Brachycephalic breeds like boxers and bulldogs are at particular risk of developing glioma.

Genome responsible for rare Glioma discovered

Researchers have located genomes in a study into closely linked dog and human brain tumours.

Published in the journal PLOS Genetics,  scientists from Uppsala University and Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, analysed genes in different dog breeds linked to the development of the rarely curable glioma.

Brachycephalic breeds like boxers and bulldogs are at particular risk of developing glioma. By identifying a genomic region shared by the breeds, researchers determined that genomic links were likely.

"In our study we hypothesized that since the brachycephalic dog breeds with elevated risk are closely related we would be able to identify a genomic region shared by those breeds," says Katarina Truvé, former doctoral student at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences.

She contiued: "The same risk factors for glioma could also be present in other breeds and the way to identify the genomic region would be to compare genetic markers from dogs diagnosed with glioma from several breeds to healthy controls."

Further genetic analyses were performed using 25 different dog breeds and the researchers could identify an area in the genome that differed between diseased and healthy dogs.

Within this genome, three genes were identified as associated with glioma development, which humans also have.  

Karin Forsberg Nilsson, Professor at the Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology and Science for Life Laboratory, said: "These results indicate that further investigations of the role of these three genes in glioma development would be of interest, with potential benefit to both dog and human."