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• EGA synthetic data

  Synthetic Data One of the limitations in genomics research is that human genomics data is not openly available; access must be controlled according to participant consent agreements and data protection regulations such as GDPR. Obtaining authorization to access such data can sometimes take a long time, resulting in delays to important research work. In this context, synthetic genomic and phenotype data can be useful resources for researchers to avoid these delays. Synthetic data are artificially generated datasets, often created with algorithms, which can be used without the need for authorization to test new products and tools, build technical demonstrators, validate data models, and train AI models. The EGA provides access to synthetic cohort datasets augmented with rich synthetic metadata that overcomes these real data usage restrictions. Whilst synthetic datasets are not included in the general EGA mandate and services, we can consider such submissions and evaluate their acceptance on the basis of their unique use cases not already covered by existing synthetic datasets. Access to synthetic data studies is managed by the EGA Helpdesk Data Access Committee. Study ID Title Located in EGAS00001002472 CINECA synthetic cohort EUROPE UK1 referencing fake samples Central EGA EGAS00001005591 Synthetic data - Genome in a Bottle Central EGA EGAS00001005042 Test Study for EGA using data from 1000 Genomes Project - Phase 3 Central EGA EGAS00001005702 Human genomic and phenotypic synthetic data for the study of rare diseases Central EGA EGAS50000000190 EOSC4Cancer Synthetic Colorectal Cancer Genomic data Central EGA EGAS50000000086 Synthetic - FEGA Sweden Heilsa synthetic dataset December 2023 Federated EGA Sweden EGAS50000000678 Synthetic - GDI synthetic data Federated EGA Spain

  Documentation synthetic-data

• eMERGE Network Genome-Wide Association Study 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.

  The electronic Medical Records and Genomics (eMERGE) Network is a consortium of five participating sites (Group Health Seattle, Marshfield Clinic, Mayo Clinic, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University) 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. 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. eMERGE led studies for which original genotyping was performed and are included in this merged set: Genome-Wide Association Study on Cataract and HDL in the Personalized Medicine Research Project Cohort, phs000170 Development and Use of Network Infrastructure for High-Throughput GWA Studies, phs000234 Vanderbilt Genome-Electronic Records (VGER) Project: QRS Duration, phs000188 Northwestern NUgene Project: Type 2 Diabetes, phs000237 A Genome-Wide Association Study of Peripheral Arterial Disease, phs000203 Sites and participants include: Vanderbilt University: BioVU, Vanderbilt's DNA databank, is an enabling resource for exploration of the relationships among genetic variation, disease susceptibility, and variable drug responses, and represents a key first step in moving the emerging sciences of genomics and pharmacogenomics from research tools to clinical practice. BioVU acquires DNA from discarded blood samples collected from routine patient care. The biobank is linked to de-identified clinical data extracted from Vanderbilt's EMR, which forms the basis for phenotype definitions used in genotype-phenotype correlations. Marshfield Clinic: The Marshfield Clinic Personalized Medicine Research Project is a population-based biobank in central Wisconsin with more than 20,000 adult subjects who provided written, informed consent to access their medical records and provided a blood sample from which DNA was extracted and plasma and serum stored. In addition to an average of 30 years of medical history data, a questionnaire about environmental exposures, including a detailed food frequency questionnaire, is available to facilitate gene/environment studies. Northwestern University: The NUgene Project is a repository with longitudinal medical information from participating patients at affiliated hospitals and outpatient clinics from the Northwestern University Medical Center. Participants' DNA samples are coupled with data from a self-reported questionnaire and continuously updated data from our Electronic Medical Record (EMR) representing actual clinical care events. Northwestern has a state-of-the art, comprehensive inpatient and outpatient EMR system of over 2 million patients. NUgene has broad access to participant data for all outpatient visits as well as inpatient data via a consolidated data warehouse. NUgene participants consent to distribution and use of their coded DNA samples and data for a broad range of genetic research by third-party investigators. Group Health(GH)/University of Washington (UW): Aging and Dementia eMERGE study biorepository leverages rich population-based longitudinal data from both electronic medical records and in-depth research data to explore genome wide associations. Participants include Seattle-area members of GH (a large integrated health care system in Washington State) consented and enrolled in 1) the UW Alzheimer's Disease Patient Registry (ADPR) and 2) the Adult Changes in Thought (ACT) study. The ADPR (PI: Eric B. Larson; NIH/NIA U01 AG 006781) is a population-based registry of incident dementia cases designed to identify all new Alzheimer's Disease cases within GH from 1987 to 1996. Medical history, physical, laboratory testing, and neuropsychological testing were performed on all consenting potential cases for determination of dementia status by a consensus conference. The study base of the ADPR population was stable with an attrition rate of less than 1%/year. The ACT study (PI: Eric B. Larson; NIH/NIA U01 AG 006781) is an ongoing community-based cohort study of aging and dementia. The original cohort of 2,581 randomly selected dementia-free members age 65 and older was enrolled in 1994-1996 and expanded by 811 in 2000-2002. Continuous enrollment to maintain a cohort of 2,000 dementia free persons began in 2005. Participants receive biennial assessment including cognitive status determination. The ACT sub-sample is stable; for the original cohort, median enrollment in GH was 19 years prior to joining the ACT study, and 85% of the cohort has ≥10 years of GH enrollment. DNA for the ADPR participants were obtained through a companion study, Genetic Differences in Cases and Controls (PI: Walter Kukull; NIH/NIA R01 AG007584). DNA obtained through both studies were extracted from blood using Gentra Systems Puregene methods. DNA concentration is determined by UV optical density. All samples are checked for quality by 260/280 ratio. For long-term storage, samples are aliquoted and stored at -70°C. Mayo Clinic: The Mayo biobank is a disease-specific biobank for vascular diseases including peripheral arterial disease (PAD). PAD patients were identified from individuals referred to the non-invasive vascular laboratory for lower extremity arterial evaluation. Since 1997, laboratory findings have been recorded into an electronic database employing an in-house software package for data archiving and retrieval; this data becomes part of the Mayo EMR. Patients referred to the center with suspected PAD undergo a comprehensive non-invasive evaluation including the ankle-brachial index (ABI) - the ratio of blood pressure measured in the upper arms divided by blood pressure measured at the ankles. Controls subjects are identified from patients referred to the Cardiovascular Health Clinic for stress ECG. The prevalence of PAD in patients with normal exercise capacity who do not have inducible ischemia on the stress ECG, was <1%. Data regarding risk factors for atherosclerosis such as diabetes, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and smoking are ascertained from the EMR.

  Study phs000360

• North American Mitochondrial Disease Consortium Patient Registry and Biorepository

  Mitochondrial diseases are caused by dysfunction of the mitochondria, which are specialized compartments that are present in every cell of the body except red blood cells. Mitochondria generate more than 90% of the energy that the body needs to sustain life and support growth. When they fail, less and less energy is generated within the cell. This injures the cell and can cause its death. If this process is repeated throughout the body, whole organ systems begin to fail, and the life of the person in whom this is happening is severely compromised. Mitochondrial diseases primarily affect children, but adult onset is becoming more and more common. Mitochondrial diseases are probably the most diverse human disorders at every level: clinical, biochemical, and genetic. Some affect only the nervous system but most affect many body systems, including the brain, heart, liver, skeletal muscles, kidney, and the endocrine and respiratory systems. Although mitochondrial disorders vary in severity, they are usually progressive, and often crippling. They can cause paralysis, seizures, mental retardation, dementia, hearing loss, blindness, weakness and premature death. Because of the range of symptoms and the frequent involvement of multiple body systems, mitochondrial diseases can be a great challenge to diagnose. Even when accurately diagnosed, they pose an even more formidable challenge to treat, as there are very few therapies and most are only partially effective. About this Study The first objective of this study is to establish a clinical registry of patients with suspected or confirmed mitochondrial diseases. We are collecting medical and family history, diagnostic test results, and prospective medical information for these patients and, using agreed procedures developed by the leading research clinicians in the field, providing, for the first time, standardized diagnoses of these complex disorders for the patients. The clinical information we collect from the participants will be used to learn about the spectrum of mitochondrial disorders and their prevalence. We will also develop studies which allow us to better understand how these diseases progress, which we do not understand well enough. When we begin clinical trials for mitochondrial diseases, patients enrolled in the registry who are identified as potentially eligible will be offered enrollment. Patients will only be included in studies if they give their consent in advance. The second objective of this study is to establish a biorepository for specimens and DNA from patients with mitochondrial diseases, in order to make materials easily available to consortium researchers.

