12277 results for ""statistically+reactive"+taxa+in+microbial+community"

in 156.96 milliseconds.

• Amplicon sequencing of various tumors

  In our previous studies on advanced esophageal, gastric, and colorectal carcinomas, measurement of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in terms of variant allele frequency (VAF) in blood suggested: (1) patients with high VAF have a high chance of relapse; (2) VAF changes in response to treatment; and (3) ctDNA VAF elevation precedes imaging diagnosis of relapse. It is thus necessary to investigate whether these findings can be generalized in a wide cancer spectrum, types of treatment, and relapse phenotypes across cancer types. In the present study, we conduct a non-interventional observational study in a wide cancer spectrum on the basis of technical establishment for ctDNA using our unique digital PCR probe library.

  Study JGAS000366

• CRC Promoter capture Hi-C

  Genome organisation determines chromosome interactions between regulatory elements, such as promoters and enhancers, influencing gene expression. Despite the fact that it is possible to assess whether a gene is actively transcribed, it has been challenging to point out the genomic regions that are involved in the regulation of a particular gene. We are interested in better understanding the interactions between promoters and their regulatory elements in colorectal cancer in order to unveil novel non-coding regions which might have a role in tumour development. To do so, we utilise the HiC method complemented with promoter capture in combination with NGS to map promoter interactions in two CRC cell lines, representing two distinct CRC subtypes.

  Study EGAS00001001946

• PPIL4 is essential for brain angiogenesis and implicated in intracranial aneurysm in humans

  Rupture of intracranial aneurysms (IAs) leads to subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), a sudden-onset disease often causing severe disability or death. Using whole exome sequencing, we identified significant enrichment of rare, deleterious mutations in PPIL4 in both index and familial IA cases. Ppil4 depletion causes intracerebral hemorrhage, defects in cerebrovascular morphology, and impaired Wnt signaling in vivo. Wild type, but not IA-mutant PPIL4, potentiates Wnt signaling by binding JMJD6, a known angiogenesis regulator and Wnt activator. These findings identify a novel PPIL4-dependent Wnt signaling mechanism involved in brain-specific angiogenesis and maintenance of cerebrovascular integrity, and implicate PPIL4 gene variation in the pathogenesis of human IA.

  Study EGAS00001005518

• Cholesterol homeostasis and lipid raft dynamics at the basis of tumor-induced immune dysfunction in chronic lymphocytic leukemia

  Autologous T-cell therapies show limited efficacy in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), where acquired immune dysfunction prevails. In CLL, disturbed mitochondrial metabolism has been linked to defective T-cell activation and proliferation. Recent research suggests that lipid metabolism regulates mitochondrial function and differentiation in T cells, yet its role in CLL remains unexplored. This comprehensive study compares T-cell lipid metabolism in CLL patients and healthy donors, revealing critical dependence on exogenous cholesterol for human T-cell expansion following TCR-mediated activation. Using multi-omics and functional assays, we found that T cells present in viably frozen samples of patients with CLL (CLL T cells) showed impaired adaptation to cholesterol deprivation and inadequate upregulation of key lipid metabolism transcription factors. CLL T cells exhibited altered lipid storage, with increased triacylglycerols and decreased cholesterol, and inefficient fatty acid oxidation (FAO). Functional consequences of reduced FAO in T cells were studied using samples from patients with inherent FAO disorders. Reduced FAO was associated with lower T-cell activation but did not affect proliferation. This implicates low cholesterol levels as a primary factor limiting T-cell proliferation in CLL. Consequently, CLL T cells displayed fewer and less clustered lipid rafts, potentially explaining the impaired immune synapse formation observed in these patients. Our findings highlight significant disruptions in lipid metabolism as drivers of functional deficiencies in CLL T cells, underscoring the pivotal role of cholesterol in T-cell proliferation. This study suggests that modulating cholesterol metabolism could enhance T-cell function in CLL, presenting novel immunotherapeutic approaches to improve outcome in this challenging disease.

  Study EGAS50000000933

• Breast Cancer Follow Up Series

  This study's purpose is to use data generated in whole genome and exome Breast Cancer sequencing to target specific areas in multiple other Breast Cancer samples. These areas will then be subjected to PCR in multiple cases, tagged and then pool the resultant amplicons. These amplicons will then be sequenced on the Illumina GAII. This is hoped to show the prevalence of previous findings in multiple individuals in a high throughput method.

  Study EGAS00001000002

• Analytical study of protein function and RNA expression involved in predicting treatment efficacy and adverse event development in lung cancer radiotherapy.

  The purpose of this study is to elucidate the functions of DNA repair proteins and RNA expression that are involved in the therapeutic efficacy and adverse events of radiotherapy for lung cancer at our hospital. In particular, this is an exploratory study to identify proteins and RNAs involved in the expression of proteins that are likely to be involved in the prediction of radiotherapy response and adverse events.

  Study JGAS000545

• Spatial transcriptomics analysis of HPV-dependent and HPV-independent vulval squamous cell carcinoma

  In this study we have used sequencing-based spatial transcriptomics (ST) optimised for FFPE tissue to investigate gene expression in a cohort of HPVi and HPVd VSCC, including assessment of pre-invasive LS, HSIL and DVIN and associated inflammation. Our data indicate significant differences in gene expression between VSCC of different aetiologies, with marked differences in immune-related gene expression both within the invasive disease and in peri-tumoural inflammatory areas.

  Study EGAS00001007981

• Biased allelic expression in human primary fibroblast single cells.

  The study of gene expression in mammalian single cells using genomic technologies now provides the possibility to investigate the patterns of allelic gene expression. We have used single-cell RNA sequencing to detect the allele-specific mRNA level in 203 single human primary fibroblast cells over 133,633 unique heterozygous single nucleotide variants (hetSNVs). We have observed that at the snapshot of analyses each cell contains mostly transcripts from one allele from the majority of genes; indeed 76.4% of the hetSNVs display stochastic monoallelic expression in single cells. Remarkably, adjacent hetSNVs exhibit haplotype consistent allelic ratio; in contrast distant sites located in two different genes are independent of the haplotype structure. Moreover, the allele-specific expression in single cells correlated with the abundance of the cellular transcript. We observed that genes expressing both alleles in majority of the single cells at a given time point are rare and enriched in highly expressed genes. The relative abundance of each allele in a cell is controlled by some regulatory mechanisms since we observed related single-cell allelic profiles according to genes. Overall, these results have direct implications in cellular phenotypic variability.

