Understanding How Mammary Cancer Develops

All dog breeds are susceptible to mammary cancer. Researchers will evaluate the role of citrullination, a cellular process that is mediated by peptidylarginine deiminases (PAD) enzymes, in canine mammary cancer. PAD activity is usually low in healthy tissues, but it often increases during disease progression, including during breast cancer development. The investigators will study the process of PAD-mediated citrullination in more detail in canine mammary cancer stem cells. They will also evaluate how PAD inhibitors affect the growth and migration of mammary cancer cells in dogs. Increased understanding of the origins of mammary cancer may lead to significant advances in biomarker discovery and more targeted and less toxic therapeutics for canine mammary cancer.