Feline Diffuse Iris Melanoma and Iris Melanosis samples Genome sequencing and assembly

Feline diffuse iris melanoma (FDIM) is the most common primary ocular tumour in cats, with high metastatic potential. Greater intraocular invasion correlates with increased mortality. No effective therapeutics exist for metastatic disease, partly due to a lack of known molecular targets associated with aggressive tumour behaviour.Here, we define the transcriptomic landscape of FDIM in treatment-naive cats using bulk RNA sequencing on laser capture microdissection and core biopsy specimens from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue. Samples included iris melanosis (dysplastic melanocytes confined to the anterior iris; n=7), early FDIM (neoplastic melanocytes confined to the iris stroma; n=13), and late FDIM (neoplastic infiltration into the ciliary body and sclera; n=13).