Dog's epigenome gives clues to human cancer
Source:
IDIBELL-Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute
Summary:
The bond between humans and dogs is strong and ancient. Dogs and people share many aspects of life. The relationship between the two species has been studied by psychologists, anthropologists, ethnologists and also by genetic and molecular biologists. In this sense, dogs are a great model for understanding the causes of human diseases, especially cancer. Unlike other mammals used in research, dogs develop cancer spontaneously as humans do and cancer is the most common cause of death in this species. The dog genome has been sequenced, but we still don't know how it is controlled and regulated, what we call the epigenome.