12452 results for ""non-traditional+communal+storytelling+approach"+novel+segment+noted+in+critical+commentary"

in 23.74 milliseconds.

• Comparison of 3 protocols for deriving pancreatic progenitors from hPSC with RNA-seq and ATAC-seq

  Several distinct differentiation protocols for deriving pancreatic progenitors (PP) from human pluripotent stem cells have been described but it remains to be shown how similar the PP are across protocols, and how well they resemble their in vivo counterparts. Here we evaluated three differentiation protocols; performed RNA and ATAC-seq on isolated PP derived with these, and compared them to fetal human pancreas populations. This enabled us to define a shared transcriptional and epigenomic signature of the PP, including several genes not previously implicated in pancreas development. Furthermore, we identified a significant and previously unappreciated cross-protocol variation of the PP through multi-omics analysis and demonstrate how such information can be applied to refine differentiation protocols for derivation of insulin-producing beta-like cells. Together, our study highlights the importance of a detailed characterization of defined cell populations derived from distinct differentiation protocols, and provides a valuable resource for exploring human pancreatic development.

  Study EGAS00001003513

• Single-cell landscapes of primary glioblastomas and matched organoids and cell lines reveal variable retention of inter- and intra-tumor heterogeneity

  Glioblastomas (GBMs) are aggressive primary malignant brain tumors characterized by extensive levels of inter- and intra-tumor genetic and phenotypic heterogeneity. Patient-derived organoids (PDOs) have recently emerged as useful models to study such heterogeneity. Here, we present bulk exome as well as single-cell genome and transcriptome profiles of primary IDH wild type GBMs from ten patients, including two recurrent tumors, as well as PDOs and brain tumor-initiating cell (BTIC) lines derived from these patients. We find that PDOs are genetically similar to and variably retain gene expression characteristics of their parent tumors. At the phenotypic level, PDOs appear to exhibit similar levels of transcriptional heterogeneity as their parent tumors, whereas BTIC lines tend to be enriched for cells in a more uniform transcriptional state. The datasets introduced here will provide a valuable resource to help guide experiments using GBM-derived organoids, especially in the context of studying cellular heterogeneity.

  Study EGAS00001005227

• Whole-exome sequencing and microRNA profiling predicted relapse risk of stage I lung adenocarcinomas

  Despite the advance in precision therapy, about 20% of stage I non-small cell lung cancer patients suffer a relapse after surgical resection. To develop molecular signatures for relapse prediction of stage I lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), we conduct comprehensive analyses of multiplatform molecular profiling from 113 treatment-naïve stage I Taiwanese LUAD patients. We identify 16 nonsynonymous non-sporadic point mutations (NSPOPMs) harbored at EGFR, KRAS, TP53, CTNNB1 and 6 other genes, and find that the Non-EGFR NSPOPMs were associated with early relapse in a dose-dependent manner via variant allele fraction (VAF). We define a score, maxVAF, to aggregate the VAFs of these NSPOPMs by the maximum value. MicroRNA expression analysis shows a strong correlation between miR-31 and maxVAF. Combining maxVAF with miR-31 led to a powerful risk prediction for surgically resected stage I patients (hazard ratio = 8.65, P = 0.001). Our study opens up more options for precision management of stage I LUAD patients.

  Study EGAS00001004461

• CRISPR transduction of iPS cells

  Genome engineering using CRISPR/Cas9 technology enables simple, efficient and precise genomic modifications in human cells. Conventional immortalized cell lines can be easily edited or screened using genome-wide libraries with lentiviral transduction. However, cell types derived from the differentiation of induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSC), which often represent more relevant, patient-derived models for human pathology, are much more difficult to engineer as CRISPR/Cas9 delivery to these differentiated cells can be inefficient and toxic. Here, we present an efficient, lentiviral transduction protocol for delivery of CRISPR/Cas9 to macrophages derived from human iPSC with efficiencies close to 100%. We demonstrate CRISPR/Cas9 knockouts for three non-essential proof-of-concept genes - HPRT1, PPIB and CDK4. We then scale the protocol and validate for a genome-wide pooled CRISPR/Cas9 loss-of-function screen. This methodology enables, for the first time, systematic exploration of macrophage involvement in immune responses, chronic inflammation, neurodegenerative diseases and cancer progression, using efficient genome editing techniques.

  Study EGAS00001005102

• Myoepithelial progenitors as founder cells of hyperplastic human breast lesions upon PIK3CA transformation

  The myoepithelial (MEP) lineage of human breast comprises bipotent and multipotent progenitors in ducts and terminal duct lobular units (TDLUs). We here assess whether this heterogeneity impacts on oncogenic PIK3CA transformation. Single cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and multicolor imaging reveal that terminal ducts represent the most enriched source of cells with ductal MEP markers including a-smooth muscle actin (a-SMA), keratin K14, K17 and CD200. Furthermore, we find neighboring CD200high and CD200low progenitors within terminal ducts. When sorted and kept in ground state conditions, their CD200low and CD200high phenotypes are preserved. Upon differentiation, progenitors remain multipotent and bipotent, respectively. Immortalized progenitors are transduced with shp53 and mutant PIK3CA. Upon transplantation, CD200low MEP progenitors distinguish from CD200high by the formation of multilayered structures with a hyperplastic inner layer of luminal epithelial cells. We suggest a model with spatially distributed MEP progenitors as founder cells of biphasic breast lesions with implications for early detection and prevention strategies.

