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

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• Tandem DNA Repeats Activate hTERT Gene Transcription

  Multiple independent sequence variants of the hTERT locus have been associated with telomere length and cancer risks in genome-wide association studies. Here, we identified an intronic variable number tandem repeat, VNTR2-1, as an enhancer-like element, which activated hTERT transcription in a cell and chromatin-dependent manner. VNTR2-1, consisting of 42-bp repeats with an array of E-boxes, cooperated with the proximal promoter in hTERT regulation by bHLH transcription factors and maintained hTERT expression during embryonic stem cell differentiation. Genomic deletion of VNTR2-1 in MelJuSo melanoma cells markedly reduced hTERT transcription, leading to telomere shortening, cellular senescence, and impairment of xenograft tumor growth. Interestingly, VNTR2-1 lengths varied widely in human populations.  To assess the genetic polymorphism of VNTR2-1 in human populations, we analyzed genomic DNA samples of Caucasian Americans and African Americans enrolled in the Georgia Centenarian Study.  VNTR2-1 in these genomic DNA samples were PCR amplified and subjected to sequencing analysis usinb the PacBio® SMRT method. The result showed that all VNTR2-1 alleles in Caucasian Americans contained 76 or more 42-bp repeats, whereas 32% of VNTR2-1 alleles in African Americans had fewer than 76 repeats.  

  Study phs002428

• Comprehensive gene analysis of colorectal cancer cases

  Colorectal cancer is the third most common morbidity and the fourth leading cause of cancer death in the world.To characterize the mutation profiles of colorectal cancer with liver metastasis,we performed both whole-exosome sequencing and RNA sequencing for 12 cases of colorectal cancer with liver metastasis (group A) and 16 cases of colorectal cancer without liver metastasis (group B). As a result of driver mutation search by Mutsig pipeline, PTEN was identified as a significant mutant gene in group A alone.ADAMTS10,NELL1 and RXFP3 were identified as candidate genes for metastasis by MuTect,SID and VarScan pipeline.Furthermore, in all samples, the copy number of chromosomes 1p,4,7,8,13,15, 17p,18,20 and 22q were significantly abnormal. Chromosomes 1p,4,15,18,17p,22q were deleted and chromosomes 7, 8,13 and 20 were amplified by CNV.Pathway analysed revealed Wnt/Ca2+ and PCP pathway was involved in metastasis of cl cancer.9 kinds of fusion genes were identified in deFuse pipeline. Among them, ADAP1 fusion genes were identified in 2 samples, and ADAP1 fusion genes were further identified in 3 samples by our in-house algorithm. It is suggested that new fusion genes present in such multiple samples may be involved in the development of colorectal cancer.

  Study JGAS000128

• Exploring the role of mtDNA variation in Multiple Sclerosis in a large cohort of discordant monozygotic twins

  Several lines of evidence indicate that mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variants might predispose to multiple sclerosis (MS). We examined this in 49 monozygotic (MZ) twin pairs clinically discordant for MS at study entry. Since the nuclear DNA of MZ twins is identical, our study provides a unique setting to functionally associate unique mtDNA variants and skewed heteroplasmy with MS development. In order to identify mtDNA variants in the twin cohort, we deeply sequenced the mitochondrial genome in blood of all 49 MZ twin pairs using next generation sequencing (Illumina, HiSeq or MiSeq) with an average coverage depth of ~25,000 sequences per base. Heteroplasmic variants were validated using targeted deep sequencing (TDS) (Illumina, MiSeq) in DNA isolated from blood and buccal swabs. In addition, whole blood was also available of 5 additional MS-affected or healthy siblings and 1 dizygotic twin pair discordant for MS, comprising in total 6 non-identical sib pairs. Moreover, all cases were screened for pathogenic mtDNA polymerase gamma (POLG) mutations. The data provides valuable insights in the possible involvement of mtDNA variants in the pathogenesis of MS, and gives information on the segregation of heteroplasmic variants within MZ twins and non-identical siblings and across different tissues.

  Study EGAS00001001240

• The Molecular Landscape of Asian Breast Cancers Reveals Clinically Relevant Population-Specific Differences

  Molecular profiles of breast cancer have contributed to an improved understanding of the disease, enabled development of molecular prognostic signatures to guide treatment decisions and unveiled new or more accurate therapeutic options for breast cancer patients. However, the extent to which differences in genetic, environmental and lifestyle factors influence molecular profiles in different populations remains poorly characterised, as relatively few large-scale molecular studies of breast tumours in non-Caucasian populations have hitherto been reported. Here, we present the molecular profiles of 560 Asian breast tumours and a comparative analysis of breast cancers arising in Asian and Caucasian women. Compared to the breast tumours in predominantly Caucasian women reported in TCGA and METABRIC, we show an increased prevalence of Her2-enriched molecular subtypes and higher prevalence of TP53 somatic mutations in ER+ Asian breast tumours. Using gene expression and immunohistochemistry, we observed elevated immune scores in Asian breast tumours, suggesting potential clinical response to immune checkpoint inhibitors. Whilst Her2-subtype and enriched immune score are associated with improved survival, presence of TP53 somatic mutations is associated with poorer survival in ER+ tumours. Taken together, these population differences unveil new opportunities to improve the understanding of this disease and lay the foundation for precision medicine in different populations.

  Study EGAS00001004518

• Androgen receptor blockade promotes response to BRAF/MEK-targeted therapy

  We studied a group of melanoma patients treated with neoadjuvant BRAF/MEK-targeted therapy (NCT02231775, n=51), and observed significantly higher rates of major pathologic response (MPR= <10% viable tumor at resection) and improved recurrence-free survival (RFS) in females versus males (MPR-66% versus 14%, p=0.001; RFS-64% versus 32% at 2 years, p=0.021). Findings were validated in a several additional cohorts 2-4 patients with unresectable metastatic melanoma treated with BRAF and/or MEK-targeted therapy (n=664 patients in total), demonstrating improved progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in females versus males in several of these studies. Studies in pre-clinical models demonstrated significantly impaired anti-tumor activity in male versus female BRAF/MEK-treated mice (p=0.006), with significantly higher expression of androgen receptor (AR) in tumors of male and female BRAF/MEK-treated mice versus control (p=0.0006 and 0.0025). Pharmacologic inhibition of AR signaling improved responses to BRAF/MEK-targeted therapy in male and female mice (p=0.018 and p=0.003), whereas induction of AR signaling (via testosterone administration) was associated with significantly impaired response to BRAF/MEK-targeted therapy in males and females (p=0.021 and p<0.0001).

  Study EGAS00001006196

• Hexanucleotide repeat expansions in C9orf72 alter microglial responses and prevent a coordinated glial reaction in ALS

  Neuroinflammation is an important hallmark in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Experimental evidence has highlighted a role of microglia in the modulation of motor neuron degeneration. However, the exact contribution of microglia to both sporadic and genetic forms of ALS is still unclear. We generated single nuclei profiles of spinal cord and motor cortex from sporadic and C9orf72 ALS patients, as well as controls. We particularly focused on the transcriptomic responses of both microglia and astrocytes. We confirmed that C9orf72 is highly expressed in microglia and shows a diminished expression in carriers of the hexanucleotide repeat expansion (HRE). This resulted in an impaired response to disease, with specific deficits in phagocytic and lysosomal transcriptional pathways. Astrocytes also displayed a dysregulated response in C9orf72 ALS patients, remaining in a homeostatic state. This suggests that C9orf72 HRE alters a coordinated glial response, which ultimately would increase the risk for developing ALS. Our results indicate that C9orf72 HRE results in a selective microglial loss-of-function, likely impairing microglial-astrocyte communication and preventing a global glial response. This is relevant as it indicates that sporadic and familial forms of ALS may present a different cellular substrate, which is of great importance for patient stratification and treatment.

  Study EGAS00001006711

• Quantitative analysis of a novel DNA hypermethylation panel for lung cancer diagnosis using bronchial specimens

  Non-diagnostic findings in Transbronchial Lung Biopsy (TBLB) and Endobronchial Ultrasound-guided Transbronchial Lung Biopsy (EBUS-TBLB) are not uncommon. A challenge is to improve lung cancer detection by TBLB/EBUS-TBLB. In order to improve the diagnostic yield of bronchoscopy, we used 850K methylation chip to identify methylation sites that distinguish malignant from benign lung nodules.We found that the combination of HOXA7, SHOX2,and SCT methylation analysis has the best diagnostic yield in 123 bronchial washing (sensitivity: 74·1%; AUC: 0·851) and 172 brushing samples (sensitivity: 86·1%; AUC: 0·915). We developed a kit comprising these three genes and validated the kit in 329 unique bronchial washing samples, 397 unique brushing samples, and 179 unique patients with both washing and brushing samples. The diagnostic accuracy of the panel alone in lung cancer diagnosis was 86·9%, 91·2% and 95% in bronchial washing, brushing, and washing+brushing samples, respectively. The panel's sensitivity in combination with cytology, rapid on-site evaluation (ROSE), and histology in lung cancer diagnosis was 90·8% and 95.8% in bronchial washing and brushing samples, respectively, and 100% in washing+brushing samples. Quantitative analysis of the three-gene panel improves lung cancer diagnosis by bronchoscopy.

  Study EGAS00001007089

• Sample Multiplexing Oligo Comparison

  In this study, we compared various multiplexing reagents, including MULTI-Seq, Hashtag antibody, and CellPlex, in patient-derived xenografts (PDXs). We found that all multiplexing reagents worked well in cell types robust to ex vivo manipulation but suffered from signal-to-noise issues in more delicate sample types. We also compared the performance of fixed scRNA-Seq kits and CRISPR-based destruction of non-informative genes.

  Study EGAS50000000153

• Renal_Follow_Up_Series

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

  Study EGAS00001000095

• Somatic_mutation_and_clonal_evolution_in_the_human_bladder_Novaseq

  In this study, we aim to characterise the landscape of mutation and clonal selection in the human bladder. The data in this study will be generated by whole-genome sequencing of laser-dissected microbiopsies from the bladder. The samples utilised in this study will include urothelium from transplant donors with no history of bladder cancer and cystectomy specimens from patients with bladder cancer.

