12505 results for ""non-traditional+communal+storytelling+approach"+novel+segment+noted+in+critical+commentary"

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• Genomic Profiling of Pediatric Tumors by Cell Free DNA Sequencing

  BACKGROUND Analysis of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) from peripheral blood has been studied extensively for detection and monitoring therapy response in adult cancers, but utility in pediatric tumors is unclear. METHODS We studied 233 children with hematologic, solid and brain tumors. cfDNA was extracted from 1 mL of plasma collected at diagnosis. Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in cfDNA was quantified and diverse classes of somatic genomic variants were detected using PeCan-Seq. PeCan-Seq findings were compared with matched tumor whole-genome and whole-exome sequencing data. Minimal residual disease (MRD) status was evaluated by cfDNA PeCan-Seq in 14 patients with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. RESULTS Plasma cfDNA yields at diagnosis were higher for hematologic malignancies than for solid and brain tumors. Patients with hematologic malignancy were 100% ctDNA-positive, the median ctDNA fraction in cfDNA was 0.77. We detected 97% variants that were present in tumors and covered by the capture panel, and 50 subclonal variants that were present in cfDNA only. Our approach enabled detection of sequence and structural variants in B-ALL ctDNA at varying levels of MRD. Nineteen of 38 patients with solid tumors were ctDNA-positive, with high prevalence in Ewing Sarcoma, liver tumors and osteosarcoma. One of 19 brain tumor patients was ct-DNA positive, indicating lack of utility for plasma-derived cfDNA in this disease. Notably, cfDNA analysis of a single plasma sample identified genomic features in ctDNA derived from B-ALL, concurrent primary neuroblastoma, and a later neuroblastoma relapse, indicating that genomic variations from multiple tumors could be detected simultaneously. CONCLUSIONS Pediatric patients with hematologic malignancy had an abundance of plasma ctDNA at diagnosis. Plasma ctDNA levels varied between different solid tumor types, more studies are needed to determine utility. Panel-based cfDNA sequencing could serve as a non-invasive approach for pediatric cancer diagnosis and disease monitoring.

  Study EGAS50000000072

• A circulating biomarker for severity of facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy

  Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) is a prevalent, incurable skeletal myopathy. Clinical trials for FSHD are hindered by heterogeneous biomarkers poorly associated with clinical severity, requiring invasive muscle biopsy. Macroscopically FSHD presents with slow fatty replacement of muscle, rapidly accelerated by inflammation. Mis-expression of the transcription factor DUX4 is currently accepted to underlie FSHD pathogenesis and mechanisms including PAX7 target gene repression have been proposed. Here we perform RNA-sequencing on MRI guided inflamed (n=24) and isogenic non-inflamed (n=24) muscle biopsies from the same clinically characterised FSHD patients, alongside isogenic peripheral blood mononucleated cells from a subset of patients (n=13), and unaffected controls. We employ multivariate models to evaluate the clinical associations of 5 published FSHD transcriptomic biomarkers. We demonstrate that PAX7 target gene repression can discriminate control, inflamed and non-inflamed FSHD muscle independently of age and sex (p<0.013), while the discriminatory power of DUX4 target genes is limited to distinguishing FSHD muscle from control. Importantly, the level of PAX7 target gene repression in non-inflamed muscle associates with clinical assessments of FSHD severity (p=0.04). DUX4 target gene biomarkers in FSHD muscle show associations with lower limb fat fraction and D4Z4 array length, but not clinical assessment. Lastly, PAX7 target gene repression in FSHD muscle correlates with the level in isogenic peripheral blood mononucleated cells (p=0.002). A refined PAX7 target gene biomarker comprising 143/601 PAX7 target genes computed in peripheral blood (the FSHD muscle-blood biomarker) associates with clinical severity in FSHD patients (p<0.036). Our new circulating biomarker validates as a classifier of clinical severity in an independent data set of 54 FSHD patient blood samples, with improved power in older patients (p=0.03). In summary, we present the minimally invasive FSHD muscle-blood biomarker of FSHD clinical severity valid in patient muscle and blood, with potential utility in routine disease monitoring and clinical trials.

  Study EGAS00001007350

• Intra-tumor heterogeneity of localized lung adenocarcinomas defined by multi-region sequencing

  Background: Intra-tumor heterogeneity (ITH) may have profound impacts on biopsy strategy, characterization of actionable targets, treatment planning, and drug resistance. ITH of lung cancers has not been well studied. Methods: We performed multi-region whole exome sequencing (average sequencing depth 277x) on 48 tumor regions from 11 resected lung adenocarcinomas (8 stage I, 2 stage II and one stage III tumors) followed by deep sequencing validation (average sequencing depth 863x). Results: All tumors showed clear evidence of spatial ITH. On average, 76% of all mutations and 20/21 known cancer gene mutations were present in all regions of individual tumors (trunk mutations). Copy number analysis did not show substantial difference in large-scale chromosome aberrations. A canonical KRAS p.G12C mutation was detected in only 1 of 4 tumor regions (branch mutations) at exome depth but detected in all four tumor regions (trunk mutations) at increased sequencing depth. In addition, many heterogeneous branch mutations defined by exome sequencing were detectable in all regions of individual tumors with increasing sequencing depth. Significant differences in mutational spectrum were observed in 6 tumors indicating that specific mutational processes were likely operative at different times during development of these tumors. With a median follow up of 21 months post surgery, 3 patients have relapsed and all 3 patients presented with significantly larger fractions of subclonal mutations in their primary tumors. Conclusions: Although multi-region sampling is still required to fully assess ITH complexity, single biopsy analysis at appropriate depth might be sufficient to identify the majority of known cancer gene mutations in localized lung adenocarcinomas. Larger subclonal mutation fractions may be associated with increased likelihood of postsurgical relapse in patients with localized lung adenocarcinomas. Studies on larger cohort, ideally with comprehensive clinical annotation and repeat biopsy at relapse are needed to fully understand the clinical impact of ITH.

