3855 results for "*geneti*"

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• dbGaP Collection: Compilation of Individual-Level Genomic Data for General Research Use

  This dbGaP Collection contains all authorized individual-level genomic datasets currently in dbGaP that are approved for General Research Use (GRU) and have no further limitations beyond those outlined in the model Data Use Certification Agreement. Access to this study will include any additional authorized individual-level GRU datasets that become available. Renewal of this study is required annually. Data Included in this Study Individual-level genomic data designated for general research use with no further use limitations or restrictions, that is, Data use does not require approval by an Institutional Review Board for secondary analyses Data have no publication embargo Data have no other use limitations (e.g., requirement for collaboration or publication; restricted for use by academic or not-for-profit organizations; restricted to health, medical, and/or biomedical research) In response to requests from the scientific community, the NIH implemented a change in the procedures for accessing individual-level GRU genomic data. Under the modified procedures, interested investigators can request GRU individual-level genomic datasets with a single application. However, please note that these data have not been harmonized. Additionally, to help expedite the processing of requests for individual-level GRU genomic datasets, the requests will be reviewed by a single, central Data Access Committee. The process for requesting these datasets is identical to the request process for non-GRU individual-level, controlled-access data, such as the expectation that investigators will abide by the NIH Policy for Sharing of Data Obtained in NIH Supported or Conducted Genome-Wide Association Studies and Data Use Certification Agreement. Effective April 24, 2018, the Data Use Limitations (DUL) for the Genes and Blood Clotting Study (GABC) (phs000304) was updated to Health/Medical/Biomedical, Not-for-profit Use Only (HMB-NPU). Additionally, the submitting institutions have requested the removal of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) "Grand Opportunity" Exome Sequencing Project (GO-ESP) Lung Cohorts Exome Sequencing Project: Genetic modifiers of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Pa) lung infection acquisition in cystic fibrosis (phs000254) from the dbGaP Compilation of Individual-Level Genomic Data for General Research Use (dbGaP Compilation) (phs000688). As such, data from studies phs000304 and phs000254 are no longer available as part of the dbGaP Compilation (phs000688). Investigators must submit separate Data Access Requests (DARs) for the two studies and be approved by the NHLBI Data Access Committee.

  Study phs000688

• CSER: Exome Sequencing in Diverse Populations in Colorado and Oregon/CHARM Cancer Health Assessments Reaching Many

  The CHARM (Cancer Health Assessment Reaching Many) study, part of the Clinical Sequencing Evidence-Generating Research (CS.ER2) effort, aimed to assess the utility of clinical exome sequencing and how it affects care in diverse populations. The study population included adults at risk for hereditary cancer syndromes. The primary objective was the implementation of a hereditary cancer risk assessment program in healthy 18-49 year-olds in primary care settings within a vertically integrated health delivery system (Kaiser Permanente) and a federal qualified health center (Denver Health). The investigators aimed to assess clinical exome sequencing implementation and interpretation, as well as tailored interactions for low health literacy including a contextualized consent process, and a modified approach to results disclosure and genetic counseling. The investigators were also assessing the clinical utility (healthcare utilization and adherence to recommended care) and personal utility of primary and additional results from clinical exome sequencing, and evaluate the ethical and policy implications of considering personal utility of genomic information decisions for health care coverage.Sequencing and analysis for CHARM was conducted at the Northwest Clinical Genomics Laboratory, University of Washington, Seattle (https://nwgc.gs.washington.edu/).

  Study phs002111

• The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) Human Genetics Resource Center: DNA and Cell Line Repository (the NINDS Repository): Motor Neuron/Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Study

  The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) Human Genetics Resource Center: DNA and Cell Line Repository (the NINDS Repository), banks phenotypic data and biological samples, including from individuals with motor neuron disease, in order to facilitate gene discovery in neurological disorders. Those samples are used in a number of studies, and genotyping data from studies using this resource are encouraged to be shared via dbGaP. Many studies have already shared data in this fashion, which in turn, can be linked back to the biologicals banked at the NINDS Repository. Motor Neuron Disease is characterized by selective degeneration of the motor neurons of the spinal cord, brainstem, or motor cortex. Clinical subtypes are distinguished by the major site of degeneration. In Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), there is involvement of upper, lower, and brainstem motor neurons. In progressive muscular atrophy and related syndromes, the motor neurons in the spinal cord are primarily affected. With progressive bulbar palsy, the initial degeneration occurs in the brainstem. In primary lateral sclerosis, the cortical neurons are affected in isolation (Adams et al, Principles of Neurology, 6th ed, p 1089). The Motor Neuron Disease Collection of DNA and cell lines in the NINDS Repository is largely Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis cases (others include progressive muscular atrophy, primary lateral sclerosis, progressive bulbar palsy, Kennedy's disease). Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is the most common form of motor neuron disease (MND). Although ALS is the most common MND, it is still a relatively rare disease with an incidence of around 1.6 per 100,000 in the United States. It is currently incurable and treatment is largely limited to supportive care. Family history is associated with an increased risk of ALS, and many Mendelian causes have been discovered (including SOD1). However, most forms of the disease are not obviously familial. It is suspected that the sporadic forms of neurodegenerative disorders are caused by multiple genetic variants that individually make relatively weak contributions to risk. There is also an associated Control collection (see dbGaP and Coriell). Studies in motor Neuron Disease may use cases from the NINDS repository, controls from the NINDS repository, as well as cases, and controls, from other sources. A subset of subjects from The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) Human Genetics Resource Center: DNA and Cell Line Repository (the NINDS Repository): Motor Neuron/Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Study was utilized in the Genome-wide genotyping in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and neurologically normal controls: first stage analysis and public release of data study. Note: The publication Chio et al., 2009 states that "Raw sample-level genotype data from the initial GWAS study ... are available for download through the dbGAP portal (phs000006.v1.p1)". Instead, please follow this link: phs000101.v1.p1.

  Study phs000006

• Coding and regulatory somatic profiling of triple-negative breast cancer in Sub-Saharan African patients

  The burden of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) may be shaped by genetic factors, particularly inherited and somatic mutation profiles. However, data on this topic remain limited, especially for the African continent, where a higher TNBC incidence is observed. In the age of precision medicine, cataloguing TNBC diversity in African patients becomes imperative. We performed whole exome sequencing, including untranslated regions, on 30 samples from Angola and Cape Verde, which allowed to ascertain on potential regulatory mutations in TNBC for the first time. A high somatic burden was observed for the African cohort, with 86% of variants being so far unreported. Recurring to predictive functional algorithms, 17% of the somatic single nucleotide variants were predicted to be deleterious at the protein level, and 20% overlapped with candidate cis-regulatory elements controlling gene expression. Several of these somatic functionally-impactful mutations and copy number variation (mainly in 1q, 8q, 6 and 10p) occur in known BC- and all cancer-driver genes, enriched for several cancer mechanisms, including response to radiation and related DNA repair mechanisms. TP53 is the top of these known BC-driver genes, but our results identified possible novel TNBC driver genes that may play a main role in the African context, as TTN, CEACAM7, DEFB132, COPZ2 and GAS1. These findings emphasize the need to expand cancer omics screenings across the African continent, the region of the globe with highest genomic diversity, accelerating the discovery of new somatic mutations and cancer-related pathways.

  Study EGAS50000001013

• Single-cell transcriptional mapping reveals genetic and hierarchy-based determinants of aberrant differentiation in AML

  Therapeutic targeting of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) has in part been hampered by profound cell state heterogeneity among leukemia cells. To develop a more precise understanding of leukemia cell states in AML, we constructed a reference atlas of human hematopoiesis from 263,519 single cell transcriptomes spanning 55 cellular states. Using this atlas, we mapped over 1.2 million single-cell transcriptomes spanning 318 myeloid leukemia samples. This uncovered twelve recurrent patterns of aberrant differentiation in AML and additional leukemia cell states involving lymphoid and erythroid progenitors. Systematic mapping of genotype-to-phenotype associations revealed specific differentiation landscapes associated with >45 genetic drivers. Importantly, AML samples sharing common genetic driver alterations can have distinct cellular origins which inform the cellular identity of their disease-sustaining leukemia stem cell (LSC). Further, distinct LSC-driven hierarchies can co-exist within individual patients. Thus, precise mapping of malignant cell states provides insights into leukemogenesis, refines disease classification, and informs therapy development.

  Study EGAS50000000918

• 10X single cell RNA- and feature barcode sequencing of 38 AML samples

  This dataset contains fastq-files from single cell 3' RNA- and feature barcode sequencing of AML samples using 10X technology (Chromium Single Cell 3ʹ Reagent Kit v3). In total, the dataset contains data from 38 AML samples from either bone marrow or peripheral blood, representing the following genetic subtypes: NPM1-mutated, myelodysplasia related, TP53-mutated, CBFB::MYH11, RUNX1::RUNX1T1, AML without class-defining mutations, and AML meeting criteria of two subtypes. The data consists of sequenced gene expression libraries from 38 samples and feature barcoding libraries covering a panel of 10-14 surface proteins for 34 samples.

  Dataset EGAD50000001577

• Genetic and Epigenetic Screens in Primary Human T Cells Link Candidate Causal Autoimmune Variants to T Cell Networks

  We aimed to define the target genes and pathways in which autoimmune disease-associated genetic variants operate. We performed single cell-CRISPR-interference screens in primary human T cells and bulk RNA-seq on T cells containing CRISPRi and single gRNAs to assess how T cell regulatory regions containing autoimmune-associated genetic variants affect nearby gene expression and cellular programs.

