In more canine osteosarcoma news from the Ohio State University Greyhounds Health and Wellness Program, Tripawds was recently contacted by representatives of the program in order to clarify the results of their recent efforts to identify the genes that can lead to osteosarcoma in dogs.
Dr. Carlos E. Alvarez, PhD, of The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital explained to us that:
“I would not say that we have identified the Greyhound osteosarcoma gene. Rather, we have identified several candidate genome regions (each implicating one or more genes).
When we claim validation in this work, we will be referring to 1) discovering candidates using genomewide genetic mapping and 2) confirming those results in a second group of dogs.
Formal validation would probably require creation of a rodent model in which a variant of interest results in increased risk of osteosarcoma.“
While this isn’t exactly the discovery of the osteosarcoma gene in Greyhounds as originally reported here, the OSU study is still tremendous progress. Successful studies like this one will eventually lead to identifying the gene in all breeds as well as humans. Dr. Cuoto and Alvarez’ research was conducted through a grant by by the American Kennel Club Canine Health Foundation “01660: Identifying the Genes That Confer Risk for Osteosarcoma.”
About the Ohio State University Greyhounds Health and Wellness Program
This OSU program focuses on improving the quality of life for Greyhounds around the world. Because Greyhounds have one of the highest risks of developing osteosarcoma, Dr. Couto and his team focus much of their work on studying this disease. The program offers a low-cost online consultation service for Greyhound owners faced with this disease. As the program completes more successful studies like this one, their research will eventually benefit all dog breeds at risk of bone cancer. The program’s work is funded entirely by donations and grants. To learn more, visit the Ohio State University Greyhounds Health and Wellness Program website.