Influence of genetic background on tumor karyotypes: evidence for breed-associated cytogenetic aberrations in canine appendicular osteosarcoma
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Updated: Jun 24, 2026

Testing Targeted Therapies in Cancer using Structural DNA Alteration Analysis and Patient-Derived Xenografts
Published on: July 25, 2020
Rachael Thomas1,2, Huixia J Wang3, Pei-Chien Tsai1
1Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27606, USA.
Abstract:
Recurrent chromosomal aberrations in solid tumors can reveal the genetic pathways involved in the evolution of a malignancy and in some cases predict biological behavior. However, the role of individual genetic backgrounds in shaping karyotypes of sporadic tumors is unknown. The genetic structure of purebred dog breeds, coupled with their susceptibility to spontaneous cancers, provides a robust model with which to address this question. We tested the hypothesis that there is an association between breed and the distribution of genomic copy number imbalances in naturally occurring canine tumors through assessment of a cohort of Golden Retrievers and Rottweilers diagnosed with spontaneous appendicular osteosarcoma. Our findings reveal significant correlations between breed and tumor karyotypes that are independent of gender, age at diagnosis, and histological classification. These data indicate for the first time that individual genetic backgrounds, as defined by breed in dogs, influence tumor karyotypes in a cancer with extensive genomic instability.
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