12405 results for ""non-traditional+communal+storytelling+approach"+novel+segment+noted+in+critical+commentary"

in 39.29 milliseconds.

• Stratifying and Targeting Pediatric Medulloblastoma through Genomics

  In this project, genomic analyses of pediatric medulloblastoma samples, obtained through the international medulloblastoma consortium, will be performed. RNA and miRNA expression profiles of 1000 samples, representing all four subgroups (Wnt, Shh, Group C, and D), will be studied to identify novel subtypes within each subgroup. The resulting subtype-specific expression profiles will support the development of reliable and robust biomarkers to more accurately and reliably classify medulloblastomas for treatment in clinical trials. For that purpose, two assays will be developed: an antibody-based immunohistochemical assay and an orthogonal nucleic acid-based hybridization assay. Additional genomic DNA analysis of the 300 high risk subgroup cases will support the discovery of subgroup specific somatic mutations in order to inform current clinical trials of targeted therapies, and to identify genes and pathways already targeted in other diseases. Such therapies could be rapidly transitioned to Phase II trials in medulloblastoma. Furthermore, the discovery of somatic mutations could be used for developing as well as validating specific biomarkers. The project team will also try to identify risk factors that predispose children to this type of cancer.

  Study EGAS00001000273

• Host pathogen interaction long read transcriptome

  Our incomplete knowledge of the human transcriptome impairs the detection of disease-causing variants, in particular in transcripts only expressed under certain conditions. These transcripts are often lacking from reference transcript sets, such as Ensembl/GENCODE and RefSeq, and could be relevant for establishing genetic diagnoses. We present SUsPECT (Solving Unsolved Patient Exomes/gEnomes using Custom Transcriptomes), a pipeline based on the Ensembl Variant Effect Predictor (VEP) to predict variant impact on custom transcript sets, such as those generated by long-read RNA-sequencing, for downstream prioritization. Our pipeline predicts the functional consequence and likely deleteriousness scores for missense variants in the context of novel open reading frames predicted from any transcriptome. We demonstrate the utility of SUsPECT by uncovering potential mutational mechanisms of pathogenic variants in ClinVar that are predicted to be benign using the reference transcript annotation. In further support of SUsPECT’s utility, we identified an enrichment of immune-related variants predicted to have a more severe molecular consequence when annotating with a newly generated transcriptome from stimulated immune cells instead of the reference transcriptome. Our pipeline outputs crucial information for further prioritization of potentially disease-causing variants for any disease and will become increasingly useful as more long-read RNA sequencing datasets become available.

  Study EGAS00001006779

• Data Access Committee of CiRA Foundation

  The iPS Cell Stock Project promoted by the CiRA Foundation is intended to generate and distribute iPS cells for medical use so they can be effectively utilized for research and development of cell transplantation therapy and contribute to the advancement of regenerative medicine that may become a novel treatment for patients suffering from intractable diseases or trauma who are not expected to improve with conventional therapies. In order to achieve this objective, CiRA Foundation establish the DAC based on the basic policies and rules for handling analysis information including iPS cell stocks for the purpose of proper sharing of samples and analyzed data collected directly or indirectly from the donors of iPS cell stocks.

  Dac EGAC50000000128

• TMD-AMKL targeted follow-up

  Genomic libraries will be generated from total genomic DNA derived from 200+ patients with childhood Transient Myeloproliferative Disorder (TMD) and or Acute Megakaryocytic Leukemia (AMKL) as well some matched constitutional samples (n < 50 ). Libraries will be enriched for a selected panel of genes using a bespoke pulldown protocol. 96 Samples will be individually barcoded and subjected to up to two lanes of Illumina HiSeq. Paired reads will be mapped to build 37 of the human reference genome to facilitate the characterisation of known gene mutations in cancer as well as the validation of potentially novel variants identified by prior exome sequencing.

  Dataset EGAD00001000783

• CYP2C19 long-read sequencing

  Inter-individual differences in drug response based on genetic variations can lead to drug toxicity and treatment inefficacy. A large part of this variability is caused by genetic variants in pharmacogenes. Unfortunately, the Single Nucleotide Variant (SNV) panels currently used in clinical pharmacogenomic (PGx) testing are unable to detect all genetic variability in these genes. Long-read sequencing, on the other hand, has been shown to be able to resolve complex (pharmaco)genes. In this study we have assessed the added value of long-read sequencing for PGx focusing on the clinically important and highly polymorphic CYP2C19 gene. With a capture-based long-read sequencing panel we were able to characterize the entire region and assign variants to their allele of origin (phasing), resulting in the identification of 813 unique variants in 37 samples. To assess the clinical utility of this data we have compared the performance of three different *-allele tools (Aldy, PharmCat and PharmaKU) which are specifically designed to assign clinical haplotypes to pharmacogenes based on all input variants. We conclude that long-read sequencing can improve our ability to characterize the CYP2C19 locus, help to identify novel haplotypes and that *-allele tools are an useful asset in phenotype prediction. Ultimately, this approach could help to better predict an individual’s drug response and improve therapy outcomes.

  Study EGAS00001006929

• NHLBI GO-ESP: Family Studies (Dilated Cardiomyopathy)

  The NHLBI "Grand Opportunity" Exome Sequencing Project (GO-ESP), a signature project of the NHLBI Recovery Act investment, was designed to identify genetic variants in coding regions (exons) of the human genome (the "exome") that are associated with heart, lung and blood diseases. These and related diseases that are of high impact to public health and individuals from diverse racial and ethnic groups will be studied. These data may help researchers understand the causes of disease, contributing to better ways to prevent, diagnose, and treat diseases, as well as determine whether to tailor prevention and treatments to specific populations. This could lead to more effective treatments and reduce the likelihood of side effects. GO-ESP is comprised of five collaborative components: 3 cohort consortia - HeartGO, LungGO, and WHISP - and 2 sequencing centers - BroadGO and SeattleGO. The goals for this project are to conduct exome sequencing for novel dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) gene discovery in families with DCM. These families have already been sequenced for 15 DCM genes, accounting for approximately 75% of known genetic cause, without rare coding variants identified.

  Study phs000581

• Epigenome Wide DNA Methylation Study for Osteoporosis Risk

  Osteoporosis is characterized by low bone mineral density (BMD). The advancement of high-throughput technologies and integrative approaches provided an opportunity for deciphering the mechanisms underlying osteoporosis. In this study, we generated genomic (from whole blood DNA), transcriptomic and methylomic (from peripheral blood monocytes, PBMs), and serum metabolomic datasets from 143 premenopausal Caucasian females aged 25-40 years, including 74 with relatively high hip BMD (Z scores ≥ 0.8) and 69 with relatively low hip BMD (Z scores ≤ -0.8). The BMD Z score was defined as the number of standard deviations a subject's BMD differed from the mean BMD of their age-, gender-, and ethnicity-matched population. We identified differentially methylated CpG sites (DMCs) in peripheral blood monocytes (PBMs) at the whole methylome level between premenopausal women with high BMD and those with low BMD and deciphered how the DMCs influence the BMD variation through affecting the expression of the relevant genes. We also performed differential gene expression and metabolic analysis to assess their biological interaction and causal mechanisms. Our study provided novel insights into the pathogenesis of osteoporosis.

  Study phs001960

• CD36 defines CML cells less sensitive to imatinib

  Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are highly effective for treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), but very few patients are cured. Major drawbacks with TKIs are their low efficacy in eradicating the leukemic stem cells responsible for disease maintenance and relapse upon TKI cessation. Here, we performed RNA-sequencing of flow-sorted primitive (CD34+CD38low) and progenitor (CD34+CD38+) chronic phase CML cells and identified transcriptional upregulation of 32 cell surface molecules relative to corresponding normal bone marrow cells. Focusing on novel markers with increased expression on primitive CML cells, we confirmed upregulation of the scavenger receptor CD36 and the leptin receptor (LEPR) by flow cytometry. We also delineate a subpopulation of primitive CML cells expressing CD36 that is less sensitive to imatinib treatment. Using CD36 targeting antibodies, we show that the CD36 positive cells can be targeted and killed by antibody dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC). In summary, CD36 defines a subpopulation of primitive CML cells with decreased imatinib sensitivity that can be effectively targeted by ADCC using an anti-CD36 antibody.

