12433 results for ""non-traditional+communal+storytelling+approach"+novel+segment+noted+in+critical+commentary"

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• Integrated Genomic Analyses of Cutaneous T Cell Lymphomas Reveal the Molecular Bases for Disease Heterogeneity

  Cutaneous T cell lymphomas (CTCLs) are a clinically diverse collection of lymphomas of the skin-homing T cell. In the present study, we performed DNA and RNA sequencing on a cohort of CTCLs with representative samples from varying disease subtypes and stages. We characterized the landscape of putative driver genes, identified genetic relationships between CTCLs across disease stages, and inferred molecular subtypes in patients with stage-matched leukemic disease. Collectively, our findings clarify CTCL genetics and provide novel insights into pathways that drive diverse disease phenotypes. DNA and RNA sequencing was performed on 114 and 96 samples respectively. Tumor samples were obtained from University of Chicago (Chicago, IL), Northwestern University (Chicago, IL) and Yale University (New Haven, CT). 

  Study phs002456

• Genomics of Brain Metastases

  Brain metastases are the most frequently occurring intracranial tumors in adults. Median survival after the diagnosis of a brain metastasis is in the order of a few months. Despite its large burden of disease and devastating clinical sequelae, we continue to have a limited understanding of the molecular mechanisms driving brain metastasis. We subjected 86 trios consisting of primary tumor, brain metastasis, and matched normal tissue to whole exome sequencing (WES). To analyze the data, we developed novel computational tools to perform an integrative analysis of somatic single nucleotide variants (SSNVs) and somatic copy-number alterations (SCNAs). This analysis allowed us to estimate the clonal architecture of the primary and metastatic samples of each patient, and to reconstruct a phylogenetic tree relating all of the subclones.

  Study phs000730

• Whole Exome Sequencing for Familial Intracranial Aneurysm (FIA I-II) Study

  The goal of this study is to identify the genes underlying the risk of intracranial aneurysm (IA). The FIA Study initially recruited families appropriate for linkage analysis. Therefore, the recruitment focus was not only on probands with a family history of IA but also required that biological samples be obtained for at least two affected family members. Family members underwent detailed interviews for medical, social and family history, and provided blood samples for DNA extraction. Over 400 multiplex IA families were recruited and enrolled. The whole exome sequencing project aims to identify novel and rare (in the general population) genetic variants that are enriched in seven extended multiplex families with a strong familial aggregation of intracranial aneurysms.

  Study phs000636

• Synchronous patterning of hiPSC-derived CNS progenitors generates comprehensive axial spinal cord organoids (CASCOs) containing diverse motor neuron population

  Advancements in human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) culture have enabled the generation of spinal cord organoids (SCOs), though achieving distinct axial identities in spinal motor neurons (spMNs) along the rostro-caudal (RC) axis remains a challenge. By optimizing the timing and sequence of patterning factors, we developed a mixed stem cell model of rostral neural stem cells (NSCs) and caudal neuromesodermal progenitors (NMPs) to generate SCOs with enhanced spMN heterogeneity, including a wide range of axial identities and benchmarked this against commonly used protocols. Our approach, termed CASO (Comprehensive Axial Spinal Organoids), also incorporates endothelial networks and skeletal muscle to improve organoid complexity and health, offering a novel method to study spMN axial specification and model neurodegenerative diseases.

  Study EGAS50000000891

• Combining transcription factor binding affinities with open chromatin data for accurate gene expression prediction

  The binding and contribution of transcription factors (TF) to cell specific gene expression is often deduced from open-chromatin measurements to avoid cost and labour intensive TF ChIP-seq assays.It is important to develop reliable and fast computational methods for accurate TF binding prediction in open-chromatin regions (OCRs). Here, we report a novel segmentation-based method, TEPIC, to predict TF binding by combining sets of OCRs with position weight matrices.TEPIC can be applied to various open-chromatin data, e.g. DNaseI-seq and NOMe-seq, using either peaks or footprints as input.In addition to open-chromatin data, also Histone-Marks (HMs) can be used in TEPIC to identify candidate TF binding sites.TEPIC computes TF affinities and uses open-chromatin/HM signal intensity as quantitative measures of TF binding strength.Using machine learning techniques, we show that incorporating low affinity binding sites improves our ability to explain gene expression variability compared to the standard presence/absence classification of binding sites.Further, we show that both footprints and peaks capture essential TF binding events and lead to a good prediction performance.In our application, gene-based scores computed by TEPIC with one open-chromatin assay nearly reach the quality of several TF ChIP-seq datasets.Finally, we show that these scores correctly predict known transcriptional regulators as illustrated by the application to novel DNaseI-seq and NOMe-seq data for primary human hepatocytes and CD4+ T-cells, respectively.