  Study EGAS00001005933

• Methylome sequencing of cell-free DNA and RRBS of solid tissue

  Early cancer detection by cell-free DNA (cfDNA) faces multiple challenges: low fraction of tumor cfDNA, molecular heterogeneity of cancer, and sample sizes not sufficient to reflect diverse patient population. We develop a cancer detection approach to address these challenges. It consists of an assay, cfMethyl-Seq, for cost-effective sequencing of cfDNA methylome (with >12-fold enrichment over whole genome bisulfite sequencing in CpG islands), and a computational method to extract methylation information and diagnose patients. Applying our system to 408 colon, liver, lung, and stomach cancer patients and controls, at 97.9% specificity we achieve 80.7% and 74.5% sensitivity in detecting all-stage and early-stage cancer, and 89.1% and 85.0% accuracy for locating tissue-of-origin of all-stage and early-stage cancer, respectively. Our approach cost-effectively retains methylome profiles of cancer abnormalities, thereby permitting the classification models to learn new features as training cohorts grow, and expanding their scope to other cancer types.

  Study EGAS00001006020

• The effect of pre-analytical and physiological variables on cell-free DNA fragmentation

  Background: assays that account for the biological properties and fragmentation of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) can improve the performance of liquid biopsy. However, pre-analytic and physiological differences between individuals on fragmentomic analysis are poorly defined. Methods: we analyzed the impact of collection tube, plasma processing time and physiology on the size distribution of cfDNA, their genome-wide representation and sequence diversity at the cfDNA fragment-ends using shallow Whole Genome Sequencing. Results: we observed that using different stabilizing collection tubes, or processing times does not affect the cfDNA fragment sizes, but can impact the genome-wide fragmentation patterns and fragment-end sequences of cfDNA. In addition, beyond differences depending on the gender, the physiological conditions tested between 63 individuals (age, body mass index, use of medication and chronic conditions) minimally influenced the outcome of fragmentomic methods. Conclusions: our results highlight that fragmentomic approaches have potential for implementation in the clinic, pending clear traceability of analytical and physiological factors.

  Study EGAS00001005748

• Massively parallel single-cell B-cell receptor sequencing enables rapid discovery of diverse antigen-reactive antibodies

  Using high-throughput single-cell B-cell receptor sequencing (scBCR-seq) we obtained accurately paired full-length heavy- and light-chain variable regions from thousands of individual B cells in a massively parallel fashion. We sequenced more than 250,000 B cells from rat, mouse and human repertoires to characterize their lineages and expansion. In addition, we immunized rats with chicken ovalbumin and profiled antigen-reactive B cells from lymph nodes of immunized animals. The scBCR-seq data recovered 81% (n = 56/69) of B-cell lineages identified from hybridomas generated from the same set of B cells that were subjected to scBCR-seq. Importantly, scBCR-seq identified an additional 710 candidate lineages that were not recovered as hybridomas. We synthesized, expressed and tested 93 clones from the identified lineages and found that 99% (n = 92/93) of the clones were antigen-reactive. Our results establish scBCR-seq as a powerful tool for antibody discovery.

  Study EGAS00001003663

• 1M-scBloodNL

  Here we present the 1M-scBloodNL study, in which we performed single-cell RNA-seq on 120 individuals of the Northern Netherlands population cohort Lifelines. For each individual peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were sequenced in an unstimulated condition, and after 3 and 24 hour in vitro stimulation with C. albicans (CA), M. tuberculosis (MTB) and P. aeruginosa (PA), totalling approximately 1.3 million cells. scRNA-seq was conducted with the 10X Genomics 3'-end v2 (72 libraries) and v3 (33 libraries) technology. In general, each library contains PBMCs from 8 donors and 2 different stimulation-timepoint combinations. Donors were demultiplexed using a combination of SoupOrCell (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41592-020-0820-1) and genotype information to assign the correct donor to a donor-specific cell cluster.

  Dataset EGAD00001007764

• WGS of high grade serous ovarian tumours and matched blood normals

  FASTQ reads for 81 matched tumour-normal WGS pairs for high grade serous ovarian cancer patients. Scottish HGSOC samples were collected via local Bioresource facilities at Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee and Aberdeen and stored in liquid Nitrogen until required. HGSOC patients were determined from pathology records and were included in the study where there was matched tumour and whole blood samples. Tumour samples were divided into two for DNA and RNA extraction and slivers of tissue were taken, fixed in formalin and embedded in paraffin wax (FFPE). Samples were only included if they were confirmed as HGSOC and there was greater than 40% tumour cellularity throughout the tumour, determined using H&E staining of the FFPE sections and pathology review. Somatic DNA was extracted from the tumour and germline DNA was extracted from whole blood. Somatic DNA was extracted using the Qiagen DNeasy Blood and tissue kit (cat no 69504). The tissue was initially homogenised using a Qiagen Bioruptor, followed by the manufacturers recommended protocol (including RNase digestion step). Germline DNA was extracted from 1-3ml whole blood using the Qiagen FlexiGene kit (cat no 51206) following the manufacturers recommended protocol. The resulting DNA underwent quality control as follows: firstly, A260 and A280nm were measured on a Denovix DS-11 Fx to qualitatively illustrate A260/280nm and A260/230nm ratios as surrogate measures of DNA purity. A260/280 had to be 1.8 or greater and A260/230 had to be 2.0 or greater. Then, DNA was quantified using LifeTechnologies Qubit dsDNA BR kit (cat no Q32850) and we required a minimum of 50ul at 25ng/ul for WGS. Thirdly, DNA was diluted to 25ng/ul and a representative sample was loaded onto a 0.8% TAE gel, ran at 100v for 60mins and then imaged using a BioRad ChemiDoc imaging system to visualise the DNA quality.