  Study EGAS00001003433

• National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) Parkinson's Disease

  This study utilized the well characterized collection of North American Caucasians with Parkinson's disease, and neurologically normal controls from the sample population which are banked in the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS Repository) collection. Two sub-studies are included, in sub-study NINDS-Genome-Wide Genotyping in Parkinson's Disease, genome-wide, single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping of these publicly available samples was originally done in 267 Parkinson's disease patients and 270 controls, and this has been extended to include genome wide genotyping in 939 Parkinson's disease cases and 802 controls; in sub-study NINDS-Exome Sequencing in Parkinson's Disease, genome wide exome DNA sequencing was done in 618 Parkinson's disease samples deposited in Coriell NINDS repository. The DNA comes from a mixture of blood, and from cell lines (lymphoblast cell lines) derived from blood. The GWAS data and exome sequencing data was generated and provided by the laboratory of Neurogenetics lead by Dr. Andrew Singleton, NIA, and Dr. John Hardy, a former chief at NIA, NIH. The NINDS Parkinson's Disease Cohort study is utilized in the following dbGaP individual studies. To view genotypes, whole exome sequencing, and derived variables collected in these individual studies, please click on the following individual studies below or in the "Sub-studies" box located on the right hand side of this top-level study page phs001172 NINDS Parkinson's Disease Cohort study. phs000089 PD GWAS phs001103 PD Exome

  Study phs001172

• Genome, epigenome and RNA sequences of monozygotic twins discordant for multiple sclerosis

  Monozygotic (MZ) twins have been widely employed for dissection of the relative contributions of genetics and environment in disease. In multiple sclerosis (MS), an autoimmune demyelinating disease that commonly causes neurodegeneration and disability in young adults, disease discordance in MZ twins has been interpreted to indicate environmental importance in pathogenesis. However, genetic and epigenetic differences between MZ twins have been described, challenging the accepted experimental paradigm in disambiguating effects of nature and nurture. Here, we report the genome sequences of one MS-discordant MZ twin pair and messenger RNA (mRNA) transcriptome and epigenome sequences of CD4+ lymphocytes from three MS-discordant, MZ twin pairs. No reproducible differences were detected between co-twins among ~3.6 million single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) or ~0.2 million insertion-deletion polymorphisms (indels). Nor were any reproducible differences observed between siblings of the three twin pairs in HLA haplotypes, confirmed MS-susceptibility SNPs, copy number variations, mRNA and genomic SNP and indel genotypes, or expression of ~19,000 genes in CD4+ T cells. Only two to 176 differences in methylation of ~2 million CpG sites were detected between siblings of the three twin pairs, in contrast to ~800 differences in methylation between T cells of unrelated individuals and several thousand differences between tissues or normal and cancerous tissues. In the first systematic effort to estimate sequence variation among MZ co-twins, we did not find evidence for genetic, epigenetic or transcriptome differences that explained disease discordance. These are the first female, twin and autoimmune disease genome sequences reported.

  Study phs000239

• C3 SNPs and outcome after lung transplantation

  Background: Development of chronic rejection is still a severe problem and causes high mortality rates after lung transplantation (LTx). Complement activation is important in the development of acute rejection (AR) and bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome, with C3 as a key complement factor. Methods: Since a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the C3 gene (rs2230199) is associated with long-term outcome after solid organ transplantation, we investigated this SNP in relation to LTx. In addition, we looked at local production of C3 by analyzing bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of LTx patients using isoelectric focusing (IEF). Results: We demonstrated the presence of C3 in BALF and showed that this is produced by the donor lung based on the genotype of SNP rs2230199. We also analyzed donor and patient SNP configurations and observed a significant association between the SNP configuration in patients and episodes of AR during 4-years follow-up. Survival analysis showed a lower AR-free survival in homozygous C3 slow patients (p=0.005). Furthermore, we found a significant association between the SNP configuration in donors and BOS development. Patients receiving a graft from a donor with at least one C3 fast variant for rs2230199 had an inferior BOS-free survival (p=0.044). Conclusions: In conclusion, our data indicate local C3 production by donor lung cells. In addition, a single C3 SNP present in recipients affects short-term outcome after LTx, while this SNP in donors has an opposite effect on long-term outcome after LTx. These results could contribute to an improved risk stratification after transplantation.

  Study EGAS00001003843

• Transcriptional profiling of ovarian tumours and cell lines

  Purpose: Endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) play a role in a variety of biological processes, including embryogenesis and cancer. DNA methyltransferase inhibitors (DNMTi)-induced ERV expression triggers interferon responses in ovarian cancer cells via the viral sensing machinery. Baseline expression of ERVs also occurs in cancer cells, though this process is poorly understood and previously unexplored in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). Here, the prognostic and immunomodulatory consequences of baseline ERV expression was assessed in EOC. Experimental Design: ERV expression was assessed using EOC transcriptional data from TCGA and from an independent cohort (HH), as well as from untreated or DNMTi-treated EOC cell lines. LASSO logistic regression defined an ERV expression score to predict patient prognosis. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was conducted on the HH cohort. Combination of DNMTi treatment with γδ T cells was tested in vitro, using EOC cell lines and patient-derived tumor cells. Results: ERV expression was found to define clinically relevant subsets of EOC patients. An ERV prognostic score was successfully generated in TCGA and validated in the independent cohort. In EOC patients from this cohort, a high ERV score was associated with better survival (log-rank p=0.0009) and correlated with infiltration of CD8+PD1+ T cells (r=0.46, p=0.0001). In vitro, baseline ERV expression dictates the level of ERV induction in response to DNMTi. Manipulation of ERV expression by DNMTi resulted in improved EOC cell killing by cytotoxic immune cells. Conclusions: These findings uncover the potential for baseline ERV expression to robustly inform EOC patient prognosis, influence tumor immune infiltration and affect anti-tumor immunity.

  Study EGAS00001004814

• Offspring Sex Impacts DNA Methylation and Gene Expression in Placentae from Women with Diabetes during Pregnancy

  Exposure to diabetes in utero is known to increase the offspring's likelihood of developing metabolic disease in adulthood, but the mechanisms involved are unknown. It has been proposed that early exposure to hyperglycemia and elevated insulin levels may lead to malprogramming of the fetus leading to the subsequent development of diabetes and obesity. Epigenetic modifications of the genome including DNA methylation, provide a plausible mechanism that allows for permanent propagation of gene activity states from one generation of cells to the next. The placenta, a fetal tissue easily accessible for study, is a complex organ that is essential in regulating fetal growth. The changes in placental nutrient transport associated with diabetes during pregnancy (DDP) have significant effects on the developing fetus, indicating that the placenta plays a critical role in fetal programming. The aim of our study was to investigate whether exposure to DDP alters genome-wide DNA methylation in the placenta obtained from term pregnancies resulting in differentially methylated loci of metabolically relevant genes and downstream changes in RNA and protein expression.

  Study phs001535

• Rare germline sequence variants, copy number variations, expression alterations, methylation variations and disease susceptibility in familial melanoma

  Although a number of high-risk melanoma genes have been identified, they account for melanoma risk in less than 40% of melanoma-prone families. The major goals of our research are to identify novel high-penetrance genes for familial melanoma in melanoma-prone families without known mutations and to identify modifier factors, including genetic and epigenetic, in melanoma-prone families with and without known major mutations. We are using whole exome sequencing to identify additional high-risk susceptibility genes and using targeted sequencing to follow up on the top genes in additional family members and in population-based melanoma cases and controls. We are also using RNASeq to investigate genome-wide allele-specific expression and eQTLs in these families to identify genes with expression alteration, which will provide additional information for gene discovery. In addition, we also conducted genome-wide copy number variation (CNV), methylation, and miRNA expression profiling analyses in our melanoma families with the goal of identifying genetic and epigenetic factors as disease modifiers.

  Study phs001177

• Genetics of Glucose Regulation in Gestation and Growth (Gen3G) Cohort - Placenta Transcriptomics RNA Sequencing

  The overarching goals of Genetics of Glucose regulation in Gestation and Growth (Gen3G) are to increase our understanding of biological, environmental, and genetic determinants of glucose regulation during pregnancy and their impact on fetal/child development. Gen3G is a prospective cohort study: we initially recruited 1,024 pregnant women between 2010-2013 at Blood Sampling in Pregnancy Clinic during the first trimester of pregnancy (median 9 weeks of gestation) in Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada. We assessed 898 pregnant women at second trimester (median 26 weeks of gestation), when participants completed a 75g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) as clinically indicated for screening of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). We collected data for 854 mother-child dyads at delivery (from medical records), in addition to placenta and/or cord blood samples in majority of newborns.The overall goal of the grant that supported data that is included in this dbGaP submission was to discover novel placental factors that regulate glucose metabolism in pregnancy and predict GDM by conducting genome-wide transcriptomics (RNA and miRNA) in carefully collected placenta samples from Gen3G.

  Study phs003151

• Cancer cell and tumor microenvironment biomarkers associated with disease-free survival with adjuvant nivolumab in the phase 3 CheckMate 274 trial

  In the CheckMate 274 trial, adjuvant nivolumab versus placebo demonstrated an improvement in the primary endpoint of disease-free survival (DFS) in patients with high-risk muscle-invasive urothelial carcinoma after radical resection. An extensive analysis of tumor biomarkers, including their associations with DFS, was performed. Analysis of genome-wide differential gene expression and known gene signatures found that immune-related genes and pathways, in particular an IFNγ signature, were predictive of DFS in nivolumab-treated patients. Predictive and prognostic associations, respectively, were found for tumor-infiltrating CD4 and CD8 T cells. Analysis of a composite predictive model suggested that CD4 gene expression and tumor cell PD-L1 expression had the greatest contributions to predicting outcomes in nivolumab-treated patients. These results reinforce recent studies establishing the importance of biomarkers of adaptive immunity, and in particular CD4 T cells, in influencing response to PD-1/PD-L1 blockade and establish the potential predictive rather than solely prognostic nature of such findings.

  Study EGAS50000000560

• Relation between transcriptome, karyotype and age in cases of sex chromosome aneuploidies.

  Why women live longer than men is still an open question in human biology. Sex chromosomes have been proposed to play a role in the observed sex gap in longevity, and the Y male chromosome has been suspected of having a potential toxic genomic impact on male longevity. It has been hypothesized that transposable element (TE) repression declines with age, potentially leading to detrimental effects such as somatic mutations and disrupted gene expression, which may accelerate the aging process. Given that the Y chromosome is rich in repeats, age-related increases in TE expression could be more pronounced in males, likely contributing to their reduced longevity compared to females. In this work, we first studied whether TE expression is associated with the number of sex chromosomes in humans. We analyzed blood transcriptomic data obtained from individuals of different karyotype compositions: 46,XX females (normal female karyotype), 46,XY males (normal male karyotype), as well as males with abnormal karyotypes, such as 47,XXY, and 47,XYY.

  Study EGAS50000001009

• The clinical utility of genomics in childhood cancer extends beyond targetable mutations - WGS data

  We deeply sequenced 864 cancer-associated genes and the complete genomes and transcriptomes for 300 pediatric and adolescent/young adult (AYA) patients with poor prognosis or rare tumors. Using integrative somatic-germline analyses, we assessed the clinical utility of cancer genomics in this population. Clinically actionable variants were identified in 56% of patients. Improved diagnostic accuracy led to modified management in a subset. Therapeutically targetable variants, found in 54% of patients, were of unanticipated timing and type, with over 20% of these derived from the germline. Enrichment in corroborating mutational signature 3 (‘BRCAness’) in patients with germline homologous recombination defects suggests they are drivers of pediatric cancers and potential targets for PARP inhibition. Comprehensive somatic-germline cancer genomic profiling is useful at multiple points in the care trajectory for pediatric/AYA patients, supporting its integration into early clinical management. Re-biopsy at the time of relapse should be considered, and specific attention to mutational burden is indicated. Defective DNA repair genes in the germline may represent important targetable drivers.

  Study EGAS00001006610

• The clinical utility of genomics in childhood cancer extends beyond targetable mutations - Cancer Panel data

  We deeply sequenced 864 cancer-associated genes and the complete genomes and transcriptomes for 300 pediatric and adolescent/young adult (AYA) patients with poor prognosis or rare tumors. Using integrative somatic-germline analyses, we assessed the clinical utility of cancer genomics in this population. Clinically actionable variants were identified in 56% of patients. Improved diagnostic accuracy led to modified management in a subset. Therapeutically targetable variants, found in 54% of patients, were of unanticipated timing and type, with over 20% of these derived from the germline. Enrichment in corroborating mutational signature 3 (‘BRCAness’) in patients with germline homologous recombination defects suggests they are drivers of pediatric cancers and potential targets for PARP inhibition. Comprehensive somatic-germline cancer genomic profiling is useful at multiple points in the care trajectory for pediatric/AYA patients, supporting its integration into early clinical management. Re-biopsy at the time of relapse should be considered, and specific attention to the mutational burden is indicated. Defective DNA repair genes in the germline may represent important targetable drivers.

