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

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• Mapping genetic variants that underlie gene regulation in intestinal cell types to identify novel, validated, Crohn’s disease drug targets

  Biopsies from the terminal ileum and rectum of healthy individuals and terminal ileum and blood from Crohns disease patients are collected and processed single cells and processed for single-cell RNA-sequencing using 10X Genomics 3' v3 and v3.1 and Illumina sequencing. This data is part of a pre-publication release. For information on the proper use of pre-publication data shared by the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute (including details of any publication moratoria), please see http://www.sanger.ac.uk/datasharing/

  Study EGAS00001003647

• The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study

  The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study, sponsored by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), is a prospective epidemiologic study conducted in four U.S. communities. The four communities are Forsyth County, NC; Jackson, MS; the northwest suburbs of Minneapolis, MN; and Washington County, MD. ARIC is designed to investigate the etiology and natural history of atherosclerosis, the etiology of clinical atherosclerotic diseases, and variation in cardiovascular risk factors, medical care and disease by race, gender, location, and date. ARIC includes two parts: the Cohort Component and the Community Surveillance Component. The Cohort Component began in 1987, and each ARIC field center randomly selected and recruited a cohort sample of approximately 4,000 individuals aged 45-64 from a defined population in their community. A total of 15,792 participants received an extensive examination, including medical, social, and demographic data. These participants were reexamined every three years with the first screen (baseline) occurring in 1987-89, the second in 1990-92, the third in 1993-95, and the fourth and last exam was in 1996-98. Follow-up occurs yearly by telephone to maintain contact with participants and to assess health status of the cohort. In the Community Surveillance Component, currently ongoing, these four communities are investigated to determine the community-wide occurrence of hospitalized myocardial infarction and coronary heart disease deaths in men and women aged 35-84 years. Hospitalized stroke is investigated in cohort participants only. Starting in 2006, the study conducts community surveillance of inpatient (ages 55 years and older) and outpatient heart failure (ages 65 years and older) for heart failure events beginning in 2005. ARIC is currently funded through January 31, 2012. This study is part of the Gene Environment Association Studies initiative (GENEVA, http://www.genevastudy.org) funded by the trans-NIH Genes, Environment, and Health Initiative (GEI). The overarching goal is to identify novel genetic factors that contribute to atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease through large-scale genome-wide association studies of well-characterized cohorts of adults in four defined populations. Genotyping was performed at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, a GENEVA genotyping center. Data cleaning and harmonization were done at the GEI-funded GENEVA Coordinating Center at the University of Washington.

  Study phs000090

• Ancestry and somatic profile predict acral melanoma origin and prognosis – WXS

  Acral melanoma, which is not ultraviolet (UV)-associated, is the most common type of melanoma in several low- and middle-income countries including Mexico. Latin American samples are significantly underrepresented in global cancer genomics studies, which directly affects patients in these regions as it is known that cancer risk and incidence may be influenced by ancestry and environmental exposures. To address this, we characterise the genome and transcriptome of 123 acral melanoma tumours from 92 Mexican patients, a population notable because of its genetic admixture. Compared with other studies of melanoma, we found fewer frequent mutations in classical driver genes such as BRAF, NRAS or NF1. While most patients had predominantly Amerindian genetic ancestry, those with higher European ancestry had increased frequency of BRAF mutations and a lower median number of structural variants. The tumours with activating BRAF mutations have a transcriptional profile more similar to cutaneous non-volar melanocytes, suggesting that acral melanomas in these patients may arise from a distinct cell of origin compared to other tumours arising in these locations. KIT mutations were found in a subset of these tumours, and quadruple wild-type samples (non BRAF/NRAS/NF1/KIT) differed from mutated samples in their structural genomic profile and overall and recurrence-free survival patterns. Transcriptional profiling defined three expression clusters; these characteristics were associated with recurrence-free and overall survival. We highlight potential novel low-frequency drivers, such as PTPRJ, NF2 and RDH5. Our study enhances knowledge of this understudied disease and underscores the importance of including samples from diverse ancestries in cancer genomics studies.

  Dataset EGAD00001015755

• Myelodysplastic Syndrome Follow Up Series

  Agilent whole exome hybridisation capture was performed on genomic DNA derived from MDS and matched normal DNA from the same patients. Next Generation sequencing performed on the resulting exome libraries and mapped to build 37 of the human reference genome to facilitate the identification of novel cancer genes. Now we aim to discover the prevalence of our findings using bespoke pulldown methods and sequencing the products from a larger set of patient DNA.

  Dataset EGAD00001000283

• High-resolution analyses of human sperm dynamic methylome reveals thousands of novel age-related epigenetic alterations

  Age-dependent modifications of the germ cells epigenome remain poorly understood. Our objective was to assess the DNA methylation profile of human spermatozoa during aging. A cohort study was designed to investigate the effects of age and fertility status on sperm DNA methylation.

  Study EGAS00001004168

• Prematurity and Respiratory Outcome Program: Clinical Research Center Study of Functional and Lymphocytic Markers of Respiratory Morbidity in Hyperoxic Preemies

  Approximately 550,000 babies born prematurely each year in the United States suffer from birth at a time in development when the respiratory tract and immune system would normally be protected and maintained in a naïve state. This project is a component of the NIH Prematurity and Respiratory Outcomes Program (PROP) whose goals are the identification of disease mechanisms and biomarkers to stratify premature infants, at the time of discharge, for their risk of subsequent pulmonary morbidity. This Clinical Research Center (CRC) project will investigate prematurity-dependent alterations in cellular innate and adaptive immune systems resulting in increased susceptibility to respiratory infections and environmental irritants, and leading to respiratory morbidity in the first year of life. Prior studies have established developmental (maturity) and disease-related changes in circulating and pulmonary lymphocyte populations, but a comprehensive assessment of their relationship to disease risk/outcome has not been undertaken. We hypothesize that cellular and molecular immuno-maturity is altered due to intrinsic and extrinsic factors presented by premature birth in such a way as to reduce resistance to viral infections and to promote cytotoxic damage to the lung. We will evaluate immunologic maturity by comprehensively phenotyping lymphocyte populations in peripheral blood sampled at premature delivery, at the time of discharge from the hospital and at twelve months corrected age. The lymphocytic phenotype will be analyzed particularly in the context of gestational age and maternal-fetal stressors capable of modulating oxidative stress (oxygen exposure, infection and environmental tobacco smoke exposure). Additionally, we will assess changes in the molecular phenotype of isolated CD8 lymphocytes, a cell type preferentially recruited to the lungs of premature infants and capable of contributing to disease pathogenesis, by genome-wide expression profiling, in order to uncover novel disease pathways and define a gene expression signature associated with disease risk. We propose to build a statistical model, using cellular and molecular phenotypes and additional clinical variables, for stratifying risk of lung morbidity within the first year of life. Finally, we will assess the development of the gut microbiome in the preterm subjects to correlate with the observation of development of the adaptive immune system.

  Study phs001297

• Kids First: Genomics of Orofacial Cleft Birth Defects in Latin American Families

  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). Both childhood cancers and structural birth defects are critical and costly conditions associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. Elucidating the underlying genetic etiology of these diseases has the potential to profoundly improve preventative measures, diagnostics, and therapeutic interventions. All of the WGS and phenotypic data from this study are accessible through dbGaP and https://kidsfirstdrc.org, where other Kids First datasets can also be accessed. The Kids First study of nonsyndromic orofacial cleft (OFC) birth defects in Latin American families is a whole genome sequencing study of 283 Latin-American parent-case trios drawn from ongoing collaborations led by Dr. Mary L. Marazita of the University of Pittsburgh Center for Craniofacial and Dental Genetics, and including a collaboration with Dr. Lina Moreno Uribe and Dr. Andrew Lidral of the University of Iowa. All families were ascertained through the Clinica Noel where patients with OFCs receive care from the Antioquia University School of Dentistry in Medellin, Colombia (key on-site colleagues included Dr. Luz Consuelo Valencia-Ramirez and Dr. Mauricio Arcos-Burgos). Genetic studies have shown that this population is comprised of an admixture of immigrant male Caucasians (mainly Spaniards and Basques) and native Amerindian females. Every subject has had a genetic evaluation, including a pedigree analysis for a family history of clefting and other birth defects, a pregnancy history for environmental exposures, and a complete physical exam to rule out suspected or known syndromes or environmental phenocopies. Sequencing was done by the Broad Institute sequencing center funded by the Kids First program (grant number U24-HD090743). The case in each of the Kids First OFC trios has cleft lip (CL, Figure A below), cleft palate (CP, Figure B), or both (CL+CP, Figure C): OFCs are genetically complex structural birth defects caused by genetic factors, environmental exposures, and their interactions. OFCs are the most common craniofacial anomalies in humans, affecting approximately 1 in 700 newborns, and are one of the most common structural birth defects worldwide. On average a child with an OFC initially faces feeding difficulties, undergoes 6 surgeries, spends 30 days in hospital, receives 5 years of orthodontic treatment, and participates in ongoing speech therapy, leading to an estimated total lifetime treatment cost of about $200,000. Further, individuals born with an OFC have higher infant mortality, higher mortality rates at all other stages of life, increased incidence of mental health problems, and higher risk for other disorders (notably including breast, brain, and colon cancers). Prior genome-wide linkage and association studies have now identified at least 18 genomic regions likely to contribute to the risk for nonsyndromic OFCs. Despite this substantial progress, the functional/pathogenic variants at OFC-associated regions are mostly still unknown. Because previous OFC genomic studies (genome-wide linkage, genome-wide association studies (GWAS), and targeted sequencing) are based on relatively sparse genotyping data, they cannot distinguish between causal variants and variants in linkage disequilibrium with unobserved causal variants. Moreover, it is unknown whether the association or linkage signals are due to single common variants, haplotypes of multiple common variants, clusters of multiple rare variants, or some combination. Finally, we cannot yet attribute specific genetic risk to individual cases and case families. Therefore, the goal of the current study is identify specific OFC risk variants in Latin American families by performing whole genome sequencing of parent-case trios.

