13402 results for ""pdc"+"heritage+language"+census+study"

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• Genetic Studies of Homologous Recombination Deficiency in Hispanic Gastric Cancer

  Approximately 10% of gastric cancer cases show familial clustering and a hereditary cause is likely, however, only 1-3% cases result from known hereditary syndromes – which are predominantly associated with CDH1 and CTNNA1 genes. Hispanics are > 2 times more likely to be diagnosed and to die from gastric cancer compared to non-Hispanic whites. Not only does gastric cancer precision medicine lag behind other cancers – there is an urgent need to understand its etiology. Germline mutations in homologous recombination genes have been implicated as important risk factors for gastric cancer. The purpose of this study is to continue to generate knowledge to improve gastric cancer outcomes and disparities by 1) characterizing prevalence of germline mutations in homologous recombination genes and identify new genes associated with gastric cancer 2) perform molecular characterization of gastric tumors in Hispanic patients. Participants for germline analysis were enrolled from Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Portugal, Spain, Uruguay.Whole exome sequence capture was performed for all germline and somatic samples using Agilent SureSelect Human All Exon v7 Kit. All sequencing was performed on an Illumina NovaSeq 6000. Germline Analysis: Whole exome sequencing was performed on 536 Hispanic patients (290 males, 246 female)

  Study phs003251

• Leukemia Relapse via Genetic Immune Escape after Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation

  Graft-versus-leukemia (GvL) reactions are responsible for the effectiveness of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation as a treatment modality for myeloid neoplasia, whereby donor T- effector cells recognize leukemia neoantigens. However, a substantial fraction of patients experience relapses because of the failure of the immunological responses to control leukemic outgrowth. Here we demonstrate, through a broad immunogenetic study, that germline and somatic reduction of human leucocyte antigen (HLA) heterogeneity enhances the risk of leukemic recurrence. We show that preexistent germline-encoded low evolutionary divergence of class II HLA genotypes constitutes an independent factor associated with disease relapse and that acquisition of clonal somatic defects in HLA alleles may lead to escape from GvL control. Both class I and II HLA genes are targeted by somatic mutations as clonal selection factors potentially impairing cellular immune responses and responses to immunomodulatory strategies. These findings define new molecular modes of post-transplant leukemia escape contributing to relapse.The present dataset provides HLA peripheral blood and bone marrow samples supporting the genotyping studies performed for this research. This sample set originates from patients with acute myeloid leukemia or myelodysplastic syndromes receiving allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation and relapsing after transplant.

  Study phs003235

• Bacterial Artificial Chromosomes Establish Replication Timing and Sub-Nuclear Compartment De Novo as Extra-Chromosomal Vectors

  The role of DNA sequence in determining replication timing (RT) and chromatin higher order organization remains elusive. To address this question, we have developed an extra-chromosomal replication system consisting of ~200kb human bacteria artificial chromosomes (BACs) modified with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) replication origin elements (E-BACs). E-BACs were stably maintained as autonomous mini-chromosomes in both HeLa and human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) and established distinct RT patterns. An E-BAC harboring an early replicating chromosomal region replicated early during S phase, while E-BACs derived from RT transition regions (TTRs) and late replicating regions replicated in mid to late S phase. Analysis of E-BAC interactions with cellular chromatin (4C-seq) revealed that the early replicating E-BAC interacted broadly throughout the genome and preferentially with the early replicating compartment of the nucleus. In contrast, mid- to late-replicating E-BACs interacted with more specific late replicating chromosomal segments, some of which were shared between different E-BACs. Together, we describe a versatile system in which to study the structure and function of chromosomal segments that are stably maintained separately from the influence of cellular chromosome context.

