The results of international research published in the journal “Science” showed that domestic cats may play a pivotal role in understanding some types of cancer and finding innovative treatment methods for humans.
The study, which was supervised by a team from the Wellcome Sanger Institute in cooperation with other international universities, collected samples of tumors from about 500 cats from five countries, representing 13 different types of cancer.
Researcher Louise van der Weyden explained that cats constitute an excellent model for studying cancer because they live in an environment similar to the human environment, and are exposed to factors such as pollution and cigarette smoke, in addition to being afflicted with diseases similar to those that affect humans, including cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.
In addition, some of the genetic mutations that lead to cancer in humans also appear in cats, providing an exceptional opportunity for scientific research.
The results of the study revealed that more than half of the cats with breast cancer have a mutation in the “FBXW7” gene, which is the same gene that is linked to aggressive breast cancer in humans, but is relatively rare among women.
This discovery allows scientists to study this mutation in more depth, and evaluate the effectiveness of new treatments on cats before trying them on humans, which contributes to the development of more accurate and safe treatments.
Researchers confirm that cats represent a natural model for studying cancer compared to traditional laboratory models such as mice, as their tumors grow naturally in the body and reflect genetic and behavioral similarities to human tumors.
This makes it a valuable tool for understanding disease mechanisms, especially rare mutations that are difficult to study directly in humans.