  Study phs001538

• Genome-Wide Association of Native and Post Aspirin Platelet Function Phenotypes

  The goal of this study was to identify genetic variants in a genome-wide association study (GWAS) that are associated with previously obtained platelet function phenotypes measured in each individual under baseline conditions and following 2 weeks of low dose aspirin (ASA). During this study we performed a high density 1 million-SNP genome scan on subjects from GeneSTAR (representing 800 2-generational families with a family history of premature coronary artery disease, 60% white and 40% African American, N=3232). We identified genomic loci associated with quantitative platelet phenotypes prioritized for their biological interest, determined associations between genomic loci and baseline platelet phenotypes (primary phenotypes are platelet aggregation in platelet rich plasma induced by collagen, adenosine diphosphate (ADP), arachidonic acid (AA), and epinephrine (Epi), determined associations between genomic loci and post-ASA platelet phenotypes, ie, measures of ASA "resistance" (primary phenotypes are as above, plus urinary levels of the prostaglandin metabolite, 11-dehydro-thromboxane B2 ), and compared peaks of association between genomic loci and three common baseline platelet phenotypes (collagen-, epinephrine-, and ADP-induced aggregation in platelet rich plasma) with associations found for these same phenotypes in the Framingham Heart Study. We also determined whether any significant genotype-phenotype associations in the 1 million SNP genome scan could be localized to any specific genes or potential genes of interest using publicly available databases and further examined whether candidate genes previously associated with a specific platelet phenotype are located in a genomic region of interest as determined from the SNP genome scan. We conducted replications of our findings, and are presently involved in larger scale meta-analysis of findings for pre-aspirin and post-aspirin associations. The study population is constituted of full siblings (SIBS) (ages 35-78 years) identified from The Johns Hopkins Sibling Study, now called GeneSTAR, the spouses of the SIBS, and their adult offspring (>21 years of age). They include 3200 individuals from approximately 300 African American and 500 white extended families. "Spouse" refers to the other parent of any SIB offspring, independent of marital status. Sibship sizes among families range from 1 to 16 (excluding index cases). On average, each SIB has 2 potentially eligible offspring. A family for this study is defined by all of the full sibships and the total numbers of offspring that come from all SIBS, rather than just the nuclear family.

  Study phs000375

• The EGA Helpdesk team: 2025 in review and what we are building next

  Behind every dataset submitted, every access request processed, and every technical question answered, there is a team working quietly to keep things moving: the Helpdesk (HD). With the onset of 2026, this feels like the right moment to look back on what 2025 has been like for the HD team: the challenges we faced, how we adapted, and where we're heading next. Why the Helpdesk matters to EGA The EGA Helpdesk is more than a support channel. It plays a key role in maintaining trust in the EGA ecosystem. By supporting data submitters, researchers, Data Access Committees (DACs), and institutional partners, the HD helps ensure that data can flow securely, efficiently, and reliably. When issues arise, the Helpdesk is often the first place where their impact is felt and addressed. In that sense, the HD sits at the intersection of technology, policy, and people. One Helpdesk, two locations, one shared mission The EGA Helpdesk is a joint, distributed team working closely across two locations: CRG (Barcelona, Spain) and EMBL-EBI (Cambridge, UK). Although we are based in different institutions, we operate as a single Helpdesk, with shared workflows, priorities, and responsibility towards users. At CRG, the HD team is formed by: Andrea Max Àlex and me At EMBL-EBI, we work closely with: Silvia Coline Aravind What defines us as a team is simple: we work user-first, even under pressure. In a highly technical environment, clarity, empathy, and consistency matter just as much as tools and processes. A close collaboration across sites is essential to making that happen. What does the EGA Helpdesk do? The HD supports users across the full lifecycle of data in EGA. This includes: Data submissions, uploads, and encryption workflows. Data access requests and permissions. Questions around policies, consent, and data usage. Technical and system-related issues. Coordination between users, internal teams, and external partners. 2025: growth, change, and recalibration 2025 was a year of growth, but not always a predictable one. Early in the year, several technical and system-related challenges required us to adjust our original plans. Priorities shifted, timelines changed, and some improvements had to be rethought. For the HD team, this is often the hardest part of the job: we see delays through the eyes of users and understand the real impact they can have on ongoing research. One of the key lessons from 2025 was that stability is not only a technical challenge, but also an organisational one. Teamwork proved to be essential: anticipating peak periods, sharing context early, and coordinating closely across teams made a tangible difference. When things became complex, working together across roles and locations was what allowed us to keep moving forward. In 2025, the Helpdesk received 5.313 tickets and resolved 5.511 requests, reflecting both increased adoption of EGA and the team’s ability to absorb higher demand. At the same time, demand continued to grow. Compared to 2024, ticket creation increased by over 6%, while resolution capacity grew by more than 11%. The team not only kept up with incoming requests but also resolved part of the accumulated backlog, finishing the year having solved more tickets than were created. The real challenge of 2025 was not overall performance, but how the workload was concentrated during peak months. Seasonality and demand spikes placed pressure on the system, even while overall efficiency remained strong. On a team level, 2025 was also a year of transition. I joined the HD leadership role in January 2025, stepping into a period of change and rapid learning. Later in the year, in October, we said goodbye to Raül, and in January 2026, we welcomed Àlex, strengthening the team for the next phase. What users needed most in 2025 While requests vary widely, some themes stood out throughout the year: Support with data submissions and uploads Data access requests and permissions Technical and system-related issues As EGA matures, day-to-day operations have become more complex. Many long-running tickets are not delayed due to a lack of follow-up, but because they depend on external approvals, cross-institutional coordination, or multi-step processes. Understanding these patterns helps us focus not just on resolving tickets, but on improving how work flows through the system. Looking ahead to 2026 With a reinforced team and clearer insights from 2025, our focus for 2026 shifts from throughput to flow. Key priorities include: Strengthening our web content and documentation Reducing structural backlog Improving cross-team and cross-system coordination Anticipating peak demand earlier and planning capacity accordingly Challenges will continue to arise in 2026, as they always do. However, 2025 reinforced something important: a stable, empathetic, and well-aligned Helpdesk team is essential to supporting EGA's mission at scale. Supporting users well means supporting research, and that remains at the core of what we do.