  Dataset EGAD00001009049

• WGS of high grade serous ovarian tumours and matched blood normals

  FASTQ reads for 34 matched tumour-normal WGS pairs for high grade serous ovarian cancer patients. Scottish HGSOC samples were collected via local Bioresource facilities at Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee and Aberdeen and stored in liquid Nitrogen until required. HGSOC patients were determined from pathology records and were included in the study where there was matched tumour and whole blood samples. Tumour samples were divided into two for DNA and RNA extraction and slivers of tissue were taken, fixed in formalin and embedded in paraffin wax (FFPE). Samples were only included if they were confirmed as HGSOC and there was greater than 40% tumour cellularity throughout the tumour, determined using H&sE staining of the FFPE sections and pathology review. Somatic DNA was extracted from the tumour and germline DNA was extracted from whole blood. Somatic DNA was extracted using the Qiagen DNeasy Blood and tissue kit (cat no 69504). The tissue was initially homogenised using a Qiagen Bioruptor, followed by the manufacturers recommended protocol (including RNase digestion step). Germline DNA was extracted from 1-3ml whole blood using the Qiagen FlexiGene kit (cat no 51206) following the manufacturers recommended protocol. The resulting DNA underwent quality control as follows: firstly, A260 and A280nm were measured on a Denovix DS-11 Fx to qualitatively illustrate A260/280nm and A260/230nm ratios as surrogate measures of DNA purity. A260/280 had to be 1.8 or greater and A260/230 had to be 2.0 or greater. Then, DNA was quantified using LifeTechnologies Qubit dsDNA BR kit (cat no Q32850) and we required a minimum of 50ul at 25ng/ul for WGS. Thirdly, DNA was diluted to 25ng/ul and a representative sample was loaded onto a 0.8% TAE gel, ran at 100v for 60mins and then imaged using a BioRad ChemiDoc imaging system to visualise the DNA quality.

  Dataset EGAD00001010135

• A Prospective Natural History Study of Diagnosis, Treatment and Outcomes of Children with SCID Disorders

  Individuals with a recent or new diagnosis of severe combined immune deficiency (including infants who were identified by newborn screening) may be eligible to be enrolled on the PIDTC research study 6901. Speak to your doctor to determine if you or your child may be eligible. Protocol 6901 follows patients with SCID prospectively, meaning the 6901 study enrolls participants where there is a plan to receive a blood and marrow transplant, enzyme therapy, or gene therapy in the future. Patients are then followed according to a schedule set out by the study protocol after the procedure. The times the study requests follow up will be the same as when your doctor would want to be seeing you or your child as part of their regular ongoing medical care. Patients with "leaky SCID", reticular dysgenesis, and Omenn syndrome may also be eligible to participate in 6901. The 6901 research study does NOT dictate how your or your child's doctors should treat you or your child, as the PIDTC recognizes that there are many complex factors that go into this decision. The decision about how you or your child with SCID will be treated is made by your doctor. The 6901 study simply follows how you or your child do over time. There are no experimental therapies on this study. The 6901 study has been open since August 2010, and continues to be open and enrolling patients to the present day. The study plans to enroll approximately 250 patients with SCID. By studying new patients undergoing treatment for SCID, the goal is to learn more about: (1) outcomes from the treatment of SCID in the modern era of medicine, (2) what factors lead to the best long-term outcomes, such as best donor, conditioning regimen, timing of transplant, etc. and (3) what impact newborn screening and the early diagnosis of SCID has had on the long-term outcomes following BMT or gene therapy. A significant amount of information is also being gathered on how and when the immune system recovers after BMT, quality of life for long-term survivors, and about whether children develop normally after treatment. The 6901 study is the largest coordinated prospective study of patients with SCID ever performed. Information that we will learn, both now and in the future, will help doctors and other health professionals to better treat children with SCID. All hospitals within the PIDTC are enrolling patients with SCID on 6901, ensuring that the outcomes are reflective of what happens in the "real world" as opposed to at just one or two large centers.

  Study phs001392

• International Standards for Cytogenomic Arrays

  The International Standards for Cytogenomic Arrays (ISCA) Consortium is a rapidly growing group of clinical cytogenetics and molecular genetics laboratories committed to improving quality of patient care related to clinical genetic testing using new molecular cytogenetic technologies including array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) and quantitative SNP analysis by microarrays or bead chip technology. The ISCA Consortium is now working with the sequencing community to extend the goals of standardization, collaboration, and data sharing. To reflect this combined effort, we are becoming ICCG, or the International Collaboration for Clinical Genomics. Efforts of the Consortium include: Clinical Utility: The ISCA Consortium has made recommendations regarding the appropriate clinical indications for cytogenetic array testing (Miller et al. AJHG 2010, PMID: 20466091). Currently, discussions are focused on pediatric applications for children with unexplained developmental delay, intellectual disability, autism and other developmental disabilities. A separate committee has been developed to address appropriate cancer genetic applications (http://www.urmc.rochester.edu/ccmc/). Evidence-based standards for cytogenomic array design: The Consortium will develop recommendations for standards for the design, resolution and content of cytogenomic arrays using an evidence-based process and an international panel of experts in clinical genetics, clinical laboratory genetics (cytogenetics and molecular genetics), genomics and bioinformatics. This design is intended to be platform and vendor-neutral (common denominator is genome sequence coordinates), and is a dynamic process with input from the broader genetics community and evidence-based review by the expert panel (a Steering Committee with international representation). Public Database for clinical and research community: It is essential that a publicly available database be created and maintained for cytogenetic array data generated in clinical testing laboratories. This will be integrated into the current dbGaP database at NCBI/NIH and released through dbVar, and curated by a committee of clinical genetics laboratory experts. The very high quality of copy number data (i.e., deletions and duplications) coming from clinical laboratories combined with expert curation will produce an invaluable resource to the clinical and research communities. Standards for interpretation of cytogenetic array results: Using the ISCA Database, along with other genomic and genetics databases, the Consortium will develop recommendations for the interpretation and reporting of pathogenic vs. benign copy number changes as well as imbalances of uncertain clinical significance. Membership in the ISCA Consortium is open to all individuals and laboratories involved in cytogenetic array testing who are committed to free data sharing and to participation in a process to develop evidence-based standards and guidelines to improve patient care. ISCA is available through dbVar: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/dbvar/studies/nstd37/ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/dbvar/studies/nstd75/ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/dbvar/studies/nstd45/ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/dbvar/studies/nstd101/

