Search Results - EGA European Genome-Phenome Archive

Multimodal Immune Profiling to Determine Mechanisms of COVID-19 Clinical Trajectory in Uganda

We conducted a prospective cohort study of adults (RESERVE-U-C19) admitted to Entebbe Regional Referral Hospital (ERRH), a national COVID-19 referral center, across three viral variant-driven phases of the pandemic in Uganda. In this cohort, which reflects the entire spectrum of SARS-CoV-2 infection, we integrated clinical data with serum proteomics (N=306) and whole-blood transcriptomics (N=100) to determine a range of host responses associated with COVID-19 severity, SARS-CoV-2/HIV co-infection, and circulating viral variants. Beyond the prognostic importance of myeloid cell-driven immune activation and lymphopenia, we show that multifaceted impairment of host protein synthesis and extensive redox imbalance define core metabolic signatures of severe COVID-19, with central roles for IL-7, IL-15, and lymphotoxin-α in COVID-19 respiratory failure. While prognostic signatures were generally consistent in SARS-CoV-2/HIV-coinfection, type I interferon responses uniquely scaled with COVID-19 severity in persons living with HIV. Throughout the pandemic, COVID-19 severity peaked during phases dominated by A.23/A.23.1 and Delta B.1.617.2/AY variants, with Delta phase COVID-19 distinguished by exaggerated pro-inflammatory myeloid cell and inflammasome activation, NK and CD8+ T-cell depletion, impaired host protein synthesis, and upregulation of viral cell entry and trafficking pathways. Data from this study available through dbGaP include raw RNA-Seq data from whole-blood of adult participants (N=100).

Study phs003246

Center for Common Disease Genomics (CCDG) Neuropsychiatric: Multimodal Developmental Neurogenetics of Females

In this study, we address the enormous challenges common complex diseases pose for genomic analysis and the enormous opportunities surmounting them offers for advancing healthcare. The common genetic disorders proposed for study here are believed to have extreme locus heterogeneity, requiring the analysis of large numbers of samples to comprehensively identify the genomic variants underlying them. We propose that a combination of deep population studies and joint analysis of SNPs, indels, and structural variants, both in coding and noncoding regions, will provide the next level of understanding of common genetic disorders. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) will be critical to this next-generation approach to the genomics of complex disease. WGS will need to be accompanied by the technical ability to generate and handle very large data sets, a particular focus and strength of NYGC. WGS will also need to be accompanied by new statistical tools and algorithms, which will be developed by the strong core group committed to this proposal. An overarching goal of this proposal, one that capitalizes on the power of WGS, is to identify disease-associated variants at the individual nucleotide level. In many cases, pathogenic mutations fall in noncoding regions of the genome, which can only be fruitfully explored with WGS. A major effort was put into building new computational strategies to functionally annotate noncoding transcribed sequences, and to build new datasets to enable such strategies, opening new frontiers of understanding of disease-related regulatory variants.

Study phs002043

Michigan Polybrominated Biphenyl (PBB) Exposure Registry

Humans are exposed to chemicals such as brominated flame retardants (BFRs) at unprecedented levels, and a wide variety of health effects are attributed to such exposures. However, the biological mechanisms that link exposures to its consequences remain unknown. An industrial accident in the 1970's exposed over 4000 individuals in rural Michigan to polybrominated biphenyl (PBB), a BFR that was present in the food supply for years prior to detection and management. Health effects are still evident in these individuals and their children. Because this population has been assessed regularly since the exposure, it is an ideal group in which to examine the molecular mechanisms that contribute to susceptibility, vulnerability and health effects. The goal of this project is to identify the genetic variants that associate with the rate of PBB elimination over time and integrate genetic and epigenetic datasets and identify complex gene-environment relationships in PBB exposed individuals. We will leverage data generated as part of past and ongoing studies in the Michigan Polybrominated Biphenyl Registry. We anticipate that this study will provide insight into how genetic variants and the environment interact in relation to PBB exposure and its health effects. We also anticipate the results of this study will be informative for studies of BFRs and other endocrine disrupting compounds with similar chemical properties. Note that methylation array data is available from NCBI GEO under GSE116339: Exposure to Polybrominated Biphenyl (PBB) Associates with DNA Methylation Differences Across the Genome

Study phs001862

Gabriella Miller Kids First Pediatric Research Program in Craniofacial Microsomia

