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BRAF Mutations in Canine Cancers

Hiroyuki Mochizuki1, Katherine Kennedy1, Susan G Shapiro1

  • 1Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States of America.

Plos One
|June 9, 2015
PubMed

Insights

BRAF gene mutations, common in human cancers, were identified in canine tumors. This discovery opens avenues for canine cancer diagnostics and targeted therapies.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Activating BRAF mutations constitutively activate the MAPK pathway, a common event in human cancers.
  • BRAF mutations are not yet characterized in canine cancers, despite shared molecular abnormalities between human and canine cancers.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the presence and frequency of BRAF gene mutations in canine primary tumors.
  • To determine if canine BRAF mutations mirror those found in human cancers, specifically the V600E mutation.

Main Methods:

  • Sequencing of exon 15 of the BRAF gene, a known mutation hotspot.
  • Analysis of 667 canine primary tumors and 38 control tissues.

Main Results:

  • A BRAF mutation (T1349A, V450E) was identified in 9.6% (64/667) of canine tumors.
  • High frequencies were observed in prostatic carcinoma (80%) and urothelial carcinoma (67%).
  • The canine V450E mutation corresponds to the human V600E BRAF mutation.

Conclusions:

  • The BRAF V450E mutation is present in canine cancers, analogous to the human V600E mutation.
  • This finding underscores the significance of MAPK pathway activation in canine neoplasia.
  • Identified mutations offer potential for developing molecular diagnostics and targeted therapeutics for canine cancers.

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