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

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• NIDDK⁄CIDR Inflammatory Bowel Disease Genetics Consortium (IBDGC) Genome Wide Association Study in Familial Crohn's Disease

  The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Inflammatory Bowel Disease Genetics Consortium (NIDDK - IBDGC) conducted a genome wide association study (GWAS) using the Human Omni2.5-Quad beadchip from Illumina to identify disease variants associated with familial Crohn's disease. This study includes a subset of individuals from an original cohort of affected subjects and affected/unaffected relatives from a previous linkage scan which showed increased linkage evidence at three novel risk loci. A total of 708 samples were selected based on various criteria for inclusion from the 6 Genetic Research Centers (GRC) in North America that participate in the IBDGC. This project was supported by an ancillary R01 grant from the NIDDK with resources made available through the IBDGC.

  Study phs000367

• Pathogenic variants damage cell compositions and single cell transcription in cardiomyopathies

  Pathogenic variants in genes that cause dilated (DCM) and arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathies (ACM) convey high risks for the development of heart failure (HF) through unknown mechanisms. Using single nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNAseq), we characterized the transcriptome of 880,000 nuclei from 18 control and 61 failing, non-ischemic human hearts with pathogenic variants in DCM and ACM genes or idiopathic disease. We performed genotype-stratified analyses of the ventricular cell lineages and transcriptional states. The resultant DCM and ACM ventricular cell atlas demonstrated distinct right and left ventricular responses, highlighting genotype-associated pathways, intercellular interactions, and differential gene expression at single cell resolution. Together these data illuminate both shared and distinct cellular and molecular architectures of human HF and suggest novel candidate therapeutic targets.

  Study EGAS00001006374

• Molecular evolution and clinical trajectories of prostate cancer identifies novel markers for risk stratification - additional data

  Study EGAS00001004884

• DNA-Sequencing of Baseline Plasma From the Phase III Alliance A031201 Trial

  Liquid biopsy assays tailored for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) patients are needed to identify molecular alterations and predict survival in the context of androgen receptor (AR) inhibitors. We developed a novel plasma cell-free DNA (cfDNA) sequencing assay to detect circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) and alterations in key mCRPC driver genes, and tested associations with clinical features and survival outcomes in a phase III trial. cfDNA was isolated from evaluable baseline plasma specimens of untreated mCRPC patients (n=790) enrolled in the Alliance A031201 randomized phase III trial (NCT01949337) prior to enzalutamide therapy with or without abiraterone acetate and prednisone. A customized targeted cfDNA sequencing assay was used to detect AR and non-AR alterations in mCRPC. For this, DNA-seq libraries were constructed from cfDNA using Takara ThruPLEX Tag-Seq or Plasma-Seq kits, and subjected to hybridization enrichment using a custom-designed Agilent SureSelect bait panel. Post-capture DNA-seq libraries were pooled and sequenced on an Illumina HiSeq 2500 using 2x150 bp settings. ctDNA positivity was defined as >20% ctDNA using an aneuploidy-based estimate derived from ichorCNA (Group 1) or a novel definition of ≤20% ctDNA, but with detection of any alteration in AR, or gain of MYC and/or MYCN (Group 2). cfDNA sequencing data was obtained from 776 patients. There were 480/776 (62%) ctDNA-positive patients, with 324 (42%) in Group 1 and an additional 156 (20%) in Group 2 with AR or MYC/MYCN alterations detected. ctDNA-positive patients in Groups 1 and 2 had similarly poor median overall survival (OS) of 25.4 months (95% CI: 21.8-29.0) and 29.7 months (95% CI: 27.3-35.5), respectively, as compared to ctDNA-negative patients who had a median OS of 49.1 months (95% CI: 42.3-53.5). Relative to ctDNA-negative patients, OS was inferior in ctDNA-positive patients in Group 1 (HR 2.3, 95% CI: 1.9-2.9, P AR inhibitors in a contemporary phase III trial.