  Study EGAS00001002421

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

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

  Study EGAS00001002398

• Cohort-Based Genome-Wide Association Study of Glioma (GliomaScan)

  We conducted a new independent GWAS of adult glioma using 1,856 cases and 4,955 controls from 14 cohort studies belonging to the Cohort Consortium, 3 case-control studies, and 1 population-based case only study. Cases were newly diagnosed glioma [ICDO-3 codes 9380-9480 or equivalent], and controls were cancer-free at the time of glioma diagnosis. We found evidence of strong replication for three of the seven previously reported associations at 20q13.33 (RTEL), 5p15.33 (TERT), and 9p21.3 (CDKN2BAS), and consistent association signals for the remaining four at 7p11.2 (EGFR both loci), 8q24.21 (CCDC26) and 11q23.3 (PHLDB1). The direction and magnitude of the signal were consistent for samples from cohort and case-control studies, but the strength of the association was more pronounced for loci rs6010620 (20q,13.33; RTEL) and rs2736100 (5p15.33, TERT) in cohort studies despite the smaller number of cases in this group, likely due to higher grade tumors being captured in the cohort studies. Our findings suggest that larger studies focusing on novel approaches as well as specific tumor subtypes or subgroups will be required to identify additional common susceptibility loci for glioma risk.

  Study phs000652

• Molecular_risk_stratification_in_patients_with_T1_colorectal_cancer_WES

  The introduction of bowel cancer screening has led to a significant increase in the proportion of patients being diagnosed with asymptomatic, early-stage colorectal cancer (CRC). Although the majority of these patients are successfully treated with surgery alone, a small proportion of patients have ‘born-to-be-bad’ aggressive lesions with early dissemination leading to distant metastases. Current standard of care histological assessment is unable to distinguish between these aggressive versus non-aggressive early lesions which is essential to provide appropriate clinical management decisions. This study aims to carry out molecular and histological profiling of approximately 300 T1 CRCs in order to develop a molecular stratifier based on the risk of relapse in early-invasive CRC. This novel T1 cohort will represent the world’s largest molecularly characterised T1 cohort of samples, with digital pathology assessment alongside whole exome sequencing, copy number variation analysis and 3’ RNA-seq. This data will be used to generate a robust panel of molecular and/or histological markers applicable to formalin-fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) archival tissue which discriminates between T1 lesions based on risk of relapse, which will ultimately be used to inform clinical management of CRC at the earliest stages of the disease.

  Study EGAS00001005734

• De novo assembly of 150 Danish genomes reveals rich structural complexity

  Most known genetic variation in human genomes has been called from comparison of short reads to the reference genome, an approach biased against finding complex variation. We sequenced 150 individuals from 50 parent-offspring trios with multiple insert-size libraries to very high coverage. We show that each genome could be independently de novo assembled into a small number of high-quality scaffolds (median N50 > 21 Mb), each of quality comparable to long read assemblies while being very cost-effective. We show that our variant call set from comparing de novo assemblies is far more complete in terms of complex variation than previous studies. Importantly, even the complex 4-5 Mb extended MHC region was assembled and resolved into haplotypes, revealing >700kb novel sequence in this important region of the genome, and major parts of the Y chromosome including some palindromes were assembled with high accuracy. Finally, we show that our variant call-set allows for the genotyping of many more complex variants when used as a reference-panel for imputation into SNP-chip data or into previously resequenced genomes.

  Study EGAS00001002108

• Somatic rearrangements causing oncogenic ectodomain deletions of FGFR1 in squamous cell lung cancer

  The discovery of frequent 8p11-p12 amplifications in squamous cell lung cancer (SQLC) has fueled hopes that FGFR1, located inside this amplicon, might be a therapeutic target. In a clinical trial, only 11% of patients with 8p11 amplification (detected by FISH) responded to FGFR kinase inhibitor treatment. To understand the mechanism of FGFR1 dependency, we performed deep genomic characterization of 52 SQLCs with 8p11-p12 amplification, including 10 tumors obtained from patients who had been treated with FGFR inhibitors. We discovered somatically altered variants of FGFR1 with deletion of exons 1-8 that resulted from intragenic tail-to-tail rearrangements. These ectodomain-deficient FGFR1 variants (ΔEC-FGFR1) were expressed in the affected tumors and were tumorigenic in both in vitro and in vivo models of lung cancer. Mechanistically, breakage-fusion-bridges were the source of 8p11-p12 amplification, resulting from frequent head-to-head and tail-to-tail rearrangements. Generally, tail-to-tail rearrangements within or in close proximity upstream of FGFR1 were associated with FGFR1 dependency. Thus, the genomic events shaping the architecture of the 8p11-p12 amplicon provide a mechanistic explanation for the emergence of FGFR1-driven SQLC. Specifically, we believe that FGFR1 ectodomain-deficient and FGFR1-centered amplifications caused by tail-to-tail rearrangements are a novel somatic genomic event that might be predictive of therapeutically relevant FGFR1 dependency.

  Study EGAS50000001368

• Efficacy of JAK/STAT pathway inhibition in murine xenograft models of early T-cell precursor (ETP) acute lymphoblastic leukemia

  Early T-cell precursor (ETP) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is a recently described subtype of T-ALL characterized by a unique immunophenotype and genomic profile as well as a high rate of induction failure. Frequent mutations in cytokine receptor and JAK/STAT signaling pathways led us to hypothesize that ETP-ALL is dependent on JAK/STAT signaling. Here we demonstrate aberrant activation of the JAK/STAT pathway in ETP-ALL blasts relative to non-ETP T-ALL. Moreover, ETP-ALL showed hyperactivation of STAT5 in response to IL7, an effect that was abrogated by the JAK1/2 inhibitor ruxolitinib. In vivo, ruxolitinib displayed activity in 6/6 patient-derived murine xenograft models of ETP-ALL, with profound single-agent efficacy in 5 models. Ruxolitinib treatment decreased peripheral blast counts relative to pre-treatment levels and compared to control (P<0.01) in 5/6 ETP-ALL xenografts, with marked reduction in mean splenic blast counts (P<0.01) in 6/6 samples. Surprisingly, both JAK/STAT pathway activation and ruxolitinib efficacy were independent of the presence of JAK/STAT pathway mutations, raising the possibility that the therapeutic potential of ruxolitinib in ETP-ALL extends beyond those cases with JAK mutations. These findings establish the preclinical in vivo efficacy of ruxolitinib in ETP-ALL, a biologically distinct subtype for which novel therapies are needed.

  Study EGAS00001001146

• Raw sequencing files from WGS and RNA-Seq

  Acute leukemias are the most common malignancies in children with an onset of the disease among 0-6 years-old. The early development of theses malignancies has been proposed as an indicator of their prenatal origin, hypothesis that has been confirmed especially in the case of acute lymphoblastic leukemia. For acute myeloid leukemia (AML), comprising an heterogenous group of different cytogenetics subtypes, this prenatal origin has also been confirmed specially for MLL-rearranged and t(8;21) subgroups. AMLs carrying t(7;12) constitute up to 30% of cases under 2-years-old, frequently being associated with a trisomy of chromosome 19 and an overexpression of MNX1 gene. An in utero origin of this specific subgroup has been suggested but not clearly confirmed. Here, we present the case of a 5-months-old AML patient with t(7;12) in which we have fully characterized a novel breakpoint occurring among ETV6 and NOM1 genes. We demonstrate the presence of this specific ETV6-NOM1 fusion in CD34+ hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells isolated from the cord blood unit from the same patient and stored at birth. Moreover, trisomy +19 present at diagnosis was not detected at birth. Together, our results demonstrate the prenatal origin of the t(7;12) in infant AML, and establish trisomy +19 as a secondary event in this leukemia.

