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Chon E, Hendricks W, White M, Rodrigues L, Haworth D, Post G. Precision Medicine in Veterinary Science. Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract 2024; 54:501-521. [PMID: 38212188 DOI: 10.1016/j.cvsm.2023.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Abstract
Precision medicine focuses on the clinical management of the individual patient, not on population-based findings. Successes from human precision medicine inform veterinary oncology. Early evidence of success for canines shows how precision medicine can be integrated into practice. Decreasing genomic profiling costs will allow increased utilization and subsequent improvement of knowledge base from which to make better informed decisions. Utility of precision medicine in canine oncology will only increase for improved cancer characterization, enhanced therapy selection, and overall more successful management of canine cancer. As such, practitioners are called to interpret and leverage precision medicine reports for their patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esther Chon
- Vidium Animal Health, 7201 East Henkel Way, Suite 210, Scottsdale, AZ 85255, USA
| | - William Hendricks
- Vidium Animal Health, 7201 East Henkel Way, Suite 210, Scottsdale, AZ 85255, USA
| | - Michelle White
- OneHealthCompany, Inc, 530 Lytton Avenue, 2nd Floor, Palo Alto, CA 94301, USA
| | - Lucas Rodrigues
- OneHealthCompany, Inc, 530 Lytton Avenue, 2nd Floor, Palo Alto, CA 94301, USA
| | - David Haworth
- Vidium Animal Health, 7201 East Henkel Way, Suite 210, Scottsdale, AZ 85255, USA
| | - Gerald Post
- OneHealthCompany, Inc, 530 Lytton Avenue, 2nd Floor, Palo Alto, CA 94301, USA.
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Flory A, Wilson-Robles H. Noninvasive Blood-Based Cancer Detection in Veterinary Medicine. Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract 2024; 54:541-558. [PMID: 38195361 DOI: 10.1016/j.cvsm.2023.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
The past decade has seen incredible advances in blood-based cancer detection in people and in dogs - yet this represents only a glimpse of the benefits these tests can provide to patients. The clinical uses of this technology range from screening asymptomatic individuals for early detection to use as an aid in diagnosis when cancer is suspected, to cancer monitoring both during and after treatment. This article summarizes the benefits of early cancer detection and examines use cases and methods of blood-based cancer detection in dogs, including quantitative, qualitative, and alternative approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andi Flory
- PetDx, 9310 Athena Circle, Suite 230, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
| | - Heather Wilson-Robles
- Volition Veterinary Diagnostics Development, LLC 1489 West Warm Springs Road Suite 110, Henderson, NV 89014, USA; Ethos Discovery, 10435 Sorrento Valley Road, San Diego, CA 92121, USA; The Oncology Service, United Veterinary Health, 6651 Backlick Road, Springfield, VA 22150, USA
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Rodrigues L, Watson J, Feng Y, Lewis B, Harvey G, Post G, Megquier K, White ME, Lambert L, Miller A, Lopes C, Zhao S. Shared hotspot mutations in oncogenes position dogs as an unparalleled comparative model for precision therapeutics. Sci Rep 2023; 13:10935. [PMID: 37414794 PMCID: PMC10325973 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-37505-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Naturally occurring canine cancers have remarkable similarities to their human counterparts. To better understand these similarities, we investigated 671 client-owned dogs from 96 breeds with 23 common tumor types, including those whose mutation profile are unknown (anal sac carcinoma and neuroendocrine carcinoma) or understudied (thyroid carcinoma, soft tissue sarcoma and hepatocellular carcinoma). We discovered mutations in 50 well-established oncogenes and tumor suppressors, and compared them to those reported in human cancers. As in human cancer, TP53 is the most commonly mutated gene, detected in 22.5% of canine tumors overall. Canine tumors share mutational hotspots with human tumors in oncogenes including PIK3CA, KRAS, NRAS, BRAF, KIT and EGFR. Hotspot mutations with significant association to tumor type include NRAS G61R and PIK3CA H1047R in hemangiosarcoma, ERBB2 V659E in pulmonary carcinoma, and BRAF V588E (equivalent of V600E in humans) in urothelial carcinoma. Our findings better position canines as a translational model of human cancer to investigate a wide spectrum of targeted therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Rodrigues
- One Health Company, Inc, 530 Lytton Ave, 2nd Floor, Palo Alto, CA, 94301, USA.
