12276 results for ""statistically+reactive"+taxa+in+microbial+community"

in 51.78 milliseconds.

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

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

  Study EGAS00001007981

• Amplicon sequencing of various tumors

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

  Study JGAS000366

• CRC Promoter capture Hi-C

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

  Study EGAS00001001946

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

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

  Study EGAS00001005518

• Single cell sequencing data of PBMC and CSF from a cohort of Multiple Sclerosis patients and other neurological disease controls

  Neuroinflammation is often characterised by immune cell infiltrates in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Here we apply single-cell RNA sequencing to explore the functional characteristics of these cells in patients with various inflammatory, infectious and non-inflammatory neurological disorders. We show that CSF is distinct from the peripheral blood in terms of both cellular composition and gene expression. We report that the cellular and transcriptional landscape of CSF is altered in neuroinflammation, but is strikingly similar across different neuroinflammatory disorders. We find clonal expansion of CSF B and T cells in all disorders but most pronounced in inflammatory diseases, and we functionally characterise the transcriptional features of these cells. Finally, we explore the genetic control of gene expression in CSF lymphocytes. Our results highlight the common features of immune cells in the CSF compartment across diverse neurological diseases and may help to identify new targets for drug development or repurposing in Multiple Sclerosis.

  Study EGAS50000000739

• Genetic Basis of Hepatosplenic T Cell Lymphoma (HSTL)

  Hepatosplenic T cell lymphoma (HSTL) is a rare and lethal lymphoma; the genetic drivers of this disease are unknown.  Through whole exome sequencing of 68 HSTLs, we define recurrently mutated driver genes and copy number alterations in the disease. Chromatin modifying genes including SETD2, INO80 and ARID1B were commonly mutated in HSTL, affecting 62% of cases. HSTLs manifest frequent mutations in STAT5B (31%), STAT3 (9%), and PIK3CD (9%) for which there currently exist potential targeted therapies. In addition, we noted less frequent events in EZH2, KRAS and TP53. SETD2 was the most frequently silenced gene in HSTL. We experimentally demonstrated that SETD2 acts as a tumor suppressor gene. In addition, we found that mutations in STAT5B and PIK3CD activate critical signaling pathways important to cell survival in HSTL. Our work thus defines the genetic landscape of HSTL and implicates novel gene mutations linked to HSTL pathogenesis and potential treatment targets.

  Study EGAS00001002182

• Phase 1 CX-5461 Trial (Canadian Cancer Trials Group Trial IND.231)

  CX-5461 is a G-quadruplex stabilizer that exhibits synthetic lethality in homologous recombination (HR) deficient models. In this multicentre Phase Ib trial in patients with solid tumors, 40 patients were treated across 10 dose levels (50 - 650 mg/m2) to determine the recommended phase II dose (RP2D), and evaluate safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics. Defective HR was explored as a predictive biomarker. CX-5461 was generally well tolerated, with a RP2D of 475 mg/m2 d1, 8 and 15 every 4 weeks, and dose limiting toxicities of phototoxicity. Responses were observed in 10% of patients, primarily in patients with defective HR (ORR 14%). Reversion mutations in PALB2 and BRCA2 were detected on progression following initial response in germline carriers, confirming the underlying synthetic lethal mechanism. In vitro characterization of UV sensitization showed this toxicity is related to the CX-5461 chemotype, independent of G4 synthetic lethality. These results establish clinical proof-of-concept for this first-in class G4 stabilizer.

  Study EGAS00001006173

• Exome & MiSeq sequencing of individuals with Huntington's disease

  The age at onset of motor symptoms in Huntington's disease (HD) is driven by HTT CAG repeat length but modified by other genes. In this study, we used exome sequencing of 683 patients with HD with extremes of onset or phenotype relative to CAG length to identify rare variants associated with clinical effect. We discovered damaging coding variants in candidate modifier genes identified in previous genome-wide association studies associated with altered HD onset or severity. Variants in FAN1 clustered in its DNA-binding and nuclease domains and were associated predominantly with earlier-onset HD. Nuclease activities of purified variants in vitro correlated with residual age at motor onset of HD. Mutating endogenous FAN1 to a nuclease-inactive form in an induced pluripotent stem cell model of HD led to rates of CAG expansion similar to those observed with complete FAN1 knockout. Together, these data implicate FAN1 nuclease activity in slowing somatic repeat expansion and hence onset of HD.

  Study EGAS00001006383

• Serial TERT rearrangement breakpoint quantification in circulating tumor DNA enables minimal residual disease monitoring in patients with neuroblastoma

  Approximately 30% of high-risk neuroblastomas harbor genomic TERT rearrangements at diagnosis, resulting in high TERT transcript levels and active telomerase. Combined with mutations in the RAS/MAPK/ALK signaling transduction network, these patients have a dismal prognosis. Our objective was to establish a liquid biopsy-based monitoring strategy for this particularly vulnerable patient subgroup, for whom no in-time molecular diagnostic tools exist to date. Detection and quantification of TERT rearrangement breakpoints in cell-free tumor DNA circulating in peripheral blood and bone marrow plasma from patients with TERT-driven neuroblastoma improved minimal residual disease monitoring and early relapse detection in individual patients. TERT rearrangement breakpoints, as a single marker or combined with mutations in the RAS/MAPK/ALK signaling transduction network, can be reliably analyzed from 1ng DNA using droplet digital PCR assays fit for clinical routine use. TERT rearrangement breakpoints are reflected in cell-free tumor DNA and can serve as robust biomarkers for disease activity.

  Study EGAS00001007365

• Unraveling mutagenic processes influencing the tumor mutational patterns of individuals with Constitutional Mismatch Repair Deficiency

  Constitutional mismatch repair deficiency (CMMRD), caused by bi-allelic germline variants in one of the mismatch repair (MMR) genes, is a childhood cancer predisposition syndrome that often results in the development of multiple tumors early in life. A better understanding of mutational processes driving subsequent CMMRD tumors could advance optimal treatment. Therefore, we performed a genomic characterization of 41 tumors from 17 individuals with CMMRD. Mutational patterns in these tumors were found to be influenced by multiple factors, including the affected MMR genes, tumor types and somatic polymerase proofreading mutations. Temozolomide treatment left prominent mutational signatures in two second primary hematologic malignancies. Furthermore, a novel indel signature was found in 54% of the tumors, characterized by one base pair cytosine insertions in cytosine homopolymers. In conclusion, the analysis of sequential tumors in individuals with CMMRD reveals diverse mutational patterns influenced by the underlying mutated MMR gene, tumor type and treatment history.