  Study EGAS00001001009

• Targeted sequencing of breast cancer susceptibility genes for 1,995 Japanese breast cancer patients

  In this study, we investigated pathogenic germline variants in 11 genes implicated in hereditary breast cancer, including BRCA1, BRCA2, TP53, PTEN, CDH1, STK11, NF1, PALB2, ATM, CHEK2, NBN1, in a total of 1,995 unselected Japanese women with breast cancer using targeted-capture sequencing of pooled DNA (n = 106).

  Study EGAS00001004630

• 3D-GSC_expression_profiles

  In this study, we used RNA-sequencing gene expression profiling in order to characterize specific phenotypic traits in DIPG-derived glioma stem cell (GSC) models. Twenty-two primary GSC models derived from biopsies collected at diagnosis were cultured in an ECM-mimicking compound before for RNA extraction and subsequent rRNA-depletion and sequencing .

  Study EGAS00001007182

• Knoll et al.: The life-saving benefit of dexamethasone in severe COVID-19 is linked to a reversal of monocyte dysregulation

  Following the demonstration of its life-saving effect in clinical trials, dexamethasone quickly became standard-of-care in the treatment of severe COVID-19. Beneficial effects were reported for patients requiring supplemental oxygen or invasive mechanical ventilation. Yet, a substantial proportion of patients still progressed to a critical condition or succumbed to the disease, despite timely initiation of glucocorticoid treatment. No molecular or cellular correlate of this beneficial treatment response has been defined. Here, we identify distinct cellular and molecular changes in circulating immune cells in patients with COVID-19 elicited in response to dexamethasone treatment. The most profound transcriptional changes in response to dexamethasone treatment were noted in monocytes and in B cells. In monocytes, we observed a reversal of hallmark signatures previously associated with COVID-19 severity, and the induction of a specific monocyte substate enriched in glucocorticoid response gene expression which we here refer to as dexamethasone response cluster. Molecular responses to dexamethasone treatment were directly linked to clinical outcome, since the reversal of pathogenic signatures and induction of glucocorticoid response genes were enriched in patients who survived the disease in response to dexamethasone treatment. Cellular responsiveness of circulating monocytes was thus identified as a correlate of clinical response to dexamethasone treatment. Changes in monocyte transcriptomes could also be linked to epigenetic alterations highlighting early differences in monocytes of dexamethasone responders and non-responders. Further, monocyte single-cell transcriptome-derived signatures were enriched in whole blood transcriptomes from patients with fatal outcome in two independent cohorts, highlighting the potential clinical value for early identification of non-responders who are refractory to dexamethasone treatment. Overall, our findings indicate that the life-saving effects of dexamethasone in COVID-19 patients are linked to a specific immunomodulatory effect based on the reversion of monocyte dysregulation. Our study elucidates the potential mechanism of action of one of the most efficient and cost-effective drugs for the treatment of COVID-19. It further highlights the potential of single-cell omics for monitoring target engagement of immunomodulatory drugs and for the stratification of patients for precision medicine approaches.

  Study EGAS00001007461

• Whole genome sequencing of matched primary and metastatic acral melanomas

  Next generation sequencing has enabled systematic discovery of mutational spectra in cancer samples. Here we used whole genome sequencing to characterise somatic mutations and structural variation in a primary acral melanoma and its lymph node metastasis. Our data show that the somatic mutational rates in this acral melanoma sample pair was more comparable to the rate reported in cancer genomes not associated with mutagenic exposure than in the genome of a melanoma cell line or the transcriptome of melanoma short-term cultures. Despite the perception that acral skin is sun-protected, the dominant mutational signature in these samples is compatible with damage due to ultraviolet light exposure. A nonsense mutation in ERCC5 discovered in both the primary and metastatic tumours, could also have contributed to the mutational signature through accumulation of unrepaired dipyrimidine lesions. However, evidence of transcription-coupled repair was suggested by the lower mutational rate in the transcribed regions and expressed genes. The primary and the metastasis are highly similar at the level of global gene copy number alterations, loss of heterozygosity and single nucleotide variation (SNV). Furthermore, the majority of the SNVs in the primary tumour were propagated in the metastasis and one non-synonymous coding SNV and one splice site mutation appeared to arise de novo in the metastatic lesion.

  Study EGAS00001000169

• Mesothelioma_Whole_Genomes

  Genomic architecture of mesothelioma parent study is project 925. This project is set up in parallel to project 925 in order to Whole genome sequence ten of the 59 tumours in that project.

  Study EGAS00001000830

• Germline sequencing

  Detection of SNV/indels in the germline of pediatric cancer patients with a focus on CHEK2 germline variants. Included in this EGA upload are the parents of the children in EGA uplodad EGAD00001008763.

  Study EGAS00001006651

• Lung Health Study (LHS-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: To determine the effects of Special Care, compared to Usual Care, on rate of decline in pulmonary function in a group of cigarette smokers identified as having mild abnormalities in pulmonary function. In addition, the study sought to determine if participants with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, who were assigned to inhaled corticosteroids had a lower rate of decline in lung function and lower incidence of respiratory morbidity compared to participants assigned to placebo. Also, the study sought to determine the long-term effects of smoking cessation and continued smoking, on cardiopulmonary morbidity, mortality, and the rate of decline in the one second forced expiratory volume in men and women with early chronic obstructive lung disease who have been followed prospectively for 12 to 15 years.Participants: A total of 5887 participants were enrolled.Conclusions: Participants in the two smoking intervention groups showed significantly smaller declines in Forced Expiratory Volume 1 (FEV1) than did those in the control group. Most of this difference occurred during the first year following entry into the study and was attributable to smoking cessation, with those who achieved sustained smoking cessation experiencing the largest benefit. The small noncumulative benefit associated with use of the active bronchodilator vanished after the bronchodilator was discontinued at the end of the study. The authors concluded that an aggressive smoking intervention program significantly reduced the age-related decline in FEV1 in middle-aged smokers with mild airways obstruction. Use of an inhaled anticholinergic bronchodilator resulted in a relatively small improvement in FEV1 that appeared to be reversed after the drug was discontinued. Use of the bronchodilator did not influence the long-term decline of FEV1. Additionally, the study showed that lung function decline in the participants treated with the inhaled corticosteroid was statistically no different from that in the placebo group. Corticosteroid use did, however, result in 25 percent fewer respiratory symptoms and nearly 50 percent fewer outpatient visits for respiratory problems. However, after three years, bone density in the hip and back was lower in the corticosteroid group.