  Study EGAS00001002073

• Non-muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer Molecular Subtypes Predict Differential Response to Intravesical Bacillus Calmette-Guérin

  The recommended treatment for patients with high-risk non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (HR-NMIBC) is tumor resection followed by adjuvant Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) bladder instillations. However, only 50% of patients benefit from this therapy. In case of progression to advanced disease, patients must undergo a radical cystectomy with significant morbidity and have a poor clinical outcome. Identifying tumors least likely to respond to BCG can translate into alternative treatments, such as early radical cystectomy or novel targeted or immunotherapies. Here we present molecular profiling of 132 BCG-naive, HR-NMIBC patients, and 44 post-BCG recurrences (34 matched), which uncovered three distinct BCG Response Subtypes (BRS1-3). Patients with BRS3 tumors have reduced recurrence and progression-free survival compared to BRS1-2. BRS3 tumors expressed high EMT-basal markers and had an immunosuppresive profile, which was confirmed with spatial proteomics. Tumors which recurred post-BCG were enriched for BRS3. BRS stratification was validated in a second cohort of 151 BCG-naive HR-NMIBC patients and the molecular subtypes outperformed guideline recommended risk stratification based on clinicopathological variables. For clinical application, we validated that a commercially approved assay was able to accurately predict BRS3 tumors (AUROC 0.86). Our findings provide a potential clinical tool for improved identification of HR-NMIBC patients at the highest risk of progression, which can be used to select patients for early radical cystectomy or novel subtype-directed therapies.

  Study EGAS00001006879

• Characterization of a novel MEF2D-BCL9 fusion positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia cell line RNA-Seq derived

  Study EGAS00001006803

• Evolution of Chromatin Architecture and Transcriptional Regulation in Mammals

  Changes in gene expression are a critical force driving the evolution of form and function. As a result, the mechanisms by which gene expression evolves have become a subject of intense interest. A number of investigators have measured evolutionary changes in gene expression at the chromatin, mRNA, and protein levels, leading to new insights about how species evolve. However, studies of different stages in gene expression have not always been in agreement. For example, the extremely rapid rates of evolutionary changes that have been widely observed at enhancers appear to conflict with the slower rates observed in mRNA abundance. We recently completed a major comparative study in primates showing that this disparity between enhancer and mRNA evolution, in part, reflects extensive compensation at enhancers that jointly determine transcription at target genes. Likewise, related findings have demonstrated that post-transcriptional changes buffer protein abundance to relatively more common differences in mRNA expression. Together, these recent findings demonstrate that evolutionary changes affecting multiple stages of transcriptional regulation often have interdependent effects on gene expression. Here we propose to determine how stages early during transcriptional regulation work in concert, either to conserve gene expression through compensatory changes across stages, or, in rare cases, to change mRNA in ways that alter organism phenotypes. Our central hypothesis is that interactions between stages are common, especially at long evolutionary time-scales. To test this hypothesis we propose an ambitious plan to collect rich genomic data profiling distinct stages of gene expression in two cell types and three tissues from nine mammalian species. We have focused our study on several early rate-limiting steps in mRNA production, using molecular assays selected to provide orthogonal sources of information about chromatin architecture (Hi-C/Hi-ChIP), accessibility (ATAC-seq), transcription (PRO-seq), and mRNA levels (RNA-seq). This project will produce the largest resource of genomic data uniformly collected across mammals to date. We will integrate genomic data using a suite of new computational tools, which together will provide a new understanding of how distinct regulatory stages work in concert during regulatory evolution.

  Study phs002146

• ZNF703 is a common Luminal B breast cancer oncogene that differentially regulates luminal and basal progenitors in human mammary epithelium.

  The telomeric amplicon at 8p12 is common in oestrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancers. Array-CGH and expression analyses of 1172 primary breast tumours revealed that ZNF703 was the single gene within the minimal amplicon and was amplified predominantly in the Luminal B subtype. Amplification was shown to correlate with increased gene and protein expression and was associated with a distinct expression signature and poor clinical outcome. ZNF703 transformed NIH 3T3 fibroblasts, behaving as a classical oncogene, and regulated proliferation in human luminal breast cancer cell lines and immortalized human mammary epithelial cells. Manipulation of ZNF703 expression in the luminal MCF7 cell line modified the effects of TGFβ on proliferation. Overexpression of ZNF703 in normal human breast epithelial cells enhanced the frequency of in vitro colony-forming cells from luminal progenitors. Taken together, these data strongly point to ZNF703 as a novel oncogene in Luminal B breast cancer.

  Study EGAS00000000082

• Recurrent COPA mutation drives R-spondin-independent Wnt activation in intestinal tumors

  The majority of intestinal tumors harbor mutations in canonical Wnt pathway genes such as APC, whereas the lack of such alterations in a subset of tumors implies alternative tumorigenic routes. Here, we identify recurrent in-frame deletion in COPA, frequently co-occurring with USP9X truncating mutation, in small intestinal adenoma and adenocarcinoma. Patient-derived and CRISPR-engineered small intestinal organoids carrying COPA in-frame deletions exhibit R-spondin-independent yet Wnt ligand-dependent growth, maintaining LGR5 expression without canonical Wnt drivers. Mechanistically, COPA mutation stabilizes frizzled co-receptor LRP6 irrespective of R-spondin, sustaining Wnt pathway activation under growth factor-restricted conditions. USP9X loss further potentiates this phenotype. Unlike canonical Wnt pathway members, COPA encodes the alpha-subunit of coatomer complex I, which engages in vesicle trafficking with little prior linkage to intestinal tumorigenesis. Our findings establish COPA mutation as a novel and atypical intestinal tumor driver and implicate USP9X loss as a cooperating lesion.

  Study JGAS000868