  Study phs004072

• DAC for Central African ancient demography processes NGS dataset

  Title DAC Ancient tree-topologies and gene-flow processes among human lineages in Africa Contacts: Paul Verdu +33144057317 paul.verdu@mnhn.fr CNRS-MNHN-Université de Paris UMR7206 Eco-anthropology Short description The Data Access Committee for acess to genotype and sample information used in the article "Ancient tree-topologies and gene-flow processes among human lineages in Africa" by Gwenna Breton et al. 2025 ensures that data-access requests comply with the Informed Consent provided by donors, and with ethical and deontological guidelines with respect to privacy. DNA samples from individuals were collected with the subjects’ informed consent following the Declaration of Helsinki guidelines and approved by the following Ethics committees: Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD, France); Cameroon Ministry of Scientific Research and Technology; Central African Republic Ministère de l’Enseignement Supérieur et de la Recherche Scientifique; France Ministère de l’Enseignement Supérieur, de la Recherche et de l’Innovation (Comité de Protection des Personnes DC-2016-2740); French Commission Nationale Informatique et Liberté CNIL (declaration n°1972648); Uganda National Council for Science and Technology; Institutional Review Board of the University of Chicago Biological Sciences Division and the Pritzker School of Medicine University of Chicago Hospitals (protocol number 16986A); Committee for the Protection of Human Subjects of the Trustees of Dartmouth College and the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center (protocol number 22410); Human Research Ethics Committee (Medical) at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg (Protocol Numbers: M980553, M050902, M090576, M10270, M180654); Working Group of Indigenous Minorities in Southern Africa (WIMSA); South African San Council (SASC); and the Swedish Ethical Review Authority (Dnr 2019-05174). Requests for accessing all or part of the Central African data used in the article "Ancient tree-topologies and gene-flow processes among human lineages in Africa", by Gwenna Breton et al. 2024 (doi - PENDING), should be addressed to the DAC providing: 1) Data can only be used to explore human genetic evolution, evolutionary ecology and population history 2) The research institution where data will be stored and were analyses will be conducted. 3) The detailed coordinates of the researcher responsible for data storage and analyses. 4) A description (max 20 sentences) of the scientific finality and context of the project and classes of methodological analyses that will be performed to achieve it using the requested data. 5) When applicable, mention also other previously published data sets that will be used jointly with the requested datas et For accessing any or all the Central African genetic data used in the article "Ancient tree-topologies and gene-flow processes among human lineages in Africa", by Gwenna Breton et al. 2024 (doi - PENDING), the requester hereby ensures that: 1) Individual donor privacy should be respected at all times. Data cannot be made publicly available under any circumstances. 2) Data cannot be shared nor transferred to a third party without re-applying for eGA access to the DAC. 3) No direct or indirect commercial use of the data can be made 4) No individual medical genetics or disease diagnostics can be performed with the data 5) No medical or legal forensic investigations can be conducted with the data 6) No genealogical research can be conducted with the data (e.g. no paternity nor maternity testing, no genetic identification, no search of relatives using other datasets) 7) Appropriate citation of the article and data set used for any scientific communication using the data 8) Data is destroyed after the completion of the project. Any further re-use of the data is subject to a novel application to the DAC.

  Dac EGAC50000000447

• MATISSE Whole-exome sequencing data

  Sample availability: WES was performed on 41 available baseline tumor and blood samples (22 CCRs/MPRs, 5 PPRs, 14 CRN/NPRs). Tumor DNA was extracted from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) primary tumor and lymph node metastasis sections containing at least 10% viable tumor cells present in the sample. A pathologist (LS) scored the tumor percentage and indicated the most tumor-dense region on a hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stain slide for subsequent DNA isolation. According to the manufacturer's protocol, five to 10 FFPE slides (10 µm) were used for DNA isolation using the AllPrep DNA FFPE isolation kit (Qiagen, 80234) and the QIAcube. Germline DNA was isolated from baseline PBMCs using the AllPrep DNA / RNA / miRNA Universal isolation kit (Qiagen, 80224) and the QIAcube, according to the manufacturer’s protocol. Genetic Diagnostics and Sequencing Services (CeGaT) performed whole-exome sequencing sequencing in Germany. Data processing: Demultiplexing of the sequencing reads was performed with Illumina bcl2fastq (v2.20). Adapters of the reads were trimmed with Skewer (v0.2.2), without quality trimming. Sequencing reads were aligned with BWA (v0.7.17) to the human reference genome GRCh38 (Ensemble, v105). Duplicated reads were marked using Picard (v2.25.0) MarkDuplicates, after which quality scores were recalibrated using GATK4 (4.2.2.0) BaseRecalibrator. FastQC (v0.12.1), MultiQC (v1.14), Mosdepth (v0.3.3) and NGScheckmate (v1.0.1) were used for assessing data quality, on FASTQ files and intermediate processing steps.

  Dataset EGAD50000001469

• MATISSE bulk RNA-sequencing data

  Tumor availability: Bulk RNA sequencing was performed on tumor biopsies of 48 patients at baseline and 45 patients across time points (baseline n=48, week 1 n=38, week 2 n=34, week 4 n=37), including lymph node metastasis that were sequenced in addition to the primary tumor. Tumor RNA was extracted from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) primary tumor and lymph node metastasis sections containing at least 10% viable tumor cells present in the sample, except for on-treatment samples with a complete pathological response in which we isolated samples with at least 10% immune-infiltration with no viable tumor cells. A pathologist (LS) scored the tumor percentage and indicated the most tumor-dense region on a hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stain slide for subsequent RNA isolation. According to the manufacturer's protocol, five to 10 FFPE slides (10 µm) were used for RNA isolation using the AllPrep DNA/RNA FFPE isolation kit (Qiagen, 80234) and the QIAcube. Genetic Diagnostics and Sequencing Services (CeGaT) performed RNA sequencing in Germany. Data processing: Demultiplexing of the sequencing reads was performed with Illumina bcl2fastq (v2.20). Adapters of the reads (Pico v2 SMART adapter, first three nucleotides of the second sequencing read) were trimmed with Skewer (v0.2.2), without quality trimming. RNA-sequencing data was aligned to GRCh38 (Ensembl v109) using STAR (v2.7.9) in 2-pass mode with default settings. Gene counts were generated with the HTSeq (v2.0.2). FastQC (v0.12.1) and MultiQC (v1.14) were used for assessing data quality, on FASTQ files and intermediate processing steps.

  Dataset EGAD50000001470

• A prospective study identifies MisMatch Repair genes as candidate predisposing genes for uveal melanoma.

  Objective: The aim of this study is to identify new predisposing genes for uveal melanoma (UM), the most common intraocular malignancy in adults. Design: Prospective cohort study from Institut Curie. Participants: 381 unselected patients diagnosed with UM between July 2021 and February 2023 at Institut Curie. Methods: All patients received genetic counseling and consented to extended genetic testing. A panel of 122 genes was analyzed by targeted sequencing on germline DNA from these patients. Main outcomes measures: UM was diagnosed by ophthalmologists at Institut Curie, and a senior pathologist confirmed the diagnosis when tumor or biopsy was available. Classification of the germline genetic variants was performed according to the ACMG guidelines. Results: We identified at least one pathogenic variant (PV) in 79 patients. Among those variants, 20 were found in clinically relevant genes for the patient’s follow-up and genetic counseling. We found a significant enrichment of germline pathogenic variants in Mismatch Repair (MMR) MLH1, MSH2 and MSH6 genes in this UM cohort, suggesting that MMR germline alterations could predispose to UM. From this cohort, one tumor was available from a patient carrying a MLH1 germline mutation. The tumor was characterized by a monosomy 3, in line with a loss of heterozygosity (LOH) of MLH1, located on chromosome 3. Loss of expression of MLH1 and PMS2 was observed by immunohistochemistry, and MMR mutational signatures SBS6, ID1 and ID2 were identified from the whole genome sequencing of the tumor. These data suggest that MLH1 is implicated in the oncogenesis of this UM. Conclusions: This study is the largest prospective constitutional study performed on UM patients, and the first demonstrating that MMR germline alterations are significantly enriched among these patients. Further analyses will be needed to estimate the risk of developing UM for patients with Lynch syndrome

  Study EGAS50000000914

• B cell receptor silencing reveals origin and dependencies of high-grade B cell lymphomas with MYC and BCL2 rearrangements

  High-grade B cell lymphomas with MYC and BCL2 rearrangements (HGBCL-DH-BCL2) represent highly aggressive Germinal center (GC) derived B cell malignancies with dismal prognosis and limited therapeutic options. In the present study, we investigated the expression of BCR complex components, including immunoglobulin (IG) heavy (H) and light (L) chains, and CD79A and CD79B signaling subunits in HGBCL-DH-BCL2, scoring 65% of cases with undetectable IGH immunoreactivity (IGHUND). Transcriptomics (bulk RNA-seq) and genetic (whole exome/genome sequencing) analyses indicated that IGHUND and IGH+ HGBCL-DH-BCL2 lymphomas represent distinct biological entities. Specifically, IGHUND HGBCL-DH-BCL2 exhibit a GC DZ-like molecular program, and select subset-specific gene mutations pointing to distinct evolutionary trajectories respect to the IGH+ counterparts. IG profiling revealed that IGHUND HGBCL-DH-BCL2 preserved potentially productive, hypermutated IGH variable (V) gene rearrangements, indicating a selective advantage conferred to the malignant B cells by residual IGH molecules. Accordingly, disruption of the productively rearranged IGHG1 gene in BCRnull HGBCL-DH-BCL2 cell line model confirmed the dependency on IGH expression for optimal fitness. Using transcriptomics and in situ RNA-scope analysis, we reported that IGHUND HGBCL-DH-BCL2 originated from IG-class switched GC B cells, while IGH-expressing tumors were selected for continuous IGM expression. Moreover, while IGH+ HGBCL-DH-BCL2 favor IGM/IG-Kappa expression, IGHUND counterparts complete IG-Lambda light chain rearrangements. Notably, BCR silencing, caused by accelerated IGH turnover and reduced IGH expression, precedes HGBCL-DH-BCL2 onset, inducing RAG1/2-dependent IG light chain editing and eventually facilitating t(8;22)/IGL::MYC translocations. Finally, IGH silencing observed in HGBCL-DH-BCL2 cell models, which leads to intracellular retention/silencing of CD79B, results in reduced sensitivity to the CD79B-targeting antibody-drug conjugate Polatuzumab-vedotin. Collectively, HGBCL-DH-BCL2 originates from isotype-switched t(14;18)+ GC B cells that undergo IG light chain editing fuelling intra-clonal diversification, BCR silencing, and the acquisition of t(8;22) translocation, while preserving IGH dependency.

  Study EGAS50000001047

• Genomic determinants of response and resistance to inotuzumab in B-ALL

  Inotuzumab Ozogamicin (InO) is an antibody-drug conjugate which delivers calicheamicin to CD22-expressing cells. In a retrospective cohort of InO treated B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) patients, we sought to understand the genomic determinants of response to InO. Acquired CD22 mutations were observed in 11% (3/27) of post-InO relapsed samples. CD22 mutation types were diverse (frameshift, nonsense, missense and stoploss) and we identified multiple mechanisms of mutation induced CD22 escape, including protein truncation, protein destabilization, and epitope alteration. Accelerated acquisition of mutations by error-prone DNA damage repair could drive CD22 mutation and escape. Acquired loss-of-function mutations in TP53, ATM and CDKN2A were observed, suggesting compromise of the G1/S DNA damage checkpoint as a mechanism of evading InO-induced apoptosis. In conclusion, genetic alterations modulating CD22 expression and DNA damage response influence InO efficacy. The diverse mechanisms of CD22 escape advocates for a refined approach for monitoring CD22-targeted therapy.

  Study EGAS50000000067

• DHODH is a synthetic-lethal vulnerability in BCOR-deficient acute myeloid leukemia

  Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) remains challenging to treat, especially in cases with mutations in the BCL-6 co- repressor (BCOR), which are associated with poor prognosis and chemo-resistance. In this study, we reveal a synthetic lethal interaction between BCOR and dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH). We demonstrate that BCOR-deficient cells have a heightened sensitivity to DHODH inhibitors such as brequinar and leflunomide, that are already in clinical use. We confirm that DHODH inhibition selectively induces cell death in BCOR-mutant cells in multiple cellular models, in malignant and non-malignant cells, through chemical and genetic manipulation. Interestingly, we find that the dependency on DHODH does not stem from its role in de novo pyrimidine biosynthesis disruption. Rather, DHODH’s role in the electron transport chain, essential for mitigating reactive oxygen species, may be the physiological vulnerability that pushes BCOR-mutant cells toward cell death when DHODH is inhibited. DHODH inhibitors could be repurposed as targeted therapies for BCOR-mutant tumors, offering a promising strategy for precision medicine in AML and other cancers.

