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

in 43.68 milliseconds.

• Partner-independent fusion gene detection by multiplexed CRISPR/Cas9 enrichment and long-read Nanopore sequencing

  Fusion genes are hallmarks of various cancer types and important determinants for diagnosis, prognosis and treatment possibilities. The promiscuity of fusion genes with respect to partner choice and exact breakpoint-positions restricts their detection in the diagnostic setting, even for known and recurrent fusion gene configurations. To accurately identify these gene fusions in an unbiased manner, we developed FUDGE: a FUsion gene Detection assay from Gene Enrichment. FUDGE couples target-selected and strand-specific CRISPR/Cas9 activity for enrichment and detection of fusion gene drivers (e.g. BRAF, EWSR1, KMT2A/MLL) - without prior knowledge of fusion partner or breakpoint-location - to long-read Nanopore sequencing. FUDGE encompasses a dedicated bioinformatics approach (NanoFG) to detect fusion genes from Nanopore sequencing data. Our strategy is flexible with respect to target choice and enables multiplexed enrichment for simultaneous analysis of several genes in multiple samples in a single sequencing run. We observe on average a 508-fold on-target enrichment and identify fusion breakpoints at nucleotide resolution - all within two days. We demonstrate that FUDGE effectively identifies fusion genes in cancer cell lines, tumor samples and on whole genome amplified DNA irrespective of partner gene or breakpoint-position in 100% of cases. Furthermore, we show that FUDGE is superior to routine diagnostic methods for fusion gene detection. In summary, we have developed a rapid and versatile fusion gene detection assay, providing an unparalleled opportunity for pan-cancer detection of fusion genes in routine diagnostics.

  Study EGAS00001003964

• Whole transcriptome profiling of liquid biopsies from tumour xenografted mouse models: validation cohort

  While cell-free DNA (cfDNA) in liquid biopsies is widely being used and investigated, free circulating RNA (extracellular RNA, exRNA) has the potential to improve therapy response monitoring and cancer detection due to its dynamic nature. A fundamental open question hampering the initiation of large-scale liquid biopsy collections for tumour exRNA analysis is that it remains unclear in which blood subcompartment tumour-derived exRNAs primarily reside. We set out to develop a host-xenograft deconvolution framework, exRNAxeno, with cDNA mapping strategies to either a combined human-mouse reference genome or both species genomes in parallel, that can be applied to exRNA sequencing data from liquid biopsies of human xenograft mouse models, enabling to distinguish (human) tumoural RNA from (murine) host RNA, and as such to specifically analyse tumour-derived exRNA. Subsequently, the preferred exRNAxeno combination pipeline was applied to total exRNA sequencing data from blood platelets and three plasma fractions from a breast cancer patient-derived and neuroblastoma cell line-derived xenograft mouse model. We show that tumoural exRNA concentrations are not determined by plasma platelet levels, while host exRNA concentrations increase with platelet content. Furthermore, a large variability in exRNA levels and gene content across individual mice is observed. In general, the tumoural gene detectability in plasma is correlated with the RNA expression levels in the tumour tissue or cancer cell line. Our results unravel new aspects of tumour-derived exRNA biology in xenograft mouse models.

  Study EGAS00001006582

• WTCCC3 case-control study for Primary Biliary Cirrhosis

  Genome-wide association scan was performed in 1,840 cases of primary biliary cirrhosis and 5,163 controls. Replication of new associations was tested in an independent set of 620 cases and 2,514 controls.

  Study EGAS00000000039

• Pan-tumor genomic biomarkers for personalization of PD-1 checkpoint blockade based immunotherapy

  Tumor mutation burden (TMB) and a T-cell-inflamed gene expression profile (GEP) independently predict clinical outcome in pembrolizumab-treated patients in 22 indications and stratify distinct targets of resistance biology.

  Study phs001572

• Long read sequencing to detect structural variants in Indian patient with non-syndromic autism spectrum disorders

  This study involved performing long read whole genome sequencing using Oxford Nanopore Technology platform on to detect causative structural variants in patients with non-syndromic autism spectrum disorder. This study was performed on 23 such children in whom prior karyotyping, Fragile-X analysis (in males), chromosomal microarray and whole exome sequencing did not identify a causative variant.

  Dataset EGAD50000001231

• The study on genomic profiling using clinical specimens (tissue, blood, etc.) form patients with lung and thymic tumors

  The objective is to generate a comprehensive immunogenomic profiling in thymoma using RNA sequencing and TCR repertoire analysis and to evaluate the potential of immunotherapy in thymoma from multiple perspectives.

  Study JGAS000552

• CIAO Clinical Trial

  Whole exome and RNA sequencing for samples from CIAO (Checkpoint Inhibitors Assessment in Oropharynx cancer) (NCT03144778) clinical trial testing neoadjuvant anti-PD-L1 durvalumab with or without the anti-CTLA-4 tremelimumab in oropharynx cancer

  Study EGAS50000001174

• Single Cell RNAseq of blood and tumor from renal cancer patients

  Single-cell RNASeq (scRNAseq) showed that IL8 is primarily expressed in circulating and intratumoral myeloid cells and high IL8 expression was associated with the downregulation of the antigen presentation machinery in myeloid cells.

  Study EGAS00001004230

• Genetic and expression landscape of Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia

  Exome analyses for the identification of somatic mutation in Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia by comparison of tumor and CD3+(germ line control) population in 16 patients. transcription profiling of a series of Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia samples

  Study EGAS00001003603

• ChIP-seq bulk

  This dataset gather ChIP-seq data produced by immunoprecipitating CTCF factor in own laboratory in MM.1S cell line in EtOH and Dex conditions. It also gather ChIP-seq dataset produced by external laboratory (Active Motif) for H3K27ac mark and GR transcription factor in same cell line and conditions ( MM.1S ETOH/Dex)

  Dataset EGAD00001011136

• Machine learning guided signal enrichment for ultrasensitive plasma tumor burden monitoring

  Development of a novel machine learning guided ctDNA detection platform for use in liquid biopsy detection and therapeutic monitoring of solid tumors in several clinical contexts. Included are WGS alignments from our study.

  Study EGAS00001007306

• GWAS in African Americans, Latinos and Japanese

  The Multiethnic Cohort Study is a population-based prospective cohort study (n=215,251) that was initiated between 1993 and 1996 and includes subjects from various ethnic groups - African Americans and Latinos primarily from Californian (great Los Angeles area) and Native Hawaiians, Japanese-Americans, and European Americans primarily from Hawaii. State drivers' license files were the primary sources used to identify study subjects in Hawaii and California. Additionally, in Hawaii, state voter's registration files were used, and, in California, Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) files were used to identify additional African American study subjects. In the cohort, incident cancer cases are identified annually through cohort linkage to population-based cancer Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) registries in Hawaii and Los Angeles County as well as to the California State cancer registry. Information on estrogen receptor status is also obtained through these registries. Blood sample collection in the MEC began in 1994 and targeted incident breast cancer cases and a random sample of study participants to serve as controls for genetic analyses. Subjects are frequency matched on age at blood draw and ethnicity. The following number of breast cancer cases and controls were genome-wide scanned as part of this study: African Americans, 473 cases and 464 controls; Japanese: 885 cases and 822 controls; Latinos, 520 cases and 544 controls.

  Study phs000517

• Whole exome and transcriptome analysis of UV-exposed epidermis and carcinoma in situ reveals early drivers of carcinogenesis

  Squamous cell carcinoma in situ (SCCIS) is a prevalent precancerous lesion that can progress to cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC). Although SCCIS is common, its pathogenesis remains poorly understood. To better understand SCCIS development, we performed laser-captured microdissection of human SCCIS and adjacent epidermis to isolate genomic DNA and RNA for next generation sequencing. Whole exome sequencing (WES) identified UV-signature mutations in multiple genes including Notch 1-3 (GeneID:4851, GeneID:4853, GeneID:4854) in the epidermis and SCCIS and oncogenic TP53 (GeneID:7157) mutations in SCCIS. Novel gene families, including SCHLAFEN genes, contained UV/oxidative-signature disruptive (UVD) epidermal mutations that manifested positive selection in SCCIS. The frequency and distribution of NOTCH and TP53 mutations indicate that NOTCH mutations may precede TP53 mutations. RNA sequencing identified 1166 differentially expressed genes; the top 5 enriched GO biological processes included: 1) immune response, 2) epidermal development, 3) protein phosphorylation, 4) regulation of catalytic activity, and 5) cytoskeletal regulation. The NEURL1 ubiquitin ligase, which targets Notch ligands for degradation, was upregulated in SCCIS. Neuralized 1 protein was found to be elevated in SCCIS suggesting that increased levels could represent a novel mechanism for downregulating Notch during UV-induced carcinogenesis. The data from DNA and RNA sequencing of epidermis and SCCIS provide insights regarding SCCIS formation.

  Study phs002019

• Integrated Metabolic Profiling and Gene Expression Analysis Reveals Therapeutic Modalities in Breast Cancer

  In this study, we performed metabolite profiling and RNA-sequencing on human breast cancer tumors and normal breast tissue samples, including triple negative breast cancer (TNBC), estrogen receptor positive breast cancer (ER+) and paired normal samples, and patient-derived xenografts (PDX) samples. Here, we report two distinctive groups defined by metabolites; a TNBC-HIGH group that shows high levels of pyrimidine pathway metabolites and biosynthetic enzymes, and an ER-HIGH group that shows high levels of fatty acid and arginine biosynthesis intermediates. We identify different metabolic enrichment profiles between cell lines grown in vitro vs. in vivo; cell lines grown in vivo recapitulate patient tumors metabolic profiles. Further, we identify a subset of genes that strongly correlates with the TNBC-HIGH metabolic profile using integrated metabolic and gene expression profiling, which strongly predicts patient prognosis when tested on larger human datasets. As a proof-of-principle, when we target TNBC-HIGH metabolic dysregulation with a pyrimidine biosynthesis inhibitor (Brequinar), and/or a glutaminase inhibitor (CB-839), we observe therapeutic efficacy and decreased tumor growth in representative TNBC cell lines, murine p53-null mammary tumors, and in vivo patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) upon multi-agent drug treatment. This study highlights potential new therapeutic opportunities in breast cancers guided by a genomic biomarker, which could prove impactful for breast cancers that rapidly proliferate.

  Study phs002396

• Immune Responses in Checkpoint Myocarditis Across Heart, Blood, and Tumor

  Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are widely used in anti-cancer therapies, but they can cause morbid and potentially fatal immune-related adverse events (irAEs), such as ICI-related myocarditis (irMyocarditis). The pathogenesis of irMyocarditis and its relationship to anti-tumor immunity remain poorly understood. We sought to define immune responses in heart, tumor, and blood in irMyocarditis patients and controls by leveraging single‐cell RNA sequencing (scRNA‐seq) coupled with T-cell Receptor Sequencing (TCR-Seq). Our analysis demonstrated increased frequencies of cytotoxic T cells, inflammatory mononuclear phagocytes (MNPs), conventional dendritic cells (cDCs), and inflammatory fibroblasts in irMyocarditis heart tissue. Additionally, we revealed decreased frequencies of plasmacytoid dendritic cells, cDCs, and B lineage cells but an increased frequency of MNPs in the blood of irMyocarditis patients. Raw data for heart and blood can be found in dbGaP. All processed data and raw TCRseq data from heart tissue and tumor samples for this study can be found in GEO (Accession number GSE228597).Subject IDs with the prefix "SIC" were collected by the Severe Immunotherapy Complications (SIC) service at MGH due to suspicion of immune-related adverse events. Subject IDs with the prefix "donor" were collected by the MGH Melanoma Biobank at scheduled timepoints; this biobank systematically collects samples from patients at MGH at clinically relevant timepoints.

  Study phs003413

• Somatic rearrangements causing oncogenic ectodomain deletions of FGFR1 in squamous cell lung cancer

  The discovery of frequent 8p11-p12 amplifications in squamous cell lung cancer (SQLC) has fueled hopes that FGFR1, located inside this amplicon, might be a therapeutic target. In a clinical trial, only 11% of patients with 8p11 amplification (detected by FISH) responded to FGFR kinase inhibitor treatment. To understand the mechanism of FGFR1 dependency, we performed deep genomic characterization of 52 SQLCs with 8p11-p12 amplification, including 10 tumors obtained from patients who had been treated with FGFR inhibitors. We discovered somatically altered variants of FGFR1 with deletion of exons 1-8 that resulted from intragenic tail-to-tail rearrangements. These ectodomain-deficient FGFR1 variants (ΔEC-FGFR1) were expressed in the affected tumors and were tumorigenic in both in vitro and in vivo models of lung cancer. Mechanistically, breakage-fusion-bridges were the source of 8p11-p12 amplification, resulting from frequent head-to-head and tail-to-tail rearrangements. Generally, tail-to-tail rearrangements within or in close proximity upstream of FGFR1 were associated with FGFR1 dependency. Thus, the genomic events shaping the architecture of the 8p11-p12 amplicon provide a mechanistic explanation for the emergence of FGFR1-driven SQLC. Specifically, we believe that FGFR1 ectodomain-deficient and FGFR1-centered amplifications caused by tail-to-tail rearrangements are a novel somatic genomic event that might be predictive of therapeutically relevant FGFR1 dependency.