  Study phs001420

• Genomic analysis of patient-derived xenograft models reveals intratumor-heterogeneity in endometrial cancer and can predict tumor growth inhibition with talazoparib

  Background: Endometrial cancer (EC) is a major gynecological cancer with increasing incidence. It comprised of four molecular subtypes with differing etiology, prognoses, and response to chemotherapy. In the future, clinical trials testing new single agents or combination therapies will be targeted to the molecular subtype most likely to respond. Pre-clinical models that faithfully represent the molecular subtypes of EC are urgently needed, we sought to develop and characterize a panel of novel EC patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models. Methods: Here, we report whole exome or whole genome sequencing of 11 PDX models and the matched primary tumor. Analysis of multiple PDX lineages and passages was performed to study tumor heterogeneity across lineages and/or passages. Based on recent reports of frequent defects in the homologous recombination (HR) pathway in EC, we assessed mutational signatures and HR deficiency scores and correlated these with in vivo responses to the PARP inhibitor (PARPi) talazoparib in six PDXs representing the copy number high/p53-mutant and mismatch-repair deficient molecular subtypes of EC. Results: PDX models were successfully generated with similar histomorphology from all four molecular subtypes of EC and uterine carcinosarcomas. We also observed a wide range of inter-tumor and intra-tumor heterogeneity across different PDX lineages, however one arm of most PDX models recapitulated the molecular landscape of the primary tumor without major genomic drift. An in vivo response to talazoparib was detected in four copy number high models. Two models (carcinosarcomas) showed a response consistent with stable disease and two models (one copy number high serous EC and another carcinosarcoma) showed significant tumor growth inhibition, albeit one consistent with progressive disease, however all lacked the HR deficiency genomic signature. Conclusions: EC PDX models represent the four molecular subtypes of disease and can capture intra-tumoral heterogeneity of the original primary tumor. PDXs of the copy number high molecular subtype showed sensitivity to PARPi, however, deeper and more durable responses will likely require combination of PARPi with other agents.

  Study EGAS00001004666

• Age related Macular Degeneration (AMD)-- Michigan, Mayo, AREDS, Pennsylvania (MMAP) Cohort Study: A Joint Genome Wide Association Study

  Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of incurable blindness in people over the age of 65. AMD is a late-onset multi-factorial neurodegenerative disease and its pathogenesis involves interaction of genetic and environmental factors. Several chromosomal regions have been associated with AMD susceptibility through linkage analysis (Swaroop et al., 2009). More recent studies provide strong evidence that variants within the CFH gene cluster on chromosome 1 and at/near LOC387715/ARMS2 on chromosome 10 are strongly associated with disease. Variants at other genes including C2/BF, C3, CFI and APOE4, also contribute to AMD susceptibility. Our primary goals are to identify genetic variants and haplotypes that are associated with AMD. The underlying hypothesis is that DNA variation(s) in multiple genetic susceptibility loci will predispose individuals to AMD pathogenesis, and comparison of DNA of cases and controls should identify these susceptibility variants. Our studies are focused on the genetic analysis of advanced AMD and should provide novel insights into disease diagnosis, progression and pathology. We have assembled a collaborative group of researchers from the University of Michigan, Mayo Clinic, University of Pennsylvania, and the AREDS group including National Eye Institute intramural investigators, who collected clinical data and DNA from a large number of patients affected with AMD and from unaffected controls. The primary source of funding was National Eye Institute. Through this collaborative effort, we submitted and obtained usable genotyping data on 2184 patients and 1155 controls from the Center for Inherited Disease Research (CIDR).

  Study phs000182

• NCI Cancer Model Development for the Human Cancer Model Initiative (HCMI)

  The Cancer Model Development Center (CMDC) project is part of the Human Cancer Model Initiative (HCMI) and is managed by the Office of Cancer Genomics within the Center for Cancer Genomics at the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The goal of the HCMI is to generate approximately 1000 novel human "next generation" tumor-derived models as a community resource. The models aim to faithfully recapitulate the cellular complexity and heterogeneity of human tumors. The CMDCs are tasked by the NCI with producing a proportion of the cancer models. Wellcome Sanger Institute (WSI) is a contributing member of the HCMI. Models developed by HCMI are being derived from a number of tumor types and subtypes (see below), including rare adult, pediatric and understudied cancers. The number of models and the clinical sites from which patient samples are acquired is increasing. Normal tissue, originating tumor, and tumor-derived models are sequenced. The next generation cancer models are associated with rich clinical and genomic data through the NCI Genomic Data Commons for all researchers to advance cancer research. The CMDC and HCMI models will serve as excellent tools in research to provide insight into the pathways that influence tumor growth and progression, how tumors respond to therapy, etc. Ultimately, the data generated using these models will support the development of personalized oncology. There is a delay between registered IDs and model availability. The current model count is found in The HCMI Searchable Catalog which is updated when new models are available for distribution to the research community.

  Study phs001486

• Genomic consequences of aberrant DNA repair mechanisms stratify ovarian cancer histotypes

  Aberrant DNA repair processes are a hallmark of human tumours. How these deficiencies variously impact the genomes of ovarian cancer between and within histotypes remains unknown. We studied the whole genome pointmutation and structural variation patterns of 133 tumours (59 high grade serous (HGSC), 35 clear cell (CCOC), 29 endometrioid (ENOC), and 10 adult granulosa cell tumours (GCT)) as a substrate for class discovery in ovarian cancer. Ab-initio clustering of integrated point mutation and structural variation signatures revealed seven novel subgroups, comprising between and within histotype stratification. Prevalence of fold-back inversions (FBI) co-localised with high level amplification events divided HGSC into two prognostically significant subgroups. This finding was recapitulated in two additional independent cohorts (total n=576 cases), and transcended gene based mutation status and gene expression as prognostically relevant features of HGSC. CCOC were divided into one group harbouring a signature reflective of active genome editing via APOBEC enzymes (26%) and a complementary group with an age-relatedmutational signature. ENOC were divided intomicrosatellite instable (MSI) cases (28%) with a distinctmismatch repairmutation signature and an outlying mutation rate, with the remainder of cases distributed amongst the remaining six groups. We suggest the FBI, MSI, and APOBEC groups represent biologic strata that could direct treatment strategies. Taken together, our work establishes the efficacy of the somatic genome as a biomarker to stratify ovarian cancers, simultaneously identifying patients that may benefit from emerging therapeutics and distinct subgroups within classic ovarian cancer histotypes.

  Study EGAS00001002390

• Discovery of Novel Melanoma Predisposing Mutations by Exome Sequencing

  Melanoma risk shows clear heritability, but the inherited genetic factors remain largely unknown. Rare high risk mutations in CDKN2A, CDK4, BAP1 and TERT have been described but these variants, in aggregate, account for less than 50% of the kindreds reporting a family history of melanoma. This project will seek to identify new genes which may confer melanoma susceptibility. Identifying melanoma predisposing mutations can provide new biological insights and may impact important clinical decision making regarding treatment, surveillance and preventive approaches. Hereditary melanoma patients (defined as those individuals with multiple primary melanomas and those patients with a family history of melanoma) were collected from melanoma clinics at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and the A. Sygrous Hospital in Athens, Greece. All exome sequencing was performed at the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT; samples sequence capture was performed using Agilent SureSelect Human All Exon Kit v2 and sequencing was performed on an Illumina HiSeq 2000 or 2500.

  Study phs000823

• AACR Project Genomics, Evidence, Neoplasia, Information, Exchange (GENIE)

  AACR Project Genomics Evidence Neoplasia Information Exchange (GENIE) is an international pancancer registry of real-world data assembled through data sharing between 19 leading international cancer centers with the goal of improving clinical decision-making. The registry leverages ongoing clinical sequencing efforts (CLIA/ISO-certified) at participating cancer centers by pooling their data to create a novel, open-access registry to serve as an evidence base for the entire cancer community. Genomic and baseline clinical data from more than 70,000 tumors is accessible through the efforts of our strategic and technical partners, Sage Bionetworks and cBioPortal. The consortium and its activities are driven by openness, transparency, and inclusion to ensure that the project output remains accessible to the global cancer research community and ultimately benefits patients.

  Study phs001337

• An allele-resolved nanopore-guided tour of the human placental methylome

  The placenta is a temporary organ present during pregnancy that is responsible for coordinating all aspects of pregnancy between the mother and fetus. It has a distinct epigenetic, transcriptomic, and mutational landscape with low levels of methylation, high numbers of transcribed loci, and a high mutational burden relative to somatic tissues. We present this landscape through the application of nanopore sequencing technology to provide a more comprehensive picture of female placental genomics and methylomics along with integrated haplotype-resolved transcriptomic analyses across eight trios. Whole genome sequencing of trios allows robust phasing, permitting comprehensive genome-wide investigation of parent-of-origin methylation and transcription. This enhanced view facilitates identifications of many new differentially methylated regions (DMRs), both conserved and differing between individuals, as well as novel imprinted genes.

  Study EGAS50000001301

• Hematopoietic Cell Transplant for Sickle Cell Disease (HCT for SCD)

  The Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR) is a hematopoietic cell transplant registry that was established in 1972 at the Medical College of Wisconsin. The overarching goal of the registry is to study trends in transplantations and to advance the understanding and application of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation for malignant and non-malignant diseases. Included in this dataset are children, adolescents and young adults with severe sickle cell disease who received an allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant in the United States and provided written informed consent for research.Hematopoietic cell transplant for sickle cell disease is curative. Offering this treatment for patients with severe disease is challenging as only about 20-25% of patients expected to benefit have an HLA-matched sibling. Consequently, several transplantations have utilized an HLA-matched or mismatched unrelated adult donor and HLA-mismatched relative. Transplantation strategies have also evolved over time that has included transplant conditioning regimens of varying intensity, grafts other than bone marrow and novel approaches to overcome the donor-recipient histocompatibility barrier and limit graft-versus-host disease. The data that is available for sickle cell disease transplants have been utilized to report on outcomes after transplantation and compare outcomes after transplantation of grafts HLA-matched related, HLA-mismatched related, HLA-matched and HLA-mismatched unrelated donors. Collectively, these data have advanced our knowledge and understanding of hematopoietic cell transplant for this disease. These data can also serve as "contemporaneous controls" for comparison with other more recent curative treatments like gene therapy and gene editing.Data available for request include allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplants for sickle cell disease (Hb SS and Hb Sβ thalassemia) in the United States from 1991 to 2019. Follow-up data through December 2020 are available.Instructions for requesting individual-level data are available on BioData Catalyst at https://biodatacatalyst.nhlbi.nih.gov/resources/data/. Apply for data access in dbGaP. Upon approval, users may begin accessing requested data in BioData Catalyst. For questions about availability, you may contact the BioData Catalyst team at https://biodatacatalyst.nhlbi.nih.gov/contact.

