14365 results for ""Pennsylvania+German"+ACS+study+'Socius'+open+access"

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• Whole-genome sequencing of high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSC) tumours and matched normals from long-term survivors.

  Whole-genome sequencing of high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSC) tumours and matched normals from long-term survivors performed as part of the Multidisciplinary Ovarian Cancer Outcomes Group (MOCOG) study. The dataset includes fastq files from 58 HGSC tumours (53 primary tumours and 5 recurrent tumours) and 53 matched normals from 53 long-term survivor patients. Sequence libraries were generated from tumour and matched normal genomic DNA using the KAPA HyperPrep PCR-free library preparation kit (Roche) according to manufacturer’s instructions. Sequencing was carried out by the Kinghorn Centre for Clinical Genomics Sequencing Laboratory (Sydney, Australia) on the HiSeq X Ten System (Illumina) to a minimum base coverage of 30-fold for normal DNA and 60-fold for tumour DNA samples.

  Dataset EGAD00001009398

• Spatial heterogeneity of follicular lymphoma

  Follicular lymphoma (FL) is an incurable B cell malignancy characterized by advanced stage disease and a heterogeneous clinical course. Recent genomic studies have focused on profiling “single” FL biopsies over several time-points, however, multi-site sampling in solid cancers has demonstrated profound spatial intra-tumor heterogeneity (ITH) with implications for precision medicine based initiatives. This study examined the extent of spatial heterogeneity in FL by whole exome sequencing 22 synchronously removed spatially separated biopsies from 9 patients. We observed significant differences in the extent of ITH across cases, with two distinct patterns of high and low spatial heterogeneity emerging. Site-specific alterations in genes with biological, prognostic or therapeutic relevance included, TNFRSF14, PIK3CD, TNFAIP3, PTEN, EP300 and XBP1. In depth characterization of these variants using deep-sequencing techniques confirmed their discordant nature, suggesting on-going genetic diversification driving evolution after widespread tumor dissemination. There was evidence of tumors comprising multiple competing subclones, with distinct clusters of mutations demonstrating differential expansions within spatially-separated sites. For cases where spatial tumors were examined at two time-points (FL and transformation to diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL)), the degree of heterogeneity increased with transformation. Collectively, our results demonstrate that spatial ITH is prevalent in FL. The existence of site-specific aberrations suggests that a single biopsy may not be sufficient in all patients to capture the full genomic complexity present and these spatial variations need to be considered in biomarker-led clinical studies.

  Dataset EGAD00001003553

• GCT WGS for the study Genomic consequences of aberrant DNA repair mechanisms stratify ovarian cancer histotypes

  For GCT cohorts, OvCaRe cases were reviewed, including frozen material, by at least two expert gynecopathologists prior to inclusion in the sequencing cohort who provided the confirmation on final selected cohort. Frozen H&E from Tokyo were also used for evaluation along with representative H&E photos and review done at the Jikei School of Medicine. All GCT tumours are primary tumour samples. Library construction and sequencing Frozen specimens with >50% tumour cellularity (based on initial slide review) were used for cryosectioning and subsequent nucleic acid extraction. Patient tumour and normal blood samples derived from primary, untreated fresh frozen tumour specimens harvested at diagnosis during standard of care debulking surgery. Germline DNA was provided from peripheral blood buffy coat on all specimens except 13 from Tokyo, where non-cancer frozen tissue was used as a germline source. DNA extraction from both matched normal (blood) and tumour samples (frozen tissue) were performed using the QIAamp Blood and Tissue DNA kit (Qiagen) and quantified using a Qbit fluorometer and reagents (high-sensitivity assay). Three lanes of Illumina HiSeq 2500 v4 chemistry for normal samples and five lanes for tumour samples were obtained. The PCR-free protocol was adopted to eliminate the PCR-induced bias and improve coverage across the genome.

  Dataset EGAD00001003267

• CCOC WGS for the study Genomic consequences of aberrant DNA repair mechanisms stratify ovarian cancer histotypes

  For CCOC cohorts, OvCaRe cases were reviewed, including frozen material, by at least two expert gynecopathologists prior to inclusion in the sequencing cohort who provided the confirmation on final selected cohort. Frozen H&E from Tokyo were also used for evaluation along with representative H&E photos and review done at the Jikei School of Medicine. All CCOC tumours are primary tumour samples. Library construction and sequencing Frozen specimens with >50% tumour cellularity (based on initial slide review) were used for cryosectioning and subsequent nucleic acid extraction. Patient tumour and normal blood samples derived from primary, untreated fresh frozen tumour specimens harvested at diagnosis during standard of care debulking surgery. Germline DNA was provided from peripheral blood buffy coat on all specimens except 13 from Tokyo, where non-cancer frozen tissue was used as a germline source. DNA extraction from both matched normal (blood) and tumour samples (frozen tissue) were performed using the QIAamp Blood and Tissue DNA kit (Qiagen) and quantified using a Qbit fluorometer and reagents (high-sensitivity assay). Three lanes of Illumina HiSeq 2500 v4 chemistry for normal samples and five lanes for tumour samples were obtained. The PCR-free protocol was adopted to eliminate the PCR-induced bias and improve coverage across the genome.

  Dataset EGAD00001003265

• Exome trios in patients with gastroschisis (2019-04-08)

  Gastroschisis (MIM 230750) is a herniation of the intestines through a defect of the abdominal wall lateral to the umbilicus (usually on the right side), and it is not covered by a membrane [Ledbetter, 2012]. Gastroschisis is a congenital anomaly with increasing incidence, easy prenatal diagnosis and extremely variable postnatal outcomes. On the basis of clinical manifestations, epidemiologic charateristics, and the presence and type of additional malformations, gastroschisis could be considered a heterogeneous condition with no gene/s discovered yet. This congenital anomaly affects approximately 1-3 infancts per 10,000 live births [Calzolari et al.1995;Parker et al.,2010] Current knowledge about causative mutations/variants. To date, no single gene has been linked to gastroschisis. Some publications have tried to link this malformation to variants in genes (such as AEBP1 (adipocyte enhancer binding protein) gene [Feldkamp et al,. 2012] or the VEGF-NOS3 pathway [Lammer et al., 2008]. Previously, a Scribble mutant mouse model (circletail) was reported to exhibit gastroschisis, however recent studies demonstrated that the Scribble knockout fetus exhibits exomphalos phenotype of gastroschisis [Carnagham et al., 2013]. This data is part of a pre-publication release. For information on the proper use of pre-publication data shared by the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute (including details of any publication moratoria), please see http://www.sanger.ac.uk/datasharing/ . This dataset contains all the data available for this study on 2019-04-08.

  Dataset EGAD00001004942

• Combined – whole blood and skin fibroblasts - transcriptomic analysis in Psoriatic arthritis.

  Whole blood RNA sequencing was performed longitudinally in 27 subjects with PsA at the beginning, one month and six months after treatment and response to therapy was defined at 6 months. As control groups 7 healthy individuals and 9 subjects with rheumatoid arthritis were recruited combined with public RNA-sequencing datasets from patients with psoriasis and systemic lupus erythematous. Differential expression analysis and weighted gene co-expression network analysis were performed to identify gene expression signatures, while deconvolution and flow cytometry to characterize the peripheral blood immune cell profile. RNA sequencing of skin fibroblasts was performed in a subset of affected (n=3) and healthy individuals (n=3) combined with CellChat to identify the blood-skin fibroblasts interaction network.