  Study phs004013

• Sensitive and robust liquid biopsy-based detection of PIK3CA mutations

  Over the last years, the treatment of hormone receptor-positive metastatic breast cancer patients has dramatically changed. Combination strategies attempting to overcome resistance to endocrine therapy such as targeting the PI3 kinase pathway are gaining importance. The phase III SOLAR-1 trial demonstrated the benefit of the addition of alpelisib to fulvestrant, thereby providing further clinical evidence of the increasing importance of PIK3CA testing. Here, we performed a comparison of liquid biopsy and tissue-based detection of PIK3CA mutations in HR-positive metastatic breast cancer patients. Plasma samples and the latest available tumor tissue from 69 patients with metastatic hormone-receptor positive breast cancer were analyzed for PIK3CA hotspot mutations. A high-resolution NGS assay (SiMSen-Seq) was used for plasma samples covering 11 recurrent PIK3CA mutations, used for stratification in SOLAR-1. Additionally, mFAST-SeqS was used to estimate the tumor fractions in the plasma samples. For tumor tissue samples, targeted Ion Torrent NGS was employed. Matched tissue and plasma samples were available from 63 patients. PIK3CA mutations were detected in 46.1% of the tissue samples and in 50.7% of the plasma samples. The variant allele frequency (VAF) ranged from 4.36% to 72.93% with a median of 28.60% in tissue samples, and from 0.28% to 49.85% with a median of 1.17% in plasma samples. The most frequent variants in tissue and plasma were H1047R, E545K, and E542K. We detected at least one of 11 PIK3CA mutations from the SOLAR-1 trial in 51/63 patients, both in tissue and plasma. In 7 patients, such mutations were found only in plasma. In 5 patients, PIK3CA mutations found in tissue were not detectable in ctDNA, 2 of which had a low tumor fraction.Together, in 33/67 plasma samples without detectable PIK3CA mutations, 18 samples had elevated tumor fraction, implicating true negative results. In the remaining 15 patients with low tumor fraction, additional tissue analysis was needed. SiMSen-Seq-based detection of PIK3CA mutations in plasma shows advantageous concordance with the tissue analyses. A combination with an untargeted, mutation-independent approach for detecting ctDNA fractions may confirm a negative PIK3CA result and thereby enhance the performance of the SiMSen-Seq test. This combinatory approach for selecting suitable patients for alpelisib treatment should be validated in larger patient cohorts.

  Study EGAS00001004940

• Integrative Analysis of Lung Adenocarcinoma in EAGLE (Version 2)

  We performed a comprehensive analysis of intratumor heterogeneity of somatic mutations in cancer driver genes, copy number aberrations and DNA methylation in 292 tumor samples from 84 lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) patients from the Environment And Genetics in Lung cancer Etiology (EAGLE) study. SNVs of 37 established lung cancer driver genes were profiled by deep target sequencing in 180 tumor samples and 55 blood samples and 1 buccal sample from 56 subjects. Somatic copy number alterations were profiled using SNP arrays in 268 tumor samples from 80 subjects. DNA methylation levels were profiled with methylation arrays in 205 tumor samples and 74 normal tissue samples from 68 subjects.

  Study phs001169

• Volasertib preclinical activity in high-risk hepatoblastoma

  Relapsed and metastatic hepatoblastoma represents an unmet clinical need with limited chemotherapy treatment options. In a chemical screen, we identified volasertib as an agent with in vitro activity, inhibiting hepatoblastoma cell growth while sparing normal hepatocytes. Volasertib targets PLK1 and prevents the progression of mitosis, resulting in eventual cell death. PLK1 is overexpressed in hepatoblastoma biopsies relative to normal liver tissue. As a potential therapeutic strategy, we tested the combination of volasertib and the relapse-related hepatoblastoma chemotherapeutic irinotecan. We found both in vitro and in vivo efficacy of this combination, which may merit further preclinical investigation and exploration for a clinical trial concept.

  Study EGAS00001004827

• Linguistic utterance counts for The admixture histories of Cabo Verde

  Datasets used in the article "The genetic and linguistic admixture histories of the islands of Cabo Verde" by Laurent R et al. eLife 2023 (DOI: https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.79827 - URL: https://elifesciences.org/articles/79827) File name "eGAdeposit_225CaboVerde_FreeSpeech_Utterance_counts_FINAL_01062022.txt" Column 1 corresponds to individual alphanumeric codes as in the "eGAdeposit_233CaboVerde_GenotypeFile_FINAL_01062022.vcf" genotype file. Note that only 225 unrelated Cabo Verdean-born individuals are considered here, out of the 233 individuals in the genotype file. See Material and Methods in Romain Laurent et al. 2022 - doi pending Each 4831 other column correspond to the respective individual's utterance count in the free speech transcribed in ALUPEC and provided as column header. See See Material and Methods in Romain Laurent et al. 2022 - doi pendingColumn 1 corresponds to individual alphanumeric codes as in the "eGAdeposit_233CaboVerde_GenotypeFile_FINAL_01062022.vcf" genotype file. Note that only 225 unrelated Cabo Verdean-born individuals are considered here, out of the 233 individuals in the genotype file. See Material and Methods in Romain Laurent et al. 2022 - doi pending Each 4831 other column correspond to the respective individual's utterance count in the free speech transcribed in ALUPEC and provided as column header. See Material and Methods in Laurent R et al. eLife 2023