  Study phs002385

• Mutational dynamics of triple negative breast cancer over neoadjuvant chemotherapy treatment reveal frequent whole genome duplication events

  Background Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is associated with poor survival rate and high genomic instability, generating complex tumour genomes. However, the processes generating this complexity are poorly studied over time. Here, we study the temporal dynamics of TNBC somatic mutations, revealing major transitions in tumour genome evolution, from diagnostic biopsies, through treatment, to cancer remission or recurrence. Methods Deep whole exome sequencing and CUTseq, a reduced representation whole genome sequencing approach, were performed in parallel, to comprehensively identify short nucleotide variants (SNVs), copy number alterations (CNAs) and aneuploidies genome-wide. We profiled (N=74) tumour samples from 22 patients across the course of disease, including spatially diverse samples from many tumours, allowing us to observe the gain and loss of candidate driver variants over time. Results As expected, tumour infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) levels and residual cancer burden (RCB) score were negatively correlated, with good responses to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) seen in pre-treatment samples with high infiltration. In general, SNV mutational burden remained stable across disease progression and RCB classes. Recurrent SNVs across the cohort implicated several known TNBC driver genes in disease progression and response to treatment, with TP53, MICA, CYP2D6, BRCA1 and BRCA2 frequently altered. However, the presence of candidate driver SNVs in these genes often varied throughout a patient’s treatment, including the loss of those seen in a given driver gene in pre-treatment samples, but gain of novel variants in the same gene at later time points. Dramatic structural dynamics were seen in all tumours, including abundant CNA including chromosome arm aneuploidies seen in pre-treatment samples, followed by frequent loss of these alterations post-treatment, and their re-emergence at recurrence. Whole genome duplication (WGD) events appear to drive these dynamics, with a higher frequency of pre-treatment WGD seen in patients with the best response to NACT. Conclusions Comprehensive longitudinal profiling demonstrates the complex interplay of SNVs and copy number alterations during TNBC progression, leading to diverse evolutionary trajectories and patient outcomes. Complex mutational patterns emerge as important features during progression, with WGD events emerging as potential candidate biomarkers of response at both tumour establishment and recurrence.

  Study EGAS00001008261

• Single Cell Analysis Program - Transcriptome (SCAP-T)

  This initiative is part of the Single Cell Analysis Program (SCAP) and is funded through the NIH Common Fund (See http://nihroadmap.nih.gov/), which supports cross-cutting programs that are expected to have exceptionally high impact. Common Fund initiatives address key roadblocks in biomedical research that impede basic scientific discovery and its translation into improved human health. In addition, these programs capitalize on emerging opportunities to catalyze progress across multiple biomedical fields. Single cell analysis has recently emerged as an important field of research because technologies have improved in sensitivity and throughput sufficiently to begin measuring and understanding heterogeneity in complex biological systems and correlating it with changes in biological function and disease processes. By profiling individual cells it is possible to resolve rare cells, transient cell states, and the influence of organization and environment on such cells and states, which cannot be described by ensemble measurements. The long-term goal of the SCAP is to accelerate this move towards personalizing health to the cellular level by understanding the link between cell heterogeneity, tissue function and emergence of disease through the discovery, development and translation of innovative approaches which will dramatically change the way cells are characterized. The SCAP will focus on research, which will systematically measure, analyze and model cell-to-cell variation, and identify crucial differences and rare biological states, which may have important functional consequences. Under SCAP, there are three studies to evaluate the cellular heterogeneity using transcriptional profiling of single cells (U01): University of Pennsylvania: Role of single cell mRNA variation in systems associated electrically excitable cells University of Southern California: Evaluation of cellular heterogeneity using patchclamp and RNA-seq of single cells University of California at San Diego: Single cell sequencing and in situ mapping of RNA transcripts in human brains The SCAP has been designed as a five-year program with several components: (1) the collection, analysis and sharing of comprehensive expression datasets to understand the role of heterogeneity in tissues and systemically and identify critical parameters and states; (2) the discovery of new, innovative tools for spatiotemporal imaging, manipulation, analysis and modeling of a biologically relevant population of cells with minimal perturbation; (3) milestone-driven validation and translation of technologies for characterizing single cells in situ meeting the needs of end-users; and (4) development and coordination of a multidisciplinary research community through workshops and other collective endeavors. Further details about the NIH SCAP-T program can be found here http://commonfund.nih.gov/singlecell/. The SCAP-T data sets include the detailed phenotype information, experimental protocols, QC information, RNA-sequencing data and NGS results from human heart and human brain cells. The first data release includes 697 single cells from human brain and heart. The second data release includes an additional 978 single cells from human brain and heart. The third data release includes an additional 1631 single cells from human brain and heart. The fourth data release is a correction to this study, but adds no new cells. The fifth data release includes an additional 2984 single cells from human brain and heart. The sixth data release includes an additional 944 single cells from human brain and heart. The seventh data release includes an additional 1977 single cells from human brain and heart. The SCAP-T data portal provides a customized interface for users to quickly identify and retrieve files by phenotypes, and data properties such as sequencing facility or coverage for all of these 9231 single cells. For more information about the SCAP-T study and the data portal, please visit http://www.scap-t.org.

  Study phs000833

• Epi4K: Gene Discovery in 4,000 Epilepsy Genomes

  The Epi4K project began in 2011 as an international, multi-center study that seeks to identify and characterize the genetic bases of complex epilepsies. The Center without Walls Epi4K project includes three cores and four scientific projects, as well as a steering committee comprised of the primary study investigators and representatives from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). The three cores include: (1) The Administrative Core which handles the overall coordination of Epi4K activities; (2) The Sequencing, Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Core which is responsible for generating the next-generation sequence data, inferring the genetic variation in each of the study participants, and performing the primary analyses to identify epilepsy genes; and (3) The Phenotyping and Clinical Informatics Core which verifies and archives all the phenotypic data from each study participant. The proposed number of patients to be sequenced and analyzed in the scientific projects is a minimum of 4,000; thus the Center was named "Epi4K: Gene Discovery in 4,000 Genomes". Project 1 addresses the genetics of rare and severe childhood epilepsies, including epileptic encephalopathies (infantile spasms and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome), and malformations of cortical development (periventricular nodular heterotopia and polymicrogyria). Exome and genome sequence data generated from DNA collected from patients will be screened for mutations (single nucleotide substitutions, small insertion-deletions, and copy number variations) that cause or contribute to the diseases. Project 2 is focused on genetic discovery in multiplex families. This study will use next-generation sequencing to identify genomic variation that influences risk for common subtypes of epilepsy including idiopathic generalized epilepsy and nonlesional focal epilepsy. Project 3 seeks to identify genetic determinants of prognosis in patients with a range of epilepsy disorders. This study will study established epilepsy cohorts with well-characterized data on seizure outcome to look for relationships between genetic variation and pharmacological control of seizures. Project 4 will use next-generation sequencing data (exome and genome) to screen for epilepsy-associated copy number variation across all Epi4K projects using novel computational algorithms.

  Study phs000653

• Germline elongator mutations in sonic hedgehog medulloblastoma

  Cancer genomics has illuminated a wide spectrum of genes and core molecular processes contributing to human malignancy. Still, the genetic and molecular basis of many cancers remains only partially explained. Genetic predisposition accounts for 5-10% of cancer diagnoses and genetic events cooperating with known somatic driver events are poorly understood. Analyzing established cancer predisposition genes in medulloblastoma (MB), a malignant childhood brain tumor, we recently identified pathogenic germline variants that account for 5% of all MB patients. Here, by extending our previous analysis to include all protein-coding genes, we discovered and replicated rare germline loss-of-function (LoF) variants across Elongator Complex Protein 1 (ELP1) on 9q31.3 in 15% of pediatric MBSHH cases, thus implicating ELP1 as the most common MB predisposition gene and increasing genetic predisposition to 40% for pediatric MBSHH. Inheritance was verified based on parent-offspring and pedigree analysis, which identified two families with a history of pediatric MB. ELP1-associated MBs were restricted to the molecular SHHa subtype and were characterized by universal biallelic inactivation of ELP1 due to somatic loss of chromosome 9q. The majority of ELP1-associated MBs exhibited co-occurring somatic PTCH1 (9q22.32) alterations, suggesting that ELP1-deficiency predisposes to tumor development in combination with constitutive activation of SHH signaling. ELP1 is an essential subunit of the evolutionary conserved Elongator complex, whose primary function is to enable efficient translational elongation through tRNAs modifications at the wobble (U34) position. Biochemical, transcriptional, and proteomic analyses revealed that ELP1-associated MBSHH are characterized by a destabilized core Elongator complex, loss of Elongator-dependent tRNA modifications, codon-dependent translational reprogramming, and induction of the unfolded protein response (UPR), consistent with deregulation of protein homeostasis due to Elongator-deficiency in model systems. Our findings suggest that genetic predisposition to proteome instability is a previously underappreciated determinant in the pathogenesis of pediatric brain cancer. These results provide strong rationale for further investigating the role of protein homeostasis in other pediatric and adult cancer types and potential opportunities for novel therapeutic interference.

  Study EGAS00001004126

• Kids First: Congenital Heart Defects and Laterality Birth Defects

  Laterality defects occur in approximately 1:10,000 newborns and are associated with a range of structural birth defects and abnormalities of organ positioning. Gut malrotation, biliary atresia, asplenia or polysplenia, complex cardiovascular malformations, and midline defects such as neural tube defects, vertebral anomalies and rib fusions are found in various combinations in patients with laterality defects. In addition, a subset of laterality defects caused by abnormalities of cilia position or function are associated with additional medical problems such as chronic sinusitis and bronchiectasis that require specific preventive care; however these patients frequently are undiagnosed until late in disease course. The goal of this project is to elucidate the genetic architecture of laterality disorders in order to inform medical management and risk stratification and to prevent complications. Laterality disorders are genetically heterogeneous and we and others have previously identified single nucleotide variants inherited in an X-linked or autosomal recessive manner as explanations for a minority of cases. In addition, we have demonstrated copy number variants (CNVs) as a mechanism of disease that requires additional investigation. We hypothesize that the majority of cases result from complex genetic inheritance. We propose to investigate this hypothesis using a multifaceted analysis approach in our extremely well phenotyped cohort of 538 probands with laterality disorders. Nested within this cohort are 105 trios who have not had previous sequencing, probands who have had exome sequencing and are excellent candidates for gene discovery via whole genome sequencing (WGS), and families with multiple affected family members for family-based analysis. All trios will be analyzed by transmission disequilibrium test (TDT) including rare variant TDT. De novo mutations will also be identified from trios for potential gene discovery. Using all probands, we will identify the prevalence of pathogenic CNVs. In addition, we will perform burden analyses to identify genes, gene interactions, and pathways important for susceptibility to laterality disorders. Finally, our rare families with multiple affected members will be studied using family based segregation analysis. This comprehensive genetic analysis in patients with laterality disorders is necessary to identify the appropriate clinical diagnostic testing for risk stratification, to elucidate underlying genetic architecture and facilitate novel gene discovery, and to provide essential knowledge about genes and pathways impacting the development of laterality disorders.

