Scientific Lecture Presented at the 10th International Conference on Environmental Mutagens (ICEM), Firenze, Italy, 20-25 August 2009

PET DOGS AS SENTINELS OF ENVIRONMENTAL CANCER RISK

DJ Waters (1,2), J Booth (2), B Clever (2), SS Kengeri (2), C Keller (1),
AH Maras (3)
(1) Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Comparative Oncology Program, and The Center on Aging and the Life Course, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; (2) Gerald P. Murphy Cancer Foundation, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; (3) Dundee Animal Hospital, Dundee, Illinois USA

Abstract

For decades, dogs in the research laboratory have advanced the understanding of the acute and long-term effects of high doses of cancer-causing chemicals. The goal of this presentation is to introduce an emerging new paradigm to the field of environmental toxicology: utilizing pet dogs living in the same environment as humans as sentinels of environmental cancer risk (Waters and Wildasin, “Cancer Clues From Pet Dogs,” Scientific American 2006). The rationale for this approach is that: (1) the association between relevant, low-level exposures encountered by humans and spontaneous tumor development can be studied in pet dogs; and (2) the compressed lifespan of dogs compared to humans translates into relatively brief exposure-to-cancer diagnosis intervals. For example, time from asbestos exposure to diagnosis of mesothelioma in humans is up to 30 years; in contrast, the time interval for dogs is usually less than 8 years. Studying pet dogs may have important implications for: (1) remediating environmental sources of toxicants; (2) informing closer monitoring of exposed humans; and (3) guiding mechanistic and biomarker studies. Our research team is committed to unleashing the pet dog population as a one-of-a-kind resource to better understand the factors that influence human cancer risk, cancer resistance, and healthy longevity.