  Study EGAS50000001108

• Uncovering Gene Regulatory Differences between Human and Chimpanzee Neural Cells

  A major challenge in human evolutionary biology is to pinpoint the genetic differences that underlie phenotypic changes in the human lineage, such as increased neuron number and a prolonged period of neuronal maturation. Here, we used human-chimpanzee tetraploid cells to distinguish changes in gene expression due to cis-acting sequence variants that change local gene regulation, from trans expression changes due to species differences in the cellular environment, in neural progenitor cells and excitatory neurons using RNA-seq and ATAC-seq. Using a CRISPR inhibition screen with scRNA-seq, transcription factor motif analyses with CUT&Tag, and downstream single-locus studies with RNA-seq, we further characterized cis-acting gene regulatory differences, including changes to FOS, TNIK, FOSL2, and MAZ, that influence neurogenesis and neuronal maturation. This study identifies specific genomic changes that may contribute to human neural specializations and provides a general framework for understanding genetic differences that underlie human traits.

  Study phs004053

• Genome Sequencing and Variant Calling of HCM Patients with MYH7 Variants

  To investigate potential genetic causes of cardiomyopathy we recruited 48 patients harboring rare MYH7 variants identified from panel-based testing and with a clinical manifestation of cardiomyopathy. Genome sequencing was performed to identify other potential causative variants and genetic modifiers of the cardiomyopathy phenotype, which varied among patients.

  Study phs004024

• Identifying the Genetic Basis of Variably Protease-Sensitive Prionopathy (VPSPr)

  Design: Sequencing of cases onlyMolecular technologies: Exome sequencing and custom targeted sequencing of PRNPAims: Identify modestly penetrant, high odds ratio variants conferring risk of variably protease-sensitive prionopathy (VPSPr)Population: n=67 autopsy-confirmed VPSPr cases, United States, 1997-2021Principal findings: Association to PRNP M129V replicated, no other causal variants identifiedData available: Raw sequencing data and metadata

  Study phs004012

• Epigenetic Control of Topoisomerase 1 by MacroH2A1.1

  DNA transactions introduce torsional constraints that pose an inherent risk to genome integrity. While topoisomerase 1 (TOP1) activity is essential for removing DNA supercoiling, aberrant stabilization of TOP1:DNA cleavage complexes (TOP1ccs) can result in cytotoxic single-stranded DNA lesions (SSLs). What protects the genome from aberrant TOP1 activity remains unknown. Using a combination of CUT&RUN and TOP1 Covalent Adduct Detection (CAD) Seq in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells (American Type Culture Collection, ATCC), we identified chromatin context as an essential means to ensure TOP1cc resolution at TOP1 hot spots. Through its ability to bind poly(ADP-ribose) (PAR), a protein modification required for TOP1cc repair, the histone variant macroH2A1.1 establishes a TOP1-permissive chromatin environment, while the alternatively spliced macroH2A1.2 isoform is unable to bind PAR or protect from TOP1ccs. MacroH2A1 isoform-specific analyses were based on reconstitution of macroH2A1.1 knockout cells with wild-type or PAR binding-deficient FLAG-tagged macroH2A1.1 in human breast cancer cells. Mechanistically, we find that macroH2A1.1 facilitates the recruitment of the TOP1cc repair factor XRCC1 in response to both endogenous and drug-induced topological stress. Impaired macroH2A1.1 splicing, a frequent cancer feature, was predictive of increased sensitivity to TOP1 poisons in a pharmaco-genomic screen in breast cancer cells, and macroH2A1.1 inactivation mirrored this effect in breast and ovarian cancer cells. Consistent with this, low macroH2A1.1 expression correlated with improved survival in cancer patients treated with TOP1 inhibitors (TOP1i). We propose that macroH2A1 alternative splicing serves as an epigenetic modulator of TOP1-associated genome maintenance and a potential cancer vulnerability.

  Study phs003729

• Epigenetic profiling of primary human thymocyte subsets

  Dynamic changes of the DNA methylation (DNAmeth) landscape drive differentiation of mature T lymphocytes. However, the role of DNAmeth-mediated regulation in thymocyte development remains unclear. Thus, we generated genome-wide DNAmeth and transcriptomic profiles of eight defined, ex vivo isolated primary human thymocyte subsets, to assess the epigenetic remodling taking place during human thymic T cell development. The generated data may also serve as a reference for the analysis of T cell-based inborn errors of immunity or for quality control purposes of in vitro generated T cell populations.

  Study EGAS50000001106

• mRNA-seq of paired Follicular Lymphoma (FL) patient samples before and after high-grade transformation to DLBCL (FL vs. tFL) from FFPE tissues

  The aim of this study was to analyze transcriptional changes in paired samples of follicular lymphoma (FL) and its histological transformation (tFL). Transformation of FL is an adverse event in the course of the disease and is associated with poor outcome. Several genetic aberrations have been linked to tFL pathogenesis, but gene expression changes and microenvironmental interactions have not been well characterized. We performed RNA profiling of FL and paired tFL samples transformed to DLBCL (n=11 pairs). For RNA profiling, we utilized libraries prepared using RNA isolated from archival FFPE tissues.

  Study EGAS50000000941

• DHODH is a synthetic-lethal vulnerability in BCOR-deficient acute myeloid leukemia

  Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) remains challenging to treat, especially in cases with mutations in the BCL-6 co- repressor (BCOR), which are associated with poor prognosis and chemo-resistance. In this study, we reveal a synthetic lethal interaction between BCOR and dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH). We demonstrate that BCOR-deficient cells have a heightened sensitivity to DHODH inhibitors such as brequinar and leflunomide, that are already in clinical use. We confirm that DHODH inhibition selectively induces cell death in BCOR-mutant cells in multiple cellular models, in malignant and non-malignant cells, through chemical and genetic manipulation. Interestingly, we find that the dependency on DHODH does not stem from its role in de novo pyrimidine biosynthesis disruption. Rather, DHODH’s role in the electron transport chain, essential for mitigating reactive oxygen species, may be the physiological vulnerability that pushes BCOR-mutant cells toward cell death when DHODH is inhibited. DHODH inhibitors could be repurposed as targeted therapies for BCOR-mutant tumors, offering a promising strategy for precision medicine in AML and other cancers.

  Study EGAS50000001060

• Batches 1-3 prostatectomy analysis

  Whole Genome Sequencing Illumina HiSeq data from 95 men with prostate cancer. Samples were taken from primary tissue obtained at prostatectomy (target sequencing depth 50X) with matched blood control (target sequencing depth 30X). This data is from batches 1 to 3 and is the bulk of the data used in Wedge et al, Nature Genetics 2018 (PMID: 29662167). As of September 2020, some of the studies using these data include: Wedge et al, Nature Genetics 2018 (PMID: 29662167) Pan-Cancer Analysis of Whole Genomes, Nature 2020 (PMID: 32025007)

  Dataset EGAD00001001116

• Emirati Genome Project subset of 43,608 WGS samples for population-scale variant discovery and allele frequency mapping.

  Here, we present a comprehensive genomic characterization of a cohort of 43,608 Emirati genomes sequenced as part of the Emirati Genome Program (EGP). This study identified more than 421 million single nucleotide variants and indels and more than 600 million copy number- and structural variants. Small variants had 756 million molecular effects annotated. Of the identified variants, 69.04% were observed with more than one allele. Of 7.7 million polymorphic variants having an allele frequency (AF) of more than 5% in EGP, 1,348 have a predicted deleterious effect on a protein. Characterization of global variation reveals that EGP represents a genetic continuum encompassing the range of African, Asian, and European populations. It is best described by two Arabian, an Eurasian, and an African component, with the predominant Arabian component linked to mitochondrial haplogroups J and T, which are commonly attributed to the Middle East. Various aneuploidies of sex chromosomes were detected in 93 individuals overall and of chromosome 21 in 41 individuals. The median inbreeding coefficient and cumulative runs of homozygosity (ROHs) lengths were increased due to extensive consanguinity, being largest in the groups with Arabian main ancestry components and higher than reported for Qatar. Families were identified based on genetic relatedness and classified into 264 families with unrelated parents and 247 families with third- and fourth-degree consanguineous parents. Representative consanguineous pedigrees of families in EGP were outlined. Cumulative ROHs were affected by the main ancestry component and significantly increased in offspring of consanguineous parents, with a pronounced difference between 3rd and 4th-degree relatedness. Investigation of cumulative AFs of variants causing Mendelian diseases highlighted genes related to alpha- and beta-thalassemia (HBB, HBA2). It showed a high burden of variants causing severe recessive diseases, metabolic and retinal disorders, and hearing loss. In summary, EGP represents a landmark effort in characterizing the genetic diversity of the Emirati population, leveraging the largest Middle Eastern cohort reported to date.

  Study EGAS50000001071

• Omic Studies in Children's Respiratory and Environmental Workgroup (CREW) Cohorts

  Children's Respiratory Research Workgroup (CREW) is an NIH-funded project consisting of multiple individual U.S. cohorts and three scientific centers working together to identify phenotypes and causes of childhood asthma. CREW will include data from a large number of children and their families, with broad diversity in terms of ethnicity, family characteristics, neighborhoods and geographic locations. One of the primary goals of CREW is to put together sets of data and samples of participating cohorts to identify phenotypes of childhood asthma (i.e. specific subtypes of asthma that can be distinguished by clinical features such as natural history, triggers, exacerbation frequency, concurrent allergies, lung function, sex, etc). Omics studies will include genotyping, methylation, and RNA sequencing. By integrating the DNA genotyping with the expression, immunologic and clinical data, we will identify eQTL, inflammation QTL, and lung function QTL, as well as QTL associated with other biomarkers. Analyses will identify genetic, epigenetic, transcriptional and protein/metabolite profiles that are associated with specific exposures or phenotypes. As we obtain mechanistic insights about personal and early life risk factors, we will connect asthma phenotypes with underlying causes and pathogenic mechanisms to define endotypes of childhood asthma.