  Study phs002589

• Genome_Diversity_in_Africa_Project___GemCode_libraries

  Globally, human populations show structured genetic diversity as a result of geographical dispersion, selection and drift. Understanding this genetic variation can provide insights into the evolutionary processes that shape both human adaptation and variation in disease. Populations from Africa have the highest levels of genetic diversity. This characteristic, in addition to historical genetic admixture, can lead to complexities in the design of studies assessing the genetic determinants of disease and human variation. However, such studies of African populations are also likely to provide new opportunities to discover novel disease susceptibility loci and variants and refine gene–disease association signals. A systematic assessment of genetic diversity within Africa would facilitate genomic epidemiological studies in the region.The Genome Diversity in Africa Project (GDAP) will extend and expand the African Genome Variation (AGV) project, an international collaboration aimed to produce a comprehensive catalogue of human genetic variation in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Using a sequencing-based approach, GDA project aims to capture human genetic variation in Africa, including single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), structural variants, and haplotypes. This resource will make a substantial contribution to understanding patterns of genetic diversity within and among populations in Africa, as well as providing a global resource to help design, implement and interpret genomic studies in African populations and studies comprising globally diverse populations, complementing existing genomic resources. Specifically, we plan to carry out whole genome sequencing at high depth (30x) of up to 1000 individuals across Africa (25 individuals from each ethnolinguistic group). We have already completed sequencing from 5 ethno-linguistic groups and we are now adding others.Our scientific objectives are to: 1) develop a resource that provides a comprehensive catalogue of genetic variation in populations from Africa accessible to the global scientific community; 2) characterise population genetic diversity, structure, gene flow and admixture across Africa; 3) develop a cost-efficient, next-generation genotype array for diverse populations across Africa; and 4) facilitate whole genome-sequencing association studies of complex traits and diseases by developing a reference panel for imputation and resource for enhancing fine-mapping disease susceptibility loci. These scientific objectives will be supported by cross-cutting operational activities, including network and management of the consortium, research ethics, and research capacity building in statistical genetics and bioinformatics.

  Study EGAS00001001589

• Targeted de novo phasing and long-range assembly by template mutagenesis

  Long-range sequencing with low error rate has been challenging. Sequence assembly and phasing usually require a high-quality reference genome for mapping, so working on highly-variable genomic regions or regions with no reference genome information would be difficult. In this study, we describe novel bench protocols and algorithms to obtain ultra-low-error-rate haplotype-phased sequence assemblies of regions 10 KB in length using a short-read sequencing platform that simultaneously solves the above two problems. We accomplish this by imprinting each template strand from a target region with a dense and unique mutation pattern. The mutation process randomly and independently converts ~50% of cytosines to uracils. Short-read sequencing libraries are made from both mutated and unmutated templates. A conservative de Bruijn graph approach seeds an assembly of the mutated templates, which we then extend by mapping paired-end reads. We next partition the template assemblies into two or more haplotypes after using the unmutated sequence library to recover almost all of the mutated bases. The final haplotype is assembled and corrected for residual template mutations and PCR errors. We obtain per-base-error rates below 10 9. We apply this method to a human family, correctly assembling and phasing three genomic intervals, including the highly polymorphic HLA-B gene.

  Dataset EGAD00001008444

• The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital Genetics of Congenital Heart Disease (CHD)

  Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most common type of birth defect, but the cause for the majority of cardiac birth defects remains unknown. Numerous epidemiologic studies have demonstrated evidence that genetic factors likely play a contributory, if not causative, role in CHD. A few genes have been identified by us and other investigators using traditional genetic approaches, but these genes only account for a small portion of the non-syndromic CHDs. Therefore, we are now utilizing whole exome sequencing (WES) and whole genome sequencing (WGS), with the addition of more traditional genetic techniques such as chromosomal microarray or traditional linkage analysis, to identify genetic causes of familial and isolated CHD. With WES/WGS, we are able to sequence all of the genes of an individual and apply different data analysis techniques based on whether we are analyzing a multiplex family or a cohort of trios (mother, father and child with CHD) with a specific isolated CHD. Therefore, WES/WGS is a robust method for identification of novel genetic causes of CHD, which will have important diagnostic and therapeutic consequences for these children. Subjects provided blood samples, skin biopsy, or saliva samples for DNA extraction and creation of cell lines. Tissue remaining after surgical procedures was also collected. Medical records were searched for detailed phenotype data and subjects were followed longitudinally for outcome.

  Study phs002010

• Genome Diversity in Africa Project: Uganda (2021-02-17)

  Globally, human populations show structured genetic diversity as a result of geographical dispersion, selection and drift. Understanding this genetic variation can provide insights into the evolutionary processes that shape both human adaptation and variation in disease. Populations from SSA have the highest levels of genetic diversity. This characteristic, in addition to historical genetic admixture, can lead to complexities in the design of studies assessing the genetic determinants of disease and human variation. However, such studies of African populations are also likely to provide new opportunities to discover novel disease susceptibility loci and variants and refine gene-disease association signals. A systematic assessment of genetic diversity within SSA would facilitate genomic epidemiological studies in the region. The Genome Diversity in Africa Project (GDAP) aims to produce a comprehensive catalogue of human genetic variation in SSA, including single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), structural variants, and haplotypes. This resource will make a substantial contribution to understanding patterns of genetic diversity within and among populations in SSA, as well as providing a global resource to help design, implement and interpret genomic studies in SSA populations and studies comprising globally diverse populations, complementing existing genomic resources. Specifically, we plan to carry out high depth whole genome sequencing of up to 2000 individuals across Africa (25 individuals from each ethnolinguistic group). Our scientific objectives are to: 1) develop a resource that provides a comprehensive catalogue of genetic variation in populations from SSA accessible to the global scientific community; 2) characterise population genetic diversity, structure, gene flow and admixture across SSA; 3) develop a cost-efficient, next-generation genotype array for diverse populations across SSA; and 4) facilitate whole genome-sequencing association studies of complex traits and diseases by developing a reference panel for imputation and resource for enhancing fine-mapping disease susceptibility loci. These scientific objectives will be supported by cross-cutting operational activities, including network and management of the consortium, research ethics, and research capacity building in statistical genetics and bioinformatics . This dataset contains all the data available for this study on 2021-02-17.

  Dataset EGAD00001006976

• Genome_Diversity_in_Africa_Project__Benin

  Globally, human populations show structured genetic diversity as a result of geographical dispersion, selection and drift. Understanding this genetic variation can provide insights into the evolutionary processes that shape both human adaptation and variation in disease. Populations from SSA have the highest levels of genetic diversity. This characteristic, in addition to historical genetic admixture, can lead to complexities in the design of studies assessing the genetic determinants of disease and human variation. However, such studies of African populations are also likely to provide new opportunities to discover novel disease susceptibility loci and variants and refine gene–disease association signals. A systematic assessment of genetic diversity within SSA would facilitate genomic epidemiological studies in the region.The Genome Diversity in Africa Project (GDAP) aims to produce a comprehensive catalogue of human genetic variation in SSA, including single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), structural variants, and haplotypes. This resource will make a substantial contribution to understanding patterns of genetic diversity within and among populations in SSA, as well as providing a global resource to help design, implement and interpret genomic studies in SSA populations and studies comprising globally diverse populations, complementing existing genomic resources. Specifically, we plan to carry out high depth whole genome sequencing of up to 2000 individuals across Africa (25 individuals from each ethnolinguistic group).Our scientific objectives are to: 1) develop a resource that provides a comprehensive catalogue of genetic variation in populations from SSA accessible to the global scientific community; 2) characterise population genetic diversity, structure, gene flow and admixture across SSA; 3) develop a cost-efficient, next-generation genotype array for diverse populations across SSA; and 4) facilitate whole genome-sequencing association studies of complex traits and diseases by developing a reference panel for imputation and resource for enhancing fine-mapping disease susceptibility loci. These scientific objectives will be supported by cross-cutting operational activities, including network and management of the consortium, research ethics, and research capacity building in statistical genetics and bioinformaticsThis data is part of a pre-publication release. For information on the proper use of pre-publication data shared by the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute (including details of any publication moratoria), please see http://www.sanger.ac.uk/datasharing/

  Study EGAS00001001688

• Molecular risk stratification in patients with T1 colorectal cancer_WES

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

  Dataset EGAD00001010890

• GWAS in an Amerindian Ancestry Population Reveals Novel Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Risk Loci and the Role of European Admixture

  The study comprises SLE patients recruited from specialist rheumatology clinics from the United States, Mexico, Argentina, Chile and Peru. Two strategies were used to enrich samples for Native American ancestry: a. previously genotyped Hispanic and Latin American and US Native American individuals were selected according to their ancestry based on 253 ancestry informative markers as part of the Lupus Large Association 2 Study. The approximate 35% of the samples were primarily of European and Native American admixture was selected; b. the recruitment of patients took place primarily in countries with little African admixture. All samples were genotyped on the HumanOmni1-Quad BeadChip using manifest H at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation. The Illumina clustering algorithm with GenomeStudio v2011.1 was used.

  Study phs001025

• Evolutionary Analysis of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Cells During Relapse After Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant

  We investigated the molecular dynamics driving relapse of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (allo-HSCT) through an integrated analysis of whole exome, bulk transcriptome, bulk methylome and single cell transcriptional data from paired leukemic samples representing 19 patients. We found that their clinical kinetics corresponded to distinct genetic and epigenetic evolutionary trajectories and suggest that the selection pressures of the post-transplant, immunologic bottleneck are distinct from those imposed by chemotherapy.In order to discover cancer antigens derived from annotated and unannotated protein-coding regions of the genome, we carried out ribosome profiling (Ribo-seq) and RNA-sequencing on CLL samples and isolated primary B cells from healthy donors. We discovered novel or unannotated open reading frames (nuORFs), their expression levels, as well as somatic mutations within them to predict potential neoantigens.