The Gabriella Miller Kids First Pediatric Research Program (Kids First) is a trans-NIH effort initiated in response to the 2014 Gabriella Miller Kids First Research Act and supported by the NIH Common Fund. This program focuses on gene discovery in pediatric cancers and structural birth defects and the development of the Gabriella Miller Kids First Pediatric Data Resource (Kids First Data Resource). All of the WGS and phenotypic data from this study are accessible through dbGaP and kidsfirstdrc.org, where other Kids First datasets can also be accessed. Craniofacial microsomia (CFM), also termed hemifacial microsomia or oculo-auricular-vertebral spectrum, is the third most common congenital craniofacial condition. CFM comprises a variable phenotype and the most common features include malformations of the ear (i.e. microtia) and lower jaw (i.e. mandibular hypoplasia) on one or both sides. Microtia in the absence of other anomalies is believed to represent the mildest form of CFM. The cause of CFM is unknown for most affected individuals. We have established a cohort through previous studies and collected DNA to identify the genetic contributions to CFM, which could facilitate diagnosis, tailored treatments and guide prevention strategies. Successful completion of this proposal will advance knowledge in the genetic architecture of susceptibility to CFM and will provide insight about the biological mechanisms underlying craniofacial development. The results from this study have the potential to further research on the etiology of other craniofacial conditions, and the pathogenesis of typical and atypical craniofacial development.

Study phs002130

Center for Common Disease Genomics [CCDG] - Neuropsychiatric: Genomics of Autism Spectrum Disorder (GASD)

In this study, we address the enormous challenges common complex diseases pose for genomic analysis and the enormous opportunities surmounting them offers for advancing healthcare. The common genetic disorders proposed for study here are believed to have extreme locus heterogeneity, requiring the analysis of large numbers of samples to comprehensively identify the genomic variants underlying them. We propose that a combination of deep population studies and joint analysis of SNPs, indels, and structural variants, both in coding and noncoding regions, will provide the next level of understanding of common genetic disorders. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) will be critical to this next-generation approach to the genomics of complex disease. WGS will need to be accompanied by the technical ability to generate and handle very large data sets, a particular focus and strength of New York Genome Center (NYGC). WGS will also need to be accompanied by new statistical tools and algorithms, which will be developed by the strong core group committed to this proposal.An overarching goal of this proposal, one that capitalizes on the power of WGS, is to identify disease-associated variants at the individual nucleotide level. In many cases, pathogenic mutations fall in noncoding regions of the genome, which can only be fruitfully explored with WGS. A major effort was put into building new computational strategies to functionally annotate noncoding transcribed sequences, and to build new datasets to enable such strategies, opening new frontiers of understanding of disease-related regulatory variants.

Study phs002509

Center for Common Disease Genomics (CCDG) Neuropsychiatric: Homozygosity Mapping Consortium for Autism (HMCA)

In this study, we address the enormous challenges common complex diseases pose for genomic analysis and the enormous opportunities surmounting them offers for advancing healthcare. The common genetic disorders proposed for study are believed to have extreme locus heterogeneity, requiring the analysis of large numbers of samples to comprehensively identify the genomic variants underlying them. We propose that a combination of deep population studies and joint analysis of SNPs, indels, and structural variants, both in coding and noncoding regions, will provide the next level of understanding of common genetic disorders. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) will be critical to this next-generation approach to the genomics of complex disease. WGS will need to be accompanied by the technical ability to generate and handle very large data sets, a particular focus and strength of NYGC. WGS will also need to be accompanied by new statistical tools and algorithms, which will be developed by the strong core group committed to this proposal. An overarching goal of this proposal, one that capitalizes on the power of WGS, is to identify disease-associated variants at the individual nucleotide level. In many cases, pathogenic mutations fall in noncoding regions of the genome, which can only be fruitfully explored with WGS. A major effort was put into building new computational strategies to functionally annotate noncoding transcribed sequences, and to build new datasets to enable such strategies, opening new frontiers of understanding of disease-related regulatory variants.