  Study phs004036

• Prevention and Early Treatment of Acute Lung Injury (PETAL) Crystalloid Liberal or Vasopressors Early Resuscitation in Sepsis (CLOVERS) (PETAL CLOVERS-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 PETAL CLOVERS include plasma, and whole blood. Please note that use of biospecimens in genetic research is subject to a tiered consent. Available Data: The data available for request now include Long Term Outcome data.Objectives: To compare the effects of a restrictive fluid strategy (with early use of vasopressors) to a liberal fluid strategy in participants with sepsis-induced hypotension.Background: Intravenous fluid resuscitation is a common therapy used in the initial treatment of participants with septic shock and sepsis-induced hypotension. The goal of initial fluid therapy is to increase depleted or functionally reduced intravascular volume that occurs in sepsis due to a vasodilated vascular network. However, intravenous fluid resuscitation can create dilutional coagulopathy, fluid overload, and pathogenic edema in the lungs and other organs. Vasopressor agents are also commonly used to treat hypoperfusion by inducing constriction of arterioles and venules and increasing cardiac contractility. Vasopressor therapy also comes with risks that include vasoconstriction resulting in tissue ischemia, increased cardiac workload, and arrhythmias. Clinicians have used these strategies, typically in combination, to provide supportive care for participants with sepsis-induced hypoperfusion. However, at the time of the CLOVERS study, there was limited data to guide specific use of these therapies, including fluid volumes, in the early care of participants with sepsis-induced hypotension. The CLOVERS study hypothesized that a restrictive fluid strategy used during the first 24-hours of resuscitation for sepsis-induced hypotension would lead to lower mortality before discharge home by day 90 than a liberal fluid strategy.Participants: A total of 1,563 participants, from 60 medical centers, of the planned 2,230 participants were enrolled, with 782 assigned to the restrictive fluid group and 781 to the liberal fluid group. Enrollment in the trial was ended after the second interim analysis due to a lack of significant difference observed between the two 24-hour strategies.Design: This study was a multi-center, prospective, phase 3 randomized non-blinded interventional trial of fluid treatment strategies in the first 24 hours for participants with sepsis-induced hypotension. Participants were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to either a restrictive fluid strategy (with early vasopressor use) or a liberal fluid strategy. In each group, the assigned protocol was followed for a period of 24 hours. The restrictive fluid protocol prioritized vasopressors as the primary treatment for sepsis-induced hypotension, with 'rescue fluids' being permitted for prespecified indications that suggested severe intravascular volume depletion. The liberal fluid protocol consisted of a recommended initial 2000-ml intravenous infusion of isotonic crystalloid, followed by fluid boluses administered on the basis of clinical triggers (e.g., tachycardia) with 'rescue vasopressors' permitted for prespecified indications. A protocol amendment implemented in October, 2019, allowed for limiting the initial infusion to 1,000 ml if the participant's blood pressure and heart rate had stabilized and the clinical assessment was that the participant was unlikely to benefit from additional intravenous fluid administration. The clinical team could override the protocol-specified care instructions at any time if it was judged to be in the best interest of the participant.The primary outcome was death from any cause before discharge home by day 90. Secondary outcomes included 28-day measures of the number of days free from ventilator use, days free from renal-replacement therapy, days free from vasopressor use, days out of the ICU, and days out of the hospital. Conclusions: Among participants with sepsis-induced hypotension, the restrictive fluid strategy that was used in this trial did not result in significantly lower (or higher) mortality, or other measures of recovery such as length of hospital stay, before discharge home by day 90 than the liberal fluid strategy.

  Study phs004080

• Re-Evaluation of Systemic Early Neuromuscular Blockade

  This study of the ROSE trial data explored two distinct molecular subtypes of ARDS (Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome) to better understand the disease's complexity and potential for personalized treatment. Previous studies had identified different inflammatory profiles in ARDS patients, with this research addressing three key questions: Can these molecular subtypes be consistently identified in a more severe group of ARDS patients? Do these subtypes respond differently to neuromuscular blockade treatment? What specific biological processes differentiate these inflammatory profiles? Advanced transcriptomic and protein analyses examined blood samples from ARDS patients. Analysis of these data revealed two main molecular phenotypes: Hypoinflammatory phenotype (60.4% of patients) Hyperinflammatory phenotype (39.6% of patients) Key findings demonstrated that the hyperinflammatory subtype was associated with:Significantly higher mortality rates relative to hypoinflammatory (61.6% vs. 30.3%)Significantly higher mortality rates relative to hypoinflammatory (61.6% vs. 30.3%)Distinct gene expression patterns related to immune responseUnique changes in genes associated with tissue remodeling and cellular processes Notably, the neuromuscular blockade treatment showed no difference in effects across these subtypes. Complex relationships emerged between gene expression and protein levels, with some genes closely matching their protein counterparts and others displaying more variable connections. The study concludes that these molecular phenotypes possess distinct clinical, protein, and genetic characteristics, suggesting potential for more precise, personalized approaches to ARDS treatment in the future.

  Study phs003929

• Oncogenome of Kaposi Sarcoma

  Kaposi Sarcoma (KS) is an aggressive cancer caused by the Kaposi Sarcoma Herpesvirus (KSHV/HHV-8). Individuals with immunodeficiencies, exemplified by HIV, have an elevated risk of developing KS. However, understanding of the genetic factors contributing to KS progression is still limited. To explore potential genetic alterations in KS that could offer biological or therapeutic insights, whole exome sequencing was performed on 78 KS tumors and matching normal skin samples from 59 adults with KS (46 with HIV-associated KS and 13 with HIV-negative KS) receiving treatment at the Uganda Cancer Institute in Kampala, Uganda. Results showed a very low mutational burden in all samples except one (median = 11 mutations), which is the smallest number of mutations found across all 33 cancer types in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). No recurrent mutations were identified. Mutational signatures included impaired DNA mismatch repair and smoking. There was no evidence suggesting that multiple tumors from the same patient originated from a single clone. The number of genome copy alterations per genome was higher in tumors from individuals without HIV and those with advanced-stage disease. This suggests that lesions that take longer to develop may accumulate more alterations, although the overall number of alterations remains low compared to other cancers. These findings suggest that KS pathogenesis differs from other cancers, with KSHV viral infection and the expression of viral oncogenes being the primary drivers of carcinogenesis, rather than clonal oncogenic transformation arising from genetic alterations of cancer-related cellular genes.

  Study phs003897

• Collagen XVII Promotes Pancreatic Cancer Through Regulation of PIK3R5

  Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) contains a desmoplastic stroma that promotes the aggressive biology of this disease. While the varied mechanisms by which fibrillar collagens contribute to PDAC have been defined, little is known about the contribution of transmembrane collagens. Among this class of collagens, Collagen XVII uniquely contains an extensive intracellular domain that connects intracellular cytoplasmic components with the extracellular matrix. Collagen XVII is best characterized as the defining component of the type I hemidesmosome, an anchoring complex that attaches epithelial cells to the underlying basement membrane. In this study, we characterize the expression of collagen XVII in PDAC and the mechanisms by which it contributes to PDAC biology. We demonstrate that crosstalk between PDAC cells and cancer associated fibroblasts drive collagen XVII expression in vitro and xenograft tumor models in vivo. Genetic depletion of collagen XVII in low-passage patient derived cell lines diminishes their metastatic potential and ability to form tumors in mice. Whole transcriptome sequencing of tumors formed by cells with diminished collagen XVII levels revealed dramatically lower levels of PIK3R5, a regulatory subunit of class IB phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K) that interacts with G protein-coupled receptors. Consistent with this, collagen XVII-deficient tumors exhibited lower levels of phosphorylated AKT, a downstream effector of PI3K. The studies highlight the importance of collagen XVII signaling in PDAC and define a novel mechanism by which collagen XVII mediates activation of PI3K.

  Study phs003641

• NHLBI TOPMed: Lung Tissue Research Consortium (LTRC)

  Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a disease state characterized by airflow limitation that is not fully reversible, is the third leading cause of death in the U.S. COPD is a heterogeneous syndrome, with affected individuals demonstrating marked differences in lung structure (emphysema vs. airway disease); physiology (airflow obstruction); and other clinical features (e.g., exacerbations, co-morbid illnesses). Multiple genomic regions influencing COPD susceptibility have been identified by genome-wide association studies (GWAS), and rare coding variants can also influence risk for COPD. However, only a small percentage of the estimated heritability for COPD risk can be explained by known genetic loci. Like most complex diseases, COPD is influenced by multiple genetic determinants (each with modest individual effects). Emerging evidence supports the paradigm that complex disease genetic determinants are part of a network of interacting genes and proteins; perturbations of this network can increase disease risk. To identify this network, multiple Omics data will need to be analyzed with methods to account for nonlinear relationships and interactions between key genes and proteins. Our overall hypothesis is that integrated network analysis of genetic, transcriptomic, proteomic, and epigenetic data from biospecimens ranging from lung tissue to nasal epithelial cells to blood in highly phenotyped subjects will provide insights into COPD pathogenesis and heterogeneity. We will leverage the well-phenotyped, NHLBI-funded Lung Tissue Research Consortium (LTRC) to address these questions. We will perform multi-omics analysis in 1548 lung tissue and blood samples from the LTRC. With these multi-omics data, we will utilize a systems biology approach to understand relationships between multiple genetic determinants and multiple types of Omics data. We will begin by performing single Omics analyses in COPD vs. control lung, nasal, and blood samples. Next, we will integrate single Omics data with genetic variants identified by WGS to assist in fine mapping genetic determinants of COPD. We will then perform integrated network analysis of COPD with genetic and multiple Omics data using correlation-based, gene regulatory, and Bayesian networks. Subjects were recruited from Mayo Clinic, Universities of Colorado, Michigan, and Pittsburgh, and Temple University.

