Dogs are often called man's best friend. But can they also help us find a cure for cancer? Kerstin Lindblad-Toh thinks so.

Results from the major international collaborative project Zoonomia, which mapped the genomes of 240 mammalian species, were presented in 2023. Professor Lindblad-Toh now wants to use the extensive data to look for mutations that cause cancer, among other things. The knowledge gained from the animal world can provide many insights that also apply to humans.

In particular, she has taken an interest in dogs, which are very similar to humans. The advantage of bypassing animals is that there is what she calls "an enrichment" of cancer in some breeds. For example, skeletal cancer is more prevalent in large dogs, and studying that genetics can be used to understand the mechanism of disease in humans too.

In terms of cancer, Kerstin Lindblad-Toh's research team is particularly interested in glioblastoma (brain tumors that primarily affect adults), medulloblastoma (brain tumors that mostly affect children), lymphoma and bone cancer. They have developed a method for studying mutations in the so-called regulatory elements that control how much protein is produced in a cancer cell. In this way, they have found genes that contribute to the development of medulloblastoma in children.

She says that being awarded the Torsten Söderberg Academy Professorship in Medicine in 2024 is of great significance for her chances of success.

- It makes a huge difference. It's an honor, of course, and it makes you happy and grateful. But it also gives me greater freedom as a researcher," says Kerstin Lindblad-Toh.

Torsten Söderberg's Academy Professorship in Medicine

The Torsten Söderberg Academy Professorships promote internationally leading research in the field of medicine by enabling the holder to devote themselves full-time to research at a Swedish medical faculty for five years. The Torsten Söderberg Foundation donates 10 million Swedish kronor to each individual Academy Professorship. Five such positions are currently active. Appointments are prepared and decided by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences following a peer-review process. Read more about the Academy Professorships.

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