  Study phs000205

• A Clone's Genomic Stability as a Biomarker of Its DNA-Damage Resilience

  A main problem in the treatment of advanced cancers, including gastric cancers and glioblastoma, is the incertitude at which we predict how individual patients will respond to DNA-damaging agents, especially on the long run. Knowing the mechanism behind a patient's response, or the lack thereof, will help us depart from the oversimplified “more-is-better” and “one-size-fits-all” principles according to which DNA-damaging agents are administered. This will improve clinical outcome by allowing us to pinpoint those who would respond better and longer to lower doses than to higher doses of DNA-damaging agents. Under the assumption that the success of DNA-damaging therapy increases with the proliferation rate of a relatively homogeneous tumor population, there was little reason to assume anything other than monotonic dose-response relations. With the recent paradigm shift that most cancers are in fact DNA mosaic products of ongoing evolution, comes the urgency to reconsider these fundamental principles behind DNA-damaging therapy administration. As the developers of one of the first DNA deconvolution methods and with access to technologies to profile the transcriptomes of up to 10,000 cells simultaneously, we are equipped to embark on first personalized dose-finding strategies for DNA-damaging therapies. We will test the potential of the very long-term legacy that DNA-damage entails on a cell “genomic instability” as new biomarker of DNA-damage response. Our preliminary studies showed that, for most cancer types, DNA-damaging agents change a clone's genomic instability and that clones succumb to a limit in the amount of genomic instability they can tolerate. In particular, our results showed that patients with intermediate genomic instability have a very poor outcome and that this relation is only evident among treatment-naive patients, but not among patients treated with DNA-damaging agents. Further they show that we can measure genomic instability per clone and that clones with extreme genomic instability typically don't grow large. Our hypothesis that genomic instability, rather than proliferation rate, determines how sensitive a tumor is to DNA-damaging agents on the long-term, is founded on two unexpected findings. Patients with extremely high genomic instability per tumor clone have an exceptionally good outcome. Aim 1 will integrate exome- and single cell RNA-Seq (scRNA-Seq) data to characterize clones and to measure how much genomic instability they can tolerate. Low genomic instability is associated with reduced benefit from DNA-damaging agents. Aim 2 will use comet assays and treatment history to quantify DNA damage per clone, relating it to the clones' ability to tolerate DNA damage and to changes in the genomic instability of therapy-surviving clones.

  Study phs003762

• Patient Registry for Primary Pulmonary Hypertension (PPH Registry-BioLINCC)

  Data Access NOTE: Please refer to the "Authorized Access" section below for information about how access to the data from this accession differs from many other dbGaP accessions. Objectives Establish a patient registry to evaluate the natural history, etiology, pathogenesis and treatment of primary pulmonary hypertension. Specific aims included the characterization of the demographic, medical history, family history, physical and laboratory findings of patients at time of diagnosis, and to characterize the survival duration of patients by traits evaluated at diagnosis and by medical interventions. Background There are several known causes of pulmonary hypertension: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, congenital heart disease, mitral stenosis, left ventricular dysfunction and recurrent pulmonary emboli. Primary Pulmonary Hypertension is a disorder of unknown etiology which is diagnosed only after the known causes of pulmonary hypertension have been eliminated. Prior to the PPH registry, little was known regarding the epidemiology, etiology, natural history or ultimate survival among patients with PPH. In 1973, the WHO met to review the current state of knowledge on PPH and proposed the establishment of a multicenter collaborative study. The NHLBI PPH registry enrolled patients in the registry from 1981 to 1985. Participants Participants were enrolled into the registry from 32 medical centers throughout the US. Pulmonary hypertension was defined as a mean pulmonary arterial pressure of >25 mmHg at rest or 30 mmHg with exercise at catheterization. The diagnosis of primary pulmonary hypertension was only accepted after the following secondary causes of pulmonary hypertension had been excluded: pulmonary hypertension within the first year of life, congenital abnormalities of the heart, lungs, or diaphragm, pulmonary thromboembolic disease, diagnosis of sickle cell anemia, history of intravenous drug abuse, obstructive lung disease, interstitial lung disease, arterial hypoxemia, collagen vascular disease, parasitic disease affecting the lungs, pulmonary artery or valve stenosis, or pulmonary venous hypertension. Baseline and follow-up data collected on participants include demographic characteristics, chest radiograph, pulmonary function tests, lung perfusion scan or pulmonary angiogram, intracardiac left-to-right shunt, pulmonary hemodynamics, as well as a history, physical findings and other laboratory measurements. Participants were followed for approximately 5 years. Conclusions There were 1.7 females for each male in the registry, and females tended to present with more severe symptoms. The mean time from onset of symptoms to diagnosis was 2 years. Right ventricular hypertrophy was found in 87% of participants and right atrial pressure was elevated in 72% of participants. The estimated median survival was 2.8 years with single year survival rates of: 1 year, 68%; 3 years, 48%; and 5 years, 34%. (Ann Intern Med, 1987; 107:216-23, Ann Intern Med, 1991; 115:343-49).