  Blog ega-helpdesk-team-2025-in-review-and-upcoming-improvements

• Oncoarray Consortium - Lung Cancer Studies

  The study was conducted under the auspices of the Transdisciplinary Research In Cancer of the Lung (TRICL) Research Team, which is a part of the Genetic Associations and MEchanisms in ONcology (GAME-ON) consortium, and associated with the International Lung Cancer Consortium (ILCCO). Ethics: All participants provided written informed consent. All studies were reviewed and approved by institutional ethics review committees at the involved institutions. Sequencing data are derived from four substudies. The substudies that contributed include Harvard, Liverpool, Toronto, and IARC. The Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta-Carotene Cancer Prevention (ATBC) Study is a randomized primary prevention trial including 29,133 male smokers enrolled in Finland between 1985 and 1993. Participants ranged between ages of 50 to 69 at enrollment and were randomized in a factorial design to take either 50 milligrams of d-alpha tocopheryl acetate (Vitamin E), 20 mg of all-trans-beta-carotene, both or placebo. The study continued to monitor cancer incidence through 2012 and total mortality through December 2013. The CAncer de PUlmon en Asturias Study (CAPUA) is a hospital-based case-control study conducted in Asturias, Spain by the University of Oviedo. Lung cancer cases were recruited in three main hospitals of Asturias, following an identical protocol from 2002 to 2012. Eligible cases were incident cases of histologically confirmed lung cancer between 30 and 85 years of age and residents in the geographical area of each participating hospital. Controls were selected from patients admitted to those hospitals with diagnoses unrelated to the exposures of interest and individually matched by ethnicity, gender, age (± 5 years) and hospital. Epidemiologic data were collected personally through computer-assisted questionnaires by trained interviewers during the first hospital admission. Structured questionnaires collected information on sociodemographic characteristics, recent and prior tobacco use, environmental exposure (air pollution and passive smoking), diet, personal and family history of cancer, and occupational history from each participant. Peripheral blood samples (or mouthwash samples when they refused to donate blood) were collected from all participants. Coding of histology was based on 2001 WHO/IASLC. Genomic DNA was extracted based on standard protocol. The Canadian Screening Study includes the nested case-control samples from 3 screening programs: IELCAP-Toronto: Ever smokers of more than 10 pack-years age 50 and above were eligible for the I-ELCAP screening program since 2003, and a total of 4782 individuals have been enrolled in the Greater Toronto Area. Participants were administered a LDCT scan along with a standard study questionnaire at baseline. Blood samples were systematically collected at baseline since 2006. Participants who had an abnormality in a CT scan were followed up every 1 to 2 years. The screening program was organized by the Princess Margaret Hospital. PanCan: Ever smokers between the ages of 50-75 with no previous history of invasive cancer are eligible to participate in the study. The study was carried out across Canada in Vancouver, Calgary, Hamilton, Toronto, Ottawa, Quebec, Halifax, and St. John's. A total of 2537 smokers have been screened from 2008 to 2011. All study participants completed a detailed questionnaire, spirometry, collection of blood specimens for biomarker measurement and LDCT at baseline. All participants are followed for a minimum of 3 years. On yearly follow up, an updated shorter questionnaire is administered, blood is collected and CT scans are performed. Blood samples are available from all 2537 individuals. BCCA Screening Program: From 1990 to 2007, 4274 smokers above 40 years old who had smoked 20 pack-years or more were enrolled at BCCA. Upon enrollment, subjects completed a questionnaire for their lifestyle and medical history. Baseline spirometry was conducted using a flow-sensitive spirometer in accordance with the American Thoracic Society recommendations. Since 2000, a LDCT was obtained in 2440 individuals. The participants were followed prospectively to determine whether they developed lung cancer. A total of 9759 individuals participated in the CT screening program in Canada from these 3 programs. The samples included in this project is based on a subset of nested lung cancer case-control pairs based on 1:2 ratio. The Carotene and Retinol Efficacy Trial (CARET) was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of the cancer prevention efficacy and safety of a daily combination of 30 mg of beta-carotene and 25,000 IU of retinyl palmitate in 18,314 persons at high risk for lung cancer. CARET began in 1985, and the intervention was halted in January 1996, 21 months ahead of schedule, with the twin conclusions for definitive evidence of no benefit and substantial evidence of a harmful effect of the intervention on both lung cancer incidence and total mortality. CARET continued to follow and collect endpoints on their participants through 2005. Pathology reports and medical records were reviewed to confirm cancer endpoints, and death certificates obtained to capture cause of death. During the active intervention phase of CARET, serum, plasma, whole blood, and lung tissue specimens were collected on participants. These biospecimens make up the CARET Biorepository. For the OncoArray Project, CARET provided DNA extracted from whole blood of lung cancer cases and controls matched on age at baseline (± 4 years), sex, race, baseline smoking status, history of occupational asbestos exposure (asbestos vs heavy smoker), and year of enrollment (2-year intervals). The European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study is a multi-center cohort study involving 521,000 study participants from 10 European countries. The current study involved EPIC participants from 7 countries (Greece, Netherlands, UK, France, Germany, Spain, and Italy), including 1223 incident lung cancer cases and 1249 smoking matched controls. The Kentucky Lung Cancer Research Initiative is a study conducted by the Markey Cancer Center Cancer Center and the University of Kentucky using a population-based, case-control framework to study the extraordinarily high rates of lung cancer in Southeastern, Appalachian Kentucky. Cancer cases were recruited from the Kentucky Cancer Registry at the time of diagnosis and controls were recruited from a random digit dialing process from the same region. Study accrual began in January 5, 2012 and completed on September 5, 2014 and 520 subjects were recruited in a 4:1 ratio of controls: cases from Appalachian Kentucky. Of the 520 subjects recruited, 231 are included in the OncoArray analysis, including all 93 cancer cases, and 123 controls. Newly diagnosed lung cancer cases and controls underwent blood, toenail (for trace element analysis), urine, buffy coat, water, soil, and radon collection, residence GPS mapping, as well as an extensive epidemiologic, occupational, and health history questionnaire (Clinical Trials.gov Identifier: NCT01648166). The Harvard Lung Cancer Study (HLCS) is a case-control study based at Mass General Hospital (MGH) in Boston, Massachusetts from 1992 to 2004. Details of the study were described previously. Briefly, eligible cases included any person over the age of 18 years with a diagnosis of primary lung cancer that was further confirmed by an MGH lung pathologist. Controls were recruited from the friends or spouses of cancer patients or the friends or spouses of other surgery patients in the same hospital. Potential controls were excluded from participation if they had a diagnosis of any cancer (other than non-melanoma skin cancer). Interviewer-administered questionnaires, a modified version of the standardized American Thoracic Society respiratory questionnaire, collected information on demographics, medical history, family history of cancer, smoking history, and a detailed work history, including job titles and tasks. Genome-wide genotype data were first generated using Illumina Human 610-Quad BeadChips and then imputed by MACH against the 1000 Genome Project dataset (http://browser.1000genomes.org/index.html). The Institutional Review Board of MGH and the Human Subjects Committee of the Harvard School of Public Health approved the study. The Israel study (NICCC-LCA) is an ongoing case-control study of newly diagnosed lung cancer cases of any histology and population age/sex/ethnicity-matched "healthy" controls. All participants undergo face-to-face interviews, provide a venous blood sample (separated into DNA, Sera, lymphocytes) after signing an IRB-approved form. Histology reports, FFPE blocks and clinical follow-up are available for most cancer cases. The MD Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC) Study. Lung cancer cases and frequency-matched controls were ascertained from a large ongoing case-control study at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (UTMDACC) since 1991. Detailed study description was provided previously (Spitz et al 2007). In brief, cases were newly-diagnosed and histologically confirmed lung cancer patients recruited from UTMDACC. Controls were healthy individuals without a history of cancer (except for nonmelanoma skin cancer) and recruited from the Kelsey-Seybold Clinics, the largest private multispecialty physician group in the Houston metropolitan area. Controls were frequency-matched to cases on age (±5 years), sex, and race/ethnicity. After providing written informed consent, each study participants completed an in-person interview by staff interviewers to collect information on demographics, smoking status, etc. Blood samples were also drawn from all the study participants. This study was approved by institutional review boards of UTMDACC and Kelsey-Seybold Clinics. The Malmö Diet and Cancer Study (MDCS) is a population-based prospective cohort study that recruited men and women aged at 44 to 74 years old of living in Malmö, Sweden between 1991 and 1996. The main goal of the MDCS is to study the impact of diet on cancer incidence and mortality. It consists of a baseline examination including dietary assessment, a self-administered questionnaire, anthropometric measurements and collection of blood samples. A total of 165 incident lung cancer cases and 174 individually smoking-matched controls were available for this analysis. The Multiethnic Cohort (MEC) Study includes 215,251 men and women aged 45-74 years at recruitment, primarily from five ethnic/racial groups - African Americans and Latinos mostly recruited from CA (mainly from Los Angeles County) and Japanese Americans, Native Hawaiians and whites (mostly recruited from HI). The cohort was assembled in 1993-1996 by mailing a self-administered questionnaire to persons identified primarily through driver's license files. The baseline questionnaire obtained information on demographics, anthropometry, smoking history, medical and reproductive histories, family history of cancer, diet and physical activity. Incident cancer cases are identified by regular linkage with the State of California Cancer Registry and the Hawaii Tumor Registry, both members of the SEER Program of the NCI. In 2001-2006, a prospective biorepository was assembled by collecting a pre-diagnostic blood specimen from 67,594 surviving MEC members. At the time of blood collection a short questionnaire was administered that included information on smoking during the previous 15 days. For this study, cases were all lung cancer cases incident to blood draw and diagnosed before December 2012. For each case, a control was selected among unaffected MEC participants who were alive at time of the case's diagnosis and matched on study site, sex, race/ethnicity, age (age at diagnosis for cases; age at blood collection for controls), and date of blood collection. The Mount-Sinai Hospital-Princess Margaret Study (MSH-PMH) was conducted in the greater Toronto area from 2008 to 2013. Lung cancer cases were recruited at the hospitals in the network of the University of Toronto. Controls were selected randomly from individuals registered in the family medicine clinics databases and were frequency matched with cases on age and sex. All subjects were interviewed, and information on lifestyle risk factors, occupational history and medical and family history was collected using a standard questionnaire. Tumors were centrally reviewed by the reference pathologist, a member of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) committee, and a second pathologist in the University Health Network. If the reviews conflicted, a consensus was arrived at after discussion. Coding of histology was based on 2001 WHO/IASLC. Genomic DNA was extracted based on standard protocol. The New England Lung Cancer Study (NELCS) is a population-based case-control study of lung cancer among residents of Northern and Central New Hampshire counties and the bordering region of Vermont. Cases with histologically confirmed primary incident lung cancer were identified from 2005 to 2007 using the New Hampshire State Cancer Registry and the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC) Tumor Registry. Control participants were identified using a commercial database and matched to lung cancer cases within 5-year age groups, sex and county. Genomic DNA was isolated from blood or buccal specimens provided by consenting participants. The study complied with requirements of the Dartmouth College's Committee for Protection of Human Subjects. The Nijmegen Lung Cancer Study. The Netherlands patients with lung cancer were identified through the population-based cancer registry of the Netherlands Comprehensive Cancer Organisation in Nijmegen, the Netherlands. Patients who were diagnosed in one of three hospitals (Radboud University Medical Center, Canisius Wilhelmina Hospital in Nijmegen, and Rijnstate Hospital in Arnhem) since 1989 and who were still alive at April 15th, 2008 were recruited for a study on gene-environment interactions in lung cancer. 