Pucker up! Your dog's saliva may be annoying, but it could also be used in cancer research.
Doggie drool just might be part of a treatment for cancer some day. In fact, the DNA dripping from man’s best friend’s tongue could hold the key to curing rare canine and human malignancies, according to researchers.
To figure out why people and animals get cancer, the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) and the Van Andel Research Institute (VARI) have come up with the Canine Hereditary Cancer Consortium. Private pet owners have provided saliva, blood and tumor samples from their dogs for testing. The hope is that, by studying canine cancer, oncologists may determine what causes cancer in people.
"Rare diseases in humans also show up in dogs," Dr. Mark Neff, director of the new TGen-VARI Program for Canine Health and Performance, told FoxNews.com. "By studying the DNA of canines, we expect to more quickly discover the genomic causes of disease and more quickly find ways to better treat dogs and people."
The testing, approved by the American Kennel Club and Morris Animal Foundation, will be animal-safe and its funding will come from private donors, as well as a $4.3 million federal stimulus grant, according to FoxNews.com. Cancer is responsible for the death of nearly half of all dogs older than 10 years old.
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