Study phs001894

Center for Common Disease Genomics [CCDG] - Neuropsychiatric: Simons Searchlight

In this study, we address the enormous challenges common complex diseases pose for genomic analysis and the enormous opportunities surmounting them offers for advancing healthcare. The common genetic disorders proposed for study here are believed to have extreme locus heterogeneity, requiring the analysis of large numbers of samples to comprehensively identify the genomic variants underlying them. We propose that a combination of deep population studies and joint analysis of SNPs, indels, and structural variants, both in coding and noncoding regions, will provide the next level of understanding of common genetic disorders. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) will be critical to this next-generation approach to the genomics of complex disease. WGS will need to be accompanied by the technical ability to generate and handle very large data sets, a particular focus and strength of New York Genome Center (NYGC). WGS will also need to be accompanied by new statistical tools and algorithms, which will be developed by the strong core group committed to this proposal.An overarching goal of this proposal, one that capitalizes on the power of WGS, is to identify disease-associated variants at the individual nucleotide level. In many cases, pathogenic mutations fall in noncoding regions of the genome, which can only be fruitfully explored with WGS. A major effort was put into building new computational strategies to functionally annotate noncoding transcribed sequences, and to build new datasets to enable such strategies, opening new frontiers of understanding of disease-related regulatory variants.

Study phs002512

Center for Common Disease Genomics (CCDG) Neuropsychiatric: Autism Center of Excellence (ACE II)

In this study, we address the enormous challenges common complex diseases pose for genomic analysis and the enormous opportunities surmounting them offers for advancing healthcare. The common genetic disorders proposed for study here are believed to have extreme locus heterogeneity, requiring the analysis of large numbers of samples to comprehensively identify the genomic variants underlying them. We propose that a combination of deep population studies and joint analysis of SNPs, indels, and structural variants, both in coding and noncoding regions, will provide the next level of understanding of common genetic disorders. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) will be critical to this next-generation approach to the genomics of complex disease. WGS will need to be accompanied by the technical ability to generate and handle very large data sets, a particular focus and strength of NYGC. WGS will also need to be accompanied by new statistical tools and algorithms, which will be developed by the strong core group committed to this proposal. An overarching goal of this proposal, one that capitalizes on the power of WGS, is to identify disease-associated variants at the individual nucleotide level. In many cases, pathogenic mutations fall in noncoding regions of the genome, which can only be fruitfully explored with WGS. A major effort was put into building new computational strategies to functionally annotate noncoding transcribed sequences, and to build new datasets to enable such strategies, opening new frontiers of understanding of disease-related regulatory variants.

Study phs002042

The Library of Integrated Network-Based Cellular Signatures (LINCS) - NeuroLINCS

The NeuroLINCS Center is part of the NIH Common Fund's Library of Integrated Network-based Cellular Signatures (LINCS) program, which aims to characterize how a variety of human cells, tissues and the entire organism respond to perturbations by drugs and other molecular factors. As Part of the LINCS program, the NeuroLINCS study concentrates on human brain cells, which are far less understood than other cells in the body. Our initial focus is to produce diseased motor neurons from patients by utilizing high-quality induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) lines from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) patients in addition to unaffected normal healthy controls. Using state-of-the-art OMICS methods (genomics, epigenomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics), we intend to create a wealth of cellular data that is patient-specific in the context of their baseline genetic perturbations and in the presence of other genetic and environmental perturbagens (e.g. endoplasmic reticulum stress). The primary data will be used to build cell signatures that convey the key features that distinguish the state of a cell and determine its behavior. Ultimately, the analysis of these datasets will lead to the identification of a network of unique signatures relevant to each of these motor neuron diseases. The datasets represented in this study are generated from assays interrogating RNA expression (RNA-seq), chromatin accessibility (ATAC-seq) and whole genome sequencing.

Study phs001231

Center for Common Disease Genomics (CCDG) Neuropsychiatric: Autism Genetic Resource Exchange

In this study, we address the enormous challenges common complex diseases pose for genomic analysis and the enormous opportunities surmounting them offers for advancing healthcare. The common genetic disorders proposed for study here are believed to have extreme locus heterogeneity, requiring the analysis of large numbers of samples to comprehensively identify the genomic variants underlying them. We propose that a combination of deep population studies and joint analysis of SNPs, indels, and structural variants both in coding and noncoding regions will provide the next level of understanding of common genetic disorders. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) will be critical to this next-generation approach to the genomics of complex disease. WGS will need to be accompanied by the technical ability to generate and handle very large data sets, a particular focus and strength of NYGC. WGS will also need to be accompanied by new statistical tools and algorithms, which will be developed by the strong core group committed to this proposal. An overarching goal of this proposal, one that capitalizes on the power of WGS, is to identify disease-associated variants at the individual nucleotide level. In many cases pathogenic mutations fall in noncoding regions of the genome, which can only be fruitfully explored with WGS. A major effort was put into building new computational strategies to functionally annotate noncoding transcribed sequences, and to build new datasets to enable such strategies, opening new frontiers of understanding of disease-related regulatory variants.

