide a more accurate prognosis for bone cancer patients and tailor therapies to treat tumors more effectively and with less side effects,” Modiano said.
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