  Study phs003325

• Studying Glioblastoma in a Human Organoid Tumor Transplantation Model

  This study comprises two complementary investigations that leverage innovative human model systems and cutting-edge molecular profiling to dissect glioblastoma (GBM) heterogeneity and tumor-microenvironment interactions. The first study uses a novel Human Organoid Tumor Transplantation (HOTT) model, in which freshly dissociated GBM tumor cells from five patients were transplanted into human embryonic stem cell-derived cortical organoids. This system enables the interrogation of tumor and microenvironment interactions in a human-specific, developmentally relevant context. Using single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and single-nucleus RNA-seq (snRNA-seq), the authors profiled over 216,000 cells, analyzing tumor heterogeneity across multiple media conditions. Ligand-receptor analysis (CellChat), immunofluorescence, and RNAScope were used to validate findings. The study revealed that the HOTT model faithfully recapitulates primary GBM cell types and microenvironmental components, and uncovered a novel bidirectional signaling axis mediated by PTPRZ1 that influences both tumor migration and cell fate in a context-dependent manner. PTPRZ1 is identified to be important for intercellular communication between tumor and microenvironmental cells, while PDGFRB, NOTCH3, HOPX, FAM107A, CLDN5, RGS5, FOXC1, SOX18 are key markers of the neurovascular progenitor that we identify to be a multipotent, restricted progenitor in GBM. Related datasets include the inclusion of immune cells in the HOTT system, termed “iHOTT”. The second study focuses on identifying and characterizing a rare but functionally potent neurovascular progenitor (NVP) population within GBM tumors. By generating a meta-atlas from seven publicly available GBM scRNA-seq datasets, the authors identified a unique tumor-derived cell population co-expressing neural progenitor and vascular markers. This population was validated in situ and in vivo through immunostaining and lineage tracing via DNA barcoding in the HOTT system. Functional knockdown of NVPs in a murine GBM model resulted in reduced cycling cells, altered tumor composition, and increased survival. Clonal analysis showed NVPs have dual potency to give rise to both neuronal and vascular-like tumor cells, contributing significantly to tumor cell diversity. Molecular technologies used across the studies include: Single-cell and single-nucleus RNA sequencing DNA barcoding and clonal lineage tracing (CellTag) Population information: Tumor samples were obtained directly from multiple GBM patients (all IDH1 wild-type, adult), including core and peripheral tumor regions. Human cortical organoids derived from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) served as the microenvironment in the HOTT model. Principal findings include: HOTT recapitulates the heterogeneity and cell type fidelity of GBM, while enabling the study of tumor–microenvironment signaling. PTPRZ1 has opposing roles in tumor and microenvironment, influencing GBM cell migration and fate via non-catalytic mechanisms. A novel GBM neurovascular progenitor population (NVP) was identified, validated, and shown to contribute clonally to distinct tumor cell types. Elimination of NVPs in vivo reduces tumor aggressiveness and improves survival. Data to be available through dbGaP: Raw and processed single-cell and single-nucleus RNA-seq data (HOTT model and NVP studies) CellTag barcode-labeled scRNA-seq clonal lineage data Associated metadata including patient of origin, experimental condition, and sample annotations.

  Study phs003936

• How mitochondrial DNA research can benefit from data reuse through EGA?

  Mitochondria are the only cellular organelles harbouring their own DNA, which encodes for proteins essentials in its respiration process. Despite its discovery in 1960, Mitochondrial DNA is often overlooked compared to nuclear DNA. Indeed, not all sequencing technologies capture a good representation of mtDNA (mitochondrial DNA). Recently, Ed Reznik's team (The Ed Reznik Lab | Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center) carried out a massive analysis and reanalysis of single cells WGS (whole genome sequencing) produced with an amplification-free protocol (Direct library prep, DLP). As they demonstrated in the paper Single-cell mtDNA dynamics in tumors is driven by coregulation of nuclear and mitochondrial genomes - PMC, DLP is more effective in catching mtDNA compared to classical single-cell sequencing. These data allowed the team to unravel mtDNA dynamics in tumoral and normal samples, highlighting how mtDNA and nuclear DNA are co-regulated and their ratio is critical for phenotype. Data reuse to achieve the greatest results For this project, Reznik's team re-used data from 3 studies stored at the European Genome-phenome Archive (EGAS00001006343, EGAS00001004448 and EGAS00001003190) that comprised a total of 602 datasets. All of them were initially produced by the teams of Sam Aparicio and Sohrab P. Shah at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre, where Ed Reznik is a promising group leader. This demonstrates, once again, that networking, collaboration and data sharing can achieve the greatest results when coupled with innovative and smart ideas. At the EGA we are proud to provide the scientific community with an infrastructure to enable all those very smart ideas out there to find the right data to be tested.

