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Spontaneous Feline Mammary Carcinoma Is a Model of HER2 Overexpressing Poor Prognosis Human Breast Cancer

¹ Department of Animal Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Turin, Grugliasco, and ² Laboratory of Cancer Genetics and Comparative Oncology Center of the Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment, University of Turin, Candiolo, Turin, Italy; and ³ Department of Veterinary Surgery, Faculty of Agriculture, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi, and ⁴ Science Research Center, Yamaguchi University, Ube, Yamaguchi, Japan

Requests for reprints: Maria Flavia Di Renzo, Laboratory of Cancer Genetics, Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment, SP 142, Km 3.95, 10060 Candiolo, Turin, Italy. Phone 911-993-3343; Fax: 911-993-3524; E-mail: mariaflavia.direnzo{at}ircc.it.

Companion animal spontaneous tumors are suitable models for human cancer, primarily because both animal population and the tumors are genetically heterogeneous. Feline mammary carcinoma (FMC) is a highly aggressive, mainly hormone receptor–negative cancer, which has been proposed as a model for poor prognosis human breast cancer. We have identified and studied the feline orthologue of the HER2 gene, which is both an important prognostic marker and therapeutic target in human cancer. Feline HER2 (f-HER2) gene kinase domain is 92% similar to the human HER2 kinase. F-HER2–specific mRNA was found 3- to 18-fold increased in 3 of 3 FMC cell lines, in 1 of 4 mammary adenomas and 6 of 11 FMC samples using quantitative reverse transcription-PCR. Western blot showed that an anti-human HER2 antibody recognized a protein comigrating with the human p185HER2 in FMC cell lines. The same antibodies strongly stained 13 of 36 FMC archival samples. These data show that feline HER2 overexpression qualifies FMC as homologous to the subset of HER2 overexpressing, poor prognosis human breast carcinomas and as a suitable model to test innovative approaches to therapy of aggressive tumors.

Key Words: breast carcinoma • mammary carcinoma • oncogenes • tyrosine kinase receptor • HER2

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				EDITOR'S CHOICE 42(3) Vet. Pathol., May 1, 2005; 42(3): 400 - 401. [Full Text] [PDF]