  Study EGAS00001006288

• Neoantigen-Targeted CD8+ T-Cell Responses 1 With PD-1 Blockade Therapy

  Background: The primary target of T-cell responses induced against cancer cells are peptides derived from non-synonymous mutations presented by HLA (neoantigens). However, the large diversity of HLA alleles and restricted availability of clinical samples have limited the study of the specificity and the evolution over time of the neoantigen-specific T cell responses induced after treatment with immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) immunotherapy. Methods: We applied a newly developed neoepitope-specific T cell isolation technology to perform a longitudinal landscape analysis of the neoepitope-specific T cells in peripheral blood and tumor from 11 patients with metastatic melanoma; 7 with response and 4 with no response to ICB. Briefly, first using computational prediction, the putative neoantigens in each patient were ranked based on affinity for the patient's HLA and expression levels. Then hundreds of barcoded capture reagents consisting of the patient HLA class I subtypes loaded with the corresponding predicted neoantigen were made and used to isolate neoepitope-specific T cells. Once isolated, the TCRs and the barcodes were sequenced. Finally, the tumor reactivity of the isolated neoepitope-specific TCRs (neoTCRs) was assessed upon co-culture of autologous melanoma cell lines from each patient with primary human T cells expressing the neoTCRs generated using a CRISPR-based non-viral gene editing to replace the endogenous TCRs. Results: The tumor mutation burden ranged between 3507 and 177 for patients with response to therapy and 977 to 31 for patients without response to therapy. We screened a median of 172 predicted neoantigen-HLA per patient across their 6 HLA molecules and isolated neoTCRs in all 11 patients. The number of mutations targeted ranged between 13 and 1. We assessed the neoTCR-tumor reactivity in samples from 3 patients with response and 3 patients without response. 39 of the 62 neoTCRs demonstrated specific recognition and cytotoxicity to patient-matched melanoma cell lines. Multiple T cell clonotypes recognized a limited number of mutations in 7 patients with response (median of 41 different neoTCR clonotypes per patient), and the T cell specificities were recurrently detected in the blood and the tumor over time. Samples from 4 patients without response to therapy also demonstrated neoepitope-specific T cell responses in blood and tumor to a similarly restricted number of mutations, but lacked TCR polyclonality (median 6.5 neoTCR clonotypes per patient) and were not recurrently detected in sequential samples. Conclusion: Effective ICB therapy is associated with polyclonal neoepitope-specific T-cell responses in the tumor and blood that recognize a limited number of immunodominant mutations and are recurrently detected over time.

  Study phs003153

• Cryptococcosis in Previously Healthy Adults

  Cryptococcus is a fungus that causes infections most commonly in immunocompromised patients, such as those with AIDS and solid organ transplant recipients and is currently responsible for an estimated 15% of all AIDS-related deaths globally. However, in developed countries, approximately one-third of cases fall outside these groups such that cryptococcal meningoencephalitis (CM) has become the most common cause of non-viral meningitis in the U.S. Within the U.S., approximately 15-20% have no readily identifiable immune defect and cryptococcal infection in these hosts has a mortality rate of 30-50% despite optimal antifungal therapy. NIH Clinical Study Protocol 93-I-0106 (NCT00001352). The objectives of this protocol can be broadly categorized as: 1) Characterize the immunologic and genetic mechanisms predisposing to disease acquisition; 2) Understand the post-infectious inflammatory response and distinguish its consequences from those directly due to fungal growth; and 3) Management of post-infectious neuro-inflammatory syndromes associated with cryptococcal meningitis (CM). This protocol recruits patients who have microbiological evidence of cryptococcal neurologic or non-CNS disease (typically pulmonary or bone). Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood samples collected during clinical care are used to measure serum and CNS cellular and soluble cytokines as well as to perform in-situ immunohistochemistry. CSF and blood samples are also collected to measure transcriptional (gene expression), proteomic (protein), and lipidomic (lipids) changes that occur throughout disease and treatment. Observational data detailing audiological, ophthalmological and neurocognitive deficits in these patients is also recorded. We have recently described a post-infectious inflammatory syndrome (PIIRS) associated with cryptococcal meningoencephalitis (CM) which can be best described as a neuro-inflammatory state during which CM patients present with altered mental status (Montreal Cognitive Assessment Score As part of the protocol, we treat patients for either microbiological failure or neuroinflammatory sequelae by conventional therapies utilizing FDA-approved pharmaceuticals at FDA-approved doses. To understand and identify the predominant biological pathways responsible for PIIRS neuroinflammation, we examined patient CSF at baseline (at time of PIIRS diagnosis) and post-treatment with different FDA-approved pharmaceuticals at FDA-approved doses compared to CSF from non-PIIRS donors. Upstream pathway analysis of differentially expressed genes in the CSF of PIIRS patients revealed a prominent role for the JAK/STAT pathway in the pathogenesis of PIIRS and support the use of the JAK inhibitor, ruxolinib, as a pathway-instructed therapy to treat PIIRS patients. Data available through dbGaP: single cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data from CSF cells of a patient with PIIRS at the time of diagnosis and following treatment with steroids (1g solumedrol/day) and NanoString transcriptional data from CSF cells of patients with PIIRS at the time of diagnosis compared to CSF cells from non-PIIRS donors.

  Study phs003871

• PE-CGS: Optimizing Engagement of Hispanic Colorectal Cancer Patients in Cancer Genomic Characterization Studies

  Colorectal Cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer death in the US. Hispanic/Latinos (H/L) are the largest and fasting growing ethnic group in the US, and cancer is the leading cause of death among H/L in the US. Therefore, we need to fully understand the full complexity of the molecular etiology of cancer in this ethnic group. For instance, although incidence rates of CRC are lower among Latinos as compared to Whites or African Americans, Hispanics with metastatic disease have shorter overall survival when adjusted for health care setting, demographics, disease characteristics and treatment factors. H/L also tend to be diagnosed at a younger age and with higher stage, and we have previously reported that Mexican H/L in California have the greatest proportion of young (The Cancer Genome Atlas has provided a deep overview of the molecular taxonomy of CRC in 594 cases, however, less than 1% of the cases (n=5) were H/L. Therefore, it is imperative for us to take more detailed assessment of the molecular genomic landscape of CRC in H/L. One of the major issues likely limiting our ability to perform these large genomic initiatives in minority patients is that Patient or Participant Engagement practices may not be investigated to identify best practices for accruing and consenting patients into clinical translational biomedical research studies. This concept of Participant Engagement is critically important for both the patients and the translational cancer research community. Optimizing and improving our approaches for directly engaging patients at initial contact, throughout the course of a translational genomic study, and during the time of return of results is likely to lead to stronger relationships between the medical community and patients, but could also lead to significant improvement in outcomes for patients and for the cancer care community as a whole. As such, we propose the creation of the USC Center for Optimization of Participant Engagement in Cancer Characterization (COPECC) with a focus on optimizing the engagement of Latinos in CRC Genomic Characterization research studies. USC COPECC would serve as a member of the NCI U2C Participant Engagement and Cancer Genome Sequencing (PE-CGS) Network. Our investigative team includes experts in all relevant areas of research for genomic characterization, participant engagement, and engagement optimization. We have an established platform for consenting patients into cancer genomics studies that will serve as a standard process. The overall goal of USC COPECC is to generate results on participant engagement optimization and CRC genomic research that will be shared with the broader community to distribute best practices for engaging Latinos in hopes of improving overall outcomes for CRC in this underserved population.

  Study phs003985

• Whole transcriptome RNA sequencing as comprehensive diagnostic tool for acute myeloid leukemia.