  Study EGAS00001007660

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

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

  Study EGAS50000000933

• Biased allelic expression in human primary fibroblast single cells.

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

  Study EGAS00001001009

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

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

  Study EGAS50000000225

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

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

  Study phs001169

• Volasertib preclinical activity in high-risk hepatoblastoma

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

  Study EGAS00001004827

• Linguistic utterance counts for The admixture histories of Cabo Verde

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

  Dataset EGAD00001008978

• Whole genome sequencing of matched primary and metastatic acral melanomas

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

  Study EGAS00001000169

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

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

  Study EGAS00001007461

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

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

  Study phs001038

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

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

  Study EGAS00001000449

• Lung Health Study (LHS-BioLINCC)

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

  Study phs004013

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

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

  Study EGAS00001004940

• Methylation differences in trisomy 21 using monozygotic twins

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

  Study EGAS00001001051

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

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

  Study EGAS00001003212

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

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

  Study EGAS00001004108

• ATAC-seq data in normal colon mucosa

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

  Study EGAS00001005281

• Frequent mutation of the FOXA1 untranslated region in prostate cancer

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

  Study EGAS00001003113

• RNA-Seq of GM adipose tissue samples

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

  Dataset EGAD00001010253

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

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

  Study EGAS00001007513

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

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

  Study phs002022

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

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

  Study phs000830

• Novel mutations in TOP2A in gliomas

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

  Study EGAS00001004556

• Kids First: Genomics of Orofacial Clefts in the Philippines

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

  Study phs002595

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

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

  Study EGAS50000000130

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

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

  Study EGAS50000001644

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

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

  Study EGAS00001001287

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

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

  Study EGAS00001005616

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

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

  Study JGAS000073

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

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

  Study JGAS000107

• Changes in CRISPR/Cas9 Outcomes depending on the usage of Pifithrin-alpha

  Study of the effects of Pifithrin-alpha in the context of genetic-engineering in primary human T cells.

  Study EGAS50000000656

• BS-seq in plasma of CRC patients

  We performed whole genome bisulfite sequencing of plasma DNA in 11 colorectal cancer patients to study the colonic DNA in plasma.

  Study EGAS00001003117

• Genomic Sequencing of Cervical Cancers

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

  Study phs000600

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

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

  Study EGAS00001004455

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

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

  Study EGAS00001006037

• Whole exome sequencing in RVOT patients

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

  Study EGAS00001002319

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

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

  Study EGAS00001003547

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

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

  Study EGAS00001001146

• Targets of MEK inhibition in DIPG

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

  Study EGAS00001004495

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

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

  Study EGAS50000000830

• Paediatric Hepatic International Tumour Trial (JPLT2: PHITT)

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

  Study JGAS000236

• The_evolution_of_CML

  This project aims to investigate the timing of acquistion of key driver events in CML such as the canonical BCR/ABL gene fusion and their clonal trajectories in order determine selection advantage of such clones. Colonies derived from single haematopoietic progenitors will be sequenced as clonal units. This is in line with other work in the Nangalia lab and CASM.

  Study EGAS00001005095

• Host genetic determinants of HIV infection

  Broadly, the objectives of the study are to characterize genetic variation in any gene or genomic region in South African populations, in the first place HIV. The purpose is to apply this knowledge to establish assays and gene signatures to test in disease-association studies, and to study underlying mechanisms of disease causation/severity.

  Study EGAS00001005245

• Whole-Exome Sequences from Imazighen and non-Imazghen from Tunisia

  Study of high-coverage whole-exome sequences from Amazigh (Tamazight-speakers) and non-Amazigh individuals (Arab-speakers) from Tunisia to analyze the impact of demography in functional genomic variation in the complex demographic context of North Africa. Amazigh individuals were sampled in Chenini and Douiret, and non-Amazigh individuals were sampled in Tunis.

  Study EGAS00001005205

• ctDNA quantification in Ewing sarcoma patients

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

  Study EGAS00001006433

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

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

  Study phs000345

• RNA-seq of DF149 cells – a patient-derived xenograft model of ascites-derived, homologous recombination repair-proficient, high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma – cultured in vitro and isolated after 8 hours treatment with DMSO control (3 x biological replicates) and 2.5 µM CBL0137 (3 x biological replicates)

  Background: High-grade serous ovarian carcinomas (HGSCs) are a heterogeneous subtype of epithelial ovarian cancers and include serous cancers arising in the fallopian tube and peritoneum. These cancers are now subdivided into homologous recombination repair (HR)-deficient and proficient subgroups as this classification impacts on management and prognosis. PARP inhibitors (PARPi) have shown significant clinical efficacy, particularly as maintenance therapy following response to platinum based chemotherapy in BRCA-mutant or homologous recombination (HR)-deficient HGSCs in both the 1st and 2nd line settings. However, PARPi have limited clinical benefit in HR-proficient HGSCs which make up almost 50% of HGSC and improving outcomes in these patients is now a high priority due to the poor prognosis with current standard of care. There are a number of potential lines of investigation including efforts in sensitizing HR-proficient tumors to PARPi. Herein, we aimed to develop a novel combination therapy by targeting SSRP1 using a small molecule inhibitor CBL0137 with PARPi in HR-proficient HGSOCs. Experimental design: We tested anti-cancer activity of CBL0137 monotherapy using a panel of HGSOC cell lines and patient-derived tumor cells in vitro. RNA sequencing was used to map global transcriptomic changes in CBL0137-treated patient-derived HR-proficient HGSOC cells. We tested efficacy of CBL0137 in combination with PARPi using HGSOC cell lines and patient-derived tumor cells in vitro and in vivo. Results: We show that SSRP1 inhibition using a small molecule, CBL0137, that traps SSRP1 onto chromatin, exerts a significant anti-growth activity in vitro against HGSC cell lines and patient-derived tumor cells, and also reduces tumor burden in vivo. CBL0137 induced DNA repair deficiency via inhibition of the HR repair pathway and sensitized SSRP1-high HR-proficient HGSC cell lines and patient-derived tumor cells/xenografts to the PARPi, Olaparib in vitro and in vivo. CBL0137 also enhanced the efficacy of DNA damaging platinum-based chemotherapy in HGSC patient-derived xenografts. Conclusion: Our findings strongly suggest that combination of CBL0137 and PARP inhibition represents a novel therapeutic strategy for HR-proficient HGSCs that express high levels of SSRP1 and should be investigated in the clinic.

