RNA sequencing-based transcriptome profiling of treatment-naive oral melanoma-affected dogs and their first relapse.. Canis lupus familiaris

Oral melanoma (OM) is one of the most common malignancies in dogs. Oral Melanoma in dogs is characterized by aggressive behavior with a strong propensity for invasion and dissemination, high rate of local recurrence, short survival time and high mortality rate. Treatment options for dogs with malignant OM include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy. Recently, the role of the immune system in the pathogenesis and progression of canine OM has been proposed and new protocols including immunotherapy, such as some xenogeneic DNA vaccines, are now available. However, clinical response in dogs with OM is still not predictable and dramatically short. The objective of this study was to profile, by RNA-Seq, the whole-transcriptome of treatment-naive OM-affected dogs, as well as their first relapse, to understand the genetic mechanisms beyond treatment response and to identify therapeutic vulnerabilities. These transcriptome profiles were coupled with whole-exome sequencing (WES) data from the same samples in order to understand the functional outcome of somatic mutation (when present) on the gene expression level.