  Study EGAS50000000186

• Inflammatory Bowel Disease Exome Sequencing Study

  The Broad Institute and Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) are launching a new initiative to perform large-scale exome sequencing in inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis). Given the considerable unmet therapeutic need in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), the recent emergence of rapid and efficient genome sequencing technologies and the compelling evidence for the role of genetics in these disorders have motivated the founding of a collaborative sequencing effort geared toward the discovery of high-impact genetic variants influencing IBD risk that can serve as guides to future therapeutic development and diagnostic tools. The initiative will be directed by experienced IBD researchers from MGH and the Broad Institute but aims to develop a collaborative exome sequencing network that will partner with researchers worldwide. Two large pilot exome sequencing projects are being launched immediately as part of this initiative based on established genetic study designs that enrich for the discovery of rare, high-impact risk and protective variants. 1) Early-onset pediatric IBD: a major focus of the work will surround full-exome sequencing of the earliest-onset childhood IBD cases. It has long been recognized in many diseases that penetrant genetic risk factors are much more likely to be found in cases with unusually early onset. The Broad Institute has completed more than 50,000 exomes in the past two years; and their technical expertise in generating and processing such sequencing data, along with population genetic variation patterns from these experiments, will provide a foundation for obtaining the best outcome in the interpretation of these cases. Samples with IBD onset before 6 years of age - and in some cases going up to age 10 - collected by IBD researchers around the world are welcomed for inclusion in this study. 2) Adult-onset IBD case-control study: Genetic mapping has provided dramatic insights into IBD pathogenesis in recent years, but a substantial amount of heritability - in particular the role of strong-acting rare mutations - is yet to be elucidated. To deliver those insights, IBD cases with an unusually low burden of known genetic risk factors (particularly emphasizing those with positive family history and/or from isolated or enriched populations) will be contrasted with population controls that have an extremely high burden of known IBD risk factors, enhancing discovery of critical protective variants that may provide the best clues for therapeutic development. This project will also be initiated as an international collaboration, particularly among researchers with sample sets with Immunochip genotyping that will enable the immediate genetic identification of these enriched target populations. This project will be supported by the NHGRI Large-Scale Sequencing Program, with all generated data made publicly available to the research community through standard NIH databases.

  Study phs001076

• Plasma-Seq of patients with metastatic prostate cancer

  Study 1 In this study we analysed patients with metastatic prostate cancer to scan their tumor genomes noninvasively in plasma DNA. We wanted to make whole-genome analysis from plasma DNA amenable to clinical routine applications and developed an approach based on a benchtop high-throughput platform, i.e. Illuminas MiSeq instrument. We performed whole-genome sequencing from plasma at a shallow sequencing depth to establish a genome-wide copy number profile of the tumor at low costs within 2 days. The genome-wide profiling in the plasma of our patients revealed multiple copy number aberrations including those previously reported in prostate tumors, such as losses in 8p and gains in 8q. High-level copy number gains in the AR locus were observed in patients with CRPC but not with CSPC disease. We identified the TMPRSS2-ERG rearrangement associated 3-Mbp deletion on chromosome 21 and found corresponding fusion plasma fragments in these cases. In an index case multiregional sequencing of the primary tumor identified different copy number changes in each sector, suggesting multifocal disease. Our plasma analyses of this index case, performed 13 years after resection of the primary tumor, revealed novel chromosomal rearrangements, which were stable in serial plasma analyses over a 9 months period, which is consistent with the presence of one metastatic clone. Our approach provides specific genomic signatures within 2 days which may therefore serve as “liquid biopsy”.

  Study EGAS00001000451

• Integrated genomic characterization of adrenocortical carcinoma

  Adrenocortical carcinomas (ACC) are aggressive cancers originating in the cortex of the adrenal glands. Despite the overall poor prognosis, ACC outcome is heterogeneous. CTNNB1 and TP53 mutations are frequent in these tumors, but the complete spectrum of genetic changes remains undefined. Exome sequencing and SNP array analysis of 45 ACC revealed recurrent alterations in known drivers (CTNNB1, TP53, CDKN2A, RB1, MEN1) and genes not previously reported to be altered in ACC (ZNRF3, DAXX, TERT and MED12), which were validated in an independent cohort of 77 ACC. The cell-surface transmembrane E3 ubiquitin ligase ZNRF36 was the gene the most frequently altered (21%), and appears as a potential novel tumor suppressor gene related to the ß-catenin pathway.Our integrated genomic analyses led to the identification of two distinct molecular subgroups with opposite outcome. The C1A group of poor outcome ACC was characterized by numerous mutations and DNA methylation alterations, whereas the C1B group with good prognosis displayed a specific deregulation of two miRNA clusters. Thus, aggressive and indolent ACC correspond to two distinct molecular entities, driven by different oncogenic alterations.

  Dataset EGAD00001000764

• Kids First: Genomic Etiologies of CHARGE Syndrome, Related Conditions and Structural Anomalies

  Developmental disorders with structural birth defects account for the majority of morbidity and mortality in children's hospitals, and the genetic bases of many clinical phenotypes remain unknown. Genetic testing for individuals with structural malformations has uncovered the basis of many such birth defects; however, many more cases remain unsolved, posing challenges for diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. Multiple anomaly conditions are particularly challenging to diagnose, since they often present with unique combinations of clinical features that vary widely between affected individuals, even in the same family. CHARGE Syndrome (Coloboma of the eye, Heart Defects, Atresia of the choanae, Retardation of growth and development, Genital abnormalities including pubertal delay and infertility, Ear abnormalities with deafness and vestibular disorders) is a multiple anomaly condition that affects a wide variety of organ systems. CHARGE Syndrome is caused in most cases by monoallelic pathogenic variants in CHD7, the gene encoding ATP-dependent helicase chromodomain DNA binding protein 7. Both de novo and inherited variants in CHD7 have been reported in CHARGE, and a growing number of families present with individuals who test positive for a pathogenic CHD7 variant yet exhibit only mild features. Similarly, individuals with CHARGE Syndrome often exhibit broad variability and reduced penetrance of clinical features, consistent with pleiotropic roles for CHD7 during development and/or additional genetic contributors or modifying alleles. Recent work has also implicated RERE, KMT2D, EP300, and PUF60 in having a role in CHARGE Syndrome.We hypothesize that (1) some cases of CHARGE are due to other genetic etiologies including oligogenicity, and (2) genetic modifiers contribute to the broad clinical variability and reduced penetrance of CHARGE features. To address these hypotheses, we have generated a cohort of 223 deeply clinically phenotyped individuals with CHARGE Syndrome and related disorders and structural anomalies who tested negative by chromosomal microarray, single gene sequencing, next generation panel sequencing, or exome sequencing. These individuals exhibit clinical CHARGE-like features including structural birth defects affecting craniofacial, ocular, neurosensory, brain, heart, mediastinal, renal, genitourinary, and skeletal organs. Our cohort includes these 223 individuals as well as affected and unaffected family members who consented to clinical and research genetic testing and donated blood samples for DNA and RNA isolation and sequencing. Building on this valuable cohort, we propose to use exome and genome sequencing to identify novel genetic etiologies of CHARGE and related developmental disorders for which alternative genetic tests have been inconclusive. Identification of novel pathogenic genetic variants and contributing modifier alleles within the coding and non-coding portion of the genome of these individuals will improve genetic diagnosis and provide important insights toward understanding the developmental mechanisms of structural birth defects.