  Study EGAS00001006662

• Shared disease specific B cell clones in Crohn’s disease

  We performed deep sequencing of the B cell receptor (BCR) repertoire in four cohorts of patients with Crohn’s disease (CD) together with healthy and disease controls. Using sequence homology, we identified BCR clones that were shared between patients with CD but not found in healthy individuals nor in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC), indicating CD-associated B cell immune responses. Shared clones were present in inflamed gut mucosa, draining intestinal lymph nodes and blood, suggesting the presence of common CD-associated antigens that drive B cell responses in CD patients.

  Study EGAS50000000912

• The Study of Somatic LINE1 Activity in Cancers

  This study focuses exclusively on the quantification of LINE1 mobilization. We analyzed a recent whole genome sequencing data release from multiple Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) sub-projects. In addition to the somatic LINE1 insertions (present in tumor and having no support in the matched normal) there are "pseudo-germline" non-reference LINE1 elements identified in tumor tissue and having some support in the matched normal. This dataset reports such "pseudo-germline" LINE1 retrotranspositions. Individual level data for TCGA can be accessed by requesting access to phs000178.

  Study phs003888

• Molecular analysis of circulating tumour cells identifies distinct profiles in chemosensitive and chemorefractory patients with small cell lung cancer

  In a search for profiles that distinguish chemosensitive versus chemorefractory SCLC disease, we examined copy number aberrations (CNA) in circulating tumour cells (CTCs) from pre-treatment SCLC blood samples. A CNA classifier was generated from 88 CTCs isolated from 13 patients (training set) then verified in 18 additional patients (112 CTC samples) (testing set) and in six SCLC patient-derived CTC explants explant tumours. These data highlight the potential utility of CTCs for molecular profiling and stratification of SCLC patients in future clinical trials.

  Study EGAS00001001951

• Genome-wide association study of cervical cancer in East Asian populations

  The development of cervical cancer is initiated by human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, and involves both viral and host genetic factors. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of cervical cancer have identified associations in the HLA locus and two loci outside HLA, but the principal genes that control infection and pathogenesis have not been identified. In the present study, we performed GWAS of cervical cancer in East Asian populations, involving 2609 cases and 4712 controls in the discovery stage, 1461 cases and 3295 controls in the follow-up stage.

  Study EGAS00001003199

• Mitochondrial DNA sequencing in samples of Huntington’s disease patients

  Mitochondrial dysfunction is found in the brain and peripheral tissues of Huntington’s disease (HD) patients, which connects many pathological features of HD. In this project, we conducted a large-scale study of mtDNA variations with a sensitive mtDNA-targeted sequencing method called STAMP, at a median coverage of 4000-fold, in lymphoblast and blood samples of HD patients. mtDNA sequence variations and copy numbers were compared between samples from HD patients and healthy control individuals, and were assessed in relation to HD stages, and changes of HD phenotypes in longitudinal samples.

  Study EGAS00001004092

• Genetics causes of male infertility in 185 patient-parent trios from Netherlands and UK

  In this, whole exome sequencing was performed on 185 patients suffering from Azoospermia or severe oligozoospermia and on their respective fertile parents in order to investigate de novo and inherited genetic variants likely to be the cause of infertility in these men. After bioinformatic analysis and comprehensive variant interpretation several de novo point mutations and copy number variations were identified as well as multiple homozygous and compound heterozygous mutations in recessive genes that are likely influencing the infertility phenotypes observed in the patients.

  Study EGAS00001005417

• Selection of somatic escape variants in SERPINA1 in liver tissue of patients with alpha-1 anti-trypsin deficiency - WGS

  Somatic variants accumulate in non-malignant tissues with age. Functional variants leading to clonal advantage of hepatocytes accumulate in the liver from patients with acquired chronic liver disease (CLD). Whether somatic variants are common to CLD from differing aetiologies is unknown. We analysed liver somatic variants in patients with genetic CLD from alpha-1 anti-trypsin (A1AT) deficiency or haemochromatosis. We show that somatic variants in SERPINA1, the gene encoding A1AT, are strongly selected for in A1AT deficiency, with evidence of convergent evolution. Acquired SERPINA1 variants are clustered leading to truncation or coding change at the C-terminus of A1AT. In vitro and in vivo, C-terminal truncation variants reduce disease-associated Z-A1AT polymer accumulation and disruption of the endoplasmic reticulum, supporting the C-terminal domain swap mechanism. Therefore, somatic escape variants from a deleterious germline variant are selected for in A1AT deficiency, suggesting functional somatic variants are disease-specific in CLD and point to disease-associated mechanisms.

  Dataset EGAD00001015430

• Selection of somatic escape variants in SERPINA1 in liver tissue of patients with alpha-1 anti-trypsin deficiency - Exome

  Somatic variants accumulate in non-malignant tissues with age. Functional variants leading to clonal advantage of hepatocytes accumulate in the liver from patients with acquired chronic liver disease (CLD). Whether somatic variants are common to CLD from differing aetiologies is unknown. We analysed liver somatic variants in patients with genetic CLD from alpha-1 anti-trypsin (A1AT) deficiency or haemochromatosis. We show that somatic variants in SERPINA1, the gene encoding A1AT, are strongly selected for in A1AT deficiency, with evidence of convergent evolution. Acquired SERPINA1 variants are clustered leading to truncation or coding change at the C-terminus of A1AT. In vitro and in vivo, C-terminal truncation variants reduce disease-associated Z-A1AT polymer accumulation and disruption of the endoplasmic reticulum, supporting the C-terminal domain swap mechanism. Therefore, somatic escape variants from a deleterious germline variant are selected for in A1AT deficiency, suggesting functional somatic variants are disease-specific in CLD and point to disease-associated mechanisms.