  Dataset EGAD00001008978

• Methylation differences in trisomy 21 using monozygotic twins

  We have hypothesized that methylation differences induced by trisomy 21 (T21) contribute to the phenotypic characteristics and heterogeneity in T21. In order to determine the methylation differences in T21 without the interference of the interindividual genomic variation, we have used fetal skin fibroblasts from monozygotic (MZ) twins discordant for T21. We also used skin fibroblasts from MZ twins concordant for T21, normal MZ twins without T21, and unrelated normal and T21 individuals. We applied Reduced Representation Bisulfite Sequencing (RRBS) to generate genome wide nucleotide resolution of DNA methylation based on high throughput sequencing between each pair of samples. RRBS revealed differentially methylated promoter regions (DMRs) in MZ twins discordant for T21 that have also been observed in unrelated normal and T21 individuals. The identified DMRs are enriched for genes involved in embryonic organ morphogenesis. These DMRs are maintained in iPS cells generated from this twin pair and are correlated with the gene expression changes. We have also observed an increase in DNA methylation level in the T21 methylome compared to the normal euploid methylome. This observation is concordant with the up regulation of DNA methyltransferase enzymes (DNMT3B and DNMT3L) and down regulation of DNA demethylation enzymes (TET2 and TET3) in the iPSC of the T21 versus normal twin. Additionally, two sets of T21 MZ twins discordant for heart defect highlighted DMRs in genes that are associated with heart development. In conclusion the study of DNA methylation differences in MZ twins discordant for genomic abnormalities is a promising approach to understand the molecular pathophysiology of aneuploidies.

  Study EGAS00001001051

• Structure and evolution of double minutes in diagnosis and relapse brain tumors

  Double minute chromosomes are extrachromosomal circular DNA fragments frequently found in brain tumors. To understand their evolution, we characterized the double minutes in paired diagnosis and relapse tumors from a pediatric high-grade glioma and four adult glioblastoma patients. We determined the full structures of the major double minutes using a novel approach combining multiple types of supporting genomic evidence. Among the double minutes identified in the pediatric tumor, only one carrying EGFR was maintained at high abundance in both samples, whereas two others were resent in only trace amounts at diagnosis but abundant at relapse, and the rest were found either in the relapse sample only or in the diagnosis sample only. For the EGFR-carrying double minutes, we found a secondary somatic deletion in all copies at relapse, after erlotinib treatment, but this was rare at diagnosis, suggesting potential resistance to the EGFR inhibitor. This mutation caused an in-frame RNA transcript to skip exon 16, a novel transcript absent in EST database and in about 700 brain tumors that we reviewed. We observed similar patterns involving longitudinal copy number shift of double minutes in another four pairs (diagnosis / relapse) of adult glioblastoma. Overall, in three of five paired tumor samples, we found that although the same oncogenes were amplified at diagnosis and relapse, they were amplified on different double minutes. Our results suggest that double minutes readily evolve, increasing tumor heterogeneity rapidly. Understanding patterns of double minute evolution can shed light on future therapeutic solutions to brain tumors carrying such variants.

  Study EGAS00001003212

• Genomic analysis of primary plasma cell leukemia reveals complex structural alterations and high risk mutational patterns

  Primary plasma cell leukemia (pPCL) is a rare and aggressive form of multiple myeloma (MM) that is characterized by poor overall survival despite advances in anti-MM therapy. The disease biology as well as molecular mechanisms that distinguish pPCL from non-pPCL MM remain poorly understood. In an attempt to identify key biological mechanisms that result in the aggressive pPCL phenotype we performed whole exome sequencing in 23 patients with newly diagnosed pPCL. The results reveal an enrichment of complex structural changes and high risk mutational patterns in pPCL that explain, at least in part, the aggressive nature of the disease. In particular pPCL patients with traditional low risk features such as translocation t(11;14) or hyperdiploidy accumulated adverse risk genetic events that could account for the poor outcome in this group.

  Study phs002022

• Xeroderma Pigmentosum, Complementation Group C, (XPC) and Non-XPC Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma (cSCC) Mutation Rate Study

  Base mutations occur at higher frequencies within heterochromatin and late-replicating DNA. In this study, we show that regional differences in mutation frequency are absent in portions of the genome that are not transcribed within cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas (cSCCs) with an XPC-\- genetic background. The XPC-\- genetic background predicates a loss of global genome nucleotide excision repair (GG-NER), thus our data shows that regional differences in mutation frequency are a result of differential access of DNA repair protein. Unexpectedly, we also note that greater transcription reduces mutations on both strands of genes in heterochromatin, and only to those levels observed in euchromatin, in a XPC-dependent fashion. Therefore, transcription likely reduces mutation prevalence by increasing access to DNA repair proteins. This tripartite relationship between DNA repair, transcription, and chromatin state shows a new cancer risk factor in human populations.

  Study phs000830

• Novel mutations in TOP2A in gliomas

  High grade gliomas (HGGs) are aggressive, primary brain tumors with poor clinical outcomes. To better understand glioma pathobiology and find potential therapeutic susceptibilities, we designed a custom- panel 664 cancer- and epigenetics-related genes and employed targeted next generation sequencing to study the genomic landscape of somatic and germline variants in 182 glioma samples of different malignancy grades. Besides known alterations in TP53, IDH1, ATRX, EGFR genes, we found several novel variants that can be potential drivers in gliomas. In four patients from the Polish glioma cohort, we identified a novel recurrent mutation in the TOP2A gene coding for Topoisomerase 2A in glioblastomas (GBM, WHO grade IV gliomas). The mutation results in a substitution of glutamic acid (E) 948 to glutamine (Q) of TOP2 A and we predicted this E948Q substitution may affect DNA binding and a TOP2A enzymatic activity.

  Study EGAS00001004556

• Inhibiting DNA Methylation Causes an Interferon Response in Cancer via dsRNA Including Endogenous Retroviruses

  We show that DNA methyltransferase inhibitors (DNMTis) upregulate immune signaling in cancer through the viral defense pathway and re-expression of epigenetically silenced endogenous retrovirus. In melanoma patients treated with an immune checkpoint therapy, high viral defense signature expression in tumors significantly associates with durable clinical response and DNMTi treatment sensitizes to anti-CTLA4 therapy in a pre-clinical melanoma model.

  Study phs001038

• The landscape of somatic mutations in epigenetic regulators across 1000 pediatric cancer genomes

  To define the frequency and pattern of somatic mutations in epigenetic regulators in pediatric cancer, we sequenced 633 genes, encoding the majority of proteins involved in patterning the epigenome, in 1000 pediatric tumors spanning 21 different cancer subtypes. This analysis establishes an epigenetic landscape of pediatric cancer, which expands the knowledge for potential therapeutic targets and for developing personalized therapy.

