14312 results for ""Pennsylvania+German"+ACS+study+'Socius'+open+access"

in 23.78 milliseconds.

• Genomic characterization of hepatocellular carcinoma in Hispanic patients

  The genomic DNA was extracted from paired tumor and adjacent non-tumor samples of 27 Hispanic HCC patients. The TruSeq Rapid Exome Library Prep kit (Illumina, CA) was used to capture the coding regions of the human genome. The 100 bp paired-end sequencing of every 6-plex whole exome library pool was performed on an Illumina HiSeq 3000 system according to the manufacturer’s recommended protocol to achieve an average coverage of ~100X. The paired-end reads were aligned to the human reference genome (hg19) with decoy sequences (as used in the 1000 Genomes Project) using BWA software. The duplicate reads were marked and removed using Picard and SAMtools, respectively. Local realignment around insertions/deletions (indels) and base quality recalibration were performed using GATK.

  Study EGAS00001007431

• RNA sequencing on intestinal biopsies from inflammatory bowel disease patients treated with vehicle control, MEK inhibitor, or infliximab

  By investigating an intergenic haplotype on chr21q22, independently linked to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), ankylosing spondylitis, primary sclerosing cholangitis and Takayasu’s arteritis, we discover that the causal gene, ETS2, is a master regulator of inflammatory responses in human macrophages and delineate how the risk haplotype increases ETS2 expression. Using a database of cellular signatures, we identified drugs that could modulate this pathway. To validate the anti-inflammatory activity of one class of small molecules ex vivo, we obtained biopsies from patients with active IBD and cultured these biopsies with a selective, non-ATP competitive MEK inhibitor (PD-0325901), infliximab (positive control), or DMSO (vehicle control) for 18 hours, then performed RNA sequencing.

  Study EGAS00001007534

• 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