  Dataset EGAD00001015431

• Germline variants in UHRF1 are associated with multi-locus imprinting disturbance in humans and mice

  Genomic imprinting provides is an epigenetic process crucial for normal development and is disrupted in congenital imprinting disorders(CIDs). There is great interest in the clinical consequences and aetiology of multilocus imprinting disturbance(MLID) which occurs in some individuals with CID, though the cause of MLID is unknown in most cases. We investigated a kindred with a CID and MLID and identified a rare genetic variant in the UHRF1 gene which has a critical role in the establishment and maintenance of DNA methylation. We generated a mouse model and found that the equivalent Uhrf1 variant was associated with prenatal lethality and disruption of normal imprinting mechanisms. These findings support UHRF1 as a novel candidate gene for CIDs with MLID.

  Study EGAS50000001179

• Mutational_landscape_in_haemochromatosis__WGS_

  Somatic mutation has recently been shown to play a role in disease other than cancer. Driver mutations associated with lipid metabolism and insulin pathway have been identified in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). It is plausible that driver mutations seen in NAFLD are a consequence of selection pressure exerted on hepatocytes in the context of excess fat accumulation. It has not been investigated whether selection pressure and driver landscape varies between chronic liver diseases of different aetiologies. This study aims to investigate mutational landscape in haemochromatosis, which is a disorder caused by a build-up of iron in the liver. We aim to use data generated by whole-genome sequencing of laser-dissected microbiopsies from diseased livers to characterize driver landscape and mutational signatures in haemochromatosis patients.

  Study EGAS00001005157

• Mutational_landscape_in_haemochromatosis__exome_

  Somatic mutation has recently been shown to play a role in disease other than cancer. Driver mutations associated with lipid metabolism and insulin pathway have been identified in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). It is plausible that driver mutations seen in NAFLD are a consequence of selection pressure exerted on hepatocytes in the context of excess fat accumulation. It has not been investigated whether selection pressure and driver landscape varies between chronic liver diseases of different aetiologies. This study aims to investigate mutational landscape in haemochromatosis, which is a disorder caused by a build-up of iron in the liver. We aim to use data generated by whole-exome sequencing of laser-dissected microbiopsies from diseased livers to characterize driver landscape and mutational signatures in haemochromatosis patients.

  Study EGAS00001005158

• Immunomodulatory effects and improved outcomes with cisplatin- vs carboplatin-based chemotherapy plus atezolizumab in urothelial cancer

  In metastatic urothelial cancer (mUC), cisplatin versus carboplatin leads to durable disease control in a subset of patients. The IMvigor130 trial reveals more favorable effects with atezolizumab combined with gemcitabine and cisplatin (GemCis) versus gemcitabine and carboplatin (GemCarbo). This study investigates the immunomodulatory effects of cisplatin as a potential explanation for these observations. Our findings indicate that improved outcomes with GemCis versus GemCarbo are primarily observed in patients with pretreatment tumors exhibiting features of restrained adaptive immunity. Additionally, GemCis versus GemCarbo ± atezolizumab induces transcriptional changes in circulating immune cells, including upregulation of antigen presentation and T-cell activation programs. In vitro experiments demonstrate that cisplatin, compared with carboplatin, exerts direct immunomodulatory effects on cancer cells, promoting dendritic cell activation and antigen-specific T cell killing. These results underscore the key role of immune modulation in cisplatin's efficacy in mUC and highlight the importance of specific chemotherapy backbones in immunotherapy combination regimens.

  Study EGAS50000000104

• Intervention with Micronutrients and Long-Term Impact in Brazil-RECODISA

  Intervention with Micronutrients and Long-Term Impact in Brazil, a partnership between the Federal University of Ceará, Brazil and the University of Virginia, USA, enrolled infants in the age group of 2-36 months to investigate trends in gastrointestinal infections and their effects on growth and development and to identify genetic factors contributing to these diseases.A total of 1044 children from six urban communities in Brazil's semiarid region, were enrolled during active surveillance; those with diarrhea (three or more liquid stools in the last 24 hours at enrollment) were defined as a cases and matched with controls having no diarrhea during the past two weeks (at enrollment) to evaluate their growth and development. A subset of 664 children with their genetic and associated phenotypic data is included in this submission. More information on this project and its related projects can be found here: Studies of diarrheal susceptibility, growth, and development, in pediatric populations in Northeastern Brazil

  Study phs003174

• Somatic Mutations and Cell Lineage in the Human Brain

  Genetic mutations causing human disease are conventionally thought to be inherited from one's parents and present in all somatic (body) cells. Increasingly however, somatic mutations are implicated in neurological diseases. Somatic mutations that arise during the cell divisions of prenatal brain development are inherited in clonal fashion and can cause neurodevelopmental diseases, even when present at low levels of mosaicism. In this study we use whole genome, RNA, and ATAC sequencing of single cells and bulk tissue to identify somatic mutations in control, and some disease, brains to: 1) identify and catalogue the mutations which shape the somatic neuronal genome; 2) perform a cell lineage analysis of the human brain using clonal somatic mutations in cortical neurons; 3) determine patterns of somatic mutations at different ages and in aging related disease phenotypes; and 4) relate cell lineage patterns to cell phenotype in the human brain through cell type-specific analyses.

  Study phs001485

• Integrative Age-Related Changes in Genome and Epigenome in Human Lung in Relation to Smoking

  The Integrative Age-Related Changes in Genome and Epigenome in Human Lung in Relation to Smoking study was designed to assess DNA methylation and gene expression profiles in cytologically normal bronchial progenitor "basal" cells. The cells were collected from 54 consented bronchoscopy specimen donors at standard airway locations during clinically indicated bronchoscopy, and then outgrown in primary cultures. DNA methylation profiles were assessed using Enzymatic-Methyl sequencing (EM-seq: 96% genomic coverage, 7.5x depth) in all 54 donors' samples. The gene expression profile was evaluated by bulk RNA-Seq in 39 donors' samples. The study participants were at the ages of 33 - 81 years old at enrollment. Of the 54 donors, 31 were newly diagnosed with lung cancer. As for tobacco smoke exposure, there were 19 current, 18, former, and 17 never smokers. There are 26 subjects whose specimens were used for single cell whole-genome sequencing study phs002758.

