14308 results for ""Pennsylvania+German"+ACS+study+'Socius'+open+access"

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• atrial appendage RNA-seq in non-, paroxysmal and persistent atrial fibrillation

  Understanding the interconnectedness of structural remodelling processes atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients could identify targets for future therapies. These data include transcriptome sequencing of atrial tissues of patients without AF, with paroxysmal AF and persistent AF (total n=64). In AF patients, epicardial cell gene expression decreased, contrasting with an upregulation of epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) and mesenchymal cell gene expression. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated thickening of the epicardium and an increased proportion of (myo)fibroblast-like cells in the myocardium, supporting enhanced EMT in AF. We furthermore report an upregulation of endothelial cell proliferation, angiogenesis and endothelial signalling. EMT and endothelial cell proliferation concurred with increased interstitial (myo)fibroblast-like cells and extracellular matrix gene expression including enhanced tenascin-c, thrombospondins, biglycan and versican. Morphological analysis discovered increased and redistributed glycosaminoglycans and collagens in the atria of AF patients. Signalling pathways, including cell-matrix interactions, PI3K-AKT and Notch signalling, that could regulate mesenchymal cell activation, were upregulated. These dynamic processes may provide targets to prevent or reverse structural remodelling.

  Study EGAS00001005295

• Reference exome data for Australian Aboriginal populations to support health-based research

  Whole exome sequencing (WES) is a popular and successful technology which is widely used in both research and clinical settings. However, there is a paucity of reference data for Aboriginal Australians to underpin the translation of health-based genomic research. Here we provide a catalogue of variants called after sequencing the exomes of 50 Aboriginal individuals from the Northern Territory (NT) of Australia and compare these to 72 previously published exomes from a Western Australian (WA) population of Martu origin. Sequence data for both NT and WA samples were processed using an ‘intersect-then-combine’ (ITC) approach, using GATK and SAMtools to call variants. A total of 289,829 variants were identified in at least one individual in the NT cohort and 248,374 variants in at least one individual in the WA cohort. Of these, 166,719 variants were present in both cohorts, whilst 123,110 variants were private to the NT cohort and 81,655 were private to the WA cohort. Our data set provides a useful reference point for genomic studies on Aboriginal Australians.

  Study EGAS00001003745

• An essential role for MYB in driving oncogenic EVI1 expression in enhancer-rearranged leukemias

  In acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with inv(3)(q21;q26) or t(3;3)(q21;q26), a translocated GATA2 enhancer drives oncogenic expression of EVI1. We generated an EVI1-GFP AML model and applied an unbiased CRISPR/Cas9 enhancer scan to uncover sequence motifs essential for EVI1 transcription. Using this approach, we pinpoint a single regulatory element in the translocated GATA2 enhancer that is critically required for aberrant EVI1 expression while being dispensable for GATA2 expression from its endogenous locus. This element contains a DNA binding motif for the transcription factor MYB that heavily occupies this site specifically at the translocated allele. MYB knockout as well as peptidomimetic blockade of p300-dependent MYB function resulted in downregulation of EVI1 but not of GATA2. Targeting MYB or mutating its DNA-binding motif within the GATA2 enhancer resulted in myeloid differentiation and cell death, suggesting that interference with MYB-driven EVI1 transcription provides a potential entry point for therapy of inv(3)/t(3;3) AMLs.

  Study EGAS00001004839

• WGS of T-cell and NK-cell lymphoma for ICGC (NKTL-SG)

  Lymphomas are malignancies originating from the lymphatic system and there is a worldwide significant increase in incidences of this cancer. Lymphomas can be further classified into 2 categories namely Hodgkin’s (HL), and Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL). The latter can be divided further into B, T and NK cell NHL. Peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL) and Natural Killer/ T-cell lymphoma (NKTL) arise from mature T lymphocytes and NK cells. The more common subtypes include NKTL, PTCL not-otherwise-specified (PTCL-NOS), systemic anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL), follicular PTCL (F-PTCL), angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AITL) and enteropathy-associated T-cell lymphoma (EATL). Whole genome analyses on T-cell and NK-cell lymphoma samples from various countries to gain a better understanding of the pathogenesis and biology of these tumors. The comprehensive profiling and comparison among patients from various countries with different etiopathogenesis will hopefully facilitate the elucidation of key pathways and underlying molecular mechanisms driving these cancers, opening up novel therapeutic strategies in the future.

  Study EGAS00001002398

• Cell-free DNA TAPS for early cancer detection

  Multimodal, genome-wide characterization of epigenetic and genetic information in circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) could enable more sensitive early cancer detection. However, due to technological challenges associated with DNA methylation sequencing in low input cfDNA samples, most studies have been limited by DNA damage caused by bisulfite sequencing, or the qualitative nature of enrichment-based sequencing. Recently, we developed TET-assisted Pyridine Borane Sequencing (TAPS), which is a mild, bisulfite-free method for base-resolution direct DNA methylation sequencing. Here we optimized TAPS for cfDNA (cfTAPS) to provide high-quality and high-depth whole-genome cell-free methylomes. We applied cfTAPS to 85 cfDNA samples from patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) or pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and non-cancer controls. From just 10 ng cfDNA (1-3 mL of plasma), we generated the most comprehensive cfDNA methylome to date. We demonstrated that cfTAPS provides multimodal information about cfDNA characteristics, including DNA methylation, tissue of origin, and DNA fragmentation. Integrated analysis of these epigenetic and genetic features enables accurate identification of early HCC and PDAC.