  Study EGAS00001006642

• Relation between transcriptome, karyotype and age in cases of sex chromosome aneuploidies.

  Why women live longer than men is still an open question in human biology. Sex chromosomes have been proposed to play a role in the observed sex gap in longevity, and the Y male chromosome has been suspected of having a potential toxic genomic impact on male longevity. It has been hypothesized that transposable element (TE) repression declines with age, potentially leading to detrimental effects such as somatic mutations and disrupted gene expression, which may accelerate the aging process. Given that the Y chromosome is rich in repeats, age-related increases in TE expression could be more pronounced in males, likely contributing to their reduced longevity compared to females. In this work, we first studied whether TE expression is associated with the number of sex chromosomes in humans. We analyzed blood transcriptomic data obtained from individuals of different karyotype compositions: 46,XX females (normal female karyotype), 46,XY males (normal male karyotype), as well as males with abnormal karyotypes, such as 47,XXY, and 47,XYY.

  Study EGAS00001007462

• Research Study into The Molecular Genetics of Hereditary Neuropathies

  Identification of genes implicated in inherited neuropathy through collecting and sequencing multiple generation families with inherited neuropathy. Patients in this study have been evaluated for demyelinating peripheral neuropathy as determined by decreased motor nerve conduction velocities in the sural nerve. Patients have also been screened for mutations in all genes implicated in demyelinating peripheral neuropathy and are expected to have previously unidentified mutations. Exome (WES) sequencing for two patients affected with inherited neuropathy. VCF files with called variants for each de-identified patient have been submitted.

  Study phs001351

• Inherited Defect in ST6GalNAc1 Reveals Roles of Sialylation in Intestinal Homeostasis

  We have conducted a study of patients with unique mutations in the gene ST6GALNAC1 that encodes the protein ST6GALNAC1 (ST6). Exome sequencing was used to screen worldwide inflammatory bowel disease cohorts, which identified human loss of function mutations of ST6 in individual patients. The affected patients had very early onset (< 6 years old) inflammatory bowel disease. A comprehensive investigation of these gene mutations through in vivo and in vitro experiments revealed that decreased sialylation caused defective mucus proteins and congenital inflammatory bowel disease.

  Study phs002598

• Genomic and transcriptomic characterization of chordoma

  In this study, we performed paired tumor/normal whole exome and shallow long insert whole genome sequencing, as well as tumor RNAseq, from archival chordoma specimens collected from four patients at the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, AZ. The purpose of this analysis was to identify potential therapeutic targets. In three patients, we observed that although different DNA and RNA changes were present in each tumor, alterations fell on converging pathways. In the fourth patient, constitutional DNA demonstrated potentially pathogenic alterations that may have predisposed the patient to chordoma.

  Study phs001643

• Genomic Analysis of Bevacizumab-induced Hypertension

  Bevacizumab use in the treatment of cancer can lead to the development of hypertension in some patients, and high-grade toxicity can limit therapy or lead to cardiovascular complications. The factors that contribute to interindividual variability in blood pressure rise during bevacizumab treatment are not well understood. In the present study, whole exomes and flanking regulatory regions of candidate genes associated with vasodilation and blood pressure were sequenced in bevacizumab-treated subjects with the objective of identifying genes harboring multiple variants associated with severe, early-onset bevacizumab-induced hypertension.

  Study phs001597

• Genetic measurement of memory B-cell recall using antibody repertoire sequencing

  We developed an improved high throughput sequencing approach to measure the quantities and sequences of the repertoire of antibody heavy chain RNA in a blood sample. Using this approach we analyzed the antibody repertoire in response to yearly vaccinations with influenza vaccines TIV and LAIV in healthy adults in two subsequent years. We determined vaccine response patterns specific to LAIV and TIV and found antibody sequences that were shared between two samples of the same individuals following influenza vaccination in subsequent years, thereby providing a genetic measurement of B-cell memory recall.

  Study phs000656

• Development of targeted DNA sequencing panel for brain tumors

  A prompt and reliable molecular diagnosis for brain tumors has become crucial in precision medicine. While Comprehensive Genomic Profiling (CGP) has become feasible, there remains room for enhancement in brain tumor diagnosis due to the partial lack of essential genes and limitations in broad copy number analysis. In addition, the long turnaround time of commercially available CGPs poses an additional obstacle to the timely implementation of results in clinics. To address these challenges, we developed a CGP encompassing 113 genes, genome-wide copy number changes, and MGMT promoter methylation.

  Study EGAS50000000699

• RNA seq data of 2 lung cancer samples prepared using 2 different RNA-seq library preparation protocols

  Raw data used for generation of the results in the Vardetector manuscript – “.bam” files of RNA-seq data of tumor samples of 2 patients prepared with 2 different library preparation protocols (exome-capture and ribodepletion –> 4 “.bam” files in total). The submission also contains the somatic mutations “.vcf” files (4 in total, however 2 unique). Moreover, also an output of the Vardetector module (“.csv” file with the number of reads above the mutations of interest) is present in the submission (4 “.csv” files in total).

  Study EGAS50000001419

• Clonal evolution of metastatic colorectal cancer under anticancer therapies

  To investigate the clonal evolution of metastatic CRC at the single-cell level, we performed WGS in 58 clonal organoids and 18 fresh-frozen (FT) bulk-tissue samples from surgically resected primary and metastatic tumors before and after anticancer therapies in 6 patients. This approach enabled detailed phylogenetic reconstruction of individual clones. We discovered the timing and burden of treatment-related mutations as well as the heterogeneous evolution in driver mutations and genomic rearrangements in late-stage clonal evolution under anticancer therapies in metastatic CRC.

  Study EGAS50000001023

• Targeted sequencing of breast cancers with germline BRCA1/2 mutations

  Breast cancer is the most prevalent cancer in women, where a germline predisposition plays a substantial role. However, the effects of pathogenic germline variants on accompanying breast cancers have not been fully characterized in terms of somatic alterations. We obtained tumor samples from 30 patients with pathogenic germline variants in BRCA2 (n = 25) and BRCA1 (n = 5), as well as an additional 30 patients without pathogenic germline mutations, in which somatic mutations in common breast cancer drivers and CNAs were analyzed using targeted panel sequencing.

  Study EGAS00001004182

• Human_Colorectal_Cancer_Exome_Sequencing

  In this experiment we sequenced a collection of genes identified as being mutated in a Sleeping Beauty Screen in a mouse colorectal Cancer Model in human tumours collected from patients with germline mutations in APC and also other familial CRC predisposition syndromes. We also sequenced the germline of these patients allowing us to identify somatically mutated genes. This data is part of a pre-publication release. For information on the proper use of pre-publication data shared by the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute (including details of any publication moratoria), please see http://www.sanger.ac.uk/datasharing/

  Study EGAS00001000077

• RNASeq of PDX and CDX tumours treated with ADC

  Enapotamab vedotin (EnaV), an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) targeting AXL, effectively targets tumors that display insensitivity to immunotherapy and/or tumor-specific T cells in several melanoma and lung cancer models. Mechanistically, EnaV treatment induced an inflammatory response and immunogenic cell death in tumor cells, and promoted induction of a memory-like phenotype in cytotoxic T cells. Combining EnaV with tumor-specific T cells proved superior to any treatment alone in models of melanoma and lung cancer, and increased ICB benefit in models otherwise insensitive to anti-PD-1 treatment.

  Study EGAS00001004562

• Whole Exome Sequencing of Calcitonin Producing Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Neoplasms (CT-pNENs) Indicates a Unique Molecular Signature

  Calcitonin-producing pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (CT-pNENs), which can mimic clinical and laboratory features of medullary thyroid carcinoma, are an extremely rare clinical entity with approximately 60 cases reported worldwide. The molecular profile of CT-pNENs is not yet known. Whole-exome sequencing (WES) was performed on tumor and corresponding serum samples of five patients with increased calcitonin serum levels and histologically proven calcitonin-positive CT-pNENs. cBioPortal analysis and gene enrichment analysis with DAVID were performed to validate candidate genes. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect protein expression of MUC4 and MUC16 in CT-pNEN specimens. Common somatic mutations of pNENs like MEN1, ATRX and PIK3CA were identified in cases of CT-pNENs. New somatic SNVs in ATP4A, HES4, and CAV3 have not yet been described in CT-pNENs. Pathogenic germline mutations in FGFR4 and DPYD were found in three of five cases. Mutations of CALCA (calcitonin) and the corresponding receptor CALCAR were found in all five tumor samples, but none of them resulted in clinical or protein sequelae. All five tumor cases showed single nucleotide variations (SNVs) in MUC4, and four cases showed SNVs in MUC16, both of which were membrane-bound mucins. Immunohistochemistry showed protein expression of MUC4 and MUC16 in one case each, and the liver metastasis of a third case was double positive for MUC4 and MUC16. The homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) score of all tumors was low.CT-pNENs have a unique molecular signature compared to other pNEN subtypes, specifically involving the FGFR4, DPYD, MUC4, MUC16 and the KRT family genes. However, these WES data from only five cases must be interpreted with caution because causal interpretation of the mutational landscape in CT-pNENs is difficult. Further research is needed to explain differences in pathogenesis compared with other pNENs. In particular, multi-omics data such as RNASeq, methylation, and whole genome sequencing could be informative.

  Study phs003060

• NHLBI TOPMed: Pharmacogenomics of Hydroxyurea in Sickle Cell Disease (PharmHU)

  Sickle cell disease (SCD) is characterized by the presence of sickle hemoglobin (HbS) within circulating erythrocytes resulting in hemolytic anemia, vascular occlusion, and end organ damage due to alterations in the shape and deformability of the cell membrane. The disease is inherited in an autosomal recessive pattern, and is most commonly caused by a single nucleotide substitution in the hemoglobin subunit beta (HBB) gene located on chromosome 11. Participants in this study include children with SCD treated with hydroxyurea to pharmacologically increase fetal hemoglobin (HbF) levels and reduce disease severity. Therefore, the primary phenotype of interest in this study is the change in HbF levels in response to hydroxyurea treatment. Genetic factors have been shown to influence inter-individual variation in drug response, and identification of novel genes and variants associated with clinical outcomes in SCD will be achieved through collaboration between Baylor College of Medicine, Augusta University, Columbia University Medical Center, Emory University School of Medicine and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. The NHLBI TOPMed Program is designed to generate scientific resources to enhance understanding of fundamental biological processes that underlie heart, lung, blood and sleep disorders (HLBS). It is part of a broader Precision Medicine Initiative, which aims to provide disease treatments that are tailored to an individual's unique genes and environment.

