A joint international study has found that domestic cats with certain cancers share key genetic mutations with humans, offering a promising new model for developing targeted breast cancer treatments. Published in Science, the research highlights feline mammary tumours as particularly valuable for understanding and potentially treating aggressive forms of the disease in people.
The study, led by researchers from the Wellcome Sanger Institute and involving collaborators across five countries, analysed tumour DNA from nearly 500 pet cats diagnosed with 13 different cancer types, including brain, lung, and skin cancers. Scientists investigated these samples for genetic markers already known in human oncology, focusing on mutations that drive tumour growth.
A significant discovery emerged in feline breast cancer. More than half of the cat mammary tumours examined carried a mutation in the FBXW7 gene, a tumour suppressor also implicated in human cancers. While this specific mutation is relatively rare in women with breast cancer, it is associated with a more aggressive disease course in both species. This parallel makes cats a compelling natural model for studying this high-risk variant, as the sheer number of affected cats provides a larger cohort for research than is available among human patients.
The findings have immediate translational potential. Follow-up experiments by Swiss collaborators indicated that two existing chemotherapy drugs showed efficacy against tumours harbouring the FBXW7 mutation in feline cells. Because these drugs are already approved for use in both human and veterinary medicine, clinical validation in cats could proceed rapidly through veterinary clinics, potentially fast-tracking their evaluation for the relevant human patient subgroup.
Professor Harikrishna Nakshatri of Indiana University, who was not involved in the study, described the data as “fascinating,” noting its value for unraveling how genetics and environmental factors—shared by pets and owners—interact in cancer development.
For the study’s authors, the work underscores a practical “win-win” in comparative oncology. The genomic similarity between feline and human tumours, combined with cats’ shared environments with people, provides a robust platform for discovery. Insights gained from veterinary cases could directly inform human therapeutic strategies, and vice versa, accelerating progress against cancers in both species. Further research is now needed to confirm these initial therapeutic signals.
