About

Jennifer Luff is an Associate Professor at the College of Veterinary Medicine at NC State University. Her contact email is jaluff@ncsu.edu and her phone number is 919-513-8009. The page indicates her role within the Anatomic Pathology Hospital, but does not provide specific details about her research focus, background, or key contributions.

Research topics

• Medicine
• Biology
• Pathology
• Internal medicine
• Cancer research
• Cell biology
• Bioinformatics
• Dermatology
• Genetics

Selected publications

• Genomic Evaluation of Canine Prostatic Carcinomas as a Model for the Human Disease

  UNC Libraries · 2025-12-12

  articleOpen access

  Spontaneous canine prostate cancer (PC) is widely considered a pertinent clinical model for the human disease. While over 95% of PC in men are adenocarcinomas, arising from prostatic glandular epithelium, it is increasingly recognised that many canine PC are of urothelial origin, arising within the prostatic urethra or ducts, or through invasion from a primary urinary bladder tumour. At diagnosis, canine prostatic tumours are often poorly differentiated and widely disseminated, masking the primary site and limiting the sensitivity of cellular biomarkers. Consequently, published studies of canine PC show varying representation of glandular versus urothelial tumours, yielding conflicting observations regarding their molecular pathogenesis and clinical behaviour. We characterised DNA sequence mutations and copy number aberrations in 31 canine PC, seeking evidence supporting relevance as a disease model. Only three tumours resembled adenocarcinomas. The remainder were either histologically consistent with urothelial carcinoma (n = 15), showed mixed glandular and urothelial morphology (n = 4), or were carcinomas of undetermined cell type (n = 9). BRAF V588E mutation was detected in 87% of tumours, including all three adenocarcinomas. Urinary bladder involvement was evident in 46% of cases, but none of the adenocarcinomas. Genome-wide DNA copy number instability was apparent throughout the cohort, with chromosome 36 gain significantly associated with urothelial tumours. Hallmark alterations of human PC, such as defects within PI3K and androgen receptor signalling pathways, were not detected. Improved molecular subclassification of canine PC is needed to direct selection of relevant cases for modelling the human disease and to ensure appropriate extrapolation between canine and human studies.

  PublisherDOI

• Genomic Evaluation of Canine Prostatic Carcinomas as a Model for the Human Disease: or ‘UC or not UC – that is the question’

  Veterinary and Comparative Oncology · 2025-07-23 · 4 citations

  articleOpen access

  Spontaneous canine prostate cancer (PC) is widely considered a pertinent clinical model for the human disease. While over 95% of PC in men are adenocarcinomas, arising from prostatic glandular epithelium, it is increasingly recognised that many canine PC are of urothelial origin, arising within the prostatic urethra or ducts, or through invasion from a primary urinary bladder tumour. At diagnosis, canine prostatic tumours are often poorly differentiated and widely disseminated, masking the primary site and limiting the sensitivity of cellular biomarkers. Consequently, published studies of canine PC show varying representation of glandular versus urothelial tumours, yielding conflicting observations regarding their molecular pathogenesis and clinical behaviour. We characterised DNA sequence mutations and copy number aberrations in 31 canine PC, seeking evidence supporting relevance as a disease model. Only three tumours resembled adenocarcinomas. The remainder were either histologically consistent with urothelial carcinoma (n = 15), showed mixed glandular and urothelial morphology (n = 4), or were carcinomas of undetermined cell type (n = 9). BRAF V588E mutation was detected in 87% of tumours, including all three adenocarcinomas. Urinary bladder involvement was evident in 46% of cases, but none of the adenocarcinomas. Genome-wide DNA copy number instability was apparent throughout the cohort, with chromosome 36 gain significantly associated with urothelial tumours. Hallmark alterations of human PC, such as defects within PI3K and androgen receptor signalling pathways, were not detected. Improved molecular subclassification of canine PC is needed to direct selection of relevant cases for modelling the human disease and to ensure appropriate extrapolation between canine and human studies.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Virus‐associated Oral Disease

  2025-09-22

  other1st authorCorresponding

  Oral lesions of viral etiology may result from either local or systemic infection. Papillomaviruses, often multiple strains, have been identified in many domestic and wild animal species. Oral papillomas are common in dogs and cattle while less common in cats and horses. Oral lesions in cats are an uncommon manifestation of systemic viral infection, particularly feline calicivirus and less often feline herpesvirus. These viruses, as well as feline retroviruses, may play a role in feline chronic oral inflammatory disease. Finally, vesicular stomatitis virus is a clinically important disease that may cause oral lesions in equids and other species.