  Study phs001466

• Collaborative Cohort of Cohorts for COVID-19 Research (C4R): Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults Study (CARDIA)

  Cohort Description The Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study is a study examining the development and determinants of clinical and subclinical cardiovascular disease and their risk factors. It began in 1985-6 with a group of 5115 black and white men and women aged 18-30 years. The participants were selected so that there would be approximately the same number of people in subgroups of race, gender, education (high school or less and more than high school), and age (18-24 and 25-30 years) in each of 4 centers: Birmingham, AL; Chicago, IL; Minneapolis, MN; and Oakland, CA. These same participants were asked to participate in follow-up examinations during 1987-1988 (Year 2), 1990-1991 (Year 5), 1992-1993 (Year 7), 1995-1996 (Year 10), 2000-2001 (Year 15), 2005-2006 (Year 20), 2010-2011 (Year 25), 2015-2016 (Year 30), and 2021-2022 (Year 35). Data Being Submitted Wave 1 questionnaire data includes 397 variables for up to 2434 CARDIA participants in C4RWave 2 questionnaire data includes 448 variables for up to 1901 CARDIA participants in C4RDried Blood Spot/Serosurvey data includes 7 variables for up to 1332 CARDIA participants in C4RDerived data includes 43 variables for up to 2723 CARDIA participants in C4RPhenotype data includes 113 variables for up to 2723 CARDIA participants in C4R

  Study phs003045

• Chromothripsis in human breast cancer (HIPO K26K/H017/A017)

  Chromothripsis is a form of genome instability, by which a presumably single catastrophic event generates extensive genomic rearrangements of one or a few chromosome(s). Widely assumed to be an early event in tumor development, this phenomenon plays a prominent role in tumor onset. We analyzed chromothripsis in 252 human breast cancers from two patient cohorts (149 metastatic breast cancers, 63 untreated primary tumors, 29 local relapses, 11 longitudinal pairs) using whole-genome and whole-exome sequencing. We showed that chromothripsis affects a substantial proportion of human breast cancers, with a prevalence over 60% in a cohort of metastatic cases and 25% in a cohort comprising predominantly luminal breast cancers (cohorts from HIPO K26K and H017 and A017). In the vast majority of cases, multiple chromosomes per tumor are affected, with most chromothriptic events on chromosomes 11 and 17 including, among other significantly altered drivers, CCND1, ERBB2, CDK12 and BRCA1. Importantly, chromothripsis generates recurrent fusions that drive tumor development. Chromothripsis-related rearrangements are linked with univocal mutational signatures, with clusters of point mutations due to kataegis in close proximity to the genomic breakpoints, and with the activation of specific signaling pathways. Analysis of the temporal order of events in tumors with and without chromothripsis as well as longitudinal analysis of chromothriptic patterns in tumor pairs revealed important insights on the role of chromothriptic chromosomes in tumor evolution.

  Study EGAS00001004662

• Intratumoural heterogeneity and immune modulation in lung adenocarcinoma of female smokers and never smokers

  Lung cancer is still the leading cause of cancer death worldwide despite declining smoking prevalence in industrialised countries. Although lung cancer is highly associated with smoking status, a significant proportion of lung cancer cases develop in patients who never smoked, with an observable bias towards female never smokers. A better understanding of lung cancer heterogeneity and immune system involvement during tumour evolution and progression in never smokers is therefore highly warranted. We employed single nucleus transcriptomics of surgical lung adenocarcinoma (LADC) and normal lung tissue samples from patients with or without smoking history. Immune cells as well as fibroblasts and endothelial cells respond to tobacco smoke exposure by inducing a highly inflammatory state in normal lung tissue. In the presence of LADC, we identified differentially expressed transcriptional programmes in macrophages and cancer-associated fibroblasts, providing insight into how the niche favours tumour progression. Within tumours, we distinguished eight subpopulations of neoplastic cells in female smokers and never smokers. Through pseudotemporal ordering, we inferred a trajectory towards two differentiated tumour cell states implicated in cancer progression and invasiveness. A proliferating cell population sustaining tumour growth exhibits differential immune modulating signatures in both patient groups. Our results resolve cellular heterogeneity and immune interactions in LADC, with a special emphasis on female never smokers and implications for the design of therapeutic approaches.

  Study EGAS00001006331

• Driver mutations in histone H3.3 and chromatin remodelling genes in paediatric glioblastoma

  Sequence reads for pediatric GBM samples for manuscript: Driver mutations in histone H3.3 and chromatin remodelling genes in paediatric glioblastoma

  Dataset EGAD00001000134

• Long read whole genome sequencing data from brain postmortem tissue

  Chart genetic variation in the human brain in healthy controls and Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients.

  Study EGAS50000000921

• Copy Number Variation using Affymetrix Optima Array

  Diagnostic yield of affymetrix optima microarray in patients with non-syndromic autism spectrum disorders in India.

  Study EGAS00001006439

• Single cell transcriptome atlas of immune cells in human small intestine and in Celiac disease

  Single cell transcriptome atlas of immune cells in human small intestine and in Celiac disease

  Dataset EGAD00001005127

• Geographic and age-related variations in mutational processes in colorectal cancer - patient metadata files (Mutographs)

  Geographic and age-related variations in mutational processes in colorectal cancer - patient metadata files (Mutographs)

  Dataset EGAD00001015437

• Geographic and age-related variations in mutational processes in colorectal cancer - copy number variants (Mutographs)

  Geographic and age-related variations in mutational processes in colorectal cancer - copy number variants (Mutographs)

  Dataset EGAD00001015487

• Autosomal recessive CD70 deficiency is associated with combined immunodeficiency and EBV viremia

  We describe four patients from two unrelated families of different ethnicities who had primary immunodeficiency predominantly manifesting as susceptibility to EBV-related diseases. We performed whole exome sequencing (P1 and P2 from family 1) or whole genome sequencing (P4 and both parents from family 2) in those two families and identified homozygous frameshift or in-frame deletions in CD70 in these patients which abolished either CD70 surface expression or binding to its counter structure CD27. Sanger sequencing identified the same homozygous CD70 mutation in P3, which is not included in the dbGaP submission. Autosomal recessive CD70 deficiency is a novel cause of combined immunodeficiency and EBV-associated diseases, reminiscent of CD27 deficiency.

  Study phs001245

• Alcohol Dependence: Sequencing from Multiplex Families

  Two multiplex for alcohol dependence family studies were initiated based on the gender of a pair of probands. Ascertainment of a pair of AD probands was used to increase the density of alcohol dependence within the family. Identification of male (Cognitive and Personality Factors in Relatives of Alcoholics Family Study) and female (Biological Risk Factors in Female Alcoholics Family Study) alcohol dependent probands was accomplished by identifying an alcohol dependent proband while in treatment in a substance abuse treatment facility in Pittsburgh and surrounding communities who provided contact information for a sibling whom he/she thought might be interested in participating. The studies had identical ascertainment requirements. DNA was banked for all willing participants.

  Study phs001775

• Genome-Wide Association Study of Lung Cancer Susceptibility in Never-Smoking Women in Asia

  To learn about the etiology of lung cancer among never-smoking women in Asia, we formed the Female Lung Cancer Consortium in Asia (FLCCA), which includes studies of lung cancer in Eastern Asia and conducted a GWAS. We analyzed a total of 5510 lung cancer cases and 4544 controls and identified 3 novel loci (Lan et al., 2012). Of these study subjects, 4922 lung cancer cases and 3959 controls are available for posting. Lan et al.., Genome-wide association analysis identifies new lung cancer susceptibility loci in never-smoking women in Asia. Nat Genet. 2012 Dec;44(12):1330-5. doi: 10.1038/ng.2456. Epub 2012 Nov 11. PubMed PMID: 23143601.

  Study phs000716

• Genetic landscape of non-Down syndrome acute megkaryoblastic leukemia

  To define the mutation spectrum in non-Down syndrome acute megkaryoblastic leukemia (non-DS-AMKL), we performed transcriptome sequencing on diagnostic blasts from 14 pediatric patients and validated our findings in a recurrency/validation cohort consisting of 34 pediatric and 28 adult AMKL leukemia samples. Our analysis identified a cryptic chromosome 16 inversion [inv(16)(p13.3q24.3)] in 27% of pediatric cases, which encodes a CBFA2T3-GLIS2 fusion protein. Expression of CBFA2T3-GLIS2 in Drosophila and murine hematopoietic cells induced bone morphogenic protein (BMP) signaling, and resulted in a marked increase in the self-renewal capacity of hematopoietic progenitors. These data suggest that expression of CBFA2T3-GLIS2 directly contributes to leukemogenesis.

  Study EGAS00001000379

• Samples from the Greek island of Crete, MANOLIS cohort

  Genome-wide association studies of complex traits have been successful in identifying common variant associations, but a substantial heritability gap remains. The field of complex trait genetics is shifting towards the study of low frequency and rare variants, which are hypothesised to have larger effects. The study of these variants can be empowered by focusing on isolated populations, in which rare variants may have increased in frequency and linkage disequilibrium tends to be extended. This work focuses on isolated populations from Greece. Sequencing is very efficient in isolated populations, because variants found in a few samples will be shared by others in extended haplotype contexts, supporting accurate imputation.

  Study EGAS00001000067

• ABIS_1_MeDIP-seq

  We investigated changes in whole genome DNA-methylation in a group of 48 healthy five-year-old children differentiated by their hair cortisol levels. By combining this novel biomarker for chronic stress with methylated DNA immunoprecipitation sequencing (MeDIP-seq), we found that high cortisol were associated with a genome-wide decrease in DNA-methylation targeted to specific zinc finger transcription factor binding sites, repetitive elements and genes important for neurodevelopment and calcium transport. Large scale hypomethylation of repetitive regions, as well as a deficient calcium transport, have been reported in many stress related diseases, as well as in many cancers and biological aging. Thus our findings may aid in our understanding of how susceptibility to these diseases develops.

  Study EGAS00001001099

• Exome sequencing reveals pathogenic variants in known and novel candidate genes for severe sperm motility disorders

  STUDY QUESTION: What are the causative genetic variants in patients with male infertility due to severe sperm motility disorders? SUMMARY ANSWER: We identified high confidence disease-causing variants in multiple genes previously associated with severe sperm motility disorders in 9 out of 21 patients (43%). We also identified variants in novel candidate genes in 8 additional patients (38%). WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: Severe sperm motility disorders are a form of male infertility characterised by vital, but immotile sperm often in combination with a spectrum of structural abnormalities of the sperm flagellum. Examples of this spectrum of disorders include dysplasia of the fibrous sheath / multiple morphological abnormalities of the sperm flagella (DFS-MMAF) and severe forms of asthenozoospermia associated to non-specific structural defects. These disorders frequently recur in families and may include chronic respiratory disease. As such, genetic causes are suspected and many genes have recently been reported. Currently, depending on the clinical sub-categorisation, up to 50% of causality in patients with severe sperm motility disorders can be explained by pathogenic variants in at least 21 known genes. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION: We performed exome sequencing in patients with severe sperm motility disorders from two different clinics, aiming to identify the underlying genetic defects and establishing a diagnostic yield in both. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHOD: Two groups of infertile men, one from Argentina (n= 9) and one from Australia (n=12), with clinically defined sperm motility disorders were included. All patients in the Argentine cohort were diagnosed with DFS-MMAF, based on transmission electron microscopy. Exome sequencing was performed in all 21 patients and variants with an allele frequency of <1% in the gnomAD population were prioritised and interpreted. MAIN RESULTS AND ROLE OF CHANCE: In 9/21 patients (43%), we identified pathogenic variants in known sperm motility disorder genes: CFAP43 (3 patients); CFAP44 (2 patients), QRICH2 (2 patients), DNAH1 (1 patient) and DNAH6 (1 patient). The diagnostic rate did not differ markedly between the Argentinian and the Australian cohort (44% and 42%, respectively). Furthermore, we identified patients with variants in the novel candidate sperm motility genes CFAP58, DNAH12, DRC1, MDC1, PACRG, SSPL2C and TPTE2. One patient presented with two possibly damaging variants in four candidate genes and it remains unclear which variants were responsible for the severe sperm motility defect in this patient. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION: In this study, we described patients with potential bi-allelic variants in known and novel candidate genes for severe sperm motility disorders. Due to unavailability of parental DNA, we have not assessed de novo or maternally inherited dominant variants and could not phase the mutations to establish in all cases that the mutations occur on both alleles. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS: Our results confirm an important role for five known genes for sperm motility and we demonstrate that exome sequencing is an effective method to diagnose patients with severe sperm motility defects (9/21 diagnosed; 43%). Furthermore, our analysis revealed seven novel candidate genes for severe sperm motility disorders. Genome-wide sequencing of additional patient cohorts and re-analysis of exome data of currently unsolved cases may reveal additional variants in these novel candidate genes.