  Study EGAS00001000930

• Lysosomal Disease Network (LDN6719) Immune Response to Intrathecal Enzyme Therapy in Mucopolysaccharidosis 1 Patients

  In this study we characterized the immune response to intrathecal (IT) recombinant human alpha-L-iduronidase (rhIDU) in mucopolysaccharidosis I (MPS I) subjects with spinal cord compression who had been previously treated with intravenous rhIDU. Concentrations of specific antibodies and cytokines were measured in serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) collected before monthly IT rhIDU infusions. These serologic findings were compared with clinical adverse event (AE) reports to establish temporal correlations with clinical symptoms. We found that IT rhIDU was generally well tolerated in the subjects studied although one subject had moderate to severe clinical symptoms and serologic abnormalities consistent with an immune response.

  Study phs000862

• Genome-Wide Environment Interaction Study on Neurodevelopment in Children from Mexico and Bangladesh

  Cognitive development is known to be highly heritable, but various genome wide association studies (GWAS) have failed to find common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) which can explain a large proportion of the variance in cognitive ability. We hypothesized that an interaction between genes and exposure to potentially toxic metals may account for some proportion of this missing heritability. We genotyped 749 infants in Mexico and 636 infants in Bangladesh. Criteria for inclusion into the study are given below. We then performed a Genome Wide Environmental Interaction Study (GWEIS) with neurodevelopment outcomes. There were 552,487 SNPs in common between the two cohorts.

  Study phs000996

• The Genetics of Food Cue Reactivity in Children

  This study aimed to investigate genetic factors related to appetite, eating in the absence of hunger and brain reward response to food cues in a convenience sample of pre-adolescent children taken through two studies (A and B). The study involved genome-wide genotyping using the Illumina Global Screening Array. The study found an obesity polygenic risk score related to parent-reported appetitive traits in children, The study also found that FTO was related to eating in the absence of hunger and brain reward response to food cues. Available data include genotypes, measured height and weight, appetitive traits, consumption, brain reward response to food cues, and sociodemographic variables.

  Study phs003550

• Mitochondrial DNA mosaicism in human somatic cells

  Genomic alterations accumulate in the somatic cells throughout an individual’s lifetime. Recent sequencing studies have documented widespread mutations in the nuclear genome and the frequent clonal competition of normal cells carrying mutations. However, the landscape of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) heteroplasmy in normal human tissues is poorly understood. This study investigated the whole genome sequences (WGSs) of 2,096 clones established from non-neoplastic healthy single cells obtained from 31 donors. In addition, we analyzed 31 WGSs of neoplastic cells, including 12 clones established from adenomatous polyps from one individual with MUTYH-associated polyposis and 19 matched colorectal carcinomas from individuals who donated normal colorectal clones.

  Study EGAS50000000254

• Whole Exome Sequencing and RNA Sequencing of High Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer in Black and White Patients

  In this study, we generated new RNA and whole exome sequencing data from high-grade serous ovarian cancer tumor samples of self-identified Black and White individuals. Our RNA-Seq analysis revealed that, while the prevalence of subtypes varied across racial groups, the cluster-specific gene expression patterns were consistent. Despite these differences in subtype prevalence, the subtype-specific survival rates were similar across racial groups. Additionally, we used the WES-Seq data to characterize mutational signatures and their underlying causes in Black high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSC) cases, and compared the prevalence and distribution of these signatures with those in White TCGA cases.

  Study phs003632

• COVID-19-Induced Immune Alterations in Infants

  Although previous studies have described some overlap between COVID-19-induced immune alterations in adults and children, no systematic immune profiling studies have been reported in infants. We applied a multidimensional approach to decipher the immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 infected infants (n=26; 10 mild, 11 moderate and 5 severe) and healthy matched controls (n=14). Single-cell RNA-seq profiling (scRNA-seq) of PBMCs revealed alterations in cell composition upon infection, with most cell types demonstrating an interferon-stimulated gene (ISGhi) state. Our findings shed insight into the immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 in the first year of life.

  Study phs002655

• Transcriptomic Profiling after B-Cell Depletion Reveals Central and Peripheral Immune Cell Changes in Multiple Sclerosis

  We investigated the immunological effects of B cell depletion therapy using ocrelizumab in treatment-naïve relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients. Our primary aim was to delineate transcriptomic alterations in immune cell populations in peripheral blood before and after therapy, using single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq). This study included 18 newly diagnosed, treatment-naïve RRMS patients who provided matched pre- and 6-month post-treatment peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). A secondary cohort of five patients also contributed paired cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples. All RRMS patients were treated with ocrelizumab, except one patient in the CSF cohort who received rituximab.

  Study phs003938