  Study phs004275

• Subpopulations and Intermediate Outcome Measures in COPD Study (SPIROMICS)

  Subpopulations and Intermediate Outcome Measures in COPD Study Description Subpopulations and intermediate outcome measures in COPD study (SPIROMICS) supports the prospective collection and analysis of phenotypic, biomarker, genetic, genomic, and clinical data from subjects with COPD for the purpose of identifying subpopulations and intermediate outcome measures. It is funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and is coordinated by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Molecular fingerprinting and extensive subject phenotyping will be performed to identify disease subpopulations and to identify and validate surrogate markers of disease severity which will be useful as intermediate outcome measures for future clinical trials. Secondary aims are to clarify the natural history of COPD, to develop bioinformatic resources that will enable the utilization and sharing of data in studies of COPD and related diseases, and to create a collection of clinical, biomarker, radiographic, and genetic data that can be used by external investigators for other studies of COPD. Participating Institutions: Research participants for SPIROMICS will be enrolled, phenotyped, and followed at twelve SPIROMICS Clinical Centers: Columbia University, Temple University, Johns Hopkins University, Wake Forest University, University of Michigan, University of Illinois at Chicago, University of Iowa, University of Utah, National Jewish Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham, University of California at San Francisco, and University of California at Los Angeles. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill serves as the Genomics and Informatics Center. The Radiology Reading Center is based at the University of Iowa. The PFT Reading Center is based at the University of California at Los Angeles. Study Design: SPIROMICS is a prospective cohort study that enrolled approximately 2,981 participants at twelve clinical centers over five years. Participants are distributed across four enrollment strata (i.e., Never-smokers, Smokers without COPD, Mild/Moderate COPD, and Severe COPD). Study Visits: Participants have up to four in-person visits (Baseline and Annual Clinic Visits at years 1, 2, 3 after Baseline). Study questionnaires and spirometry are completed at all main study visits. Blood and urine samples are collected at visits 1, 2, and 4. Sputum samples are collected at Visit 1. The CT scans are completed and Baseline and Visit 2. Participants also receive quarterly follow-up calls to assess health status and determine if an exacerbation has occurred. Substudies A. Bronchoscopy and Immunophenotyping Substudy The Bronchoscopy Substudy enrolled a total of 251 participants. These participants will be recruited across all four study strata. This substudy includes two study visits. During the first visit sputum samples are collected for Immunophenotyping analysis at the Immunophenotyping Core Lab based at the University of Michigan. Participants then return for a second visit during which samples are collected via bronchoscopy, including bronchoalveolar lavage, epithelial brushings and bronchial biopsies. Immunophenotyping analysis is also conducted on BAL and blood collected during the bronchoscopy study visit. B. Repeatability Substudy The entire baseline clinic visit was repeated on 98 volunteers to determine reliability of measurement procedures. All baseline study-related procedures and questionnaires, including the CT scan, was re-administered and new samples of blood, urine, saliva, and sputum was collected. Field center staff processed these biospecimen samples according to the same protocol. C. Exacerbation Substudy The Exacerbation Substudy is a prospective, longitudinal observational study of 204 participants, which will allow the assessment of participant driven health care utilization (HCU) events and symptom-defined exacerbation events over time. HCU driven events are defined by change in medical treatment in response to a perceived COPD Exacerbation. Symptom-based events will be defined by using EXACT-PRO (EXacerbations of Chronic Pulmonary Disease Tool - Patient Reported Outcome) a daily symptom diary developed to measure the frequency, severity, and duration of exacerbations in clinical trials. All participants are provided with a PDA on which to complete the diary. Participants reporting a possible COPD exacerbation will be brought into the study clinic for a study visit to collect biological specimens and questionnaire data. The overall objectives of the exacerbation substudy are to: Obtain clinical data and specimens on SPIROMICS participants before and during an acute COPD exacerbation defined by: Health care utilization triggered by the subject, or Symptomatic change (triggered by an EXACT defined threshold) Describe symptomatic changes occurring around HCU and symptom-defined (EXACT) events and their relationship to clinical and specimen data Characterize the non-exacerbation "stable" state in COPD using the EXACT, including: Symptom variability (EXACT), Clinical data and specimen parameters during a stable state (baseline), The relationship between clinical and specimen data and symptom severity and variability. Explore the characteristics of stable patients, defined as those who do not experience HCU or symptom-defined (EXACT) events during the sub-study period, using baseline clinical data and specimens and compare these characteristics with patients who experience HCU and/or symptom-defined events. Examine the relationship between HCU and symptom-defined exacerbation frequency during the first one-year period of follow-up for exacerbations and health outcomes, including 12-month change in lung function and COPD health status, and longer term morbidity and mortality, with the latter derived from long-term data from the larger SPIROMICS study.