  Study EGAS00001005018

• Honolulu Heart Program (HHP-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. Access to Biospecimens is through the NHLBI Biologic Specimen and Data Repository Information Coordinating Center (BioLINCC). Biospecimens from HHP include DNA, plasma, serum, and whole blood. Please note that use of biospecimens in genetic research is subject to a tiered consent. Objectives: The initial objectives of the Honolulu Heart Program were to: 1) estimate morbidity and mortality from coronary heart disease and stroke among Japanese men in Honolulu; 2) compare morbidity and mortality from coronary heart disease and stroke among Japanese men in Japan, Honolulu, and San Francisco; 3) investigate relationships among risk factors, coronary heart disease, and stroke in Japanese men in Honolulu; 4) compare distributions of risk factors among men in Japan, Honolulu, and San Francisco, and relate similarities and differences in risk factors to the occurrence of disease in these areas and in other populations, including Framingham and Puerto Rico; 5) conduct an autopsy study, and to relate pathological findings to morbidity and mortality data; and 6) investigate relationships between risk factors and pathological evidence of atherosclerosis and its complications.Background: The Honolulu Heart Program was initiated in 1965 by the NHLBI as a prospective study of environmental and biological causes of cardiovascular disease among Japanese Americans living in Hawaii. This population was known to have low incidence of coronary heart disease and higher incidence of stroke. The study provided opportunities to investigate relationships among disease frequencies, pathologic findings, and disease predictors in the cohort and to compare the findings in this population with those in other populations, especially cohorts of Japanese men resident in Japan or the U.S.Participants: There were 8006 participants.Design: The study began in 1965 with the first examination of a cohort of 8,006 Japanese-American men residing on the island of Oahu, Hawaii who were born during the period 1900-1919. The first examination was completed in 1968 and was followed by the initiation of a second examination that same year. Three subsequent sub-examinations (Lipoprotein Exams I, II and III) were conducted between 1970 and 1982 to collect lipid measurements on a subset of those who participated in Exam II. The fourth examination of surviving members of the original cohort was conducted during 1991-93 and collected data on 3,741 men. Morbidity and mortality follow-up continues through grant and contract-supported efforts, and the current HHP dataset includes events through 1998.

  Study phs003907

• NHLBI: Genetic modifiers of sickle cell anemia severity and fetal hemoglobin expression in the Cooperative Study of Sickle Cell Disease (CSSCD)

  Phenotypic heterogeneity is characteristic of sickle cell anemia, a Mendelian disorder caused by homozygosity for the sickle HBB gene (glu6val). Patients have different rates of hemolysis/vasculopathy and viscosity/vasoocclusion-related complications. These complications account for a substantial reduction in life expectancy. In 1994, the median life expectancy for men and women with sickle cell anemia was 42 and 48 years, respectively, and despite many advances in care, the annual mortality still approaches 4%. Fetal hemoglobin (HbF) is one of the most studied markers of severity of sickle cell anemia, and detailed longitudinal measurements were taken on subjects enrolled in the Cooperative Study of Sickle Cell Disease (CSSCD). Cubic root transformation of the median values from follow-up in 848 African American subjects is the phenotype data used in the GWAS of fetal hemoglobin. The analysis was adjusted by sex. Details are in Solovieff et al., Blood 2010 [PMID: 20018918]. To integrate individual disease complications into a comprehensive measure of severity, we developed a model of the associations among clinical and laboratory variables that scored disease severity as the risk of death within 5 years. This network was developed using data obtained from more than 3,400 subjects from the CSSCD, and its accuracy was validated in two unrelated sets of sickle cell patients. Recently, the network was also validated in a small European cohort of patients with sickle cell anemia. We used extreme values of disease severity as cases and control in the GWAS of severity of sickle cell anemia. We conducted the GWAS in 1,265 patients with either "severe" (177) or "mild" disease (1088) based on a network model of disease severity. Details are in Sebastiani et al. Am J Hematol, 2010 [PMID: 20029952].

  Study phs000366

• Involvement of the FGF8/FGF Receptor Signaling Pathway in the Maintenance and Progression of Fusion-Positive Rhabdomyosarcoma

  In our previous work, we used a myoblast model of fusion-positive rhabdomyosarcoma (FP-RMS) to demonstrate that FGF8, a target of the PAX3-FOXO1 (P3F) transcription factor, is essential for tumorigenicity driven by P3F. When aberrantly expressed, FGF8 can also sustain tumorigenicity in recurrent tumors that are independent of P3F. In this study, we report that FGF8, along with its receptors FGFR1 and FGFR4, is often highly expressed in FP-RMS tumors. We found that high levels of FGF8 expression in FP-RMS cells correlate with increased sensitivity to an FGFR4 inhibitor and a pan-FGFR inhibitor. Conversely, downregulating FGF8 led to a loss of sensitivity to these inhibitors. Interestingly, when FGF8 was upregulated in myoblasts, it resulted in decreased FGFR4 expression and sensitized the cells to an FGFR1 inhibitor and a pan-FGFR inhibitor. The downregulation of FGFR4 expression mediated by FGF8 could be reversed by inhibiting FGFR1, MEK, or ERK, thereby defining a signaling pathway through which FGF8 exerts its regulatory effects. Additionally, we discovered that high FGF8 expression in P3F-independent recurrent tumors is due to a rearrangement of viral long terminal repeat (LTR) sequences into the 3' untranslated region (UTR) of FGF8, leading to increased stability of FGF8 mRNA. These findings indicate that FGF8 plays an oncogenic role in FP-RMS through FGFR4 and may also exert oncogenic effects in P3F-independent relapses via FGFR1. Our study highlights the functional significance of FGF8 in FP-RMS and supports the rationale for preclinical investigations of FGFR inhibitors in treating this type of cancer.

  Study phs004009

• Telomerase activation by genomic rearrangements in high-risk neuroblastoma

  Neuroblastoma is a malignant pediatric tumor of the sympathetic nervous system1. Roughly half of these tumors regress spontaneously or are cured by limited therapy. By contrast, high-risk neuroblastomas have an unfavorable clinical course despite intensive multimodal treatment, and their molecular basis has remained largely elusive2-4. We have performed whole-genome sequencing of 56 neuroblastomas (high-risk, n=39; low-risk, n=17) and discovered recurrent genomic rearrangements affecting a chromosomal region (5p15.22) proximal of the telomerase reverse transcriptase gene (TERT). These rearrangements occurred only in high-risk neuroblastomas (12/39, 31%) in mutually exclusive fashion with MYCN amplifications and ATRX mutations, which are known genetic events in this tumor type1,2,5. In an extended case series (n=217), TERT rearrangements defined a subgroup of high-risk tumors with particularly poor outcome. Despite the large diversity of these rearrangements, they all induced massive transcriptional upregulation of TERT. In the remaining high-risk tumors, TERT expression was also elevated in MYCN-amplified tumors, whereas alternative lengthening of telomeres was present in neuroblastomas without TERT or MYCN alterations, suggesting that telomere lengthening represents a central mechanism defining this subtype. The 5p15.22 rearrangements juxtapose the TERT coding sequence to strong enhancer elements, resulting in massive chromatin remodeling and DNA methylation of the affected region. Supporting a functional role of TERT, neuroblastoma cells bearing rearrangements or amplified MYCN exhibited both upregulated TERT expression and enzymatic telomerase activity. In summary, our findings show that remodeling of the genomic context abrogates transcriptional silencing of TERT in high-risk neuroblastoma and places telomerase activation in the center of transformation in a large fraction of these tumors.

  Study EGAS00001001308

• Mutational Landscape and Tumor Burden Assessed by Cell-Free DNA in Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma: a Population-based Study

  Purpose: We analyzed the utility of cfDNA in a prospective population-based cohort to determine the mutational profile, assess tumor burden, and estimate its impact in response rate and outcome in patients with DLBCL. Experimental Design: One-hundred patients were diagnosed with DLBCL during the study period. Mutational status of 112 genes was studied in cfDNA by targeted next-generation sequencing. Paired formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded samples and volumetric PET/CT were assessed when available. Results: Appropriate cfDNA to perform the analyses was obtained in 79/100 cases. At least one mutation could be detected in 69/79 cases (87%). The sensitivity of cfDNA to detect the mutations was 68% (95% CI: 56.2-78.7). The mutational landscape found in cfDNA samples was highly consistent with that shown in the tissue and allowed genetic classification in 43% of the cases. A higher amount of ctDNA significantly correlated with clinical parameters related to tumor burden (elevated LDH and β2-microglobulin serum levels, advanced stage, and high-risk IPI) and total metabolic tumor volume assessed by PET/CT. In patients treated with curative intent, high ctDNA levels (>2.5 log hGE/mL) were associated with lower complete response (65% vs. 96%, P<0.004), shorter progression-free survival (65% vs. 85%, P=0.038) and overall survival (73% vs. 100%, P=0.007) at 2 years, although it did not maintain prognostic value in multivariate analyses. Conclusions: In a population-based prospective DLBCL series, cfDNA resulted an alternative source to estimate tumor burden and to determine the tumor mutational profile and genetic classification, which have prognostic implications and may contribute to a future tailored

  Study EGAS00001004733

• Histone chaperone CHAF1A promotes proliferation and tumorigenicity in gastric cancer and impacts prognosis via context-depedent regulation of gene expression

  The histone chaperone CHAF1A is associated with some tumors, but its mechanisms in tumor biology remain elusive. Gastric cancer (GC) has significant heterogeneity among patients, and novel prognostic markers and therapeutic targets may improve its outcomes. The role of CHAF1A in GC is unknown. In this study, we demonstrated that CHAF1A was overexpressed in GC tissues accompanied by low expression of wild-type P53 and high expression of the proliferation marker MKI67. In vitro, CHAF1A knockdown inhibited cell proliferation, induced cell cycle arrest and promoted apoptosis, while CHAF1A overexpression had contrary effects. In vivo, CHAF1A knockdown inhibited tumorigenicity of GC cells. A microarray assay with CHAF1A inhibition and a PathScan signaling antibody array with CHAF1A overexpression showed that CHAF1A inhibited the P53 pathway, activated stress response and induced glycolytic metabolism. In 665 patients, the expression level of CHAF1A protein was an independent predictor for overall survival and disease-free survival in non-cardia GC and also had survival associations in patients with small or perineural invasion-negative tumors. Tumor mRNA analyses based on next-generation sequencing in patients indicated that CHAF1A promoted the Warburg effect by depressing oxidative phosphorylation and increasing glycolysis. Furthermore, the heterogeneous clinical significance of CHAF1A among patient subgroups was associated with its differential regulation of gene expression involved with glycolysis and cell proliferation and survival, indicating that the role of CHAF1A is depended on patient characteristics. These results reveal critical roles and clinical values for CHAF1A in GC. CHAF1A may have context-dependent effects in GC, which increases understandings for GC heterogeneity.

