SET protein expression in canine neoplasms: evaluation of predictive potential

Cancer is a genomic disease, with genetic and epigenetic alterations, leading to dysregulation of the cell cycle, failures in DNA repair and impaired activation of programmed cell death mechanisms. Among the various molecular targets involved in these deregulation processes, the SET oncoprotein stands out as its activity has been linked to poor prognosis, metastasis development and resistance to chemotherapy in human cancer. This study aimed to evaluate SET expression in different samples of canine neoplasms. A total of 93 canine cancer samples were obtained from the Veterinary Pathology Service, UNESP, for evaluation of SET oncoprotein using immunohistochemistry. The intensity of SET oncoprotein immunolabelling varied significantly among the different tumour types, indicating a potential association between tumour type and intensity. In contrast, the distribution pattern of SET oncoprotein immunolabelling was relatively consistent across tumour types, with no statistically significant differences observed. Melanoma, mammary carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, prostatic carcinoma, osteosarcoma and transmissible venereal tumour showed the highest immunolabelling intensity patterns, highlighting the importance of SET oncoprotein as a potential therapeutic target and paving the way for future studies on its use in personalized therapy.