  Study phs002592

• Identification of the underlying causal variant in a multi-generational family with autosomal dominant common variable immunodeficiency

  Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is the most common form of primary immunodeficiency with an estimated incidence of 1:10,000. It has been apparent for many years that CVID has a genetic component, occurs frequently in families and can have both a recessive or dominant mode of inheritance. In recent years, 4 genes underlying CVID have been identified; however, mutations within in them are estimated to account for no more than 10% of all cases of CVID. We have identified a multi-generational family with autosomal dominant CVID. Genome-wide linkage analysis has mapped the locus underlying CVID in this family to an approximately 9.2 Mb interval on chromosome 3q27.3-q29, between the markers D3S3570 and D3S1265. This locus is distinct from any of the previously mapped susceptibility loci suggesting a novel genetic variant is responsible for disease in this family. The aim of this study is to use exome sequencing of affected (n = 4) and unaffected (n = 4) individuals, in tandem with the available genetic mapping data, to identify the causal variant underlying CVID in this family.

  Dataset EGAD00001000363

• High Sensitivity ctDNA Analysis Using a Novel Panel and NOIR-SS Technology for Monitoring Advanced Urothelial Carcinoma

  This dataset contains sequencing data generated by targeted amplicon analysis using the NOIR-SS method in 15 patients with advanced urothelial carcinoma. Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tumor tissues (15 samples) and plasma cfDNA (50 samples) were analyzed. Tumor tissues were subjected to targeted panel sequencing to identify mutations in TP53, FGFR3, TERT, and KRAS/HRAS. Plasma cfDNA was analyzed using a tumor-informed approach focusing on the mutations identified in matched tumor tissues. Sequencing was performed on the Ion PGM or Ion S5 XL platform. Raw sequencing data are provided in FASTQ format under controlled access.

  Study JGAS000836

• Rapid Whole Genome Sequencing for Genetic Disease Diagnosis in Neonatal Intensive Care Units

  Monogenic diseases are frequent causes of neonatal morbidity and mortality, and disease presentations are often undifferentiated at birth. More than 3,500 monogenic diseases have been characterized, but clinical testing is available for only some of them and many feature clinical and genetic heterogeneity. As such, an immense unmet need exists for improved molecular diagnosis in infants. Because disease progression is extremely rapid, albeit heterogeneous, in newborns, molecular diagnoses must occur quickly to be relevant for clinical decision-making. We describe 50-hour differential diagnosis of genetic disorders by whole-genome sequencing (WGS) that features automated bioinformatic analysis and is intended to be a prototype for use in neonatal intensive care units. Retrospective 50-hour WGS identified known molecular diagnoses in two children. Prospective WGS disclosed potential molecular diagnosis of a severe GJB2-related skin disease in one neonate; BRAT1-related lethal neonatal rigidity and multifocal seizure syndrome in another infant, identified BCL9L as a novel, recessive visceral heterotaxy gene (HTX6) in a pedigree, and ruled out known candidate genes in one infants. Sequencing of parents or affected siblings expedited the identification of disease gene in prospective cases. Thus, rapid WGS can potentially broaden and foreshorten differential diagnosis, resulting in fewer empirical treatments and faster progression to genetic and prognostic counseling. Reprinted from Saunders et. al, Rapid Whole-Genome Sequencing for Genetic Disease Diagnosis in Neonatal Intensive Care Units. Sci. Transl. Med. 4, 154ra135 (2012; PMID: 23035047) with permission from AAAS.

  Study phs000564

• National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) Gene Discovery in Autosomal Dominant Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis (FSGS)

  Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) is a frequent cause of end-stage renal disease. The pathogenesis of FSGS has not been precisely defined and there are no consistently effective treatments. Recent studies identifying causal genes in rare, inherited FSGS, including our own study, have associated mutations in at least six genes with familial FSGS, and each discovery has clarified molecular mechanisms of glomerular injury. To build on this productive line of inquiry, we have ascertained and carefully characterized 118 families with familial FSGS. We have screened the remainder of our families for mutations in genes known to cause FSGS and identified the causal mutations in an additional 6 kindreds; the genetic basis of disease in the remaining 111 families is unknown. The objective of this proposal is to use this valuable and unique family resource to systematically identify causal genes for familial FSGS. Limitations of current conventional linkage and positional cloning approaches include their requirement for large, multiplex families. In addition, narrowing candidate areas in traditional linkage analysis can be difficult due to large regions that lack recombination events and hence these regions have required cumbersome and lengthy screening for causative mutations. Powerful new genetic tools can facilitate this screening process and improve variant discovery in smaller families. In particular, efficient whole-exome sequencing, the targeted capture of protein-coding gene sequences, should be particularly useful in our studies since most Mendelian disorders are caused by mutations affecting exomes of the target gene. Thus, by combining genome-wide linkage analysis (GWLS) and whole-exome sequencing, we can maximize impact of our family data and accelerate identification of novel mutations in FSGS. In preliminary studies, we have used this combination to identify a novel variant in the WT1 (Wilms' Tumor-1) gene in one FSGS family, and we have evidence suggesting it is the causal mutation. This success provides proof-of-concept and provides a roadmap of how genes will be identified and evaluated in the proposed studies. Our hypothesis is that causes of inherited FSGS in our cohort of families will be sequence variants in the coding region of genes not previously associated with familial FSGS. We aim to: 1) Use GWLS and whole-exome sequencing to identify genetic variants associated with familial FSGS. 2) Characterize functional consequences of candidate causative mutations and 3) Determine the prevalence in the Duke FSGS dataset of these new causative mutations identified in Aim 2. Any genes found to have causative mutations will be sequenced in the remaining families and take full advantage of our family resource. By combining genome-wide linkage analysis (GWLS), whole-exome sequencing, and characterization of variants' functional consequences, we will significantly improve understanding of normal glomerular biology and of the pathogenesis of FSGS and related glomerular diseases. Moreover, our discoveries are likely to reveal new opportunities to improve therapy for a disease that currently has few effective treatments.

  Study phs000777

• Genetic and Phenotypic Analysis of Multiple Sclerosis in Hispanics

  We sought to identify MS susceptibility variants specific to the Major Histocompatibility Complex and to assess the effect of ancestral risk modification within 2652 Latinx and Hispanic individuals, as well as 2435 Black and African American individuals ascertained in collaboration with the Alliance for Research in Hispanic MS (ARHMS). All DNA samples were obtained through whole blood extraction and were genotyped on the MS Chip, an Illumina Infinium custom genotyping array that contains targeted and dense coverage of the extended MHC, specifically designed for imputation. Classical HLA alleles, SNPs, and amino acid residues were imputed simultaneously from genotyped SNPs using HLA-TAPAS and a multi-ethnic reference panel of 2504 samples from the 1000 Genomes Project. We have identified several novel susceptibility alleles which are rare in European populations including HLA-B*53:01, and we have identified an independent role for HLA-DRB1*15:01 and HLA-DQB1*06:02 on MS risk. We found a decrease in Native American ancestry in MS cases vs controls across the MHC, peaking near the previously identified MICB locus; and we have identified several susceptibility variants for which MS risk is modified by global or local ancestry. We are making data on all genotyped and imputed SNPs, classical HLA alleles, and amino acid residues available through dbGaP for the Hispanic and African American samples utilized in these analyses.

  Study phs003105

• 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

• RB1 Gene Inactivation by Chromothripsis in Human Retinoblastoma

  Retinoblastoma is a rare childhood cancer of the developing retina. Most retinoblastomas initiate with biallelic inactivation of the RB1 gene through diverse mechanisms including point mutations, nucleotide insertions, deletions, loss of heterozygosity and promoter hypermethylation. Recently, a novel mechanism of retinoblastoma initiation was proposed. Gallie and colleagues discovered that a small proportion of retinoblastomas lack RB1 mutations and had MYCN amplification [1]. In this study, we identified recurrent chromosomal, regional and focal genomic lesions in 94 primary retinoblastomas with their matched normal DNA using SNP 6.0 chips. We also analyzed the RB1 gene mutations and compared the mechanism of RB1 inactivation to the recurrent copy number variations in the retinoblastoma genome. In addition to the previously described focal amplification of MYCN and deletions in RB1 and BCOR, we also identified recurrent focal amplification of OTX2, a transcription factor required for retinal photoreceptor development. We identified 10 retinoblastomas in our cohort that lacked RB1 point mutations or indels. We performed whole genome sequencing on those 10 tumors and their corresponding germline DNA. In one of the tumors, the RB1 gene was unaltered, the MYCN gene was amplified and RB1 protein was expressed in the nuclei of the tumor cells. In addition, several tumors had complex patterns of structural variations and we identified 3 tumors with chromothripsis at the RB1 locus. This is the first report of chromothripsis as a mechanism for RB1 gene inactivation in cancer.