458 patients gave informed consent and donated a blood sample. This case series was expanded with 94 patients to a total of 552 by linking three other studies to the population-based cancer registry in order to identify new occurrences of lung cancer among the participants of these other studies. All three other studies (i.e., POLYGENE, the Nijmegen Biomedical Study, and the Radboudumc Urology Outpatient Clinic Epidemiology Study) were initiated to study genetic risk factors for disease and participants to these studies gave general informed consent for DNA-related research and linkage with disease registries. Information on histology, stage of disease, and age at diagnoses was obtained through the cancer registry. Lifestyle information was collected through a structured questionnaire and whole blood for DNA isolation was collected by the regional thrombosis services. The cancer-free controls (46% males) were selected from participants of the "Nijmegen Biomedical Study" (NBS), an age- and sex-stratified random sample of the general population of the municipality of Nijmegen, The Netherlands. All participants provided extensive lifestyle information by structured questionnaires and blood samples for DNA isolation, serum and plasma. All controls are of self-reported European descent. The study protocols of the NBS were approved by the Institutional Review Board of the Radboudumc and all study subjects signed a written informed consent form. The Northern Sweden Health and Disease Study (NSHDS) encompasses several prospective cohorts. The current study involves participants from the Västerbotten Intervention Project (VIP), a sub-cohort within NSHDS. VIP is an ongoing prospective cohort and intervention study intended for health promotion of the general population of the Västerbotten County in northern Sweden. VIP was initiated in 1985 and all residents in the Västerbotten County were invited to participate by attending a health check-up at 40, 50 and 60 years of age. Participants were asked to complete a self-administered questionnaire including various demographic factors such as education, smoking habits, physical activity and diet. In addition, height and weight were measured and participants were asked to donate a fasting blood sample for future research. A total of 243 incident lung cancer cases and 266 individually smoking-matched controls were available for this analysis. Norway National Institute of Occupational Health Study. Early-stage NSCLC cases and healthy controls at the time of enrollment were Caucasians of Norwegian origin and were recruited from the same geographical region (Western Norway). The patients were enrolled in the study, whenever practically feasible among patients admitted for lung cancer at the Haukeland University Hospital in Bergen, Norway. The informed written consents covering analysis of molecular and genetic markers was signed by the patients prior to surgery. Only patients with histologically confirmed early-stage NSCLC were included in our study. The subjects included in this project are a subgroup recruited into the project "lung cancer genetics" at NIOH. The controls were recruited from the same geographical region of Western Norway and frequency-matched with cases on cumulative smoking dose (pack-years). Pack-years smoked [( 20 cigarettes per day) x years smoked] were calculated to indicate the cumulative smoking dose. The Cases and controls were interviewed using similar questionnaires and were categorized as never smokers, ex-smokers or current smokers. Never smokers are subjects indicating having smoked less than 100 cigarettes in their life time. Ex-smokers were defined as those having quitted at least 1 year before sampling, and current smokers were those indicating that they were smokers at the time of sampling. The project has been approved by the Regional Committee for Medical and Health Research Ethics in Southern Norway in accordance with the WMA Declaration of Helsinki. The ethical approval covered access to the NSCLC databank. The Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial (PLCO) Study, a randomized trial aimed at evaluating the efficacy of screening in reducing cancer mortality, recruited approximately 155,000 men and women age 55 to 74 years from 1992 to 20014. Screening for lung cancer among participants in the intervention arm included a chest x-ray at baseline followed by either three annual x-rays (for current or former smokers at enrollment) or two annual x-rays (for never smokers); participants in the control arm received routine health care. Screening-arm participants provided data on sociodemographic factors, smoking behavior, anthropometric characteristics, medical history, and family history of cancer, as well as blood samples annually for the first 6 years of the study (baseline T0 and T1 through T5). Lung cancers were ascertained through annual questionnaires mailed to the participants, and positive reports were followed up by abstracting medical records or death certificates. Follow-up in the trial as of July 2009 was 96.7%. Patients were excluded because of missing baseline questionnaire, previous history of any cancer, diagnosis of multiple cancers during follow-up, missing smoking information at baseline, missing consent for utilization of biologic specimens for etiologic studies, or unavailability/insufficient quantity of serum or DNA specimens. The Resource for the Study of Lung Cancer Epidemiology in North Trent (ReSoLuCENT) is an ongoing study conducted in Sheffield from 2006 and due to complete recruitment in 2016. The study recruited pathologically confirmed lung cancer cases diagnosed at age 60 years or younger and family matched controls. Lung cancer cases diagnosed at ages older than 60 years were recruited if they reported a family history of lung cancer. The cases and matched controls were recruited through several major cancer treatment centers, however, the majority were recruited in North Trent. All participants completed a detailed lifestyle questionnaire which included questions about occupational exposures, education, medical history and family history of cancer and lung disease. Participants also donated blood samples for DNA extraction. The ReSoLuCENT study has been funded by the Sheffield Hospitals Charity, Sheffield ECMC and Weston Park Hospital Cancer Charity. First degree relatives were removed from the sample deposited to dbGaP. The Roy Castle Lung Study of Liverpool Lung Project (LLP) is a case-control and cohort study which has recruited over 11,500 individuals since 1996 from the Liverpool region in the UK. Detailed epidemiological and clinical data is collected with associated specimens (i.e. tumor tissue, blood, plasma, sputum, bronchial lavage and oral brushings). The participants have completed a detailed lifestyle questionnaire at recruitment, with repeat questionnaires at intervals; updated data on clinical outcome and hospital events are collected through the Health and Social Care Information Center (including Office of National Statistics mortality data, Cancer Registry and Health Episode Statistics). The project is registered on the UK National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) lung cancer portfolio and has all the required ethical approvals and sponsorship arrangements in place. The lung tumors were reviewed by the reference pathologist. The Seoul Bundang Lung Cancer Study was conducted between 2005 and 2010 to discover genetic and environmental factors related with lung cancer development. Lung cancer cases were recruited at the Seoul National University Hospital in Bundang. Controls were selected randomly from individuals participated in health check-up program and were frequency matched with cases on age and sex. All subjects were interviewed, and information on lifestyle risk factors, occupational history and medical and family history was collected using a standard questionnaire. Tumors were reviewed by the pathologists in the hospital. If the reviews conflicted, a consensus was arrived at after discussion. Coding of histology was based on 2001 WHO/IASLC. Genomic DNA was extracted based on standard protocol. The Shanghai Cohort Study (SCS) consisted of 18,244 men in Shanghai, China, who were 45-64 years old at the time of enrollment during 1986-1989. Approximately 80% of eligible men participated in the study. At the time of recruitment, each cohort subject was interviewed in-person by a trained nurse interviewer using a structured questionnaire that included background information, history of tobacco and alcohol use, current diet, and medical history. At the completion of the interview, the nurse collected a 10 ml blood and a single void urine specimen from the study participant. The buccal cell samples were collected from all surviving cohort members (~15,000) in the 2001-2002 follow-up interviews. The cohort has been followed for the occurrence of cancer and death through routine ascertainment of new cases from the population-based Shanghai Cancer Registry and Shanghai Vital Statistics Units. To maximize the cancer findings and minimize the loss of follow-up, we contacted each surviving cohort member annually. Retired nurses visit the last known address of each living cohort member and record details of the interim health history of the cohort member. As of December 31, 2014, cumulatively 612 (3.4%) original subjects were lost to follow-up, and 574 (3.1%) refused to our continued follow-up interview. A nested case-control study of incident lung cancer cases within the Shanghai Cohort Study was used to examine the association between serum levels of vitamin B6 and other compounds in the one-carbon metabolism pathway and risk of lung cancer. Briefly, 516 lung cancer cases were identified among cohort participants with available serum samples as of 12/31/2006. For each case, we randomly selected one control subject from all cohort members who were free of cancer and alive at the time of cancer diagnosis of the index case. Controls were matched to the index case by age at enrollment (±2 years), date of biospecimen collection (±1 month) and neighborhood of residence at recruitment, and smoking status (current, former and never smokers) as established previously for other studies. For former smokers, cases and controls were further matched by years since quitting smoking (<10 vs ≥10 years). One serum vial per subject was retrieved from biorepository and all serum samples were sent to the laboratory (B-vital) for measurements. DNA samples of 250 lung cancer cases and 250 matched controls were available for the present study. The Singapore Chinese Health Study (SCHS) cohort consisted of 63,257 Chinese men and women in Singapore when they were 45-74 years old at the time of enrollment between April 1993 and December 1998. At recruitment, each study subject was interviewed in person by a trained interviewer using a structured questionnaire that emphasized current diet assessed via a validated, 165-item food frequency questionnaire. The questionnaire also requested information on demographics, lifetime use of tobacco, incense use, current physical activity, usual sleep duration, reproductive history (women only), occupational exposure, medical history, and family history of cancer. Blood or buccal cell, and spot urine samples were collected first from a random 3% sample of cohort participants in April 1994, and extended to all surviving cohort participants starting in January 2000. Overall approximately 60% of eligible cohort participants donated biospecimens. The cohort has been passively followed for death and cancer occurrence through regular record linkage with the population-based Singapore Cancer Registry and the Singapore Registry of Births and Deaths. Migration out of Singapore, especially among housing estate residents, was negligible. As of latest update, only 55 individuals from this cohort were known to be lost to follow-up due to migration and other reason. A nested case-control study of incident lung cancer cases within the Singapore Chinese Health Study was used to examine the association between serum levels of vitamin B6 and other compounds in the one-carbon metabolism pathway and risk of lung cancer. As of 12/31/2011, 422 lung cancer cases were identified among cohort participants with available prediagnostic plasma samples. For each case, one control subject was randomly selected from all eligible cohort members who were alive and free of cancer on the date of cancer diagnosis of the index case. The control subject was individually matched to the index case by gender, dialect group (Hokkien, Cantonese), age at enrollment (±3 years), date of baseline interview (±2 year), date of biospecimen collection (±6 months), and smoking status (current, former, and never smokers). For current smokers, cases and controls were further matched by number of cigarettes per day (<15, ≥15 cigarettes/day). For former smokers, cases and controls were further matched by years since quitting smoking (<10, ≥10 years). One plasma aliquot per subject was retrieved from the biorepository and all plasma samples were sent to the laboratory (B-vital) for measurements, and one aliquot of DNA per subject for the present study. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) L2 Study. Lung cancer cases and controls were recruited through a multicentric case-control study coordinated by the IARC in Russia, Poland, Serbia, Czech Republic, and Romania from 2005 to 2013. Cases were incident cancer patients collected from general hospitals. Controls were recruited from individuals visiting general hospitals and out-patient clinics for disorders unrelated to lung cancer and/or its associated risk factors, or from the general population. Information on lifestyle risk factors, medical and family history was collected from subjects by interview using a standard questionnaire. All study participants provided written informed consent. The current study included 1,133 lung cancer cases and 1,117 controls genotyped on the Oncoarray. The Washington State University Lung Cancer Study is a hospital case-control study of 511 subjects with newly-diagnosed (within 1 year of diagnosis) lung cancer and 820 race-, sex- and age-matched controls. Lung cancer cases were recruited from lung cancer clinics within the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center while controls were recruited from the Lifetime Cancer Screening Center, a H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center affiliate. None of the controls were diagnosed with any form of cancer at the time of screening. Detailed questionnaire data and oral buccal cells were collected for all subjects. The Total Lung Cancer (TLC) Study is a hospital-based study that included 458 lung cancer patients recruited for Moffitt Cancer Center's Total Cancer Care™ protocol between April 2006 and August 2010. Total Cancer Care™ is a multi-institutional observational study of cancer patients that prospectively collects self-reported demographic and clinical data, medical record information and blood samples for research purposes. All patients used in this cohort were recruited from the Thoracic Oncology Clinic at the Moffitt Cancer Center. The Vanderbilt Lung Cancer Study (BioVU) is a case-control study nested within the Vanderbilt University Medical Center biobank, BioVU. BioVU is a biorepository of DNA extracted from blood drawn from patients seeking routine clinical care at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and linked to de-identified electronic health records for research purposes. Lung cancer cases and controls were identified from BioVU participants in February 2014. Lung cancer cases were identified from the Vanderbilt tumor registry. All specimens undergo pathologic review for determination of morphology. Coding of histology was based on SEER Program Coding Guidelines. Controls were randomly selected from BioVU participants, excluding cancer patients, and were matched to cases on age (± 5 years), sex, and race. Relevant covariates were identified from electronic health records using natural language processing. Genomic DNA was extracted based on a standard protocol.

