# Beyond bacteria: large agents with analogies to Mimiviruses detected in canine cancers: reexamining Gram staining in cancer diagnostics

## TL;DR

This study finds Mimivirus-like agents in canine cancers using Gram staining, suggesting a possible link to cancer development similar to findings in humans.

## Contribution

First study to detect Mimivirus-like agents in canine malignancies using Gram staining, bridging human and veterinary cancer research.

## Key findings

- Gram-positive granulations were found in canine tumors, distinct from traditional bacteria.
- Granulations showed intracytoplasmic, intra-nuclear, and perinuclear patterns in malignant tissues.
- Findings align with human studies, suggesting a cross-species relevance in cancer pathophysiology.

## Abstract

While Gram staining is traditionally used for classifying bacteria based on their cell wall properties, Mimiviruses and large mammalian agents can also retain the Gram stain, despite not being typical bacteria. In fact, Mimivirus-like agents that exhibit Gram-positive staining were first found in human tissues, particularly in malignant samples, suggesting that these agents may be involved in a unique carcinogenic process. In order to translate the findings published in human medicine to animal models, we evaluated for the first time the presence of analogous Gram-positive agents in canine malignancies and differentiate them from traditional bacteria. Using Gram staining, we analyzed 35 canine tumors across various malignancy types, including 7 sarcomas, 15 carcinomas, and 13 round cell tumors such as mast cell tumors, transmissible venereal tumors and melanomas. Normal tissues and bacteria were used as controls. We were able to identify Gram-positive granulations, exhibiting intracytoplasmic, intra-nuclear and perinuclear patterns, measuring 1–2 μm that were distinct from traditional bacteria. This study, the first of its kind in the veterinary literature, supports comparable published findings in human research and advances our knowledge of the pathophysiology of cancer across species.