  Study EGAS00001000598

• Botensilimab, an Fc-enhanced Anti-CTLA-4 Antibody, is Effective Against Tumors Poorly Responsive to Conventional Immunotherapy

  This study explores the genomic landscape associated with a novel Fc-engineered anti-CTLA-4 antibody (botensilimab) in advanced solid tumors. We seek to understand if enhancing the Fc-region affinity of anti-CTLA-4 antibodies can improve anti-tumor efficacy and expand clinical benefit to tumors poorly responsive to conventional immunotherapy. As part of an ongoing open-label, Phase 1, multicenter study, we conducted an exploratory sub-analysis of genomics data. The primary study evaluates the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of botensilimab monotherapy and in combination with an anti-PD-1 antibody (balstilimab) in participants with advanced solid tumors. RNA from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tumor biopsies and matched normal blood samples were isolated and subjected to RNA-sequencing using the Personalis ImmunoID NeXT Platform. We demonstrated that anti-CTLA-4 engineered for enhanced FcγR affinity leverages FcγR-dependent mechanisms to potentiate T cell responsiveness, reduce intratumoral Tregs, and enhance antigen presenting cell activation. This genomic analysis contributes to our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying patient responses to Fc-engineered anti-CTLA-4 therapy and may inform future strategies to expand the clinical benefit of immune checkpoint blockade in cancer immunotherapy.

  Study phs003704

• Rapid identification of somatic genome rearrangements as personalized biomarkers for blood-based cancer monitoring

  Increasing evidence shows the value of circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) to detect cancer and monitor its progression. Somatic genomic structural variations (SVs) are promising personalized biomarkers for sensitive and specific detection of ctDNA in liquid biopsies. However, accurate, affordable, and fast identification of such SV biomarkers is challenging, which hinders routine use in the clinic. Here, we demonstrate a novel approach - termed SHARC - for rapid discovery of somatic SV breakpoints as personalized tumour biomarkers. SHARC combines low-coverage cancer genome sketching by using Oxford Nanopore portable sequencing with a random forest classification and a dedicated filtering pipeline to enrich for somatic SVs. Our method leverages the real-time and long-read capabilities of Nanopore sequencing to identify somatic SV breakpoints at nucleotide resolution from a tumour biopsy within two days. We applied SHARC to tumour samples of high-grade ovarian and prostate cancer and validated on average 10 somatic SVs per sample with the use of PCR mini-amplicons. Finally, we demonstrate that these somatic SV biomarkers can be used to detect tumour presence from liquid biopsies in a quantitative manner and we retrospectively monitored treatment response in patients with prostate cancer, demonstrating its potential benefit for clinical practice.

  Study EGAS00001003963

• Human liver NPCs single cell project

  Independent of their inflammatory phenotype, macrophages are key orchestrators of hepatic metabolism. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) often occurs in obese individuals and is among the most common causes of cirrhosis, the terminal chronic liver disease that may necessitate liver transplantation. While multiple populations of macrophages have been described in the human liver, their function and turnover in obese patients at high risk of developing NAFLD and cirrhosis is currently unknown. Herein we identified a specific human population of resident liver myeloid cells that protects against the metabolic impairment associated with obesity. By studying the turnover of liver myeloid cells in individuals undergoing liver transplantation using markers of donor-recipient mismatch, we made the novel discovery that liver myeloid cell turnover differs between humans and mice. Using single cell techniques and flow cytometry we determined that the proportion of the protective resident liver myeloid cells, denoted liver myeloid cells 2 (LM2), decreases during obesity. Functional validation approaches using human 2D and 3D cultures revealed that the presence of LM2 ameliorates the oxidative stress associated with obese conditions. Our study indicates that resident myeloid cells could be a therapeutic target to decrease the oxidative stress associated with NAFLD.

  Study EGAS00001007194

• Integrated Genomic and Transcriptomic Analysis of Small Cell Lung Cancer Reveals Inter- and Intratumoral Heterogeneity and a Novel Chemotherapy-Refractory Subtype

  We integrated histology, transcriptome, exome, and treatment outcomes of small cell neuroendocrine cancer (SCNC) from a range of metastatic sites, revealing complex intra- and intertumoral heterogeneity of neuroendocrine (NE) differentiation and transcriptomic subtypes (ASCL1, NEUROD1, POU2F3, YAP1 and ATOH1). High NE SCNCs were more likely to benefit from replication stress-targeted therapies, in contrast to non-NE tumors which were more likely to respond to immune response-targeted therapies.

  Study phs002541

• Patient-derived models of primary breast cancer for preclinical development of novel neoadjuvant therapies

  Generation of the first large-scale cohort of mouse intraductal patient-derived xenograft (MIND-PDX) models of primary invasive breast cancer (IBC) and a collection of matched PDX-derived organoids (PDXO) representing all molecular subtypes of IBC, including estrogen receptor (ER-) positive breast cancer. Furthermore, we show that our IBC-MIND cohort can serve as a platform to test experimental neoadjuvant treatment options in different molecular subtypes of breast cancer.

  Study EGAS50000000398

• RNA-Sequencing and Somatic Mutation Status of Adrenocortical Tumors: Novel Pathogenetic Insights

  To investigate the relationship between transcriptome profile and genetic background in a large series of adrenocortical tumors and to identify new potential pathogenetic mechanisms, we performed transcriptome profiling by high-throughput sequencing. We collected snap-frozen tissue from patients with adrenocortical tumors (n = 59) with known genetic background: 26 adenomas with Cushing syndrome, 17 adenomas with mild autonomous cortisol secretion, 9 endocrine-inactive adenomas, 7 adrenocortical carcinomas. Additionally, we sequenced 4 control samples.

  Study EGAS00001004533

• Resequencing candidate genes for male spermatogenic impairment

  This study aims to identify novel candidate variants from human Y-chromosomal genes DAZ, BPY2 and CDY1/2 by resequencing the coding regions of these genes from male patients with spermatogenic impairment. The coding regions of the genes plus a selection of phylogenetically informative Y-chromosomal markers have been amplified by standard PCR, amplicon lengths range from 178 to 486 bp. Amplicons were quantified by gel electrophoresis and pooled in approx. equimolar concentrations per patient. For each of the 480 submitted samples, approx. 1 microgram of amplified DNA pool was provided in a total volume of 120 microlitres. The samples were indexed and libraries prepared for PE250bp Illumina MiSeq runs. 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/ .

  Dataset EGAD00001006784

• Organ maturation in preparation for birth (Peds RFA) to develop a tissue resource and a single-cell atlas of organ development and maturation for dissemination among the scientific and clinical community: RNA (2025-10-14)

  Knowledge about abnormal organ development is important to understand pathology and to develop novel treatment approaches for individuals with congenital and acquired disease. Most of our current understanding is based on examination of tissues from the embryo and early foetus, collected from women undergoing termination of pregnancy in the first trimester (third) of pregnancy. There is very little known about normal and abnormal organ development from a developmental perspective during the crucial last two-thirds of pregnancy when much remodelling of foetal tissues occurs. This study will generate a single-cell atlas of late-foetal lungs, blood, heart, bone and immune organs. . This dataset contains all the data available for this study on 2025-10-14.