  Study EGAS50000001368

• Phenotypic characterization and prognostic impact of CD103+ tissue-resident memory T cells in diffuse large B cell lymphoma

  Tissue-resident memory T (TRM) cells are a population of memory T cells that stably occupy tissues and play a key role in immunosurveillance, having been linked to favorable survival outcomes in various solid tumors. While TRM cells have been identified in lymph nodes, their phenotype and prognostic significance in B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (B-NHL), including diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), remains poorly characterized. The frequency of CD103 expressing T cells in patient samples with DLCBL was quantified by immunofluorescence (IF) staining of tissue biopsies (n=306) and flow cytometry (n=252) of cell disaggregates, and linked with clinical outcome. The phenotype of TRM cells was characterized by spectral flow cytometry (n=10 DLBCL and 2 reactive lymph node (rLN) samples) and single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq) (n=12 aggressive B cell lymphomas and 4 rLN samples). An additional 51 samples from an external dataset were included to verify the single cell transcriptome findings. The flow cytometry and scRNAseq findings in DLBCL were extrapolated to additional B-NHL entities. Through analysis of these datasets we were able to characterize CD103+ TRM-like cells in DLBCL and other B-NHL entities and identified them to represent a prognostically favorable population with an activated/cytotoxic T cell phenotype.

  Study EGAS50000000943

• Joslin Study on the Genetics of Type 2 Diabetes

  Between 1993 and 2003, families were recruited in the Joslin Study on the Genetics of Type 2 Diabetes for the presence of an autosomal dominant mode of inheritance of diabetes. Recruiting and screening of families occurred through probands who were receiving medical care at the Joslin Clinic (Boston, MA). Screening of families included 1) a proband and at least one sibling with type 2 diabetes, 2) diabetes occurring in at least three generations, 3) diabetes inherited on one side of the prospective family. Probands had to have a diabetes diagnosis between the age range from 10 to 60 years. Demographic data, clinical data, and family history were collected from participating family members, along with blood and urine samples. This study includes genetic and phenotypic data from one family examined in Simeone, Wilkerson, et. al. (NPJ Genomic Medicine 2022, PMID: 35869090). Genotype data for 14 family members and whole genome sequencing data for 6 individuals were generated with the goal of identifying a potential genetic cause of disease in this family. To de-identify this family and protect confidentiality, information on sex in phenotype data and variants identified in X, Y, and MT chromosomes have been removed in compliance with IRB guidelines.

  Study phs002959

• Integrated Personal omics Processing (iPoP) Longitudinal multi-omics profiling of prediabetes

  Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) is a significant health problem. Close to 20 million individuals in the United States have T2D, and 79 million aged 20 years or older are clinically pre-diabetic, with a 5-year conversion rate of 10% to 23% from prediabetes to T2D. In a collaborative effort to systematically understand diabetes and its etiology, the team is comprised of leading experts in research on both the human host as well as the microbiome, as properties of both are likely relevant in T2D development. For a better elucidation of mechanisms of onset and progression of T2D disease, the group is performing a detailed analysis of the biological processes that occur in the microbiome and human host by longitudinal profiling of patients at risk for T2D. Both microbiome and host profiles are being analyzed by state-of-the-art omics platforms, and these large-scale and diverse data sets will be integrated to determine the dynamic pathways that change during the onset and progression of T2D, especially during viral infections and other stresses. This longitudinal study is expected to reveal changes in the microbiome and host at an unprecedented level of detail, and identify molecules and pathways that play important roles in diabetes onset and progression.

  Study phs001719

• Tumor detection by analysis of both symmetric- and hemi-methylation of plasma cell-free DNA

  Aberrant DNA methylation plays a critical role in tumorigenesis. While DNA methylation has been used for cancer detection and classification, DNA hemi-methylation, a novel epigenetic mark has not been analyzed extensively in cancer epigenomes. Here we report a strand-specific (ss) sequencing method (MeDIP-Seq) for plasma cell free (cf) DNA (sscf-MeDIP-Seq), which can analyze both symmetrically methylated DNA regions (DMRs) as well as hemi-methylated regions (DHMRs). Using the sscf-MeDIP-Seq method, we analyzed plasma cfDNA methylomes of 271 samples from subjects with liver cancer and brain cancer and from individuals without cancer (controls). Among them, 215 samples were chosen as the discovery cohort for the identification of DMRs and DHMRs specific in each subject group and for the training of machine learning models of multi-cancer detection (MCD) using DMRs, DHMRs and DMRs+DHMRs as inputs. These models were then used to predict the 56 samples in the validation cohort. We found that models trained with DMRs+DHMRs as inputs in general outperformed models trained with DMRs or DHMRs alone, with AUROC being 0.971, 0.981, and 0.99 in predicting control, liver and brain cancer samples in the validation cohort, respectively, by the DMR+DHMR-trained models.

  Study phs003462

• Full characterization of structural variation

  Structural variants (SVs) are important contributors to human disease. Their characterization remains however difficult due to their size and association with repetitive regions. Long-read sequencing (LRS) and optical genome mapping (OGM) can aid as their molecules span multiple kilobases and capture SVs in full. In this study, we selected six individuals who presented with unresolved SVs. We applied LRS onto all individuals and OGM to a subset of three complex cases. LRS detected and fully resolved the interrogated SV in all samples. This enabled a precise molecular diagnosis in two individuals. Overall, LRS identified 100% of the junctions at single-basepair level, providing valuable insights into their formation mechanisms without need for additional data sources. Application of OGM added straightforward variant phasing, aiding in the unravelment of complex rearrangements. These results highlight the potential of LRS and OGM as follow-up molecular tests for complete SV characterization. We show that they can assess clinically relevant structural variation at unprecedented resolution. Additionally, they detect (complex) cryptic rearrangements missed by conventional methods. This ultimately leads to an increased diagnostic yield, emphasizing their added benefit in a diagnostic setting. To aid their rapid adoption, we provide detailed laboratory and bioinformatics workflows in this manuscript.

  Study EGAS50000000520

• Genentech Colon Cancer Screen

  Identifying and understanding changes in cancer genomes is essential for the development of targeted therapeutics. Here we analyse systematically more than 70 pairs of primary human colon tumours by applying next-generation sequencing to characterize their exomes, transcriptomes and copy-number alterations. We have identified 36,303 protein-altering somatic changes that include several new recurrent mutations in the Wnt pathway gene TCF7L2, chromatin-remodelling genes such as TET2 and TET3 and receptor tyrosine kinases including ERBB3. Our analysis for significantly mutated cancer genes identified 23 candidates, including the cell cycle checkpoint kinase ATM. Copy-number and RNA-seq data analysis identified amplifications and corresponding overexpression of IGF2 in a subset of colon tumours. Furthermore, using RNA-seq data we identified multiple fusion transcripts including recurrent gene fusions involving R-spondin family members RSPO2 and RSPO3 that together occur in 10% of colon tumours. The RSPO fusions were mutually exclusive with APC mutations, indicating that they probably have a role in the activation of Wnt signalling and tumorigenesis. Consistent with this we show that the RSPO fusion proteins were capable of potentiating Wnt signalling. The R-spondin gene fusions and several other gene mutations identified in this study provide new potential opportunities for therapeutic intervention in colon cancer.

  Study EGAS00001000288

• The evolutionary steps from primary to metastatic prostate cancer are largely uncharted, and the ability to use DNA present in body fluids as correlates of aggregate metastatic status is under-examined. We reconstructed phylogenies in ten prostate cancer patients with fatal disease using deep targeted sequencing of the prostate, adjacent and distant organs, as well as plasma, serum, and cerebrospinal fluid at various time points. A total of 163 samples are studied.

  The evolutionary steps from primary tumor to metastasis in prostate cancer are largely uncharted, and the ability to use serum, plasma, and cerebrospinal fluid as a correlate of aggregate metastatic tumor genomic status has not been tested. We used deep targeted sequencing to reconstruct tumor evolution in ten prostate cancer patients with fatal disease encompassing examination of the prostate and adjacent and distant organs, as well as plasma, serum, and cerebrospinal fluid at various time points. We show that there is substantial evolution from a common ancestor within the prostate that results in branching to multiple lineages which form an intermixed multi-clonal primary tumor mass. After the occurrence of key driver aberrations, one of these lineages will metastasize to multiple sites in a sequential fashion. These metastatic sites are then susceptible to being populated by cells from other intra-prostatic lineages or from other metastases. Genomic representation of metastases in body fluids is not uniform. Cerebrospinal fluid analysis can detect lineages not detected in circulating DNA, suggesting possible clinical utility.

  Study EGAS00001003848

• Comparison of structural variations from 10X Genomics linked-reads and conventional Illumina short-reads sequencing

  Structural variations (SVs) are large genomic rearrangements that can drive many diseases. Conventional short-reads whole genome sequencing (cWGS) allows their identification with base-pair resolution, but suffers from high false discovery rate. cWGS taps in short-range information from short-reads while linked-reads sequencing (10XWGS) utilizes long-range information. 10XWGS allows linkage of short-reads originating from the same large DNA molecule with a unique barcode captured in a gel bead in emulsion. This mitigates alignment-based artefacts from cWGS especially in repetitive regions. However, the false discovery rate of this technology is unclear. In this study, we performed a comprehensive analysis of different type and size of SVs predicted from these two technologies. The SVs common between both technologies were found to be highly specific by PCR and Sanger sequencing while validation rate dropped for uncommon events. Further, we propose a novel enrichment approach for filtering out false positive calls from both the technologies independently. To this end, we trained a machine learning model for respective technologies and used it to characterise SVs from MCF7 cell line and a primary breast cancer tumor with high precision. This approach would be valuable in understanding true mechanisms driven by SVs in various diseases.

  Study EGAS00001004093

• Pediatric Non-Down Syndrome Acute Megakaryoblastic Leukemia is Characterized by Distinct Genomic Subsets with Varying Outcomes

  Acute Megakaryoblastic Leukemia (AMKL) is a subtype of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in which cells morphologically resemble abnormal megakaryoblasts.  While extremely rare in adults, AMKL accounts for 4-15% of newly diagnosed childhood AML1-3.  A significant proportion of pediatric AMKL cases occur in children with Down syndrome (DS).  These patients have excellent outcomes and are characterized at the genomic level by a founding GATA1 mutation4-6.  In contrast, AMKL in patients without DS (non-DS-AMKL) is frequently associated with poor outcomes.  Previous efforts have identified chimeric oncogenes in a significant number of cases, including RBM15-MKL1, CBFA2T3-GLIS2, KMT2A gene rearrangements and NUP98-KDM5A7-9.  The etiology of 30-40% of cases, however, remains unknown.  To better understand the genomic landscape of non-DS-AMKL, we performed RNA and exome sequencing on specimens from 99 patients (75 pediatric and 24 adult).  We demonstrate that pediatric non-DS-AMKL is a heterogeneous malignancy that can be divided into seven subgroups with varying outcomes.  These subgroups are characterized by chimeric oncogenes with cooperating mutations in epigenetic and kinase signaling genes.  Overall, these data shed light on the etiology of AMKL and provide useful information for treatment tailoring. 

  Study EGAS00001002183

• Direct Detection of Early-stage Cancers Using Circulating Tumor DNA

  Early detection and intervention are likely to be the most effective means for reducing morbidity and mortality of human cancer. However, development of methods for noninvasive detection of early-stage tumors has remained a challenge. We have developed an approach called targeted error correction sequencing (TEC-Seq) that allows ultrasensitive direct evaluation of sequence changes in circulating cell-free DNA using massively parallel sequencing. We have used this approach to examine 58 cancer-related genes encompassing 81 kb. Analysis of plasma from 44 healthy individuals identified genomic changes related to clonal hematopoiesis in 16% of asymptomatic individuals but no alterations in driver genes related to solid cancers. Evaluation of 200 patients with colorectal, breast, lung, or ovarian cancer detected somatic mutations in the plasma of 71, 59, 59, and 68%, respectively, of patients with stage I or II disease. Analyses of mutations in the circulation revealed high concordance with alterations in the tumors of these patients. In patients with resectable colorectal cancers, higher amounts of preoperative circulating tumor DNA were associated with disease recurrence and decreased overall survival. These analyses provide a broadly applicable approach for noninvasive detection of early-stage tumors that may be useful for screening and management of patients with cancer.

  Study EGAS00001002577

• Exome sequencing of a novel cervical cancer cell line

  Human cancer cell lines are largely used in the searching for new antineoplastic agents. However, due to the artifacts of a long-term in culture, cell lines do not always represent the realistic tumor cell behavior. This has motivated the development of models that better mimetics the tumor tissue, among them, the establishment of primary cell cultures. In this work, we establish and characterized a low-passage cervix cancer cell line from a Brazilian patient with squamous cell carcinoma. The phenotype confirms the epithelial and tumor origin, through cytokeratins, EpCAM, and p16 staining. Whole exome sequencing showed relevant somatic mutations in several genes including BRCA2, TGFBR1, and IRX2 genes. CNV analysis by nanostring and WGS revealed amplification in genes related mainly with kinases proteins, involved in proliferation, migration and cell differentiation, such as EGFR, PIK3CA, and MAPK7. Overexpression of EGFR was confirmed by phospho RTK-array and western blot analysis. Furthermore, the cell was sensitivity to cisplatin, with IC50 13 times lower than SiHa cell line. In conclusion, this cervical cancer cell line presents molecular alterations that are an important tool for leading pre-clinical studies of new drugs that target one or more of the altered pathways.