  Study EGAS00001003064

• The clinical utility of genomics in childhood cancer extends beyond targetable mutations

  Survival of children with relapsed cancer remains unacceptably low. Cancer genomic profiling may identify new therapeutic options, enhance diagnostic accuracy, and improve understanding of tumors’ origins and continued evolution. We deeply sequenced 864 cancer-associated genes and the complete genomes and transcriptomes for 300 pediatric and adolescent/young adult (AYA) patients with poor prognosis or rare tumors. Using integrative somatic-germline analyses, we assessed the clinical utility of cancer genomics in this population. We analyzed tumor mutational signatures and burden to interrogate the relevance of germline variants in DNA repair genes and the impact of therapeutic exposures on tumor evolution. We also evaluated the frequency of changes to tumor drivers and therapeutic targets at relapse in those with serial samples. Integrative analysis yielded clinically actionable variants in a majority of patients. Improved diagnostic accuracy led to modified management in a subset. Therapeutically targetable variants were of unanticipated timing and type, with many of these derived from the germline. Enrichment in corroborating mutational signature 3 (‘BRCAness’) in patients with germline homologous recombination defects suggests they are drivers of pediatric cancers and potential targets for PARP inhibition. We show that mutation burden, which may in part be driven by prior therapeutic exposures, was significantly elevated in a minority of patients. Over one-third of patients with sequential samples analyzed showed a change in therapeutically-targetable drivers. Comprehensive somatic-germline cancer genomic profiling is useful at multiple points in the care trajectory for pediatric/AYA patients, supporting its integration into early clinical management. Re-biopsy at the time of relapse should be considered, and specific attention to mutational burden is indicated. Defective DNA repair genes in the germline may represent important targetable drivers.

  Study EGAS00001006034

• Genomic Analysis of Peripheral T-Cell Lymphomas

  Peripheral T-cell lymphomas (PTCLs) are a heterogeneous and poorly understood group of non Hodgkin lymphomas. We aim to identify new genetic alterations in PTCL transformation by using a combination of whole exome sequencing of tumor-normal DNA pairs, RNAseq analysis and targeted deep sequencing of candidate genes. Our data identified highly recurrent mutations in epigenetic factors such as TET2, DNMT3A and IDH2 as well as a new highly prevalent mutation in RHOA, the G17V allele that is present in almost 70% of angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphomas (AITL) and almost 20% of not otherwise specified PTCL (PTCL NOS) samples. In addition, we describe new and recurrent genetic defects including mutations in FYN, ATM, B2M and CD58 implicating SRC signaling, impaired DNA damage response and escape from immune surveillance processes as key players in the pathogenesis of PTCL.

  Study phs000689

• Genomic Sequencing of Ewing Sarcoma

  Pediatric Ewing sarcoma is a pediatric cancer that primarily arises from the bone. It is characterized by chimeric fusions of the EWS gene and an ETS family transcription factor. In this study, we performed massively parallel sequencing of a larger collection of Ewing sarcoma tumors to define the genomic landscape of this disease. We found that these tumors are among of the most genetically normal cancers currently characterized. There was also a marked absence of recurrent mutations in immediately targetable signaling transduction pathway genes. In this study we answer outstanding questions about ETS transcription factor expression, effects of treatment on mutational burden in Ewing sarcoma tumors, and describe patterns of tumor evolution. We also found that loss-of-function mutations in STAG2 were present in approximately 15% of Ewing sarcoma tumors and loss of STAG2 expression was associated with disease metastasis in this patient cohort.

  Study phs000804

• The Multiomics Blueprint of the Individual with the Most Extreme Lifespan

  Although centenarians are becoming more common in the demography of human populations, the so-called supercentenarians (over 110 years old) are still a rarity. In Catalonia, the historic nation where the subject lived, the life-expectancy for women is 86 years old, so she exceeded more than 30 years the mean statistical value. In a similar manner that premature aging syndromes, such as Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria and Werner syndrome, can provide relevant clues about the mechanisms of aging; the study of supercentenarians might also shed light in the pathways involved in lifespan. To unfold the biological properties that exhibited such a remarkable human being, we developed a comprehensive multiomics analysis in different tissues of her genomic, transcriptomic, metabolomic, epigenomic and microbiomic landscapes , comparing the results with those observed in non-supercentenarian populations.

  Study EGAS50000000884

• RNA-sequencing data from 195 B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemias and mate pair whole genome sequencing data from 15 B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemias

  Fusion genes are potent driver mutations in cancer. In this study, we delineate the fusion gene landscape in a consecutive series of 195 pediatric B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (BCP ALL). Using RNA-sequencing, we find in-frame fusion genes in 127 (65%) cases, including 27 novel fusions. We describe a new subtype characterized by recurrent IGH-DUX4 or ERG-DUX4 fusions, representing 4% of cases, leading to overexpression of DUX4 and frequently co-occurring with intragenic ERG deletions. Furthermore, we identify a subtype characterized by an ETV6-RUNX1-like gene expression profile and coexisting ETV6 and IKZF1 alterations. Taken together, this study provides a detailed overview of fusion genes in pediatric BCP ALL and adds new pathogenetic insights, which may improve risk stratification and provide novel therapeutic options in this disease.

  Study EGAS00001001795

• Screening_for_human_epigenetic_variation_at_CpG_islands

  Many human characteristics, including susceptibility to disease, are determined genetically. An unexplored alternative to such genetic determination concerns epigenetic mechanisms such as DNA methylation. CpG islands (CGIs) are generally constitutively hypomethylated, however there are circumstances in which they become heavily methylated and, when coincident with a gene promoter, this invariably causes transcriptional silencing. CGI methylation occurs in normal tissues during processes such as X-inactivation, but abnormal patterns of methylation have also been implicated in disease. The vast majority of evidence relates to cancer, where silencing of multiple genes in this way appears to be a causal contributor to the cancer state. To address the role and extent of CGI methylation in ‘normal’ and diseased cells we applied MBD-affinity purification in conjunction with next generation sequencing in a panel of human brain autopsy samples. These samples represent a panel of individuals as well as specific brain regions and neurological pathologies.

  Study EGAS00001000074

• Genomic Heterogeneity and the Small Renal Mass

  Tumor heterogeneity is believed to represent a barrier to pre-operative genomic characterization in kidney cancer. Previous studies of heterogeneity in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) evaluated only large and metastatic tumors. In small renal tumors in which multiple biopsies are not feasible, the extent of heterogeneity remains unknown. In this study, we evaluated how the extent of genomic heterogeneity in small and large ccRCC. A total of 23 small (<4cm ) and 24 large (>7cm ) ccRCC had 3 regions sampled for evaluation of copy number, clear-cell A/clear-cell B (ccA/ccB) classification, and cell cycle progression (CCP) score. Small tumors have less genomic complexity and significantly fewer subclonal events. Pre-treatment genomic characterization based on a single biopsy in small ccRCC can provide insight into biologic potential to make clinical decisions.

  Study EGAS00001002919

• MuTHER_adipose_tissue_small_RNA_expression

  We investigate the naturally occurring variation of small RNA expression in conjunction with genetic and gene expression variation. We shall assess the variation in subabdominal fat tissue small RNA levels in 168 unrelated MuTHER individuals. Using gene expression data from the same samples, we can survey how much the small RNA expression contributes to the variance in gene expression profiles. We can also take advantage of the high density genotyping data on these samples to identify genetic associations of small RNA expression levels, and the downstream effect of the genetic variants in small RNA sequence. Previous small RNA sequencing efforts have also extended the repertoire of small RNAs, and we hope to potentially find additional small RNAs active in adipose tissue biology. Altogether, the project should provide an exciting view into small RNA biology in humans, and lead to development of new methodology for analysis of molecular phenotype data.

  Study EGAS00001000212

• BLUEPRINT DNA Methylation 450K data of mantle cell lymphoma

  We have applied an analytic strategy to decipher the DNA methylome of 86 mantle cell lymphomas (MCL) in light of the methylome of the entire B-cell lineage. In this way, we first identified two MCL subgroups that respectively carry epigenetic imprints of pre- and post-germinal center B cells. Secondly, we observed that pure tumor-specific changes are rare, as most (89-99%) DNA methylation alterations in MCL are within or in close proximity of those regions showing dynamic methylation in normal B cells. Several thousand of these differentially methylated regions in MCL show concurrent changes in enhancer-associated histone modifications, including a region located 650 Kb away from the MCL oncogene SOX11. At the clinical level, epigenetic and genetic changes co-evolve during MCL progression and the magnitude of epigenetic changes is associated with overall survival of the patients.

  Study EGAS00001001637

• Germline RUNX1 Variation and Predisposition to Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic

  Somatic mutations of RUNX1, which encodes the myeloid and lymphoid transcriptional factor RUNX1, are common in both B- and T- acute lymphoid leukemia (ALL) and are associated with poor prognosis of T-ALL. However, there has been no comprehensive investigation of the pattern or prevalence of RUNX1 germline mutation in both B- and T-ALL. Here we report germline RUNX1 variants in 1.23% of B-ALL and 2.11% of T-ALL, identifying 31 unique variants in 62 B-ALL and 18 unique variants in 26 T-ALL children. The majority of frameshift and nonsense variants affected RUNX1 function in transcriptional regulation, hematopoiesis, and cellular proliferation. We identified JAK3 as the most frequent somatic mutation in T-ALL with RUNX1 variants. These results not only identify RUNX1 as a leukemia predisposition gene but also further underline the importance of germline genetic variants to the development of ALL

  Study EGAS00001005403

• single-stranded DNA study

  A ssDNA library protocol was applied to cfDNA from plasma samples obtained from different DNA extraction methods and revealed significant differences in DNA fragmentation patterns in comparison to dsDNA-based protocols. In particular, a specific combination of methods revealed a population of ultrashort fragments, organized at ~50 bp. We observed significant differences in the relative abundance of these ultrashort DNA fragments in plasma from healthy individuals and cancer patients. Through shallow whole genome sequencing (sWGS, <0.5-fold coverage) and the analysis of somatic copy number aberrations (SCNA), we determined the landscape of genetic alterations in this newly identified population of cfDNA fragments. In addition, we studied their potential link with regulatory regions by investigating the genome-wide coverage patterns at transcription start sites (TSS). Furthermore, we demonstrated that the ultrashort cfDNA fragments map to regions associated with secondary DNA structures, G-quadruplexes (G4s).