  Study phs001662

• HBCC Postmortem Psychiatric Molecular Studies

  This postmortem study examines molecular, genetic and epigenetic signatures in the brains of hundreds of subjects with or without mental disorders conducted by the DIRP NIMH Human Brain Collection Core (HBCC). The brain tissues are obtained under protocols approved by the CNS IRB (NCT00001260), with the permission of the next-of-kin (NOK) through the Offices of the Chief Medical Examiners (MEOs) in the District of Columbia, Northern Virginia and Central Virginia. Additional samples were obtained from the University of Maryland Brain and Tissue Bank (contracts NO1-HD-4-3368 and NO1-HD-4-3383) (http://www.medschool.umaryland.edu/btbank/ and the Stanley Medical Research Institute: http://www.stanleyresearch.org/brain-research/). Clinical characterization, neuropathological screening, toxicological analyses, and dissections of various brain regions were performed as previously described (Lipska et al. 2006; PMID: 16997002). All patients met DSM-IV criteria for a lifetime Axis I diagnosis of psychiatric disorders including schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder and major depression. Controls had no history of psychiatric diagnoses or addictions. SNP array: Array-based genotyping was performed on most samples published in this collection. The number of SNPs assayed via Illumina chips varied between 650,000 and 5 Million. Cerebellar tissue was generally used for genotyping studies. # Diagnosis SNP Array 1 Anxiety Disorder 1 2 Autism Spectrum Disorder 13 3 Bipolar Disorder 114 4 Control 387 5 Eating Disorder (ED) 2 6 Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) 186 7 Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) 5 8 Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) 0 9 Schizophrenia 220 10 Other 7 11 Tic Disorder 3 12 Undetermined 1 13 Williams Syndrome 2 Table: Numbers of samples in each diagnostic category. DNA extraction: 45-80 mg of cerebellar tissue was pulverized for DNA extractions. The QIAamp DNA mini Kit (Qiagen) method was employed for tissue DNA extraction. The tissue was initially lysed using Tissue Lyser (Qiagen) and extractions were accomplished according to manufacturer's protocol. The DNA was captured in 500uL elution buffer. The concentrations were measured using Thermo Scientific's NanoDrop 1000/NanoDrop ONE. The mean yield was 128.85 uG (+/- 79.48), the mean ratio of 260/280 was 1.87 (+/- 0.105), and the mean ratio of 260/230 was 2.48 (+/-1.75). Genotyping methods: Three types of Illumina Beadarray chips were used: HumanHap650Y, Human1M-Duo, and HumanOmni5M-Quad (San Diego, California). The genotyping was done according to the manufacturer's protocol (Illumina Proprietary, Catalog # WG-901-5003, Part # 15025910 Rev.A, June 2011). Approximately, 400ng DNA was used and each DNA sample was QC tested for 260/280 ratio by nanodrop and DNA band intactness on 2% agarose gel. Briefly, the samples were whole-genome amplified, fragmented, precipitated and resuspended in appropriate hybridization buffer. Denatured samples were hybridized on prepared Bead Array Chips. After hybridization, the Bead Chip oligonucleotides were extended by a single fluorescent labeled base, which was detected by fluorescence imaging with an Illumina Bead Array Reader, iScan. Normalized bead intensity data obtained for each sample were loaded into the Illumina Genome Studio (Illumina, v.2.0.3) with cluster position files provided by Illumina, and fluorescence intensities were converted into SNP genotypes. Microarray: We generated RNA expression data using array technology for psychiatric subjects compared to non-psychiatric subjects as controls. We used tissues from three different brain regions i.e. hippocampus, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), and dura mater for a large cohort of individuals (total number 552 subjects for hippocampus, 800 for DLPFC and 146 for dura). Total RNA was extracted from ~100 mg of tissue using the RNeasy kit (Qiagen) according to the manufacturer's protocol. RNA quality and quantity were examined using the Bioanalyzer (Agilent, Inc) and NanoDrop (Thermo Scientific, Inc), respectively. Samples with RNA integrity number (RIN) # Diagnosis DLPFC Hippo Dura 1 Anxiety Disorder 1 0 0 2 Autism Spectrum Disorder 14 6 0 3 Bipolar Disorder 90 49 0 4 Control 336 270 75 5 Eating Disorder (ED) 2 1 0 6 Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) 144 87 0 7 Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) 5 3 0 8 Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) 6 0 0 9 Schizophrenia 192 125 71 10 Other 5 6 0 11 Tic Disorder 3 3 0 12 Undetermined 1 1 0 13 Williams Syndrome 2 1 0 Table: Numbers of samples in each diagnostic category. RNA-Seq of Dorso-lateral prefrontal cortex: All brains were collected and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortical (DLPFC) samples dissected at the HBCC, DIRP, NIMH. Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) specimens were dissected from right or left hemisphere of frozen coronal slabs. The study was funded by the DIRP, NIMH under contract (#HHSN 271201400099C) with Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai,1106402 One Gustave L. Levy Place, Box 3500, New York NY 10029-6574. RNA extraction, library preparation and sequencing were performed under contract at Icahn School of Medicine. The Common Mind Consortium (CMC) provided project management support. RNA isolation: Total RNA from 468 HBCC samples was isolated from approximately 100 mg homogenized tissue from each sample by TRIzol/chloroform extraction and purification with the Qiagen RNeasy kit (Cat#74106) according to manufacturer's protocol. Samples were processed in randomized batches of 12. The order of extraction for schizophrenia, bipolar, and MDD disorders and control samples was assigned randomly with respect to diagnosis and all other sample characteristics. The mean total RNA yield was 24.2 ug (+/- 9.0). The RNA Integrity Number (RIN) was determined by 4200 Agilent TapeStation System. Samples with RIN DLPFC RNA-Seq quantified expression data are provided for 364 samples. Data were generated, QC'd, processed and quantified as follows: RNA library preparation and sequencing: All samples submitted to the New York Genome Center for RNAseq were prepared for sequencing in randomized batches of 94. The sequencing libraries were prepared using the KAPA Stranded RNAseq Kit with RiboErase (KAPA Biosystems). rRNA was depleted from 1ug of RNA using the KAPA RiboErase protocol that is integrated into the KAPA Stranded RNAseq Kit. The insert size and DNA concentration of the sequencing library was determined on Fragment Analyzer Automated CE System (Advanced Analytical) and Quant-iT PicoGreen (ThermoFisher) respectively. Schizophrenia Bipolar Control 89 65 210 Table: Numbers of samples in each diagnostic category. RNA-Seq of subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (sgACC): All the 200 post-mortem brain samples (61 controls; 39 bipolar disorder; 46 schizophrenia; 54 major depressive disorder) were collected by the HBCC, DIRP, NIMH. RNA Extraction and Quality Assessment: Tissue from sgACC was pulverized and stored at -80°C. Total RNA was extracted from 50-80 mg of the tissue using QIAGEN RNeasy Lipid Tissue Mini Kit (QIAGEN, Cat. # 74804) with DNase treatment (QIAGEN, Cat. # 79254). The RNA Integrity Number (RIN) for each sample was assessed with high-resolution capillary electrophoresis on the Agilent Bioanalyzer 2100 (Agilent Technologies, Palo Alto, California). The concentration of RNA and their 260/280 ratio (2.1+/- 0.032 SD) were determined with NanoDrop (Thermo Scientific). RNA sequencing: Stranded RNA-Seq libraries were constructed after rRNA depletion using Ribo-Zero GOLD (Illumina). RNA sequencing was performed at National Institute of Health Intramural Sequencing Center (NISC). Schizophrenia Bipolar Control MDD 46 39 61 54 Table: Numbers of samples in each diagnostic category. Whole Genome Sequencing: All brains were collected and dissected at the HBCC, DIRP, NIMH. This study generates whole genome sequencing data using sequencing of DNA in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) or cerebellum of 443 individuals with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder and non-psychiatric controls. The study was funded by the DIRP, NIMH under contract (#HHSN 271201400099C) with Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai,1106402 One Gustave L. Levy Place, Box 3500, New York NY 10029-6574. DNA extraction, library preparation and sequencing were performed under contract at Icahn School of Medicine. The Common Mind Consortium (CMC) provided project management support. All specimens were dissected from right or left hemisphere of frozen coronal slabs. DNA Library Preparation and Sequencing: All samples submitted to the New York Genome Center for WGS were prepared for sequencing in randomized batches of 95. The sequencing libraries were prepared using the Illumina PCR-free DNA sample preparation Kit. The insert size and DNA concentration of the sequencing library was determined on Fragment Analyzer Automated CE System (Advanced Analytical) and Quant-iT PicoGreen (ThermoFisher) respectively. A quantitative PCR assay (KAPA), with primers specific to the adapter sequence, was used to determine the yield and efficiency of the adaptor ligation process. Performed on the Illumina HiSeqX with 30X coverage. Schizophrenia Bipolar Control 115 78 230 Table: Numbers of samples in each diagnostic category. ChIP-Seq: All brains were collected and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortical (DLPFC) samples dissected at the HBCC, DIRP, NIMH. This study generates epigenetic data using sequencing of DNA after chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP-Seq) for marks H3K4me3 and H3K27ac in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) specimens were dissected from right or left hemisphere of frozen coronal slabs. The study was funded by the DIRP, NIMH under contract (#HHSN 271201400099C) with Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai,1106402 One Gustave L. Levy Place, Box 3500, New York NY 10029,6574. Chromatin precipitation, library preparation and sequencing were performed under contract at Icahn School of Medicine. The Common Mind Consortium (CMC) provided project management support. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays for histone marks H3K4me3 and H3K27ac were carried out using Native ChIP. Micrococcal Nuclease (MNase) (Sigma, N3755) treatment was used to digest chromatin into mononucleosomes. The following antibodies were used for chromatin pull-down: anti-H3K4me3 (Cell Signaling, Cat# 9751BC, lot 7) and anti-H3K27ac (Active Motif, Cat# 39133, Lot # 31814008). Histone modification-enriched genomic DNA fragments were recovered using Protein A/G magnetic beads (Thermo Scientific, 88803-88938 or Millipore 16-663), and then washed, eluted, and treated with RNAse A and proteinase K. Final ChIP DNA products were isolated using phenol-chloroform extraction followed by ethanol precipitation. The efficiency of each ChIP assay was validated using Qubit concentration measurement and qPCR for positive (GRIN2B, DARPP32) and negative (HBB) control genomic regions. Only ChIP assays that passed quality control were further processed for library preparation and sequencing; this included ChIP DNA that was not detectable on Qubit but showed a good signal and expected enrichment patterns in qPCR. HISTONE_MARK H3K27ac H3K4me3 Input Bipolar 56 4 7 Control 158 11 24 Schizophrenia 79 11 12 Table: Numbers of individuals in each assay grouped by histone mark or input.Long-Read Whole-Genome Sequencing (WGS) Cohort Description: Brain specimens were obtained from the Human Brain Collection Core (HBCC), part of the NIH NeuroBioBank. Samples were collected under protocols approved by the NIH CNS Institutional Review Board (IRB) (NCT03092687), with informed consent from next-of-kin (NOK). Collection was coordinated through the Offices of the Chief Medical Examiners (MEOs) in Washington, D.C., Northern Virginia, and Central Virginia. Clinical metadata and documentation are publicly available via the NIMH Data Archive (NDA) (Collection #3151) https://nda.nih.gov/edit_collection.html?id=3151 Eligibility Criteria No clinical diagnosis of major neuropsychiatric or neurodegenerative diseaseNo diagnosis of cognitive impairment during life All individuals were confirmed to be neurologically normal at time of deathDemographics Initial cohort size: 155 individuals Ancestry: All individuals self-identified as African or African-admixed Mean age at death: 44.2 years (range: 18–85 years) Sex distribution: 36.4% femaleSample Processing: Frozen frontal cortex tissue was dissected and processed according to the public protocol: https://www.protocols.io/view/processing-human-frontal-cortex-brain-tissue-for-p-kxygxzmmov8j/v2. High-molecular-weight DNA was extracted and libraries were prepared using the Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) LSK-114 kit. Sequencing was performed using ONT PromethION flow cells (R10.4.1 chemistry) Data Processing and Quality Control: Basecalling: Conducted using Guppy v6.38 Read Alignment: Reads were aligned to the GRCh38 reference genome using minimap2 Sample Identity Verification: Sample identity was validated by comparing ONT-derived SNP calls with matched short-read WGS genotypes to ensure concordance and prevent sample swaps Variant Calling and Phasing: Reads were base-called with Guppy v6.38. Reads were aligned to GRCh38 using minimap2. We verified sample identity by cross-checking ONT SNV calls with the existing short-read WGS genotypes, confirming no sample switches. The napu pipeline (https://github.com/nanoporegenomics/napu_wf) produced; haplotype-resolved assemblies, joint small-variant (SNV/indel) calls, and multi-caller structural-variant sets, all reported on GRCh38 and phased where possible. Raw signal data were basecalled to obtain 5-methyl-cytosine (5mC) status; methylation tags were added to the phased BAM files. Genome-wide methylation summaries are provided in BED format.Dataset Filtering and Exclusions: All 155 samples underwent sequencing and SNP-based ancestry inference 8 samples were excluded due to ancestry inconsistent with African or African-admixed background 1 sample was excluded due to insufficient sequencing quality Final Sample Set: 146 high-quality samples from individuals of African or African-admixed ancestry were retained for downstream analyses See PMID: 39764002 for further analysis detailsDiagnosis#SamplesControl155Table: Diagnostic Summary.Note: The data derived from HBCC resources were removed from dbGAP and are now available in the NIMH Data Archive (NDA). They include genotypes, short read whole genome sequencing (WGS), epigenetics (DNA methylation, ChIP-seq for histones), RNA expression (qPCR, microarray, RNA-seq, single nucleus RNA-seq) of various brain regions in cases with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression, substance use disorders and normative controls. Please access our NDA collection (https://nda.nih.gov/edit_collection.html?id=3151) for further detail.