  Study phs001273

• Heart Failure Network - Renal Optimization Strategies Evaluation in Acute Heart Failure and Reliable Evaluation of Dyspnea (HFN ROSE-BioLINCC)

  ObjectivesTo test the two independent hypotheses that when compared to placebo, addition of: (1) low dose dopamine; or (2) low dose nesiritide to diuretic therapy will enhance decongestion and preserve renal function in patients with acute heart failure and renal dysfunction.Background A primary treatment goal in acute heart failure is to achieve adequate decongestion while avoiding renal dysfunction and other side effects. Patients with acute heart failure and moderate or severe renal dysfunction are at risk for inadequate decongestion and worsening renal function - both of which are associated with worse outcomes. Renal adjuvant therapies that enhance decongestion and preserve renal function during treatment of acute heart failure are needed. Dopamine is an endogenous catecholamine which, at low doses, may selectively activate dopamine receptors and promote renal vasodilatation. Previous studies have suggested that the addition of low dose dopamine to diuretic therapy enhances decongestion and preserves renal function during diuretic therapy in acute heart failure; however, these studies were small with variable study designs and dopamine doses. B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) is a cardiac peptide with vasodilating, renin and aldosterone inhibiting, natriuretic and diuretic properties. Nesiritide is human recombinant BNP approved for management of acute heart failure. The recommended dose lowers blood pressure and atrial pressures and produces modest improvement in dyspnea, but does not favorably impact clinical outcomes or renal function, potentially due to its hypotensive effects. Small studies using low dose nesiritide in acute heart failure and cardiac surgery patients have demonstrated favorable effects on urine output and renal function. Therefore, the Renal Optimization Strategies Evaluation (ROSE) trial was initiated to determine the benefits and safety of intravenous administration of low dose nesiritide or low dose dopamine in patients with congestive heart failure and kidney dysfunction. ParticipantsA total of 360 participants were enrolled. Design Participants were enrolled within 24 hours of hospital admission and randomized in a 1:1 ratio to the nesiritide or dopamine strategies. Participants randomized to the dopamine strategy were randomized in a double-blind 2:1 ratio to low dose dopamine (2 µg/kg/min for 72 hours infused via local guideline stipulated vascular access) or placebo. Participants randomized to the nesiritide strategy were randomized in a double-blind 2:1 ratio to low dose nesiritide (0.005 μg/kg/min for 72 hours infused via peripheral intravenous access without initial bolus) or placebo. All participants received open-label, intravenous loop diuretic treatment with a recommended total daily dose equal to 2.5x the total daily oral outpatient furosemide (or equivalent) dose at 7 days prior to admission up to a maximum of 600 mg/day. Participants naive to outpatient loop diuretics received 80 mg/day of intravenous furosemide. One-half of the total daily diuretic dose was administered as a bolus twice daily for at least 24 hours. Use of other medications and diuretic dosing after 24 hours were at the discretion of the clinician. All participants were placed on a 2000 mg sodium diet and 2000 cc fluid restriction. After the primary endpoint assessment at 72 hours, study drug was discontinued and subsequent treatment was at the clinician's discretion. The two co-primary endpoints were the 72-hour cumulative urinary volume as an index of decongestion efficacy and the change in cystatin-C from randomization to 72 hours as a measure of renal function preservation. Conclusions In participants with acute heart failure and renal dysfunction, neither low-dose dopamine nor low-dose nesiritide enhanced decongestion or improved renal function when added to diuretic therapy.

  Study phs003589

• GECCO: Detecting Common and Rare Genetic Loci and GxE Interactions in Colorectal Cancer

  COLON, Colorectal Cancer: Longitudinal Observational study on Nutritional and lifestyle factors that influence colorectal tumor recurrence, survival and quality of life: The COLON study is a multi-center prospective cohort study to assess the role of diet and other lifestyle factors in cancer recurrence and survival among incident colorectal cancer patients in the Netherlands. DACHS, Darmkrebs: Chancen der Verhütung durch Screening:This German study was initiated as a large population-based case-control study in 2003 in the Rhine-Neckar-Odenwald region (southwest region of Germany) to assess the potential of endoscopic screening for reduction of colorectal cancer risk and to investigate etiologic determinants of disease, particularly lifestyle/environmental factors and genetic factors. During an in-person interview, data were collected on demographics, medical history, family history of CRC, and various life-style factors, as were blood and mouthwash samples. EPIC, European Prospective Investigation into Cancer: EPIC is an on-going multicenter prospective cohort study designed to investigate the associations between diet, lifestyle, genetic and environmental factors and various types of cancer. HPFS, Health Professionals Follow-up Study: HPFS is a parallel prospective study to the NHS. The HPFS cohort comprised 51,529 men aged 40-75 who, in 1986, responded to a mailed questionnaire. Participants provided information on health related exposures, including current and past smoking history, age, weight, height, diet, physical activity, aspirin use, and family history of colorectal cancer. Colorectal cancer and other outcomes were reported by participants or next-of-kin and were followed up through review of the medical and pathology record by physicians. Overall, more than 97% of self-reported colorectal cancers were confirmed by medical record review. Information was abstracted on histology and primary location. Follow-up evaluation has been excellent, with 94% of the men responding to date. NHS, Nurses' Health Study: The NHS cohort began in 1976 when 121,700 married female registered nurses age 30-55 years returned the initial questionnaire that ascertained a variety of important health-related exposures [PMID:248266]. Since 1976, follow-up questionnaires have been mailed every 2 years. Colorectal cancer and other outcomes were reported by participants or next-of-kin and followed up through review of the medical and pathology record by physicians. Overall, more than 97% of self-reported colorectal cancers were confirmed by medical-record review. Information was abstracted on histology and primary location. The rate of follow-up evaluation has been high: as a proportion of the total possible follow-up time, follow-up evaluation has been more than 92%. NQplus, Nutrition Questionnaires plus: NQplus is a longitudinal observational study on diet and health in the general Dutch population.

