一项大型比较基因组学研究发现，家猫可以模拟人类癌症生物学的关键特征，强化了比较肿瘤学作为为两个物种改进治疗途径的价值。Wellcome Sanger Institute 的研究人员与国际合作者分析了自然发生的猫肿瘤，并指出宠物特别具有资讯价值，因为牠们与人类共享许多环境暴露，且能在共同的演化背景下揭示保守的癌症驱动机制。

团队使用兽医收集的样本，研究了来自 5 个国家、近 500 只家猫的 13 种猫癌，对肿瘤及配对健康组织进行定序，并筛查约 1,000 个与人类癌症相关的基因。他们在血液、骨骼、肺、皮肤、胃肠道与中枢神经系统肿瘤中，识别出类似人类的突变模式。最突出的结果是猫乳腺癌：超过 50% 携带 FBXW7 突变；而这种突变在人类乳腺癌中要少见得多，但一旦出现则与较差结局相关。

在功能层面，vincristine 和 vinorelbine 抑制了 FBXW7 突变猫肿瘤组织的生长，显示出一条务实的转译路径，因为 vincristine 已同时用于兽医与人类肿瘤学。由于 FBXW7 突变型乳腺癌在人类中相对罕见，猫的临床试验可能比直接招募人类更快产生证据，并有助于优先排序精准策略。因此，这项研究为跨物种癌症研究提供了量化支持，并可与其他基于动物的计划（例如对大象肿瘤抗性的研究）并列；同时也意味著，在将发现转译至人类照护时，物种差异与突变频率落差仍是关键注意事项。

A large comparative genomics study found that domestic cats can model key features of human cancer biology, strengthening comparative oncology as a route to better treatments for both species. Researchers from the Wellcome Sanger Institute and international collaborators analyzed naturally occurring feline tumors, arguing that pets are especially informative because they share many environmental exposures with humans and can reveal conserved cancer-driving mechanisms across a shared evolutionary background.

The team examined 13 feline cancer types using veterinarian-collected samples from almost 500 domestic cats across 5 countries, sequencing tumor and matched healthy tissue and screening about 1,000 genes linked to human cancers. They identified human-like mutation patterns across blood, bone, lung, skin, gastrointestinal, and central nervous system tumors. A standout result was feline mammary cancer: more than 50% carried FBXW7 mutations, whereas this mutation is much less common in human breast cancer but is associated with poorer outcomes when present.

Functionally, vincristine and vinorelbine suppressed growth of FBXW7-mutant feline tumor tissues, suggesting a practical translational pathway because vincristine is already used in both veterinary and human oncology. Since FBXW7-mutant breast cancer is relatively rare in humans, feline clinical trials could provide faster evidence generation than direct human recruitment and help prioritize precision strategies. The study therefore adds quantitative support to cross-species cancer research, alongside other animal-based programs (for example, work on elephant tumor resistance), while implying that species differences and mutation-frequency gaps remain key caveats when translating findings to human care.