  Study phs001520

• NHLBI TOPMed: Trans-Omics Analysis for Congestive Heart Failure (TOPCHeF)

  Heart failure (HF) is a serious, common, morbid condition that has a huge public health impact. In 2012 alone, there were >1M hospital discharges and >1.7M outpatient visits where HF was the principal diagnosis. HF is the most common hospital discharge diagnosis of the elderly and led to costs in excess of $30B in 2012. Unfortunately, HF therapies have not impacted the 50% 5-year mortality over the past two decades. Our laboratory focuses on cardiomyopathies (CMs) and HF. Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) has been a main focus of our laboratory and is the first and third most frequent cause of heart transplantation and HF, respectively. Attention is shifting from the mere identification and cataloging of CM/HF genes and mutations to understanding the molecular and functional cellular processes that drive HF. In this study, we will utilize whole genome sequencing (WGS) and transcriptome analysis of left ventricle samples from adult and pediatric samples from heart banks at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and the Children's Hospital Colorado to develop a complete understanding of left ventricular biology and a partial understanding of HF inferred through the lens of a single-chamber perspective.

  Study phs002038

• Development of a diagnostic gene panel for Gorlin syndrome and its application to liquid biopsy

  Gorlin syndrome is an autosomal dominant, rare disease caused by mutations in PTCH1, PTCH2, and SUFU with various symptoms in multiple organs making early diagnosis challenging. In this study, we generated a Gorlin syndrome gene panel that could help to overcome the difficulties in diagnosing Gorlin syndrome using a single test. This gene panel is time- and cost-efficient and highly reliable with a high-quality score of 30, on-target ratio, and coverage depth, and could detect more mutations than whole-exome sequencing of the same patient. Although the current in silico prediction tools have a limited genetic database of gene mutations in rare hereditary diseases, five prediction tools were used to identify pathological mutations. Pathogenic gene mutations were detected not only in PTCH1 but also in PTCH2 in five out of 12 patients with Gorlin syndrome diagnosed based on clinical symptoms. Using this gene panel, we showed the same gene mutation in the patients and their asymptomatic relatives; hence, it has enabled a highly reliable genetic diagnosis of Gorlin syndrome at a low cost requiring only blood sample.

  Study JGAS000308

• Investigation of molecular diagnosis by molecular biological analysis using next-generation sequencer for actionable endocrine diseases (including neoplastic diseases)

  Fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase (FBPase) deficiency, caused by an FBP1 mutation, is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by hypoglycemic lactic acidosis. Due to the rarity of FBPase deficiency, the mechanism by which the mutations cause enzyme activity loss still remains unclear. Here we identify compound heterozygous missense mutations of FBP1, c.491G>A (p.G164D) and c.581T>C (p.F194S), in an adult patient with hypoglycemic lactic acidosis. The G164D and F194S FBP1 mutants exhibit decreased FBP1 protein expression and a loss of FBPase enzyme activity. The biochemical phenotypes of all previously reported FBP1 missense mutations in addition to G164D and F194S are classified into three functional categories. Type 1 mutations are located at pivotal residues in enzyme activity motifs and have no effects on protein expression. Type 2 mutations structurally cluster around the substrate binding pocket and are associated with decreased protein expression due to protein misfolding. Type 3 mutations are likely nonpathogenic. These findings demonstrate a key role of protein misfolding in mediating the pathogenesis of FBPase deficiency, particularly for Type 2 mutations. This study provides important insights that certain patients with Type 2 mutations may respond to chaperone molecules.