Study phs001766

Smoking and the Vaginal Microbiome

The focus of this study was to better understand the effects of cigarette smoking on the vaginal microbiome. There were two phases of the study, cross-sectional and longitudinal, conducted at the Center for Health Behavior Research at the University of Maryland School of Public Health. In the cross-sectional phase, 20 smokers and 20 non-smokers collected mid-vaginal swabs, measured their vaginal pH, prepared a vaginal smear on a slide for Nugent Gram stain analysis, and completed questionnaires about demographics, tobacco use, and reproductive and sexual health history. Smoking status was confirmed through self-report, carbon monoxide exhalation and saliva cotinine measures. Secretions from the mid-vaginal swabs were tested for presence/absence of HPV strains and GC-MS was used to quantify the levels of over 600 metabolites. In the longitudinal phase, 7 participants who were current smokers and motivated to quit smoking were recruited and followed for up to 12 weeks. On a daily basis, participants collected mid-vaginal swabs, measured their vaginal pH, and prepared a mid-vaginal smear on a slide for Nugent Gram stain analysis, and completed daily diaries on tobacco use and reproductive health. Carbon monoxide exhalation and saliva cotinine measures were collected at weekly clinical visits. In addition, participants had weekly behavioral counseling sessions about smoking cessation and used Nicoderm CQ patches to aid in quitting smoking. The self-collected vaginal swabs were used for DNA extractions,16s rRNA sequencing and measurement of metabolites in vaginal fluid.

Study phs001386

Expression of Activation Induced Cytidine Deaminase and Risk of Transformation in Follicular Lymphoma

It is currently unclear how to identify follicular lymphoma (FL) patients with low disease burden but high risk for early progression. Building on a prior study demonstrating early transformation in FLs with high variant allele frequency (VAF) BCL2 mutations at activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AICDA) sites, we examined 11 AICDA mutational targets, including BCL2, BCL6, PAX5, PIM1, RHOH, SOCS1, and MYC, in a more contemporary cohort of 199 newly diagnosed grade 1 and grade 2 FLs using targeted capture and massively parallel sequencing. BCL2 mutations with VAF >20% occurred in 52% of cases. Among 97 FLs that did not initially receive rituximab-containing therapy, nonsynonymous BCL2 mutations at VAF >20% were associated with shorter, event-free survival (EFS, median 1.4 years with these mutations versus 4.5 years without, p = 0.048), and increased risk of transformation (HR 3.01, 95% CI 1.03-8.77, p = 0.04). Other sequenced genes were less frequently mutated and did not significantly increase the prognostic value of the panel. Across the entire population, BCL2 mutations at VAF >20% were associated with decreased EFS (HR 1.58, 95% CI 1.03-2.40, p = 0.034 after correction for FLIPI and treatment) and decreased overall survival after median 14-year follow-up (HR 1.86, 95% CI 1.07-3.23, p = 0.029). Thus, high VAF BCL2 mutations remain a prognostic factor for FL even in the chemoimmunotherapy era and might need to be considered in future study design.

Study phs002845

Center for Common Disease Genomics (CCDG) Neuropsychiatric: The Autism Simplex Collection (TASC)

In this study, we address the enormous challenges common complex diseases pose for genomic analysis and the enormous opportunities surmounting them offers for advancing healthcare. The common genetic disorders proposed for study here are believed to have extreme locus heterogeneity, requiring the analysis of large numbers of samples to comprehensively identify the genomic variants underlying them. We propose that a combination of deep population studies and joint analysis of SNPs, indels, and structural variants both in coding and noncoding regions will provide the next level of understanding of common genetic disorders. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) will be critical to this next-generation approach to the genomics of complex disease. WGS will need to be accompanied by the technical ability to generate and handle very large data sets, a particular focus and strength of NYGC. WGS will also need to be accompanied by new statistical tools and algorithms, which will be developed by the strong core group committed to this proposal. An overarching goal of this proposal, one that capitalizes on the power of WGS, is to identify disease-associated variants at the individual nucleotide level. In many cases pathogenic mutations fall in noncoding regions of the genome, which can only be fruitfully explored with WGS. A major effort was put into building new computational strategies to functionally annotate noncoding transcribed sequences, and to build new datasets to enable such strategies, opening new frontiers of understanding of disease-related regulatory variants.