| | - Joshua Watson
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Georgia, B304B Life Sciences Building, 120 Green Street, Athens, GA, 30602-7229, USA
| | - Yuan Feng
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Georgia, B304B Life Sciences Building, 120 Green Street, Athens, GA, 30602-7229, USA
| | - Benjamin Lewis
- One Health Company, Inc, 530 Lytton Ave, 2nd Floor, Palo Alto, CA, 94301, USA
| | - Garrett Harvey
- One Health Company, Inc, 530 Lytton Ave, 2nd Floor, Palo Alto, CA, 94301, USA
| | - Gerald Post
- One Health Company, Inc, 530 Lytton Ave, 2nd Floor, Palo Alto, CA, 94301, USA
| | - Kate Megquier
- One Health Company, Inc, 530 Lytton Ave, 2nd Floor, Palo Alto, CA, 94301, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
| | - Michelle E White
- One Health Company, Inc, 530 Lytton Ave, 2nd Floor, Palo Alto, CA, 94301, USA
| | - Lindsay Lambert
- One Health Company, Inc, 530 Lytton Ave, 2nd Floor, Palo Alto, CA, 94301, USA
| | - Aubrey Miller
- One Health Company, Inc, 530 Lytton Ave, 2nd Floor, Palo Alto, CA, 94301, USA
| | - Christina Lopes
- One Health Company, Inc, 530 Lytton Ave, 2nd Floor, Palo Alto, CA, 94301, USA
| | - Shaying Zhao
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Georgia, B304B Life Sciences Building, 120 Green Street, Athens, GA, 30602-7229, USA.
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Packeiser EM, Taher L, Kong W, Ernst M, Beck J, Hewicker-Trautwein M, Brenig B, Schütz E, Murua Escobar H, Nolte I. RNA-seq of nine canine prostate cancer cell lines reveals diverse therapeutic target signatures. Cancer Cell Int 2022; 22:54. [PMID: 35109825 PMCID: PMC8812184 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-021-02422-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Canine prostate adenocarcinoma (PAC) and transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) are typically characterized by metastasis and chemoresistance. Cell lines are important model systems for developing new therapeutic strategies. However, as they adapt to culturing conditions and undergo clonal selection, they can diverge from the tissue from which they were originally derived. Therefore, a comprehensive characterization of cell lines and their original tissues is paramount. METHODS This study compared the transcriptomes of nine canine cell lines derived from PAC, PAC metastasis and TCC to their respective original primary tumor or metastasis tissues. Special interests were laid on cell culture-related differences, epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT), the prostate and bladder cancer pathways, therapeutic targets in the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway and genes correlated with chemoresistance towards doxorubicin and carboplatin. RESULTS Independent analyses for PAC, PAC metastasis and TCC revealed 1743, 3941 and 463 genes, respectively, differentially expressed in the cell lines relative to their original tissues (DEGs). While genes associated with tumor microenvironment were mostly downregulated in the cell lines, patient-specific EMT features were conserved. Furthermore, examination of the prostate and bladder cancer pathways revealed extensive concordance between cell lines and tissues. Interestingly, all cell lines preserved downstream PI3K-AKT signaling, but each featured a unique therapeutic target signature. Additionally, resistance towards doxorubicin was associated with G2/M cell cycle transition and cell membrane biosynthesis, while carboplatin resistance correlated with histone, m- and tRNA processing. CONCLUSION Comparative whole-transcriptome profiling of cell lines and their original tissues identifies models with conserved therapeutic target expression. Moreover, it is useful for selecting suitable negative controls, i.e., cell lines lacking therapeutic target expression, increasing the transfer efficiency from in vitro to primary neoplasias for new therapeutic protocols. In summary, the dataset presented here constitutes a rich resource for canine prostate and bladder cancer research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva-Maria Packeiser
- Small Animal Clinic, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
- Department of Medicine, Clinic III, Hematology, Oncology and Palliative Medicine, University Medical Center Rostock, Rostock, Germany
| | - Leila Taher
- Institute of Biomedical Informatics, Graz University of Technology, Graz, Austria
- Division of Bioinformatics, Department of Biology, Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
- Institute for Biostatistics and Informatics in Medicine and Ageing Research, Rostock University Medical Center, 18057, Rostock, Germany
| | - Weibo Kong
- Small Animal Clinic, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
- Department of Medicine, Clinic III, Hematology, Oncology and Palliative Medicine, University Medical Center Rostock, Rostock, Germany
- Institute of Muscle Biology and Growth, Research Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), 18196, Dummerstorf, Germany
| | - Mathias Ernst
- Division of Bioinformatics, Department of Biology, Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | | | | | - Bertram Brenig
- University of Göttingen, Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Göttingen, Germany
| | | | - Hugo Murua Escobar
- Small Animal Clinic, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany.