  Study EGAS00001004962

• A combined circulating tumor DNA and protein biomarker-based liquid biopsy for the earlier detection of pancreatic cancer

  The earlier diagnosis of cancer is one of the keys to reducing future cancer deaths. Here we describe our efforts to develop a non-invasive, blood test for the detection of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. We combined blood tests for KRAS gene mutations with carefully thresholded protein biomarkers to determine whether the combination of these markers was superior to any single marker. The cohort tested included 221 patients with resectable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and 185 control patients without known cancers. KRAS mutations were detected in the plasma of 66 patients (30%) and every mutation found in the plasma was identical to that subsequently found in the patients' primary tumor (100% concordance). The use of KRAS in conjunction with two thresholded protein biomarkers (CA19-9 and prolactin) increased the sensitivity to 67%. Only one of the 185 plasma samples from the control cohort were positive for any of the three markers (99.5% specificity). This combinatorial approach may prove useful for the earlier detection of many cancer types.

  Study EGAS00001002444

• Mutations in SPINK2 induce azoospermia

  Azoospermia, characterized by the absence of spermatozoa in the ejaculate is a common cause of male infertility with a poorly characterized etiology. Exome sequencing analysis of two azoospermic brothers allowed the identification of a homozygous splice mutation in SPINK2, encoding a serine protease inhibitor believed to target acrosin, the main sperm acrosomal protease. In accord with these findings we observed that homozygous Spink2 KO male mice had azoospermia. Moreover, despite normal fertility, heterozygous male mice had a high rate of morphologically abnormal spermatozoa and a reduced sperm motility. Further analysis demonstrated that in the absence of Spink2, protease-induced stress initiates Golgi fragmentation and prevents acrosome biogenesis leading to spermatid differentiation arrest. We also observed a deleterious effect of acrosin overexpression in HEK cells, effect that was alleviated by SPINK2 coexpression confirming its role as acrosin inhibitor. These results demonstrate that SPINK2 is necessary to neutralize proteases during their cellular transit towards the acrosome and that its deficiency induces a pathological continuum ranging from oligoasthenoteratozoospermia in heterozygotes to azoospermia in homozygotes.

  Study EGAS00001002450

• Integrative genomic analysis identifies multiple subtypes and therapeutic targets in acute erythroid leukemia

  Acute erythroid leukemia (AEL) is a high risk leukemia of poorly understood genetic basis, and controversy regarding diagnosis in the spectrum of myelodysplasia and myeloid leukemia. We compared genomic and clinical features of 159 childhood and adult AEL cases to non-AEL myeloid disorders, and identified patterns of mutation that describe 5 age-related subgroups with distinct transcriptional profiles: adult, TP53-mutated; NPM1-mutated; KMT2A-mutated/rearranged; adult, DDX41-mutated; and pediatric, NUP98-rearranged. Mutational spectra were age-dependent and significantly associated with outcome, with NPM1 mutations and high HOXB9 expression being associated with favorable prognosis, and TP53, FLT3 and RB1 alterations associated with poor survival. Targetable signaling mutations were present in 45% of cases, and include recurrent mutations of ALK and NTRK1, the latter of which drive erythroid leukemogenesis sensitive to TRK inhibition. This genomic landscape of AEL provides the framework for accurate diagnosis and risk stratification of this disease, and the rationale for testing targeted therapies in this form of leukemia that has hitherto and dismal outcome.

  Study EGAS00001002537

• Genetic history of the Comorian populations.

  At the dawn of the second millennium, the expansion of the Indian Ocean trading network aligned with the emergence of an outward-oriented community along the East African coast to create a cosmopolitan cultural and trading zone known as the Swahili Corridor. Based on analyses of genome-wide genotyping data in 140 individuals from coastal Kenya and the Comoros islands, along with 3,477 individuals from the Indian Ocean rim, we reconstruct historical population dynamics showing that the Swahili Corridor is largely an East Bantu genetic continuum. Within this continuity significant gene flows from the Middle East can be seen in the Swahili and Comorians at dates corresponding to the Islamization of East Africa. However the main external gene flow into insular populations of the Swahili Corridor, such as Comorian and Malagasy groups, came from Island Southeast Asia as early as the 10th century. Remarkably, our results reflect archaeological and linguistic data in suggesting that the Comoros archipelago is the oldest place of contact between Austronesian and African populations in the Swahili Corridor.

  Study EGAS00001002565

• Intratumoral plasma cells predict outcomes to PD-L1 blockade in non-small cell lung cancer

  Inhibitors of the programmed cell death-1 (PD-1/PD-L1) signaling axis are approved to treat non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients, based on their significant overall survival (OS) benefit. Using transcriptomic analysis of 891 NSCLC tumors from patients treated with either the PD-L1 inhibitor atezolizumab or chemotherapy from two large randomized clinical trials, we found a significant B cell association with extended OS with PD-L1 blockade, independent of CD8+ T cell signals. We then derived gene signatures corresponding to the dominant B cell subsets present in NSCLC from single-cell RNA-seq data. Importantly, we found increased plasma cell signatures to be predictive of OS in patients treated with atezolizumab, but not chemotherapy. B cells were also associated with the presence of tertiary lymphoid structures and organized lymphoid aggregates. Our results suggest an important contribution of B and plasma cells to PD-L1 blockade efficacy in NSCLC.

  Study EGAS00001005013