  Study JGAS000625

• Gut microbiome dynamics unravelled with metagenomics sequencing

  It has been already several years since we discovered that microbial therapeutics like Faecal Microbiota Transplantation can be used to treat Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) and Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) with great success. The concept has challenged us to test the limits of our knowledge with the perspective to improve health in the most diverse conditions like Parkinson disease, depression, autism and obesity, just to mention a few. Note: the figure belongs to the original paper and is owned by the authors. Allyson L.Bird and colleagues from Genentech Inc. (San Francisco) recently published an interesting study building up on the key concept that “As microbial therapeutics are increasingly being tested in diverse patient populations, it is essential to understand the host and environmental factors influencing the microbiome.” The authors of this work analysed 1359 gut microbiome samples using shotgun metagenomics sequencing.  The results of the comparison done between microbiota composition across the different groups showed that biological sex is the strongest driver of diversity, while aging (age range studied: 20–69) appears to be the second factor. As smartly outlined in the authors’ own graphical abstract (figure to the left), Bacteroidota species consistently increased with donors' age while Actinobacteriota species, including Bifidobacterium, decreased. This study also integrated data from oncological patients to draw cancer-related evidences. After correcting the biases for technical and geographic differences, they found that cancer patients show significantly altered gut bacterial communities compared with their healthy counterparts. Eg. E.coli was found to be increased in cancer patients together with Bacteroidota/Firmicutes ratios. By comparing sequential samples taken from the same donors (413) within short-distance time points, the authors found that in the short term, intra-individual differences were less than the inter-individual ones, indicating a certain community stability being the norm. One of the pivotal points from this interesting study is that the data proceeds from extremely well-defined and selected donors. Specifically, the data for 949 selected healthy donors came from the Milieu Intérieur (MI) Consortium and extensive metadata, including demographic variables, serological measures, dietary information, and systemic immune profiles, are available. This precise stratification allowed for the robust detection of smaller changes, compared to former works. All sequencing data has been deposited in the EGA archive under the accession number EGAS00001004437. Enjoy this amazing open access paper published in the Experimental Journal of Medicine on January 2021.

  Blog gut-microbiome-dynamics-unravelled

• Single cell atlas of large B-cell lymphoma

  Large B-cell lymphomas (LBCL) are clinically and biologically heterogeneous lymphoid malignancies, shaped by complex tumor and microenvironments that play a critical role in disease progression. There has been no direct and comprehensive single-cell characterization of tumor microenvironment in LBCL that simultaneously captures lymphoid, myeloid, and stromal populations across a sufficiently large cohort to reveal reproducible and biologically meaningful patterns. Here, we performed single-nucleus multiome profiling, coupled with bulk DNA and RNA sequencing, on 232 tumor and control biopsies to comprehensively map cell subpopulations of LBCL. Through this integrative approach, we identified Lymphoma Microenvironment Archetype Profiles (LymphoMAPs)—distinct, reproducible patterns defined by the co-occurrence of functionally specialized cell subsets. We further characterized the cell-cell communication pathways that shape these transcriptional phenotypes within archetypes. Importantly, we discovered associations between specific LymphoMAPs and clinical and molecular features of LBCL, including response to CD19 CAR T-cell therapy. Our study provides a valuable resource of lymphoid, myeloid, and non-hematopoietic cell states in LBCL and offers a framework for understanding how the abundance and functional state of cells within the tumor microenvironment may drive inter-patient variability in therapeutic outcome.

  Study EGAS50000001022

• Non-neuronal TGF-β–mediated extracellular matrix remodeling drives neurodegeneration in a PSP-Richardson syndrome model

  Progressive supranuclear palsy-Richardson syndrome (PSP-RS) is a devastating neurodegenerative disorder marked by rapid motor decline, cognitive impairment, and widespread accumulation of pathological tau. Yet, the molecular triggers of sporadic PSP-RS remain elusive. In this study, we combined patient-derived midbrain organoids with integrative multi-omics to uncover a previously unrecognized pathological cascade. At the core lies an early and aberrant activation of TGF-β signaling, which initiates profound extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling and aberrant integrin-mediated focal adhesion. This cascade leads to persistent hyperactivation of PI3K/AKT and MAPK/ERK pathways, disrupting cytoskeletal integrity, impairing autophagy, promoting pathological tau phosphorylation and mislocalization, and ultimately driving synaptic degeneration. Single-cell RNA sequencing revealed an ectopic expansion of vascular leptomeningeal-like cells (VLMCs), a collagen-producing population, accompanied by a broad ECM gene dysregulation unique to PSP-RS. Remarkably, pharmacological blockade of TGF-β, AKT, ERK, or mTOR signaling reversed tau pathology and restored synaptic integrity. These findings position TGF-β-driven ECM remodeling as a master regulator of neurodegeneration in sporadic PSP-RS and unveil multiple actionable therapeutic targets for this currently untreatable disease.