  Study EGAS00001005093

• Analysis of a cohort of familial ademomatous polyposis patients bearing APC gene mutation

  large number of colorectal adenomas with high risk of evolving into colorectal tumors. Mutations of the Adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) gene is often at the origin of this disease, as well as of a high percentage of spontaneous colorectal tumors. APC is therefore considered a tumor suppressor gene. While the role of APC in intestinal epithelium homeostasis is well characterized, its importance in immune responses remains ill defined. We investigated an array of immune cell features in FAP subjects carrying APC mutations. A group of 12 FAP subjects and age and sex-matched healthy controls were studied. In particular, the expression of 579 immune response genes was analyzed in whole blood cells using the Nanostring nCounter Human Immunology kit v2. (Cuche C. et al. Frontiers in Immunology, 2023, in press)

  Study EGAS00001007237

• Genome-Wide Association Study of Breast Cancer in the African Diaspora - the ROOT study

  The paucity of data on the genetic epidemiology of breast cancer for racial/ethnic groups other than those of European ancestry hinders the development of innovative interventions to reduce health disparities. Women in the African Diaspora experience a disproportionate burden of pre-menopausal breast cancer in comparison to all other races for reasons that remain unknown and understudied. This higher proportion of early-onset breast cancer might suggest a stronger genetic component in these populations. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have revealed several genetic loci that confer risk of breast cancer. Because all GWAS started the discovery stage in women of European ancestry and replicated mainly in women of European ancestry, we propose a novel approach for a GWAS in indigenous African women to identify alleles associated with breast cancer risk which will then be replicated in other populations. This innovative design builds on our current understanding of the etiologic heterogeneity in breast cancer and the distribution of breast cancer molecular subtypes which differ between women of African ancestry and women of European ancestry. The major objective of the proposed studies is to get to the "root" causes of breast cancer by identifying breast cancer risk alleles in a pooled sample of women of African ancestry and to replicate our findings in other populations. To achieve this objective, we conducted a case control study of breast cancer in women of African ancestry, including Africans living in Nigeria, African Americans and African Barbadians. We will genotype ~3800 individuals using the Illumina HumanOmni2.5-Quad platform. We will conduct both standard and novel genetic analyses of the data to map genes associated with breast cancer susceptibility, verify genotyping and carry out fine-mapping studies in genes or regions showing association with breast cancer risk, and replicate in other African American and non-African American populations. By pooling unique resources from studies throughout the African Diaspora, this study has the potential to identify risk alleles in several genes that contribute to increased breast cancer risk and may have implications for early detection, prognosis and treatment of breast cancer in ALL women. This should ultimately lead to improved outcomes for those who suffer a disproportionate burden of early-onset breast cancer.

  Study phs000383

• Whole Genome Sequencing of Neuroblastoma

  Neuroblastoma is a childhood tumour of the peripheral sympathetic nervous system. The pathogenesis has for a long time been quite enigmatic, as only very few gene defects were identified in this often lethal tumour1. Frequently detected gene alterations are limited to MYCN amplification (20%) and ALK activations (7%)2-5. Here we present a whole genome sequence analysis of 87 neuroblastoma of all stages. Only few recurrent amino-acid changing mutations were found. In contrast, analysis of structural defects identified in 18% of high stage neuroblastoma a local shredding of chromosomes, known as chromothripsis6. These tumours are associated with a poor outcome. Structural alterations recurrently affected ODZ3, PTPRD and CSMD1, which are involved in neuronal growth cone stabilization7-9. In addition, ATRX, TIAM1 and a series of regulators of the Rac Rho pathway were mutated, further implicating defects in neuritogenesis in neuroblastoma. Most tumors with defects in these genes were aggressive high stage neuroblastoma, but did not carry MYCN amplifications. The genomic landscape of neuroblastoma therefore reveals two novel molecular defects, chromotripsis and neuritogenesis gene alterations, which frequently occur in high risk tumors.

  Study EGAS00001000222

• Molecular Characterization of Hemimegalencephaly

  Somatic mutations, in which a fraction of the cells in the body have a deleterious mutation, are well recognized in cancer but only recently appreciated in neurological disease. Given a somatic mutation in a population of progenitor cells, all daughter cells inherit the mutation and are able to express the resultant phenotype as a function of the differentiation program. We recently identified the first de novo somatic mutations in the developing brain in the condition hemimegalencephaly (HME), a catastrophic focal epilepsy condition associated with a malformation of cerebral cortical development (MCD). HME is one of the most severe MCD syndromes, characterized by massive hamartomatous overgrowth of either of the two cerebral hemispheres. Cerebral hemispherectomy is a frequent treatment for refractory epilepsy, allowing the sampling of diseased tissue. By comparing DNA from a diseased brain with DNA from blood/saliva, we identified de novo somatic mutations in PIK3CA, AKT3 or MTOR, part of the mTOR pathway. Mutations were present in 8-40% of sequenced alleles in various brain regions sampled during surgery and in some codons known to activate proteins.• Population informationPatient samples were collected from multiple centers. The population is Caucasian and Hispanic• Molecular technologies employedWhole-exome sequencing• Principal findings of the studyWe were the first to describe mTOR-related and non-mTOR mutations causing hemimegalencephaly, and we described two-hit mutational models to explain the genetic pathogenesis of hemimegalencephaly

  Study phs002156

• Genomic and Phenotypic Profile of Sickle Cell Disease in Human Population in Cameroon

  Sickle cell disease (SCD) is caused by a biallelic single nucleotide substitution in the beta-globin gene (HBB), resulting in an amino acid substitution, Glu7Val, formerly known as Glu6Val. An estimated 300,000 babies with SCD are born worldwide each year, with nearly 75% of these births being in sub-Saharan Africa. In Africa, at least 30-50% of children with untreated SCD die before the age of 5 years. Therefore, accelerating the path for novel therapies for SCD through genomics research on fetal hemoglobin (HbF) is critical. Variants in the currently known HbF‐modulating genes/loci, i.e., BCL11A, HBS1L-MYB, and XmnI-HBG2, explain only 10-20% of the variation of HbF levels in African individuals with SCD, compared with nearly 50% of the variation in HbF levels among Europeans. Expanding genomic research in populations of African ancestry could uncover the missing heritability of HbF-promoting loci. This study used the Human Heredity and Health (H3Africa) consortium SNP genotyping array developed from whole genome enriched for common variants in sub-Saharan Africans to investigate genomic variations associated with HbF levels in individuals with sickle cell anemia of the HbSS genotype from Cameroon. Two of the previously described loci, BCL11A and HBS1L-MYB were replicated, while a novel locus on chromosome 13 mapping to FLT1 was uncovered. The study therefore opens up a novel avenue for exploring SCD gene therapy.

  Study phs003748

• Platelet RNAseq data for SLFN14 K219N patients

  Pathogenic missense variants in SLFN14, which encodes an RNA endoribonuclease protein that regulates rRNA degradation, are known to cause inherited thrombocytopenia with impaired platelet aggregation and ATP secretion. Despite rather mild laboratory defects, these patients display an obvious bleeding phenotype. The function of SLFN14 in megakaryocyte (MK) and platelet biology is unknown. This study aims to characterize the platelet transcriptome in patients with a SLFN14 K219N variant and model the disease in the immortalized megakaryocyte cell line imMKCL. Total platelet RNA was sequenced for two patients and 19 healthy controls. Differential gene expression analysis yielded a total of 2999 and 2888 significantly (|log2FC|>1, FDR<0.05) up- and downregulated genes, respectively. Remarkably, these downregulated genes were not enriched for any biological pathway while upregulated genes were enriched for pathways involved in (mitochondrial) translation and transcription with a significant upregulation of 134 ribosomal protein genes (RPG). Heterozygous and homozygous SLFN14 K219N imMKCL showed a defect in MK differentiation that aggravated during cell passaging of undifferentiated cells and in proplatelet formation. SLFN14 defective platelets and MK showed signs of rRNA degradation while this was absent in undifferentiated imMKCL cells. Upregulation of RPG through increased mTOR signaling in SLFN14 K219N MK seems to be a compensatory response for rRNA degradation. Indeed, mTOR inhibition with rapamycin resulted in further enhanced rRNA degradation in SLFN14 K219N MK. Taken together, our study indicates dysregulation of mTOR-regulated ribosomal biogenesis as the disease mechanism for SLFN14-related thrombocytopenia.

  Study EGAS00001006339

• Genetic and epigenetic characterization of adenoid cystic carcinoma

  Translocation events are frequent in cancer and may create chimeric fusions or regulatory rearrangements that drive oncogene overexpression. Although regulatory rearrangements are increasingly recognized in hematopoietic and even solid tumors, the underlying mechanisms remain obscure. Here we identify super-enhancer translocations that drive overexpression of the oncogenic transcription factor MYB as a unifying theme in adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC). Whole genome sequencing data and chromatin state maps for 13 primary tumors and xenografts reveal distinct chromosomal rearrangements that juxtapose super-enhancer clusters to the MYB locus. Chromosome conformation capture confirms that the translocated enhancers physically interact with the MYB promoter. Remarkably, the MYB product itself binds to the translocated enhancers, thus creating a positive feedback loop that sustains its own expression. MYB also binds a large number of active enhancers that drive opposing regulatory programs in alternate cell lineages in ACC. MYB cooperates with the transcription factor TP63 in the myoepithelial component of the tumors, but promotes a Notch program in the luminal epithelial component. Bromodomain inhibitors, which disrupt enhancer function, slow tumor growth in ACC primagraft models in vivo, but are ineffective against high grade tumors that harbor activating mutations in the Notch pathway. Thus, our study identifies super-enhancer translocations as a unifying feature of ACC, and provides insight into the mechanism by which sustained MYB overexpression drives alternate cell fates in this disease.Processed ChIP-seq data is available on GEO under accession number GSE76465.

  Study EGAS00001001457

• GeneSTAR (Genetic Study of Atherosclerosis Risk) NextGen Consortium: Functional Genomics of Platelet Aggregation Using iPS and Derived Megakaryocytes

  The causal mechanisms of common diseases and their therapies have been only marginally illuminated by genetic variants identified in genome wide association studies (GWAS) utilizing single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs). Platelet activation pathways reflecting hemostasis and thrombosis are the underlying substrate for many cardiovascular diseases and related acute events. To overcome GWAS limitations, genomic studies are needed that integrate molecular surrogates for platelet-related phenotypes assayed in cell-based models derived from individuals of known genotypes and phenotypes. In our GWAS study of native platelet aggregation phenotypes and aggregation in response to low dose aspirin in 2200 subjects (GeneSTAR, Genetic Study of Aspirin Responsiveness), important genome wide "signals" (p<5x10-8) associated with native platelet aggregation and important "signals" associated with platelet responsiveness to aspirin were identified and replicated. Although we are currently performing functional genomics studies to elucidate our most promising findings in known genes (PEAR1, MET, PIKC3G), most "signals" occurred in intergenic regions or in introns. Mechanistic interpretation is limited by uncertainty as to which gene(s) are up- or down-regulated in the presence of most SNP modifications. In this 3 phase proposal, we will (1) create pluripotent stem cells (iPS) from peripheral blood mononuclear cells, and then differentiate these stem cells into megakaryocytes (2) develop an efficient strategy to produce iPS and megakaryocytes using a novel pooling method, and (3) produce iPS and megakaryocytes from 250 subjects in GeneSTAR (European Americans and African Americans), selected based on specific hypotheses derived from GWAS signals in native and post aspirin platelet function; characterize genetic mRNA transcripts using a comprehensive Affymetrix array; measure protein expression for transcripts of interest using mass spectrometry; examine mRNA and protein expression patterns for each GWAS signal to determine the functional pathway(s) involved in native platelet phenotypes; and examine the functional genomics of variations in responsiveness to aspirin using our prior genotyped and phenotyped population. Precise information about the exact functional processes in megakaryocytes and platelets may lead to innovative and tailored approaches to risk assessment and novel therapeutic targets to prevent first and recurrent cardiovascular and related thrombotic events.