  Study phs001119

• NHLBI TOPMed: SubPopulations and InteRmediate Outcome Measures In COPD Study (SPIROMICS)

  Subpopulations and Intermediate Outcome Measures in COPD Study Description Subpopulations and intermediate outcome measures in COPD study (SPIROMICS) supports the prospective collection and analysis of phenotypic, biomarker, genetic, genomic, and clinical data from subjects with COPD for the purpose of identifying subpopulations and intermediate outcome measures. It is funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and is coordinated by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Molecular fingerprinting and extensive subject phenotyping will be performed to identify disease subpopulations and to identify and validate surrogate markers of disease severity, which will be useful as intermediate outcome measures for future clinical trials. Secondary aims are to clarify the natural history of COPD, to develop bioinformatic resources that will enable the utilization and sharing of data in studies of COPD and related diseases, and to create a collection of clinical, biomarker, radiographic, and genetic data that can be used by external investigators for other studies of COPD. Participating Institutions: Research participants for SPIROMICS will be enrolled, phenotyped, and followed at twelve SPIROMICS Clinical Centers: Columbia University, Temple University, Johns Hopkins University, Wake Forest University, University of Michigan, University of Illinois at Chicago, University of Iowa, University of Utah, National Jewish Health, University of California at San Francisco, and University of California at Los Angeles. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill serves as the Genomics and Informatics Center. The Radiology Reading Center is based at the University of Iowa. The PFT Reading Center is based at the University of California at Los Angeles. Study Design: SPIROMICS is a prospective cohort study that enrolled approximately 2,981 participants at twelve clinical centers over five years. Participants are distributed across four enrollment strata (i.e., Never-smokers, Smokers without COPD, Mild/Moderate COPD, and Severe COPD). Study Visits: Participants have up to four in-person visits (Baseline and Annual Clinic Visits at years 1, 2, 3 after Baseline). Study questionnaires and spirometry are completed at all main study visits. Blood and urine samples are collected at visits 1, 2, and 4. Sputum samples are collected at Visit 1. The CT scans are completed and Baseline and Visit 2. Participants also receive quarterly follow-up calls to assess health status and determine if an exacerbation has occurred. Substudies Bronchoscopy and Immunophenotyping Substudy The Bronchoscopy Substudy will enroll 50 subjects per site, for a total of 300 participants. These participants will be recruited across all four study strata. This substudy includes two study visits. During the first visit, sputum samples are collected for Immunophenotyping analysis at the Immunophenotyping Core Lab based at the University of Michigan. Participants then return for a second visit during which samples are collected via bronchoscopy, including bronchoalveolar lavage, epithelial brushings and bronchial biopsies. Immunophenotyping analysis is also conducted on BAL and blood collected during the bronchoscopy study visit. Repeatability Substudy The entire baseline clinic visit was repeated on 98 volunteers to determine reliability of measurement procedures. All baseline study-related procedures and questionnaires, including the CT scan, were re-administered and new samples of blood, urine, saliva, and sputum were collected. Field center staff processed these biospecimen samples according to the same protocol. Exacerbation Substudy The Exacerbation Substudy is a prospective, longitudinal observational study of up to 400 participants, which will allow the assessment of participant-driven health care utilization (HCU) events and symptom-defined exacerbation events over time. HCU-driven events are defined by change in medical treatment in response to a perceived COPD Exacerbation. Symptom-based events will be defined by using EXACT-PRO (EXacerbations of Chronic Pulmonary Disease Tool - Patient Reported Outcome), a daily symptom diary developed to measure the frequency, severity, and duration of exacerbations in clinical trials. All participants are provided with a PDA on which to complete the diary. Participants reporting a possible COPD exacerbation will be brought into the study clinic for a study visit to collect biological specimens and questionnaire data. The overall objectives of the Exacerbation Substudy are to: Obtain clinical data and specimens on SPIROMICS participants before and during an acute COPD exacerbation defined by Health care utilization triggered by the subject, or Symptomatic change (triggered by an EXACT defined threshold) Describe symptomatic changes occurring around HCU and symptom-defined (EXACT) events and their relationship to clinical and specimen data, Characterize the non-exacerbation "stable" state in COPD using the EXACT, including: Symptom variability (EXACT), Clinical data and specimen parameters during a stable state (baseline), The relationship between clinical and specimen data and symptom severity and variability. Explore the characteristics of stable patients, defined as those who do not experience HCU or symptom-defined (EXACT) events during the sub-study period, using baseline clinical data and specimens, and compare these characteristics with patients who experience HCU and/or symptom-defined events. Examine the relationship between HCU and symptom-defined exacerbation frequency during the first one-year period of follow-up for exacerbations and health outcomes, including 12-month change in lung function and COPD health status, and longer-term morbidity and mortality, with the latter derived from long-term data from the larger SPIROMICS study.

  Study phs001927

• Angelman, Rett, Prader-Willi Syndrome Consortium (ARP) Rett Syndrome Natural History Protocol

