Hemangiosarcoma (HSA), a malignant tumor of blood vessels, is a significant health concern in dogs, with a reported incidence of up to 2% of all tumors. HSA can affect all dogs, but a particularly high disease incidence has been reported in certain breeds, such as golden retriever (15%), German shepherd (10%), and Labrador retriever. The higher incidence in these particular breeds suggests that genetic risk factors exist. We have identified seven regions in the canine genome associated with HSA in golden retrievers using a newly developed powerful analytical method in order to search for small differences in the patterns of DNA. Subsequently, DNA patterns have been compared with five other breeds and all risk factors appear to be shared with at least one other breed. We now aim to perform denser fine mapping to validate and further narrow down the associated locus on chromosome 5 which is the most likely to contain a gene associated with hemangiosarcoma. Once the mutations have been identified and their presence in different breeds assessed, it will be possible to rapidly develop genetic tests for carriers of HSA. Ultimately, understanding of the disease biology will lead to prevention and better treatment of HSA.
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