  BackgroundAcute myeloid leukemia (AML) is characterized by uncontrolled proliferation of malignant hematopoietic cells in the bone marrow that are arrested in differentiation. In AML pathogenesis, hematopoietic progenitor cells acquire multiple genetic aberrations often occurring in the same set of genes that ultimately lead to malignant transformation. In the WHO classification 2016, six AML classes with different prognosis are identified by chromosomal translocations measured by standard cytogenetics. All balanced translocations produce fusion genes, except for t(3;3)/inv(3;3), which lead to overexpression of MECOM/EVI1 associated with poor prognosis. For accurate risk assessment of cytogenetically normal AML, four genes need to be screened to distinguish AML with mutated NPM1 in the absence of FLT3 mutations and AML with bi-allelic CEBPA mutations, which have a favorable prognosis, and AML with RUNX1 mutations which have a poor prognosis. Recently, a full genomic classification system has been proposed by Papaemmanuil et al. (NEJM 2016). In this system, the same six classes with chromosomal translocations are identified by standard cytogenetics as well as five additional classes characterized by genetic mutations in 14 different genes. AimThe aim of the study was to investigate whether whole transcriptome RNA-sequencing (RNAseq) can be used as single technology for classification of AML. MethodA panel of 100 AML were analyzed and a bio-informatics pipeline called HAMLET (Human AML Expedited Transcriptomics) was developed in which 4 modules are integrated to detect (1) fusion genes, (2) small variants in 13 recurrently mutated genes, (3) internal tandem duplications in FLT3 (FLT3-ITD) and partial tandem duplications in KMT2A (KMT2A-PTD) and (4) overexpression of MECOM/EVI1. All mutations that were called by HAMLET were validated by diagnostic data as available for all 100 AML or targeted PCR followed by Sanger or next generation sequencing on all positive AML and at least an equal number of negative cases. Results & discussionThe data showed that HAMLET accurately identified all genetic aberrations with high sensitivity and specificity. In addition, in 7 AML, fusion transcripts were detected that are not measured by standard cytogenetics including three cases that lack any class-defining lesion according to Papaemmanuil et al. Moreover, overexpression of MECOM/EVI1 was detected in two AML with inv(3) as well as in five cases without inv(3)/t(3;3), and a gene signature was measured to distinguish AML with CEBPA mutations with favorable prognosis. In conclusion, HAMLET provides a comprehensive and flexible pipeline for RNAseq analysis to retrieve all relevant information for current classification of AML as well as additional information that may improve classification in the future.

  Study EGAS00001003096

• Beyond BRCA deficiency: Clinical and molecular predictors of survival in patients with BRCA-deficient tubo-ovarian high-grade serous carcinoma

  Homologous recombination DNA repair deficient (HRD) tumors account for about 50% of tubo-ovarian high-grade serous carcinomas (HGSC) and are associated with a high response to platinum-based chemotherapy. However, a subset of patients with HRD tumors have unexpected resistance to chemotherapy and experience short survival. Our study compared BRCA-deficient and proficient HGSC among patients with short (<3 years, the lowest quartile of overall survival (OS)) versus longer-term (>3 year OS) to identify prognostic markers and potential therapeutic opportunities. Primary tumors from a cohort of patients with advanced-stage HGSC (n=154) enriched for those with HRD tumors and short survival (n=42) were analyzed using whole-genome sequencing, bulk RNA-sequencing, and DNA methylation profiling. A subset of HRD tumors (n=143) were characterized for immune cell densities by multiplex immunofluorescence. Clinicopathological features were assessed in 1,389 patients with HGSC, including 282 with pathogenic germline BRCA variants (gBRCApv). Findings were validated in two international HGSC cohorts: the Ovarian Tumor Tissue Analysis consortium (n=5,875) and Multisciplinary Ovarian Cancer Outcome Group (n=895). In gBRCApv-carriers, residual disease following surgical cytoreduction was not associated with shorter OS unlike in non-carriers where it was strongly associated. While most patients with gBRCApv had a more favorable OS compared to non-carriers, a survival advantage was not apparent in those with variants located outside of BRCA1 exon 10/23 and BRCA2 exon 11/27. Patient survival correlated with HRD score, such that those with a score ≥63 had significantly longer OS compared to those with HRD scores of 42-63 and <42. While higher HRD scores were associated with better survival outcomes, most gBRCApv carriers with a short survival had tumor HRD scores that exceeded the threshold typically considered predictive of a good response to carboplatin or PARP inhibitors. BRCA2-deficient HGSC with loss of the tumor suppressor NF1 was associated with exceptionally favorable outcome (median OS 17 years), whereas amplification of both PIK3CA and RAD21, was associated with poor outcome in BRCA2-deficient HGSC (median OS 2.9 years). The density of tumor-infiltrating CD8+ PD-1+ T cells was prognostic for OS in gBRCApv-carriers. In summary, rather than simply the presence or absence of a germline BRCA pathological variant influencing patient survival, the co-occurrence of specific somatic gene alterations, the extent of immune cell infiltration, the level of homologous recombination deficiency, and BRCA-variant location may modify clinical outcomes in patients with BRCA-deficient HGSC. Analysis of exceptional outcome patients, in this case gBRCApv-carriers with an atypically short survival, may identify determinants of outcome applicable to the wider HGSC patient population.