  Study phs003317

• A Translational, Pharmacodynamic and Pharmacokinetic Phase IB Clinical Study of Everolimus in Resectable Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

  This phase IB clinical trial studied the pharmacodynamic changes induced by everolimus in patients with previously untreated, resectable non small cell lung cancer. Using a combination of in vivo and ex vivo assessments with FDG PET, immunohistochemistry and genomic assays, evidence of mTOR pathway perturbation was assessed in patients treated with everolimus, an allosteric mTOR inhibitor. Untreated patients served as controls for comparison. Key results from this work include a dose-dependent biologic effect of everolimus, signal of activity in RAS mutant tumors as well as near complete metabolic and pathologic response in a case of sarcomatoid lung cancer. These findings represent novel translational insights that can guide future development of mTOR inhibitors in lung cancer and other tumor types. Additionally, metabolic response and anatomic tumor shrinkage observed in a significant proportion of patients following a short of duration of therapy with everolimus suggests potential clinical utility of this agent in carefully-selected lung cancer patients.

  Study phs000829

• Hofer et al., A specific subpopulation of cancer-associated fibroblasts promotes resistance to chemotherapy in triple-negative breast cancer by upregulating G0S2 protein

  Chemotherapy is the standard of care for patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), but the mechanisms of chemoresistance remain poorly understood. Here, we investigated the role of cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in the chemotherapy response of TNBC, by combining in vivo analyses of TNBC patients with ex vivo cancer modeling, using tumor-on-chip (ToC) technology. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that the proportion of a specific CAF population, the extracellular matrix-producing myofibroblasts (ECM-myCAFs), is reduced after chemotherapy in chemo-sensitive, but not in chemo-resistant TNBC patients. In ToC devices, primary ECM-myCAFs promoted TNBC cell survival under Doxorubicin and Paclitaxel treatment. The mechanism of chemoresistance was elucidated by using single-cell RNA sequencing, advanced cell imaging and functional assays: ECM-myCAFs upregulate the G0/G1 switch 2 (G0S2) protein in TNBC cells, via activation of SRC family kinases. Altogether, our work identifies G0S2 as a new player in CAF mediated chemotherapy resistance in TNBC.

  Study EGAS50000000886

• Assessment of cannabidiol and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabiol in mouse models of medulloblastoma

  Phytocannabinoids Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) have been demonstrated to exhibit anti-cancer activity in preclinical models of brain cancer leading to new clinical trials for adults with glioblastoma. We describe here the first report that has investigated a role for THC and CBD in paediatric brain cancer. Cannabinoids had cytotoxic activity against medulloblastoma and ependymoma cells in vitro, functioning in part through the inhibition of cell cycle progression and the induction of autophagy. Despite these effects in vitro, when tested in orthotopic mouse models of medulloblastoma or ependymoma, no impact on animal survival was observed. Furthermore, cannabinoids neither enhanced nor impaired conventional chemotherapy in a medulloblastoma mouse model. These data show that while THC and CBD do have some effects on medulloblastoma and ependymoma cells, are well tolerated and have minimal adverse effects, they do not appear to elicit any survival benefit in preclinical models of paediatric brain cancer.

  Study EGAS00001004963

• Inactivation of TGFβ receptors in stem cells drives cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma - 30 whole exomes

  Melanoma patients treated with oncogenic BRAF inhibitors can develop cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) within weeks of treatment, driven by paradoxical RAS/RAF/MAPK pathway activation. Here, we identify frequent TGFBR1 and TGFBR2 mutations in human vemurafenib-induced skin lesions and in sporadic cSCC. Functional analysis reveals these mutations ablate canonical TGFβ Smad signaling which is localised to bulge stem cells in both normal human and murine skin. MAPK pathway hyperactivation (through BrafV600E or KrasG12D knockin) and TGFβ signaling ablation (through Tgfbr1 deletion) in LGR5+ve stem cells enables rapid cSCC development in the mouse. Mutation of Tp53 (which is commonly mutated in sporadic cSCC) coupled with Tgfbr1 deletion in LGR5+ve cells also results in cSCC development. These findings indicate that LGR5+ve stem cells can act as cells of origin for cSCC and that RAS/RAF/MAPK pathway hyperactivation or Tp53 mutation, coupled with loss of TGFβ signaling, are driving events of skin tumorigenesis.

  Study EGAS00001001892

• Novel mutational mechanisms and drivers in Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumours

  Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours (PanNETs) are increasing in prevalence due to earlier detection, consequently creating challenges in clinical care, as current classification permits unsatisfactory therapeutic stratification. We performed whole genome sequencing of 102 primary PanNETs and defined the genomic events underlying their pathogenesis. We describe the mutational signatures they harbour, including a novel G:C>T:A Base-Excision-Repair-deficiency signature due to MUTYH inactivation. We uncover a larger than expected proportion of germline mutations in clinically sporadic PanNETs. These include previously unreported mutations in DNA repair genes MUTYH, CHEK2, BRCA2, and PALB2, which together with MEN1 and VHL occur in 16% of patients. Somatic mutations (point mutations and structural rearrangements) commonly occurred in genes involved in 4 main pathways: chromatin remodelling, DNA damage repair, activation of mTOR signalling (including novel EWSR1 gene fusions) and telomere maintenance. Aberrations in these mechanisms are associated with subtypes of PanNET with potential clinical application for prognostic and therapeutic stratification.

