The Cytogenomic Landscape of Canine Cancer

In this podcast Dr. Matthew Breen discusses his investigation into the cytogenomic changes evident in a variety of the leading cancers in dogs, including: lymphoma; leukemia; osteosarcoma; histiocytic neoplasia; urogenital carcinoma; intracranial malignancies; hemangiosarcoma; and melanoma. Cytogenomics is a branch of genetics that is concerned with the study of the structure and function of the cell, especially chromosomes. Dr. Breen also discusses possible collaborations with leading human academic medical centers to explore the translation of his findings in dogs to comparable cancers in humans.

Dr. Breen completed his PhD in cytogenetics in 1990 and then spent two years as a Post Doc in Molecular Genetics at the UK Medical Research Council’s Human Genetics Unit in Edinburgh, where he developed new techniques as part of the human genome project. Dr. Breen then spent four years working for the research arm of the Australian Thoroughbred industry, returning to the UK in 1996 where his laboratory developed molecular cytogenetics reagents, resources and techniques for application to canine genome mapping, comparative cytogenetics and cancer studies. In 2002 Dr. Breen relocated his laboratory to NCSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine as part of its Genomics initiative. Since then his research interests have continued to focus on the genomics, genome mapping and the comparative aspects of canine cancer.

Veterinary medicine has provided a wealth of information about the clinical and pathological presentation of numerous cancers in animals, and while both dogs and cats are now the subject of intense molecular cytogenetic attention, it is the dog that has provided much of the insight to date.

This presentation was recorded at the 2013 National Parent Club Canine Health Conference hosted by the AKC Canine Health Foundation and generously sponsored by Nestlé Purina PetCare.

This podcast was made possible thanks to the generous support of the Kenneth A. Scott Charitable Trust, A KeyBank Trust.