  Study EGAS00001008059

• Genetic Causes of Growth Disorders

  Description of the disorder: A very common disorder presenting to pediatricians/pediatric endocrinologists is childhood growth failure. Sometimes the cause is evident, for example, growth hormone deficiency. In other children, the etiology remains unknown despite extensive evaluation, resulting in the unhelpful diagnosis of severe idiopathic short stature (SISS). These conditions are quite heterogeneous, including children with isolated growth failure and others who also have other abnormalities such as developmental delay or a constellation of congenital anomalies (syndromic short stature). Sometimes, the disorder appears to primarily affect the growth plate, which drives skeletal growth and thereby determines overall body proportions, whereas in other children, the disorder affects skeletal and non-skeletal tissues equally. Some cases of SISS have a polygenic inheritance while others appear to follow a Mendelian inheritance model, recessive, dominant or X-linked. Very recently, genome-wide analysis for copy number variants (CNVs) and whole-exome sequencing have begun to identify some of the molecular etiologies of these disorders.1 Identifying the molecular etiology of growth disorders has clinical and scientific value. Clinically, identifying a molecular cause prevents extensive further testing and may direct anticipatory care for associated medical problems. For example, we recently studied aggrecan (ACAN) gene mutations in families with autosomal dominant short stature and accelerated skeletal maturation. These mutations affect both growth plate cartilage, causing linear growth failure, and also articular cartilage, causing osteochondritis dissecans and early-onset osteoarthritis.1 Etiological classification of idiopathic growth failure allows more precise characterization of prognosis and response to treatment, which are currently highly imprecise because of the locus heterogeneity. In some cases, finding the genetic etiology points to a novel treatment approach that targets the specific molecular pathway involved. The proposed project is central to the main focus of our group, the Section on Growth and Development, NICHD. Our primary goal is to investigate cellular and molecular mechanisms governing childhood growth and to gain insight into the many human genetic disorders causing childhood growth failure. The proposed project is well suited for the intramural program because it takes advantage of Clinical Center expertise to phenotype subjects with SISS. Study subjects: We will study subjects with SISS and nuclear family members. SISS will be defined by height SDS < -2.5 for age without evident cause after routine evaluation including: growth hormone axis evaluation; thyroid function testing; celiac disease screening; urinalysis; CBC; chemistry; karyotype (girls, for Turner syndrome); and testing for single gene defects based on the clinical evaluation (for example, SHOX or Noonan-associated genes). Candidate families will include isolated growth disorders and growth disorders that are accompanied by congenital anomalies, developmental delay, or other syndromic short stature. Strong preference will be given to subjects with a severe phenotype and a pedigree that indicates a Mendelian inheritance. Multiple independent families with the same phenotype will have priority. The pool of applicants for recruitment is large, and we receive many inquiries by emails and phone consultations from pediatric endocrinologists for advice regarding diagnosis and management of unusual growth disorders, including familial disease. Often these families are seeking further evaluation and are willing to participate in a research study. From this pool, we will be selecting pedigrees with very favorable Mendelian characteristics, for example de novo dominant occurrences where two normal parents have a child with SISS, and the child grows up to be an adult who passes this phenotype on to multiple grandchildren in the next generation. Subjects and family members will be brought to the NIH Clinical Center (NIHCC) for outpatient evaluation. Participants will be evaluated by pediatric endocrinology fellows (as part of our training program) and by senior staff to establish the clinical findings and construct a pedigree. Subjects will receive additional biochemical and imaging studies at the Clinical Center to complete the phenotyping and assign affected status. The growth abnormality will be evaluated by assessing body proportions, relative organ size, and skeletal imaging as indicated. Associated clinical abnormalities beyond altered growth will be characterized with the help of other Clinical Center subspecialists. Subjects and family members will be evaluated by SNP microarray and whole-exome sequencing. We anticipate 4-5 persons for each of 16-20 families, for a total of 72-90 whole-exome sequences. Half of the families will be recruited and studied within the first year and half in the second year. We will use freshly collected peripheral blood as the DNA source for SNP array and NextGen Sequencing. Analytic approach: The candidate genes will be chosen based on 1) inheritance state consistency, 2) population frequency in the ESP and UDP databases, and 3) predictions of deleteriousness. We will use VarSifter and the B road Institute Integrated Genome Viewer to filter and visualize these data. The genetic model will be dependent on the family's pedigree. For a simple trio, we will explore variants using genetic models including autosomal recessive, de novo (dominant), compound heterozygous, deletion/point mutation recessive, and X-linked (male only). The candidate variants will be identified using Boolean logic sets in VarSifter following intramural NHGRI/UDP methods. We will also use SNP microarray data to identify copy number variations, complete/single copy deletions, duplications, non-paternity, consanguinity for homozygosity mapping, uniparental isodisomy, mosaicism, and segregation patterns (bed file generation for use in VarSifter filter work). After a list of candidate sequence variants has been generated, annotation will include using the Exome Variant Server, Polyphen-2, MutationTaster, Sift, and CADD predictions of deleteriousness. Biological laboratory data will be included to prioritize candidate variants. Our group has expertise in the molecular mechanisms regulating both skeletal growth2,3 and growth of other tissues4,5, which may be helpful in this phase of the analysis. The most promising candidate mutations will be confirmed by Sanger sequencing and studied functionally, in vitro and/or in vivo. For mutations that affect skeletal growth, we will use experimental systems related to growth plate cartilage. For in vitro studies, we have experience transfecting chondrocyte cell lines, such as ATDC5, and primary chondrocytes. We will determine whether the mutation alters protein and/or cell function. In vivo studies can be used to explore pathophysiology. We have recently successfully used a new approach, the CAS9/CRISPR system to knockout multiple loci in mice (unpublished), which can be used again in the future to create mouse models efficiently. 1J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 2014 (PMID: 24762113) 2J Mol Endocrinol, 2014 (PMID: 24740736) 3Hum Mol Genet, 2012 (PMID: 22914739) 4Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 2013 (PMID: 23530192) 5Endocr Rev, 2011 (PMID: 21441345)

  Study phs001617

• Multiple Myeloma Genomic Study (MMGS)

  Multiple Myeloma (MM) is a plasma cell dyscrasia characterized by bone marrow (BM) infiltration and lytic bone lesions. Recent studies of massive parallel sequencing of tumor cells obtained from the BM of patients with MM have demonstrated significant clonal heterogeneity in MM. Despite this remarkable clonal heterogeneity, it could be envisioned that such clonal diversity may be even higher since single BM samples only represent a small fraction of the whole BM compartment, and the pattern of BM infiltration in MM is typically patchy. In addition, BM biopsies are painful and cannot be repeated multiple times during the course of therapy, indicating a need for less invasive methods to molecularly characterize MM patients and monitor disease progression during the therapy. Thus, optimal characterization of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) may represent a non-invasive method to capture relevant mutations present in PC clones. In addition, MM almost always progresses from precursor states of monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS)/smoldering multiple myeloma (SMM) to overt MM. However, some patients rapidly progress from MGUS/SMM to overt MM (progressors) with a rate of progression of up to 70% over 5 years, while others remain indolent with minimal progression over the same time period (non-progressors). Although many patients are diagnosed with earlier phases of disease, most patients do not receive treatment until their disease progresses, at which time they have overt end-organ damage. This concept of initiating therapy at the time of symptomatic disease is analogous to initiating therapy in patients with solid tumors only after the development of measurable metastatic disease. It is therefore not surprising that cure is not achieved for most patients with MM. Interestingly, studies have demonstrated that MGUS/SMM clones may already harbor chromosomal alterations (Ig loci or hyperdiploidy) and that progression to MM is mainly due to expansion of clones that were already present in the early stages of MGUS/SMM. However, the biological factors that discriminate progressors from non-progressors in MGUS/SMM are not well known. Therefore, our overarching hypothesis is that an effective therapeutic intervention will result from defining genomic and transcriptomic markers that are associated with disease progression. We believe, therefore, that focused research studies that define molecular mechanisms of clonal evolution in MGUS/SMM/MM will identify novel biomarkers of disease progression and help develop therapeutic agents that prevent or delay progression from MGUS to overt MM. Indeed, by eradicating the disease at the precursor stages, MM may become a preventable disease. Recently, a new term called Clonal Hematopoiesis of Indeterminate Potential (CHIP) has been proposed to describe asymptomatic individuals with hematologic malignancy-associated somatic mutations. Those individuals do not fulfill any diagnostic criteria for any hematological malignancy yet they have a tendency to progress into myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) or myeloid or lymphoid neoplasia at a rate of around 0.5-1% per year, similar to MGUS. The frequency of CHIP and role of HSCs mutations in enhancing acquisition of somatic mutations in MM plasma cells, allowing progression following treatment, has not been studied. Investigating the dysregulated pathways in early progenitor cells would allow us to understand the reasons of progression and establish novel therapeutic and potentially preventive strategies. This study dissects genomic and transcriptomic characteristics of clonal evolution from MGUS/SMM to MM as well as the characteristics of the tumor microenvironment/immune cells/peripheral blood. Our hypothesis is that molecular biomarkers will be strong predictors of progression from MGUS/SMM to MM and will allow for the development of novel therapeutic agents that prevent or delay this progression. We aim to define genomic and transcriptomic markers that lead to progression from MGUS/SMM to MM in tumor cells, blood biopsies (cell free DNA and circulating tumor cells), and the tumor microenvironment.

  Study phs001323

• Recording physiological history of cells with chemical labeling.

  Recordings of the physiological history of cells provide insights into biological processes, yet obtaining such recordings is a challenge. To address this, we introduce a method to record transient cellular events for later analysis. We designed proteins that become labeled in the presence of both a specific cellular activity and a fluorescent substrate. The recording period is set by the presence of the substrate, whereas the cellular activity controls the degree of the labeling. The use of distinguishable substrates enabled the recording of successive periods of activity. We recorded protein-protein interactions, G-protein-coupled receptor activation and elevations in intracellular calcium. Recordings of elevated calcium levels allowed selections of cells from heterogenous populations for transcriptomic analysis and tracking of neuronal activities in flies and zebrafish.

