Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
CD117 protein and c-kit gene in canine soft tissue sarcoma tumors
By Dell'Aere, Silvia et al.·Published in Frontiers in veterinary science·2025·Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences-DIVAS, Italy·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: CD117 (KIT) in canine soft tissue sarcoma: an immunohistochemical and c-kit gene mutation assessment.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs with soft tissue sarcomas (STSs), which are aggressive tumors, had their tumors surgically removed for analysis. Researchers found that a protein called CD117 was present in some of these tumors, indicating that certain types of STSs might respond to targeted treatments. However, tests for specific gene mutations related to cancer did not show any positive results. This suggests that while CD117 could be a potential target for therapy, the specific mutations commonly associated with treatment response were not found in these cases.
People also search for: dog soft tissue sarcoma treatment · CD117 in dog tumors · canine cancer targeted therapy
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Canine soft tissue sarcomas (STSs) are locally aggressive mesenchymal tumors with variable recurrence rates, and often, their therapy is limited to surgical excision. CD117 (KIT) is a tyrosine kinase receptor involved in cell growth and cancer development. c-kit proto-oncogene mutations have been reported to be associated with prognosis and therapy response in human and canine cancers. However, CD117 expression and c-kit mutations have rarely been investigated in canine STSs. This study aims to assess CD117 expression and c-kit mutations in different canine STSs. METHODS: Spontaneous STSs were surgically removed, fixed, routinely processed, and stained for histological and anti-CD117 immunohistochemical analyses. Staining intensity and percentage of positivity were scored. Cases with intense CD117 expression in more than 50% of cells were analyzed for the presence of mutations in exons 8, 9, or 11 of the c-kit proto-oncogene. RESULTS: Overall, 115 canine STSs were collected. Among them, CD117 was expressed in 43 STSs, with diffuse cytoplasmic staining of variable intensity. CD117 was expressed in 16 out of 27 perivascular wall tumors, 12 of 13 sarcomas of fibroblastic origin, 6 of 6 rhabdomyosarcomas, 7 of 46 liposarcomas, and 2 of 3 nerve sheath tumors. Leiomyosarcomas (20 of 20) did not show CD117 expression. Mutations were investigated in 22 cases, all of which returned negative results. DISCUSSION: In summary, canine STSs variably expressed CD117, which suggests that tyrosine kinase inhibitors may represent a promising targeted therapy for selected canine STSs histotypes.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40271490/