Editorial: Precision medicine in veterinary oncology: volume II
Carlos Eduardo Fonseca-Alves
Renée Laufer-Amorim
Maria Lucia Zaidan Dagli
Chiara Palmieri- 1Institute of Health Sciences, Paulista University, Bauru, Brazil
- 2Department of Veterinary Surgery and Animal Reproduction, São Paulo State University, Botucatu, Brazil
- 3Department of Veterinary Clinic, São Paulo State University, Botucatu, Brazil
- 4Department of Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- 5School of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland Gatton Campus, Gatton, QLD, Australia
Editorial on the Research Topic
Precision medicine in veterinary oncology: volume II
Cancer is one of the most common causes of death in dogs, with an incidence 10 times higher in this species compared to humans (1). In the United States, it is estimated that 4 million of dogs and cats develop cancer each year (2). Although cancer data are not always available, this scenario is not different in other countries. To improve patients' care and develop new diagnostic and therapeutic tools, it is necessary to broaden our knowledge on the molecular aspects of the different cancer subtypes in companion animals.
Most recently, we have experienced unprecedented advances in more accessible molecular biology technologies even in veterinary oncology and, consequently, a dramatic improvement in diagnostic tests for cancer. Numerous publications have focused on molecular diagnosis and targeted therapies in the context of precision medicine (3). The use of large-scale molecular studies has provided an opportunity to understand the molecular basis of the different tumors in domestic animals and to apply this knowledge in the development of antitumor vaccines (4), specific anti-cancer monoclonal antibodies (5) and tyrosine kinase inhibitors (6) for treating different cancers in dogs and cats. Despite these advances, it is still challenging to determine which patient will benefit from specific treatments and, therefore, surgery and antineoplastic chemotherapy are still the main treatment modalities for oncological patients in veterinary medicine (3).
Another important feature of veterinary oncology is the comparative aspects with many tumors in domestic animals considered unique models to study neoplasms in humans. Animals develop spontaneous tumors with the same histological subtypes and similar molecular changes as in humans (7). Comparative Oncology has become such a paradigm in human cancer research that the US National Institute of Cancer, linked to the National Institute of Health (NIH), has created a specific program on Comparative Oncology, entirely dedicated to the comparative study of cancer in companion animals and humans. To give a comprehensive overview of the new advances in veterinary oncology and how they are assisting critical research for cancer cure both in animals and humans, this Research Topic has compiled original research and review articles that provide the most recent progresses in precision oncology applied to veterinary cancer research.
Tellado et al. provided very interesting guidelines for the standardization of the applications of electrochemotherapy (ECT) for treating superficial tumors in veterinary patients. This novel research article includes a detailed description on the use of ECT in cancer patients and practical tips to improve accuracy and outcomes for beginner users.
Martinucci et al. investigated the microRNA profile of human prostate cancer (PC) cell lines with a specific focus on fibronectin modulation. Fibronectin is an extracellular matrix glycoprotein, and its dysregulation is associated with modulation of several coding genes. Fibronectin dysregulation is likely to be important in PC development and progression and this was demonstrated by Martinucci et al. after exposure of human PC cell to fibronectin. Among the pathways dysregulated by this glycoprotein, the alteration of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway seems to be predominant.
Mammary Gland Tumor (MGT) and Urothelial Carcinoma (UC) are the two tumors with high comparative significance examined by Vieira et al. and Govoni et al., respectively, and included in this Research Topic. In the former, the authors demonstrated a strong association between COX-2 protein and gene expression and different prognostic factors in canine and human mammary invasive micropapillary carcinoma. On the other hand, Govoni et al. investigated Caveolin-1, GATA-3, and Ki67 protein expression in canine urothelial carcinoma, highlighting a positive correlation of GATA-3 and Caveolin-1 expression with mitotic count, as well as an association between histopathological subtype and tumor grade.
Fu et al. performed a retrospective study comparing side effects and outcomes of three-dimensional conformal vs. intensity-modulated radiation therapy for the palliative-intent treatment (4 Gy × 5 daily fractions) of canine intranasal tumors. Radiation therapy is considered the first-line therapy for nasal tumors-affected dogs, therefore, studies comparing different radiation therapy protocols are pivotal for identifying new therapeutic strategies.
Finally, Marchi et al. reviewed all the information about the relationship between obesity, inflammation and development of cancer in dogs. Although the association of cancer with obesity is still poorly explored in animals, this review provided intriguing evidence of the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying obesity and carcinogenesis and the dangerous perspective of cancer occurrence in overweight canine patients.
Altogether, these manuscripts bring new knowledge to the field of precision medicine oncology in canine patients that may pave the way for a broader use of this strategy in veterinary oncology practice. The investigation of precision medicine approaches in veterinary oncology thus continues to be essential for a better approach of animals with cancer.
Author contributions
All authors listed have made substantial contributions to the Research Topic, approved it for publication, contributed equally to this editorial, and approved the submitted version.
Acknowledgments
We thank all the authors and reviewers of this Frontiers Research Topic for their excellent contribution and the editorial team of Frontiers for their valuable support.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
Publisher's note
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References
1. Chibuk J, Flory A, Kruglyak KM, Leibman N, Nahama A, Dharajiya N, et al. Horizons in veterinary precision oncology: fundamentals of cancer genomics and applications of liquid biopsy for the detection, characterization, and management of cancer in dogs. Front Vet Sci. (2021) 8:664718. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2021.664718
2. Sugimoto T, Okuda Y, Shima A, Sugiura N, Kondo N, Ishihara G, et al. A new detection method for canine and feline cancer using the olfactory system of nematodes. Biochem Biophys Rep. (2022) 32:101332. doi: 10.1016/j.bbrep.2022.101332
3. Sung H, Ferlay J, Siegel RL, Laversanne M, Soerjomataram I, Jemal A, et al. Global cancer statistics 2020: GLOBOCAN estimates of incidence and mortality worldwide for 36 cancers in 185 countries. CA Cancer J Clin. (2021) 71:209–49. doi: 10.3322/caac.21660
4. Zaorsky NG, Churilla TM, Egleston BL, Fisher SG, Ridge JA, Horwitz EM, et al. Causes of death among cancer patients. Ann Oncol. (2017) 28:400–7. doi: 10.1093/annonc/mdw604
5. Garden OA, Volk SW, Mason NJ, Perry JA. Companion animals in comparative oncology: one medicine in action. Vet J. (2018) 240:6–13. doi: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2018.08.008
6. Leis-Filho AF. Lainetti PdF, Franzoni MS, Palmieri C, Kobayshi PE, Laufer-Amorim R, et al. A comparative in silico analysis of CD24′s prognostic value in human and canine prostate cancer. J Personal Med. (2021) 11:232. doi: 10.3390/jpm11030232
Keywords: canine, cancer, precision oncology, feline, predictive markers
Citation: Fonseca-Alves CE, Laufer-Amorim R, Dagli MLZ and Palmieri C (2023) Editorial: Precision medicine in veterinary oncology: volume II. Front. Vet. Sci. 10:1219963. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1219963
Received: 09 May 2023; Accepted: 10 July 2023;
Published: 21 July 2023.
Edited and reviewed by: Ali Mobasheri, University of Oulu, Finland
Copyright © 2023 Fonseca-Alves, Laufer-Amorim, Dagli and Palmieri. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
*Correspondence: Carlos Eduardo Fonseca-Alves, carlos.e.alves@unesp.br