  Study phs000979

• Repeat expansions with small TTTCA insertions in MARCHF6 cause Familial Adult Myoclonus without Epilepsy

  Familial Adult Myoclonic Epilepsy (FAME) is a rare autosomal dominant disorder characterized by cortical tremulous myoclonus and generalized tonic clonic (GTCS) or myoclonic seizures. Intrafamilial variability regarding the prevalence of seizure has been reported. Despite apparent genetic heterogeneity, FAME is caused by the same TTTTA/TTTCA pentanucleotide repeat expansion in introns of seven different genes with no common function. Expansions containing only TTTTA repeats are benign, and only expansions including a TTTCA expansion insertion, which can be located 3' to the TTTTA expansion or in the middle of the TTTTA repeats, are pathogenic. We aimed to identify the underlying genetic cause of dominant cortical myoclonus without GTCS in two unrelated families. We used a combination of repeat-primed PCR, long-range PCR and nanopore sequencing to detect and characterize expansions at known FAME loci. We report a novel configuration of the FAME3 repeat expansion in MARCHF6 segregating with cortical myoclonus without epilepsy GTCS in both families. This expansion predominantly comprises elongated TTTTA repeats, ranging from 388 to 454 repeats, with the presence of only 5-11 TTTCA repeats at its 3' terminus (i.e., 5’-(TTTTA)~388-454(TTTCA)5-11-3’). This configuration exhibits greater stability upon meiotic transmission but somatic variability in TTTCA repeat number was detected at low level in blood. We observed an inverse correlation between the number of TTTCA repeats and the age at myoclonus onset. This study shows that as little as five TTTCA juxtaposed with expanded TTTTA expansions is sufficient to cause cortical myoclonus without GTCS. This finding has implications regarding possible pathophysiological mechanisms leading to FAME.

  Study EGAS50000000570

• KAT6A and KAT7 Histone Acetyltransferase Complexes Are Molecular Dependencies and Therapeutic Targets in NUP98-Rearranged Acute Myeloid Leukemia

  NUP98 fusion oncoproteins (FOs) are a hallmark of childhood acute myeloid leukemia (AML). NUP98 FOs drive leukemogenesis through phase-separated condensate formation and maintenance of an active chromatin landscape at stem cell-associated genes in cooperation with epigenetic regulators. Here we show that MYST family histone acetyltransferase (HAT) complex proteins including KAT6A/MOZ, KAT7/HBO1, and the common KAT6A/7 complex subunit BRPF1 associate with NUP98 FOs on chromatin and within condensates. MYST HATs are molecular dependencies in NUP98-rearranged (NUP98-r) leukemia, and genetic inactivation or pharmacologic inhibition of Kat6a and Kat7 impairs NUP98-r cell fitness. KAT6A/7 inhibition decreased global H3K23ac levels, displaced NUP98::HOXA9 from chromatin at the Meis1 locus, and led to myeloid cell differentiation. Additionally, KAT6A/7 inhibition decreased leukemic burden in multiple NUP98-r leukemia xenograft mouse models, synergized with Menin inhibitor treatment, and was efficacious in Menin inhibitor-resistant cells. In summary, we show that MYST family HATs are therapeutically actionable dependencies in NUP98-r AML.

  Study EGAS50000001075

• Direct genetic transformation bypasses tumor-associated DNA methylation alterations

  Tumors represent dynamically evolving populations of mutant cells, and many advances have been made in understanding the biology of their progression. However, key unresolved questions remain about the conditions that support their initial transformation, which cannot be easily captured in patient populations but are instead modeled using transgenic cellular or animal systems. Here, we used extensive patient atlas data to define common features of the tumor DNA methylation landscape as they compare to healthy human cells and used this benchmark to screen 21 engineered human and mouse models for their ability to reproduce these patterns. Notably, we find that genetically induced cellular transformation can trigger global changes in DNA methylation levels that are consistent with extensive proliferation but rarely recapitulate the widespread de novo methylation of Polycomb targets as found in clinical samples. Our results raise pertinent questions about the relationship between genetic and epigenetic aspects of tumorigenesis and provide an important molecular reference for evaluating existing as well as newer tumor models.

  Study EGAS50000000902

• Biallelic loss of function PAX4 variants are a Novel Cause of Transient Neonatal Diabetes

  The identification of genes in which loss of function (LoF) variants cause neonatal diabetes mellitus (NDM) can provide unique insights into the development and function of human pancreatic beta cells. We describe the identification of biallelic PAX4 LoF variants in 2 unrelated individuals with transient NDM: one due to a homozygous p.(Arg126*) PAX4 stop gain variant and a second due to a homozygous c.-352_104del 2.65kb deletion affecting the first 4 exons and promoter of the PAX4 Matched Annotation from NCBI and EMBL-EBI select transcript. We confirmed reduced transcript expression due to nonsense mediated decay for the e p.(Arg126*) variant in CRISPR-edited iPSC-derived pancreatic endoderm cells. Analysis of PAX4 binding through integration of CUT&RUN and RNA-sequencing in PAX4 depleted endocrine cells identified genes directly regulated by PAX4 involved in both pancreatic islet development and glucose-sensitive insulin secretion. The remitting and relapsing diabetes in both probands demonstrates that in contrast to mice PAX4 is not essential for the development of pancreatic beta-cells and supports differences in the requirements of functional beta-cell mass across the life-course.

  Study EGAS50000000857

• High-grade B-cell lymphoma, not otherwise specified: an LLMPP study

  Molecular characterization of high-grade B-cell lymphoma, not otherwise specified (HGBCL-NOS), is hindered by its rarity, evolving definition, and poor diagnostic reproducibility. To address this challenge, we analyzed 92 HGBCL-NOS tumors collected across Lymphoma/Leukemia Molecular Profiling Project sites. These tumors were profiled using whole-genome sequencing (WGS) or whole-exome sequencing (WES) to identify somatic mutations, WGS or low-pass WGS to detect copy number alterations, targeted capture sequencing to assess MYC and BCL2 structural variants, and RNA sequencing. The genetic features of HGBCL-NOS were compared to those of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL-NOS) and EBV-negative adult Burkitt lymphoma (BL). DLBCL-NOS tumors underwent targeted capture sequencing using a panel of 125 genes recurrently mutated in aggressive B-cell lymphomas. BL biopsies were drawn from the Burkitt Lymphoma Genome Sequencing Project and had available WGS (dbGaP Study Accession: phs000527.v18.p6).

  Study EGAS50000000932

• Germline WES of serrated polyposis syndrome

  The serrated polyposis syndrome (SPS) is a disease with a mainly unknown inherited genetic basis characterized by the presence of multiple and/or large serrated polyps in the colon and a higher associated risk for colorectal cancer (CRC). The objective of the present study was to identify new SPS/CRC germline predisposition genes by using whole-exome sequencing in two affected SPS patients from the same family.

  Study EGAS50000000765

• After the completion of CINECA, EUCANCan, and euCanSHare. What's next?

  CINECA, EUCANCan, and euCanSHare were part of the EUCAN Cluster, made up of six projects that received funding under the same Horizon 2020 call. All EUCAN projects (CINECA, EUCANCan, EUCAN-Connect, euCanSHare, Receptor Plus, and ReCoDID) were aimed at facilitating data reuse and knowledge discovery by enhancing data exchange and long-term collaboration in the health field. Here are some highlights about EGA’s contribution to these projects. CINECA: advances in Federated discovery and infrastructure for cohorts CINECA (Common Infrastructure for National Cohorts in Europe, Canada, and Africa) developed a federated cloud-based infrastructure for making genomic and biomolecular data accessible. The project has assembled a virtual cohort of 1.4 million individuals from sources such as the EGA, CanDIG and H3Africa. The EGA–CRG co-leaded a work package Work Package 1 on Federated Data Discovery and Querying. Beacon v2, championed by Jordi Rambla and Lauren Fromont, has been one of the central elements for the discovery of human genetic and phenotypic data. The EGA-CRG contributed to the development of a model for cohort discovery inside the Beacon v2 model. The team also delivered a Discovery Portal was implemented to explore cohorts and individuals of synthetic data. It is a UI that gathers a network of Beacons, a service for query expansion, and a visualisation tool. Have a look at the Discovery Portal UI, gathering a network of Beacons. You will find entities such as the Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC), BioData.pt and the European Genomic Data Infrastructure (GDI), among others. euCanSHare: facilitation of data access management This joint EU-Canada project aimed to build a European and Canadian FAIR platform for cardiovascular data sharing and analysis. The EGA’s tasks contributed to the development of the data management plan and data flows, main web-portal and interoperability protocols. An important part of the EuCanShare platform is the data access manager, a tool for the data owners to control the access to their sensitive datasets. We built a user-friendly interface for data access committees (data owners) to easily manage their data requests and access credentials. The data access portal facilitates the creation and internal organization of the data access committees as well as the linkage of data usage conditions to specific datasets. The interface includes filters for browsing requests and page to visualize the request history helping with the handling of data access requests. EUCANCan: toward a federation of clinical institutions in oncology The EUropean-CAnadian CANcer Network worked towards building a federated network to advance personalized medicine in oncology, by promoting the standard analysis, management and sharing of harmonized genomic and phenotypic data. The EGA led tasks on defining data flows and preparing an adapted infrastructure for long-term data storage and sharing. One of the key contributions was the conception of the EGA communities, offering standard and interoperable solutions for data discovery, processing, and sharing to projects and institutions that would like to manage and share data in the context of the EGA ecosystem. What's Next? The participation in projects such as CINECA, EUCANCan, and euCanSHare provide us with experience for future projects. We are happy to enhance data sharing and reuse, vital for advancing clinical and genomic research. The Discovery Portal is a wonderful proof of concept for the Beacon network. Next, we will finalise both the network and the user interface, and make sure it can be applied to more clinically-centred settings like hospitals. Most data hosted at the EGA are about cancer research. Currently, we contribute to building tools and infrastructure to empower oncology research in several European projects such as EUCAIM, EUCANIMAGE and EOSC4Cancer. We also do not lose sight of initiatives in the field such as the International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) with the project ARGO, whose data model was adopted in EUCanCan.