  This observational study will involve the comprehensive assessment of the clinical features of Rett syndrome with this Rare Diseases Clinical Research Network. A clinical database of 1350 individuals with Rett syndrome including MECP2 mutation status for the purpose of elaborating phenotype-genotype correlations will be established. Eligible participants will be enrolled in the natural history study for 11 years from the 4 clinic sites currently involved with Rett syndrome (BCM, GGC, and UAB, CHB) as well as from the several thousand registrants in the International Rett Syndrome Foundation registry who will be invited to the nearest consortium site involved in Rett syndrome. Potential participants are expected to have had determination of their MECP2 mutation status, but will not be excluded should no mutation be present. All individuals who meet criteria and are currently receiving care from study sites will be invited to participate (N>600). Additional participants will be invited through the assistance of the International Rett Syndrome Foundation (IRSF). All individuals with RS registered with IRSF will be invited to participate in this study via the IRSF website and the IRSF newsletter. Potential participants will be apprised of the participating study sites and invited to contact one of the sites based on feasibility of travel. Inasmuch as the enrollment goal of 1350 participants is 40% of the current IRSF registry, we believe this will be a representative sampling. Bias can certainly occur based on travel requirements, level of interest, and other factors. However, inclusion of such a large sample should minimize sampling bias. No travel expenses will be covered, so it is likely that participants will be those with geographic proximity to Houston, Greenwood, Birmingham, or Boston. From the sample pool described above, the aim is to conduct the observational longitudinal (natural history) study on up to 1350 participants with classic Rett syndrome and variant forms of Rett syndrome, that is, participants who fully meet the established clinical criteria for Rett syndrome and those who meet some but not all of these criteria. All participants expressing MECP2 mutations irrespective of phenotype will be eligible for enrollment. For each of the eight common genetic mutations as well as those with large scale deletions, the prevalence of the following RS characteristics will be estimated for each age category and overall: seizure presence and frequency, ambulation status, scoliosis, ECG abnormality, breathing irregularities while awake, feeding difficulties, growth as measured in percentiles from NCHS standards curves, the presence of osteopenia as evidenced by bone fracture, and the presence of gallbladder disease. Both incidence and prevalence estimates will be made using a combination of data obtained at the regularly scheduled clinical visits and that obtained from the medical history. Incidence estimates will be calculated using time-to-event analyses (e.g., Kaplan-Meier survival curves) with appropriate calculations of standard errors and 95% confidence intervals. Cox proportional hazard regression models will be used to allow control for other factors, and t-tests will be calculated on the coefficients themselves. Appropriate transformations on explanatory variables will be used as deemed necessary in Cox models. Prevalence estimates will be calculated from estimates of proportions with exact confidence intervals. For a sample size of 275, the standard error of the estimate will not exceed 0.03 (3%) and for a sample size of 60, the standard error of the estimate will not exceed 0.06 (6%).

  Study phs000574

• VCRC Imaging Protocol for Magnetic Resonance and Positron Emission Tomography in Large-Vessel Vasculitis (Takayasu's Arteritis): Development as Clinical Trial Outcome Measures Vasculitis Clinical Research Consortium

  Takayasu's arteritis is a rare disease that affects the blood vessels. Takayasu's arteritis can cause swelling of large and medium-sized blood vessels. The blood vessels that are commonly affected are the branches of the aorta (the main blood vessel that leaves the heart). The purpose of this study is to help doctors learn more about this disease by using x-ray like tests to see if they are helpful in taking care of patients with Takayasu's arteritis. This is an imaging study that compares x-ray-like tests that would not be a part of your regular care (PET/CT) with x-ray-like tests that are a part of your regular care (MRI). At two visits, three months apart, patients will have a PET/CT scan performed at the same time as their MRI scan; some patients will also have a third PET/CT scan. A total of 36 people with Takayasu's arteritis at several hospitals will take part in this study. Doctors will use images from the different time points, along with information from exams and symptoms, to learn more about the disease.

  Study phs001715

• Somatic Mutation Profile by Next Generation Sequencing in HER2+ Breast Cancer

  The HER pathway is the driving force behind 30% of human breast cancers. It is important to understand how targeted therapies block different cellular pathways, and mechanisms of escape from this blockage. Therapies directed at HER2 establish a successful treatment paradigm, but de novo and acquired resistance exist. The HER signaling system is a complex network with four receptors and eleven ligands, a phosphorylation signaling cascade, and many transcription factors, all complicated by both positive and negative feedback circuits. Analysis of genomes, exomes and transcriptomes by next generation sequencing is aimed at uncovering the genetic factors responsible for patient responses to HER2-directed therapies. We are sequencing HER2-overexpressing cancers, in order to identify potential somatic changes that may better select patients who will benefit from therapy, to determine new targets that may overcome resistance, and to improve outcomes with known current HER2-targeted therapies. Whole exome capture sequencing will determine somatic mutation profiles in HER2-overexpressing tumors, to comprehensively characterize the somatic alterations, with the goal of identifying those patients most likely to respond, as well as discovering new targets that may overcome resistance to HER2-directed therapy. We augment the whole exome data with RNA-seq data to determine expression levels of somatic mutations we discover.

  Study phs000770

• A neoadjuvant, phase II trial demonstrates efficacy and tolerability of Talimogene laherparepvec in cutaneous basal cell carcinoma (NeoBCC trial)

  We present a single arm, phase II neoadjuvant trial with the oncolytic virus Talimogene laherparepvec (T-VEC) in 18 patients with difficult-to-resect basal cell carcinomas. Six cycles of T-VEC were applied intralesionally. The primary endpoint of the study, defined as the proportion of the patients, who after six cycles of T-VEC (13 weeks) at the time point of surgery, become resectable with primary wound closure without the need for plastic reconstructive surgery like skin flaps or skin grafts, was achieved (9/18 patients; 50.0%). Secondary endpoints also included the relapse free survival rate (100%), overall survival (100%) and biological read outs in the tumor samples. T-VEC led to a significant increase of cytotoxic T cells, B cells and myeloid cells, and a decrease of Tregs within the tumor microenvironment. We observed a potent induction of antitumoral and antiviral T cell clones, as well as a strong humoral immune response. The objective response rate was 55.6% and the complete pathological response rate was 33.3%. Only mild adverse events occurred. Together, neoadjuvant T-VEC represents a viable treatment option for patients with difficult-to-resect BCCs (EudraCT Number 2018-002165-19).