Study phs001741

Utility of Capillary Blood in Gene Expression Studies

The FAA Functional Genomics Team examined the feasibility of analyzing gene expression profiles using capillary blood collected by fingerstick, with the goal of developing practical fingerstick blood collections to expand blood collection capabilities and allow large-scale or field-based collections. We compared the RNA sequencing results obtained from two different capillary blood collection and RNA extraction methods with the results obtained from a standard venous blood collection and RNA extraction protocol. We also compared capillary blood processing methods, as well as fingerstick locations, within one capillary collection/extraction method. Within each method we sought to distinguish male from female participants to assess the capacity of each collection/extraction method for gene expression profiling. The study population included 40 participants aged 18-60 who were free from any acute illness or any illness that would preclude blood collection. We determined that capillary blood possesses large-scale significant differences from venous blood and that the two capillary methods produced similar gene expression profiles. We further determined that all methods were useful for detecting gene expression differences between assessed groups (male and female participants in this case). We conclude that capillary blood is suitable for gene expression profiling in quantities as low as 100 μL whole blood, but recommend that researchers should rely on a single blood collection method if they desire to compare results between individual studies. Raw sequencing files (.fastq) from this study are available in dbGaP.

Study phs003496

LCLF1.0 Data

In this study, we investigated ad libitum food intake of 20 healthy adult volunteers who each completed a 4-week stay at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). During their stay, they consumed a low-carbohydrate, high-fat (LCHF) diet and a low-fat, high-carbohydrate (LFHC) diet for 2 weeks each, in random order. We collected information about energy intake and metabolic changes in response to the two test diets. The test diets were presented to subjects in amounts exceeding their daily energy requirements, and subjects were instructed to eat as much or as little of each diet as desired. This study implemented 7-day rotating menus for each test diet. The diets were matched for presented calories and protein, but the LCHF diet was low in carbohydrate (~10% of calories) and high in fat (~75% of calories) whereas the LFHC diet was high in carbohydrates (~75% of calories) and low in fat (~10% of calories). The two test diets had a common foundation of vegetables with low amounts of digestible carbohydrates such as lettuce, spinach, kale, cabbage, cauliflower, zucchini, tomato, asparagus, broccoli, peppers, brussels sprouts, and green beans. The LCHF diet included meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, and nuts. The LFHC diet included legumes, rice, root vegetables, soy products, corn, lentils, peas, whole grains, bread, and fruit. The test diets were designed using a standard computerized nutrition database, and blood samples were collected from the subjects.

Study phs003187

METABRIC miRNA landscape

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are key players in cancer pathogenesis1. They display differential expression across breast cancer subtypes, and play oncogenic and tumor-suppressive roles2-6. A systematic study of the global miRNA landscape in breast cancer and the factors shaping it has not been undertaken. Here we report the results of profiling miRNA expression in 1,302 breast tumors with detailed clinical annotation and long-term follow-up, and for which matching genomic and mRNA expression data were available7. This provides a comprehensive view of the quantity, distribution and variation of the miRNA population and dissects how much genomic, transcriptional and post-transcriptional events contribute to miRNA expression architecture. The key clinical parameters and cellular pathways related to the miRNA landscape are identified, exemplified by context-dependent interaction with cell adhesion and Wnt signaling. Strikingly, in breast cancer miRNAs appear to act as modulators of mRNA-mRNA interactions rather than molecular switches. We demonstrate an important modulatory role for miRNAs in the biology of breast tumors devoid of somatic copy number aberrations, a common subtype where immune response is prominent. Remarkably, prognostic miRNA signatures derived in this subtype are consistently prognostic across several other subtypes and validate in external cohorts. These findings represent a new framework to study the biology of miRNA in human cancer.

