In human male health, the loss of the Y chromosome, a condition known as LOY, has been linked to the development and severity of cancer. We recently have revealed that LOY is also present in canine blood cancers, correlating with a more severe form of the disease. This research aims to expand this knowledge by exploring the occurrence of LOY in ten widespread dog cancers outside of the blood system and to understand its impact on the activity of genes carried on the Y chromosome.

The investigators theorize that LOY is not exclusive to blood-related cancers in dogs and that its presence leads to reduced function of Y-specific genes within tumors. They will pursue this by innovating precise DNA testing methods to identify changes in Y chromosome numbers and to quantify gene activity from the Y chromosome in dog cancers.
The expected findings from this study will not only improve our comprehension of the influence of LOY in dog cancers but may also open doors to new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. Moreover, the research aims to contribute to comparative oncology, which studies cancer across different species, by providing valuable LOY data from dogs and enhancing the collective understanding of cancer biology.