- Department of Medicine, Clinic III, Hematology, Oncology and Palliative Medicine, University Medical Center Rostock, Rostock, Germany.
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (CCC-MV), Campus Rostock, University of Rostock, 18057, Rostock, Germany.
| | - Ingo Nolte
- Small Animal Clinic, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany.
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Spanoudes K, Evripidou N, Giannakou M, Drakos T, Menikou G, Damianou C. A High Intensity Focused Ultrasound System for Veterinary Oncology Applications. J Med Ultrasound 2021; 29:195-202. [PMID: 34729329 PMCID: PMC8515634 DOI: 10.4103/jmu.jmu_130_20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2020] [Revised: 10/05/2020] [Accepted: 11/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound surgery is an incisionless energy-based thermal method that is used for ablating tumors in the veterinary clinic. Aims and Objectives In this article we describe a prototype of a veterinary system compatible with magnetic resonance imaging intended for small-to-medium-sized companion animals that was developed and tested in vivo in adult rabbits. Methods Real-time monitoring of the ablation during the experiment was possible with MR thermometry. Experiments involved thermal monitoring of sonications applied in the thigh of the rabbits. A 38-mm diameter transducer operating at 2.6 MHz was used with a 60-mm-focal length. The robotic system employed 3 linear axes and one angular axis. For this study, only X and Y axis were enabled. Due to the target size limitations, motion in Z and Θ was not needed. The functionality of the positioning device was evaluated by means of MR thermometry, demonstrating sufficient heating and accurate motion in both axes of operation. Results The postmortem findings confirm the ability of the system to induce thermal ablations in vivo in the absence of adverse effects. Conclusions The device is a reliable and affordable solution for companion animal hospitals, offering and additional tool for the veterinary oncology society.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyriakos Spanoudes
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Cyprus University of Technology, Limassol, Cyprus.,Vet Ex Machina Ltd., Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Nikolas Evripidou
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Cyprus University of Technology, Limassol, Cyprus
| | | | - Theocharis Drakos
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Cyprus University of Technology, Limassol, Cyprus.,Medsonic Ltd., Limassol, Cyprus
| | - George Menikou
- Medical Physics Sector, General Hospital of Nicosia, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Christakis Damianou
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Cyprus University of Technology, Limassol, Cyprus
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Thiemeyer H, Taher L, Schille JT, Packeiser EM, Harder LK, Hewicker-Trautwein M, Brenig B, Schütz E, Beck J, Nolte I, Murua Escobar H. An RNA-Seq-Based Framework for Characterizing Canine Prostate Cancer and Prioritizing Clinically Relevant Biomarker Candidate Genes. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:11481. [PMID: 34768937 PMCID: PMC8584104 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222111481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2021] [Revised: 10/16/2021] [Accepted: 10/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Prostate cancer (PCa) in dogs is a highly malignant disease akin to its human counterpart. In contrast to the situation in humans, multi-gene approaches facilitating risk stratification of canine PCa are barely established. The aims of this study were the characterization of the transcriptional landscape of canine PCa and the identification of diagnostic, prognostic and/or therapeutic biomarkers through a multi-step screening approach. RNA-Sequencing of ten malignant tissues and fine-needle aspirations (FNA), and 14 nonmalignant tissues and FNAs was performed to find differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and deregulated pathways. The 4098 observed DEGs were involved in 49 pathways. These 49 pathways could be grouped into five superpathways summarizing the hallmarks of canine PCa: (i) inflammatory response and cytokines; (ii) regulation of the immune system and cell death; (iii) cell surface and PI3K signaling; (iv) cell cycle; and (v) phagosome and autophagy. Among the highly deregulated, moderately to strongly expressed DEGs that were members of one or more superpathways, 169 DEGs were listed in relevant databases and/or the literature and included members of the PCa pathway, oncogenes, prostate-specific genes, and druggable genes. These genes are novel and promising candidate diagnostic, prognostic and/or therapeutic canine PCa biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heike Thiemeyer
- Small Animal Clinic, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, 30559 Hannover, Germany; (H.T.); (J.T.S.); (E.-M.P.); (L.K.H.); (I.N.)
- Department of Hematology/Oncology/Palliative Care, Rostock University Medical Centre, 18057 Rostock, Germany
| | - Leila Taher
- Institute of Biomedical Informatics, Graz University of Technology, 8010 Graz, Austria;
| | - Jan Torben Schille
- Small Animal Clinic, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, 30559 Hannover, Germany; (H.T.); (J.T.S.); (E.-M.P.); (L.K.H.); (I.N.)