  Dataset EGAD00001015737

• CcRCC_metabolic_heterogeneity

  Heterogeneity is a hallmark of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). In this study, hyperpolarized [1-13C]pyruvate MRI (HP-13C-MRI) was used to probe metabolic heterogeneity non-invasively in 6 ccRCC patients from which 58 tumor and healthy tissues biopsies were acquired postoperatively. MRI parameters were correlated with 146 metabolite concentrations and the expression of 2523 metabolic genes across 34 metabolic pathways. Using metabologram projections and pathway consensus scoring, several metabolic pathways were correlated with the metabolic MRI, including glycolysis, pentose phosphate pathway, and the TCA cycle. A simple thresholding approach applied to the imaging metrics was sufficient to provide meaningful metabolic pathway information. We also show that tissue metabolic heterogeneity increases in regions with higher pyruvate-to-lactate conversion on imaging. These results provide validation of the biological relevance of HP-13C-MRI and support the possibility of its clinical use to improve disease characterization, stratification, targeting of biopsies, and providing novel methods to monitor treatment response.

  Dataset EGAD00001015780

• Genomic Data Archive From the Network for Pancreatic Organ Donors With Diabetes

  The Network for Pancreatic Organ Donors with Diabetes (nPOD) is the largest biorepository of human pancreata from organ donors with type 1 diabetes (T1D), maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY), cystic fibrosis-related diabetes (CFRD), type 2 diabetes (T2D), gestational diabetes, and islet autoantibody positive (AAb+)/pre-T1D. The mission of the nPOD is to distribute biospecimens and associated de-identified data/metadata to an international researcher network, and to promote the development of new treatments for these diabetes conditions. Here, we describe the release of high-parameter genotyping data for the nPOD cohort. Specifically, 372 subjects were genotyped using a customized precision medicine single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) microarray (UFDIchip). These data were technically validated using published algorithms to evaluate donor relatedness, ancestry, imputed HLA, and T1D genetic risk score. Additionally, 207 subjects were queried for rare known and novel coding region variants via whole exome sequencing (WES). These data are now publicly available, enabling genotype-selected sample requests and the study of novel genotype : phenotype associations, ultimately to explain diabetes heterogeneity and inform precision medicine strategies to interrupt diabetes pathogenesis.

  Study phs002861

• Targeted sequencing of candidate regions on chromosome 22q predisposing to multiple schwannomas

  Constitutional LZTR1 or SMARCB1 pathogenic variants have been found in ~86% of familial and ~40% of sporadic schwannomatosis cases. Hence, we performed massively parallel sequencing of the entire LZTR1, SMARCB1 and NF2 genomic loci in 35 individuals with schwannomas negative for constitutional first-hit pathogenic variants in the LZTR1/SMARCB1/NF2 coding sequences, however with 22q deletion and/or a different NF2 pathogenic variant in each tumor, including six cases with only one tumor available. Furthermore, we verified whether any other LZTR1/SMARCB1/NF2 (likely) pathogenic variant(s) could be found in 16 cases carrying a SMARCB1 constitutional variant in the 3’ untranslated region (3’-UTR) c.*17C>T, c.*70C>T or c.*82C>T. As no additional variants were found, functional studies were performed to clarify the effect of these 3’-UTR variants on the transcript. The 3’-UTR variants c.*17C>T and c.*82C>T showed pathogenicity by negatively affecting SMARCB1 transcript level. Two novel deep intronic SMARCB1 variants, c.500+883T>G and c.500+887G>A, resulting in out-of-frame missplicing of intron 4, were identified in two unrelated individuals. Further resequencing of the entire repeat - masked genomics sequences of chromosome 22q in individuals negative for pathogenic variants in the SMARCB1/LZTR1/NF2 coding- and non-coding regions revealed five potential schwannomatosis-predisposing candidate genes, i.e. MYO18B, NEFH, SGSM1, SGSM3 and SBF1, pending further verification.

  Study EGAS00001005680

• Transcriptomic analysis of Acute Myeloid Leukemia stem cells

  Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) is characterized by the accumulation of clonal myeloid blast cells unable to differentiate into mature leukocytes. Chemotherapy induces remission in the majority of patients, but relapse rates are high and lead to poor clinical outcomes. Since this is primarily caused by chemotherapy-resistant leukemic stem cells (LSCs), it is essential to eradicate LSCs to improve patient survival. LSCs have predominantly been studied at the transcript level, thus lacking information about post-transcriptionally regulated genes and associated networks. Here we extend our previous report on LSC proteomes to healthy age-matched hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) and correlate the proteomes to the corresponding transcriptomes. By comparing LSCs to leukemic blasts and healthy HSPCs, we validate candidate LSC markers and highlight novel and potentially targetable proteins that are absent or only lowly expressed in HSPCs. In addition, our data provides strong evidence that LSCs harbor a characteristic energy metabolism, adhesion molecule composition, as well as RNA processing properties. Furthermore, correlating proteome and transcript data of the same individual samples highlights the strength of proteome analyses, which are particularly potent in detecting alterations in metabolic pathways. In summary, our study provides a comprehensive proteomic and transcriptomic characterization of functionally validated LSCs, blasts and healthy HSPCs, representing a valuable resource helping to design LSC-directed therapies.

  Study EGAS00001004402

• IκBε deficiency accelerates disease development in chronic lymphocytic leukemia

  The NFKBIE gene, which encodes the NF-κB inhibitor IκBε, is mutated in 3-7% of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). The most recurrent alteration is a 4-bp frameshift deletion associated with NF-κB activation in leukemic B cells and poor clinical outcome. To study the functional consequences of NFKBIE gene inactivation, both in vitro and in vivo, we engineered CLL B cells and CLL-prone mice to stably down-regulate NFKBIE expression and investigated its role in controlling NF-κB activity and disease expansion. We found that IκBε loss leads to NF-κB pathway activation and promotes both migration and proliferation of CLL cells in a dose-dependent manner. Importantly, NFKBIE inactivation was sufficient to induce a more rapid expansion of the CLL clone in lymphoid organs and contributed to the development of an aggressive disease with a shortened survival in both xenografts and genetically modified mice. IκBε deficiency was associated with an alteration of the MAPK pathway, also confirmed by RNA-sequencing in NFKBIE-mutated patient samples, and resistance to the BTK inhibitor ibrutinib. In summary, our work underscores the multimodal relevance of the NF-κB pathway in CLL and paves the way to translate these findings into novel therapeutic options.

  Dataset EGAD50000000754

• cfDNA analysis reveals relation of POLR1D amplification to bevacizumab resistance in colorectal cancer patients

  Bevacizumab is an approved anti-angiogenic drug for patients with metastasized colorectal cancer (mCRC) targeting VEGF. The survival benefit of anti-VEGF therapy in mCRC patients is limited to a few months and acquired resistance mechanisms are greatly unknown. Using plasma DNA, we studied the evolution of tumor genomes in a cohort of patients with mCRC (n=150) and observed a recurrent focal amplification (8.7% of cases) on chromosome 13q12.2. Analysis of TCGA data (n=619) suggested an association with later stages, which we confirmed by longitudinal plasma analyses. We defined the minimally amplified region and studied the mechanistic consequences of copy number gain of the involved genes. The amplification of one gene, POLR1D, impacted cell proliferation, resulting in upregulation of VEGFA, an important regulator of angiogenesis which has been implicated in the resistance to bevacizumab. In several patients, we observed the emergence of this 13q12.2 amplicon under bevacizumab treatment, which was invariably associated with evolution of therapy resistance. Hence, we describe a novel resistance mechanism against a widely applied treatment in mCRC patients which will impact clinical management .