  Study EGAS00001003343

• METABRIC: Data from Batra et al (2021); DNA methylation landscapes of 1538 breast cancers reveal a replication-linked clock, epigenomic instability and cis-regulation

  DNA methylation is aberrant in cancer, but the dynamics, regulatory role and clinical implications of such epigenetic changes are still poorly understood. Here, RRBS-based profiles of 1538 breast tumors and 244 normal breast tissues from the METABRIC cohort are reported, facilitating detailed analysis of DNA methylation within a rich context of genomic, transcriptional, and clinical data. Tumor methylation from immune and stromal signatures are deconvoluted leading to the discovery of a tumor replication-linked clock with genome-wide methylation loss in non-CpG island sites. Unexpectedly, methylation in most tumor CpG islands follows two replication-independent processes of gain (MG) or loss (ML) that we term epigenomic instability. Epigenomic instability is correlated with tumor grade and stage, TP53 mutations and poorer prognosis. After controlling for these global trans-acting trends, as well as for X-linked dosage compensation effects, cis-specific methylation and expression correlations are uncovered at hundreds of promoters and over a thousand distal elements. Some of these targeted known tumor suppressors and oncogenes. In conclusion, the study demonstrates that global epigenetic instability can erode cancer methylomes and expose them to localized methylation aberrations in-cis resulting in transcriptional changes seen in tumors.

  Study EGAS00001004327

• Clonal selection and double hit events involving tumor suppressor genes underlie relapse from total therapy

  In order to gain insights into the mechanisms of disease progression in multiple myeloma (MM) patients treated with multi-agent and high-dose chemotherapy we have performed a longitudinal study of 33 patients entered into Total Therapy protocols using gene expression profiling, high resolution copy number analyses and whole exome sequencing. The results of this study show the importance of acquired mutations in MM driver genes, bi-allelic events affecting tumor suppressor genes and increased proliferation rates in driving relapse, which is enhanced by intra-clonal heterogeneity and Darwinian type clonal evolution. Branching was the most frequent evolution pattern, characterized by clonal loss and appearance of new clones. We found a higher number of lost and acquired copy number aberrations and an excess of bi-allelic inactivation of tumor suppressor genes in GEP70 high risk (HiR) cases, consistent with genomic instability being a key feature of HiR MM. In conclusion, our study further stresses the impact of known prognostic markers and driver genes on the fitness level of MM cells to survive multi-agent chemotherapy. The frequent bi-allelic loss of tumor suppressor genes in HiR cases and the potentially resulting failure of treatment with DNA damaging agents highlight the need for new therapies for HiR MM.

  Study EGAS00001001810

• Longitudinal evaluation of serum microRNAs as biomarkers for neuroblastoma burden and therapeutic p53 reactivation

  Accurate assessment of treatment response and residual disease is indispensable for the evaluation of cancer treatment efficacy. However, performing tissue biopsies for longitudinal follow-up poses a major challenge in the management of solid tumours like neuroblastoma. In the present study, we evaluated whether circulating miRNAs are suitable to monitor neuroblastoma tumour burden and whether treatment-induced changes of miRNA abundance in the tumour are detectable in serum. We performed small RNA sequencing on longitudinally collected serum samples from mice carrying orthotopic neuroblastoma xenografts that were exposed to treatment with idasanutlin or temsirolimus. We identified 57 serum miRNAs to be differentially expressed upon xenograft tumour manifestation, out of which 21 were also found specifically expressed in the serum of human high-risk neuroblastoma patients. The murine serum levels of these 57 miRNAs correlated with tumour tissue expression and tumour volume, suggesting potential utility for monitoring tumour burden. In addition, we describe serum miRNAs that dynamically respond to p53 activation following treatment of engrafted mice with idasanutlin. We identified idasanutlin-induced serum miRNA expression changes upon one day and 11 days of treatment. By limiting to miRNAs with a tumour-related induction, we put forward hsa-miR-34a-5p as a potential pharmacodynamic biomarker of p53 activation in serum.

  Study EGAS00001006678

• An APOBEC Cytidine Deaminase Mutagenesis in Human Cancers

  Reprinted from Roberts et al. "An APOBEC cytidine deaminase mutagenesis pattern is widespread in human cancers", Nature Genetics, 45:970-976, 2013, with permission of Nature Publishing Group: Recent studies indicate that a subclass of APOBEC cytidine deaminases, which convert cytosine to uracil during RNA editing and retrovirus or retrotransposon restriction, may induce mutation clusters in human tumors. We show here that throughout cancer genomes APOBEC-mediated mutagenesis is pervasive and correlates with APOBEC mRNA levels. Mutation clusters in whole-genome and exome data sets conformed to the stringent criteria indicative of an APOBEC mutation pattern. Applying these criteria to 954,247 mutations in 2,680 exomes from 14 cancer types, mostly from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), showed a significant presence of the APOBEC mutation pattern in bladder, cervical, breast, head and neck, and lung cancers, reaching 68% of all mutations in some samples. Within breast cancer, the HER2-enriched subtype was clearly enriched for tumors with the APOBEC mutation pattern, suggesting that this type of mutagenesis is functionally linked with cancer development. The APOBEC mutation pattern also extended to cancer-associated genes, implying that ubiquitous APOBEC-mediated mutagenesis is carcinogenic.

  Study phs000677

• KRT17High/CXCL8+ Tumor Cells Display Both Classical and Basal Features and Regulate Myeloid Infiltration in the Pancreatic Cancer Microenvironment

  Recent studies have uncovered the co-existence of basal and classical subtypes within pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). We sought to characterize these intermediary cells using single-cell RNA sequencing of PDAC. We performed subtyping on 18 single-cell RNA sequencing human PDAC samples to identify multiple intermediary subtypes. We compared single-cell profiling of patient-matched blood and tumor samples to measure changes in the local and systemic immune microenvironments in CXCL8-high tumors vs. CXCL8-low tumors. Finally, we leveraged longitudinally patient-matched blood over the course of chemotherapy. In our studies we identified a cluster of KRT17high intermediary cancer cells that uniquely express high levels of CXCL8 and other cytokines which in turn influence the myeloid compartment both locally and systemically. We utilized sequencing data from dbGaP study accession phs002070. In addition to that, we included sequencing from new specimens which are deposited to this submission, consisting of one additional tumor specimen and 5 PBMC samples, sequenced after chemotherapy (longitudinally matched to PBMC samples in phs002071.v1.p1). FASTQ files of these sequencing runs are available through this dbGaP submission.

  Study phs003436

• Transcriptomic hallmarks and RNA isoform diversity in human neurodegenerative disease

  Single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) has enabled high-throughput RNA analysis at an unprecedented resolution. One staple analysis in scRNA-seq is identifying differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between two populations. However, the mRNA isoforms have often been overlooked in these transcriptomic analyses due to technical limitations. In order to investigate the mRNA isoforms at the single-cell level, we used a targeted single-nucleus long-read RNA-sequencing method combining single-nucleus short-read RNA-seq (snRNA-seq), target gene enrichment, and Iso-Seq. We performed snRNA-seq and targeted single-nucleus Iso-Seq (snIso-Seq) on 25 human frontal cortices from individuals with AD, DLB, or PD, and age-matched controls. Our short-read transcriptome analysis revealed that DLB samples had more overlapping DEGs with AD than PD despite sharing pathological hallmarks with PD. We observed vast RNA isoform diversity in the 50 genes targeted, including genes that were not differentially expressed in our short-read data. We also identified several novel isoforms that are not included in the reference annotation. Our data collectively characterize the transcriptome of various neurodegenerative diseases and illuminate the mRNA isoform diversity.

  Study EGAS50000000132

• Vaccine-Expanded Plasmablast-like B Cells Are Associated with Response to Dendritic Cell Therapy in Metastatic Melanoma

  Dendritic cells (DCs), either monocyte-derived (moDCs) or naturally circulating, have been employed in cancer treatment across both metastatic and adjuvant settings. DC vaccines (DC Vax) are capable of inducing tumor-specific immune responses, yet clinical outcomes have thus far fallen short of expectations. Here, we performed a multi-omics analysis of the apheresis product, including CD14⁺ monocytes, and the final DCVax formulation. Among all the components analyzed, the most striking finding was the unexpected presence of CD19⁺ B cells within the DC Vax formulation, which distinguished Responders from Non-Responders to moDC vaccination in metastatic melanoma. The abundance of B cells in DC Vax correlated with their peripheral frequency; however, within the vaccine, these cells acquired a CD20lowCD27hiCD38hi plasmablast-like phenotype, distinct from their autologous circulating B-cell precursors. Notably, a parallel observation was made in Responders, whose pre-treatment lesions were enriched in B cells organized as Tertiary Lymphoid Structures. These results underscore the importance of B cells in both baseline immunity and DCVax formulation, hinting at unexplored mechanisms by which they may influence vaccine effectiveness.

  Study EGAS50000001177

• NCI COVID-19 in Cancer Patients Study (NCCAPS): A Longitudinal Natural History Study

  NCCAPS is a longitudinal prospective cohort study designed to assess patient, disease and treatment factors associated with short- and long-term outcomes in patients with cancer who develop COVID-19. We also aimed to describe COVID-19 symptoms and treatments, and to describe disruptions in cancer treatment due to COVID-19. The study enrolled patients with cancer on active treatment or with a history of stem cell transplant or CAR-T cell therapy with new, active COVID-19, defined as being within 14 days of their first positive SARS-CoV-2 test. The study found that receipt of chemotherapy and baseline history of stroke, atrial fibrillation or pulmonary embolism were associated with a higher risk of hospitalization for COVID-19. Vaccination for SARS-CoV-2 was associated with a lower risk of hospitalization. Death due to COVID-19 was highest in patients with lymphoma, intermediate in those with acute leukemia and lung cancer, and lowest in those with other solid tumors and other hematologic cancers. Disruptions of cancer treatment were frequent in the first 30 days after SARS-CoV-2 infection.

  Study phs004178

• Dynamics of checkpoint receptors in γδ T cell subsets are associated with clinical responses during anti-PD-1 immunotherapies

  Gamma delta (γδ) T cells are innate-like lymphocytes with potent anti-tumor properties. Herein, we show that immune checkpoint receptors (ICRs) display differential expression and regulation by the JAK-STAT pathway in Vδ1 and Vδ2 cells and identify constitutive (e.g. TIGIT, PD-1) and inducible (e.g. TIM-3, LAG-3, CTLA-4) ICRs. In melanoma, all γδ T cell subsets downregulated AP-1 transcription factors, but Vδ1 cells specifically expressed high levels of ICR, TOX and inhibitory killer Ig-like receptor (KIR) transcripts, reminiscent of exhaustion. However, patient-derived cells were functionally competent, although induction of LAG-3 and CTLA-4 was impaired. During anti-PD-1 monotherapy, Vδ1 cells specifically bound high levels of therapeutic antibody but only in patients who responded to treatment, revealing a potential new prognostic marker for evaluating the efficacy of IC blockade (ICB) therapy. Finally, expression of KIR genes in Vδ1 cells was downregulated in response to successful ICB therapy. Collectively, our data indicate an intricate relationship between ICRs and γδ T cells and reveal novel approaches by which these cells can be harnessed in order to discern or improve cancer immunotherapy.

  Study EGAS50000001270

• 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

• Whole-genome sequencing of two probands with hereditary spastic paraplegia reveals novel splice-donor region mutation and known pathogenic mutation in SPG11

  Hereditary spastic paraplegias (SPG) are a group of heterogeneous neurodegenerative disorders, which are often presented with overlapping phenotypes such as progressive paraparesis and spasticity. To assist the diagnosis of SPG subtypes, next-generation sequencing is often used to provide supporting evidence. In this study, we report the case of two probands from the same family with SPG symptoms, including bilateral lower limbs weakness, unsteady gait, cognitive decline, dysarthria and slurring of speech since age of 14. Subsequent whole-genome sequencing revealed that the patients are compound heterozygous for mutations in SPG11 gene, including the paternally inherited c.6856C>T (p.Arg2286*) mutation and the novel maternally inherited c.2316+5G>A splice donor region mutation. Mutations in SPG11 are the common cause of autosomal recessive Spastic Paraplegia type 11. According to the ClinVar database, there are already 101 reported pathogenic mutations in SPG11 that are associated with SPG. To our knowledge, this is the first report of SPG11 mutations in our local population. Novel splice mutation identified in this study would enrich the catalog of SPG11 mutations, potentially leading to better genetic diagnosis of SPG.

  Study EGAS00001001849

• Comprehensive characterization of cell-free tumor DNA in plasma and urine of patients with renal tumors

  Cell-free tumour-derived DNA (ctDNA) allows non-invasive monitoring of various cancers but its utility in renal cell cancer (RCC) has not been well established. A combination of untargeted and targeted sequencing methods, applied to two independent cohorts of patients (n=90) with various renal tumour subtypes, were used to determine ctDNA content in plasma and urine. Our data revealed lower plasma ctDNA levels in RCC relative to other cancers, with untargeted detection of ~33% for both cohorts. A highly sensitive personalised approach, applied to plasma and urine from select patients (n=22), improved detection to ~50%, including in patients with early stage and even benign lesions. A machine-learning based model, applied to untargeted data, predicted this detection, potentially offering a means of triaging patient samples for personalised analysis. We observed that plasma, and for the first time, urine ctDNA may better represent tumour heterogeneity than a single tissue biopsy. Longitudinal sampling of >200 plasma samples revealed that ctDNA can track disease course. These data highlight low ctDNA levels in RCC but indicate potential clinical utility provided improvement in isolation and detection approaches.