- Department of Hematology/Oncology/Palliative Care, Rostock University Medical Centre, 18057 Rostock, Germany
| | - Eva-Maria Packeiser
- Small Animal Clinic, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, 30559 Hannover, Germany; (H.T.); (J.T.S.); (E.-M.P.); (L.K.H.); (I.N.)
- Department of Hematology/Oncology/Palliative Care, Rostock University Medical Centre, 18057 Rostock, Germany
| | - Lisa K. Harder
- Small Animal Clinic, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, 30559 Hannover, Germany; (H.T.); (J.T.S.); (E.-M.P.); (L.K.H.); (I.N.)
| | - Marion Hewicker-Trautwein
- Institute of Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, 30559 Hannover, Germany;
| | - Bertram Brenig
- Institute of Veterinary Medicine, University of Göttingen, 37077 Göttingen, Germany;
| | - Ekkehard Schütz
- Chronix Biomedical GmbH, 37079 Göttingen, Germany; (E.S.); (J.B.)
| | - Julia Beck
- Chronix Biomedical GmbH, 37079 Göttingen, Germany; (E.S.); (J.B.)
| | - Ingo Nolte
- Small Animal Clinic, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, 30559 Hannover, Germany; (H.T.); (J.T.S.); (E.-M.P.); (L.K.H.); (I.N.)
| | - Hugo Murua Escobar
- Small Animal Clinic, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, 30559 Hannover, Germany; (H.T.); (J.T.S.); (E.-M.P.); (L.K.H.); (I.N.)
- Department of Hematology/Oncology/Palliative Care, Rostock University Medical Centre, 18057 Rostock, Germany
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (CCC-MV), Campus Rostock, University of Rostock, 18057 Rostock, Germany
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Bogaerts E, den Boer E, Peelman L, Van Nieuwerburgh F, Fieten H, Saunders JH, Broeckx BJG. Veterinarians' Competence in Applying Basic Genetic Principles and Daily Implementation of Clinical Genetics: A Study in a University Environment. JOURNAL OF VETERINARY MEDICAL EDUCATION 2021:e20210029. [PMID: 34323673 DOI: 10.3138/jvme-2020-0029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Veterinarian competency in genetics is vital for a meaningful application of the rapidly growing number of genetic tests available for animals. We evaluated the use of genetic tests in the daily veterinary practice and the competency of university-employed veterinarians in applying basic principles of genetics in a clinical setting through an electronic survey with 14 cases and 7 statements on genetics. Ninety-one non-geneticist veterinarians from two veterinary faculties in two different countries responded. Almost half of the participants apply genetic tests during their daily work, with frequencies varying between weekly and once a year. The most common indication to request a genetic test was diagnostic testing of clinically ill patients. Although 80% of the veterinarians communicated the result of a genetic test themselves, only 56% of them found it "very to rather easy" to find the correct test, and only 32% of them always felt competent to interpret the result of the test. The number of correctly answered questions varied widely, with median scores of 9/14 (range 0-14) and 5/7 (range 0-7) for the cases and statements, respectively. Most difficulties were seen with recognition of pedigree inheritance patterns, while veterinarians scored better in breeding advice and probability of disease estimations. Veterinarians scored best on questions related to autosomal recessive inheritance, followed by complex, autosomal dominant, X-linked recessive, and X-linked dominant inheritance. This study exposed pain points in veterinarians' knowledge and has led to the formulation of recommendations for future education and communication between laboratories, geneticists, and veterinarians.