  Study EGAS50000000056

• DNA Double Strand Breaks in KMT2A-Rearranged AML patients

  DNA breakage at specific rearrangement-participating genes, which are more sensitive to a range of environmental and chemotherapeutic agents than other regions of the human genome, contributes to the generation of leukemia-causing rearrangements, and can be used as a predictor of susceptibility to cancer caused by gene rearrangements. As a direct proof-of-principle regarding the feasibility of employing fragile site breakage to identify and monitor high-risk populations to allow personalized treatments, genome-wide DNA break mapping/sequencing was used to determine whether preferential DNA breaks are generated at the major breakpoint regions of KMT2A in AML remission patients with previously diagnosed KMT2A rearrangement. We are submitting break mapping data from three patients with KMT2A rearrangements and three non-fusion patients, with and without etoposide treatments.

  Study phs002804

• Single Cell Analysis of Pulmonary Fibrosis

  Pulmonary fibrosis is a heterogenous syndrome in which fibrotic scar replaces normal lung tissue. We performed massively parallel single-cell RNA-Seq on lung tissue from eight lung transplant donors and eight patients with pulmonary fibrosis. Combined with in situ RNA hybridization, with amplification, these data provide a molecular atlas of disease pathobiology. We identified a distinct, novel population of profibrotic alveolar macrophages exclusively in patients with fibrosis. Within epithelial cells, the expression of genes involved in Wnt secretion and response was restricted to non-overlapping cells. We identified rare cell populations including airway stem cells and senescent cells emerging during pulmonary fibrosis. Analysis of a cryobiopsy specimen from a patient with early disease supports the clinical application of single-cell RNA-Seq to develop personalized approaches to therapy.

  Study phs001750

• Genomic sequencing of Pediatric Rhabdomyosarcoma

  Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is the most common soft tissue sarcoma of childhood accounting for approximately 350 newly diagnosed cases yearly in the United States. With the development of multimodal chemotherapy regimens, relapse-free survival rates have improved to 70-80% in patients with localized disease albeit with significant toxicity. Unfortunately, despite aggressive treatment, patients with metastatic or recurrent disease continue to suffer from high mortality. Further characterization of the genetic events underlying this tumor type is critical for the development of more effective diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic strategies. In a collaborative effort between the National Cancer Institute, the Children's Oncology Group, and the Broad Institute, we use a combination of whole-genome and whole-exome sequencing to characterize the landscape of somatic alterations in 147 tumor/normal pairs.

  Study phs000720

• Genome Sequencing of Hepatocellular Carcinoma at The Human Genome Sequencing Center of Baylor College of Medicine (HGSC-BCM)

  Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) accounts for 85-90% of primary liver cancers. We have focused on three major HCC etiologies:hepatitis C virus (HCV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), and nonviral causes. The onset and progression of cancer is driven by extensive rearrangement and mutation of the genome. We combined our capability to capture and enrich exome DNA with the next generation sequencing capacity to allow us to detect and characterize the somatic mutation profile of patients with HCC. Patient samples were collected by the Liver Center, Division of Abdominal Transplantation in the Baylor College of Medicine Department of Surgery. Sequencing of HCC is one of the NHGRI Center Initiated Projects in progress in the Human Genome Sequencing Center at Baylor College of Medicine.

  Study phs000509

• Targeted Sequencing of Primary ER-positive Breast Tumors Treated with 5 Years of Tamoxifen

  Targeted massively parallel sequencing analysis was conducted on DNA extracted from archived 22-28 year old, formalin-fixed primary breast tumors from 625 patents from British Columbia treated with five years of adjuvant tamoxifen monotherapy and followed for over 10 years. Genes were selected for targeted sequencing by review of existing large-scale breast cancer sequencing studies and breast cancer literature. In total, 83 genes were identified and 3,029 probes were designed to tile across all known exons. Illumina sequencing libraries were constructed, indexed, pooled, and enriched for target sequences by hybrid-capture followed by sequencing of paired-end 100bp reads. All samples met minimum quality controls of 80% targeted space covered at 20X or greater. On average, each sample had 336M aligned bases and a mean coverage of 135.8X.

  Study phs001234

• The Longevity Genes Project

  Aging is a complex, universal condition leading to the functional decline of all cells and organisms, and to major national and global public health problems. Although aging is the major risk factor for developing most adult-onset diseases, systematic investigations into the fundamental physiology, biology and genetics of aging are only just beginning. In the Longevity Genes Project at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Dr. Nir Barzilai and his team conducted genetic research on more than 500 healthy elderly people between the ages of 95 and 112, and on their children. The identification of longevity genes by Einstein researchers could lead to new drug therapies that might help people live longer, healthier lives and avoid or significantly delay age-related diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

  Study phs000584

• HNPCC-Sys: Molecular Characterization of Lynch Syndromes

  Lynch Syndrome (LS) tumors are characterized by constitutional mutations in DNA mismatch-repair genes. Colorectal cancers (CRCs) are the predominant tumor type in patients with LS. Here, we have used whole-genome and transcriptome sequencing of LS- CRC to find similarities and differences of mutation and gene expression characteristics between LS-CRC and sporadic CRC (data provided by TCGA via dbGaP). Furthermore, we were interested in the molecular heterogeneity of LS-CRC. We have performed a molecular characterization of LS-tumors and of matched tumor-distant reference colonic mucosa based on whole-genome DNA- and RNA-sequencing analyses. Our data indicates the existence of two subgroups of LS-CRCs, G1 and G2, where G1 tumors show a higher number of somatic mutations, higher microsatellite slippage and a different mutation spectrum.

  Study phs001407

• HuBMAP: Single-Cell Data from Human Tissues

  The small bowel and colon are organs critical for maintaining homeostasis of the human body by mediating nutritional absorption upon the ingestion of food. Though both organs are extensive in length, there are known differences in function and cellular heterogeneity within different portions of each. Also, a cross section anywhere in the bowel reveals a complex layering of components involved in absorption and secretion, motility of gut contents, circulation, and immunity. We are mapping the complexity of the the small bowel and colon with cell-to-cell resolution in histologic sections, both along their lengths and across multiple individuals. Our molecular data consist of single cell ATAC-seq and RNA-seq. These profiles are spatially mapped to histologic sections using CO-Detection by indEXing (CODEX), a highly multiplexed system of antibody-tagged target epitopes.

  Study phs002272

• Time Lapse to Cancer-Defining the Transition from Polyp to Cancer

  In the US, CRC incidence has declined with uptake in colonoscopy for early detection and removal of polyps, the precursor lesion, can stop a cancer from developing but in spite of this, CRC remains the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States. One third of people who undergo screening colonoscopy will have adenomatous polyps, but less than 5% of the time are these polyps presumed to go on to develop into cancer. Why does one polyp develop into cancer while another one that looks very similar does not. In this proposal we will identify what molecular genetic changes in the genome, in the mRNA expression and genetic methylation patterns will distinguish a polyp that has already transformed into cancer from one that has not.

  Study phs001384

• Melanoma Brain Metastasis Single-Cell RNA Sequencing Atlas

  Melanoma brain metastasis (MBM) frequently occurs in patients with advanced melanoma, yet our understanding of the underlying salient biology is rudimentary. Here, we performed single-cell/nucleus RNA-seq in 22 treatment-naive MBM (scRNA-seq n=5; snRNA-seq n=17) and 10 extracranial melanoma metastases (ECM; all snRNA-seq), and matched spatial single-cell transcriptomics (n=16) and T cell receptor (TCR)-seq (n=5). Key observations were validated in matched bulk RNA- and ATAC-seq of isogenic MBM/ECM cell culture models (n=24; including triplicates (labeled as *-A, -B and -C) of 4 MBM- and 4 ECM-derived patient cell lines with 2 matched pairs). This work provides comprehensive insights into MBM biology and serves as a foundational resource for further discovery and therapeutic exploration.