  Study EGAS00001003530

• ARAF Mutations Confer Resistance to RAF Dimer Inhibitor Belvarafenib in NRAS- and BRAF- Mutant Melanoma

  Belvarafenib, a potent and selective RAF dimer (type II) inhibitor, exhibits clinical activity in BRAFV600E- and NRAS-mutant melanoma patients. Here, we report the first-in-human phase I study investigating maximum tolerated dose, assessing safety and preliminary efficacy of belvarafenib in BRAF- and RAS-mutated advanced solid tumors (NCT02405065, NCT03118817). Through generation of belvarafenib resistant NRAS- mutant melanoma cells and analysis of circulating tumor DNA from patients treated with belvarafenib, we identified novel recurrent mutations in ARAF within the kinase domain. ARAF mutants conferred resistance to belvarafenib in both a dimer- and kinase activity- dependent manner. Belvarafenib induced ARAF mutant dimers, and dimers containing mutant ARAF were active in the presence of inhibitor. ARAF mutations may serve as a general resistance mechanism for RAF dimer inhibitors as the mutants exhibit reduced sensitivity to a panel of type II RAF inhibitors. The combination of RAF plus MEK inhibition may be used to delay ARAF-driven resistance and suggests a rational combination for clinical use. Taken together, our findings reveal specific and compensatory functions for the ARAF isoform and implicate ARAF mutations as a driver of resistance to RAF dimer inhibitors.

  Study EGAS00001005086

• Single cell RNA sequencing of synovial B cells in early Rheumatoid Arthritis

  Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a prevalent autoimmune disease characterized by inflammation of the peripheral joints and occurence of autoantibodies, i.e. Rheumatoid Factor (RF) and anti-citrullinated protein antibodies (ACPA), in circulation. Previous studies have shown that there are memory B cells and autoantibody producing plasma cells present in the joint tissue of patients with long-standing RA. However, it has remained unclear, whether these B cell populations are already present in the joint tissue of patients at the disease onset and whether these are autoreactive. Here, we used a single cell RNA sequencing approach to dissect the B cell repertoire at this early timepoint. We found evidence for B and T cell interaction and presence of memory and plasma cell pools in ACPA- and ACPA+ RA. Our results demonstrated clonal relationships between the memory and plasma cell compartments and autoreactivity within the plasma cell pool. These findings challenge our understanding of the local adaptive immune response in the joints of ACPA- and ACPA+ RA patients with direct implications for B and T cell targeting therapy in both patient subgroups.

  Study EGAS00001005144

• Cell-free DNA analysis reveals POLR1D-mediated resistance to bevacizumab in colorectal cancer

  Bevacizumab is an approved anti-angiogenic drug for patients with metastasized colorectal cancer (mCRC) targeting VEGF. The survival benefit of anti-VEGF therapy in mCRC patients is limited to a few months and acquired resistance mechanisms are greatly unknown. Using plasma DNA, we studied the evolution of tumor genomes in a cohort of patients with mCRC (n=150) and observed a recurrent focal amplification (8.7% of cases) on chromosome 13q12.2. Analysis of TCGA data (n=619) suggested an association with later stages, which we confirmed by longitudinal plasma analyses. We defined the minimally amplified region and studied the mechanistic consequences of copy number gain of the involved genes. The amplification of one gene, POLR1D, impacted cell proliferation, resulting in upregulation of VEGFA, an important regulator of angiogenesis which has been implicated in the resistance to bevacizumab. In several patients, we observed the emergence of this 13q12.2 amplicon under bevacizumab treatment, which was invariably associated with evolution of therapy resistance. Hence, we describe a novel resistance mechanism against a widely applied treatment in mCRC patients which will impact clinical management

  Study EGAS00001003791

• Clonal relationships of ductal carcinoma in situ and recurrent invasive breast cancers defined by genomic analysis

  Ductal Carcinoma In Situ (DCIS) is the most common form of pre-invasive breast cancer and despite treatment a small fraction (5-10%) of DCIS patients present with invasive disease many years later. A fundamental biologic question is whether the invasive disease recurring in the same breast is established by tumor cells in the initial DCIS or represents new unrelated disease. To address this question, we performed genomic analyses on the initial pure DCIS lesion and paired invasive recurrent tumors in 95 patients together with single cell DNA sequencing in a subset of cases. Our data shows that in 75% the invasive recurrence was clonally related to the initial DCIS, suggesting that the tumor cells were not eliminated during the initial treatment with surgery +/- radiotherapy. Surprisingly however, 18% were clonally unrelated to the DCIS, representing new independent lineages, and 7% of cases were ambiguous. Our findings show that although DCIS is often the precursor of invasive recurrence, a significant fraction of invasive recurrences are unrelated to the initial DCIS. This knowledge is essential for accurate risk evaluation of DCIS treatment de-escalation strategies and the identification of predictive biomarkers.

  Study EGAS00001005784

• Clonal relationships of ductal carcinoma in situ and recurrent invasive breast cancers defined by genomic analysis

  Ductal Carcinoma In Situ (DCIS) is the most common form of pre-invasive breast cancer and despite treatment a small fraction (5-10%) of DCIS patients present with invasive disease many years later. A fundamental biologic question is whether the invasive disease recurring in the same breast is established by tumor cells in the initial DCIS or represents new unrelated disease. To address this question, we performed genomic analyses on the initial pure DCIS lesion and paired invasive recurrent tumors in 95 patients together with single cell DNA sequencing in a subset of cases. Our data shows that in 75% the invasive recurrence was clonally related to the initial DCIS, suggesting that the tumor cells were not eliminated during the initial treatment with surgery +/- radiotherapy. Surprisingly however, 18% were clonally unrelated to the DCIS, representing new independent lineages, and 7% of cases were ambiguous. Our findings show that although DCIS is often the precursor of invasive recurrence, a significant fraction of invasive recurrences are unrelated to the initial DCIS. This knowledge is essential for accurate risk evaluation of DCIS treatment de-escalation strategies and the identification of predictive biomarkers.

  Study EGAS00001006306

• MECOM represses myeloid differentiation through CEBPA downregulation in AML

  Transcription factor MECOM, located at 3q26, is essential for hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) in healthy individuals. Enhancer translocations, due to 3q26 rearrangements, drive out-of-context MECOM expression in an aggressive subtype of leukemia (AML). Aberrantly expressed MECOM is essential for the survival and immature phenotype of these leukemia cells. Direct depletion of MECOM using an endogenous auxin-inducible degron rapidly upregulates expression of myeloid differentiation factor CEBPA. MECOM depletion is also accompanied by a severe loss of CD34 expression and gain of mature myeloid cell surface marker CD15. MECOM exerts its inhibitory effect on differentiation by binding to the +42kb CEBPA enhancer, which is essential for neutrophil development. This is partially dependent on the interaction between MECOM and its essential co-repressor CTBP2, a potential target in this type of AML. We demonstrate that CEBPA overexpression can bypass the MECOM-mediated block of differentiation. In addition, AML patients with MECOM overexpression through enhancer hijacking show significantly reduced CEBPA. Our study provides insight into the mechanism by which MECOM maintains the stem cell state in AML. Furthermore, CEBPA levels are an important read-out for successful targeting of MECOM in 3q26-rearranged AML.

  Study EGAS00001008005

• Demographically Diverse Substance Use Disorder Cohorts of Dr. Stanley H. Weiss

  The Demographically Diverse Substance Use Disorder Cohorts of Dr. Stanley H. Weiss, which constitute the Epidemiology of the Weiss Cohort Projects, consist of a series of inter-connected projects, building upon a set of cohort projects of various groups, mainly drug users from medication-assisted treatment programs, that Dr. Stanley H. Weiss first developed in the 1980’s plus several newer initiatives, each with an array of collaborators. Beginning in the 1980’s, Dr. Stanley H. Weiss started several long-term studies of persons who inject drugs (PWID) across the United States, ultimately enrolling over 10,000 participants through the early 1990’s with an average age then in their 30’s. About a quarter were enrolled from sites in New Jersey (NJ). These studies included the first testing of PWID for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and the human T-cell lymphotropic viruses (HTLV I and HTLV II). Cumulative past support (initiation thru ~ 1999) for these cohort studies included ~ $20 million from intramural resources from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), plus multiple grants and in-kind support from the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) totaling ~ $1 million. The Weiss Cohort Projects include the first large AIDS-era cohorts to include women at high risk for HIV. A high percentage of subjects in these studies are black or Latino. Thus, this is an ethnically diverse US cohort, with a high proportion of women included. These subjects are at high risk of parenteral and sexual infection from both drug use and sexual practices. Samples from other studies conducted by Dr. Weiss, in which detailed interviews were conducted, are included as controls (persons documented by us not to have a history of opioid drug use). As one of our groups of subjects have many persons of Haitian ancestry, we specifically included some Haitians who had never used opioids as controls. Our documentation includes such ancestry. These cohorts demonstrated high rates of HIV and HTLV-II infection in PWIDs, including one study initiated in 1981 with confirmation in the later cohorts. In the first two decades of these studies, among numerous publications was the first study showing a very high rate of hepatitis C infection among PWIDs. An example of how the studies’ long-time horizon proved essential was that it first became possible to test whether a person had ever been infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV), as well as how much HCV was in each person’s blood, many years after the specimens were collected. This allowed HCV amounts in blood to be compared for subjects who had died of liver disease early in the study versus those who survived. Then a sequence of published papers culminated in demonstrating, using a nested case-control design, that a high baseline HCV titer was predictive of early progression to death from end-stage liver failure. Outcomes related to HCV (end stage liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma) remain under study. In the original cohort studies, the mean age at enrollment was ~ 33 years old, so that those still alive in 2022 are mainly now ~ 60 - 75 years old. Many participants have already died. The tincture of time has led to subjects reaching ages when many more are dying from a wide array of outcomes, including from many chronic diseases (including cancer) as well as from infectious agents (especially HIV, HCV) or drug overdose. Renewed collaboration with local drug treatment programs has led to new field-based studies, including examination of some currently evolving problems among drug users. Dr. Weiss joined the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Genetics Consortium (NGC) in 2017, and through the NIDA project officer has had access to NGC contract resources (see below). NIH Certificate of Confidentiality, CC-DA-16-214 (attached) protects these studies. Past arrangements related to data on our subjects leads to restrictions on the use of data emanating from our study, such as potential commercialization and restrictions on whom may access and use these data. NIDA Genetics Consortium (NGC) resources further support these endeavors and will be used as part of the NGC analyses studying the genetics of substance use. Study participants signed informed consent for the information collected from them to be used with no time limit and for biologic specimens collected from them to be used without restriction in future research. Serum samples were collected from participants, and from many also plasma, white blood cells and/or urine samples. About 100,000 vials were stored. All specimens have been continuously preserved at sufficiently cold temperatures to prevent deterioration, and many subjects separated white blood cells were processed and frozen in such a way as to maintain viability. Detailed data from the participants has been accumulated over time, and in general, linkage has been retained in each sub-study in accordance with the consent forms and protocols. For some participants, specimens were collected at multiple times (that is, sequential specimens). Multiple specimens from a single person exist in this database, and efforts at de-duplication remain ongoing. Dr. Weiss should be contacted if an investigator requires unique individuals since: • Multiple phases of enrollment occurred, and as our prospective follow-up continues; Dr. Weiss may identify new instances of multiple enrollment. • Some persons are related to each other. • In general, in this dataset for dbGaP, only a single specimen/record form a given person is included. Advances in laboratory testing techniques now permit innovative new uses for our linked research biospecimen repository. The ongoing focus of an interdisciplinary research program based on these cohorts relates subjects’ diseases, behaviors, medical history, and outcomes with biological and exposure markers. Participants’ use of various substances was ascertained on study enrollments, many serially over time. Quantitative frequency of use data, also sometimes sequential over time, were ascertained. Active ascertainment of outcomes is being conducted, including matching to mortality and cancer databases. Investigators interested in collaborations on specific outcomes (which is not part of this dbGaP dataset) or in the use of our stored specimens are encouraged to contact the principal investigator, Dr. Weiss. The processing of the genomic data was done in conjunction with NIDA, and in accordance with some longstanding data cleaning steps used by NIDA in the NIDA Genetics Consortium (NGC), a group to which we shall be contributing these data for collaborative analyses. Since there is the potential for these steps to introduce certain types of potential biases, we summarize these here. Under contract from NIDA, cryopreserved sera or plasma (-80 C) or cells (in liquid nitrogen) were used, with most stored having been stored for 30 to 40 years in our biorepository. In the case of serum or plasma, in which only (largely) cell-free DNA fragments were available, DNA was extracted and restored prior to amplification. Industry standard DNA amplification techniques were done on all samples prior to genotyping in accord with established protocols of the NIDA Genetics Consortium. Our genotype data were run and processed on the Illumina Infinium OmniExpress_v_1.3 array. This array has 714,238 SNPs, and was designed many years ago. There were 628 SNPs on the array that do not correspond to any chromosome position, and these were removed. Genotype data were submitted by NIDA’s contracted genotyping laboratory in six batches over time to NIDA’s contracted dbGaP data management group, which conducted quality control (QC) analyses. QC analysis included an assessment of batch effects on for five of the six batches. (One of the batches, with only 12 samples, was too small for QC analysis of batch effects.) Standard NIDA Genetic Consortium cleaning was performed. Samples with a call rate <.85 were removed. Only one sample per person was retained. When more than one specimen was genotyped from one subject, only the sample with the higher call rate was retained (provided, of course, that that call rate was ≥ 0.85). We have retained some people we know are related, including some found to have been related through genotyping; the pedigree file describes those relationships. In summary, key cleaning steps include: 1. Using PLINK to check gender discrepancy. 2. Using PREST-PLUS and KING (Kinship-based Inference for GWAS) to check relatedness. 3. Using PEDCHECK and PLINK to check/zero-out Mendelian error. 4. Using PLINK to perform sample QC, SNP QC, along with KING to perform chromosome X and chromosome Y QC. 5. SNP-QC: Batch-effect: 5 Batches were compared (one batch, with few samples, was not). These five batches were compared to each other in all ten possible pairs, one batch vs. another batch, examining SNP allele frequency discrepancies by population (from GRAF), Fisher Exact Allelic test, with the criterion of p<5e-8 for removal. 6. SNP-QC: discordant SNPs in QC duplicates. Compared 25 QC duplicated samples with call rate > 0.95, removed SNPs with 3+ discordance. 7. There were 1,056 SNPs that were monomorphic; these have been retained so they can be included in analyses in which our dbGaP data are combined with those from other cohorts (in the latter of which those SNPs may not be monomorphic). The final cleaned dataset submitted has 8,898 samples and 606,793 SNPs.

