International research team finds 'remarkable' genetic parallels between aggressive cancers in cats and humans, opening door to cross-species treatments
Owning a cat offers many health benefits, including reduced stress and emotional support. Now, groundbreaking research suggests our feline friends might also offer crucial clues to better treat certain cancers—particularly aggressive forms of breast cancer.
A new study published Thursday in the journal Science has investigated cancers in domestic cats and found significant parallels with how the disease manifests in humans, potentially opening a new frontier in what scientists call the "One Medicine" approach, where discoveries in one species benefit another .
The Fatal Parallel
The international research team, led by scientists at the Wellcome Sanger Institute in the UK, analyzed cancerous tumour samples from nearly 500 domestic cats across five countries. They examined 13 types of feline cancer, including brain, breast, lung, and skin cancers, and probed the DNA of these tumours for genetic markers already known in human medicine.
The findings were striking. When it came to feline mammary tumours—a common and highly aggressive cancer in cats—more than half contained mutations in a gene called FBXW7 .
This same gene is already identified in human medicine. While the FBXW7 mutation is not common in women with breast cancer, when it does occur, it's associated with a particularly aggressive form of the disease . In cats, the pattern is the same.
"It's a really good model for what you see in humans, in terms of the biology of it," said co-author Louise van der Weyden, a scientist at the Wellcome Sanger Institute.
Why Cats?
Cats, like dogs, provide a unique and valuable model for studying cancer because they share our environment. They are exposed to the same pollution, second-hand smoke, and other environmental factors that scientists suspect play a role in triggering cancer .
"They develop other illnesses that we do when you get cancer," van der Weyden explained, noting that cancer in both species can be accompanied by ailments like diabetes or heart disease .
Professor Geoffrey Wood from the University of Guelph in Ontario highlighted the significance of this shared environment: "Our household pets share the same spaces as us, meaning that they are also exposed to the same environmental factors that we are. This can help us understand more about why cancer develops in cats and humans, how the world around us influences cancer risk, and possibly find new ways to prevent and treat it" .
A Path to New Treatments
The discovery is particularly promising because it could pave the way for new cancer treatments. Conducting human clinical trials for a rare genetic mutation like FBXW7 is difficult due to the small number of affected patients. However, because the mutation is so common in cats, targeted treatments could be tested more broadly in veterinary clinics .
Encouraged by this parallel, Swiss researchers conducted additional experiments on the feline samples and discovered that two existing chemotherapy treatments appeared very effective against tumours with the FBXW7 mutation .
The results must be confirmed with further research. But they could quickly have benefits for both women and cats, as these drugs are already approved for both human and veterinary use .
Beyond Mammary Cancer
The study also identified other similarities. The second most common driver gene in feline mammary tumours was PIK3CA, found in 47 percent of cases—another genetic change found in human breast cancer .
Furthermore, the research revealed that tumour-protein 53—also known as p53, the most common mutation implicated in many human cancers—was also the most frequent mutation found in cats . Similarities to human driver mutations were also observed across blood, bone, lung, skin, gastrointestinal, and central nervous system tumours .
A 'Win-Win' for Species
Professor Harikrishna Nakshatri, a breast cancer specialist at Indiana University who was not involved in the study, called the results "fascinating." He noted the data could improve our understanding of how genes interact with environmental factors, which are often prime suspects in triggering the disease .
For van der Weyden, the findings represent a true "win-win" for humans and their beloved pets. "We're genomically so similar, the tumours we develop are so similar," she said. "What you learn in one species can be used to help the other" .
She added with a smile that she personally would be more inclined to "take a drug based on it working in cats rather than in mice" .
As cancer remains one of the leading causes of illness and death in cats, these discoveries could also revolutionize feline oncology, bringing to cats the kind of precision diagnostic and therapeutic options already available for dogs .
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