  Study phs002944

• Evolution of Resistance in ER+ Breast Cancer

  While the combination of endocrine therapy and CDK4/CDK6 inhibitors has been shown to be effective in the metastatic ER+ breast cancer setting, to test whether it is effective in an earlier stage neoadjuvant setting, the FELINE trial (NCT02712723) was established to test the efficacy of letrozole and ribociclib in a ER-positive, HER2-negative patients in a randomized, placebo-controlled, multicenter trial. Patients were randomized to one of three arms: those in Arm A received letrozole and placebo, Arm B letrozole and intermittent ribociclib, and Arm C letrozole and continuous ribociclib. Samples were collected at screening (Day 0), Cycle 1 (Day 14), and end of trial (Day 180). Samples from 24 patients, where cancer cells were present at Day 0 and one additional time point, were subjected to whole-exome sequencing profiling.

  Study phs002287

• Transcriptomic and Clonal Characterization of T Cells in the Human Central Nervous System

  The cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is thought to be a main route for immune surveillance in the central nervous system (CNS). Understanding the composition and state of CSF in healthy individuals may provide insight into perturbations present during neuroinflammation. Here, we have used single-cell RNA and TCR sequencing to profile CSF and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from healthy individuals and patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS), a chronic autoimmmune disease. In addition, with the goal of understanding how transcriptional artefacts are introduced in transcriptomics experiments, we have performed single-cell and TCR sequencing to profile PBMCs from a healthy individual that were processed with the same enzymatic digestion used for tissues (such as the brain) in the presence or absence of transcription inhibitors. 

  Study phs002222

• DNA Methylation Analysis of Peripheral Blood Cells from Siblings Discordant for ASD

  Autism is a common disorder whose causes are poorly understood. Both genetic and environmental influences are thought to act together causing autism. Epigenetics is an area that bridges genetic and environmental influencing and commonly is studied by examining dynamic methylation changes to the DNA. We have screened a total of 78 autistic boys and their fathers by this method in 807 genes and find 116 methylation changes that together can correctly identify nearly 80% of the affected boys from their fathers. We propose to confirm these exciting data in a much larger set of genes in 1,200 autistic boys and their families, including unaffected brothers. These data not only could provide new insight into the causes of autism but could also result in a screening test for autism.

  Study phs000619

• Multimodal Mapping of the Immune Landscape in Human Pancreatic Cancer

  Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) is characterized by an immune-suppressive tumor microenvironment that has rendered it largely refractory to immunotherapy. We used single-cell RNA sequencing on patient tumors and matched blood, and we uncovered a previously unappreciated, complex environment of immune-suppressive cellular interactions. These experiments reveal immune checkpoint expression heterogeneity on individual patient T cells, with corresponding ligands on neoplastic and myeloid cells. TIGIT was upregulated on tumor infiltrating CD8+ T cells and was the only checkpoint receptor consistently expressed by exhausted CD8+ T cells. Clinical annotation of the samples revealed that the exhausted signature is most prominent in patients with advanced stages of disease. Our findings suggest individualized combination therapy, involving anti-TIGIT therapies, may be necessary to extend the benefits of immunotherapy to pancreatic cancer patients.

  Study phs002071

• Development and Validation of Organoids from Fibrolamellar Carcinoma Human Cells

  Fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma (FL-HCC) is a rare liver tumor affecting adolescents and young adults with no history of primary liver disease or cirrhosis. We collected fibrolamellar tumor tissue and the adjacent non-tumor liver from patients at the time of surgery. We only used tumor tissue that was validated as fibrolamellar by the presence of the DNAJB1-PRKACA fusion gene. The freshly resected tissue was dissociated and grown as organoids. This yielded 21 patient-derived organoid lines. From the tumor tissue we developed twelve organoids from metastases and three from the liver tumor. Additionally, we generated six organoid lines from the adjacent non-tumor liver. The tumor organoids were all shown to recapitulate the histologic morphology, immunohistochemistry, and transcriptome of the tumor tissue from which they were derived.

  Study phs002439

• Somatic Mutations in Epilepsy: Whole Genome Sequence Analysis of Single Neurons

  Low-coverage whole-genome sequencing was performed on single-cells from resected brain tissues obtained from an individual with hemimegalencephaly (HMG) along with a somatic copy number variant (sCNV) of chromosome 1q in order to characterize the sCNV at the single cell level. Single neuronal nuclei and non-neuronal nuclei were isolated by fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) using NeuN immunoreactivity to identify neurons. 46 neurons and 30 non-neuronal cells, as well as a batch of 10 and a batch of 100 cells from each group, were genome amplified using multiple displacement amplification (MDA) and sequenced on an Illumina HiSeq 2000 sequencer. Thirty-two samples were multiplexed into each HiSeq lane for single-end 50 bp runs, obtaining ~5 million pass-filter reads per sample.

  Study phs002615

• Dysregulation of Naive T Cell Quiescence during Aging

  TEA-seq (novel trimodal single-cell analysis of mRNA transcripts, surface protein epitopes, and chromatin accessibility) was performed on CD3+ T cells isolated from peripheral blood of healthy pediatric (11–13 yrs, n = 8) and older adult (55–65 yrs, n = 8) female donors. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) was additionally performed on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from a healthy cohort of 16 pediatric, 16 young adult (25–35 yrs), and 16 older adult donors with equal sex distribution. Using these data, we dissected the compositional and molecular alterations within the T cell compartment across the spectrum of healthy age, showing broad transcriptional and epigenetic alterations within the T cell compartment of older adults compared to children, as well as a novel population of pediatric-specific CD8aa T cells.

  Study phs003400

• Clinical Outcomes and ctDNA Correlates for CAPOX BETR: A phase II trial of Capecitabine, Oxaliplatin, Bevacizumab, Trastuzumab in Previously Untreated Advanced HER2+ Gastroesophageal Adenocarcinoma

  We performed circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) analysis on plasma of patients with advanced HER2 positive gastroesophageal adenocarcinomas who were treated on a phase 2 clinical trial testing the addition of bevacizumab to capecitabine, oxaliplatin, and trastuzumab. ctDNA was analyzed using panel based next generation sequencing assay (Predicine CARE), low-pass whole genome sequencing (LP-WGS), and methylation based panel assay (Predicine ALERT). This allowed us to derive tumor mutational profiles, circulating tumor fractions in plasma, and changes in both over time. We show that tumor fraction and the presence of mutations in the MAPK pathway are prognostic in our patient cohort. LP-WGS data from baseline and cycle 2 of treatment is available through dbGaP. Additional data is submitted alongside the manuscript.

  Study phs003706

• Clonal heterogeneity leads to secondary resistance in a melanoma patient after adoptive cell therapy with tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes

  Adoptive cell therapy (ACT) with tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) is effective in melanoma patients, although long-term responses seem restricted to patients with complete remissions. Many patients develop secondary resistance to TIL-ACT but involved mechanisms are unclear. Here, we describe a case of secondary resistance to TIL-ACT likely due to intratumoral heterogeneity and selection of a resistant tumor cell clone via transferred T cells. This is the first case of clonal selection of a pre-existing non-dominant tumor cell clone and demonstrates a new mechanism involved in secondary resistance to TIL-ACT and could potentially change current clinical practice, because it advocates for T cell collection from different tumor sites and analysis of tumor heterogeneity before the treatment with TIL-ACT.