  Study phs002140

• Genetic_variation_in_Kuusamo

  The aim of this study is to characterize as completely as possible the genetic variation and structure of Kuusamo and surrounding regions. We will perform low coverage, whole genome sequencing in a relatively limited number (approximately 200) of individuals from the FINRISK study both of whose parents are born in Kuusamo, Posio or Taivalkoski. Sequencing will be performed at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute (WTSI). We have previously shown using simulations and genome wide SNP data that the genetic characteristics agree with known genealogical data, and that approximately 200 individuals suffice to capture the majority of the genetic variation in this population.We have also developed methods for long-range haplotyping and long-range imputation, which are more accurate than traditional methods. This will allow us to identify a majority of the founder haplotypes in this population. The information from the haplotypes identified in this study can be used in other studies to impute from genome-wide SNP data the full genome sequence of samples ascertained for specific phenotypes.

  Study EGAS00001000020

• Whole Genome Study for De Novo Mutation Rates

  Germline mutations are the source of evolution and contribute substantially to many health-related processes. In this study, we use whole genome deep sequencing data from parents-offspring trios to examine the de novo point mutations (DNMs) in the offspring. We studied correlation between parental ages with de novo mutation rates. This study is published in Wong WS, Solomon BD, Bodian DL, Kothiyal P, Eley G, Huddleston KC, Baker R, Thach DC, Iyer RK, Vockley JG, Niederhuber JE. New observations on maternal age effect on germline de novo mutations. Nat Commun. 2016 Jan 19;7:10486 (PMID: 26781218. Also, we studied differences in molecular signatures in paternal versus maternal origin of de novo mutations. This study is published in Jakob M. Goldmann, Wendy S.W. Wong, Michele Pinelli, Terry Farrah, Dale Bodian, Anna B. Stittrich, Gustavo Glusman, Lisenka E.L.M. Vissers, Alexander Hoischen, Jared C. Roach, Joseph G. Vockley, Joris A. Veltman, Benjamin D. Solomon, Christian Gilissen, John E. Niederhuber. Parent-of-origin specific signatures of de novo mutations. Nat Genet. 2016 Aug;48(8):935-9, PMID: 27322544.

  Study phs001055

• CHDWB Rare Regulatory Alleles and Gene Expression Study

  In order to evaluate whether rare regulatory variants in the vicinity of promoters are likely to impact gene expression, we conducted a novel burden test for rare variants at the extreme of expression. After targeted sequencing of 2kb promoter regions of 472 genes in 410 healthy adults, burden tests were performed by calculating the summed rare allele counts in ranked expression level bins using Illumina whole blood microarray gene expression data. The results clearly show an enrichment of rare variants at both extremes of gene expression. The rare regulatory variant effects were also partitioned into subsets of genes based on their regulatory functions, positions relative to transcription start sites, disease relatedness, with some intriguing biases. The enrichment of rare regulatory variants in extremely expressed genes was replicated in an independent sample of 75 individuals with RNASeq and whole genome sequence information. Participants were from the Emory-Georgia Tech Center for Health Discovery and Well Being (CHDWB) longitudinal cohort study, but only baseline gene expression data was used.

  Study phs001021

• Genomic Profiling of Sequentially Acquired Metastatic Sites from an "Exceptional Responder" Lung Adenocarcinoma Patient Reveals Extensive Genomic Heterogeneity and Novel Somatic Variants

  We employed next-generation sequencing to identify somatic alterations in multiple metastatic sites from an "exceptional responder" lung adenocarcinoma patient during his seven year course of ERBB2-directed therapies. The degree of heterogeneity was unprecedented, with ~1% similarity between somatic alterations of the lung and lymph nodes. One novel translocation, PLAG1-ACTA2, present in both sites, up-regulated ACTA2 expression. ERBB2, the predominant driver oncogene, was amplified in both sites, more pronounced in the lung, and harbored an L869R mutation in the lymph node. Functional studies demonstrated increased proliferation, migration, metastasis, and resistance to ERBB2-directed therapy due to L869R mutation and increased migration due to ACTA2 overexpression. Within the lung, a nonfunctional CDK12, due to a novel G879V mutation, correlated with down-regulation of DNA damage response genes, causing genomic instability, and sensitivity to chemotherapy. We propose a model whereby a sub-clone metastasized early from the primary site and evolved independently in lymph nodes.

  Study phs001159

• Blood-based monitoring of relapsed/refractory cHL patients predict responses to PD-1 blockade treatment

  Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) patients are uniquely susceptible to treatment with programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) treatment. However, monitoring with FDG-PET/CT, the current response detection standard, is challenging. Here, we address the potential applicability of tissue biomarkers and blood-based biomarkers in PD-1 treated cHL patients. We evaluated 9p24.1/PD-L1/PD-L2 alterations, and expression of PD-L1 and antigen presentation molecules (HLA class I/II) in 9 tissue biopsies of 4 patients. In addition, we assessed circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), extracellular vesicle associated miRNAs (EV-miRNAs), soluble PD-L1 and serum TARC (sTARC) in 26 longitudinal blood samples of these patients during PD-1 treatment. We found that the predictive power of tissue biomarkers is dependent on the timing of the biopsy . The dynamics of blood-based biomarkers: sTARC, EV-miRNAs and ctDNA corresponded well immunotherapy treatment response. Therefore, blood-based biomarkers are promising monitoring strategies in PD-1 treated cHL patients and should be further explored in clinical trials or observational studies.

  Study EGAS00001005894

• Copy number variations and fragmentation features in cell-free DNA predict response in advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients under anti-PD-(L)1 therapy

  Anti-PD-(L)1 therapy is routinely used in metastatic NSCLC. However, response rates vary and biomarkers predicting treatment efficacy are lacking. Liquid biopsies allow monitoring of residual disease during therapy. Residual circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) after therapy represents a predictive marker for adverse outcome. Here, we assessed copy number variations (CNVs) in serial plasma samples of NSCLC patients receiving PD-(L)1 blockade. We profiled CNV and fragmentation features in 118 plasma samples of advanced NSCLC patients by low-coverage whole genome sequencing taken at baseline, after four therapy cycles and at disease progression. CNVs and fragment features (i.e., fragment length, end motifs, position) were significantly altered in patients compared to healthy donors. Furthermore, fragment length changes at baseline and residual CNVs after four therapy cycles correlated with short progression-free survival. Our results highlight the suitability of plasma-based CNV and fragment analysis for disease monitoring and as a predictive marker for response duration in NSCLC patients under anti-PD-(L)1 therapy.

  Study EGAS50000000441

• Anti-TIGIT antibody tiragolumab improves PD-L1 blockade via myeloid and Treg cells

  Tiragolumab, an anti-TIGIT antibody with an active IgG1/kappa Fc, demonstrated improved outcomes in the phase 2 CITYSCAPE trial (NCT03563716) when combined with atezolizumab (anti-PD-L1) versus atezolizumab alone1. However, there remains little consensus on the mechanism(s) of response with this combination2. We found that high baseline intratumoral macrophages and Tregs were associated with better outcomes in patients treated with atezolizumab plus tiragolumab but not with atezolizumab alone. Serum sample analysis revealed that macrophage activation was associated with clinical benefit in patients receiving the combination treatment. In mouse tumor models, tiragolumab surrogate antibodies inflamed tumor-associated macrophages, monocytes, and dendritic cells through Fc gamma receptors (FcɣR), in turn driving anti-tumor CD8+ T cells from an exhausted effector-like state to a more memory-like one. These results uncover a mechanism of action by which TIGIT checkpoint inhibitors can remodel immunosuppressive tumor microenvironments, and suggest that FcɣR engagement is an important consideration in anti-TIGIT antibody development.

  Study EGAS50000000251

• LEF1 knockdown effects on human T cell transcriptome and chromatin accessibility profiles.

  LEF1 (Lymphoid Enhancer-Binding Factor 1) is a key transcription factor in T cell development and function, and its dysregulation has been implicated in various immune-related disorders. This study aimed to comprehensively characterize the transcriptional and epigenetic changes induced by LEF1 knockdown in human T cells. CD3+ T cells isolated from three healthy donors were transfected with either LEF1-specific siRNA or control siRNA, followed by activation with CD3/CD28 Dynabeads and culture in IL-2-containing media. Cells were harvested at 24, 48 and 72 hours post-transfection for multi-omics analysis including bulk RNA-seq, bulk ATAC-seq, single-cell CITE-seq (For CITE-seq, 48 and 72 hours only). This dataset provides insights into LEF1-dependent gene regulatory networks and chromatin accessibility patterns in activated human T cells, contributing to our understanding of T cell biology and potential therapeutic targets. This dataset is part of a comprehensive study investigating functional roles of risk polymorphisms in autoimmune diseases, particularly focusing on the rs58107865 variant at the LEF1 locus.

  Study JGAS000818

• CNA differences between RNA-based subtypes of PDAC

  Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDAC) have a dismal prognosis with a 5-year survival of <5%. Chemoresistance and recurrences, seen in approximately 70% of PDAC patients, may partly be explained by intratumor heterogeneity (ITH) through which tumors may develop ‘escape routes’. In the Pancreas Multibiopsy (PM)-project we have obtained multiple fragments from pancreatic and other peri-ampullary carcinomas in order to reveal potential ITH and identify genetic aberrations that predict outcome after surgery and response to chemotherapy. CNA-profiles were used to complement the characterization of liabilities in PDAC that we identified previously using RNAseq in the form of epithelial, secretory, compound pancreatic, and mesenchymal subgroups that showed survival outcomes. Comparison of CNA-profiles between these transcriptomics-based subgroups (with 8, 3, 6, and 6 tumors respectively per group) showed differences, ranging from ‘quiet’(i.e. hardly any CNA) to ‘wild’(i.e. lots of CNA), but these were not statistically significant (Chi2 0.09). When differentiating between the classical and basal-like molecular subtypes of PDAC differences in CNA (high or low) were even less statistically significant (Chi2 0.292).

  Study EGAS50000001218

• Broad utility of ultrasensitive analysis of ctDNA dynamics across solid tumors treated with immunotherapy

  Prior studies have suggested the biomarker potential of plasma circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in cancer patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). In order to characterize the potential role of ultrasensitive ctDNA detection in the management of these patients we have performed tumor whole-genome-informed, ultrasensitive ctDNA analysis—tracking approximately 1,800 tumor-specific mutations per patient—in a retrospective cohort (n=136) and a prospective validation cohort (n=66) across 24 cancer types treated with ICIs alone or in combination with bispecific antibodies or immune cell engagers. Analyzing 1,455 longitudinal samples, we found that ctDNA molecular response measured as early as 3 weeks after treatment initiation correlated with improved progression-free and overall survival, while ctDNA clearance at any time strongly correlated with radiological response and prolonged survival. Additionally, ctDNA dynamics distinguished true progression from pseudoprogression and predicted outcomes in patients receiving continued immunotherapy beyond initial progression. This study highlights the broader applicability of ultrasensitive ctDNA as a biomarker across cancer types and immunotherapy modalities.

  Study EGAS50000001333

• TGF-β signaling mediates microglial resilience to spatiotemporally restricted myelin degeneration

  Microglia survey and regulate central nervous system myelination during embryonic development and adult homeostasis. However, whether microglia-myelin interactions are spatiotemporally regulated remains unexplored. By examining spinal cord white matter tracts, we found that myelin degeneration was particularly prominent in the dorsal column (DC) during normal aging. This was accompanied by molecular and functional changes in DC microglia as well as an upregulation of TGF-β signaling. Disrupting TGF-β signaling in microglia led to unchecked microglial responses and myelin loss in the DC, accompanied by neurological deficits exacerbated with aging. snRNA-seq revealed the emergence of a TGF-β signaling-sensitive microglial subset and a disease-associated oligodendrocyte subset, both spatially restricted to the DC. We further discovered that microglia rely on a TGFβ autocrine mechanism to prevent damage of myelin in the DC. These findings demonstrate that TGF-β signaling is indispensable for maintaining microglial resilience to myelin degeneration in the DC during the aging process. This highlights a previously unresolved checkpoint mechanism of TGF-β signaling with regional specificity and spatially restricted microglia-oligodendrocyte interactions.

  Study EGAS50000001413

• The genetic structure of Norway

  The aim of the present study was to describe the genetic structure of the Norwegian population using genotypes from 6369 unrelated individuals with detailed information about places of residence. Using standard single marker- and haplotype-based approaches, we report evidence of two regions with distinctive patterns of genetic variation, one in the far northeast, and another in the south of Norway, as indicated by fixation indices, haplotype sharing, homozygosity and effective population size. We detect and quantify a component of Uralic Sami ancestry that is enriched in the North. On a finer scale, we find that rates of migration have been affected by topography like mountain ridges. In the broader Scandinavian context, we detect elevated relatedness between the mid- and northern border areas towards Sweden. The main finding of this study is that despite Norway’s long maritime history and as a former Danish territory, the region closest to mainland Europe in the south appears to have been the most isolated region in Norway, highlighting the open sea as a barrier to gene flow into Norway.