  Study phs001315

• Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes (ACCORD) Clinical Trial

  The Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes (ACCORD) clinical trial was a randomized, multicenter, double 2 x 2 factorial design study involving 10,251 middle-aged and older participants with type-2 diabetes who are at high risk for CVD events because of existing CVD or additional risk factors. The purpose of ACCORD was to determine if intensive glycemic control, intensive lipid management and intensive blood pressure control could prevent major cardiovascular events (myocardial infarction, stroke or cardiovascular death) in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Secondary hypotheses included treatment differences in other cardiovascular outcomes, total mortality, microvascular outcomes, health-related quality of life and cost-effectiveness. The ACCORD trial failed to show a beneficial effect of intensive blood pressure or lipid therapy on the primary outcome, and intensive glycemia management actually increased mortality. The hypothesis underlying this ancillary study is that the failure of ACCORD to achieve its goal of reducing cardiovascular risk in diabetic patients through intensive management of hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, and hypertension may be the result of variation in drug response due to genetic variation between individual participants. Benefits of intensive therapy may accrue to subsets of subjects with specific genetic variants predisposing to efficacious responses to particular therapeutic regimens, and harms may accrue to those with other variants predisposing to poor efficacy or adverse events. Identifying these variants could lead to a precision medicine approach to treating diabetes where each patient's genetic profile could identify the most efficacious treatment regimen with the lowest likelihood of adverse events. To test this hypothesis, a genome-wide genetic analysis was undertaken, incorporating both common variants distributed across the genome and rare variants targeted to exonic regions. Associations of genetic variants with short term responses to individual medicines as well as long term outcomes were investigated. The dataset is composed of genetic data from the ~6100 participants who agreed to participate in the ACCORD optional genetic studies and who allowed broad investigator access to their samples and the data derived from those samples, and from whom a DNA sample of sufficient quality was obtained. While a total of 8514 participants consented to the optional genetics studies, not all consented to broad investigator access, and those who did not are not included in this dataset, although they were also genotyped. Access to these additional genotypes can only be obtained by direct collaboration with the investigators of this study. Phenotype data used in the association analyses are derived from the ACCORD public release clinical data set, which has been made available through BioLINCC.

  Study phs001411

• 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

• Atezolizumab Plus Personalized Neoantigen Vaccination in Patients with Urothelial Cancer: a Phase 1 Trial

  This is a phase 1 single center clinical trial evaluating a multi-peptide personalized neoantigen vaccine, PGV001, in combination with atezolizumab for patients with urothelial cancer. Patients were enrolled in either the adjuvant or metastatic setting. Those in the adjuvant setting included patients considered high risk of recurrence (pathological stage ypT2-T4 or ypN+ for those treated with prior neoadjuvant chemotherapy or pT3-T4 or pN+ for those not treated with prior neoadjuvant chemotherapy). Those in the metastatic setting included patients progressing after prior chemotherapy or those with at least stable disease after chemotherapy treated as “switch maintenance” therapy. The primary endpoint was feasibility (including the number of neoantigens identified per patient, vaccine production time, the proportion of patients consenting to the vaccine development phase for whom a vaccine product was prepared, and the proportion of patients eligible for the treatment phase who completed the priming cycle 1 of PGV001 plus atezolizumab) and safety. Secondary endpoints included the objective response rate, progression-free survival or disease-free survival, overall survival, and immunomodulatory effects of treatment. Urothelial tumor tissue and normal tissue or peripheral blood specimens were utilized for DNA sequencing. HLA typing was performed utilizing genomic DNA isolated from whole blood, and RNA sequencing was performed utilizing tumor tissue specimens. Neoantigen prediction and final selection for incorporation into the vaccine was determined by the OpenVax computational pipeline. 12 patients were initially enrolled into the vaccine development phase and 10 patients initiated the treatment phase. PGV001 was administered with poly-ICLC and tetanus peptide on subsequent days for up to 10 doses, including an initial priming cycle 1. Atezolizumab was administered every 3 weeks for up to 1 year in the adjuvant setting or 2 years in the metastatic setting. The vaccine was feasible and safe, the median vaccine production time was 20.3 weeks, and 100% of patients that initiated the treatment phase completed the priming cycle. The most common treatment-related adverse events were local grade 1 injection site reactions, fever, and fatigue. Three of the 4 patients in the adjuvant setting remained disease-free at median follow-up of 39.5 months. There was a 40% objective response rate among patients with measurable disease in the metastatic setting. The single patient treated as “switch maintenance” therapy remained with no evidence of disease at 39.4 month follow-up. All patients demonstrated on-treatment neoantigen-specific T cell reactivity, as measured by ELISPOT and flow cytometry assays. Overall, PGV001 plus atezolizumab was feasible, safe, and warrants further investigation. Whole exome sequencing from tumor tissue and normal tissue or whole blood specimens and RNA sequencing from tumor tissue specimens will be available through dbGaP.

  Study phs003922

• Somatic mutation burden and copy-number variation analysis in neurofibromatosis type 1-associated plexiform neurofibromas

  Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is a common tumor-predisposition disorder due to germline mutations in the tumor suppressor gene NF1. A virtually pathognomonic finding of NF1 is the plexiform neurofibroma (PN), a benign, likely congenital tumor that arises from biallelic inactivation of NF1. PN can undergo transformation to a malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor, an aggressive soft-tissue sarcoma. To better understand the non-NF1 genetic contributions to PN pathogenesis, we performed whole-exome sequencing and genome-wide copy-number determination for 23 low-passage Schwann cell cultures established from surgical PN material with matching germline DNA. All resected tumors were derived from routine debulking surgeries. None of the tumors were considered at risk for malignant transformation at the time, e.g., there was no pain or rapid growth. Deep (~500X) NF1 exon sequencing was also conducted on tumor DNA. Non-NF1 somatic mutation verification was performed using the Ampliseq/IonTorrent platform. We identified 100% of the germline NF1 mutations and found somatic NF1 inactivation in 74% of the PN. One individual with three PNs had different NF1 somatic mutations in each tumor. The median number of somatic mutations per sample, including NF1, was one (range 0 - 8). NF1 was the only gene that was recurrently somatically inactivated in multiple tumors. We found no recurrent non-NF1 locus copy-number variation in PN. This is the first multi-sample whole-exome sequencing study of NF1-associated PN. Taken together with concurrent copy-number data, our comprehensive genetic analysis reveals the primacy of NF1 loss as the driver of PN tumorigenesis.

  Study phs001403

• GEnetics of Nephropathy - an International Effort (GENIE) GWAS of Diabetic Nephropathy in the UK GoKinD and All-Ireland Cohorts

  Diabetic kidney disease, or diabetic nephropathy (DN), is one of the leading causes of end-stage renal disease in the United States and worldwide. DN is a common complication of long-standing type 1 and type 2 diabetes. The clinical course is characterized by development of proteinuria and gradual loss of kidney function. Although existing treatments that decrease proteinuria have been shown to moderately abate progression of diabetic kidney disease, many affected patients, who do not die from cardiovascular disease, go on to develop terminal renal failure, necessitating costly renal replacement therapies, such as dialysis and renal transplantation. Type 1 diabetes (T1D) can have its onset in childhood and affected individuals often develop end-stage renal disease in early adulthood, leading to further loss of quality of life. The genetic basis of the disease is not well understood. The GENIE (GEnetics of Nephropathy an International Effort) consortium was initiated to perform the most comprehensive and well powered DN susceptibility genome wide association study (GWAS) analysis to date, using the largest collection of type 1 diabetics with and without kidney disease across four study cohorts. The UK-ROI samples were genotyped as part of this project. UK-ROI Sample Description The UK-ROI collection consists of samples derived from the Republic of Ireland (Dr. Catherine Godson, PI, at University College, Dublin, Ireland) and the United Kingdom (Warren 3 and Genetics of Kidneys in Diabetes UK, UK GoKinD, Dr. Alexander P. Maxwell, PI, at Queen's University of Belfast, UK). All study subjects met the inclusion criteria: white individuals with T1D, diagnosed before 31 years of age, whose parents and grandparents were born in the British Isles.

  Study phs000389

• Genomic Studies of Bipolar Disorder in a Large Cohort from The Netherlands

  The transcriptomes of whole blood samples of a large cohort of individuals from the Netherlands were assayed using RNA-seq. These whole blood samples included patients diagnosed with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, family members of patients, and healthy controls. Within the whole blood dataset, about 600 of the samples were sequenced to an average of 13.9 million mapped reads per sample, while about 2,000 were sequenced to an average of 5.9 million mapped reads per sample, in order to assess changes in power to detect eQTLs based on sample size. We find that expression, defined as the log transcripts per million reads (TPMs), is highly correlated when comparing the moderate (13.9M) and lower (5.9M) coverage datasets. Additionally, a subset of about 150 individuals provided fibroblast cell lines which were assessed for the levels of gene expression using RNA-seq at an average of 50 million mapped reads per sample. We use downsampling techniques to generate synthetic datasets derived from this real fibroblast RNA-Seq data to explore the relationship between coverage and number individuals in an eQTL analysis. Corresponding individual-level genotypes for the samples included in the expression matrix are also made available. The genotypes were derived from multiple other project cohorts, each using different genotyping platforms including OmniExpress Exome, Global Screening Array, Illumina550, and PsychChip. A Plink file set of these cohorts is provided here after merging the separate project file sets and extracting only the individuals who have expression data also provided here; quality control for SNP-missingness is recommended. We demonstrate in this study that given a fixed budget, eQTL discovery power can be increased by lowering the sequencing depth per sample to allow for an a greater number of individuals sequenced. 