  Study EGAS00001000449

• Kids First: Genomics of Orofacial Clefts in the Philippines

  Orofacial clefts (OFCs) are the most common craniofacial structural birth defect in humans caused by incomplete formation of the upper lip and/or the palate. Over 4,000 children in the Philippines are born with an OFC every year, and the Filipino OFC birth prevalence rate of 1 in 500 live births is one of the highest in the world. Genome-wide association studies support a multifactorial etiology for OFCs, but common variants only account for up to ~25% of the heritable risk in any one population. Sequencing studies in diverse populations is essential to fully understand the genetic architecture of OFCs. The study goals of the Kids First project are to sequence a collection of case-parent trios from the Philippines, in order to identify de novo mutations and inherited rare variants, and understand the population differences in common variant signals in the Philippines versus other populations. Approximately 373 trios from the Philippines were selected for whole genome sequencing (WGS) as part of this Gabriella Miller Kids First project.

  Study phs002595

• Altered enhancer-promoter interaction leads to MNX1 expression in pediatric acute myeloid leukemia with t(7;12)(q36;p13)

  Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with the t(7;12)(q36;p13) translocation occurs only in very young children and has a poor clinical outcome. The expected oncofusion between breakpoint partners (MNX1 and ETV6) has only been reported in a subset of cases. However, a universal feature is the strong transcript and protein expression of MNX1, a homeobox transcription factor that is normally not expressed in hematopoietic cells. Here, we map the translocation breakpoints on chromosomes 7 and 12 in affected patients to a region proximal to MNX1 and either introns 1 or 2 of ETV6. The frequency of MNX1 overexpression in pediatric AML (n=1556, own and published data) is 2.4% and occurs predominantly in t(7;12)(q36;p13) AML. Chromatin interaction assays in a t(7;12)(q36;p13) iPSC cell line model unravel an enhancer-hijacking event that explains MNX1 overexpression in hematopoietic cells. Our data suggest that enhancer-hijacking is a more common and overlooked mechanism for structural rearrangement-mediated gene activation in AML.

  Study EGAS50000000130

• RTEL1 mutation as a modifier of Dyskeratosis Congenita in a family with a Telomerase RNA (hTR) template mutation and variant telomeric repeats

  Vertebrate telomeres, the sequences protecting the end of linear chromosomes, are composed of conserved hexameric GGTTAG repeats. Here we present a C50>A telomerase RNA template mutation that results in the incorporation of the variant telomeric repeat GTTTAG in a family with dyskeratosis congenita primarily presenting as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. The mutant telomerase is characterized by decreased processivity in direct telomerase activity assays and in vivo based on data from Illumina next-generation whole genome sequencing and Oxford Nanopore Technologies long-read telomere sequencing. The latter provided positional mutant repeat information that revealed the inheritance and maintenance of proximal mutant repeats in individuals who did not inherit the template mutation. Additionally, we describe an RTEL1 nonsense mutation that is associated with very short telomeres in progeny harboring wild-type telomerase and inherited mutant telomeric repeats in the absence of overt clinical phenotypes. In contrast, co-inheritance of the RTEL1 nonsense and TERC r.C50>A mutations coincided with severe early-onset DC phenotypes in two individuals.

  Study EGAS50000001644

• BLUEPRINT DNA methylation profiles of graft donors in allogenic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

  Allogenic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is a curative treatment for many hematological conditions. Acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) is a prevalent immune-mediated complication following HSCT. Current diagnostic biomarkers that correlate with aGVHD severity, progression, and therapy response in graft recipients are insufficient. We investigated whether epigenetic marks measured in peripheral blood of healthy graft donors stratify aGVHD severity in HLA-matched sibling recipients prior to HSCT. We measured genome-wide DNA methylation levels in peripheral blood of 91 HSCT donors using Illumina Infinium HumanMethylation450 BeadChips. We showed that epigenetic signatures underlying aGVHD severity in recipients correspond to immune pathways relevant to aGVHD etiology. We identified distinct DNA methylation marks in graft donors that are associated with aGVHD severity status in recipients. Together, our findings suggest that ‘epigenetic matching’ of HSCT donor-recipient pairs in a clinical setting may be used in conjunction with genetic matching to inform both donor selection and transplantation strategy, with the ultimate aim of improving patient outcome.

  Study EGAS00001001287

• Combined Metabolic Activators Reduces Liver Fat in Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Patients

  Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) refers to excess fat accumulation in the liver. In animal experiments and human kinetic study, we found that administration of combined metabolic activators (CMA) promotes the oxidation of fat, attenuates the resulting oxidative stress, activates mitochondria and eventually removes excess fat from the liver. Here, we tested the safety and efficacy of CMA in NAFLD patients in a placebo-controlled 10-week study. We found that CMA significantly decreased hepatic steatosis and levels of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, uric acid, and creatinine, whereas found no differences on these variables in the placebo group after adjustment for weight loss. By integrating clinical data with plasma metabolomics and inflammatory proteomics as well as oral and gut metagenomics data, we revealed the underlying molecular mechanisms associated with the reduced hepatic fat and inflammation in NAFLD patients and identified the key players involved in the host-microbiome interactions. In conclusion, we showed that CMA can be used to develop a pharmacological treatment strategy in NAFLD patients.

  Study EGAS00001005616

• Genomic Sequencing of Cervical Cancers

  Cervical cancer is responsible for 10-15% of cancer related deaths in women worldwide. The etiological role of infection with high-risk human papilloma viruses (HPV) in carcinomas of the cervix is well established. In general, the development of cervical carcinomas follows a progression from persistent HPV infection through precancerous lesions to invasive cancer. Previous studies have implicated somatic mutations in PIK3CA, PTEN, TP53, STK11 and KRAS as well as chromosome-arm level copy number alterations in the pathogenesis of cervical carcinomas. Here, we report whole exome sequencing analysis of 118 cervical carcinoma-normal paired samples from patients in Norway and Mexico, as well as transcriptome sequencing of 80 cases and whole genome sequencing of 13 tumor-normal pairs. Novel somatic mutations include recurrent E322K substitutions in the MAPK1 gene encoding the ERK2 kinase and inactivating mutations in the HLA-B gene. In addition, recurrent somatic mutations in FBXW7, EP300, and NFE2L2 are novel in the context of primary cervical carcinomas. Analysis of HPV integration sites revealed recurrent integration into the RAD51B locus as well as co-occurrence of HPV genome integration and copy number gains within several genomic loci. These findings shed new light on the pathogenesis of cervical carcinomas and suggest potential novel therapeutic targets.

