For questions, please call 616-234-5569 or email
CHCC@vai.org
.
Hemangiosarcoma is a soft-tissue tumor that arises from cells that line the inside of blood vessels. These tumors are rare in humans with an estimated incidence of 0.2/100,000 persons/year. In contrast, these tumors are relatively common in dogs, particularly in older (8-13 yr), large breeds such as German Shepherds, Golden Retrievers, and Clumber Spaniels with an overall incidence estimated at 24/100,000 dogs/year.
To study these tumors, the Canine Hereditary Cancer Consortium (CHCC) will take advantage of new genetic resources and technologies that have been developed at Van Andel Research Institute and the Translational Genomics Research Institute to develop genetic screens, diagnostic tests, and treatments for hereditary canine cancers as well as gain insight into the biology of human disease.
We will analyze collected DNA and RNA samples from dogs with hemangiosarcoma for genetic patterns that are associated with this disease. These patterns may form the basis of genetic tests that can tell us whether a particular dog is a carrier of a defective gene that will cause cancer. Also, these studies may provide important clues about hemangiosarcomas in people.
To study hemangiosarcoma the CHCC has organized a team under the direction of Dr. Nick Duesbery at Van Andel Institute. Key laboratories participating in this project include the Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Canine Behavior, the Laboratory of Analytical, Cellular, and Molecular Microscopy, the Laboratory of Computational Biology, and the Laboratory of Cancer & Developmental Cell Biology, and the Clumber Spaniel Health Foundation. 