  Dataset EGAD00001005761

• Systems genetics in human endothelial cells identifies non-coding variants modifying enhancers, expression, and complex disease traits

  Identification of causal variants and mechanisms underlying complex disease traits in humans requires strategies to locate and fine-map functional regulatory variants in disease-relevant cell types. To discover functional regulatory variants in primary aortic endothelial cells (ECs) from humans, we collected genetic, transcriptomic, and four epigenomic phenotypes in a population of 153 human donors representing individuals of both sexes and three major ancestries. We found thousands of EC eQTLs that were not present in GTEx at all ranges of effect sizes, indicating novel functional variants not observable from tissue data. We performed several epigenetic assays across 53 donors' EC to enable molecular QTL mapping, which included chromatin accessibility, histone modification, and transcription factor binding of proteins ERG and NF-kB/p65 in two activation states. We discovered over 3000 regulatory elements where cis-regulatory variants associated to significant differences in epigenetic marks. Co-localization with our eQTLs, TF motif mutations, and 3D confirmation capture data in ECs enabled our discovery of hundreds of high-confidence functional regulatory elements that perturb endothelial molecular phenotypes. Furthermore, this set of variants is enriched at GWAS loci for Coronary Artery disease and other disease traits, with some SNPs demonstrating pleiotropic effects. Together, our dataset and analytical approach provide the genetics and vascular biology communities with specific variants affecting EC biology and serves as a proof-of-principle for how to detect functional regulatory variants in human cells with relevance to complex traits.

  Study phs002057

• Heat selection enables highly scalable methylome profiling in cell-free DNA for noninvasive monitoring of cancer patients

  Genome-wide analysis of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) methylation profile has been recognized as a promising approach for sensitive and specific detection of many cancers. However, scaling such genome-wide assays for clinical translation is impractical due to the high cost of whole genome bisulfite sequencing. We have shown that the small fraction of GC-rich genome is highly enriched in CpG sites and disproportionately harbors the majority of cancer-specific methylation signature. Here, we report on the simple but effective Heat enrichment of CpG-rich regions for Bisulfite Sequencing (Heatrich-BS) platform that allows for focused methylation profiling in these highly informative regions. Our novel method and bioinformatics algorithm enable accurate tumor burden estimation with high sensitivity and quantitative tracking of colorectal cancer patient’s response to treatment, at much reduced sequencing cost suitable for frequent monitoring. We also show, for the first time, tumor epigenetic subtyping from cfDNA using Heatrich-BS, which could enable patient stratification from non-invasive liquid biopsy. As such, Heatrich-BS holds great potential for highly scalable screening and regular monitoring of cancer using liquid biopsy.

  Study EGAS00001006198

• Shedding light over COVID-19 susceptibility and severity

  “One of the most remarkable features of SARS-CoV-2 infection is the variation in consequence ranging from asymptomatic to life-threatening” state the authors of the majestic Nature paper released in accelerated pre-view on July 2021. This variation in consequences represent not only an issue of burning medical relevance, but also a scientific and intellectual challenge for scientists around the globe. Researchers are known to be easily triggered by a challenge, and they recently demonstrated to be even better at double their efforts to focus on an urgent societal need. In this work led and coordinated by the COVID-19 Host Genetics Initiative (COVID-19 HGI), researchers gathered data from 49,562 cases and two million controls from 46 studies performed worldwide. The majority of the data has been deposited at the EGA, where 29 datasets have been collected under the study number EGAS00001005304. Data gathered from diverse sources conferred a huge robustness to the results. Genetic data from different ancestry origin were included in the analyses, even though data from patients with European origin was highly predominant (approx. 75%). Separated analysis of the different ancestries gave rise to relevant differences in the results, highlighting how important it is to take this aspect in consideration for future studies. Data from the individual studies was compiled into three categories according to COVID-19 severity for a meta-analysis: (a) critically ill cases (b) moderate or severe cases (c) all cases. They were paired with non-COVID-19-reported controls. All three analysis resulted in a total of 13 genetic loci associated with COVID-19 severity. Out of those, 9 loci associated specifically with critical illness, while 6 (a few overlapped) associated with moderated illness. Some genomic position matched previous findings. Interestingly, working with such an enormous amount of data allowed the depth to discriminate association with disease susceptibility vs severity, an issue of large medical relevance. Several loci mapped into biological relevant genes, like TYK2, PPP1R15A and FOXP4, previously implicated in immune response and/or lung functions. Researchers participating in the COVID-19 Host Genetics Initiative have worked in an unprecedented time-tight collaboration, prioritizing data sharing and collective results to tackle the pandemic affecting the world. The scientific community won’t miss any of the lessons to learn from this, and the EGA is ready to keep working to enable safe data sharing and fruitful collaborations.

  Blog covid-19-susceptibility-and-severity

• Genetic Discovery and Application in a Clinical Setting: Continuing a Partnership (eMERGE Phase II)

  The electronic Medical Records and Genomics (eMERGE) Network is a consortium of ten participating sites funded by the NHGRI to investigate the use of electronic medical record systems for genomic research. The goal of eMERGE is to conduct genome-wide association studies in approximately 19,000 individuals using EMR-derived phenotypes and DNA from linked Biorepositories. The eMERGE Network brings together researchers with a wide range of expertise in genomics, statistics, ethics, informatics, and clinical medicine from leading medical research institutions across the country. Each center participating in the consortium is uniquely situated to provide critical resources to this highly collaborative and productive network. Each site combines a biobank or study cohort with extensive genomic data and access to clinical data derived from electronic medical records. Sites are geographically dispersed and have diverse patient populations, including two sites focusing specifically on pediatrics. The eMERGE Network is comprised of 9 sites and one coordinating center. Each site maintains its own biorepository where DNA specimens are linked to phenotypic data contained within EMRs. Children's Hospital of Pennsylvania, PI: Hakon Hakonarson, MD, PhD Cincinnati Children's Medical Center with Boston Children's Hospital, PI: John Harley, MD, PhD - CCHMC and Ingrid Holm, MD, MPH - BCH Geisinger Health System, PI: David Carey, PhD and Marc Williams, MD Group Health Cooperative with University of Washington, PI: Eric Larson, MD, MPH - GHC and Gail Jarvik, MD, PhD - UW Marshfield Clinic with Essentia Institute of Rural Health, PI: Catherine McCarty, PhD, MPH - Essentia and Murray Brilliant, PhD - Marshfield Mayo Clinic, PI: Christopher Chute, MD, DrPH and Iftikhar Kullo, MD Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, PI: Erwin Bottinger, MD Northwestern University, PI: Rex Chisholm, PhD and Maureen Smith, MS Vanderbilt University, PI: Dan Roden, MD eMERGE Coordinating Center - Vanderbilt University, PI: Paul Harris, PhD Using electronic phenotyping methods, the consortium used DNA samples from all participating sites to explore the genetic determinants of red cell indices, white blood count (WBC) differential, diabetic retinopathy, height, serum lipid levels, specifically total cholesterol, HDL (high density lipoprotein), LDL (low density lipoprotein), and triglycerides, and autoimmune hypothyroidism as well as using the phenome-wide association study (PheWAS) paradigm to replicate and discover relationships between targeted genotypes with multiple phenotypes.

  Study phs000948

• Biological Determinants of Peritoneal Dialysis Outcomes

  Peritoneal Dialysis (PD) is a technique for treating kidney failure where fluid is instilled into the body's peritoneal cavity. Fluid and solutes travel across the peritoneum, and this is critical to successful PD. Studies have shown that certain demographic and clinical variables explain a small part of the variability in baseline peritoneal solute transfer rate and water transfer function across the peritoneum. This study sought to identify the common genetic variants associated with the baseline peritoneal function in patients starting treatment with PD and change in function upon treatment with PD. This study has two specific aims: Aim 1: To identify and validate genetic loci that influence the peritoneal solute transfer rate (PSTR) at start of PD. Aim 2: To identify and validate genetic loci in pre-specified biologic pathways with change in peritoneal ultrafiltration capacity. This study incorporates data from participants' peritoneal solute transfer rate in their first ever peritoneal equilibrium test (PET) and changes in the transfer of water across the peritoneal membrane over time in a sub-group of participants, demographic information, and results from laboratory analysis of DNA, blood, and dialysate. This study comprises patient populations from pre-existing biorepositories in Europe, and prospectively enrolled participants in United States, Canada, United Kingdom, and Australia. Clinical data related to the participants' peritoneal solute transfer rate from their first ever Peritoneal Equilibrium Test (PET), demographic information, and change in ultrafiltration capacity over time, are correlated with various genetic markers of interest. For individuals enrolled prospectively, blood and dialysate were collected at the first study visit. Annually, subjects either underwent a PET as standard of care or perform an additional 4-hour dwell as part of the study. These subsequent measures were utilized to determine change in ultrafiltration capacity over time. Inclusion criteria included adults over the age of 20 who are able to provide consent and had a record of a PET within 6 months of starting PD. Subjects with missing outcome data and that did not pass genotyping QC were excluded. Genotyping was performed in two batches using the Illumina InfiniumOmni2-5-8v1-3_A1 array with 2,372,784 single nucleotide variants (SNVs) in the first batch (n=1957). The second genotyping batch (n=1053) was on the InfiniumOmni2-5-8v1-4_A1 array with 2,382,209 SNVs. Imputation was performed using the Michigan Imputation Server and the HRC1.1 genotype reference. The Institutional Review Board of the University of Washington has “dbGaP-certified” the consent forms used to enroll participants in Australia, Canada, and United States and the genotype-phenotype data from the participants (n=827) deposited in the public repository. Furthermore, it has been determined that under the EU-GDPR regulations, depositing data of participants enrolled in UK, Belgium, and Sweden (n=2,023) into dbGaP “serves no lawful purpose” as the consent form used for enrolling participants did not obtain explicit permission for depositing data in a public repository.

