Uveal melanoma (UM) is the most common primary intraocular malignancy in adults, but effective treatment for systemic disease remains limited. While the genetic landscape of UM has been well characterized, the role of epigenetic alterations in tumor progression and therapeutic response remains poorly understood, despite their potential as therapeutic targets. Moreover, suitable experimental models for studying UM biology and testing targeted therapies are still lacking. For instance, commonly used long-term UM cell lines fail to recapitulate the epigenetic landscape of primary tumors. Hence, there is an unmet need for more representative preclinical models in UM research.

To address this, our group established patient-derived uveal melanoma organoids using an innovative air–liquid interface culture system that preserves key histological and genetic features of the original tumor. Our project aims to (1) characterize the epigenetic landscape of UM in comparison to organoids generated from primary UM tissue, and (2) evaluate the efficacy of selected epigenetic therapies using this platform. Ultimately, this work seeks to improve translational preclinical modeling of UM and contribute to the development of targeted treatment strategies for this aggressive neoplasm.

https://www.ukbonn.de/experimentelle-ophthalmologie/ag-herwig-carl/