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Review
. 2021 Aug 11;8(8):164.
doi: 10.3390/vetsci8080164.

Emerging Biomarkers and Targeted Therapies in Feline Mammary Carcinoma

Andreia Gameiro  1 , Ana Catarina Urbano  1 , Fernando Ferreira  1
Affiliations
Review

Emerging Biomarkers and Targeted Therapies in Feline Mammary Carcinoma

Andreia Gameiro et al. Vet Sci. .

Abstract

Feline mammary carcinoma (FMC) is a common aggressive malignancy with a low survival rate that lacks viable therapeutic options beyond mastectomy. Recently, increasing efforts have been made to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying FMC development, using the knowledge gained from studies on human breast cancer to discover new diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers, thus reinforcing the utility of the cat as a cancer model. In this article, we review the current knowledge on FMC pathogenesis, biomarkers, and prognosis factors and offer new insights into novel therapeutic options for HER2-positive and triple-negative FMC subtypes.

Keywords: biomarkers; comparative oncology model; feline her2 mutations; feline mammary carcinoma; targeted therapies.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Mammary carcinoma is the third most common tumor in cats, with a high metastasis rate, frequently to lymph nodes and lungs [17,31]. The black arrows indicate the most frequent tumor locations and metastasis pattern.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Serum HER2 protein levels measured using nanoparticles coated with an anti-HER2 antibody. (A) The nanoparticles were coated with a fluorescent anti-HER2 antibody (CB11), allowing quantification of serum HER2 expression levels in cats with HER2-positive mammary carcinoma (3+ score), by comparison with a (B) control serum sample from a healthy animal. This experiment corresponds to preliminary results from a recent study (data not published; 400× magnification).
Figure 3
Figure 3
The HER2 pathway is a common target in human breast cancer therapy, revealing promising results for the treatment of cats with mammary tumors.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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