Study EGAS00000000122

Genomic and Phenotypic Profile of Sickle Cell Disease in Human Population in Cameroon

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is caused by a biallelic single nucleotide substitution in the beta-globin gene (HBB), resulting in an amino acid substitution, Glu7Val, formerly known as Glu6Val. An estimated 300,000 babies with SCD are born worldwide each year, with nearly 75% of these births being in sub-Saharan Africa. In Africa, at least 30-50% of children with untreated SCD die before the age of 5 years. Therefore, accelerating the path for novel therapies for SCD through genomics research on fetal hemoglobin (HbF) is critical. Variants in the currently known HbF‐modulating genes/loci, i.e., BCL11A, HBS1L-MYB, and XmnI-HBG2, explain only 10-20% of the variation of HbF levels in African individuals with SCD, compared with nearly 50% of the variation in HbF levels among Europeans. Expanding genomic research in populations of African ancestry could uncover the missing heritability of HbF-promoting loci. This study used the Human Heredity and Health (H3Africa) consortium SNP genotyping array developed from whole genome enriched for common variants in sub-Saharan Africans to investigate genomic variations associated with HbF levels in individuals with sickle cell anemia of the HbSS genotype from Cameroon. Two of the previously described loci, BCL11A and HBS1L-MYB were replicated, while a novel locus on chromosome 13 mapping to FLT1 was uncovered. The study therefore opens up a novel avenue for exploring SCD gene therapy.

Study phs003748

Longitudinal Multi-Omic Immune Resource Reveals Dynamic Responses in Healthy Human Aging

The generation and maintenance of protective immunity is a dynamic interplay between host and environment that is impacted by age. Understanding fundamental changes in the healthy immune system that occur over a lifespan is critical in developing interventions for age-related susceptibility to infections and diseases. Here, we use multi-omic profiling (scRNA-seq, proteomics, flow cytometry) to examine human peripheral immunity in over 300 healthy adults, with 96 young and older adults followed over two years with yearly vaccination. The resulting resource includes scRNA-seq datasets of >16 million PBMCs, interrogating 71 immune cell subsets from our new Immune Health Atlas. This study allows unique insights into the composition and transcriptional state of immune cells at homeostasis, with vaccine perturbation, under Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection and across age. We find that T cells specifically accumulate age-related transcriptional changes more than other immune cells, independent from inflammation and chronic perturbation. Moreover, impaired memory B cell responses to vaccination are linked to a Th2-like state shift in older adults' memory CD4 T cells, revealing possible mechanisms of immune dysregulation during healthy human aging. This extensive resource is provided with a suite of exploration tools at https://apps.allenimmunology.org/aifi/insights/dynamics-imm-health-age/ to enhance data accessibility and further the understanding of immune health across age. Please note that the Sound Life Cohort raw data are spread across three dbGap submissions: phs003841.v1 (this study), phs003944.v1, and phs003400.v1.

Study phs003841

Delineating pediatric brain tumor progression using single-nuclei sequencing

Pediatric brain cancers are the most common solid tumors in children with varying survival rates depending on molecular features of cancer cells and associated microenvironment. Several studies have used single-cell RNA sequencing to define transcriptional programs active in cancer cells and highlighted supportive roles of non-cancerous cells embedded in these tumors. Although application of single-cell RNA sequencing technology has expanded our understanding of intratumoral heterogeneity and underlying transcriptional mechanisms in brain tumors at diagnosis, mechanisms of disease remains elusive. Therefore, the purpose of this proposal is to characterize cellular and transcriptional states of malignant and non-malignant compartments at primary diagnosis and at relapse. In this study, we performed single-nuclei sequencing of 42 patient samples taken at various disease stages (initial diagnosis, progressive disease, and relapsed disease) from 20 patients with low-grade glioma or Atypical Teratoid Rhabdoid Tumor (ATRT). Bulk whole genome and RNA-seq data for these samples are available from the Children’s Brain Tumor Network and the Gabriella Miller Kids First Data Resource Center. Findings from our study will help define the mechanistic shifts of tumor and non-cancerous cells over course of disease progression. Collectively with the single-cell Pediatric Cancer Atlas funded, this project lays the foundation of an important data set focused on lethal relapsed cancers that can continue to be expanded to identify cancer-intrinsic and extrinsic microenvironmental factors supporting recurrence of pediatric brain tumors.