  Study phs002996

• Whole Exome Sequencing and RNA-Seq to Characterize the Somatic Breast Cancer Landscape Among Latinas in California

  Somatic mutational profiles are increasingly being used to guide treatment. However, there is a dearth of data from non-European populations. To address this gap, we conducted paired tumor/normal whole exome paired-end sequencing and tumor RNA-Seq on 146 breast tumors from 140 Hispanic/Latina (H/L) women with breast cancer. We characterized somatic mutations, copy number alterations, tumor subtypes [Prediction Analysis of Microarray 50 (PAM50)], Catalogue Of Somatic Mutations In Cancer (COSMIC) mutation signatures and expression profiles, and compared them to breast tumors from non-Hispanic White (White) women in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Using MutSigCV, we found that the most commonly mutated genes, including TP53, RUNX1, PTEN, PIK3CA, MAP3K1, GATA3, CDH1 and CBFB, were similar to those in breast tumors from non-Hispanic white women. Novel findings were that outliers of BLTP2 (aka KIAA0100) over-expression and COSMIC mutational signature 16 were more common in tumors from H/L women than White women. We also identified that the known germline APOBEC3A/B deletion variant was significantly more common in H/L women and was associated with indigenous American ancestry. Data available through dbGaP will be whole-exome sequencing (WES) and RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) data, as well as phenotypic data, including estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, and HER2 receptor status, tumor histology, stage, and grade, and age at diagnosis.

  Study phs003218

• An Empirical Approach Leveraging Tumorgrafts to Dissect the Tumor Microenvironment in Renal Cell Carcinoma Identifies Missing Link to Prognostic Inflammatory Factors

  We undertook an empirical approach to dissect the tumor microenvironment by developing a bulk tumor dissection algorithm, DisHet, and leveraging RNA-Seq data of tumorgrafts (patient-derived tumors implanted in mice), in which only the tumor cell component expands. We found that approximately 65% of previously defined immune signature genes are not abundantly expressed in the Renal Cell Carcinoma (RCC) microenvironment, and we identified more than two times as many novel immune/stromal transcripts. By using refined immune/stroma-specific genes and genomics, electronic medical record data and imaging data of 1084 RCC patients, we discovered a highly-inflamed pan-RCC subtype enriched for Treg cells, NK cells, Th1 cells, neutrophils, macrophages, B cells, and CD8+ T cells. This inflamed subtype (IS) is enriched for aggressive RCCs, including BAP1-deficient clear-cell and type 2 papillary tumors. Interestingly, IS is correlated with systemic manifestations of inflammation in patients such as thrombocytosis and anemia, whose pathogenesis were poorly defined and have been predictors of poor prognosis in RCC. Indeed, we discovered that IS is a strong predictor of poor survival. Lastly, our analyses show that tumor cells may drive stromal immune response. Overall, these data provide a missing link between the tumor cells, the tumor microenvironment, and systemic factors.

  Study EGAS00001002786

• Characterizing the Role of the Immune Microenvironment in Multiple Myeloma Progression at a Single Cell Level

  The plasma cell disease multiple myeloma (MM) is highly dependent on its bone marrow microenvironment (BMME). Early alterations within the bone marrow microenvironment that contribute to the progression of multiple myeloma (MM) from its precursor stages could hold the key to identifying novel therapeutic approaches, yet the intrinsic variability in cellular populations between patients together with differences in sample processing and analysis methods have made it difficult to identify consistent changes between datasets. Here, we used single-cell RNA sequencing of BM cells from precursor stages, monoclonal gammopathy of unknown significance (MGUS), smoldering MM (SMM) and newly diagnosed MM and analyzed our data in combination with a previously published dataset that used a similar patient population and sample processing. Despite vast interpatient heterogeneity, some alterations were seen consistently in both datasets. We identified changes in immune cell populations as disease progressed that were characterized by a substantial decrease in memory and naïve CD4 T cells and an increase in CD8+ effector T cells and T-regulatory cells. These alterations were further accompanied by an enrichment of non-clonal memory B cells and an increase of CD14 and CD16 monocytes in MM compared to its precursor stages. These results provide crucial information of the immune changes associated with the progression to clinical MM and can help to develop immune based strategies for patient stratification and early therapeutic intervention. 

  Study phs002756

• A super-enhancer associated with CD47 links pro-inflammatory signaling to CD47 upregulation in breast cancer

  CD47 is a cell surface molecule that inhibits phagocytosis of cells that express it by binding to its receptor, SIRPα, on macrophages and other immune cells. CD47 is expressed at different levels in normal cells, however, in cancer cells, CD47 transcript and protein expression is aberrantly increased. Here we sought to uncover the regulators of CD47 transcription, including active enhancers that increase its aberrant expression in cancer cells, in order to reveal mechanisms by which different neoplastic cells generate this dominant 'don't eat me' signal. Enhancers are genomic regions, often referred to as "switches", that can turn on or off the transcription of target genes. Recently the discovery of super-enhancers (SEs) has given more insight into the regulatory architecture of key genes that are highly expressed in a specific cell type, during a particular developmental stage or in disease. By analyzing the CD47 regulatory genomic landscape, we discovered: i) A distinct super-enhancer (SE) is associated with CD47 upregulation in breast cancer cells ii) Disruption of CD47 SEs by using the BRD4 inhibitor JQ1 robustly reduces CD47 gene expression; and iii) The TNF-NFKB1 signaling pathway is directly involved in the regulation of CD47 by interacting with a distal downstream constituent enhancer located within a CD47-associated SE specific to breast cancer. Our results describe a novel mechanism that cancer cells have evolved to drive CD47 overexpression to escape immune surveillance.

  Study phs001264

• CIDR: Genome Wide Association Study in Familial Parkinson Disease (PD)

  This proposal brings together the two largest NIH funded genetic studies focused on the identification of novel genes that influence the risk of PD. These two studies, PROGENI (PI: Tatiana Foroud; R01NS037167) and GenePD (PI: Richard Myers; R01NS036711) have been evaluating and recruiting families with two or more PD affected members for more than 8 years and represent the largest such cohorts world-wide. The combined sample has more than 1,000 PD families. Each study has used rigorous clinical criteria to assess their study participants. Unlike previous genome wide association studies (GWAS) in PD, all the PD cases in this proposal have a positive family history of disease. In the vast majority of these families, the index PD case has at least one sibling with the disease. Thus, the sample is unique for having substantial evidence for a genetic contribution to disease. The control group for this study consists of samples previously collected and maintained by the NINDS Repository. Genome-wide, single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping services were provided by the Center for Inherited Disease Research (CIDR). Data analyses will focus on the identification of SNPs associated with PD susceptibility and the age of onset of disease.

  Study phs000126