  Blog mitochondrial-dna-research

• Integrated clinical, whole genome, and transcriptome analysis of multisampled lethal metastatic prostate cancer

  We report the first combined analysis of whole genome sequence, detailed clinical history, and transcriptome sequence of multiple prostate cancer metastases in a single patient (A21). Whole genome and transcriptome sequence was obtained from 9 anatomically separate metastases, and targeted DNA sequencing was performed in cancerous and noncancerous foci within the primary tumor specimen removed 5 years prior to death. Transcriptome analysis revealed increased expression of AR-regulated genes in liver metastases that harbored an AR p.L702H mutation, suggesting a dominant effect by the mutation despite being present in only 1 of an estimated 16 copies per cell. The metastases harbored several alterations to the PI3K/AKT pathway, including a clonal truncal mutation in PIK3CG and present in all metastatic sites studied. The list of truncal genomic alterations shared by all metastases included homozygous deletion of TP53, hemizygous deletion of RB1 and CHD1, and amplification of FGFR1. If the patient were treated today given this knowledge, use of second-generation androgen-directed therapies, cessation of glucocorticoid administration, and therapeutic inhibition of the PI3K/AKT pathway or FGFR1 receptor could provide personalized benefit. Three previously unreported truncal clonal missense mutations (ABCC4 p.R891L, ALDH9A1 p.W89R, and ASNA1 p.P75R) were expressed at the RNA level and assessed as druggable. The truncal status of mutations is critical for actionability, and can only be determined through analysis of multiple sites of metastasis. Our findings suggest that a large set of deeply analyzed cases could serve as powerful guide to more effective prostate cancer basic science and personalized cancer medicine clinical trials.

  Dataset EGAD00001001869

• WFS1 mutation screening in a large series of Japanese hearing loss patients: Massively parallel DNA sequencing-based analysis

  A heterozygous mutation in the Wolfram syndrome type 1 gene (WFS1) causes autosomal dominant nonsyndromic hereditary hearing loss, DFNA6/14/38, or Wolfram-like syndrome. To date, more than 40 different mutations have been reported to be responsible for DFNA6/14/38. In the present study, WFS1 variants were screened in a large series of Japanese hearing loss (HL) patients to clarify the prevalence and clinical characteristics of DFNA6/14/38 and Wolfram-like syndrome. Massively parallel DNA sequencing of 68 target genes was performed in 2,549 unrelated Japanese HL patients to identify genomic variations responsible for HL. The detailed clinical features in patients with WFS1 variants were collected from medical charts and analyzed. We successfully identified 13 WFS1 variants in 19 probands: eight of the 13 variants were previously reported mutations, including three mutations (p.A684V, p.K836N, and p.E864K) known to cause Wolfram-like syndrome, and five were novel mutations.

  Study JGAS000123

• MGA-NUTM1 fusion in high grade spindle cell sarcoma

  NUT carcinoma (NC) with mesenchymal differentiation have rarely been described in the literature. In this report, we describe the characterization of two cases of high grade spindle cell sarcoma harboring a novel MGA-NUTM1 fusion. Whole genome sequencing identified the presence of complex rearrangements resulting in a MGA-NUTM1 fusion gene in the absence of other significant somatic mutations. The fusion protein was predicted to retain nearly the entire protein sequence of both MGA (exons 1-22) and NUTM1 (exons 3-8). In contrast to typical cases of NC, these cases were successfully treated with aggressive local control measures (surgery and radiation) and both patients remain alive without disease. These cases describe a new subtype of NUTM1-rearranged tumors warranting expansion of diagnostic testing to evaluate for the presence of MGA-NUTM1 or alternative NUTM1 gene fusions in the diagnostic workup of high grade spindle cell sarcomas or small round blue cell tumors of ambiguous lineage.

  Study EGAS00001003341

• Widespread hypertranscription in aggressive human cancers

  Cancers are often defined by the dysregulation of specific transcriptional programs; however, the importance of global transcriptional changes is less understood. Hypertranscription is the genome-wide increase in RNA output. Hypertranscription’s prevalence, underlying drivers and prognostic significance are undefined in primary human cancer. This is due in part to limitations of expression profiling methods, which assume equal RNA output between samples. Here, we developed a computational method to directly measure hypertranscription in 7,494 human tumors, spanning 31 cancer types. Hypertranscription is ubiquitous across cancer, especially in aggressive disease. It defines patient subgroups with worse survival, even within well-established subtypes. Our data suggest that loss of transcriptional suppression underpins the hypertranscriptional phenotype. Single-cell analysis reveals hypertranscriptional clones, which dominate transcript production regardless of their size. Finally, patients with hypertranscribed mutations have improved response to immune checkpoint therapy. Our results provide fundamental insights into gene dysregulation across human cancers and may prove useful in identifying patients that would benefit from novel therapies.

  Study EGAS00001006365