12504 results for ""non-traditional+communal+storytelling+approach"+novel+segment+noted+in+critical+commentary"

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• Mutational landscape of eccrine porocarcinoma (sweat gland tumour)

  Eccrine porocarcinoma (EP) is the most common form of sweat gland malignancy. The aetiology of EP is largely unknown. The current lack of data on somatic mutation patterns in EP hampers the development of effective therapies. We performed whole-exome sequencing in a well-characterized sample of 14 matched EP tumour/healthy surrounding tissue samples. Mutational profiling revealed a high overall median mutation rate. This was attributed to signatures of mutational processes related to ultraviolet (UV) exposure, APOBEC enzyme dysregulation, and defective homologous double-strand break repair. All of these processes cause genomic instability and are implicated in carcinogenesis. The analyses revealed alterations in the cancer driver genes and in crucial oncogenic pathways.

  Study EGAS00001004632

• The Effects of Long-Term Heavy Metal Exposure on Transcriptome Landscape in Human Peripheral Blood Cells

  The present study investigates the impact of long-term residence in a mining area on transcriptome changes induced by heavy metal exposure in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 65 healthy subjects selected from the general population. This study includes the same participants which were recruited in our previous investigation on heavy metal long-term environmental exposure-related gene-specific methylation changes (phs003392.v1.p1). We performed a differential expression analysis to compare the mRNA transcriptome of 31 residents from the mining region (MRR) - individuals living in the Kapan mining area with reported environmental exposures to heavy metals - with that of 34 residents from non-mining regions (NMR) - individuals residing at a considerable distance from mining locations. We also evaluated the potential association of gene expression profiles with the blood metallome, including levels of Ca, Mg, Co, Fe, Mn, Cu, Mo, Se, Zn, As, Sb, Tl, Be, V, Ni. Poly-A selected strand-specific mRNA library was prepared with Illumina Stranded mRNA Prep kit. The sequencing was performed on the Illumina NovaSeq-6000 platform with 38.5 million single-end 100 bp reads on average generated per sample. Quality checking of the sequencing data was performed using Illumina Basespace reports and the program FastQC (V0.10.1). Reads were aligned against the Human Genome Hg38 using STAR (version 2.7.1a). According to our findings, long-term residence in a mining area is correlated with alterations in the blood transcriptome, with responses varying by sex. Pathway analysis revealed upregulation of immune response related pathways, and downregulation of translation and ribosome biogenesis in the PBMCs of the MRR. Pathways related to metal ion transmembrane transport, epigenetic modifications (histone deacetylases (HDACs) and DNA methylation) were upregulated in males, while in females mostly transcripts involved in inflammation and cytokine mediated signaling were upregulated. Additionally, among the dysregulated pathways, the TNF-α signaling via NF-κB showed opposite changes in females and males.

  Study phs003657

• Somatic Mutations and Their Etiological Determinants for Breast Cancer in African American Women (B-CAUSE Study)

  The breast cancer health disparity between women of African ancestry (AA) and European ancestry (EA) remains a major public health challenge in the United States. AA women are afflicted by higher rate of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and bear the highest mortality rate of all populations from the disease. Even within TNBC, some data suggest that AA women have poorer outcomes than EA women. Mounting evidence points to population differences in cancer biology, a fundamental question that remains unsettled. The disparity also manifests in representativeness in tumor sequencing projects, due to the low inclusion of AAs in genomic studies. A recent analysis of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data revealed that the number of AA cases sequenced was sufficient only for studying frequently mutated genes (≥10%), and the power was worse for TNBC as a separate disease entity. As a result, the breast tumor mutational landscape elucidated to date is derived mostly from EA cases, and may not necessarily represent AA cancer genomes. Moreover, as discovery potential for new driver genes has come close to a plateau, cancer in AAs derived from distinct genetic and environmental contexts may provide a powerful venue for discovering mutations that are rare in EA cases. This is showcased in recent studies in colon and prostate cancer. Thus, we carried out a collaborative project, B-CAUSE, to characterize the mutational landscape of AA breast cancer genomes by pooling resources from five established studies, including the Women's Circle of Health Study (WCHS), the Black Women's Health Study (BWHS), the Southern Community Cohort Study (SCCS), the Nashville Breast Health Study (NBHS), and the Southern Tri-State Breast Health Study (STSBHS). This effort has created the largest AA-specific breast tumor mutation dataset to date in an efficient manner. The data deposited here are from the whole-exome sequencing (WES) of matched tumor-normal pairs of 462 TNBC in AA women from the B-CAUSE Study.

