Man's best friend to the rescue
Studying common human diseases such as cancer or cardiovascular disorders from a genetic perspective can yield much-needed information about how to properly diagnose and treat them. A particular field in genetics - called genomics - focuses on mapping or 'sequencing' the genes or DNA implicated in these diseases. Because the human genome is quite complicated, it is often easier and quicker to study the genome of dogs, who also suffer from similar diseases. Man's best friend is generally less complex genetically than humans, and less samples are needed to derive meaningful information. The LUPA project is unravelling the molecular basis of common human disorders using the dog as a model system. It is studying genetic factors both in purebred dogs and in mixed breeds for more efficient localisation of key genetic factors. The main goal of LUPA is to identify genes and mutations that account for the high incidence of certain diseases in specific dog breeds. The culprit genes are identified by looking at the entire gene mapping sequence of dogs - or their genome - using what's known as genome-wide association studies (GWAS). Genetic material is being identified for five different categories of illnesses: cancers, cardiovascular disorders, inflammatory disorders, neurological disorders and monogenic disorders (those caused by a mutation in a single gene). Altogether, the LUPA project is performing genome-wide scans on over 10,000 dogs. There are 20 veterinary clinics in 12 European countries working together to collect DNA samples required for the different project partners. Collection and characterisation of samples is a formidable task and has taken over two years. Almost all samples have been collected, with the involvement of kennels, breeders, veterinarians and owners. Overall, since the project kicked off more than 7,000 samples have been collected and processed. Promising results are already emerging for two monogenic diseases, and similar genes in humans have been identified. Moreover, genome areas in dogs have been identified for other more complex disorders such as epilepsy, cancers, cardiovascular diseases and inflammatory disorders. In addition to providing new insights regarding prognosis and treatment of human diseases, LUPA could have a major impact on the future of veterinary medicine in Europe.