  Study EGAS50000001236

• Whole-genome methylation profiling of menstrual stem cells identifies novel biomarkers for endometriosis

  Endometriosis is a highly prevalent condition that remains underdiagnosed and poorly managed due to the lack of clinically validated biomarkers and limited understanding of its underlying pathophysiology. Although menstrual blood–derived stem cells (MenSCs) have been implicated in disease pathogenesis, their potential as a diagnostic source has not been systematically explored. We conducted a clinical study including 42 women (19 with endometriosis and 23 controls) to evaluate whether DNA methylation profiles from freshly isolated MenSCs could identify disease-specific biomarkers. Whole-genome DNA methylation sequencing identified differentially methylated regions (DMRs) enriched in genes associated with key features of endometriosis, including inflammation, tissue remodelling, and developmental processes. These DMRs robustly discriminated cases from controls, independently of technical and clinical confounders. Machine learning models trained and validated on these regions demonstrated strong diagnostic performance (specificity 83%, sensitivity 79%). Integration with an independent single-cell RNA sequencing dataset suggested that the identified DMRs may influence gene expression, supporting their biological relevance. Collectively, these findings highlight MenSC DNA methylation profiling as a promising, non-invasive strategy for early diagnosis and personalised management of endometriosis. (PubMed IDs will be provided once the manuscript is published.)

  Study EGAS50000001640

• Ultra-Low-Pass Whole Genome Sequencing of Cell-Free DNA for Large B-Cell Lymphoma

  While deep targeted DNA sequencing of liquid biopsies has shown prognostic utility in large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL), the routine clinical adoption of these assays remains limited due to their high costs. Here, leveraging a well-annotated cohort of encompassing both frontline and relapsed/refractory (R/R) LBCL, we profiled patient plasma samples with two complementary modalities – ultra-low-pass whole genome sequencing (ulpWGS) and deep targeted DNA sequencing, the former being a cost-effective method to profile large scale chromosomal abnormalities and estimate tumor burden. Our findings revealed a strong association of high cell-free tumor burden by both genomic profiling modalities with established measures of tumor burden and patient survival. Notably, the associations with survival remained statistically significant after accounting for international prognostic index scoring. Furthermore, we showed that del(17p) in circulating tumor DNA as detected by ulpWGS was strongly associated with TP53 mutation status and predicted for significantly inferior patient outcome in frontline but not R/R LBCL patients. Our study demonstrates that ulpWGS can provide robust prognostic biomarkers for both frontline and R/R LBCL, highlighting its broad applicability for risk stratification.

  Study EGAS50000001027

• A Single-Cell and Spatial Atlas of Early Human Olfactory Development

  The human nasal region is a complex anatomical structure comprising neural crest- and placode-derived lineages, yet its developmental dynamics in humans remain poorly understood due to limited access to fetal tissue and challenges in resolving its spatial and cellular complexity. We built a single-cell and spatial transcriptomic atlas of the human fetal nasal region from 10 fetuses spanning post-conceptional weeks 7 to 12. Using snRNA-seq, we identify 34 cell types in the fetal nasal region and reconstruct lineage trajectories in the olfactory epithelium (OE). Spatial analyses uncover regionalized OE organization, dorsoventral gradients of olfactory receptors (ORs) and high-resolution OR expression. Combining snRNAseq and MERFISH, we reveal early onset of OR gene expression, with most olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) following the one neuron-one receptor rule already during the first trimester. This work provides the first integrated molecular and spatial framework of early human nasal region and it provides an unprecedented molecular blueprint of the human olfactory system development. In addition, this study offers a foundational resource for embryologists and developmental biologists investigating sensory neurogenesis, epithelial patterning, and congenital diseases.

