The oncogenome of the domestic cat
Summary
Cancer is a common cause of morbidity and mortality in domestic cats. Because the mutational landscape of domestic cat tumors remains uncharacterized, we performed targeted sequencing of 493 feline tumor-normal tissue pairs from 13 tumor types, focusing on the feline orthologs of ~1000 human cancer genes. TP53 was the most frequently mutated gene, and the most recurrent copy number alterations were loss of PTEN or FAS or gain of MYC. By identifying 31 driver genes, mutational signatures, v
Content
# The oncogenome of the domestic cat
*Published: 2026 Feb 19*
Cancer is a common cause of morbidity and mortality in domestic cats. Because
the mutational landscape of domestic cat tumors remains uncharacterized, we
performed targeted sequencing of 493 feline tumor-normal tissue pairs from 13
tumor types, focusing on the feline orthologs of ~1000 human cancer genes. TP53
was the most frequently mutated gene, and the most recurrent copy number
alterations were loss of PTEN or FAS or gain of MYC. By identifying 31 driver
genes, mutational signatures, viral sequences, and tumor-predisposing germline
variants, our study provides insight into the domestic cat oncogenome. We
demonstrate key similarities with the human oncogenome, confirming the cat as a
valuable model for comparative studies, and identify potentially actionable
mutations, aligning with a "One Medicine" approach.
DOI: 10.1126/science.ady6651