  Study phs001074

• Exome Sequencing of Statin-Induced Myopathy Cases

  Severe myopathic events occur in 0.1-0.5% of patients taking statins. Although genetic association studies have identified some possibly associated gene loci, these have not been reproducible in additional studies with independent patient cohorts. A more reasonable explanation for susceptibility to statin-induced myopathy is the presence of rare pathogenic variants in genes important for skeletal muscle structure and function. In support of this, we have previously reported an increased incidence of pathogenic variants in genes causing metabolic myopathies in patients with statin-induced myopathy (Vladutiu et al.,2006). We also reported a patient with statin myopathy who had an RYR1 variant known to be causative of malignant hyperthermia susceptibility (MHS) (Vladutiu et al., 2011). There are a number of genes associated with metabolic myopathies triggered by various factors such as extreme exercise, fasting, extremes in temperature, viral infection and exposure to volatile anesthetics. In addition, many of the genes causing congenital myopathies, myofibrillar myopathies and muscular dystrophies have overlapping phenotypes with these genes. We propose that statins act as an additional trigger inducing myopathic symptoms and many patients with severe statin-induced myopathy have causative genetic variants within similar genes associated with MHS and congenital myopathy. We have analyzed the resultant data using a disease model in which rare pathogenic variants, possibly within multiple genes, are causative of statin-induced myopathy. In this study, we have identified potentially causative genetic variants in greater than 50% of the statin-induced myopathy cases and in particular, rare and possibly pathogenic in the RYR1 and CACNA1S genes were present in 25% of the patient samples studied. Vladutiu, G. D., Simmons, Z., Isackson, P.J., Tarnopolsky, M., Peltier, W.L., Barboi, A.C., Sripathi, N., Wortmann, R.L., Phillips, P.S., (2006). "Genetic risk factors associated with lipid-lowering drug-induced myopathies." Muscle Nerve 34: 153-162. Vladutiu, G. D., Isackson, P.J., Kaufman, K., Harley, J.B., Cobb, B., Christopher-Stine, L., Wortmann, R.L, (2011). "Genetic risk for malignant hyperthermia in non-anesthesia-induced myopathies." Mol Genet Metab 104: 167-173.

  Study phs001342

• Epi_Tax_targeted_sequencing

  Sequencing of 350 cancer genes in BC samples from patients treated with either Epirubicin or Paclitaxel monotherapy in the neoadjuvant setting.

  Study EGAS00001000587

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

  7 RNA-Seq datasets in human pancreatic islets from 7 donors, where islets were treated in high (11mM) glucose conditions

  Dataset EGAD00001005207

• A Pilot Study Using Next Generation Sequencing in Advanced Cancers: Feasibility and Challenges

  In this study, we used NGS to identify somatic events in advanced stage cancer patients to demonstrate the feasibility for using this approach to improve patient treatment.

  Study phs000657

• A comprehensive genetic map of cytokine responses in Lyme borreliosis

  A study on the genetic determinants of immune response in patients diagnosed with Lyme borreliosis. Examining the link between genetic variants and cytokine response in more than 1,000 patients.

  Study EGAS50000000024

• Copy number profile of ctDNA in ovarian cancer patients

  This study analyzes the copy number profiles from circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in plasma samples withdrawn from ovarian cancer patients, in a subset of samples from the MITO16A clinical trial.

  Study EGAS00001008226

• Presence of bacterial infection in brains of patients with Huntington's disease (HD)

  Bacterial isolation in infected brains in patients with Huntington's disease. Here we used next generation sequencing of 16S ribosomal RNA gene PCR amplicons (NGS 16S amplicon analysis)

  Study EGAS00001003678

• GENOMIC INSTABILITY IN MISMATCH REPAIR DEFICIENT COLORECTAL CANCER

  Here we performed whole exome sequencing on a series of 47 mismatch repair (MMR) deficient colorectal cancers (CRC) in order to identified key events in tumoral initiation and progression

  Study EGAS00001002477

• Single-cell T-cell receptor sequencing of intraepithelial gammadelta T-cells in celiac disease

  Single-cell paired TCR sequencing of intraepithelial γδ T-cells in gluten-free diet treated and untreated celiac disease patients and in controls. (Paired end, amplicon sequencing).

  Study EGAS00001003897

• Presence of bacterial infection in brains of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD)

  Isolation of bacteria in infected brains in patients with Parkinson's disease. Here we used next generation sequencing of 16S ribosomal RNA gene PCR amplicons (NGS 16S amplicon analysis).

  Study EGAS00001003643

• Genetic Basis of Isolated Arhinia and Bosma Arhinia Microphthalmia Syndrome

  The goal of this project is to determine the genetic etiology of congenital arhinia and Bosma arhinia microphthalmia syndrome through a combination of whole-exome, whole-genome, and targeted sequencing followed by in silico, in vitro, and in vivo functional modeling.

  Study phs001246

• Diagnostic yield and clinical utility of whole-exome sequencing in pediatric patients with rare and undiagnosed diseases in the Czech Republic

  In our single-center study, we have launched a pilot program for pediatric patients with undiagnosed diseases in the second-largest university hospital in the Czech Republic. WES was implemented as a first-line test after inclusion in the study as part of the diagnostic workflow. This study was prospectively conducted at the Department of Pediatrics at University Hospital Brno between 2020 and 2023.

  Dataset EGAD50000000640

• DAC for "Transcriptome analysis of human iPSC-derived microglia in a novel human 3D cortical tissue model"

  scRNA-seq analysis of human iPSC-derived microglia in a novel, human in vitro 3D cortical tissue model. Samples include three distinct conditions (each as biological duplicates): wild-type microglia extracted from cultures after 1 month (WT_1mo) and 3 months (WT_3mo) of culturing, as well as knock-in microglia extracted from cultures carrying three familial AD mutations in the APP gene (Swedish, Iberian, Arctic; introduced by CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knock-in) after 3 months of culturing (KI_3mo).

  Dac EGAC50000000303

• The_contribution_of_POT1_variants_to_sporadic_melanoma_development

  A case-control series of melanoma cases from Leeds, UK have been sequenced in the Fluidigm platform to identify genetic variants associated with sporadic melanoma development. Samples in which potentially contributing variants have been detected are being sequenced in an orthogonal platform for variant confirmation.

  Study EGAS00001001964

• VRK3 depletion in Pontine Diffuse Midline Glioma DMG-K27 altered cells

  In order to investigate possible mechanisms underlying the phenotype of cell fitness decline observed following decrease of VRK3 in pontine DMG-K27 altered cells 7, we examined differences in global gene expression. RNA-seq was performed 44h and 60h post-transduction with two distinct shRNAs targeting VRK3 to be able to evaluate the early impact of VRK3 knock-down (KD) in four independent in vitro models of DMG

  Dataset EGAD00001010097

• Variant Calling used in ABB project

  This dataset has two Variants Files in VCF format used in ABB project (https://github.com/Francesc-Muyas/ABB). One has the variants found in a Rare Variant Association Study performed in CLL patients. This has 1217 samples represented. The other variant file has 209 SNPs predicted in 10 samples by GATK HaplotypeCaller and selected for Sanger Sequencing Validation. Raw reads were aligned against the Human Reference genome (Hg19) with BWA mem and variants were obtained using GATK HaplotypeCaller.

  Dataset EGAD00001004132

• Novel manifestations of immune dysregulation and granule defects in gray platelet syndrome

  Gray Platelet Syndrome (GPS) is a rare recessive bleeding disorder resulting from biallelic variants in NBEAL2. As part of a comprehensive evaluation of the phenotype and genotype in 47 patients with GPS, four different blood cell-types (platelets, neutrophils, monocytes, and CD4-lymphocytes) were evaluated using bulk RNA-seq in five patients and five controls. These data are deposited in this archive in FASTQ format.

  Dataset EGAD00001005950

• TREM2+ Cells in Human Basal Cell Carcinomas

  To explore the tumor immune microenvironment heterogeneity in sporadic human basal cell carcinoma tumors, we profiled two individual patient tumors by scRNA-Seq. We identified a population of TREM2+ macrophages, which have been implicated in promoting an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. We identify that TREM2+ can promote tumor epithelial proliferation in an immunosuppressive independent manner.

  Study phs003242

• Loss of RREB1 in pancreatic beta cells reduces cellular insulin content and affects endocrine cell gene expression

  Genome-wide studies have uncovered multiple independent signals at the RREB1 locus associated with altered type 2 diabetes (T2D) risk and related glycemic traits. However, little is known about the function of the zinc finger transcription factor RREB1 in glucose homeostasis or how changes in its expression and/or function influence diabetes risk. We studied its function using three transcriptomic strategies, profiling gene expression when RREB1 is knocked out or knocked down in the Endo-betaH1 cell line, in addition to the in vitro differentiation in hiPSCs.

  Dataset EGAD00001009740

• The role of the mammalian SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex in neuroendocrine prostate cancer

  We sought to determine the effects of SMARCA4 and SMARCA2 depletion in prostate cancer cell lines. We performed siRNA-mediated knock-down of SMARCA4 and SMARCA2 in an androgen-sensitive (LNCaP) cell line and in a castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC)-adenocarcinoma cell line (22Rv1) and compared global transcriptional alterations using RNA-seq.

  Study EGAS00001004177

• Mutator phenotype and specific mutational signature explain an increased risk of hematological malignancies in patients with Xeroderma Pigmentosum

  In this study we report for the first time the unique collection of 6 leukemias and two sarcomas from XP-C. Comprehensive WGS-based mutational analysis provides genetic explanation for the increased incidence of leukemia in XP-C and describes an unique mutational process in internal tumors associated with NER deficiency.

  Study EGAS00001004511

• TCR β-chain repertoire characterization of regulatory and conventional T cells in breast tumors from breast cancer patients.

  Identification of tumor-specific effects on peripheral TCRβ repertoire formation in humans, investigation of the clonal origin of regulatory T cells in breast cancer patients and impact analysis of the tumor-specific conversion of conventional T cells into induced regulatory T cells on the peripheral Treg repertoire in humans.

  Study EGAS00001004671

• TCR β-chain repertoire characterization of regulatory and conventional T cells in peripheral blood from breast cancer patients and healthy individuals.

  Identification of tumor-specific effects on peripheral TCRβ repertoire formation in humans, investigation of the clonal origin of regulatory T cells in breast cancer patients and impact analysis of the tumor-specific conversion of conventional T cells into induced regulatory T cells on the peripheral Treg repertoire in humans.

  Study EGAS00001002699

• Longitudinal profiling of circulating tumour DNA for tracking tumour dynamics in pancreatic cancer

  The utility of circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) for longitudinal tumour monitoring in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has not been explored beyond mutations in the KRAS proto-oncogene. We aim to characterise and track patient-specific somatic ctDNA variants, to assess longitudinal changes in disease burden and explore the landscape of actionable alterations.

  Study EGAS00001005981