  Study EGAS00001004826

• Reference exome data for Australian Aboriginal populations to support health-based research

  Whole exome sequencing (WES) is a popular and successful technology which is widely used in both research and clinical settings. However, there is a paucity of reference data for Aboriginal Australians to underpin the translation of health-based genomic research. Here we provide a catalogue of variants called after sequencing the exomes of 50 Aboriginal individuals from the Northern Territory (NT) of Australia and compare these to 72 previously published exomes from a Western Australian (WA) population of Martu origin. Sequence data for both NT and WA samples were processed using an ‘intersect-then-combine’ (ITC) approach, using GATK and SAMtools to call variants. A total of 289,829 variants were identified in at least one individual in the NT cohort and 248,374 variants in at least one individual in the WA cohort. Of these, 166,719 variants were present in both cohorts, whilst 123,110 variants were private to the NT cohort and 81,655 were private to the WA cohort. Our data set provides a useful reference point for genomic studies on Aboriginal Australians.

  Study EGAS00001003745

• Single-cell RNA-seq of celiac disease-specific plasma cells

  Disease-specific plasma cells (PCs) reactive with transglutaminase 2 (TG2) or deamidated gluten peptides (DGP) are abundant in celiac disease (CeD) gut lesions. Their contribution toward CeD pathogenesis is unclear. We assessed expression of markers associated with PC longevity in 15 untreated and 26 treated CeD patients in addition to 13 non-CeD controls, and performed RNA-sequencing with clonal inference and transcriptomic analysis of 3251 single PCs. We observed antigen-dependent V-gene selection and stereotypic antibodies. Generation of recombinant DGP-specific antibodies revealed a key role of a heavy-chain residue that displays polymorphism, suggesting that immunoglobulin gene polymorphisms may influence CeD-specific antibody responses. We identified transcriptional differences between CeD-specific vs non-disease-specific PCs and between short-lived vs long-lived PCs. The short-lived CD19+CD45+ phenotype dominated in untreated and short-term-treated CeD, in particular among disease-specific PCs but also in the general PC population. Thus, the disease lesion of untreated CeD is characterized by massive accumulation of short-lived PCs that are not only directed against disease-specific antigens.

  Study EGAS00001004623

• Multi-focal genomic dissection of synchronous primary and metastatic tissue from de novo metastatic prostate cancer

  De novo metastatic prostate cancer is highly aggressive, but the paucity of routinely-collected tissue in this setting has hindered genomic stratification and jeopardizes precision oncology efforts. Here, we leveraged a rare study of surgical intervention in 43 de novo metastatic prostate cancers to assess somatic genotype across 607 synchronous primary and metastatic tissue foci plus circulating tumor DNA. Intra-prostate heterogeneity was pervasive and impacted clinically-relevant genes, resulting in frequent discordance between select primary-restricted foci and synchronous metastases. Additional complexity was driven in several instances by polyclonal metastatic seeding from the reservoir of phylogenetically-related primary populations. When simulating standard clinical practice relying on a single tissue focus, genomic heterogeneity plus highly variable per-sample tumor fraction caused false genotyping of dominant disease. However, in silico modeling demonstrated that analysis of multiple biopsy cores can rescue misassigned somatic genotypes. Our results define the relationship between synchronous treatment-naive primary and metastatic lesions in de novo metastatic prostate cancer and provide a framework for implementing genomics-guided patient management.

  Study EGAS00001006466

• Long-read sequencing of diagnosis and post-therapy medulloblastoma reveals complex rearrangement patterns and epigenetic signatures (Hipo_021)

  Cancer genomes harbor a broad spectrum of structural variants (SV) driving tumorigenesis, a relevant subset of which escape discovery using short-read sequencing. We employed Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) long-read sequencing in a paired diagnostic and post- therapy medulloblastoma to unravel the haplotype-resolved somatic genetic and epigenetic landscape. We assemble complex rearrangements and such associated with telomeric sequences, including a 1.55 Megabasepair chromothripsis event. We uncover a complex SV pattern termed ‘templated insertion thread’ (TI thread), characterized by short (mostly &lt;1kb) insertions showing prevalent self-concatenation into highly amplified structures of up to 50kbp in size. TI threads occur in 3% of cancers, with a prevalence ranging to 74% in liposarcoma, and frequent colocalization with chromothripsis. We also perform long-read based methylome profiling and discover allele-specific methylation (ASM) effects, complex rearrangements exhibiting differential methylation, and differential promoter methylation in cancer-driver genes. Our study shows the advantage of long-read sequencing in the discovery and characterization of complex somatic rearrangements.

  Study EGAS00001006629

• Spatial transcriptomics reveal topological immune landscapes of Asian head and neck angiosarcoma

  Angiosarcomas are rare malignant tumors of the endothelium, arising commonly from the head and neck region (AS-HN) and recently associated with ultraviolet (UV) exposure and human herpesvirus-7 (HHV-7) infection. We examined 81 cases of angiosarcomas, including 47 cases of AS-HN, integrating information from whole genome sequencing, gene expression profiling and spatial transcriptomics (10X Visium). In the AS-HN cohort, we observed recurrent somatic mutations in CSMD3 (18%), LRP1B (18%), MUC16 (18%), POT1 (16%) and TP53 (16%). UV-positive AS-HN harbored significantly higher tumor mutation burden (TMB) than UV-negative cases (p=0.0294). NanoString profiling identified three clusters with distinct tumor inflammation signature (TIS) scores (p&lt;0.001). Spatial transcriptomics revealed topological profiles of the tumor microenvironment, identifying dominant but tumor-excluded inflammatory signals in “immune-hot” cases and immune foci even in otherwise “cold” cases. In conclusion, spatial transcriptomics reveal the tumor immune landscape of angiosarcoma, and in combination with multi-omic information, may improve implementation of treatment strategies.

  Study EGAS00001007083

• Genetic Variation and Signatures of Natural Selection in Diverse Africans

  Our study identified candidate regions of genome involved in adaptation and identified regions associated with selected phenotypes.

  Study phs000449

• Chemosensitive Relapse in Small Cell Lung Cancer Patient-Derived Xenografts

  Genetic and epigenetic analysis of patient-derived xenograft models of acquired chemoresistance in small cell lung cancer.

  Study phs001249

• Mutation analysis using AVENIO Expanded in cfDNA

  High resolution mutation analysis using the AVENIO ctDNA Expanded Kit V2, which targets 77 cancer-associated genes, in cfDNA in metastatic breast cancer.

  Dataset EGAD50000001669

• Fungal infection in Parkinson's disease.

  Isolation of fungi in infected neural tissues in patients with Parkinson's disease. Here we used next generation sequencing of Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) regions, by PCR amplicons (NGS ITS amplicon analysis).

  Dataset EGAD00001005025

• RNA-Seq datasets in human islets cultured in low glucose conditions

  7 RNA-Seq datasets in human pancreatic islets from 7 donors, where islets were using low (4mM) glucose conditions.

  Dataset EGAD00001005208

• Genetic Determinants of EGFR-Driven Lung Cancer Growth and Therapeutic Response In Vivo

  Oncogenic alterations in EGFR frequently co-occur with additional genetic alterations in EGFR-driven lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), but how specific combinations of mutations affect tumor phenotypes and responses to targeted therapy is yet unknown. We leveraged a genetically engineered mouse model of EGFR mutant/Trp53-deficient LUAD to study the consequences of inactivating 10 different tumor suppressor genes on the fitness and tyorosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) sensitivity of these tumors. We found that loss of Keap1 is associated with a reduced response to therapy. In patients, we found that mutations in the KEAP1/NFE2L2/CUL3 pathway are associated with a significantly shorter time to treatment failure for EGFR TKI therapy compared to matched patients with wild-type KEAP1/NFE2L2/CUL3 tumors. We also analyzed whole exome sequencing data from tumor specimens before TKI treatment and at the time of treatment resistance for mutations in the KEAP1 pathway and these data are being submitted here.&nbsp;&nbsp;

  Study phs002334

• Blepharospasm in a Multiplex African-American Pedigree

  Blepharospasm (BSP) is a late-onset focal dystonia characterized by involuntary contractions of the orbicularis oculi muscles. Genetics plays an important role on the pathogenesis of BSP, especially in hereditary BSP families. In this project, a large African-American pedigree with BSP was phenotypically characterized and its relationship with known common dystonia genes was investigated with Sanger sequencing on dystonia genes such as THAP1, TOR1A and GNAL. And whole-exome sequencing (EXOME) of the proband was performed to identify all other dystonia-associated genes for potentially pathogenic SVs. A novel THAP1 SV (c.314T&#62;C, p.L105S) was identified in the family, however, this SV did not co-segregate with blepharospasm in the pedigree. No pathogenic or likely pathogenic SVs in other dystonia-associated genes were identified with whole-exome sequencing. The current study makes available phenotype data and summary genotype data of n=12 family members (mutation absent/heterozygous for THAP1); whole exome sequencing data of one (het) subject are available through public SRA.

  Study phs001206

• Innate and Adaptive Immunity in Parkinson Disease-P20

  Increasing evidence supports the role of brain and systemic inflammation in the etiology of Parkinson disease (PD). We used gene expression profiling (RNA-seq) to examine the activation state of peripheral blood monocytes in 18 patients with early, untreated PD and 16 healthy control (HC) subjects. Monocytes were isolated by negative selection, and gene expression studied by RNA-seq and gene set enrichment analysis. A computational model that incorporated case/control status, sex, and the interaction between case/control status and sex was utilized. We found that there was a striking effect of sex on monocyte gene expression. There was inflammatory activation of monocytes in females with PD, with enrichment of gene sets associated with interferon gamma stimulation. In males, the activation patterns were more heterogeneous. These data point to the importance of systemic monocyte activation in PD, and the importance of studies which examine the differential effects of sex on pathophysiology of the disease.

  Study phs002063

• National Institute of Environmental Health (NIEHS) Sciences Study of Somatic Mutation Load in Clones of Single Human Cells

  Accumulation of genetic changes with time and proliferation of cells is inevitable. We report here the genome-wide magnitude and spectra of mutations accrued in skin fibroblasts over the lifetime of healthy humans. We found that every cell contains at least one somatic chromosomal rearrangement and 600 - 13,000 base substitutions, similar to the median mutation load in human cancers. The mutation spectra and correlation of changes with epigenomic features also resemble many human cancers. Interestingly, the magnitude of ultraviolet light-characteristic mutations, representative of environmental mutagenesis, in sun-exposed skin was comparable to the number of mutations attributed to endogenous DNA damage estimated in unexposed cells. Our methodology allows delineating the precise contributions of environmental and endogenous factors to the accrual of genetic changes in the human body. This is fundamental to understanding the etiology, and improving the prognosis and prevention of cancers and other genetic diseases.

  Study phs001182

• Peripheral blood DNA methylation and transcriptomics of vedolizumab and ustekinumab treatment response in patients with Crohn's disease

  Biological therapeutics are now widely used in Crohn’s disease (CD), with evidence of efficacy from randomised trials and real-world experience. Primary non-response is a common, poorly understood problem. We assessed blood methylation as a predictor of response to vedolizumab (VDZ, anti-a4b7 integrin) or ustekinumab (USTE, anti-IL-12/23p40). We report a two-center, prospective cohort study in which we profiled the peripheral blood DNA methylome of adult male and female CD patients. Samples were obtained prior to and during treatment with VDZ or USTE in a discovery and a validation cohort. Response to VDZ or USTE was defined based on a combination of ≥50% reduction in the endoscopic SES-CD score, corticosteroid-free clinical remission (≥3 point drop in HBI or HBI ≤4 and no systemic steroids) and/or biochemical response (C-reactive protein (CRP) and fecal calprotectin (FCP) reduction ≥50% or ≤5 mg/L and fecal calprotectin ≤250 µg/g).

  Study EGAS50000000263

• Ultra-sensitive ctDNA monitoring required for predicting response and resistance to immunotherapy in advanced melanoma

  Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) monitoring in peripheral blood has shown promise for disease surveillance and prognostication of ICI response. Yet even in the metastatic context, ctDNA signals can be missed, suggesting the need for increased assay sensitivity. We used a tumor-informed ctDNA assay capable of detection down to 1 part-per-million (PPM) ctDNA to profile 188 plasma samples from 23 melanoma patients receiving ICI over several years. Residual disease was detected in ctDNA over a broad range, from 130,000 PPM down to 2.3 PPM, with approximately a quarter of detections below 50 PPM. Early on-treatment increases in ctDNA level, and both ctDNA-based molecular clearance (mCR) and molecular progression (mPD) were all prognostic of both OS and PFS. Additionally, mCR consistently preceded radiographic imaging. Our results show the importance and utility of an ultra-sensitive ctDNA assay in advanced melanoma treated by ICI with potential implications for other cancers.

  Study EGAS50000000550

• KDM6A Loss Triggers an Epigenetic Switch that Disrupts Urothelial Identity and Drives Cell Proliferation in Bladder Cancer

  Disruption of KDM6A, a histone lysine demethylase, is one of the most common somatic alternations in bladder cancer. How mutations of this chromatin modifier impact the epigenetic landscape to promote carcinogenesis is poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that KDM6A loss triggers an epigenomic switch that disrupts urothelial identity and induces a neoplastic state characterized by increased cell proliferation. In bladder cancer cells with intact KDM6A, FOXA1 binds KDM6A at enhancers to activate genes instructing urothelial differentiation. In KDM6A-deficient cells, we observed simultaneous loss of FOXA1 target binding and genome-wide redistribution of the bZIP transcription factor ATF3, which in turn represses FOXA1 target genes and activates cell-cycle progression genes. Importantly, ATF3 depletion reverses the cell proliferation phenotype. These data establish that KDM6A loss creates an epigenetic state that drives tumor growth in an ATF3-dependent manner, forging a molecular vulnerability that can be targeted by novel therapeutic strategies.