  Study EGAS50000001203

• E-cadherin inactivation shapes tumor microenvironment specificities in invasive lobular carcinoma

  Invasive lobular breast carcinoma (ILC) shows specific stromal features, T lymphocyte infiltration (TIL) being associated with poor prognosis. Here, we reveal the involved mechanism by performing single cell RNA sequencing, combined immunohistochemistry, deconvolution of bulk RNA sequencing from large retrospective ILC series, and functional assays using primary cells. We show that ILC accumulates FAP+ inflammatory cancer-associated fibroblasts (iCAF) through a previously undescribed mechanism mediated by E-cadherin/CDH1 on CAF plasticity. Indeed, CDH1 inactivation in ILC cancer cells prevents differentiation of iCAF into myofibroblastic CAF (myCAF), leading to iCAF accumulation. In turn, iCAF attract TILs into the tumor center and shape their spatial organization in ILC. Subsequently, CDH1-inactivated ILC cancer cells promote immune escape by lack of retention and activation of ITGAE-expressing resident memory CD8+ T lymphocytes (TRM). Hence, our study uncovers reciprocal interactions between CDH1-inactivated cancer cells, iCAF and CD8+ TRM, gaining insight into the underlying mechanism associated with the distinctive stromal reaction observed in ILC and revealing why and how TILs have a poor prognosis in ILC patients, a mechanism that can be generalized to other CDH1-inactivated cancer types.

  Study EGAS50000001760

• Proteomic predictors of individualized nutrient-specific insulin secretion in health and disease

  Population level variation and molecular mechanisms behind insulin secretion in response to carbohydrate, protein, and fat remain uncharacterized despite ramifications for personalized nutrition. We now define prototypical insulin secretion dynamics in response to the three macronutrients in islets from 140 cadaveric donors, including those diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. We leverage the insulin response heterogeneity and use transcriptomics and proteomics to identify molecular pathways of specific nutrient responsiveness. Surprisingly, we find robust insulin secretion to fatty acid stimulus in ~8% of donors, challenging the idea that fat has negligible effects on insulin release. Distinct islet proteomes with differences in metabolic signalling networks convey this hyper-responsiveness to fat relative to carbohydrate. By comparing human islets to human embryonic stem cell-derived islet clusters, we show that, unlike glucose-responsiveness, fat hyper-responsiveness is equivalent and may be a hallmark of functionally immature cells. Our study represents the first comparison of dynamic responses to nutrients and multi-omics analysis in human insulin secreting cells. Responses of different people’s islets to carbohydrate, protein, and fat lay the groundwork for personalized nutrition.

  Study EGAS00001007241

• Atezolizumab Plus Chemotherapy With or Without Bevacizumab in Advanced Biliary Tract Cancer: Clinical and Biomarker Data From the Randomized Phase II IMbrave151 Trial

  PURPOSE Biliary tract cancers (BTCs) harbor an immunosuppressed tumor microenvironment (TME) and respond poorly to PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors. Bevacizumab (anti-VEGF) plus chemotherapy can promote anticancer immunity, augmenting response to PD-L1 inhibition. PATIENTS AND METHODS This randomized, double-blind, proof-of-concept Phase II study enrolled patients (n=162) with previously untreated advanced BTC (IMbrave151; NCT04677504). Patients were randomized 1:1 to receive 3-weekly cycles of atezolizumab (1200 mg) plus bevacizumab (15 mg/kg) or atezolizumab plus placebo until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. All patients received cisplatin (25 mg/m2) plus gemcitabine (1000 mg/m2; CisGem) on Days 1 and 8 every 3 weeks for up to 8 cycles. Stratification of patients was by disease status, geographic region, and primary tumor location. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS). No formal hypothesis testing was performed. Exploratory correlative biomarker analysis was undertaken using transcriptome analysis (n=95) and mutation profiling (n=102) on baseline tumor samples. RESULTS Between February and September 2021, 162 patients were enrolled. Median PFS was 8.3 months in the bevacizumab arm and 7.9 months in the placebo

