Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
MicroRNA changes in dog splenic and heart hemangiosarcoma tissues
By Ribas, Laura Machado et al.·Published in Frontiers in veterinary science·2026·Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, United States·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 We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above.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: MicroRNA differential expression analysis in canine visceral hemangiosarcoma formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study looked at 24 dogs with a serious type of cancer called hemangiosarcoma (HSA) that affects the spleen or heart. Researchers found specific microRNAs (miRNAs), which are tiny molecules that can help indicate the presence of this cancer. They identified 13 miRNAs that were consistently different in dogs with HSA compared to healthy dogs. These findings suggest that these miRNAs could be useful for diagnosing this aggressive cancer in dogs and may help in developing future tests.
People also search for: dog hemangiosarcoma symptoms · canine cancer diagnosis · miRNA biomarkers in dogs
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Canine visceral hemangiosarcoma (HSA) is a highly aggressive malignancy of endothelial cells with a poor prognosis and limited diagnostic tools. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs with emerging utility as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers due to their stability and disease-specific expression profiles. METHODS: This study aimed to identify miRNA biomarkers for canine splenic and cardiac HSA using small RNA sequencing and quantitative PCR. Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues were analyzed from 24 dogs with histologically confirmed HSA (18 splenic, six cardiac) and 12 non-neoplastic controls (six cardiac and six splenic). RESULTS: A total of 67 and 71 miRNAs were differentially expressed (DE) in splenic and cardiac HSA, respectively, with 18 miRNAs shared between both tumor types. Forty candidate miRNAs were selected for validation by RT-qPCR using customized panels. Thirteen miRNAs were validated as DE in each tissue type, showing strong concordance with sequencing results. Pathway enrichment analysis of validated miRNAs revealed a significant involvement in oncogenic signaling pathways, including the PI3K-Akt, MAPK, HIF-1, and Ras pathways. DISCUSSION: These results highlight miRNA signatures that may have diagnostic value in visceral HSA and support their use as biomarkers in archived tissues, with potential future application in liquid biopsy approaches.
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/41924723/