  Study EGAS00001001732

• CTCF/cohesin-binding sites are frequently mutated in cancer

  Cohesin is present in almost all active enhancer regions, where it is associated with transcription factors. Cohesin frequently colocalizes with CTCF (CCCTC-binding factor), affecting genomic stability, expression and epigenetic homeostasis. Cohesin subunits are mutated in cancer, but CTCF/cohesin-binding sites (CBSs) in DNA have not been examined for mutations. Here we report frequent mutations at CBSs in cancers displaying a mutational signature where mutations in A•T base pairs predominate. Integration of whole-genome sequencing data from 213 colorectal cancer (CRC) samples and chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-exo) data identified frequent point mutations at CBSs. In contrast, CRCs showing an ultramutator phenotype caused by defects in the exonuclease domain of DNA polymerase ɛ (POLE) displayed significantly fewer mutations at and adjacent to CBSs. Analysis of public data showed that multiple cancer types accumulate CBS mutations. CBSs are a major mutational hotspot in the noncoding cancer genome.

  Study EGAS00001003010

• MGMT genomic rearrangements contribute to chemotherapy resistance in gliomas

  Temozolomide (TMZ) is an oral alkylating agent used for the treatment of glioblastoma and is now becoming a chemotherapeutic option in patients diagnosed with high-risk low-grade gliomas1. The O-6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) is responsible for the direct repair of the main TMZ-induced toxic DNA adduct, the O6-Methylguanine lesion. MGMT promoter hypermethylation is currently the only known biomarker for TMZ response in glioblastoma patients2. Here we show that a subset of recurrent gliomas carry MGMT genomic rearrangements that lead to MGMT overexpression, independently from changes in its promoter methylation. By leveraging the CRISPR/Cas9 technology we generated some of these MGMT rearrangements in glioma cells and demonstrated that they lead to TMZ resistance both in vitro and in vivo. Lastly we showed that such fusions can be detected in tumor-derived exosomes and could potentially represent an early detection marker of tumor recurrence in a subset of patients treated with TMZ.

  Study EGAS00001004544

• Homologous recombination DNA repair deficiency and PARP inhibition activity in primary triple negative breast cancer

  Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) encompasses molecularly different subgroups, with a subgroup harboring evidence of defective homologous recombination (HR) DNA repair. Within a phase 2 window clinical trial, RIO trial (EudraCT 2014-003319-12), we investigate the activity of PARP inhibitors in 43 patients with untreated TNBC. The primary endpoint, decreased Ki67, occurs in 12% of TNBC. Multiple different approaches identify HR deficiency in the majority of TNBC, 69% with the mutational-signature-based HRDetect assay. Cancers with mutational signatures of HR deficiency have a functional defect in HR. Following rucaparib treatment there is no association of Ki67 change with HR deficiency. In contrast, early circulating tumor DNA dynamics identify activity of rucaparib in cancers with mutation-signatures of HR deficiency, with rucaparib inducing expression of interferon response genes in HR deficient cancers. The majority of TNBCs have a defect in DNA repair, identifiable by mutational signature analysis, that may be targetable with PARP inhibitors.

  Study EGAS00001004405

• Genomics of Circulating Tumor Cells

  Comprehensive analyses of cancer genomes in clinical settings promise to inform prognoses and guide the deployment of precise cancer treatments. A major barrier, however, is the inaccessibility of adequate metastatic tissue for accurate genomic analysis in prostate and other cancers. A potential solution is to characterize circulating tumor cells (CTCs), but this requires overcoming multiple technical hurdles. Here, we report an integrated process to isolate, qualify, and sequence whole exomes of CTCs with high fidelity, using a census-based sequencing strategy. Power calculations suggest that mapping of over 99.995% of the territory accessible in bulk exome sequencing is possible in CTCs. We validated our sequencing process in two prostate cancer patients including one for whom we compared CTC-derived mutations to mutations found in a lymph node metastasis and nine cores of the primary tumor. 51 of 73 CTC mutations (70%) were observed in matched tissue. Moreover, we identified 10 early trunk mutations and 56 metastatic trunk mutations in the non-CTC tumor samples and found 90% and 73% of these, respectively, in CTC exomes. This study establishes a foundation for CTC genomics in the clinic.

  Study phs000717

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

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

  Study JGAS000308

• Using Exome-sequencing to characterize the resistance to lirafugratinib

  We characterized resistance to lirafugratinib with whole exome sequencing in patients with FGFR2-driven cancers, treated in the phase 1/2 ReFocus trial (NCT04526106) and enrolled in the UNLOCK program at Gustave Roussy

  Study EGAS50000001371

• Genomic analysis reveals novel secondary drivers and progression pathways in skin basal cell carcinoma

  Basal cell carcinoma of the skin (BCC) is the most common malignant neoplasm in humans. BCC is primarily driven by the aberrant activation of the Sonic Hedgehog (Hh) pathway. However, its extensive phenotypical variation remains to be explained. The genetic profiling of 293 BCCs revealed the highest mutation rate observed in cancer (65 Mutations/Mb), with strong prevalence of UV-light signature mutations. 85% of BCCs harbored mutations in Hh pathway genes: mutually exclusive PTCH1 (73%) and SMO (20%) (P=6.6x10-8), SUFU (8%), and in TP53 (61%). 85% of BCCs also harbored secondary driver mutations in other genes implicated in BCC tumorigenesis. Recurrent secondary driver mutations were observed in MYCN (30%), PPP6C (15%), STK19 (10%), LATS1 (8%), ERBB2 (4%), PIK3CA (2%), RAC1 (1%) and N/K/H-RAS (2%). Loss of function (LoF) and deleterious missense mutations were observed in PTPN14 (23%), RB1 (8%) and FBXW7 (5%). In line with the mutational profiles detected by RNAseq, we observed activation of the Hh pathway as well as upregulation of target genes of the Hippo-YAP pathway and activation of MYCN target genes. The functional analysis of the novel tumorigenic driver mutations in MYCN, PTPN14 and LATS1 demonstrates their relevance in BCC tumorigenesis and provides an expanded molecular understanding of BCC.