Study EGAS50000001288

Identification of RNA biomarkers in Parkinson's disease patients

Parkinson?s disease (PD) is an age-related, chronic and progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by a loss of dopaminergic neurons and subsequent motor symptoms. These overt motor symptoms are often preceded by prodromal non-motor symptoms. Though a number of genetic and environmental factors have been identified to play a role in PD, more exact methods for both diagnosing and assessing prognosis are yet to be discovered. By analyzing the transcriptome of early-stage PD patients, this study aims to identify genes (including important non-coding RNAs) and pathways altered at disease onset that may be used as novel biomarkers for PD diagnosis as well as potential new drug targets. The study consists of three main sources of data: first year blood transcriptomes, second year blood transcriptome and matched neural stem cell (NSC)/neuron transcriptomes. All transcriptome libraries were synthesized and sequenced using no-amplification non-tagging cap analysis of gene expression (nAnT-iCAGE) on the Illumina HiSeq 2500 platform. Resulting data was mapped to the human genome annotation (hg38), processed CAGE tags were clustered ready for differential expression analyses. First year blood sequencing consisted of 22 PD patients and 10 healthy controls across four lanes. In the second year, a further four lanes were sequenced containing 17 PD patients (12 patients from the first year and 5 new patients) along with 10 healthy controls and 5 first year blood samples matching the new second year patients.

Study JGAS000119

Comprehensive molecular and clinicopathological profiling of lung adenocarcinoma in Japanese never or light smokers

Studies have yet to characterize the differences in molecular profiles of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) among divergent ethnic groups. Herein, we conducted comprehensive molecular profiling of LUAD in never or light smokers from Asia in order to discover novel targetable mutations and prognostic biomarkers of this distinct disease entity. Methods: We analyzed 996 cases of Asian LUAD, and performed whole-exome sequencing and/or RNA-seq in 125 cases of Asian LUAD negative for the driver oncogenes defined by conventional laboratory testing. We also investigated the clinical and pathological characteristics among the 996 cases. Results: Driver oncogenes were identified in 88 cases (70.4%) with specific hotspot mutations differing from those in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) study. Clustering based on mRNA expression profiles, but not genetic mutational ones, could predict patient prognosis. The risk score generated by the expression of a three-gene set was a strong prognostic marker for overall survival and progression-free survival in our cohort, and was further validated using TCGA cohort. Among the 996 cases, each driver alteration is distributed across all histological subtypes. Adenocarcinoma in situ was identified to harbor driver mutations, suggesting that these alterations are early events in the pathogenesis of LUAD. This study indicates the value of applying gene expression profiling for predicting the prognosis after a surgical operation, and that the identification of actionable mutations is important for optimizing targeted drugs in Japanese LUAD.

Study JGAS000215

The circulating cell-free DNA landscape in sepsis is dominated by impaired liver clearance

Circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) is a promising molecular biomarker. However, its utility in severe infection remains poorly understood. Here, we isolated cfDNA from sepsis patients and controls, demonstrating a 41-fold increase in the amount of cfDNA in circulation during disease. We used sequencing to reconstruct cfDNA methylomes, fragmentation profiles, and nucleosome footprints across 58 samples. We observed no difference in cfDNA composition between patients and controls, challenging the idea that cfDNA increases due to higher immune cell death during sepsis. Instead, we suggest that liver dysfunction prevents efficient clearance of cfDNA during disease. This was supported by fragmentation and end-motif patterns, both of which showed evidence of cfDNA being exposed to circulating nucleases for a prolonged period, proportionally to the extent of liver dysfunction. Variation in cfDNA of megakaryocyte-erythroid progenitor origin was also a significant contributor in sepsis, increasing over time. Moreover, we showed that cfDNA retains nucleosome footprints with cell type-specific gene activity information. We developed a novel approach to study nucleosome phasing that successfully recovers tissue-specific signatures. By combining this with single-cell data, we demonstrated that sepsis patients with liver dysfunction have higher amounts of cfDNA derived from Kupffer cells and the liver parenchyma. In conclusion, we present the first high-throughput multi-modal study of cfDNA during sepsis, which will serve as a reference point for future studies on the role of this biomarker in critical illness.