  Study phs001998

• Single-cell and spatial transcriptomic profiling of hormone-naïve localised prostate cancer

  Localised prostate cancers (PCa) are heterogeneous and multifocal, with diverse outcomes. Current prognostic methods are epithelium-centric, overlooking the complex cellular landscape within the tumour microenvironment (TME), which remains incompletely characterised. We performed a comprehensive analysis of cancerous and adjacent-benign cores from 24 patients with hormone therapy-naïve localised PCa using single-cell RNA-sequencing. By integrating copy number variation and transcriptional signatures, we classified epithelial cells across a malignant spectrum, revealing widespread molecular perturbation. We found an expansion of Club cell phenotypes, suggestive of Luminal dedifferentiation. We also performed a detailed annotation of stromal phenotypes, focusing on fibroblasts, and identified a novel peri-neural fibroblast population. Spatial transcriptomics elucidated the precise anatomical distribution of CAFs within the PCa TME. This study provides a valuable foundation for advancing our understanding of PCa pathobiology and developing a comprehensive cellular model of the disease.

  Study EGAS00001008332

• Oesophageal adenocarcinoma WGS from LUD2015-005 study (NCT02735239, EudraCT 2015-005298-19)

  This dataset contains whole genome sequencing (WGS) generated from the inoperable cohorts of the LUD2015-005 study (NCT02735239, EudraCT 2015-005298-19). WGS data were generated with the aim to assess previously reported (e.g. tumour mutational burden) and novel predictive genomic markers for immunochemotherapy treatment in this setting. Using these data, mutation and copy number profiles were generated for the LUD2015-005 study, which were assessed for correlation with patient outcomes from this trial.

  Dataset EGAD00001009400

• Biallelic loss of function PAX4 variants are a Novel Cause of Transient Neonatal Diabetes

  The identification of genes in which loss of function (LoF) variants cause neonatal diabetes mellitus (NDM) can provide unique insights into the development and function of human pancreatic beta cells. We describe the identification of biallelic PAX4 LoF variants in 2 unrelated individuals with transient NDM: one due to a homozygous p.(Arg126*) PAX4 stop gain variant and a second due to a homozygous c.-352_104del 2.65kb deletion affecting the first 4 exons and promoter of the PAX4 Matched Annotation from NCBI and EMBL-EBI select transcript. We confirmed reduced transcript expression due to nonsense mediated decay for the e p.(Arg126*) variant in CRISPR-edited iPSC-derived pancreatic endoderm cells. Analysis of PAX4 binding through integration of CUT&RUN and RNA-sequencing in PAX4 depleted endocrine cells identified genes directly regulated by PAX4 involved in both pancreatic islet development and glucose-sensitive insulin secretion. The remitting and relapsing diabetes in both probands demonstrates that in contrast to mice PAX4 is not essential for the development of pancreatic beta-cells and supports differences in the requirements of functional beta-cell mass across the life-course.

  Study EGAS50000000857

• Unrelated Donor Reduced Intensity Bone Marrow Transplant for Children with Severe Sickle Cell Disease (BMT CTN-0601-BioLINCC)

  ObjectivesThe primary objective is to determine event-free survival (EFS) at 1 year after unrelated donor (URD) hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT) using bone marrow (BM) in patients with sickle cell disease (SCD).BackgroundSickle cell disease (SCD), also known as sickle cell anemia, is an inherited blood disease that can cause organ damage, stroke, and intense pain episodes. Children with sickle cell disease experience organ damage, impaired quality of life, and premature mortality. A blood stem cell transplant is a treatment option for someone with a severe form of the disease. Prior to undergoing a transplant, people typically receive a conditioning regimen of high doses of chemotherapy and other medications to prepare the body to accept the transplant. This type of conditioning regimen is known as a myeloablative conditioning regimen, but it can result in toxicities and sterility. A conditioning regimen that uses lower doses of chemotherapy and medications may be safer for transplant recipients. This type of regimen is known as reduced intensity conditioning (RIC) regimen. RIC has a more favorable toxicity profile but is associated with higher rates of graft rejection (GR), especially with graft sources such as umbilical cord blood This study evaluated the safety and effectiveness of blood stem cell transplants, using bone marrow from unrelated donors, in children with severe SCD who receive a RIC regimen prior to the transplant.SubjectsPatients 3.0-19.75 years old with symptomatic SCD AND one or more of the following complications: (1)-(i) a clinically significant neurologic event (stroke) or any neurologic defect lasting > 24 hours and accompanied by an infarct on cerebral magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); OR, (ii) patients who have a Transcranial Doppler (TCD) velocity that exceeds 200 cm/sec by the non-imaging technique (or TCD measurement of >185 cm/sec by the imaging technique) measured at a minimum of 2 separate occasions one month or more apart; OR, (2) Minimum of two episodes of acute chest syndrome within the preceding 2-year period defined as new pulmonary alveolar consolidation involving at least one complete lung segment (associated with acute symptoms including fever, chest pain, tachypnea, wheezing, rales, or cough that is not attributed to asthma or bronchiolitis) despite adequate supportive care measures; OR, (3) History of 3 or more severe pain events (defined as new onset of pain that lasts for at least 2 hours for which there is no other explanation) per year in the 2 years prior to enrollment despite adequate supportive care measures (if patients are receiving hydroxyurea and compliant with therapy, being symptomatic is an indication for transplantation; however, if patients decline hydroxyurea or non-compliant with this therapy, they would still remain eligible for study if pain criteria as described above are met). Lansky/Karnofsky performance score must be ≥ 40. Hemoglobin S must be ≤ 45%. Patients must have an unrelated adult bone marrow donor who is HLA-matched at 8 of 8 HLA-A, -B, -C and -DRB1 at high resolution using DNA-based typing. Patients with bridging fibrosis or cirrhosis of the liver, with uncontrolled bacterial, viral, or fungal infection in the past month, or seropositivity for HIV are excluded. Patients with HLA-matched family donors, or who have received prior HCT, and females who are pregnant or breast feeding are excluded. Thirty patients were enrolled on this study and of these, 29 patients met the criteria and proceeded to the study transplant.DesignParticipants attended a study visit prior to the transplant to undergo a blood collection, neurocognitive testing to measure learning and brain function, magnetic resonance angiogram (MRA) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. Questionnaires to assess quality of life were also completed. All patients received erythrocyte transfusions before transplant. Twenty-two days (-22) before the transplant, participants began receiving a reduced intensity conditioning regimen of chemotherapy and medications. On days -21, -20, and -19 participants weighing 10 kg or more received 10 mg, 15 mg, and then 20 mg of Alemtuzumab intravenously (IV) followed by 30 mg/m2/day IV on days -8 through -4 of Fludarabine. Eight days (-8) before the transplant, participants were admitted to the hospital to continue the conditioning regimen which included 140 mg/m2 IV of Melphalan on day -3. Participants received the bone marrow transplant on day 0. Prophylaxis for GVHD consisted of a calcineurin inhibitor (tacrolimus or cyclosporine) administered from day -3 through day 100 after graft infusion, with subsequent taper through day 180; methotrexate 7.5 mg/m2 on days 1, 3, and 6; and methylprednisolone 1 mg/kg per day from days 7 through 28, with subsequent taper by 20% per week. One week after the transplant continuing until the WBC is normal, participants received granulocyte-colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF). After leaving the hospital, participants attended study visits weekly during weeks 1 to 8, at day 60, weekly during weeks 9 to 14, at Day 100, at month 6, and at years 1 and 2. At all study visits, a blood collection, medical history review, and physical exam occurred. In addition, at day 100, month 6, and years 1 and 2, questionnaires to assess quality of life were completed. At select visits the following procedures were conducted: lung function testing, heart function testing, MRA and MRI scans, and neurocognitive testing.The primary outcome was 1-year EFS. Death, disease recurrence or graft rejection by 1 year were considered events for this endpoint.ConclusionsThe trial met its prespecified 1-year EFS, and significantly improved HRQL was reported posttransplant. However, although the Reduced-intensity conditioning (RIC) provided successful engraftment in most patients, the regimen cannot be considered safe for widespread adoption without modification due to the regimen-related toxicity (RRT) and high rate of chronic GVHD, which was the predominant cause of mortality.

  Study phs003470

• Germline and Somatic Genetic Landscape of Pediatric Rhabdomyosarcoma

  Dynamic approaches that integrate population-based research and molecular biology are needed to explain the mechanisms underlying pediatric rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) and to determine novel prevention strategies. RMS, the most common soft-tissue sarcoma in children and adolescents, has one of the poorest 5-year survival rates among all pediatric cancers (less than 65%). One of the strongest risk factors for RMS is having a cancer predisposition syndrome. The syndromes that are most commonly seen among those with RMS are Li-Fraumeni, neurofibromatosis type 1, Costello, Noonan, and DICER1. Based on smaller clinic-based studies, only about 7% of RMS cases are thought to be associated with the genes responsible for these syndromes. However, there have been no population-based assessments to support this estimate. Even in the most recent large-scale evaluations of germline mutations in predisposition genes among children with cancer, very few RMS cases were included (43 cases). Furthermore, no distinctions were made between the major histologic subtypes of RMS: embryonal (eRMS) and alveolar (aRMS), which display differences in terms of age distribution, incidence, and cytogenetics. For instance, nearly 80% of alveolar cases are driven by a chromosomal translocation between either PAX3 or PAX7 and FOXO1, whereas these fusions are not seen in embryonal cases. In fact, RMS research is shifting from categorization based on histology to fusion status (eRMS is overwhelmingly fusion-negative). Another limitation in previous studies has been the inability to evaluate the frequency of de novo germline mutations (DNMs) in cancer predisposition genes due to the absence of any well-characterized cohorts of RMS case-parent trios. Therefore, a major gap in our understanding of the role of cancer predisposition in pediatric RMS that limit translational impact is there have been no population-based assessments to determine the true impact of these mutations on pediatric RMS, which limits clinical sequencing guidelines and surveillance protocols in these children.Overall Project Strategy: The objective of this project is to advance our understanding of the relationship between cancer predisposition genes and pediatric RMS. Our central hypotheses are: 1) mutations in cancer predisposition genes are more common than expected in children with RMS; and 2) children with fusion-negative tumors have a higher burden of germline mutations than those with fusion-positive tumors. The framework for this study relies on >600 well annotated samples collected from newly diagnosed RMS patients and stored in the Children’s Oncology Group (COG) Biopathology Center.