  Study EGAS50000000279

• Genomic and clinical characterization of a familial GIST kindred intolerant to imatinib

  Familial gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) are rare. We present a kindred with multiple family members affected with multifocal GIST who underwent whole genome sequencing of the germline and tumor. Affected individuals with GIST harbored a germline variant found within exon 13 of the KIT gene, (c.1965T>G; p.Asn655Lys, p.N655K) and a variant in the MSR1 gene (c.877C>T; p.Arg293*, pR293X). Multifocal GISTs in the proband and her mother were treated with preoperative imatinib, and resulted in severe intolerance. The clinical features of multifocal GIST, cutaneous mastocytosis, allergies and gut motility disorders seen in the affected individuals may represent manifestations of the multifunctional roles of KIT in interstitial cells of Cajal or mast cells and/or may be suggestive of additional molecular pathways which can contribute to tumorigenesis.

  Study EGAS50000000372

• Single cell multi-omics analysis of chromothriptic medulloblastoma highlights genomic and transcriptomic consequences of genome instability

  Chromothripsis is a form of genome instability, whereby a presumably single catastrophic event generates extensive genomic rearrangements of one or few chromosome(s). However, little is known about the heterogeneity of chromothripsis across different clones from the same tumor, as well as changes in response to treatment. We analyzed single-cell genomic and transcriptomic alterations linked with chromothripsis in human p53-deficient medulloblastoma (n=7). We reconstructed the order of somatic events, identified early alterations likely linked to chromothripsis and depicted the contribution of chromothripsis to malignancy. We characterized subclonal variation of chromothripsis and its effects on double-minute chromosomes, cancer drivers and putatively druggable targets. Furthermore, we highlighted the causative role and the fitness consequences of specific rearrangements in neural progenitors.

  Study EGAS00001005410

• Clinical relevance of TCGA subtypes for gastric cancer patients

  There is a clinical need for the availability of molecular biomarkers in the tratment of gastric cancer (GC), since survival rates remain poor with a 5-year survival rate of only ~`40% for patients with resectable disease. These markers will elad to a more tailored approach in the treatment of GC, which enhances efficacy and reduces toxicity. Recently, The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) classified GC patients into four molecular subgroups: Epstein Barr Virus positive (EBV+), genomically stable (GS), microsatellite instable (MSI), and chromosomal instable (CIN). For this purpose we aim to collect tumor tissue blocks from patients who participated in the Dutch D1/D2 or the CRITICS trial and who gave informed consent for translational studies. Associations between TCGA subtypes and outcomes to these different therapeutic options will be analyzed.

  Study EGAS50000000779

• 10x genomics single cell RNA-seq and ATAC-seq from 10 pre-menopausal patients fimbriae and ampullary part of the fallopian tube

  The fallopian tube, connecting the uterus with the ovary, is a dynamic organ that undergoes cyclical changes and is the site of several diseases, including serous cancer. Here, we use single-cell technologies to construct a comprehensive cell map of healthy pre-menopausal fallopian tubes, capturing the impact of the menstrual cycle and menopause on different fallopian tube cells at the molecular level. The comparative analysis between pre- and post-menopausal fallopian tubes reveals substantial shifts in cellular abundance and gene expression patterns, highlighting the physiological changes associated with menopause. Further investigations into menstrual cycle phases illuminate distinct molecular states in secretory epithelial cells caused by hormonal fluctuations. The markers we identified characterizing secretory epithelial cells provide a valuable tool for classifying ovarian cancer subtypes.

  Study EGAS50000000628

• RNA-Seq of human longitudinal whole blood samples from PCR-positive and PCR-negative recent household contacts of COVID-19 index cases.

  Little is known about the transcriptomic profile of individuals who are exposed to SARS-CoV-2 yet resist becoming PCR positive. To investigate this, longitudinal whole-blood samples were taken (0, 7, 14, and 28 days after enrolment) from PCR positive and PCR negative SARS-CoV-2-naïve household contacts who were recently exposed to a COVID-19 index. Samples were also taken from pre- and post-pandemic unexposed controls. Total RNA was extracted from PAXgene tubes before undergoing poly(A) selection followed by globin and rRNA depletion. DNA libraries were constructed using the NEBNext® Ultra™ II Directional RNA Library Prep Kit for Illumina. All samples were then sequenced across 2 flowcells of an Illumina HiSeq 4000.

  Study EGAS50000000473

• Developing Targeted Therapy for Patients with Multiple Myeloma and Gain or Amplification of Chr1q (1q+)

  Multiple myeloma (MM) frequently presents with gain or amplification of chr1q (1q+), which is associated with inferior response to treatment and poor outcomes. To develop targeted therapy for MM with 1q+, we leveraged external and in-house dependency screens and drug screens, along with single-cell sequencing of patient tumors with subclonal 1q+. We demonstrated that MM with 1q+ exhibits higher sensitivity to MCL1 and PI3K inhibitors, which may be synergistic and act through established and novel mechanisms. Two human MM cell lines with 1q+, KMS12BM and KMS11, were profiled with either single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) alone (KMS12BM, KMS11) or both scRNA-seq and whole-genome sequencing (WGS; KMS12BM) to understand the factors that determine response to MCL1 and PI3K inhibitors and how these inhibitors work.

  Study phs003886

• Construction of Thousands of Single Cell Genome Sequencing Libraries Using Combinatorial Indexing

  Single-cell genome sequencing has proven valuable for the detection of somatic variation, particularly in the context of tumor evolution. Current technologies suffer from high library construction costs which restrict the number of cells that can be assessed and thus impose limitations on the ability to measure heterogeneity within a tissue. Here, we present Single cell Combinatorial Indexed Sequencing (SCI-seq) as a means of simultaneously generating thousands of low-pass single cell libraries for somatic copy number variant detection. We constructed libraries for 16,698 single cells from a combination of cultured cell lines, primate frontal cortex tissue, and two human adenocarcinomas, including a detailed assessment of subclonal variation within a pancreatic tumor. "Reprinted from Vitak, S.A., et. al. 2017 with permission from Nature Methods."

  Study phs001268

• Whole genome sequencing of human induced pluripotent stem cells derived from 5 type I cyctic biliary atresia patients

  We have successfully generated a panel of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) from five Japanese patients carrying type I cystic biliary atresia (BA). These hiPSC lines have exhibited characteristics of self-renewal and pluripotency. These cells held normal karyotypes mostly, but one of them carried hemizygous deletions, of which clinical significance is unknown yet. Whole genome sequence analysis indicated that some of the mutations or single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) commonly found in these patients are related to hepatobiliary abnormality. Given the limited understanding of the molecular pathogenesis of cystic BA, attributed to unknown factors of genetic and environmental causes, these cellular resources will be instrumental in replicating disease phenotypes and in the advancement of novel therapies for this condition.

  Study JGAS000765

• Nala TAS-LRS PGx Study

  Sequencing was performed on the PromethION Flow Cell R10 (M version) using the P2 Solo Sequencer (MinION release 24.02.16). The library was divided into three portions and loaded in a tapered manner across three time points. At the first time point, the initial portion of the library was loaded, and sequencing began in whole-genome mode (without adaptive sampling), to monitor QC (N50 within the expected range). After one hour, adaptive sampling was activated. A custom BED file was used to define the target regions (N=326). Each region was extended by 20 kb upstream and downstream, and overlapping regions were merged into non-redundant intervals using bedtools43, covering a total of 1.3% of the human genome. At the second time point (20–24 hours after sequencing began, or when fewer than 2000 pores remained active), the flow cell was washed following ONT’s Flow Cell Wash Kit protocol, and the second portion of the library was loaded. At the third time point (40–48 hours), the second portion of the library was retrieved, and merged with the third portion. The flow cell was washed and reloaded with the mixed library. POD5 files were basecalled using Dorado v0.8.1 in super-accuracy (SUP) mode with the dna_r10.4.1_e8.2_400bps_SUP@v5.0.0. Reads from the initial 1 h Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) and subsequent 72 h adaptive sampling were filtered for Q-scores >10. Passing reads were demultiplexed using Dorado’s demux function, then combined per sample and mapped to the GRCh38 reference genome using Minimap2 v2.22. Files were converted to CRAM using samtools.