  Study phs002856

• A Polygenic Score for Acute Vaso-Occlusive Pain in Pediatric Sickle Cell Disease

  Recurrent acute pain, or vaso-occlusive pain crisis (VOP), is the most common complication of sickle cell disease and correlates strongly with increased hospital visits and early mortality (PMID: 1710777). While the genetics of VOP in sickle cell patients has been studied (PMID: 29205277, 27883292, 25102390, 30079801, 22925497, 29531649, 29620434, 19468207, 20172753, 22576309, 30031848, 24136375, 27603703, 29559808), it is not fully understood.Using whole genome sequencing, we interrogated the α-thalassemia deletion -α3.7 and 133 candidate single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) across 66 genes for associations with VOP in 327 SCCRIP participants followed longitudinally over 6 years. Twenty-one SNPs in 9 loci were associated with VOP, including 3 (BCL11A, MYB, and the β-like globin gene cluster) that regulate erythrocyte fetal hemoglobin (HbF) levels and 6 (COMT, TBC1D1, KCNJ6, FAAH, NR3C1, and IL1A) that were associated previously with various pain syndromes. An unweighted PGS integrating all 21 SNPs was associated with the VOP event rate (estimate, 0.35; standard error, 0.04; P = 5.9 × 10−14) and VOP event occurrence (estimate, 0.42; standard error, 0.06; P = 4.1 × 10−13). These associations were stronger than those of any single locus. Our findings provide insights into the genetic modulation of VOP in children with SCD. More generally, we demonstrate the utility of WGS for investigating genetic contributions to the variable expression of SCD-associated morbidities.For publications, written, and/or oral presentations resulting from use of this data, please cite the following information: "The original data description for A Polygenic Score for Acute Vaso-Occlusive Pain in Pediatric Sickle Cell Disease can be found here: (Journal Citation Blood Adv. 2021 Jul 27;5(14):2839-2851) (PMID: 34283174)."

  Study phs002470

• Kids First Pediatric Research Study in Familial Predisposition to Hematopoietic Malignancies (SJFAMILY-HM)

  The Gabriella Miller Kids First Pediatric Research Program (Kids First) is a trans-NIH effort initiated in response to the 2014 Gabriella Miller Kids First Research Act and supported by the NIH Common Fund. This program focuses on gene discovery in pediatric cancers and structural birth defects and the development of the Gabriella Miller Kids First Pediatric Data Resource (Kids First Data Resource). All of the WGS and phenotypic data from this study are accessible through dbGaP and kidsfirstdrc.org, where other Kids First datasets can also be accessed. Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the commonest childhood tumor and a leading cause of cancer death in children, adolescents and young adults. Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma are also important hematologic malignancies (HM) that occur in children. Each are genetic diseases with growing evidence for a germline predisposition of both familial and sporadic cases, however the inherited genetic basis of ALL/lymphoma are poorly understood. Such knowledge is essential to gain mechanistic insight into the basis of tumor formation, and to guide genetic counseling and genetic management. Here we have assembled a large collection of familial HM kindreds, and extended recurrence cohorts of ALL and HL which will be used to identify the genetic basis of familial HM, examine the frequency of germline variants in sporadic ALL and HL, and to integrate inherited and somatic genomic data. These studies have high potential to provide fundamental new insights into the inherited genetic basis of HM, to provide important information to guide clinical management, and to provide an invaluable public resource of genomic data.

  Study phs001738

• Cell-Free DNA Genomic and Fragmentomic Features for Early Outcome Prediction in Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma

  Purpose: Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) patients need an accurate and early risk stratification strategy as prompt therapy escalation may improve outcome. Patients and methods: We evaluated cell free DNA (cfDNA) genomic and fragmentomic features in 190 patients with large B-cell lymphoma from more than 40 hospitals in the Benelux using Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS). We defined a new metric called ACT score (Aberrations, Contribution of short fragments, Terminal motif analyses) by combining four cfDNA signals and evaluated its performance to predict end-of-treatment (EOT) response and survival. Results: Individual cfDNA features and ACT score were altered per EOT response after one cycle of treatment (T1). The ACT score at T1 outperformed all individual cfDNA features in predicting EOT response (AUC = 0.74). Patients with a positive ACT score had an inferior outcome compared to ACT score negative patients [progression-free survival (PFS): HR 5.0 (95% CI 3.1-8.2), log-rank test, p < 0.0001) and overall survival (OS): HR 6.5 (95% CI 3.5-12.2), log-rank test, p < 0.0001]. The 2-year PFS in ACT score positive and negative patients were 29.8% and 78.1%, respectively. The prognostic value of the ACT score is independent of the International Prognostic Index and interim imaging. Conclusions: ACT score computed from a single plasma sample collected after one cycle of treatment can predict clinical outcome. This low-cost and easy-to-interpret test does not require tissue biopsies or a priori knowledge of mutations and has the potential to aid patient selection in interventional clinical trials and risk-adapted treatment strategies.

  Study EGAS50000000412

• Confronting historical legacies of biological anthropology in South Africa—Restitution, redress and community-centered science: The Sutherland Nine

  We describe a process of restitution of nine unethically acquired human skeletons to their families, together with attempts at redress. Between 1925–1927 C.E., the skeletonised remains of nine San or Khoekhoe people, eight of them known-in-life, were removed from their graves on the farm Kruisrivier, near Sutherland in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa. They were donated to the Anatomy Department at the University of Cape Town. This was done without the knowledge or permission of their families. The donor was a medical student who removed the remains from the labourers’ cemetery on his family farm. Nearly 100 years later, the remains are being returned to their community, accompanied by a range of community-driven interdisciplinary historical, archaeological and analytical (osteobiographic, craniofacial, ancient DNA, stable isotope) studies to document, as far as possible, their lives and deaths. The restitution process began by contacting families living in the same area with the same surnames as the deceased. The restitution and redress process prioritises the descendant families’ memories, wishes and desire to understand the situation, and learn more about their ancestors. The descendant families have described the process as helping them to reconnect with their ancestors. A richer appreciation of their ancestors’ lives, gained in part from scientific analyses, culminating with reburial, is hoped to aid the descendant families and wider community in [re-]connecting with their heritage and culture, and contribute to restorative justice, reconciliation and healing while confronting a traumatic historical moment. While these nine individuals were exhumed as specimens, they will be reburied as people.

  Study EGAS50000000971

• A Multifactorial Tumor and Immune Cell Profile Determines Response to Immune Checkpoint blockade in Melanoma

  The complex crosstalk between tumor and immune cells during immune checkpoint blockade mandates the development of integrated models that interpret the anti-tumor immune response and predict clinical outcome. We have integrated genome-wide sequence and structural alterations with pre and on-therapy transcriptomic and T cell repertoire features for a cohort of 64 immunotherapy-naïve melanomas treated with anti-PD1 monotherapy or combined anti-PD1 and anti-CTLA4 therapy. While tumor mutation burden (TMB) was associated with improved response to therapy, expressed mutation burden was superior to TMB in predicting outcome. An increased pre-existing T cell density differentiated responding from non-responding tumors independent of therapy. Importantly, T cell repertoire reshaping determined by T cell receptor (TCR) clonotypic regressions and expansions reflected response to therapy such that a more dynamic repertoire predicted improved clinical outcome. Through whole-transcriptome analyses, we discovered differential abundance of B cell subsets in responding tumors, which highlights the importance of the interplay between pre-existing T and B cell immunity in shaping therapeutic response. Tumor temporal trajectories during therapy revealed distinct patterns of molecular response related to expressed mutation elimination or retention that accurately interpreted clinical response. High-dimensional genomic, transcriptomic and immune repertoire data were integrated by both a machine learning and a censored regression approach, resulting in a harmonized multi-modal predictor of response to immune checkpoint blockade. B cell abundance, expressed mutation load and tumor aneuploidy were combined to identify patients at high risk for recurrence, such that high risk patients had a significantly shorter progression-free survival (HR=9.18, 95% CI: 3.14-26.85, p=3.4e-06) especially in the anti-PD1/anti-CTLA4 group (HR=20.34, 95% CI: 4.08-101.32, p=1.68e-06).