  Blog cineca-eucancan-and-eucanshare-were-concluded-in-june

• The EGA at the International Congress of Human Genetics

  Today is the start of the International Congress of Human Genetics (ICHG). This event, hosted by the African Society of Human Genetics (AfSHG) and the Southern African Society for Human Genetics (SASHG), will reunite international experts to highlight how genomic technologies are being managed to address challenges generated by the current status of Human Health and Genomics. The European Genome-phenome Archive (EGA) will be at the Congress participating in workshops, meetings and talks where topics such as data access and discovery as well as the Federated EGA will be present. Data access and discovery In the context of the “Federated data analysis workshop“ that will be held the 26ᵗʰ, managed in the context of the CINECA project, a hands-on-session on Beacon v2 Discovery will be led by Mauricio Moldes. Another session on authorisation and data access will be presented by Mallory Freeberg and Coline Thomas, with and introduction by Thomas Keane. During the workshop, an end-to-end federated data analysis use case will be presented. Data access and discovery In the context of the “ Federated data analysis workshop“ that will be held the 26ᵗʰ, managed in the context of the CINECA project, a hands-on-session on Beacon v2 Discovery will be led by Mauricio Moldes. Another session on authorisation and data access will be presented by Mallory Freeberg and Coline Thomas, with and introduction by Thomas Keane. During the workshop, an end-to-end federated data analysis use case will be presented. During the last four years, CINECA has been identifying gaps in data sharing between Africa, Canada and Europe in order to build a federated solution for data access. Thomas Keane will present the project within the sessions happening the 24ᵗʰ. The Federated EGA at the ICHG A Federated EGA poster will be shown during the Poster Session 1 that will take place the 23ʳᵈ. The objective is to bring awareness of the European Genome-phenome Archive as a resource for permanent archive and secure data sharing. In this context, the network generated by the Federated EGA is key for cases where research data cannot be shared outside local jurisdictions. The Federated EGA was officially launched on 2022 with research institutes from five countries becoming the first nodes of this network. Nowadays, with more than 20 nodes preparing to join, it aims to become the largest human omics data sharing initiative towards understanding human health and disease. The H3Africa Initiative and the African research represented in the EGA 1.1% of the EGA studies include samples from African populations. Countries such as South Africa, Kenya, Uganda or Egypt, among others, are present in the 72.577 samples from African individuals archived at the EGA. 23 EGA datasets are managed by the Human Heredity and Health in Africa Initiative (H3Africa). This Initiative will celebrate its Consortium Meeting the 27ᵗʰ and 28ᵗʰ, back-to-back with the ICHG. H3ABioNet, the Pan African Bioinformatics Network for the H3Africa consortium, will also take this context to celebrate its 10-Year Symposium during the Congress. Members of the EGA team will attend both of them, as the H3ABioNet works in conjunction with H3Africa projects, to submit data to the European Genome-Phenome Archive.

  Blog the-ega-at-the-international-congress-of-human-genetics

• Shedding light over COVID-19 susceptibility and severity

  “One of the most remarkable features of SARS-CoV-2 infection is the variation in consequence ranging from asymptomatic to life-threatening” state the authors of the majestic Nature paper released in accelerated pre-view on July 2021. This variation in consequences represent not only an issue of burning medical relevance, but also a scientific and intellectual challenge for scientists around the globe. Researchers are known to be easily triggered by a challenge, and they recently demonstrated to be even better at double their efforts to focus on an urgent societal need. In this work led and coordinated by the COVID-19 Host Genetics Initiative (COVID-19 HGI), researchers gathered data from 49,562 cases and two million controls from 46 studies performed worldwide. The majority of the data has been deposited at the EGA, where 29 datasets have been collected under the study number EGAS00001005304. Data gathered from diverse sources conferred a huge robustness to the results. Genetic data from different ancestry origin were included in the analyses, even though data from patients with European origin was highly predominant (approx. 75%). Separated analysis of the different ancestries gave rise to relevant differences in the results, highlighting how important it is to take this aspect in consideration for future studies. Data from the individual studies was compiled into three categories according to COVID-19 severity for a meta-analysis: (a) critically ill cases (b) moderate or severe cases (c) all cases. They were paired with non-COVID-19-reported controls. All three analysis resulted in a total of 13 genetic loci associated with COVID-19 severity. Out of those, 9 loci associated specifically with critical illness, while 6 (a few overlapped) associated with moderated illness. Some genomic position matched previous findings. Interestingly, working with such an enormous amount of data allowed the depth to discriminate association with disease susceptibility vs severity, an issue of large medical relevance. Several loci mapped into biological relevant genes, like TYK2, PPP1R15A and FOXP4, previously implicated in immune response and/or lung functions. Researchers participating in the COVID-19 Host Genetics Initiative have worked in an unprecedented time-tight collaboration, prioritizing data sharing and collective results to tackle the pandemic affecting the world. The scientific community won’t miss any of the lessons to learn from this, and the EGA is ready to keep working to enable safe data sharing and fruitful collaborations.

  Blog covid-19-susceptibility-and-severity

• GCAT | Genomes for life

  The GCAT project is a prospective cohort study that was designed to recruit the general population of Catalonia, the north-east region of Spain. This study is a long-term genomic, environmental and lifestyle cohort project that aims to evaluate and track multiple pathologies as well as biologically related traits. By the end of 2017, the GCAT Study had recruited a total of 20 000 participants aged 40–65 years. Participants who agreed to take part in the study completed a self-administered computer-driven questionnaire, and underwent blood pressure, cardiac frequency and anthropometry measurements. For each participant, blood plasma, blood serum and white blood cells are collected at baseline. The GCAT Study has access to the electronic health records of the Catalan Public Healthcare System. Participants are followed biannually for/during, at least, 20 years after recruitment. Therefore, the GCAT Study offers a unique opportunity to integrate diverse data to allow the identification of novel relations among different biomarkers and conditions. Results may lead to the development of new genetic, genomic, epigenomic and proteomic diagnoses and screening tests, as well as new public health recommendations. The only currently available population-based prospective cohort study in Spain to the date, including more than 4899 genotyped participants and 800 whole genome sequences is now stored in the EGA archive under accession id EGAS00001003018.

  Blog gcat-genomes-for-life

• Providing access to COVID-19 data: one year later

  response efforts On 11 March 2020 the World Health Organization declared the novel coronavirus outbreak a global pandemic. Four months later, the European Genome-phenome Archive (EGA) released its first COVID-19 dataset. This dataset – single cell RNA and VDJ sequencing of B cells from 60 COVID-19 patients – showed that neutralizing antibodies could be identified by high-throughput sequencing in response to SARS-CoV-2 infection. That was one year ago. Today, the EGA provides access to fifteen COVID-19 datasets from researchers across seven countries in Asia, Europe, and North America. These studies represent almost 17,000 individuals and have resulted in at least sixteen publications and preprints. Researchers deposit controlled access COVID-19 data at EGA The global research community has come together rapidly to investigate the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus and better understand the related disease, COVID-19. These research efforts generate valuable genetic and phenotypic data from patients and research participants that can be shared with approved researchers. The EGA enables sharing of this research data by providing a service for archiving and controlled distribution of sensitive data. Over the past year, the EGA has worked with researchers to archive and distribute COVID-19 data from high-throughput sequencing experiments, genotyping studies, and phenotypic information. These datasets investigate the immune system, blood, and cells and tissues of the lung, which are relevant for studying a contagious respiratory illness caused by a viral infection. *Study Spotlight. In January 2021, Ancestry.com demonstrated the utility of deep phenotyping based on self-reported outcomes from a large population of mild and asymptomatic COVID-19 cases. They identified genetic associations with eight COVID-19 phenotypes and showed distinct patterns of association, most notably related to the chr3/SLC6A20/LZTFL1 and chr9/ABO regions. The supporting data is available at the EGA to approved researchers and includes both genotype and phenotype data for 15,000 individuals. EGA collaborates with global COVID-19 community Since the coronavirus outbreak, the EGA has collaborated with other life science resources to support discovery and access to COVID-19 datasets. COVID-19 Host Genetics Initiative. With the NHGRI’s Genomic Data Science Analysis, Visualization, and Informatics Lab-space (AnVIL) platform, the EGA enables sharing of individual-level genetic and phenotypic data from the COVID-19 Host Genetics Initiative (HGI). This initiative aims to generate, share, and analyze data from COVID-19 host genetics research projects to better understand the genetic determinants of COVID-19 susceptibility, severity, and outcomes. In response to COVID-19, the EGA actively supports COVID-19 data submissions and integration of data access and flow into the COVID-19-HGI analysis platform. *Study Spotlight. The COVID-19 HGI has combined individual-level data for 13,868 COVID-19 positive patients (N=7,167 hospitalized) from 17 cohorts in nine countries. The data were used to assess the association of the major common COVID-19 genetic risk factor (chromosome 3 locus tagged by rs10490770) with mortality, COVID-19-related complications, and laboratory values. The genotype and phenotype data for 10 of these cohorts is available at the EGA to approved researchers under accession EGAS00001005304. Fig 1: EGA COVID-19 studies are searchable in the European COVID-19 Data Portal alongside other COVID-19 and SARS-CoV-2 public datasets. European COVID-19 Data Portal. EGA-archived COVID-19 data are discoverable via the European COVID-19 Data Portal (Fig. 1), which brings together public and controlled access data to accelerate coronavirus research for the international community. By indexing all COVID-19-related data in one place, researchers can more easily discover relevant datasets of interest, thus increasing the “FAIRness” (Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability, Reusability) of this valuable data. Fig 2: SARS-CoV-2 viral sequences are imported from ENA and analysed in Galaxy to detect variants. Results are accessible to researchers through the COVID-19 Viral Beacon. COVID-19 Viral Beacon. The COVID-19 Viral Beacon tool was developed in collaboration with the European Nucleotide Archive and Galaxy to enable near real-time browsing of SARS-CoV-2 variability at genomic, amino acid, and motif levels (Fig. 2). The COVID-19 Viral Beacon allows researchers to (i) perform detailed searches about genomic variants, (ii) filter queries and find unique cases, (iii) filter data based on strain-specific variants, and (iv) explore associated metadata. It uses the Global Alliance for Genomics and Health (GA4GH) Beacon standard including new Beacon v2 features. With this tool, researchers can study intra-host mutations on genomic regions of interest, or trace any variant frequency over time using raw read data. More than 200,000 SARS-CoV-2 analysed genomic data files are now available to researchers for further exploration. Ongoing COVID-19 efforts at EGA Addressing the COVID-19 pandemic is a global effort. Federated resources are necessary to support transnational deposition, access, and analysis of sensitive COVID-19 host genetics and other related data. At the same time, many countries now have emerging personalized medicine programmes which are generating data from national or regional healthcare initiatives. These data are subject to more stringent information governance than research data and often must comply with national data protection legislation. To address this need, the Federated EGA was established to serve as the primary global resource for discovery and access of sensitive human omics and associated data consented for secondary use. The Federated EGA will comprise a network of national human data repositories and will implement community standards and common interfaces. Launching Federated EGA promises to accelerate not only global research efforts to understand, diagnose, and treat COVID-19, but also to foster data reuse, enable reproducibility, and accelerate biomedical and disease research to ultimately improve human health.