  Dataset EGAD50000001609

• Head and neck tumor organoid biobank for modelling individual responses to radiation therapy according to the TP53/ HPV status

  Head and neck cancers (HNC) represent an extremely heterogeneous group of diseases with a poorly predictable therapy outcome. Here, we have established a comprehensive molecularly and functionally characterized head and neck organoid biobank recapitulating the clinically relevant subtypes of TP53 mutant and human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV 16) infection-driven HNC. Organoids were exposed to radiotherapy and genetically engineered normal and tumor organoids were used for testing the direct functional consequences of TP53-loss and HPV infection. We identified subtype-associated transcriptomic signatures and pathological features, including sensitivity to TP53 stabilization by the MDM2 inhibitor Nutlin-3. TP53 loss-of-function alone was insufficient to promote radiation resistance, whereas HPV 16 oncogenes E6/E7 mediated radiosensitivity via induction of cell cycle arrest.

  Study EGAS50000001219

• An allele-resolved nanopore-guided tour of the human placental methylome

  The placenta is a temporary organ present during pregnancy that is responsible for coordinating all aspects of pregnancy between the mother and fetus. It has a distinct epigenetic, transcriptomic, and mutational landscape with low levels of methylation, high numbers of transcribed loci, and a high mutational burden relative to somatic tissues. We present this landscape through the application of nanopore sequencing technology to provide a more comprehensive picture of female placental genomics and methylomics along with integrated haplotype-resolved transcriptomic analyses across eight trios. Whole genome sequencing of trios allows robust phasing, permitting comprehensive genome-wide investigation of parent-of-origin methylation and transcription. This enhanced view facilitates identifications of many new differentially methylated regions (DMRs), both conserved and differing between individuals, as well as novel imprinted genes.

  Study EGAS50000001301

• exploration of biomarkers discriminating squamous cell carcinoma from other lung cancers

  Targeted therapies based on the molecular and histological features of cancer types are becoming standard practice. The most effective regimen in lung cancers is different between squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and adenocarcinoma (AD). Therefore a precise diagnosis is crucial, but this has been difficult, particularly for poorly differentiated SCC (PDSCC) and AD without a lepidic growth component (non-lepidic AD). Biomarkers enabling a precise diagnosis are therefore urgently needed. To achieve this goal, we initially performed CAGE (Cap Analysis of Gene Expression) to quantify promoter activities on 97 frozen tissues from surgically resected lung cancers (22 SCC and 75 AD). We furhter expanded the transcriptome profiling to cover additional 48 malignant neoplasm of bronchus and lung, including mesothelioma and metastatic lung cancers derived from other tissues.

  Study JGAS000488

• The characterization of gene expression pattern of anticancer agent-resistant cancer stem cells using RNA sequencing analysis.

  Slow cycling cancer stem cells persist and contribute to tumor regrowth after chemotherapy.To investigate this mechanism, we developed stemness- and cell cycle-visualized colon cancer organoids from patient tissues, and perfomed comparative transcriptome analysis using sorted rapid cycling stem cells (LGR5+p27-) and slow cycling stem cells (LGR5+p27+). In addition, we analyzed the changes in the gene expression patterns in the slow cycling stem cells and all of tumor cells after chemotherapy (camptothecin) treatment. Gene ontology analysis and gene set enrichment analysis using these transcriptome data revealed cell adhesion signal and YAP siganling pathway were important to maintain the dormancy and resume propagation after chemotherapy. In each experiments, total RNA was extracted from organoids and sequenced with HiSeq X Ten (Illumina).

  Study JGAS000350

• High-coverage whole exome sequence in non-TRU-type lung adenocarcinomas

  In order to elucidate the key genetic events in non-TRU-type lung cancer, we selected 43 non-TRU-type lung adenocarcinomas and performed a whole exome sequence and RNA-seq analysis using a next-generation sequencer. The results of the analysis identified mutations in TP53, KRAS and NKX2-1 as the top three significantly mutated genes, while the EGFR mutation was rare in this cohort. Eight NKX2-1 mutations (5 frameshift, 2 nonsense, and one missense) were identified, with one case harboring two distinct NKX2-1 mutations (missense and frameshift). All NKX2-1 mutants were transcriptionally inactive in reporter assays. Histologically, invasive mucinous adenocarcinomas accounted for most of the NKX2-1 mutations (5 cases), while 1 enteric and 1 acinar adenocarcinoma harbored the NKX2-1 mutation.

  Study JGAS000105

• Development of humanized mice for human hematopoisis and immunity research

  We obtained peripheral blood or bone marrow samples from 27 FLT3-ITD+ acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients and created humanized mice engrafted with human AML cells. We sequenced DNA obtained from patient-derived pre-leukemia and leukemia cells and engrafted human hematopoietic cells and leukemia cells en bulk to detect AML-associated mutations and determine mutations contributing to in vivo. From five of these patients, we also performed single cell DNA sequencing to determine clonal heterogeneity and mutational complexity of human pre-leukemic and leukemic cells and to discriminate between permissive and leukemogenic mutations. Finally, inhibition of a leukemogenic mutation led to effective elimination of human AML cells in vivo, and a co-administration of an inhibitor of anti-apoptotic pathway further improved killing of AML cells in vivo.

  Study JGAS000122

• DEPArray-based sorting of pure carcinoma and stromal populations from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues followed by targeted sequencing

  To overcome the challenges of low DNA yields, degraded DNA by formalin fixation and diluted signal of genomic aberrations by non-carcinoma components in the heterogeneous FFPE samples, we isolated pure carcinoma and stromal cells using the DEPArray™ NxT system, a microchip-based digital sorter that allows isolation of pure, homogeneous subpopulations of cells from FFPE samples. We isolated pure carcinoma and stromal cell populations from 12 FFPE tissues, including tissues from 9 primary and metastatic breast cancer and 3 primary ovarian high-grade serous carcinomas. This was followed by a targeted panel for somatic mutation and sCNA analysis (7 samples), subject to cell availability. Mutation analysis was performed successfully in 6/7 samples and somatic mutations were detected in all of them.

  Study EGAS50000001327

• A single-cell multi-omic atlas of nodal B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas

  Nodal B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas (B-NHL) are a clinically diverse set of cancers thought to originate from distinct stages of B-cell maturation. To characterize intratumor heterogeneity across B-NHL entities, we performed CITE-Seq (cellular indexing of transcriptomes and epitopes) on 51 lymph node samples including mantle cell lymphoma (MCL, n = 8), follicular lymphoma (FL, n = 12), germinal center (GCB, n = 5) or activated B-cell (non-GCB/ABC, n = 7) diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and marginal zone lymphoma (MZL, n = 11) tumors, in addition to non-malignant reactive lymph nodes (rLN, n = 8). We also performed 5 prime scRNA-seq with immune receptor profiling for 11 of these samples (2 rLN, 2 MCL, 3 FL, 2 DLBCL, and 2 MZL).

  Study EGAS50000000342