  Study EGAS00001004548

• Stromal-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition induces drug resistance in acute lymphoblastic leukemia

  Bone marrow (BM) microenvironment-induced drug resistance in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is thought to be mediated by intercellular interaction of leukemic cells with BM niches, but the mechanistic basis of resistance is poorly understood. Here, we genomic and functional analyses, we show that ALL-BM mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) interactions encompass direct cell-cell adhesion via integrin α4β1, uni-directional secretion of soluble factors from MSC to ALL, and bidirectional transfer of cellular vesicles through tunneling nanotubes. We show that this crosstalk drives an epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-like program in ALL cells adhering to MSC, thereby triggering stem cell-like features including drug resistance and survival advantage. Moreover, single-cell RNA sequencing of cell line and primary ALL samples identified a hybrid cell state derived from B-ALL adhered to MSC, that exhibits both B-ALL and MSC gene signatures that are orchestrated by an EMT-like program. Multiple EMT-activating pathways including WNT/β-catenin, cytokine/STAT3, TGFβ, NOTCH1, and NF-κB-dependent signaling pathways are activated in MSC-adherent ALL cells; however, only the inhibition of either WNT/β-catenin or cytokine/STAT3 pathway could attenuate the survival and drug resistance of ALL cells adherent to MSC. Notably, we identified that this hybrid cell state exhibited elevated WNT/β-catenin-mediated transcriptional activity. Finally, we show that blocking of the interaction of β-catenin and CBP interaction abrogates the survival and drug resistance of ALL cells adhered to MSC, indicating that targeting of an EMT-like program is potential therapeutic regimen in targeting cell extrinsically acquired drug resistance in ALL.

  Study EGAS00001006120

• Evolutionary dynamics of residual disease in human glioblastoma

  Glioblastoma is the most common and aggressive adult brain malignancy against which conventional surgery and chemoradiation provide limited benefit. Even when a good treatment response is obtained, recurrence inevitably occurs either locally (c.80%) or distally (c.20%), driven by cancer clones that are often genomically distinct from those in the primary tumour. Glioblastoma cells display a characteristic infiltrative phenotype, invading the surrounding tissue and often spreading across the whole brain. We hypothesised that cancer cells responsible for relapse reside in two compartments of residual disease that are left behind after treatment: the infiltrated normal brain parenchyma, and the sub-ventricular zone (SVZ). In this model, residual disease subclones diverge early during glioblastoma evolution, may remain dormant in the normal parenchyma and are responsible for recurrence. To test our hypothesis, we performed whole-exome sequencing of 69 multi- region samples collected using fluorescence-guided resection from 11 patients, including the infiltrating tumour margin (M) and the SVZ for each patient, as well as matched blood. We used a phylogenomic approach to dissect the spatio-temporal evolution of each tumour and unveil the relation between residual disease and the main tumour mass. We also analysed two patients with paired primary-recurrence samples with matched residual disease. Our results suggest that the infiltrative phenotype is an early evolutionary trait of glioblastoma, giving rise to the tumour mass detected at surgery. After treatment, the same infiltrative clone may seed the growth of a recurrent tumour, thus representing the ‘missing link’ between the primary tumour and recurrent disease. These results are consistent with recognised clinical phenotypic behaviour and suggest that more specific therapeutic targeting of cells in the infiltrated brain parenchyma may improve patient’s outcome.

  Study EGAS00001003043

• The Immune Microenvironment, Genome–Wide Copy Number Aberrations and Survival in Mesothelioma

  IntroductionResults of recent clinical studies of immune checkpoint inhibitors in malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) have dampened initial enthusiasm. However, the immune environment and targets of these treatments such as program cell death protein 1 (PD-1) and its ligand PD-L1 have not been well characterised in MPM. Using a large cohort of patients, we investigated PD-L1 expression, immune infiltrates and genome-wide copy number status and correlated them to clinicopathological features.Patients and methodsTissue microarrays were constructed and stained with PD-L1(clone E1L3N, CST), CD4, CD8 and FOXP3 antibodies. PD-L1 positivity was defined as ≥5% membranous staining regardless of intensity and PD-L1+hi as ≥50%. Genomic DNA from a representative subset of 113 patients was used for genome-wide copy number analysis. The percent genome alteration (PGA) was computed as a proxy for genomic instability, and statistical analyses were used to relate copy number aberrations (CNA) to other variables.ResultsAmongst 329 patients evaluated, PD-L1+ was detected in 130/311 (41.7%), but PD-L1+hi was only seen in 30/311 (9.6%). PD-L1+ correlated with non–epithelioid histology and increased infiltration with CD4+, CD8+ and FOXP3+ lymphocytes. PD-L1+hi expression correlated with worse prognosis (HR = 2.37; 95%CI= 1.57-3.56; P &lt; 0.001) on univariate analysis, but not in multivariate analysis. Higher PGA was associated with epithelioid histology and poorer survival (HR = 1.59; 95%CI= 1.01-2.5; P = 0.04), but not PD-L1 expression.ConclusionPD-L1 expression was associated with non-epithelioid MPM, poor clinical outcome and increased immunological infiltrates. Increased genomic instability did not correlate with PD-L1 expression, but was associated with poorer survival.

  Study EGAS00001002323

• Survival Benefit and Genetic Profile of Pemetrexed as Initial Chemotherapy in Selected Chinese Patients with Advanced Lung Adenocarcinoma

  We retrospectively collected patients (n=1047) enrolled in the Chinese Patient Assistance Program from multiple centers who received pemetrexed alone or combined with platinum as initial chemotherapy and continued pemetrexed maintenance therapy for advanced lung adenocarcinoma from November 2014 to June 2017. The outcomes were duration of treatment (DOT) and overall survival (OS). Clinical features were analyzed for their influence on the treatment effect and prognosis. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) was performed to identify genetic biomarkers associated with the efficacy of pemetrexed. The median DOT was 9.1 months (95% CI: 8.5-9.8), and the median OS was 26.2 months (95% CI: 24.2-28.1). OS was positively correlated with DOT (r=0.403, P&lt;0.001). Multivariable analysis showed that smoking status and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status (PS) were independently associated with DOT; smoking status, ECOG PS, targeted therapy, and EGFR/ALK/ROS1 status were independently associated with OS. NGS in 22 patients with available samples showed genes with high mutation rates were: TP53 (54.5%), EGFR (50.0%), MYC (18.2%), PIK3CA (13.6%). When grouped based on progression-free survival (PFS) reported in the PARAMOUNT study, the DOT &gt;6.9 months set was associated with PIK3CA, ALK, BRINP3, CDKN2A, CSMD3, EPHA3, KRAS, and RB1 mutations, while ERBB2 mutation was observed only in the DOT ≤6.9 months set. This study shows that initial chemotherapy with pemetrexed is an effective regimen for advanced lung adenocarcinoma in selected Chinese patients. There is no specific genetic profile predicting the benefit of pemetrexed found by NGS. Biomarkers predicting the efficacy of pemetrexed need further exploration.

  Study EGAS00001004546

• Genetic immune escape landscape in primary and metastatic cancer

  Immune surveillance escape is a hallmark of tumorigenesis1. Multiple studies have characterized the immune escape landscape across several untreated early-stage primary cancer types2–4. However, whether late-stage treated metastatic tumors present differences in genetic immune escape (GIE) prevalence and dynamics remains unclear. Here, we performed a pan-cancer characterization of GIE prevalence across six immune escape pathways in 6,457 uniformly processed Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) tumor samples including 58 cancer types from 1,943 primary untreated patients and 4,514 metastatic patients. To effectively address the complexity of the Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA-I) locus and to characterize its tumor status, we developed LILAC, an open-source integrative framework. We demonstrate that one in four tumors harbor GIE alterations, with high mechanistic and frequency variability across cancer types. GIE prevalence is highly consistent between primary and metastatic tumors for most cancer types with few exceptions such as prostate and thyroid carcinomas that have increased immune evasion frequencies in metastatic tumors. Positive selection analysis revealed that GIE alterations are frequently selected for in tumor evolution and that focal LOH of HLA-I, unlike non-focal LOH of HLA-I, tends to lose the HLA allele that presents the largest neoepitope repertoire. We also unraveled tumor genomic features contributing to immune escape incidence, including DNA repair deficiency, APOBEC activity, tobacco associated mutation load and viral DNA integration. Finally, there is a strong tendency for mid and high tumor mutation burden (TMB) tumors to preferentially select LOH of HLA-I for GIE whereas hypermutated samples favor global immune evasion strategies. Our results indicate that genetic immune escape is generally a pre-metastatic event during tumor evolution and that tumors adapt different strategies depending on their neoepitope burden.

  Study EGAS00001006123

• Clonal Evolution and Transcriptomic Analysis of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Treated with Ibrutinib

  Disease progression has been increasingly appreciated with the use of ibrutinib to treat chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Understanding the pattern of clonal evolution and transcriptomic changes during the early treatment period with ibrutinib may provide insight into the mechanisms of resistance. We performed whole exome sequencing on sequential samples with matched germline controls from 61 patients with CLL during the first 12 months of ibrutinib monotherapy or ibrutinib in combination with rituximab. Additionally, RNA sequencing was done on a subset of 14 patients treated with ibrutinib monotherapy. The presence of clonal shifts was associated with an increased risk of disease progression, suggesting that resistant clones are more likely to emerge in CLL with greater evolutionary capacity.This cohort was later augmented with additional data (including data from 15 additional patients). In total, this second set of data contained whole exome sequencing (31 samples), RNA sequencing (6 samples) and reduced representation bisulfite sequencing (67 samples) for CLL samples and used them to identify expression subtypes of CLL. In an integrative analysis of genetic, transcriptomic, and epigenetic data, incorporating known and newly identified subtypes of CLL, we built new models to improve patient prognostication.

  Study phs001473