  Study EGAS00001001540

• Deep multi-region whole-genome sequencing reveals heterogeneity and gene-by-environment interactions in treatment-naive, metastatic lung cancer

  Our understanding of genomic heterogeneity in lung cancer is largely based on the analysis of early-stage surgical specimens. Here we used endoscopic sampling of paired primary and intrathoracic metastatic tumors from 11 lung cancer patients to map genomic heterogeneity inoperable lung cancer with deep whole-genome sequencing. Intra-patient heterogeneity in driver or targetable mutations was predominantly in the form of copy number gain. Private mutation signatures, including patterns consistent with defects in homologous recombination, were highly variable both within and between patients. Irrespective of histotype, we observed a smaller than expected number of private mutations, suggesting that ancestral clones accumulated large mutation burdens immediately prior to metastasis. Single-region whole-genome sequencing of from 20 patients showed that tumors in ever-smokers with the strongest tobacco signatures were associated with germline variants in genes implicated in the repair of cigarette-induced DNA damage. Our results suggest that lung cancer precursors in ever-smokers accumulate large numbers of mutations prior to the formation of frank malignancy followed by rapid metastatic spread. In advanced lung cancer, germline variants in DNA repair genes may interact with the airway environment to influence the pattern of founder mutations, whereas similar interactions with the tumor microenvironment may play a role in the acquisition of mutations following metastasis.

  Study EGAS00001003830

• Ultrasensitive detection of minor allele fractions in maternal samples based on microhaplotype analysis

  Background: Tools for quantifying and studying genetic variation in heterogeneous cell populations have a limited sensitivity. However, many biological problems require ultrasensitive genetic deconvolution of cell mixtures. The detection of fetal cells in cervical samples from pregnant women presents such a challenge. Methods: Using deep sequencing of microhaplotype loci and analysis of the error profiles in genetically pure and mixed samples, we increase the sensitivity for minor allele detection and demonstrate the potential for paternal allele detection in cervical samples from pregnant women. Results: Using artificial DNA mixtures, we show that unique alleles can be readily identified in mixtures with a ratio of 1 in 10,000 (0.01%). By applying this method on ten non-invasive cervical samples from pregnant women we could identify the presence of paternal alleles in half of the samples. Unexpectedly, we demonstrate those alleles not to be of fetal origin but of sperm. Conclusions: We developed a novel method that can deconvolute genetic mixtures to at least 0.01%, which can be applied to study minor allele fractions in genetic mixtures and, for example, could aid in trophoblast cell detection in maternal blood or cervix. Our results demonstrate the importance of discriminating fetal and paternal alleles when analyzing cervical fetal cells and may pinpoint a potential cause of erroneous results in previous trophoblast isolation studies.

  Study EGAS00001007057

• Comprehensive investigation of genome architecture of papillary thyroid cancer with whole-exon sequencing in the Chinese population.

  In this study, we performed whole-exon sequencing (WES) of 50 paired PTC tumors and adjacent normal tissues to identify novel potential biomarkers. We extracted mutational signatures which induce somatic mutations. Moreover, we observed copy number changes frequently occurring in some cancer related genes. Our study covers a comprehensive genetic framework that can be used in clinical trials and treatment modalities in PTC.

  Study EGAS00001002402

• TP53 variant detection analysis in high grade serous epithelial ovarian cancer

  The aim of this study was to detect in the DNA purified from PAP test samples collected years before the diagnosis of high grade serous epithelial ovarian cancer the presence of the clonal pathogenic TP53 variant identified in the matched primary tumor biopsy. In this specific part of the study, we analyzed FFPE tumor samples to identify clonal pathogenic variants to be tested in matched PAP tests.

  Study EGAS00001004361

• DNA-methylation variability in normal mucosa of patients with adenomatous polyps: a marker of field cancerization

  A study linking DNA methylation modifications in the normal mucosa of the right colon in individuals with adenomatous polyp formation

  Study EGAS00001007666

• Investigation of MMBIR DNA Repair in Normal and Cancer Human Cells

  Microhomology-mediated break-induced replication (MMBIR) is a DNA repair pathway in which template switching at microhomology was proposed to promote complex genomic rearrangements (CGRs) that contribute to cancer. Yet, the extent of MMBIR activity in genomes is poorly understood due to difficulty in directly identifying MMBIR events by whole genome sequencing (WGS). This study aims to detect MMBIR events in human cancer genomes and to determine their frequency and complexity in tumors as compared to their non-tumor counterparts. This study contains WGS data from matched tumor and normal samples, and cultured cell line control WGS datasets that are not currently represented in other cancer genome databases.

  Study phs002237

• Temporal Dissection of Tumorigenesis in Primary Cancers

  The earliest genetic abnormalities in cancer represent a unique opportunity for timely clinical diagnosis. Classic deep sequencing of tumors identifies many aberrations acquired later in cancer progression. In this study, data regarding simple mutation and chromosomal aberration were integrated to trace the evolution of cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas and ovarian adenocarcinomas. Only after the second allele of TP53 was lost did the genome enter a window of extreme genomic vulnerability, in both cancer types, eventually acquiring more than 100,000 mutations in skin cancers. Inactivating Notch mutations were also identified as prevalent secondary changes. These results add context to the idea of TP53 mutation as dominant negative and occurring later in tumorigenesis.

  Study phs000418

• Whole Exome Sequencing Analysis of Carfilzomib-Related Cardiotoxicity in Multiple Myeloma Patients

  This study investigated the contribution of germline genetic variants in protein-coding genes in carfilzomib-related cardiovascular adverse events among patients with multiple myeloma using whole-exome sequencing (WES) analysis. We analyzed 247 patients with multiple myeloma who had been treated with carfilzomib at the Moffitt Cancer Center. We identified a missense mutation in the TMSB10/TRABD2A locus that appeared to be associated with a higher risk for cardiovascular adverse events in these patients. In this submission, we will provide all the genotype data along with the phenotype data of whether or not a patient developed cardiovascular adverse events after carfilzomib treatment and all the covariates used in this analysis.

  Study phs003308

• Targeted_sequencing_of_in_vitro_colonies___bulks

  In this study we will perform targeted sequencing on the bulk samples of in vitro colonies

  Study EGAS00001003175

• HCA_Immune_UAI_Paediatric_Spatial_Managed_Access

  Comparison of immune populations in adenoid tissue in patients with and without history of otitis media

  Study EGAS00001006471

• Single cell RNA sequencing of peripheral blood HSPC from patients with sickle cell anemia and healthy donors

  Neutrophils and monocytes are critical contributors to the pathophysiology of sickle cell anemia (SCA) and are persistently elevated in patients' circulation. While chronic hemolysis has been implicated in this leukocytosis, the underlying mechanisms remain incompletely understood. Our data show a myeloid-skewed transcriptional signature in early progenitor populations, including multipotent progenitors (MPPs) and hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). Notably, we identify upregulation of the type I interferon signaling pathway in HSPCs as a key driver of early myeloid programming in SCA.