  Study phs002801

• Neoadjuvant nivolumab or nivolumab plus ipilimumab in early-stage triple negative breast cancer: phase 2 adaptive BELLINI trial. WES

  The adaptive BELLINI trial explored whether short combination ICI induces immune activation (primary endpoint: two-fold increase in CD8+ T cells or IFNG), providing rationale for neoadjuvant ICI without chemotherapy. In window of opportunity cohorts A (4 weeks anti-PD1) and B (4 weeks anti-PD1 + anti-CTLA4), we observed immune activation in 53% (8/15) and 60% (9/15) of patients, respectively. High tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) correlated with response. Based on these data, we opened cohort C for patients with high TILs (≥50%) who received 6 weeks neoadjuvant anti-PD1 + anti-CTLA4 followed by surgery (primary endpoint: pathological complete response, pCR). 53% (8/15) of patients had major pathological response (< 10% viable tumor) at resection, with 33% (5/15) having pCR. All cohorts met Simon’s two-stage threshold for expansion to stage II. In conclusion, neoadjuvant immunotherapy without chemotherapy demonstrates potential efficacy and warrants further investigation in patients with early TNBC.

  Study EGAS50000000568

• Neoadjuvant nivolumab or nivolumab plus ipilimumab in early-stage triple negative breast cancer: phase 2 adaptive BELLINI trial. RNA-Seq

  The adaptive BELLINI trial explored whether short combination ICI induces immune activation (primary endpoint: two-fold increase in CD8+ T cells or IFNG), providing rationale for neoadjuvant ICI without chemotherapy. In window of opportunity cohorts A (4 weeks anti-PD1) and B (4 weeks anti-PD1 + anti-CTLA4), we observed immune activation in 53% (8/15) and 60% (9/15) of patients, respectively. High tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) correlated with response. Based on these data, we opened cohort C for patients with high TILs (≥50%) who received 6 weeks neoadjuvant anti-PD1 + anti-CTLA4 followed by surgery (primary endpoint: pathological complete response, pCR). 53% (8/15) of patients had major pathological response (< 10% viable tumor) at resection, with 33% (5/15) having pCR. All cohorts met Simon’s two-stage threshold for expansion to stage II. In conclusion, neoadjuvant immunotherapy without chemotherapy demonstrates potential efficacy and warrants further investigation in patients with early TNBC.

  Study EGAS50000000567

• Functional Variant rs9344 at 11q13.3 Regulates CCND1 Expression in Multiple Myeloma with t(11;14)

  Multiple myeloma (MM) is a plasma cell (PC) malignancy characterized by cytogenetic abnormalities, such as t(11;14)(q13;q32), resulting in CCND1 overexpression. The rs9344 G allele within CCND1 is the most significant susceptibility allele for t(11;14). We have found the G risk allele is enriched in both healthy individuals of African ancestry and African American individuals with MM. The overall aim of this study was to identify the mechanism behind why the G allele is enriched in t(11;14) MM. To reach this goal, we performed ATAC-seq from 100,000 CD138+ tumor cells from 26 patients with MM. In addition, we performed ChIP-seq using antibodies against H3K4me1, H3K27ac and H3K4me3 from 100,000 CD138+ tumor cells from 8 patients with MM. We used these data to evaluate whether the G allele of rs9344 is associated with elevated chromatin accessibility, H3K27ac and H3K4me3 in t(11;14) MM.

  Study phs003997

• International Cancer Proteogenome Consortium (ICPC): Proteogenomics of Early Stage Lung Adenocarcinoma in Taiwan

  Lung cancer in East Asia is characterized by a high percentage of never-smokers with early-onset adenocarcinoma, predominantly with EGFR mutations. To provide an insight into the molecular phenotype of this demographically distinct disease, we have performed a proteogenomics study on a prospectively collected cohort representing early stage lung adenocarcinoma in Taiwan. The distinct mutational profile revealed a high prevalence of the APOBEC mutational signature in early-onset females, implicating differential regulation of APOBEC enzymes and DNA damage pathways, as well as enrichment of mutational signatures congruent with environmental carcinogens over-represented in the genomic location of EGFR. We delineate the proteogenomic hallmarks of tumor progression and propose a proteomics-informed classification that resolves the EGFR mutation heterogeneity associated with survival within the early stages. Functional annotation of the molecular subtypes by protein network analysis highlights candidate biomarkers for patient stratification. Our integrative analysis reveals the molecular architecture of lung cancer in East Asia and enables the path for precision medicine.

  Study phs001954

• Dual inhibition of FLT3 and BCL-2 is effective in preclinical models of BCL11B-activated lineage ambiguous leukemia

  Aberrant activation of BCL11B (“BCL11B-a”) defines a subtype of lineage ambiguous leukemias with T-lymphoid and myeloid features, co-occurring activating FLT3 mutations, and a stem/progenitor immunophenotype and gene expression profile. As with other lineage ambiguous leukemias, optimal treatment is unclear and there are limited targeted therapeutic options. Here, we investigated the efficacy of BCL-2 and FLT3 inhibition with venetoclax and gilteritinib, respectively, in preclinical models of BCL11B-a leukemia. Despite variation in response to single agent therapies, the combination of venetoclax plus gilteritinib was highly effective in all models evaluated. BH3 profiling and single cell RNA-seq analysis suggests that resistance to venetoclax and/or gilteritinib monotherapies is due to the tumor-intrinsic activity of BCL-xL and/or MCL-1 prior to drug treatment. These data support clinical evaluation of venetoclax in combination with gilteritinib in BCL11B-a lineage ambiguous leukemias.

  Study EGAS50000000978

• Risk-Stratified Therapy for Acute Myeloid Leukemia in Down Syndrome

  Study ID: Children's Oncology Group (COG) - AAML1531NCT Number: NCT02521493Trial Title: Risk-Stratified Therapy for Acute Myeloid Leukemia in Down SyndromeSubmitted in collaboration with the NCTN/NCORP Data ArchiveData presented in the following publication(s): 34320162 Disease type(s): Hematopoietic Neoplasm/Leukemia - Acute Myeloid Leukemia; Hematopoietic Neoplasm/Leukemia - Myelodysplastic SyndromeDataset(s) included:NCT02521493-D1: There are 2 datasets associated with PMID 34320162, NCT02521493-D1 through NCT02521493-D2. The NCT02521493-D1 dataset is a patient level dataset (single row per patient) containing patient characteristics, laboratory findings, and outcome for eligible myeloid leukemia in children with Down syndrome (ML-DS) enrolled on the AAML1531 clinical trial.NCT02521493-D2: There are 2 datasets associated with PMID 34320162, NCT02521493-D1 through NCT02521493-D2. The NCT02521493-D2 dataset is an adverse event level dataset (single row per adverse event, period, and patient) containing information of the micro-organisms associated with adverse events by period in the AAML1531 clinical trial.

  Study phs004081

• Human CD4+ T cells regulate peripheral immune responses in rheumatoid arthritis via IGFL2

  To elucidate the role of the immunoregulatory mechanisms of human CD4+ T cells, we analyzed CD4+ T cells in PBMC, synovium and synovial fluid using single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq). We identified insulin-like growth factor (IGF) like family member 2 (IGFL2), an evolutionary novel paralogous inflammatory factor found exclusively in primates. ScRNA-seq of RA synovium showed that IGFL2 is specifically expressed by CD4+ T cells, predominantly within peripheral helper T (Tph) cells, with upregulation correlating to disease severity. IGFL2 promotes TGF-��-induced CXCL13 production in CD4+ T cells. In addition, IGFL2 activates NF-��B signaling and induces monocyte gene signatures associated with pathogenic macrophages from RA synovial tissue, including CXCL10 and CXCL9. Notably, blood IGFL2 protein levels significantly correlate with RA disease severity and effectively discriminate RA patients. These findings highlight the substantial involvement of IGFL2 in RA pathogenesis, emphasizing how human CD4+ T cells exert pleiotropic regulation of local immune responses via this novel primate-specific soluble factor.

  Study JGAS000727

• Molecular Profiling and Sequential Somatic Mutation Shift in Hypermutator Tumors Harboring POLE Mutations

  Defective DNA polymerase ? (POLE) proofreading leads to extensive somatic mutations that exhibits biased mutational properties; however, the characteristics of POLE-mutated tumors remain unclear. In present study, we described a molecular profile using whole exome sequencing based on the transition of somatic mutations in 10 POLE-mutated solid tumors that obtained from 2,42 Japanese patients. The bias of accumulated variations in this mutant was quantified to follow a pattern of somatic mutations, thereby classifying the sequential mutation shift into three periods. During the period prior to occurrence of the aberrant POLE, no accumulation of mutations in cancer-related genes was observed, whereas PTEN was highly mutated in conjunction with or subsequent to the event, suggesting that POLE and PTEN mutations were responsible for the development of POLE-mutated tumors. Furthermore, homologous recombination was restored after occurring PTEN mutations. Our strategy for estimation of the footprint of somatic mutations may provide new insight toward the understanding of mutation-driven tumorigenesis.

  Study JGAS000130

• Sequencing cancer mutations in various types of lung cancer using the long-read, portable sequencer

  In this study, we used a long-read and portable sequencer MinION to identify cancer mutations in lung adenocarcinoma cells. We performed cDNA amplicon sequencing for various types of mutations such as point mutations in EGFR and KRAS and oncogenic fusion transcripts in ALK and RET. Using the long reads of MinION, we also conducted mutation phasing of EGFR TKI-sensitive and resistant mutations, which would provide useful information to next thrapeutic approaches for cancers. We applied this method to identify mutation genotypes of eight clinical samples from Japanese lung adenocarcinomas. This method could provide new sequencing-based diagnostic approaches for lung cancers. Additinally we also performed cancer mutation identification of risk-dependent unique samples. Usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) is a risk factor for lung carcinogenesis. This study was performed to characterize mutagenesis and mutational target genes underlying lung carcinogenesis in patients with UIP.We performed whole exome sequencing of lung adenocarcinoma with usual interstitial pneumonia.

  Study JGAS000065

• Parent-of-origin dependent DNA methylation and gene expression in the human placenta

  DNA methylation is globally reprogrammed after fertilization and the parental genomes have similar DNA methylation profiles after implantation except at the germline differentially methylated regions (gDMRs). We, and others, have previously shown that there are a large number of transient gDMRs in human blastocysts, whose differential methylation is lost in embryonic tissues after implantation. In this study we employed genome-wide allelic DNA methylation analyses of highly purified trophoblast cells from human placentas. ~40% of the transient-in-embryo gDMRs maintained their parent-of-origin-dependent biased allelic methylation. RNA sequencing-based allelic expression analyses revealed that some of the placental-specific gDMRs were associated with novel imprinted genes. This approach identified the first examples of X-linked gDMRs specific to the placenta. These findings highlight the unique regulation of allelic DNA methylation in the human placenta, which is important for understanding normal placental development and the pathogenesis of pregnancy complications.

  Study JGAS000038

• Kbtbd13 knock-down restores muscle function in a human-based mouse model of nemaline myopathy type 6

  Nemaline myopathy type 6 (NEM6) is caused by pathogenic variants in KBTBD13. Patients experience muscle weakness, excessive fatigue and impaired muscle relaxation which significantly impact their daily activities. NEM6 pathophysiology consist of abnormal protein aggregation in muscle cells and a predominance of slow-twitch myofibers, and most patients carry the Dutch founder variant in KBTBD13 (NP_001094832.1: p.Arg408Cys, referred to as KBTBD13R408C). Currently, no specific therapy is available. Here, we used a KBTBD13R408C knock-in mouse model and aimed to identify the molecular changes driving disease pathogenesis and to define a therapeutic window to test a therapeutic intervention. We revealed that the mouse model closely phenocopies the human phenotype at a morphological, functional, and transcriptional level and that the p.Arg408Cys variant causes mis-localization of KBTBD13 within the muscle sarcomere. Our natural history data in the Kbtbd13(R408C) mouse model showed that disease onset occurs between 1-3 months and plateaus by 9 months with little progression at 18 months.

  Study EGAS50000001678

• Cancer genome scanning in plasma: detection of tumor-associated copy number aberrations, single nucleotide variants and tumoral heterogeneity by massively parallel sequencing

  Tumor-derived DNA can be found in the plasma of cancer patients. We explored the use of shotgun massively parallel sequencing of plasma DNA obtained from cancer patients to scan a cancer genome noninvasively. We achieved the profiling of copy number aberrations and point mutations, in a genomewide manner using this approach. By measuring the genomewide aggregated allelic loss and point mutations, we determined the fractional tumor-derived DNA concentrations in plasma and correlated these values with tumor size and surgical treatment. We have also demonstrated the application of this approach to monitoring a complex oncologic scenario, in a patient with two synchronous cancers. In particular, through the use of multi-regional sequencing of tumoral tissues and shotgun sequencing of plasma DNA, we have shown that plasma DNA sequencing is a valuable approach for studying tumoral heterogeneity. Shotgun plasma DNA sequencing is thus a powerful tool for cancer monitoring and research.