  Study phs000600

• CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing of Schistosoma mansoni acetylcholinesterase

  Here we report successful gene knock-in (KI) in the eggs of Schistosoma mansoni by combining CRISPR/Cas9 with single-stranded oligodeoxynucleotides (ssODNs). We targeted the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) gene of S. mansoni using two synthetic guide RNAs (gRNAs), X5 and X7, respectively. Liver eggs of S. mansoni were exposed to CRISPR-vector containing X5 or X7 by electroporation. Simultaneously, eggs were transfected with a ssODN donor encoding a stop codon in all six frames. Next generation sequencing analysis revealed that CRISPR/Cas9-mediated editing in S. mansoni eggs resulted in Homology-Directed Repair (HDR) when template DNA ssODN provided. Furthermore, soluble egg antigen (SEA) from AChE-modified eggs exhibited markedly reduced AChE activity compared with controls, indicative that programmed Cas9 cleavage mutated the AChE gene. Following injection of modified schistosome eggs into the tail veins of mice, a significant decrease in granuloma size in the lungs of these animals. Notably, an enhanced Th2 response induced by eggs in lung, and splenocytes small intestine-draining mesenteric lymph node cells was also generated in mice injected with X5-KI eggs in different methods. These findings further demonstrate the power and utility of CRISPR/Cas9-based genome editing for undertaking functional genomics studies in schistosomes.

  Study EGAS00001004455

• Epigenomic analysis of the human placenta and endometrium constituting the fetal-maternal interface

  This study aims to determine the reference epigenomes of the human placenta and endometrium, which constitute the fetal-meternal interface, for future use in studies of human diseases associated with reproduction and development. In the placenta, we focus on cytotrophoblast and syncytiotrophoblast cells (both at first trimester and at term) and, in the endometrium, we focus on epithelial cells (at the follicular and secretory phases) and stroma cells. These reference epigenomic data will be of valuable resource in studying disease-associated differences in epigenomic modification in the reproductive system. JGA submission accessions: JGA000074,JGA00000000074

  Study JGAS000073

• Epigenomic analysis of the human placenta and endometrium constituting the fetal-maternal interface

  This study aims to determine the reference epigenomes of the human placenta and endometrium, which constitute the fetal-meternal interface, for future use in studies of human diseases associated with reproduction and development. In the placenta, we focus on cytotrophoblast and syncytiotrophoblast cells (both at first trimester and at term) and, in the endometrium, we focus on epitherial cells (at the follicular and secretory phases) and stroma cells. These reference epigenomic data will be of valuable resource in studying disease-associated differences in epigenomic modification in the reproductive system. JGA submission accessions: JGA000117,JGA00000000117

  Study JGAS000107

• Germline variants collaborate with somatic mutations and initiate and/or drive disease in primary myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and therapy-related myeloid neoplasms (t-MN)

  Therapy-related myeloid neoplasms (T-MN) are poorly characterized secondary hematological malignancies following chemotherapy/radiotherapy exposure. We compared the clinical and mutational characteristics of T-MN (n=129) and primary myelodysplastic syndrome (P-MDS, n=108) patients. Although the somatic mutation frequency was similar between T-MN and P-MDS patients (93% in both groups), the pattern was distinct. TP53 mutations were more frequent in T-MN (29.5% versus 7%), while spliceosomal complex mutations were more common in P-MDS (56.5% versus 25.6%).In contrast to P-MDS, the ring sideroblasts (RS) phenotype was not associated with better survival in T-MN, most probably due to genetic association with TP53 mutations. SF3B1 was mutated in 96% of P-MDS with ≥15% RS, but in only 32% T-MN. TP53 mutations were detected in 92% T-MN with ≥15% RS and SF3B1 wild-type cases. Interestingly, T-MN and P-MDS patients with “Very low” or “Low” Revised International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS-R) showed similar biological and clinical characteristics. In a Cox-regression analysis, TP53 mutation was a poor prognostic factor in T-MN, independent of IPSS-R cytogenetic, disease-modifying therapy and NRAS mutation.Our data have direct implications for T-MN management and provide evidence that, in addition to conventional disease parameters, mutational analysis should be incorporated in T-MN risk stratification.

  Study EGAS00001003547

• Efficacy of JAK/STAT pathway inhibition in murine xenograft models of early T-cell precursor (ETP) acute lymphoblastic leukemia

  Early T-cell precursor (ETP) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is a recently described subtype of T-ALL characterized by a unique immunophenotype and genomic profile as well as a high rate of induction failure. Frequent mutations in cytokine receptor and JAK/STAT signaling pathways led us to hypothesize that ETP-ALL is dependent on JAK/STAT signaling. Here we demonstrate aberrant activation of the JAK/STAT pathway in ETP-ALL blasts relative to non-ETP T-ALL. Moreover, ETP-ALL showed hyperactivation of STAT5 in response to IL7, an effect that was abrogated by the JAK1/2 inhibitor ruxolitinib. In vivo, ruxolitinib displayed activity in 6/6 patient-derived murine xenograft models of ETP-ALL, with profound single-agent efficacy in 5 models. Ruxolitinib treatment decreased peripheral blast counts relative to pre-treatment levels and compared to control (P<0.01) in 5/6 ETP-ALL xenografts, with marked reduction in mean splenic blast counts (P<0.01) in 6/6 samples. Surprisingly, both JAK/STAT pathway activation and ruxolitinib efficacy were independent of the presence of JAK/STAT pathway mutations, raising the possibility that the therapeutic potential of ruxolitinib in ETP-ALL extends beyond those cases with JAK mutations. These findings establish the preclinical in vivo efficacy of ruxolitinib in ETP-ALL, a biologically distinct subtype for which novel therapies are needed.