Study EGAS50000001033

Neoadjuvant combination PD-L1 plus CTLA-4 blockade in patients with cisplatin-ineligible operable urothelial carcinoma

Immune checkpoint therapy (ICT) is being tested in the neoadjuvant setting for patients with localized urothelial carcinoma (UC), with one study reporting data in cisplatin-ineligible patients who received anti PD-L1 monotherapy. The study reported that patients with bulky tumors, a known high-risk feature defined as greater than clinical T2 disease, had fewer responses, with pathologic complete response (pCR) rate of 17%. Here, we report on the first pilot combination neoadjuvant trial (NCT02812420) with anti-PD-L1 (durvalumab) plus anti-CTLA-4 (tremelimumab) in cisplatin-ineligible patients, with all tumors identified as having high risk features (N=28). Primary endpoint was safety and we observed 6 of 28 patients (21%) with grade ≥3 immune-related adverse events, consisting of asymptomatic laboratory abnormalities (N=4), hepatitis and colitis (N=2). We also observed pCR of 37.5% and downstaging to pT1 or less in 58% of patients who completed surgery (N=24). In summary, we provide initial safety, efficacy and biomarker data with neoadjuvant combination anti-PD-L1 plus anti-CTLA-4, which warrants further development for patients with localized UC, especially cisplatin-ineligible patients with high-risk features who do not currently have an established standard-of-care neoadjuvant treatment. Publication: Gao et al. Neoadjuvant PD-L1 plus CTLA-4 blockade in patients with cisplatin-ineligible operable high-risk urothelial carcinoma. Nature Medicine volume 26, pages1845–1851(2020)

Study EGAS00001004074

Assessing mitochondrial bioenergetics in coronary artery disease: A translational left ventricular tissue study in humans (The AMBITION study).

Severe or recurrent myocardial ischemia can lead to long-term left ventricular (LV) dysfunction and heart failure in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). In this study, we assessed for chronic metabolomic and transcriptomic adaptations within LV myocardium of patients with evidence of preoperative inducible ischemia undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). During surgery, paired transmural LV biopsies were acquired on the beating heart from a region of inducible ischemia (determined by stress perfusion cardiovascular magnetic resonance), and a remote LV segment. From 33 patients, 63 LV biopsies were acquired on the beating heart during CABG, comparing to analysis of LV samples from 11 donor hearts. The global myocardial ATP/ADP ratio was reduced in CAD patients as compared to donor LV tissue with increased expression of oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) genes encoding the electron transport chain complexes across multiple cell types. Paired analyses of biopsies obtained during CABG from LV segments with or without inducible ischemia revealed no significant difference in the ATP/ADP ratio, broader metabolic profile or expression of ventricular cardiomyocyte genes implicated in OXPHOS. Finally, differential metabolite analysis suggested dysregulation of several intermediates in patients with impaired LVEF; this notably included the tricyclic acid cycle metabolite, succinate. Overall, our results suggest that viable human myocardium in patients with stable CAD has global alterations in bioenergetic and transcriptional profile without large regional differences between areas with or without inducible ischemia.

Study EGAS00001007351

Platelet RNAseq data for SLFN14 K219N patients

Pathogenic missense variants in SLFN14, which encodes an RNA endoribonuclease protein that regulates rRNA degradation, are known to cause inherited thrombocytopenia with impaired platelet aggregation and ATP secretion. Despite rather mild laboratory defects, these patients display an obvious bleeding phenotype. The function of SLFN14 in megakaryocyte (MK) and platelet biology is unknown. This study aims to characterize the platelet transcriptome in patients with a SLFN14 K219N variant and model the disease in the immortalized megakaryocyte cell line imMKCL. Total platelet RNA was sequenced for two patients and 19 healthy controls. Differential gene expression analysis yielded a total of 2999 and 2888 significantly (|log2FC|>1, FDR<0.05) up- and downregulated genes, respectively. Remarkably, these downregulated genes were not enriched for any biological pathway while upregulated genes were enriched for pathways involved in (mitochondrial) translation and transcription with a significant upregulation of 134 ribosomal protein genes (RPG). Heterozygous and homozygous SLFN14 K219N imMKCL showed a defect in MK differentiation that aggravated during cell passaging of undifferentiated cells and in proplatelet formation. SLFN14 defective platelets and MK showed signs of rRNA degradation while this was absent in undifferentiated imMKCL cells. Upregulation of RPG through increased mTOR signaling in SLFN14 K219N MK seems to be a compensatory response for rRNA degradation. Indeed, mTOR inhibition with rapamycin resulted in further enhanced rRNA degradation in SLFN14 K219N MK. Taken together, our study indicates dysregulation of mTOR-regulated ribosomal biogenesis as the disease mechanism for SLFN14-related thrombocytopenia.

Study EGAS00001006339

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