  Study phs002304

• Tracking the evolution of Therapy-Related Myeloid Neoplasms using chemotherapy signatures

  Patients treated with cytotoxic therapies, including autologous stem cell transplantation, are at risk for developing therapy-related myeloid neoplasms (tMN). Pre-leukemic clones (i.e., clonal hematopoiesis; CH) are detectable years before the development of these aggressive malignancies, though the genomic events leading to transformation and expansion are not well-defined. Here, leveraging distinctive chemotherapy-associated mutational signatures from whole-genome sequencing data and targeted sequencing of pre-chemotherapy samples, we reconstruct the evolutionary life-history of 39 therapy-related myeloid malignancies. A dichotomy is revealed, in which neoplasms with evidence of chemotherapy-induced mutagenesis from platinum and melphalan are hypermutated and enriched for complex structural variants (i.e., chromothripsis) while neoplasms with non-mutagenic chemotherapy exposures are genomically similar to de novo acute myeloid leukemia. Using chemotherapy-associated mutational signatures as temporal barcodes linked to a discrete clinical exposure in each patient’s life, we estimate that several complex events and genomic drivers are acquired after chemotherapy is administered. For patients with prior multiple myeloma who were treated with high-dose melphalan and autologous stem cell transplantation, we demonstrate that tMN can develop from either a reinfused CH clone that escapes chemotherapy exposure and is selected following reinfusion, or from TP53-mutant CH that survives direct myeloablative conditioning and acquires melphalan-induced DNA-damage. Overall, we reveal a novel mode of tMN progression that is not reliant on direct mutagenesis or even exposure to chemotherapy. Conversely, for tMN that evolve under the influence of chemotherapy-induced mutagenesis, distinct chemotherapies not only select pre-existing CH, but also promote the acquisition of recurrent genomic drivers.

  Study EGAS00001006903

• Identification of the dismal subtype of B-ALL with dysregulation of CDX2 and UBTF

  PURPOSE: Advance in the knowledge of genomic basis of B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) has changed the treatment approaches and diagnostic assays and improved their outcome. Despite the recent development of next generation sequencing approaches, there are still some cases that their drivers are unknown. We aimed to define and describe the characteristics of an additional B-ALL subtype by integrating genomic, transcriptomic, and epigenomic approach. METHODS: More than 2,000 B-ALL cases of RNA-seq data from from Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) and the American College of Radiology Imaging Network (ACRIN) (n=764), the Children's Oncology Group (COG), Munich Leukemia Laboratory (MLL) (n=280), and other several collaborators were analyzed to identify the new subtype. Whole genome sequence was performed to detect mutations, stractural variants, and copy number alterations. The tridimentional analysis of chromatin was performed with HiChIP. RESULTS: We identified the new high-risk B-ALL subtype “CDX2/UBTF” that exhibited unique gene expression profiles, which is enriched in female (77.3%), adolescents and young adults (52.6%), and relapse cohort (3.3%). CD10 negativity and IgM positivity are hallmarks of this subtype with NTRK3 expression that can be an effective marker at diagnostic approach and a potential targeted therapy with TRK and mulkinase inbitors, larotrectinib and entrectinib. Genetically, two different alterations define CDX2/UBTF. One is UBTF-ATXN7L3 fusions caused by deletion of 17q21.31, and the other is extopic CDX2 expression through the enhancer hijacking mechanism induced by deletion of 13q12.2. Other genomic features include gain of 1q and PAX5 rearrangement (PAX5-ZCCHC7), might induce upregulation of histone cluster genes and PAX5. CONCLUSION: We described the novel B-ALL subtype “CDX2/UBTF” that has unique clinical and genomic characteristics.

  Study EGAS00001005863

• Age related Macular Degeneration (AMD) - Michigan, Mayo, AREDS, Pennsylvania (MMAP) Cohort Study: Association and Sequencing Studies

  Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of incurable blindness in people over the age of 65. AMD is a late-onset multi-factorial neurodegenerative disease and its pathogenesis involves interaction of genetic and environmental factors. Several chromosomal regions have been associated with AMD susceptibility through linkage analysis (Swaroop et al., 2009). More recent studies provide strong evidence that variants within the CFH gene cluster on chromosome 1 and at/near LOC387715/ARMS2 on chromosome 10 are strongly associated with the disease. Variants at other genes including C2/BF, C3, CFI and APOE4, also contribute to AMD susceptibility. Our primary goals are to identify genetic variants and haplotypes that are associated with AMD. The underlying hypothesis is that DNA variation(s) in multiple genetic susceptibility loci will predispose individuals to AMD pathogenesis, and comparison of DNA of cases and controls should identify these susceptibility variants. Our studies are focused on the genetic analysis of advanced AMD and should provide novel insights into disease diagnosis, progression and pathology. We have assembled a collaborative group of researchers from the University of Michigan, Mayo Clinic, University of Pennsylvania, and the AREDS group including National Eye Institute intramural investigators, who collected clinical data and DNA from a large number of patients affected with AMD and from unaffected controls. The primary source of funding was National Eye Institute. Study 1: To identify genetic variants and haplotypes that are associated with AMD, we submitted and obtained usable genotyping data on 2185 patients and 1155 controls from the Center for Inherited Disease Research (CIDR). Study 2: To identify rare coding variants associated with a large increase in risk of AMD, 10 candidate loci spanning 57 genes were sequenced in 2,335 cases and 789 controls. Probes were designed to capture 96.5% of the coding sequence and 35% of total locus sequence, generating an average 123Mb of on-target sequence per individual at 127x average depth. Substudies: phs000182 AMD-MMAP Cohort Study: A Joint Genome-Wide Asscociation Study phs000246 Fuchs' Corneal Dystrophy GWAS phs000457 MMAP Methylation in AMD phs000685 Age-Related Macular Degeneration Targeted Sequencing Study

  Study phs000684

• National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Duke Cognition Cohort

  The overall goal is to identify genetic variants influencing normal variation between humans, with a focus on cognitive and neurosensory traits. Because of the focus of funding agencies on disease, very few studies of the genetics of non-disease traits have been performed. The genetic variation underlying the vast majority of differences between humans therefore remains not only undiscovered, but also unexplored. We have assessed >1,200 healthy volunteers for >70 diverse, non-disease phenotypes, with a focus on cognitive and neurosensory traits that are understudied and seem to have a strong biological basis. Our study includes measurements of face recognition, night vision, cognitive performance, auditory pitch discrimination, contagious yawn susceptibility, time perception, sense of direction, taste preferences, personality, sexual behaviors, sleep habits, acne, headache locations, synesthesia, and teeth sensitivity. This method is very different from the focus of most studies on collecting cohorts of patients with disease and controls with minimal phenotypic information. Because we phenotype the same healthy volunteers for multiple highly variable yet heritable traits, we can perform genetic analyses on a large number of phenotypes by just investing once in sequencing the DNA of these participants. An additional >2,000 participants in our cohort have been measured just for cognitive performance instead of for the more extensive phenotyping. Most of the genetic studies in this cohort have been about cognitive perfromance. The number of participants with genetic data generated who have undergone the more extensive phenotyping is limited. Our studies of the more novel traits like contagious yawning have therefore focused more on correlations between different phenotypes until we have a sufficient sample size to truly attempt to make genetic discoveries. . The dataset also includes two small challenge studies. In one study, the cognitive performance of 150 healthy volunteers was measured before and after an acute dose of the antiepileptic drug topiramate. In the other study, the cognitive performance of 13 healthy volunteers was measured before and after 24 hours of sleep deprivation.

  Study phs001406

• Center for Common Disease Genomics [CCDG] - Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) - Global Microbiome Conservancy Host Exomes

  The human body is a complex ecosystem, hosting tens of billions of bacteria, primarily in the gut. This community, known as the 'gut microbiome', is vital to human health, affecting functions ranging from metabolism, immunity, and development, to behavior. Conversely, reduced microbiome diversity and other imbalances of the gut community (dysbiosis) are associated with many diseases of the industrialized world, such as metabolic syndrome, asthma, and inflammatory bowel diseases among others. Microbiome-based interventions thus hold the potential to revolutionize our understanding of, and therapeutic approaches to, many aspects of human health and disease. Despite many advances, current understanding of the human microbiome is largely limited to majority ethnic groups in industrialized nations, and does not reflect the full diversity of human commensal microbiota. In addition to the scientific ramifications of minority underrepresentation, there are significant translational and ethical implications as well: First, failing to capture the full diversity of healthy human microbiota may limit our ability to understand and generate effective therapeutics for many microbiome-associated diseases. Second, underrepresented groups are less likely to benefit from microbiome-based medical advances tailored to well-studied populations, propagating healthcare inequities. The window of opportunity to characterize human microbiome diversity is closing rapidly. Human gut microbial diversity is diminishing around the globe, due to the spread of Westernized diets and lifestyles, which are associated with reduced microbiome biodiversity. The Global Microbiome Conservancy (GMbC) is a non-profit collaboration between scientists and communities around the world that aims to 1) preserve the full biodiversity of the human gut microbiome, 2) characterize its evolution across populations and host lifestyles and 3) investigate its interactions with the human host. We are collecting gut microbiome and human DNA samples from diverse populations around the world, from isolated groups to urbanized populations, to culture and study this essential biodiversity and to preserve it in a living "seed bank" as a long-term safeguard against future extinctions. The National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) has funded a collaborative large-scale genome sequencing effort to comprehensively identify rare risk and protective variants contributing to multiple common disease phenotypes. Called the Centers for Common Disease Genomics (CCDG), this initiative will explore a range of diseases with the ultimate goal of: Undertaking variant discovery for enough different examples of disease architectures and study designs to better understand the general principles of the genomic architecture underlying common, complex inherited diseases. Understanding how best to design rare variant studies for common disease. Developing resources, informatics tools, and innovative approaches and technologies for multiple disease research communities and the wider biomedical research community. The initial focus of the CCDGs will be in cardiovascular disease (early-onset coronary artery disease, atrial fibrillation, hemorrhagic stroke), neuropsychiatric disease (epilepsy, autism), and autoimmune/inflammatory disease (type 1 diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease). The Broad Institute is one of four selected CCDG project centers. Both exome and genotyping information of GMbC participants will help understanding how recruited human populations are structured and genetically related. This human genetic structure will be analyzed in light of gut microbiome compositional and genomic differences to illuminate associations between specific microbiome traits and human groups and the evolutionary processes involved in the co-evolution of human hosts and their gut microbiome. It will also provide variant information for critical genes shaping the composition of microbiomes, such as genes involved in innate and adaptive immunity (e.g. antimicrobial peptides) or in the regulation of the immune response (e.g. Nod2). Association studies between specific variants in these genes and microbiome features will be performed, which will then be validated with in vitro and in vivo experiments. Human data from GMbC cohorts will also increase the genetic diversity of human populations, providing additional variant information for many susceptible loci that were found to be associated with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. The whole genome sequencing data generated is comprised of samples from diverse and indigenous populations. Raw sequencing data, metadata, vcf and phenotype data at the individual level for a subset of the cohort's samples are available at https://anvilproject.org/data. For questions about availability, contact help@lists.anvilproject.org. Microbiome data for the samples sequenced in this study can be found in phs002235 Global Microbiome Conservancy Sequence Data.