  Study EGAS00001001146

• Targets of MEK inhibition in DIPG

  The survival of children with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) remains dismal, with new treatments desperately needed. In the era of precision medicine, targeted therapies represent an exciting treatment opportunity, yet resistance can rapidly emerge, playing an important role in treatment failure. In a prospective biopsy-stratified clinical trial, we combined detailed molecular profiling (methylation BeadArray, exome, RNAseq, phospho-proteomics) linked to drug screening in newly-established patient-derived models of DIPG in vitro and in vivo. We identified a high degree of in vitro sensitivity to the MEK inhibitor trametinib in samples which harboured genetic alterations targeting the MAPK pathway, including the non-canonical BRAF_G469V mutation, and those affecting PIK3R1 and NF1. However, treatment of PDX models and of a patient with trametinib at relapse failed to elicit a significant response. We generated trametinib-resistant clones in the BRAF_G469V model through continuous drug exposure, and identified acquired mutations in MEK1/2 (MEK1_K57N, MEK1_I141S and MEK2_I115N) with sustained pathway up-regulation. These cells showed the hallmarks of mesenchymal transition, and expression signatures overlapping with inherently trametinib-insensitive primary patient-derived cells that predicted an observed sensitivity to dasatinib. Combinations of trametinib with dasatinib and the downstream ERK inhibitor ulixertinib showed highly synergistic effects in vitro. These data highlight the MAPK pathway as a therapeutic target in DIPG, and show the importance of parallel resistance modelling and rational combinatorial treatments likely to be required for meaningful clinical translation.

  Study EGAS00001004495

• Transcriptomic characterization of the histopathological growth patterns in breast cancer liver metastases

  Characterizing transcriptommic profiles of the two main histopathological growth patterns in liver metastases in patients with breast cancer.

  Study EGAS50000000225

• Single-cell Transcriptome Profiling of Treatment-naïve and Post-treatment Colorectal Cancer: Insights into Putative Mechanisms of Chemoresistance

  Drug resistance remains a major clinical challenge in the treatment of colorectal cancer (CRC) with conventional chemotherapy. Investigation of cancer cells and tumor microenvironment (TME) following chemotherapy is critical for unraveling the mechanisms of resistance. In this study, we analyzed scRNA-Seq data from 56 CRCs including treatment-naïve tumors (25 microsatellite stable (MSS) tumors and 7 tumors with microsatellite instability (MSI)); and tumors treated with standard chemotherapy with the known response status (18 responders and 6 progressors). We observed in treatment-naïve MSS CRC that right-sided tumors are more immunogenic with higher numbers of B cells and CD8+ T memory effector cells than left-sided tumors. MSI CRC were even more immunogenic then MSS CRC and were characterized by elevated Tregs in their TME. In the post-treatment CRC there was a high prevalence of dendritic cells (DC) in the TME in the response group. The DC-derived signature was associated with better survival in a large CRC cohort from the TCGA. We also observed two fibroblast subtypes in CRC, one of which was enriched in progressors and was associated with poor survival in a CRC-TCGA cohort. Progressors also showed elevated exhausted CD8+ T memory cells and monocytes suggesting a pro-inflammatory TME. In tumor cells in progressor group we identified specific expression of chemo-protective markers MTRNR2L1 and CDX1; and their co-expression with stemness-related marker CD24. In summary, scRNA-Seq provides a valuable information for the discovery of prognostic markers, and reveals distinct features of CRC based on location, metastasis status, MSI status and treatment response status.

  Study EGAS50000000830

• Paediatric Hepatic International Tumour Trial (JPLT2: PHITT)

  Hepatoblastoma (HBL) is the most common primary liver tumor in children. Despite their diversity in histopathological phenotype and clinical outcome, the underlying molecular aberrations have not been fully understood. Here we describe a comprehensive landscape of genomic, epigenomic, and transcriptomic heterogeneity among the 163 cases of HBLs and transitional liver cell tumors (TLCTs) collected in the multicenter clinical trial JPLT-2. The total numbers of mutational events in HBLs are very few (0.52 SNVs/Mb on exonic regions) but show a positive correlation with the age of onset. While dysregulation of Wnt-pathway related genes was observed (somatic deletion or mutations of CTNNB1 and germline or somatic mutations of APC) in 83.6% of the HBL cases, TERT promoter mutations are mainly in the elderly HBLs (> 8 years old), meeting with the proposed criteria of TLCT. These TLCT cases are clustered in the hypermethylated epigenotype in promoter and enhancer regions. Copy number analyses also revealed recurrent 11p15.5 UPD/LOHs including the IGF2/H19 region (31.6%), focal deletions in 4q35 (15.8%) and focal amplifications in 2q24.3 (7.0%) predominantly in the child and infant HBLs. Motif enrichment analysis of the specific hypomethylated enhancers in these HBL subtypes suggests specific binding of ASCL2, the regulatory transcription factor for definitive endoderm and digestive systems. Transcriptome and histochemical analysis revealed that ASCL2 is upregulated not in HCC and TLCT but in child and infant HBL, suggesting their ?cell of origin? derived from the premature hepatoblast with high proliferative potential such as intestinal epithelial cells. Systematic molecular profiling of HBL will provide a fundamental understanding of hepatoblast carcinogenesis and clues for risk stratification.

  Study JGAS000236

• 54 metastatic colorectal cancer patients from Schleswig-Holstein in North Germany

  Personalized treatment vs standard of care is much debated, especially in clinical practice. Here we investigated whether overall survival differences in metastatic colorectal cancer patients are explained by their tumor mutation profiles or by their treatment differences in real clinical practice.

  Study EGAS00001004108

• ATAC-seq data in normal colon mucosa

  This dataset includes ATAC-seq data generated in normal colon mucosa obtained in four healthy volunteers during colonoscopy indicated for colorectal cancer screening. Subjects had no lesions in the colon. Also includes one frozen sw480 colon adenocarcinoma cell line sample for piloting the protocol

  Study EGAS00001005281

• Frequent mutation of the FOXA1 untranslated region in prostate cancer

  We sequenced the coding and untranslated regions of 72 prostate cancer driver genes in 712 plasma cell free DNA samples from 428 men with metastatic prostate cancer, in an effort to understand the role of untranslated region mutations in late stage prostate cancer.