  Study EGAS50000000387

• Fecal microbiota transplantation - Effect of engraftment on plasma metabolomics and cllinical outcomes

  Fecal Microbiota Transplantation (FMT) has emerged as a potential modality for mitigating microbiome-associated diseases. Despite this potential, the precise causal pathways by which specific gut microbiota strains induce remission remain inadequately elucidated. In this study, we aimed to discern the impact of engraftment of donor-infused strains on alterations in plasma metabolites, subsequently contributing to the amelioration of clinical parameters involved in subjects with metabolic syndrome (MetSyn) receiving an FMT. We observed that a higher fraction of donor strains engrafted in the recipient is correlated to a reduction in diastolic blood pressure and found specific strains associations through Canonical correlation analysis. Integrating the metabolomics profile show that engraftment of Collinsella aerofaciens and Fusocatenibacter saccharovorans was related to a reduction in 2 oxoarginine in plasma, which was subsequently correlated to a reduction in diastolic blood pressure. In conclusion, we applied a novel framework to elucidate on the complex and heterogenous FMT intervention, establishing a connection between engrafted microbiota and clinical outcome parameters. Our findings underscore the potential therapeutic efficacy of FMT in ameliorating MetSyn, demonstrating a potential contribution of microbial strain engraftment to the improvement of MetSyn via modulation of circulating metabolites.

  Study EGAS50000000409

• Genetic coupling of enhancer activity and connectivity in gene expression control

  In this study, we investigated whether the genetic effects of eQTLs on enhancer activity and enhancer-promoter contacts (connectivity) are inherently coupled or distinct. To address this, we performed Capture Hi-C targeting ~1100 eQTL loci, along with ATAC-seq and RNA-seq, in monocytes from 34 healthy male donors. Using single-modality and multi-modality Bayesian statistical approaches, we demonstrated that eQTL effects are predominantly shared across enhancer activity, connectivity, and gene expression. However, we also identified a locus where an eQTL disrupts a CTCF binding site at a putative insulator, facilitating contacts between the PCK2 gene promoter and downstream enhancers. To validate these findings, we used 4C-seq to confirm the allelic effects of eQTLs on enhancer-promoter connectivity at the PCK2 locus and another eQTL region associated with THBS1 expression, both of which showed consistent eQTL effects across all three modalities. Additionally, we conducted Hi-C on monocytes from two donors to map reference TADs and performed ChIP-seq to confirm the allelic effects of the PCK2 eQTL on CTCF binding. Together, these data provide comprehensive insights into the genetic coupling of enhancer activity, connectivity, and gene expression.

  Study EGAS50000000756

• The taxonomic composition of the human microbiome of CRC patients and healthy donors

  In this study, single homogenized human stool samples from five healthy donors and one CRC patient were analyzed by shotgun sequencing to generate a baseline for the establishment of humanized microbiome to be transferred into mice. Briefly, fecal DNA was isolated from these samples using the DNeasy PowerSoil DNA Isolation Kit (Qiagen), according to the kit manual, except that samples were homogenized using the TissueLyzerII for five minutes at 40Hz instead of intense vortexing. The extracted DNA was further purified and concentrated using the DNA Clean and Concentrator Kit (Zymo Research). This DNA was thawed and refrozen once at -80°C for 16s sequencing before being thawed again for WGS. 200 ng of DNA was used for metagenomic library preparation using the Next Generation Sequencing DNA Library Prep Kit (Westburg), according to the user manual using an average insert size of libraries of 450 base pairs. Following quantification and quality control (Qubit® dsDNA BR Assay Kit (Thermofisher Scientific); Bioanalyzer High Sensitivity DNA Analysis Kit (Agilent Technologies)), sequencing was performed on a NextSeq500 instrument using 2×150 base pair read lengths.