  Study phs003962

• Integrated copy number and expression analysis identifies profiles of whole-arm chromosomal alterations and subgroups with favorable outcome in ovarian clear cell carcinomas

  Ovarian clear cell carcinoma (CCC) is generally associated with chemoresistance and poor clinical outcome, even with early diagnosis; whereas high-grade serous carcinomas (SCs) and endometrioid carcinomas (ECs) are commonly chemosensitive at advanced stages. Although an integrated genomic analysis of SC has been performed, conclusive views on copy number and expression profiles for CCC are still limited. In this study, we performed single nucleotide polymorphism arrays in 57 (31 CCCs, 14 SCs, and 12 ECs) and expression microarrays in 55 epithelial ovarian cancers (25 CCCs, 16 SCs, and 14 ECs), and then evaluated PIK3CA mutations and ARID1A expression in CCCs. SNP array analysis classified 13% of CCCs into a cluster with high frequency and focal range of copy number alterations (CNAs), significantly lower than for SCs (93%, P < 0.01) and ECs (50%, P = 0.017). The ratio of whole-arm to all CNAs was higher in CCCs (46.9%) than SCs (21.7%) (P < 0.0001). SCs with loss of heterozygosity (LOH) of BRCA1 (85%) also had LOH of NF1 and TP53, and LOH of BRCA2 (62%) coexisted with LOH of RB1 and TP53. Microarray analysis classified CCCs into three clusters. One cluster (CCC-2, n = 10) showed more favorable prognosis than the others (CCC-1and CCC-3) (P = 0.041). Coexistent alterations of PIK3CA and ARID1A were more common in CCC-1 and CCC-3 (7/11, 64%) than in CCC-2 (0/10, 0%) (P < 0.01). Being in cluster CCC-2 was an independent favorable prognostic factor in CCC. In conclusion, CCC was characterized by a high ratio of whole-arm CNAs; whereas CNAs in SC were mainly focal, but preferentially caused LOH of well-known tumor suppressor genes. As such, expression profiles might be useful for sub-classification of CCC, and might provide useful information on prognosis.

  Study JGAS000022

• WNT-dependent interaction between inflammatory fibroblasts and FOLR2+ macrophages promotes fibrosis in chronic kidney disease

  Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a public health problem driven by myofibroblast accumulation, leading to interstitial fibrosis. Heterogeneity is a recently recognised characteristics in kidney fibroblasts in CKD, but the role of different populations is still unclear. Here, we characterize a proinflammatory fibroblast population (named CXCL-iFibro), which corresponds to an early state of myofibroblast differentiation in CKD. By performing immunofluorescence studies and spatial transcriptomics analysis on 2 patients, we demonstrate that CXCL-iFibro co-localize with macrophages in the kidney and participate in their attraction, accumulation, and switch into FOLR2+ macrophages from early CKD stages on. In vitro, we cultured primary inflammatory fibroblasts that we characterized by using bulk RNAseq. We show that macrophages promote the switch of CXCL-iFibro into ECM-secreting myofibroblasts through a WNT/-catenin-dependent pathway, thereby suggesting a reciprocal crosstalk between these populations of fibroblasts and macrophages. Finally, the detection of CXCL-iFibro at early stages of CKD is predictive of poor patient prognosis, which shows that the CXCL-iFibro population is an early player in CKD progression and demonstrates the clinical relevance of our findings.

  Study EGAS50000000101

• Genetic Basis of Breast Cancer Resistance in BRCA1 Mutation Carrier

  Our study addressed a specific question in NCI RFA-CA-12-022: "What underlying causal events - e.g., genetic, epigenetic, biologic, behavioral, or environmental - allow certain individuals to survive beyond the expected limits of otherwise highly lethal cancers?". A germline mutation in BRCA1 (BRCA1+) is the most penetrant genetic predisposition for breast cancer. Nevertheless, a portion of BRCA1+ carriers does not develop breast cancer in their lifetime, suggesting that the genetic predisposition can be antagonized by resistant factors. BRCA1+ was inherited from an ancestor of the carrier family thousand years ago. We hypothesize that evolution could select certain genetic components to suppress oncogenesis caused by the predisposition. We compared germline variants in all genes in 27 pairs of breast cancer-unaffected and -affected BRCA1+ carriers, each pair inherited the same BRCA1+. We identified 12 deleterious variants enriched in breast cancer-unaffected carriers, all are common variants. A variant rs3735400 is located in ANLN, a cytokinesis-essential gene. Overexpression of variant-containing ANLN and suppressed expression of endogenous ANLN decrease ANLN nuclear localization and delay cell growth. Our findings suggest that common variants can be selected to resist oncogenesis imposed by BRCA1+.