  Study phs002205

• Copy number profiling of primary samples and cell lines of retinoblastoma

  While RB1 loss initiates retinoblastoma development, additional somatic copy number alterations (SCNAs) can drive tumor progression. Although SCNAs have been identified with good concordance between studies at a cytoband resolution, accurate identification of single genes for all recurrent SCNAs is still challenging. This study presents a comprehensive meta-analysis of genome-wide SCNAs integrated with gene expression profiling data, narrowing down the list of plausible retinoblastoma driver genes. We performed SCNA profiling of 45 primary retinoblastoma samples and 8 retinoblastoma cell lines by high-resolution microarrays. We combined our data with genomic, clinical and histopathological data of ten published genome-wide SCNA studies, which strongly enhanced the power of our analyses (N=310). Comprehensive recurrence analysis of SCNAs in all studies integrated with gene expression data allowed us to reduce candidate gene lists for 1q, 2p, 6p, 7q and 13q to a limited gene set. Besides the well-established driver genes RB1 (13q-loss) and MYCN (2p-gain) we identified CRB1 and NEK7 (1q-gain), SOX4 (6p-gain) and NUP205 (7q-gain) as novel retinoblastoma driver candidates. Depending on the sample subset and algorithms used, alternative candidates were identified including MIR181 (1q-gain) and DEK (6p gain). Remarkably, our study showed that copy number gains rarely exceeded change of one copy, even in pure tumor samples with 100% homozygosity at the RB1 locus (N=34), which is indicative for intra-tumor heterogeneity. In addition, profound between-tumor variability was observed that was associated with age at diagnosis and differentiation grades. Since focal alterations at commonly altered chromosome regions were rare except for 2p24.3 (MYCN), further functional validation of the oncogenic potential of the described candidate genes is now required. For further investigations, our study provides a refined and revised set of candidate retinoblastoma driver genes.

  Study EGAS00001001715

• Novel Strategies to Eliminate Resistance to B-cell Receptor Inhibitor Therapy in Lymphoid Malignancies

  Ibrutinib and acalabrutinib are BTK inhibitors (BTKi) used as frontline therapies for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Clonal evolution during ibrutinib treatment has previously been studied, but limited study of clonal evolution in patients receiving acalabrutinib has been done. Our group analyzed 216 blood samples from 38 CLL patients at multiple time points during their BTKi treatment. Samples were prepared by standard protocols and sequenced using 200x Illumina sequencing. Using the longitudinal data, we reconstructed the clonal evolution of each patient using somatic mutations found within the B-cell populations. Three patterns of clonal evolution were identified: 1) new clone emergence, 2) clonal selection, and 3) clonal replacement. As previously seen in ibrutinib treatment, the evolution of subclones containing CLL-driver mutations was associated with worse clinical outcomes for patients treated with acalabrutinib (Log-rank p=0.04). Understanding clonal evolution during treatment with acalabrutinib can help determine and modify the clinical course of patients with CLL.

  Study phs003042

• MP2PRT-MNG: Identifying Novel Molecular Markers of Response to Radiotherapy in Meningiomas Using Samples from the RTOG-0539 (NCT00895622)

  The Molecular Profiling to Predict Response to Treatment (MP2PRT) program is part of the NCI's Cancer Moonshot Initiative. The aim of this program is the retrospective characterization and analysis of biospecimens collected from completed NCI-sponsored trials of the National Clinical Trials Network and the NCI Community Oncology Research Program. NRG RTOG (Radiation Therapy Oncology Group)-0539, which was a nonrandomized phase II cooperative group trial in 2009, was selected for inclusion in this program. NRG RTOG-0539 assigned patients with histologically confirmed diagnosis of meningioma to 1 of 3 risk groups based on 2007 WHO grade, resection extent, and recurrence status, and radiotherapy was given per protocol to the intermediate- and high-risk cases. Under the MP2PRT program, DNA methylation profiling, RNA sequencing, and whole exome sequencing were performed on clinical trial cases with available tissue for molecular analyte extraction and subsequent sequencing. Raw molecular data with metadata are available for this study.

  Study phs003707

• National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases and Istanbul Faculty of Medicine Genome-wide Association Study of Behçet's Disease (Turkish)

  IntroductionBehçet's disease (BD) is a genetically complex multisystem disease of unknown etiology, characterized by recurrent inflammatory attacks affecting orogenital mucosa, eyes, skin, joints, blood vessels, and less frequently, the central nervous system and gastrointestinal tract. Family studies suggest a genetically complex contribution to BD. With the exception of HLA-B51, which explains less than 20% of the genetic risk, the identities of alleles that are responsible for the complex inheritance of this disease have remained unclear. AimTo identify genes that contribute to BD susceptibility. MethodsA genome-wide association study was undertaken with 311,459 informative and high quality SNPs in a collection of 1215 BD patients and 1278 healthy controls from Turkey using a beadchip microarray assay (Infinium SNP genotype assay, Illumina). HLA-B types were determined with a reverse sequence-specific oligonucleotide method (One Lambda). Regions with evidence for association were fine-mapped using Sequenom iPLEX gold assays. Disease-associated SNPs were genotyped in additional ethnically matched case/control collections from diverse genetic backgrounds, including a total of 2430 cases and 2660 controls, using TaqMan SNP genotype assays. Association data were combined in a meta-analysis of all the collections. ResultsWe confirmed the known association with HLA-B51 and found evidence for a second, independent susceptibility locus in the Class I region of the MHC. In addition, we identified one SNP with genome-wide evidence for disease association (P < 5.0 x 10-8) within the gene encoding the immunoregulatory cytokine, interleukin-10 (IL10). A meta-analysis of the data from all the collections established associations with the IL10 variant (rs1518111, P = 3.54 x 10-18, odds ratio 1.45 with 95% confidence interval 1.34 to 1.58) and with a variant located between the interleukin-23 receptor (IL23R) and interleukin 12 receptor β2 (IL12RB2) genes (rs924080, P = 6.69 x 10-9, odds ratio 1.28 with 95% confidence interval 1.18 to 1.39). The disease-associated IL10 variant was associated with diminished mRNA expression and low protein production by cells obtained from healthy blood donors. ConclusionsThese data suggest that genetically encoded low production of IL-10 increases risk of BD and suggest novel interventional targets in the IL-10 and IL-23 pathways. Note: The submitted data are the genotypes of the 311,459 SNPs in 1215 cases and 1278 controls.

  Study phs000272

• Quantitative analysis of a novel DNA hypermethylation panel for lung cancer diagnosis using bronchial specimens

  Non-diagnostic findings in Transbronchial Lung Biopsy (TBLB) and Endobronchial Ultrasound-guided Transbronchial Lung Biopsy (EBUS-TBLB) are not uncommon. A challenge is to improve lung cancer detection by TBLB/EBUS-TBLB. In order to improve the diagnostic yield of bronchoscopy, we used 850K methylation chip to identify methylation sites that distinguish malignant from benign lung nodules.We found that the combination of HOXA7, SHOX2,and SCT methylation analysis has the best diagnostic yield in 123 bronchial washing (sensitivity: 74·1%; AUC: 0·851) and 172 brushing samples (sensitivity: 86·1%; AUC: 0·915). We developed a kit comprising these three genes and validated the kit in 329 unique bronchial washing samples, 397 unique brushing samples, and 179 unique patients with both washing and brushing samples. The diagnostic accuracy of the panel alone in lung cancer diagnosis was 86·9%, 91·2% and 95% in bronchial washing, brushing, and washing+brushing samples, respectively. The panel's sensitivity in combination with cytology, rapid on-site evaluation (ROSE), and histology in lung cancer diagnosis was 90·8% and 95.8% in bronchial washing and brushing samples, respectively, and 100% in washing+brushing samples. Quantitative analysis of the three-gene panel improves lung cancer diagnosis by bronchoscopy.

  Study EGAS00001007089

• Genomic Predictors of Combat Stress Vulnerability and Resilience

  The Genomic Predictors of Combat Stress Vulnerability and Resilience Study was designed to probe the likely hereditary basis for risk or resilience to develop PTSD and other trauma spectrum disorders. The overall guiding hypothesis was that genomic variation gives rise to risk/susceptibility traits that, when actuated by traumatic environmental stimuli, such as combat, give rise to PTSD and other stress-related phenotypes. Two studies designed to identify risk and resilience factors for combat-induced, stress-related symptoms are being conducted by our group: The Marine Resiliency Study (MRS) is a prospective PTSD study with longitudinal follow-up (pre- and post-exposure to combat stress) of US Marines bound for deployment to Iraq or Afghanistan. Extensive phenotyping includes 3 domains: Psychosocial, Psychophysiologic, and Biophysiologic. The biological and physiological measures collected were chosen in part due to their potential to serve as intermediate phenotypes for stress-related disorders. A second, cross-sectional study involves a cohort of combat-exposed active duty or previously deployed service members (CAVC), including PTSD cases and controls with comparable psychosocial and clinical phenotypes. Little information is available about the factors that explain why some trauma survivors develop stress disorders and some do not. It is hoped that the insights gained from this approach will improve understanding of the genetic contributors to PTSD, and potentially provide novel diagnostic tests and therapeutic approaches to this currently enigmatic and difficult-to-manage condition.

