Grant Amount: $123,579

Dr. Matthew Breen, PhD, North Carolina State University

October 1, 2004 - September 30, 2006

Sponsor(s): American Boxer Charitable Foundation, Boston Terrier Club of America Charitable Trust, Golden Retriever Foundation

Breed(s): -All Dogs

Disease(s): Brain Tumors

Abstract

Genetic abberations underlie many different types of cancer. Identification of these aberrations provides important information on the malignancy of different cancers, but until recently it has been extremely labor intensive to screen for such anomalies. Gene expression profiling is a technique that provides information on the level of expression of thousands of genes in a single assay, greatly improving the efficiency of screening for genetic aberrations. We hypothesize that there are tumor-specific differences in gene expression in canine brain tumors, which will correspond to and be predictive of clinical outcome. As certain breeds of dog (e.g. the Boxer, Boston Terrier and Golden Retriever) are predisposed to developing brain tumors, we may find breed specific genetic aberrations that are associated with the development of brain tumors. In this study, we will apply gene expression profiling to tissue taken from naturally occurring brain tumors (obtained during routine diagnosis and treatment) to identify tumor specific differences in gene expression. We will correlate these differences with tumor type and the clinical course of disease to identify prognostic factors for survival. This study may enable us to identify prognostic factors and novel therapeutic targets applicable to many different types of canine cancer.