  Study phs001243

• CIDR Whole Exome Sequencing in Joubert Syndrome

  The purpose of this study is to identify new genetic causes of neurodevelopmental diseases (NDDs) in the Joubert syndrome (JS) spectrum. Joubert syndrome is a recessive disease characterized by cerebellar vermis hypoplasia. Our currently funded NINDS award entitled "Molecular characterization of Joubert syndrome" seeks to identify new genetic causes through a variety of molecular strategies. Although our previous strategies involved whole genome SNP-scans, followed by candidate gene sequencing to arrive at identification of new JS causes, we have recently moved to Whole Exome Sequencing (WES) as a highly efficient methodology that is optimized for recessive disease. In this pilot project, CIDR has sequenced DNA on probands from 20 inbred families with JS spectrum disorders in which known causes have been excluded, that have not previously undergone genome-wide SNP scans. These paired end reads will be subject to our established bioinformatics pipeline including HOMOZGYOSITY, SNP and INDEL callers in our lab to identify potentially deleterious sequence changes (PDSC). This is followed by analysis to include testing each PDSC for segregation in the whole pedigree, for occurrence in a ethnically-matched cohort, as well as a defined patient cohort patients, in order to validate new NDD genes.

  Study phs000382

• Pediatric Investigation of Genetic Factors Linked with Renal Progression (PediGFR): Chronic Kidney Disease in Children Cohort (CKiD)

  The Pediatric Investigation for Genetic Factors Associated with Renal Progression (PediGFR) (RO1-DK082394) is an international collaborative study among three large prospective cohort studies of children with chronic kidney disease. The participating parent cohort studies are the "Chronic Kidney Disease in Children (CKiD)", the "Effect of Strict Blood Pressure Control and ACE Inhibition on CRF Progression in Pediatric Patients (ESCAPE)", and the "Cardiovascular Comorbidity in Children with Chronic Kidney Disease (4C)" study. In these cohorts, pediatric subjects with CKD have been prospectively followed with standardized measurements for renal progression. The current version of the upload includes the genotype and baseline phenotype for the CKiD cohort. In brief the CKiD study is a prospective study of children with chronic kidney disease (CKD) between the ages of 1 year to 16 years of age and an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) by Schwartz equation between 30 and 75 ml/min per 1.73m2. Included in this upload are the phenotypic data for anemia traits utilized for the sub-study, "Role of Genetic Variation in the Anemia of Chronic Kidney Disease" (K24DK078737), with the RBC trait and anemia data pertaining to CKiD as well.

  Study phs000650

• Linking the epigenetic landscape in chronic lymphocytic leukemia to deregulated chromatin networks

  Aberrant chromatin features and epigenetic signaling emerge as an important part of the tumor disease state in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). However, an integrative analysis of the malignant chromatin landscape is currently missing. Here, we mapped DNA-methylation, nucleosome position, 7 histone modifications, ATAC-seq and the transcriptome in primary CD19+ sorted B-cells from the peripheral blood of CLL patients in comparison to non-malignant lymphocytes of healthy donor reference samples. On the &gt; 50 kb scale we identified global differences with respect to DNA methylation, nucleosome positioning and histone modifications in CLL. Furthermore, a chromatin state annotation was developed to identify deregulated chromatin features of promoters and enhancers in CLL. By integrating these findings with an ATAC-seq based transcription factor binding analysis we identified a set of promoters and enhancers specific to CLL that were enriched in certain transcription factors binding motifs and genes of the BCR signaling pathway. Thus, our study provides an in-depth map of the CLL chromatin landscape and links chromatin state changes at promoters and enhancers to deregulated pathways.

  Study EGAS00001002518

• Genomics-based personalized oncology in cancer of unknown primary (CUP, project H021)

  To perform a comprehensive genomic characterization of 70 patients suffering from cancer of unknown primary (CUP) we used whole-exome, whole-genome, transcriptome and methylome analysis. We detected a substantial mutational heterogeneity with genes most commonly affected by SNVs, indels and fusions being TP53, TTN, MUC16, ABCA13, COL6A3, KRAS, LRP1B, XIRP2 and CSMD3. The most common fusion involved FGFR2, the most common focal deletion affected CDKN2A. A molecular tumor board recommended genomics-based therapies in 56/70 (80%) patients which were applied in 20/56 (35.7%) cases. Entity predictions based on transcriptome and methylome data could be made in up to 62/70 (88.6%) cases but were conclusive in only 16/48 (33.3%) cases. Germline analysis revealed 6 (likely) pathogenic mutations in 5 patients. Recommended therapies translated into a mean PFS2/1 ratio of 3.61 (median=2.25) with a median PFS1 of 89 days (n=17) compared to a median PFS2 of 182.5 days (n=20). Our data emphasize the clinical benefit of comprehensive genetic approaches in diagnostic and therapeutic management and underline the need for innovative, mechanism-based clinical trials in this heterogeneous group of diseases.

  Study EGAS00001004786