  Study EGAS50000000759

• Global Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer Initiative

  Thyroid cancer is the most common endocrine malignancy. Most thyroid cancers are of the well-differentiated (non-aggressive) phenotype, and are almost always cured with standard treatments. In contrast, anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) is rare, accounting for only 1% of thyroid cancers, however it is perhaps the most lethal human malignancy with an average survival of 3 to 6 months. ATC presents with dramatic and rapid onset of airway and esophageal blockage with frequent spread to the lungs. Interestingly, 21–79% of ATCs have coexisting areas or a previous history of well-differentiated cancers. Although this suggests a progression from well-differentiated cancers to ATC, to date there is little molecular conformation that such a progression exists versus de novo generation of ATC. As ATC is extremely rare and most cases are inoperable, there are a paucity of tissue samples for study at any one center. The Global Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer Initiative (GATCI) aims to unite international institutions in order to pool samples (ATC with or without a paired well-differentiated component) for a comprehensive analysis of the genomic landscape of this disease.

  Study EGAS00001002234

• scRNA-seq of HSPC treated with gemcitabine and carbplatin

  The study used cryopreserved hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) harvested from one patient with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). The cells were thawed and acclimatized for 48 hours in StemMACS HSC Expansion Media XF (Miltenyi Biotec) supplemented with StemMACS HSC Expansion Cocktail (Miltenyi Biotec) at 37°C in a humidified atmosphere containing 5% CO2. 4 samples of 2000000 HSPCs in 2 ml media each were then prepared and treated for 24 hours: carboplatin-high: 150 µg/ml carboplatin carboplatin-low: 18.75 µg/ml carboplatin gemcitabine: 25 ng/ml gemcitabine control: no drug Single-cells were subsequently extracted using the ddSEQ™ Single-Cell Isolator (Bio-Rad) and later sequenced using the SureCell™ Whole Transcriptome Analysis 3' Library Prep Kit (Illumina) on the NextSeq 500 System (Illumina) using the NextSeq 500/550 High Output Kit v2.5 150 Cycles (Illumina) all following the manufacturer's instructions. FASTQ-files were then processed following the ddSeeker (Romagnoli, D., et al., BMC Genomics 2018, doi:10.1186/s12864-018-5249-x) and Drop-seq (Macosko, E.Z., et al., Cell 2015, doi:10.1016/j.cell.2015.05.002) protocols for processing scRNA-seq data to yield the final digital gene expression for each cell.

  Study EGAS00001004381

• Increased mutation accumulation during fetal development in Down syndrome

  Children with Down syndrome (DS) show a high incidence of leukemia, which is preceded by transient myeloproliferative disorder (TMD) in neonates. TMD is characterized by mutations in GATA1 that accumulate during fetal development, indicating that additional mutagenesis is required for leukemogenesis. Abnormalities in chromosome numbers can result in a mutator phenotype. However, it is unknown whether a trisomy of chromosome 21 (T21) results in enhanced mutation accumulation during human development. Here, we determined the mutational consequences of a constitutive T21 in DS fetuses compared to disomy 21 cells (D21) of D21 fetuses. We found that D21 fetal HPSCs had a higher somatic mutation rate compared to healthy adults HSPCs. Moreover, we observed an increase in somatic mutation load in T21 cells of DS fetuses, which was already apparent during the first cell divisions of embryogenesis. The mutation load could be explained by processes that are active during normal fetal development and were similar to those observed in TMD blast cells. Our study shows that T21 causes an increase in somatic load in fetal cells of DS fetuses, which may contribute to leukemia development early in life.