  Study EGAS00001003113

• RNA-Seq of GM adipose tissue samples

  This dataset contains 210 fastq files (RNA sequencing was performed in two centers) from 105 individuals (106 files in subcutaneous tissue and 104 files in visceral tissue). Of the 210 fastq files, 129 files are in PEx100 mode (appeared in a single fastq file) and 81 files are in PEx49bp mode (appeared in two separate fastq files). Sequencing was done on the Illumina HiSeq2000 platform.

  Dataset EGAD00001010253

• Systematic analysis of paralogous regions in 41,755 exomes uncovers clinically relevant variation

  As part of the study "Systematic analysis of paralogous regions in 41,755 exomes uncovers clinically relevant variation" we wanted to identiffy the SNVs that are located in STRC and which ones in STRCP1. For this we applied targeted long-read sequencing.

  Study EGAS00001007513

• The KATHERINE study of adjuvant trastuzumab emtansine in HER2-positive breast cancer: analysis of patients with HER2-negative residual invasive disease on re-testing

  Following chemotherapy and human epidermal growth factor 2 (HER2)-targeted neoadjuvant therapy for HER2-positive early breast cancer, residual invasive breast cancer at surgery may be HER2-negative on retesting in some patients. We evaluated outcomes with T-DM1 and trastuzumab in patients randomized in the phase III KATHERINE trial based on HER2-positive central testing of the core biopsy with HER2-negative central testing on their corresponding surgical specimen. In the 70/845 (8.3%) patients with HER2-negative residual disease on retesting at surgery, there were 11 IDFS events in the 42 trastuzumab-treated patients (26.2%) and none in the 28 T-DM1-treated patients, suggesting that T-DM1 should not be withheld in this patient population.

  Study EGAS00001006037

• Whole exome sequencing in RVOT patients

  In a patient with right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) tachycardia we identified a heterozygous point mutation in the selectivity filter of the stretch-activated K2P potassium channel TREK-1 (KCNK2 or K2P2.1). This mutation introduces abnormal sodium permeability to TREK-1 In addition, mutant channels exhibit a hypersensitivity to stretch-activation, suggesting that the selectivity filter is directly involved in stretch-induced activation and desensitization. Increased sodium permeability and stretch-sensitivity of mutant TREK-1 channels may trigger arrhythmias in areas of the heart with high physical strain such as the RVOT. We present a pharmacological strategy to rescue the selectivity defect of the TREK-1 pore. Our findings provide important insights for future studies of K2P channel stretch-activation and the role of TREK-1 in mechano-electrical feedback in the heart.

  Study EGAS00001002319

• ctDNA quantification in Ewing sarcoma patients

  Background. Treatment stratification and response assessment in pediatric sarcomas has relied on imaging studies and surgical/histopathological evidence of vital tumor cells. Such studies and evidence collection processes often involve radiation and/or general anesthesia in children. Cell-free circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) detection in blood plasma is one available method of so-called liquid biopsies that has been shown to correlate qualitatively and quantitatively to some extent with the existence of vital tumor cells in the body. Our clinical observational study focused on the utility and feasibility of ctDNA detection in pediatric Ewing sarcoma (EWS) as a marker of minimal residual disease (MRD). Patients and Methods. We performed whole genome sequencing to identify the exact breakpoints in tumors known to carry the EWS-FLI1 fusion gene. Patient-specific fusion breakpoints were tracked in peripheral blood plasma using digital droplet PCR (ddPCR) before, during, and after therapy in six consecutive children and young adults with EWS. Presence and levels of fusion breakpoints were correlated with clinical disease courses. The genetic changes in the tumors were defined, and inter- and intra-individual changes in the tumor DNA copy loads were observed over time. Results. We show that the detection of ctDNA in the peripheral blood of EWS patients i) is feasible in the clinical routine and ii) allows for the longitudinal real-time monitoring of MRD activity in children and young adults. Although changing ctDNA levels correlated well with clinical outcome within patients, between patients, a high variability was observed (inter-individually) for the six patients described here. Conclusions. ctDNA detection by ddPCR is a highly sensitive, specific, feasible, and highly accurate method that can be applied in EWS for follow-up assessments as an additional surrogate parameter for clinical MRD monitoring and, potentially, also for treatment stratification in the near future.

  Study EGAS00001006433

• NIDDK IBD Genetics Consortium Ulcerative Colitis Genome-Wide Association Study

  This dataset contains data for 1,028 white, non-Hispanic, European ancestry individuals with ulcerative colitis who were included in a genome-wide association study published by Silverberg et al. (2009). These individuals were ascertained in North America and selected to have either left-sided or extensive disease (i.e., individuals with proctitis only were excluded). Genotyping was performed using the Illumina HumanHap300v2 (n = 540) and HumanHap550v3 (n = 488) Genotyping BeadChips at the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research. Control data (not included) were obtained from the NIDDK IBD Genetics Consortium's Crohn's Disease GWAS (available from dbGaP) and from studies 64 and 65 deposited in the Illumina iControlDB. Seven hundred eighty individuals in this dataset were taken from the NIDDK IBD Genetics Consortium cell line repository (http://www.niddkrepository.org). These individuals are identified in the file dbGaP_SubjectDS.txt. The subject IDs for these individuals may be used to request corresponding samples for follow-up research through the repository. In addition, complete phenotype data for these individuals are included, collected using the Consortium's forms and phenotyping manual (both included). The remaining 248 individuals were identified from pre-existing collections ascertained by members of the Consortium or their collaborators. For these samples, several of the items in the phenotype file are incomplete. Those who wish to replicate the results in Silverberg et al. should note that 6 individuals with missing genotype rates > 0.07 were excluded from that analysis (leaving 1,022 affected samples total). In addition, the minor allele frequencies (MAFs) reported in the publication were calculated using only those individuals who were included in the allelic association tests (n = 977 for SNPs included in the HumanHap300 and n = 476 for SNPs included only in the HumanHap550). These tests were performed using conditional logistic regression on gender-ancestry strata; individuals who were not placed in a stratum (using the procedure described in the supplementary information for Silverberg et al.) were excluded. The indicator variables hh300 and hh550 in the file dbGaP_PhenotypeDS.txt identify the samples included in the allelic association tests, and may be used to replicate the published MAFs among affected individuals.

  Study phs000345