  PublisherDOI

• Viral and squamous papillomas in captive polar bears ( <i>Ursus maritimus</i> )

  Veterinary Pathology · 2025-02-19 · 1 citations

  article

  Papillomas, many of which are virally induced, are common proliferative cutaneous and mucocutaneous lesions in multiple species, exhibiting characteristic histologic cytopathic changes that distinguish them from nonviral squamous papillomas. A single case report of a novel papillomavirus, Ursus maritimus papillomavirus-type 1, in a polar bear has been reported without investigation into any association between this virus and papilloma formation. We identified papillomas in 3 polar bears. All 3 cases had pedunculated masses consistent with papillomas (i.e., proliferative epithelium forming papillary projections on a fibrovascular stalk); case 1 also exhibited koilocytosis (cytopathic change), consistent with a viral papilloma. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using primers that can amplify a diversity of papillomaviruses followed by amplicon sequencing yielded a novel papillomavirus sequence in case 1, which shared <70% nucleotide identity to any known papillomavirus type, indicative of a putatively novel papillomavirus. In situ hybridization (ISH) of case 1 demonstrated viral nucleic acid within proliferative cells and not within the adjacent normal skin, suggesting the virus was the causative agent of this papilloma. The squamous papillomas in cases 2 and 3 were negative for papillomavirus by both PCR and ISH. These findings support our hypothesis that cytopathic effect is associated with the presence of papillomavirus in polar bears, while the lack of histologic cytopathic change may predict nonviral pathogenesis. Further sequencing of the putatively novel viral genome will benefit research and conservation efforts of polar bears.

  PublisherDOI

• A putatively novel papillomavirus associated with cutaneous plaques and squamous cell carcinoma in captive North American snow leopards ( <i>Panthera uncia</i> )

  Veterinary Pathology · 2024-05-21

  articleOpen accessSenior authorCorresponding

  Cutaneous plaques and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) are common in captive North American snow leopards (SLs) ( Panthera uncia). Our objective was to determine whether these lesions are potentially associated with papillomavirus(es). Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed on 3 cutaneous plaques using degenerate primers for papillomaviruses. A putatively novel papillomavirus was identified that shared 76% sequence identity to Felis catus papillomavirus 2. Specific PCR for this virus was performed on 5 cutaneous SCC samples and 7 normal skin samples, which were all positive. In situ hybridization for this putatively novel virus was performed, which revealed strong hybridization signals within hyperplastic cells in cutaneous plaques (n = 3) and within neoplastic cells in cutaneous SCC samples (n = 5). No hybridization signals were identified within normal skin. Ultimately, identification of a causal viral agent in the development of plaques and SCC in SLs will help guide therapeutic intervention and lay the foundation for development of prophylactic vaccines.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Claw bed inverted squamous papilloma associated with canine papillomavirus type 2 in a dog

  Veterinary Dermatology · 2023-10-01 · 3 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  A claw bed inverted squamous papilloma (ISP) presented clinically as a swollen digit in a dog. Canine papillomavirus (CPV) type 2 was amplified by PCR and localised to the papilloma's epidermis using in situ hybridisation. This is the first report demonstrating a claw bed ISP caused by CPV.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• List of Contributors

  Elsevier eBooks · 2023-01-01

  book-chapter
  PublisherDOI

• A subset of equine oral squamous cell carcinomas is associated with Equus caballus papillomavirus 2 infection

  Journal of Comparative Pathology · 2023-07-19 · 3 citations

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Papillomaviral skin diseases of humans, dogs, cats and horses: A comparative review. Part 1: Papillomavirus biology and hyperplastic lesions

  The Veterinary Journal · 2022-09-20 · 24 citations

  reviewOpen accessSenior author
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Papillomaviral skin diseases of humans, dogs, cats and horses: A comparative review. Part 2: Pre-neoplastic and neoplastic diseases

  The Veterinary Journal · 2022 · 27 citations

  Senior authorCorresponding
  • Pathology
  • Medicine
  • Dermatology
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Recent grants

• Mechanisms of Interferon Regulatory Factor Dysfunction by Cutaneous Papillomaviruses

  NIH · $595k · 2022–2024

• Mechanisms of Interferon Regulatory Factor Dysfunction by Cutaneous Papillomaviruses

  NIH · $129k · 2022–2022

Frequent coauthors

• Linlin Li

  Harbin Normal University

  32 shared

• Leslie W. Woods

  University of California, Davis

  32 shared

• Patricia A. Pesavento

  University of California, Davis

  32 shared

• Hang Yuan

  17 shared

• Eric Delwart

  Blood Systems Research Institute

  16 shared

• Chunlin Wang

  Xian Yang Central Hospital

  16 shared

• Deana L. Clifford

  University of California, Davis

  16 shared

• Chunlin Wang

  Ningbo University

  16 shared

Labs

• CVM Research BuildingPI

Awards & honors

• Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Pathology