  Study phs000864

• Region-Specific Neural Stem Cell Lineages Revealed by Single-Cell RNA-Sequences from Human Embryonic Stem Cells

  During development of the human brain, multiple cell types with diverse regional identities are generated. Here we report a system to generate early human brain forebrain and mid/hindbrain cell types from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs), and infer and experimentally confirm a lineage tree for the generation of these types based on single-cell RNA-Seq analysis. We engineered SOX2Cit/+ and DCXCit/Y hESC lines to target progenitors and neurons throughout neural differentiation for single-cell transcriptomic profiling, then identified discrete cell types consisting of both rostral (cortical) and caudal (mid/hindbrain) identities. Direct comparison of the cell types were made to primary tissues using gene expression atlases and fetal human brain single-cell gene expression data, and this established that the cell types resembled early human brain cell types, including preplate cells. From the single-cell transcriptomic data a Bayesian algorithm generated a unified lineage tree, and predicted novel regulatory transcription factors. The lineage tree highlighted a prominent bifurcation between cortical and mid/hindbrain cell types, confirmed by clonal analysis experiments. We demonstrated that cell types from either branch could preferentially be generated by manipulation of the canonical Wnt/beta-catenin pathway. In summary, we present an experimentally validated lineage tree that encompasses multiple brain regions, and our work sheds light on the molecular regulation of region-specific neural lineages during human brain development.

  Study phs001205

• Multi-omics bulk and single-cell profiling of epithelioid sarcoma

  Epithelioid sarcoma (EpS) is an aggressive sarcoma, characterized by the loss of SMARCB1 expression. EpS is traditionally classified as distal or proximal according to clinicopathological features, but its molecular characteristics remain largely unknown. To establish an EpS molecular classification and uncover determinants of inter- and intra-patient heterogeneity in EpS, we used multi-omics profiling and integrated the genomic, transcriptional and methylome landscapes with single-cell RNA sequencing on fresh samples as well as spatial transcriptomics. We identified two molecular subtypes of EpS: “distal-like” and “proximal-like”, which were distinct from the histological subtypes. Distal-like tumors include all morphological distal subtypes and a subset of proximal and hybrid EpS. They express a specific molecular single-cell derived epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition signature, which associates with improved patient survival and includes Desmoglein 2 (DSG2), which we identify as a potential routine immunohistochemical biomarker to improve diagnosis. Distal-like EpS also display increased peri-tumoral CD8+ T cell infiltrates and specific tumor-immune cell interactions. Conversely, proximal-like EpS harbor a higher inter-tumoral molecular heterogeneity with some cases resembling other SMARCB1-deficient tumors by DNA methylation profiling, and increased intra-tumoral pro-tumoral macrophage infiltrates. Our study introduces a novel molecular classification of EpS with prognostic value, associated diagnostic biomarkers and distinct tumor immune microenvironments, which extends beyond traditional clinicopathological classification. This paves the way for precision medicine-based therapeutic strategies for patients with EpS.

  Study EGAS50000000973

• Massively parallel nanowell-based single-cell gene expression profiling

  Technological advances have enabled transcriptome characterization of cell types at the single-cell level providing new biological insights. New methods that enable simple yet high-throughput single-cell expression profiling are highly desirable. Here we report a novel nanowell-based single-cell RNA sequencing system, ICELL8, which enables processing of thousands of cells per sample. The system employs a 5184-nanowell-containing microchip to capture ~1300 single cells and process them. Each nanowell contains preprinted oligonucleotides encoding poly-d(T), a unique well barcode, and a unique molecular identifier. The ICELL8 system uses imaging software to identify nanowells containing viable single cells and only wells with single cells are processed into sequencing libraries. Here, we report the performance and utility of ICELL8 using samples of increasing complexity from cultured cells to mouse solid tissue samples. Our assessment of the system to discriminate between mixed human and mouse cells showed that ICELL8 has a low cell multiplet rate (< 3%) and low cross-cell contamination. We characterized single-cell transcriptomes of more than a thousand cultured human and mouse cells as well as 468 mouse pancreatic islets cells. We were able to identify distinct cell types in pancreatic islets, including alpha, beta, delta and gamma cells. Overall, ICELL8 provides efficient and cost-effective single-cell expression profiling of thousands of cells, allowing researchers to decipher single-cell transcriptomes within complex biological samples.

  Study EGAS00001002320

• Successful Clinical Response in Pneumonia Therapy (SCRIPT)

  The goal of this study is to iteratively identify, validate and refine biomarkers to predict clinical failure, and identify novel targets for therapy, beyond traditional antibiotics, for patients with severe pneumonia requiring intubation, including severe community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), hospital-acquired pneumonia, and ventilator-associated pneumonia (HAP/VAP). We hypothesize that factors within the alveolar microenvironment in many patients with pneumonia prevent the active process of pneumonia resolution.The major emphasis will be on HAP. Mechanically ventilated CAP patients are a very high-risk group for subsequent VAP, and therefore CAP samples will be included to determine baseline bacteria, microbiome, and host defense patterns for those that do or do not develop HAP/VAP. Hospital-acquired pneumonia is the leading cause of death from nosocomial infections. Even in patients receiving pathogen-appropriate therapy, reported clinical failure rates are increasing, approaching 50% in recent clinical trials. Current approaches to improve outcomes in patients with pneumonia almost exclusively focus on the development of antibiotics to address the problem of resistance. However, the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant pathogens is insufficient to explain the high rates of clinical failure. Instead, we hypothesize that factors within the alveolar microenvironment in many patients with pneumonia prevent the active process of pneumonia resolution. These factors include pathogen-specific adaptations to the injured lung that modulate the innate and adaptive immune response, as well as changes to the alveolar microbiome, driven by selective pressure within our modern intensive care units. Understanding this complex adaptive system requires the integration of clinical information with unbiased measures of the host, pathogen, and microbiome changes within the alveolar microenvironment. These measures must be repeated over time to identify factors that distinguish successful from failed therapy for pneumonia sufficiently early during the clinical course to allow for effective interventions. To address this challenge, we have assembled a talented group of investigators in the Successful Clinical Response In Pneumonia Therapy (SCRIPT) Systems Biology Center. We will leverage our routine clinical practice of safe alveolar sampling in mechanically ventilated patients with pneumonia with repeated non-bronchoscopic bronchoalveolar lavage (NBBAL) sampling over the course of pneumonia. From this fluid, we will combine flow cytometry with multi-omic technologies (cell population-specific transcriptomics, epigenomics, shotgun microbiome sequencing, and pathogen-specific sequencing). Our systems scientists will integrate these genomic data with robust clinical -omics with the goal of identifying biomarkers that can be prospectively tested in patients and causally evaluated in humanized mouse models.The addition of a pooled sample artificially increases the number of automatically computed subjects by one.

  Study phs002300

• Center for Oral Health Research in Appalachia (COHRA) Genomic Studies of Oral Health and Disease

  The purpose of this project is to identify the genetic factors contributing to dental caries in children and adults. The datasets come from the Center for Oral Health Research in Appalachia (COHRA), which has the long-term goal of determining the sources of oral health disparities in a high risk, Northern Appalachian population so that effective preventive interventions can be designed and targeted. The Specific Aims of this project are to perform genome-wide association scans of dental caries of the (1) primary dentition in children, and (2) permanent dentition in adults, to identify novel risk variants and to replicate previously nominated risk variants. This project brings together samples from three cohorts: COHRA1 is a cross-sectional cohort comprising members of 862 northern Appalachian families; approximately 80% of the cohort has been previously genotyped by the Center for Inherited Disease Research with support from NIDCR using the Illumina Quad W array (see dbGaP Study Accession: phs000095.v3.p1). Dental SCORE is a cross-sectional cohort comprising approximately 550 unrelated individuals who underwent the same data collection protocol as COHRA1. COHRA2 is an ongoing longitudinal cohort that recruited approximately 1100 northern Appalachian women during pregnancy, and followed them and their children through their children's early childhood; the current project period will continue data collect though age 6 of the child. Phenotypes for this project were derived from intra-oral examinations performed by trained and calibrated research hygienists. In brief, each tooth was recorded as present or absent, and each surface of each present tooth was scored for evidence of decay. From these data, dental caries indices were generated. This project contains two phases of genotyping: (1) collection of exome SNP Chip data for the previously genotyped COHRA1 samples, and (2) collection of whole-genome SNP Chip data for the remaining COHRA1 samples and all Dental SCORE and COHRA2 samples. These data will support efforts to test hypotheses regarding the causal relationships of risk factors contributing to the unusually high rates of caries formation in the Appalachian population. Ultimately, these data may inform the development of an integrated model of caries risk, in which the effects of genetics, oral ecology, diet, and other environmental/psychosocial factors and behaviors are modeled in concert to explain the disparities, including the high rate of caries onset before age 6. The gene-mapping Aims of this project, which seek to identify the genetic factors that contribute to caries risk, are a requisite step in realizing this integrated model.

  Study phs001591

• Genome Diversity in Africa Project: Benin (2021-02-16)

  Globally, human populations show structured genetic diversity as a result of geographical dispersion, selection and drift. Understanding this genetic variation can provide insights into the evolutionary processes that shape both human adaptation and variation in disease. Populations from SSA have the highest levels of genetic diversity. This characteristic, in addition to historical genetic admixture, can lead to complexities in the design of studies assessing the genetic determinants of disease and human variation. However, such studies of African populations are also likely to provide new opportunities to discover novel disease susceptibility loci and variants and refine gene-disease association signals. A systematic assessment of genetic diversity within SSA would facilitate genomic epidemiological studies in the region. The Genome Diversity in Africa Project (GDAP) aims to produce a comprehensive catalogue of human genetic variation in SSA, including single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), structural variants, and haplotypes. This resource will make a substantial contribution to understanding patterns of genetic diversity within and among populations in SSA, as well as providing a global resource to help design, implement and interpret genomic studies in SSA populations and studies comprising globally diverse populations, complementing existing genomic resources. Specifically, we plan to carry out high depth whole genome sequencing of up to 2000 individuals across Africa (25 individuals from each ethnolinguistic group). Our scientific objectives are to: 1) develop a resource that provides a comprehensive catalogue of genetic variation in populations from SSA accessible to the global scientific community; 2) characterise population genetic diversity, structure, gene flow and admixture across SSA; 3) develop a cost-efficient, next-generation genotype array for diverse populations across SSA; and 4) facilitate whole genome-sequencing association studies of complex traits and diseases by developing a reference panel for imputation and resource for enhancing fine-mapping disease susceptibility loci. These scientific objectives will be supported by cross-cutting operational activities, including network and management of the consortium, research ethics, and research capacity building in statistical genetics and bioinformatics This data is part of a pre-publication release. For information on the proper use of pre-publication data shared by the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute (including details of any publication moratoria), please see http://www.sanger.ac.uk/datasharing/ . This dataset contains all the data available for this study on 2021-02-16.

  Dataset EGAD00001006970