  Study EGAS50000001046

• scRNA-seq of a 3D human cortical tissue model from human iPSCs exploring WT versus APP KI genotypes as well as Abeta/Aducanumab treatments

  Single-cell RNA-seq analysis of human iPSC-derived microglia/astrocytes/neurons in a novel, human in vitro 3D cortical tissue model across cell lines, distinct genotypes (WT and APP KI) and in presence of Abeta/Aducanumab treatments. Samples include distinct conditions as described in the Study section. The dataset was generated using the BD Rhapsody technology and sequenced paired-end with Illumina NovaSeqX. Information on the multiplexing of samples is reported in the Analyses section.

  Study EGAS50000001397

• Targeted sequencing of brain expressed miRNA genes

  As regulators of gene expression, microRNAs (miRNAs) are likely to play an important role in the development of disease. In this study we present a large-scale strategy to identify miRNAs with a role in the regulation of neuronal processes by screening 289 brain expressed miRNAs. Thereby we found variant rs7861254 located near the MIR204 gene to be significantly associated with schizophrenia. This variant resulted in reduced expression of miR-204 in neuronal-like SH-SY5Y cells.

  Study EGAS00001001607

• The Jerusalem Perinatal Study (JPS) aimed to examine the developmental origins of cardiometabolic risk.

  The Jerusalem Perinatal Study (JPS) aimed to examine the developmental origins of cardiometabolic risk and explore the mechanisms underlying the associations between perinatal characteristics and the development of risk for adult chronic disease. In other words, the cohort has enabled the examination of associations between maternal and paternal characteristics with cardiometabolic risk variables in offspring at various points in the life course, as well as the effect of longitudinal changes in characteristics in both parents and offspring.

  Study EGAS00001004075

• Blood RNA-seq from Mexican DMD patients and healthy controls

  These data are part of a study that aimed to assess the potential of blood RNA-seq to track non-invasively disease progression for DMD. In particular, here we focus on a study designed to compare gene expression in blood from DMD patients to that of healthy controls. These data are analysed in the following manuscript: Signorelli, M., Ebrahimpoor, M. et al. (accepted). Peripheral blood transcriptome profiling enables monitoring disease progression in dystrophic mice and patients. To appear in EMBO Molecular Medicine.

  Study EGAS00001004907

• Transcriptome Analysis of Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor-like Melanoma

  Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor (MPNST)-like melanoma is a rare malignancy with overlapping characteristics of both neural sarcoma and melanoma. The genomics of MPNST-like melanoma have not been previously described. In this study, we performed whole transcriptome sequencing analysis in 8 samples from 6 patients diagnosed with MPNST-like melanoma. In correlation with deletion ofxa0SERPINB4xa0in all our samples, there was noxa0SERPINB4xa0mRNA expression in our cohort, suggesting a potential tumor-suppressor role of SERPINB4 in MPNST-like melanomas.xa0HRAS, a gene uncommonly mutated in cutaneous melanomas, was mutated in 2 patients, but with no increased mRNA expression.xa0BRAFxa0mRNA expression, resultant from an atypicalxa0BRAFxa0mutation, was increased in association with an inactivatingxa0NF1xa0mutation. Our data demonstrate the role of alternative mechanisms of RAS pathway activation in MPNST-like melanomas and suggest the potential role of other molecular pathways in its carcinogenesis.

  Dataset EGAD00001007000

• DNA Methylation Analysis of Prostate Cancer Cell Lines and Tissues Using Next Generation Sequencing

  Aberrant DNA methylation changes are known to occur during prostate cancer progression beginning with precursor lesions. Utilizing fifty nanograms of genomic DNA in Methylplex-Next Generation Sequencing (M-NGS) we mapped the global DNA methylation patterns in prostate tissues (n=17) and cells (n=2). Peaks were located from mapped reads obtained in each sequencing run using a Hidden Markov Model (HMM)-based algorithm previously used for Chip-Seq data analysis(http://www.sph.umich.edu/csg/qin/HPeak). The total methylation events in intergenic/intronic regions between benign adjacent and cancer tissues were comparable. Promoter CGI methylation gradually increased from -12.6% in benign samples to 19.3% and 21.8% in localized and metastatic cancer tissues and approximately 20% of all CpG islands (CGIs) (68,508) were methylated in tissues. We observed distinct patterns in promoter methylation around transcription start sites, where methylation occurred directly on the CGIs, flanking regions and on CGI sparse promoters. Among the 6,691 methylated promoters in prostate tissues, 2481 differentially methylated regions (DMRs) are cancer specific and several previously studied targets were among them. A novel cancer specific DMR in WFDC2 promoter showed 77% methylation in cancer (17/22), 100% methylation in transformed prostate cell lines (6/6), none in the benign tissues (0/10) and normal PrEC cells. Integration of LNCaP DNA methylation and H3K4me3 data suggested a role for DNA methylation in alternate transcription start site utilization. While methylated promoters containing CGIs had mutually exclusive H3K4me3 modification, the histone mark was absent in CGI sparse promoters. Finally, we observed difference in methylation of LINE-1 elements between transcription factor ERG positive and negative cancers. The comprehensive methylome map presented here will further our understanding of epigenetic regulation of the prostate cancer genome. Overall Design: We mapped the global DNA methylation patterns in prostate tissues (n=17) and cells (n=2) from fifty nanograms of genomic DNA using Methylplex-Next Generation Sequencing (M-NGS). For replicate analysis in cell lines, a total of 4 runs were completed for PrEC prostate normal cell line, and 5 runs were completed for LNCaP prostate cancer cell line. For tissue samples, 2 benign prostate samples were sequenced twice on Illumina next generation sequencing platform to access overall repeatability of M-NGS.

  Study phs000597