  Study EGAS50000000252

• Interplay of somatic alterations and immune infiltration modulates response to PD-1 blockade in advanced clear cell RCC -- CA209-009

  Immune checkpoint inhibitors targeting the PD-1 pathway have transformed the management of many advanced malignancies, including clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), but the drivers and resistors of PD-1 response remain incompletely elucidated. Here, we analyzed 592 tumors collected from advanced ccRCC patients enrolled in prospective clinical trials of treatment with PD-1 blockade (or mTOR inhibition as control arm) by whole-exome and RNA-sequencing, integrated with immunofluorescence analysis, to define the somatic alteration landscape of late-stage ccRCC and to uncover the immunogenomic determinants of therapeutic response. While conventional genomic markers (tumor mutation burden, neoantigen load) and degree of CD8+ T cell infiltration were not associated with clinical response, we discovered numerous chromosomal alterations in advanced ccRCC associated with response or resistance to PD-1 blockade. These advanced tumors were highly CD8+ T cell infiltrated, with only 22% and 5% with an immune desert and immune excluded phenotype, respectively. Our analysis revealed that CD8+ infiltrated tumors are depleted of favorable PBRM1 mutations and are enriched for unfavorable chromosomal losses of 9p21.3 when compared to non-infiltrated tumors. These data demonstrate how the interplay of somatic alterations and immunophenotypes impacts therapeutic efficacy.

  Study EGAS00001004290

• Genomic Alterations in Gingivo-buccal Cancer: ICGC-India Project_YR02

  As a part of the ICGC, India has undertaken genomic studies on gingivobuccal cancer of the oral cavity, which is the most prevalent form of cancer among men in India. There are various known environmental (life-style) correlates of this cancer, the most important of which are tobacco chewing and HPV infection. Paired DNA samples – isolated from the tumour tissue and from the blood of fifty six patients – have been analyzed to catalog germline and somatic mutations. Association between each observed genomic alteration and exposure to environmental risk factors is being explored.Detailed clinical characterization of the patients, collection of data on demographic and environmental exposures, and isolation of DNA samples from blood and tumour tissues collected from each patient are being done at the Advanced Centre for Research, Treatment and Education on Cancer, Mumbai. Exome capture and deep resequencing are being performed at the National Institute of Biomedical Genomics, Kalyani. We have analyzed the exomes of paired blood and tumour DNA samples using exome capture by Illumina TrueSeq Exome Enrichment kit followed by sequencing on Illumina HiSeq-2000. Each exome is being sequenced at a mean depth of 70x for Tumour and 40x for Blood. In addition, we have used Illumina Omni 2.5 SNP-chips to generate genotype data.

  Study EGAS00001001028

• Interplay of somatic alterations and immune infiltration modulates response to PD-1 blockade in advanced clear cell RCC -- CA209-010

  Immune checkpoint inhibitors targeting the PD-1 pathway have transformed the management of many advanced malignancies, including clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), but the drivers and resistors of PD-1 response remain incompletely elucidated. Here, we analyzed 592 tumors collected from advanced ccRCC patients enrolled in prospective clinical trials of treatment with PD-1 blockade (or mTOR inhibition as control arm) by whole-exome and RNA-sequencing, integrated with immunofluorescence analysis, to define the somatic alteration landscape of late-stage ccRCC and to uncover the immunogenomic determinants of therapeutic response. While conventional genomic markers (tumor mutation burden, neoantigen load) and degree of CD8+ T cell infiltration were not associated with clinical response, we discovered numerous chromosomal alterations in advanced ccRCC associated with response or resistance to PD-1 blockade. These advanced tumors were highly CD8+ T cell infiltrated, with only 22% and 5% with an immune desert and immune excluded phenotype, respectively. Our analysis revealed that CD8+ infiltrated tumors are depleted of favorable PBRM1 mutations and are enriched for unfavorable chromosomal losses of 9p21.3 when compared to non-infiltrated tumors. These data demonstrate how the interplay of somatic alterations and immunophenotypes impacts therapeutic efficacy.

  Study EGAS00001004291

• Interplay of somatic alterations and immune infiltration modulates response to PD-1 blockade in advanced clear cell RCC-- CA209-025

  Immune checkpoint inhibitors targeting the PD-1 pathway have transformed the management of many advanced malignancies, including clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), but the drivers and resistors of PD-1 response remain incompletely elucidated. Here, we analyzed 592 tumors collected from advanced ccRCC patients enrolled in prospective clinical trials of treatment with PD-1 blockade (or mTOR inhibition as control arm) by whole-exome and RNA-sequencing, integrated with immunofluorescence analysis, to define the somatic alteration landscape of late-stage ccRCC and to uncover the immunogenomic determinants of therapeutic response. While conventional genomic markers (tumor mutation burden, neoantigen load) and degree of CD8+ T cell infiltration were not associated with clinical response, we discovered numerous chromosomal alterations in advanced ccRCC associated with response or resistance to PD-1 blockade. These advanced tumors were highly CD8+ T cell infiltrated, with only 22% and 5% with an immune desert and immune excluded phenotype, respectively. Our analysis revealed that CD8+ infiltrated tumors are depleted of favorable PBRM1 mutations and are enriched for unfavorable chromosomal losses of 9p21.3 when compared to non-infiltrated tumors. These data demonstrate how the interplay of somatic alterations and immunophenotypes impacts therapeutic efficacy.

  Study EGAS00001004292