  Study EGAS00001003982

• The DNA methylation landscape of glioblastoma disease progression shows extensive heterogeneity in time and space

  Glioblastoma is characterized by widespread genetic and transcriptional heterogeneity, yet little is known about the role of the epigenome in glioblastoma disease progression. Here, we present genome-scale maps of DNA methylation in matched primary and recurring glioblastoma tumors, using data from a highly annotated clinical cohort that was selected through a national patient registry. We demonstrate the feasibility of DNA methylation mapping in a large set of routinely collected FFPE samples, and we validate bisulfite sequencing as a multipurpose assay that allowed us to infer a range of different genetic, epigenetic, and transcriptional characteristics of the profiled tumor samples. On the basis of these data, we identified subtle differences between primary and recurring tumors, links between DNA methylation and the tumor microenvironment, and an association of epigenetic tumor heterogeneity with patient survival. In summary, this study establishes an open resource for dissecting DNA methylation heterogeneity in a genetically diverse and heterogeneous cancer, and it demonstrates the feasibility of integrating epigenomics, radiology, and digital pathology for a national cohort, thereby leveraging existing samples and data collected as part of routine clinical practice.

  Study EGAS00001002538

• The mission of the BIOS Consortium is to create a large-scale data infrastructure and to bring together BBMRI researchers focusing on integrative omics studies in Dutch Biobanks.

  The advent of the genome-wide association study (GWAS) led to the successful identification of thousands of variants that are robustly associated with complex disease phenotypes. Dutch biobanks played a substantial role in these discoveries. For most of these variants, however, the mechanisms through which they contribute to these phenotypes remain unknown. The BIOS Consortium applies a functional genomics approach that integrates genome-wide genetic data with data on the epigenome and transcriptome to elucidate these mechanisms. Over 4000 samples from BBMRI-NL biobanks with in-depth information on disease phenotypes and GWAS data are being enriched with RNA-sequencing and genome-wide DNA methylation data. The same is true for samples with whole-genome sequencing data from GoNL. This unique data infrastructure provides a powerful platform to evaluate key questions in integrative omics from establishing comprehensive eQTL and meQTL catalogues to linking molecular pathways across omics levels to phenotypic outcomes.

  Study EGAS00001001077

• Widespread DNA hypomethylation and differential gene expression in Turner syndrome

  Adults with 45,X monosomy (Turner syndrome) reflect a surviving minority since more than 99% of fetuses with 45,X monosomy die in utero. In adulthood 45,X monosomy is associated with increased morbidity and mortality, although strikingly heterogeneous with some individuals left untouched while others suffer from cardiovascular disease, autoimmune disease and infertility. The present study investigates the leukocyte DNAmethylation profile by using the 450K-Illumina Infinium assay and the leukocyte RNA-expression profile in 45,X monosomy compared with karyotypically normal female and male controls. We present results illustrating that genome wide X-chromosome RNA-expression profile, autosomal DNA-methylation profile, and the X-chromosome methylation profile clearly distinguish Turner syndrome from controls. Our results reveal genome wide hypomethylation with most differentially methylated positions showing a medium level of methylation. Contrary to previous studies, applying a single loci specific analysis at well-defined DNA loci, our results indicate that the hypomethylation extend to repetitive elements. We describe novel candidate genes that could be involved in comorbidity in TS and explain congenital urinary malformations (PRKX), premature ovarian failure (KDM6A), and aortic aneurysm formation (ZFYVE9 and TIMP1)

  Study EGAS00001002190

• SINGLE_CELL_ANALYSIS_OF_IN_VITRO_ERYTHROPOIESIS

  We are developing a protocol to differentiate mouse and human induced pluripotent stem (IPS) and embryonic stem (ES) cells towards the haematopoietic pathway to generate erythrocytes in vitro. This system has many applications such as the study of the role of specific genes and human polymorphisms in infectious diseases such as malaria, as well as haematological diseases such as myelodysplastic syndrome. The nature of the in vitro differentiation process means that a heterogeneous population of cells is generated. In order to understand the types of cells produced with our protocol, we have performed a single cell analysis, which has the power to reveal the different populations of cells and their characteristics. For this, a cDNA library has been made that needs to be sequenced to obtain the gene expression profiles of the different cells. With this information we will be able to assess the quality of the differentiation protocol and improve it in order to produce better cells for the downstream applications.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 EGAS00001000764