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Guillen A, Smallwood K, Killick DR. Molecular pathology in the cancer clinic - where are we now and where are we headed? J Small Anim Pract 2021; 62:507-520. [PMID: 33974272 DOI: 10.1111/jsap.13330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2019] [Revised: 12/14/2020] [Accepted: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Molecular pathology is a developing sub-microscopic discipline of pathology that studies the effects of molecular variations and mutations on disease processes. The ultimate goal of molecular pathology in cancer is to predict risk, facilitate diagnosis and improve prognostication based on a complete understanding of the biological impact of specific molecular variations, mutations and dysregulations. This knowledge will provide the basis for customised cancer treatment, so-called precision medicine. Rapid developments in genomics have placed this field at the forefront of clinical molecular pathology and there are already a number of well-established genetic tests available for clinical use including PCR of antigen receptor rearrangement and KIT mutational analysis. Moving beyond tests assessing a single gene, there are significant research efforts utilising genomics to predict cancer risk, forecast aggressive behaviour and identify druggable mutations and therapeutic biomarkers. Researchers are also investigating the use of circulating cells and nucleic acid for clinically useful low morbidity genomic assessments. If we are to realise the full potential of molecular pathology and precision medicine there are a number of challenges to overcome. These include developing our understanding of the underlying biology (in particular intra-tumoural heterogeneity), methodological standardisation of assays, provision of adequate infrastructure and production of novel therapeutics backed by high-quality clinical data supporting the precision medicine approach. The era of molecular pathology holds the potential to revolutionise veterinary cancer care, but its impact on clinical practice will depend upon the extent to which the inherent challenges can be overcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Guillen
- Department of Clinical Science and Services, Royal Veterinary College, Hawkshead Ln, Hatfield, AL9 7TA, UK
| | - K Smallwood
- Department of Small Animal Clinical Science, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Leahurst, Chester High Road, Neston, CH64 7TE, UK
| | - D R Killick
- Department of Small Animal Clinical Science, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Leahurst, Chester High Road, Neston, CH64 7TE, UK
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Gray M, Meehan J, Turnbull AK, Martínez-Pérez C, Kay C, Pang LY, Argyle DJ. The Importance of the Tumor Microenvironment and Hypoxia in Delivering a Precision Medicine Approach to Veterinary Oncology. Front Vet Sci 2020; 7:598338. [PMID: 33282935 PMCID: PMC7688625 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2020.598338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2020] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Treating individual patients on the basis of specific factors, such as biomarkers, molecular signatures, phenotypes, environment, and lifestyle is what differentiates the precision medicine initiative from standard treatment regimens. Although precision medicine can be applied to almost any branch of medicine, it is perhaps most easily applied to the field of oncology. Cancer is a heterogeneous disease, meaning that even though patients may be histologically diagnosed with the same cancer type, their tumors may have different molecular characteristics, genetic mutations or tumor microenvironments that can influence prognosis or treatment response. In this review, we describe what methods are currently available to clinicians that allow them to monitor key tumor microenvironmental parameters in a way that could be used to achieve precision medicine for cancer patients. We further describe exciting novel research involving the use of implantable medical devices for precision medicine, including those developed for mapping tumor microenvironment parameters (e.g., O2, pH, and cancer biomarkers), delivering local drug treatments, assessing treatment responses, and monitoring for recurrence and metastasis. Although these research studies have predominantly focused on and were tailored to humans, the results and concepts are equally applicable to veterinary patients. While veterinary clinical studies that have adopted a precision medicine approach are still in their infancy, there have been some exciting success stories. These have included the development of a receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor for canine mast cell tumors and the production of a PCR assay to monitor the chemotherapeutic response of canine high-grade B-cell lymphomas. Although precision medicine is an exciting area of research, it currently has failed to gain significant translation into human and veterinary healthcare practices. In order to begin to address this issue, there is increasing awareness that cross-disciplinary approaches involving human and veterinary clinicians, engineers and chemists may be needed to help advance precision medicine toward its full integration into human and veterinary clinical practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Gray
- The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies and Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - James Meehan
- Translational Oncology Research Group, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, Western General Hospital, University of Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Arran K. Turnbull
- Translational Oncology Research Group, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, Western General Hospital, University of Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
- Breast Cancer Now Edinburgh Research Team, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, Western General Hospital, University of Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Carlos Martínez-Pérez
- Translational Oncology Research Group, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, Western General Hospital, University of Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
- Breast Cancer Now Edinburgh Research Team, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, Western General Hospital, University of Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Charlene Kay
- Translational Oncology Research Group, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, Western General Hospital, University of Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
- Breast Cancer Now Edinburgh Research Team, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, Western General Hospital, University of Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Lisa Y. Pang
- The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies and Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - David J. Argyle
- The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies and Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
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Abstract
The era of Precision / Genomic Medicine has arrived and can improve the veterinary healthcare of companion animals. The goal of Precision / Genomic Medicine is to use an individual's DNA signature / profile to tailor their treatments of their specific health problems. Whole genome sequencing is now a cost-effective diagnostic tool, leading to the discovery of DNA variants associated with health outcomes. These DNA variants become genetic tests and can readily be applied to future cases of individuals with similar symptoms. This article addresses the current state of Precision Medicine in domestic cats and the implications for veterinary care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reuben M Buckley
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri - Columbia, E109 Vet Med Building, 825 East Campus Loop, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
| | - Leslie A Lyons
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri - Columbia, E109 Vet Med Building, 825 East Campus Loop, Columbia, MO 65211, USA.
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