Exploring the Role of the MAPK Signalling Pathway in Dog Immunity: From Cancer to Parasitic Diseases.

Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) are intracellular signalling proteins that modulate several cellular processes, such as proliferation, cytokine production and survival. Like humans, dogs may exhibit changes in MAPK signalling under pathological conditions. Alterations in this pathway have been observed in several types of cancers in dogs and have been widely studied in veterinary oncology. In humans, several studies have focused on the MAPK pathway in cancer, inflammatory diseases and parasitic diseases; however, the role of the MAPK pathway in parasitic diseases has not been extensively explored in canine models. Some parasites use these proteins as strategic targets for modulating the immune response to ensure their survival and persistence in host cells. Although they have distinct pathogeneses, some mechanisms of immune system evasion are shared between parasites and cancer cells. The aim of this review is to discuss the MAPK pathway involvement in the immune system and in inflammatory and parasitic disease in dogs.