  Study EGAS00001000370

• Serial assessment of measurable residual disease in medulloblastoma liquid biopsies

  Nearly one-third of children with medulloblastoma, a malignant embryonal tumor of the cerebellum, succumb to their disease. Conventional response monitoring by imaging and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cytology remains challenging and a marker for measurable residual disease (MRD) is lacking. Here, we show the clinical utility of CSF-derived cell-free DNA (cfDNA) as a biomarker of MRD in serial samples collected from children with medulloblastoma (123 patients, 476 samples) enrolled on a prospective trial. Using low-coverage whole-genome sequencing, tumor-associated copy-number variations (CNVs) in CSF-derived cfDNA are investigated as an MRD surrogate. MRD is detected at baseline in 85% and 54% of patients with metastatic and localized disease, respectively. The number of MRD-positive patients decline with therapy, yet those with persistent MRD have significantly higher risk of progression. Importantly, MRD detection precedes radiographic progression in half who relapse. Our findings advocate for the prospective assessment of CSF-derived liquid biopsies in future trials for medulloblastoma.

  Study EGAS00001005592

• Dual targeting of polyamine synthesis and uptake in diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas

  Diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) is an incurable malignant childhood brain tumour, with no active systemic therapies and a 5-year survival of less than 1%. Polyamines are small organic polycations that are essential for DNA replication, translation and cell proliferation. Ornithine decarboxylase 1 (ODC1), the rate limiting enzyme in polyamine synthesis, is irreversibly inhibited by difluoromethylornithine (DFMO). Herein we show that polyamine synthesis is upregulated in DIPG, leading to sensitivity to DFMO. DIPG cells compensate for ODC1 inhibition by upregulation of the polyamine transporter SLC3A2. Treatment with the polyamine transporter inhibitor AMXT 1501 reduced uptake of polyamines in DIPG cells, and co-administration of AMXT 1501 and DFMO led to potent in vitro activity, and significant extension of survival in three aggressive DIPG orthotopic animal models. Collectively, these results demonstrate the potential of dual targeting of polyamine synthesis and uptake as a therapeutic strategy for incurable DIPG.

  Study EGAS00001004905

• CD74-NRG1 fusions in lung adenocarcinoma

  We discovered a novel somatic gene fusion, CD74-NRG1, by transcriptome sequencing of 25 lung adenocarcinomas of never smokers. By screening 102 lung adenocarcinomas negative for known oncogenic alterations we found four additional fusion-positive tumors, all of which were of the invasive mucinous subtype. Mechanistically, CD74-NRG1 leads to extracellular expression of the EGF-like domain of NRG1 III-beta3, thereby providing the ligand for ERBB2-ERBB3 receptor complexes. Accordingly, ERBB2 and ERBB3 expression was high in the index case and expression of phospho-ERBB3 was specifically found in tumors bearing the fusion (p&lt;0.0001). Ectopic expression of CD74-NRG1 in lung cancer cell lines expressing ERBB2 and ERBB3 activated ERBB3 and the PI3K-AKT pathway, and led to increased colony formation in soft agar. Thus, CD74-NRG1 gene fusions are activating genomic alterations in invasive mucinous adenocarcinomas and may offer a therapeutic opportunity for a lung tumor subtype with, so far, no effective treatment.

  Study EGAS00001000653

• White blood cell and cell-free DNA analyses for detection of residual disease in gastric cancer

  Liquid biopsies are providing new opportunities for detection of residual disease in cell-free DNA (cfDNA) after surgery but may be confounded through identification of alterations arising from clonal hematopoiesis. Here, we identify circulating tumor-derived DNA alterations (ctDNA) through ultrasensitive targeted sequencing analyses of matched cfDNA and white blood cells from the same patient. We apply this approach to analyze samples from patients in the CRITICS trial, a phase III randomized controlled study of perioperative chemotherapy in patients with operable gastric cancer. After filtering alterations derived from matched white-blood cells, the presence of ctDNA predicts recurrence when analyzed within nine weeks after preoperative treatment and after surgery in patients eligible for multimodal treatment. These analyses provide a facile method for distinguishing ctDNA from other cfDNA alterations and highlight the utility of ctDNA as a predictive biomarker of patient outcome to perioperative cancer therapy and surgical resection in patients with gastric cancer.

  Study EGAS00001004114

• Rare disruptive mutations in ciliary function genes contribute to testicular cancer susceptibility

  Testicular germ cell tumor (TGCT) is the most common cancer in young men1,2. Here we aimed to identify novel risk factors for TGCT using whole-exome sequencing, which was performed on 328 affected individuals from 153 families, 634 sporadic cases and 1,644 controls. We searched for genes that were recurrently affected by rare variants (minor allele frequency &lt;0.01) with potentially damaging effects and evidence of segregation in families. 8.7% of families carried rare disruptive mutations in the cilia-microtubule genes (CMG) as compared to 0.5% of controls3 (P=2.1x10-8). The most significantly mutated CMG was DNAAF1 with biallelic inactivation and loss of DNAAF1 expression shown in tumors from carriers. DNAAF1 as a cause of TGCT was supported by a DNAAF1Hu255h(+/-) zebrafish model with 94% penetrance for TGCT compared to 14% in wildtype fish. These data implicate cilia-microtubule inactivation as a cause of TGCT development and are the first evidence for CMGs as cancer susceptibility genes.

  Study EGAS00001001789

• Divergence between high metastatic tumor burden and low circulating tumor DNA concentration in metastasized breast cancer

  Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) was reported to represent a highly sensitive biomarker of metastatic cancer disease directly reflecting tumor burden and dynamics. Here we investigated the role of ctDNA in patients with metastatic breast cancer. In an index patient with more than 100,000 circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in serial blood analyses, whole genome, exome, or targeted deep sequencing of the primary tumor, metastases, and 551 CTCs were consistent with a genetically homogeneous cancer. However, the allele fractions (AFs) of ctDNA were only 2-3% in each analysis, which did neither reflect the tumor burden nor the dynamics of this progressive disease by far. Indeed, plasma analyses of 71 further patients demonstrated highly variable AFs of mutant fragments, which frequently did not correspond to the tumor burden. These results provide insights into mechanisms involved in CTC and ctDNA release into the circulation and have important implications for diagnostic tests based on liquid biopsies.

  Study EGAS00001000625

• Genomic catastrophes frequently arise in esophageal adenocarcinoma and drive tumorigenesis.

  Oesophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) incidence is rapidly increasing in Western countries. A better understanding of EAC underpins efforts to improve early detection and treatment outcomes. While large EAC exome sequencing efforts to date have found recurrent loss-of-function mutations, oncogenic driving events have been underrepresented. Here we use a combination of whole-genome sequencing (WGS) and single-nucleotide polymorphism-array profiling to show that genomic catastrophes are frequent in EAC, with almost a third (32%, n=40/123) undergoing chromothriptic events. WGS of 22 EAC cases show that catastrophes may lead to oncogene amplification through chromothripsis-derived double-minute chromosome formation (MYC and MDM2) or breakage-fusion-bridge (KRAS, MDM2 and RFC3). Telomere shortening is more prominent in EACs bearing localized complex rearrangements. Mutational signature analysis also confirms that extreme genomic instability in EAC can be driven by somatic BRCA2 mutations. These findings suggest that genomic catastrophes have a significant role in the malignant transformation of EAC.

  Study EGAS00001000750

• Multi-layered population structure in Island Southeast Asians

  The history of human settlement in Southeast Asia has been complex and involved several distinct dispersal events. Here we report the analyses of 1825 individuals from Southeast Asia including new genome-wide genotype data for 146 individuals from three Mainland Southeast Asian (Burmese, Malay and Vietnamese) and four Island Southeast Asian (Dusun, Filipino, Kankanaey and Murut) populations. While confirming the presence of previously recognized major ancestry components in the Southeast Asian population structure, we highlight the Kankanaey Igorots from the highlands of the Philippine Mountain Province as likely the closest living representatives of the source population that may have given rise to the Austronesianexpansion. This conclusion rests on independent evidence from various analyses of autosomal data and uniparental markers. Given the extensive presence of trade goods, cultural and linguistic evidence of Indian influence in Southeast Asia starting from 2.5kya we also detect traces of a South Asian signature in different populations in the region dating to the last couple of thousand years.

  Study EGAS00001001738

• Resident memory CD8 T cells persist for years in human small intestine

  Resident memory CD8 T cells (Trm) have been shown to provide effective protective responses in the small intestine (SI) in mice. A better understanding of the generation and persistence of SI CD8 Trm cells in humans may have implications for intestinal immune-mediated diseases and vaccine development. Analyzing normal and transplanted human SI we demonstrated that the majority of SI CD8 T cells were bona fide CD8 Trm cells that survived for over 1 year in the graft. Intraepithelial and lamina propria CD8 Trm cells showed a high clonal overlap and a repertoire dominated by expanded clones, conserved both spatially in the intestine and over time. Functionally, lamina propria CD8 Trm cells were potent cytokine-producers, exhibiting a polyfunctional (IFN-γ+ IL-2+ TNF-α+) profile, and efficiently expressed cytotoxic mediators after stimulation. These results suggest that SI CD8 Trm cells could be relevant targets for future oral vaccines and therapeutic strategies for gut disorders.

  Study EGAS00001003676

• Variation in the Glucose Transporter gene SLC2A2 is associated with glycaemic response to metformin

  Metformin is the first-line antidiabetic drug with over 100 million users worldwide, yet its mechanism of action remains unclear1. Here the Metformin Genetics (MetGen) Consortium reports a three-stage genome wide association study (GWAS), consisting of 13,123 participants of different ancestries. The C-allele of rs8192675 in the intron of SLC2A2, which encodes the facilitated glucose transporter GLUT2, was associated with a 0.17% (p=6.6x10-14) greater metformin induced HbA1c reduction in 10,577 participants of European ancestry. rs8192675 is the top cis-eQTL for SLC2A2 in 1,226 human liver samples, suggesting a key role for hepatic GLUT2 in regulation of metformin action. In obese individuals C-allele homozygotes at rs8192675 had a 0.33% (3.6mmol/mol) greater absolute HbA1c reduction than T-allele homozygotes.This is about half the effect seen with the addition of a DPP-4 inhibitor, and equates to a dose difference of 550mg of metformin, suggesting rs8192675 as a potential biomarker for stratified medicine.

  Study EGAS00001001875

• Evolutionary predictability of genetic versus non genetic resistance to anticancer drugs in melanoma

  Therapy resistance arises from heterogeneous drug-tolerant persister cells or minimal residual disease (MRD) through genetic and nongenetic mechanisms. A key question is whether specific molecular features of the MRD ecosystem determine which of these two distinct trajectories will eventually prevail. We show that, in melanoma exposed to MAPK therapeutics, emergence of a transient neural crest stem cell (NCSC) population in MRD concurs with the development of nongenetic resistance. This increase relies on a GDNF-dependent signaling cascade, which activates the AKT survival pathway in a focal adhesion kinase (FAK)-dependent manner. Ablation of the NCSC population through FAK inhibition delays relapse in patient-derived tumor xenografts. Strikingly, all tumors that ultimately escape this treatment exhibit resistance-conferring genetic alterations and increased sensitivity to ERK inhibition. These findings identify an approach that abrogates the nongenetic resistance trajectory in melanoma and demonstrate that the cellular composition of MRD deterministically imposes distinct drug resistance evolutionary paths.

  Study EGAS00001005314

• Robust detection of translocations in lymphoma FFPE samples using Targeted Locus Capture-based sequencing - NGS targeted capture control cohort

  In routine diagnostic pathology, cancer biopsies are preserved by Formalin-Fixed, Paraffin-Embedding (FFPE) procedures for examination of (intra-) cellular morphology. Such procedures inadvertently induce DNA fragmentation, which compromises sequencing-based analyses of chromosomal rearrangements. Yet, rearrangements drive many types of hematolymphoid malignancies and solid tumors, and their manifestation is instructive for diagnosis, prognosis and treatment. Here, we present FFPE-Targeted Locus Capture (FFPE-TLC) for targeted sequencing of proximity-ligation products formed in FFPE tissue blocks, and PLIER, a computational framework that allows automated identification and characterization of rearrangements involving selected, clinically-relevant, loci. FFPE-TLC, blindly applied to 149 lymphoma and control FFPE samples, identifies the known and novel rearrangement partners. It outperforms fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) in sensitivity and specificity, and shows clear advantages over standard capture-NGS methods, finding rearrangements involving repetitive sequences which they typically miss. FFPE-TLC is therefore a powerful clinical diagnostics tool for accurate targeted rearrangement detection in FFPE specimens.

  Study EGAS00001005325

• Multimodal Genomic Features Predict Outcome of Immune Checkpoint Blockade in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

  Despite progress in immunotherapy, identifying patients that respond has remained a challenge. Through analysis of whole-exome and targeted sequence data from 5,449 tumors, we found a significant correlation between tumor mutation burden (TMB) and tumor purity, suggesting that low tumor purity tumors are likely to have inaccurate TMB estimates. We developed a new method to estimate a corrected TMB (cTMB) that was adjusted for tumor purity and more accurately predicted outcome to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB). To identify improved predictive markers together with cTMB, we performed whole-exome sequencing for 104 lung tumors treated with ICB. Through comprehensive analyses of sequence and structural alterations, we discovered a significant enrichment in activating mutations in receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) genes in non-responding tumors in three immunotherapy-treated cohorts. An integrated multivariable model incorporating cTMB, RTK mutations, smoking-related mutational signature, and HLA status provided an improved predictor of response to immunotherapy that was independently validated.

  Study EGAS00001003892