  Blog providing-access-to-covid-19

• The last addition to the list of clonal evolution studies in the EGA

  Tumours of different types may arise from a single cell with at least one malignant mutation. Accumulation of subsequent hits generates lineages of cells with different cancer transformation power; thus, every clone follows an autonomous evolution, and several clones may co-exist into the same solid or liquid tumour. Clonal evolution studies are not new: the conceptual power of this approach has been recognized since the early ’80, especially in leukaemia patients. Nonetheless, these studies greatly benefit from recent technological improvements -machineries and protocols-, which enable ever-increasing sequencing depth, allowing the detection of low frequency variants and consequently more tumour clones. Note: the figure belongs to the original paper and is owned by the authors. Researchers at the University of Kyoto in Japan, have indeed used state of the art knowledge to investigate the clonal evolution of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in a large panel of patients. CML progresses from a majoritarian benign chronic phase into an often fatal blast crisis phase. It is nowadays known that blast crisis are triggered by genetic instability and disrupted DNA repair, which lead to accumulation of DNA mutations. The use of thyrosine kinase inhibitors targeting the Philadelphia chromosome have enormously improved the treatment of blast crisis, nonetheless resistant patients are still a medical challenge. Yotaro Ochi and collegues used Whole Exome Sequencing of paired chronic phase and blast crisis samples to depict the genetic landscape of progression from the first to the second stage of the disease (as illustrated in their figure). Their results were published in Nature Communication on this May 2021. They used a dataset previously deposited at the EGA (EGAS00001003071) and their new generated data have been made available under accession number EGAS00001005075. Their analysis of the occurring mutations contribute to understanding the mechanisms of CML evolution and therefore develop a protocol for early management of patients with a TKI resistance signature. Up to date, the EGA hosts 99 clonal evolution studies, developed in several cancer types, including myeloma, renal carcinomas and ovarian cancer, in addition to various leukaemia subtypes, where this approach has been more widely applied and produced important results and seminal papers. From a pan-cancer point of view, the definition of tumour architecture through clonal evolution studies is instrumental to unravel the mechanisms of disease progression and treatment-resistance insource. At the EGA, we are honoured to contribute to exciting and important science advances with our service!

  Blog the-last-addition-to-the-list-of-clonal-evolution-studies-in-the-ega

• The Federated EGA network

  In the last 10 years, most human omics data has been generated in the context of research consortia while recently there has been an emergence of large cohorts of human data generated by healthcare initiatives. Many countries in Europe now have nascent personalised medicine programmes. Thus, human genomics is shifting from being predominantly research-driven to being funded through healthcare systems. Genetic data generated in a healthcare context is subject to more stringent information governance than research data and nonetheless all data must adhere to national data protections laws. In this context, EGA identified the need for the development of a federated network to enable secure sharing of data whilst enabling genetic data to remain within the jurisdiction in which it was generated. The Federated EGA is designed to support national data management requirements for genomic and clinical data collected from citizens as part of healthcare or biomedical research projects. It includes a secure authorised access mechanism to support research use of these data across Europe and worldwide. We have engaged with over 14 ELIXIR countries to develop the federation model. The EGA federated configuration is composed of Central EGA, Federated EGA nodes and Community EGA nodes: Central EGA offers international submissions and helpdesk support, currently EGA co-managed by EMBL-EBI and CRG, Federated EGA nodes offer EGA services to researchers within their national jurisdiction, Community EGA nodes are individual institutions or initiatives with human genetic data intended to be shared with the research community. Key services available in the Federated EGA structure are: Central EGA Federated EGA node Community EGA nodes Data submission Offers international submissions service Offers submission service in a particular jurisdiction Does not offer an external submissions service Helpdesk support Provides external international helpdesk Provides helpdesk support for submitters in its jurisdiction and for approved users of data managed at its facilities Provides helpdesk support only for approved users of data managed at its facilities Data distribution Manages worldwide distribution for data hosted at Central EGA Manages worldwide distribution for data hosted at Federated EGA node Distribution for data hosted at Community EGA node EMBL-EBI and CRG have prepared a series of documents describing the overall governance and coordination framework. These describe the Federated EGA structure, the rights and responsibilities of the different parties and governing committees, and node operation guidelines. The federation governance proposal is under review by the first countries invited to join as Federated nodes, with further interested countries likely to join in the coming years. The Central EGA team has been working closely with many ELIXIR partners, including ELIXIR Finland, Luxembourg, Germany, Norway, Spain and Sweden.

  Blog the-federated-ega-network

• Data upcycling, powered by EGA

  In 2012 a collaborative effort headed by the teams of Carlos Caldas in Cambridge, UK and Samuel Aparicio, Canada, produced a pivotal study aimed at defining the mutational landscape of breast cancer. They gathered a collection of over 2000 breast cancer samples (METABRIC) associated with long-term clinical follow-up. They delineated an array of inherited and somatically acquired genetic variants and associated them to gene expression. This led to the identification of putative cancer-driving events and improved stratification of breast cancer patients. The study elicited huge attention and was tackled as herculean effort by fellow researchers. Cristina Curtis and her colleagues deposited the data in the EGA archive (EGAS00000000083). What they probably could not foresee is that their data would be reused more than 100 times, becoming one of the most downloaded datasets at EGA. In 2015, Frederik S. Varn and colleagues accessed the above-mentioned data from the New Hampshire, USA, to correlate it to transcriptional programs of hematopoietic cells infiltrated in breast tumours and found that those can influence patients' prognosis. Their findings, published in Nature Communications, improved the understanding of the interplay between immune system and cancer. Again, in 2017 the dataset was downloaded by an Italian/Polish collaboration and used to corroborate their mechanistic study that demonstrate how a long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) is aberrantly localized into the chromatin, where it modulates oncogenic isoforms expression, thus contributing to breast cancer. To date, the METABRIC dataset has been reused to contribute to 147 publications. Its impact on breast cancer research is incalculable, and it even spread beyond that, with recent contributions to the understanding of pan-cancer mechanisms and features. Some of the publications are translating into improvements in diagnosis and treatment of different types of breast cancer. This is just an example of how data upcycling can amplify the potential of any dataset, well past the scope of its creation, the imagination of its owners and any geographical border. At EGA, we are proud to empower such fruitful worldwide cycles of knowledge, providing a platform that enables safe sharing of sensitive genetic data.

  Blog data-upcycling-powered-by-ega

• Youth-GEMs, the project using data to define the mental health trajectories of young people

  Mental health trajectories are shaped by genetic, cognitive, social, and environmental factors that are particularly influential during human development. How exactly the interplay between these factors is impacting mental health, however, is yet unknown. The project “Gene Environment interactions in Mental health trajectories of Youth (Youth-GEMs)”, funded by the European Commission under the Horizon Europe programme, aims to help reducing mental suffering among European youth. How do Youth-GEMs contribute to bettering mental health in young people? Youth-GEMs aims to identify specific neurological, (epi)genetic and environmental drivers on mental health trajectories of young people. To do so, the project is working on a public knowledge base on functional genomics of the developing human brain, between birth and 24 years old. Reliable predictive models for trajectories of onset and course of mental illness in young people of the general population in Europe will be developed. Additionally, a secure and FAIR data infrastructure in mental health is being produced. Engaging and empowering young people Youth-GEMs is also working on the engagement of young people in the scientific field of Psychiatry. For that, the project is developing initiatives such as Science Café, intended to create a learning community where ideas and stories are shared. The 10th Science Café will take place today, with the participation of Lauren Fromont from the EGA. How do the EGA contribute to Youth-GEMs? The contributions require careful data management and harmonisation: we are dealing with an extraordinary amount of data types, sources, and time points (since the studies are longitudinal). To analyse them together and to determine which factors and interactions are truly key to account for mental health trajectories, the variables need to be transformed in a common “language”, i.e., harmonised under a common data model. Further, to guarantee FAIRness of data storage and sharing for future projects that will further advance our knowledge in the mental health field, we are ensuring that data are processed securely but can also be discovered easily. Find out more information about the project in the Youth-GEMs website.

  Blog youth-gems-mental-health

• From research to data sharing: exploring EGA user's experiences

  The Cell Plasticity and Regeneration Group at the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute-IDIBELL focuses on the process of recruitment of macrophages that takes place in the small intestine during injury and healing. They recently published a paper titled “Mucosal Macrophages Govern Intestinal Regeneration in Response to Injury" in Gastroenterology Journal. As part of the research, some experiments were conducted using human intestinal organoid lines. These cells were processed for RNA sequencing, and the sequencing data were deposited at the EGA to be made available to the scientific community. When dealing with human genomic information, repositories must ensure the availability of the datasets while ensuring data protection. In this context, the European Genome-phenome Archive stands as a service for secure archiving and sharing of genetic, phenotypic and clinical data resulting from biomedical research. Following the recent publication of their paper, we took the opportunity to talk to Ilias Moraitis, first author, and Jordi Guiu, group leader, to find out about their experience with data sharing. Could you explain the focus of your research? In the lab, we study intestinal regeneration and how immune cells participate in this process. We use several techniques: engineered mouse models, image tracing, as well as mouse and human cells intestinal organoids. What challenges do you face regarding data management? We didn’t have a lot of problems. Always the informatic part, the data analysis, can give problems. But everything was smooth and working. We think it’s very important to deposit the data in repositories. For the mouse data it is very straightforward, but for us it was the first time depositing human data, which is sensitive because it comes from patients, and this is legally regulated. That’s why we thought about the EGA, and it was our first time. Why do you think it is important to submit data to repositories such as EGA? Because we think data is important for the science. Nowadays, we are sequencing a lot everywhere worldwide and having these resources shared with the scientific community it’s not only good for science, but it is also saving money and reducing costs. And there is so much data in there that can be used for other projects and for other questions. And it saves time! How was the process of submitting the data to the EGA? The communication worked very well but it was slower than we would like. But I think this is something we learn on the way. People usually wait until the last minute to do this before publication but if you know it in advance, you can start the process earlier. If you had to repeat the process, would you do anything differently? It’s like everything, isn’t it? For the first time you don’t know, you aren’t sure, but for the second time you know the steps, you know what to do and it’s faster. Of course, we would to do it earlier. Also, there were some things related to the control access that we didn’t know how to manage, but it was something more internal to us. Who is going to receive the communications and when, is our ethical committee going to evaluate this? All these technicalities that we didn’t know before starting this process, so we had to think about all these things. Next time it will be faster on our side. Do you have any suggestions for us to improve the submission process? Maybe we’ll need to ask our bioinformatician who did it! He was in charge of this part. Besides that, we think if the process were faster, it would be better for everyone. Also, in science a lot of times you have to do a lot of things at the very last minute, because of the nature of the experiments, or the need to accomplish for submitting a paper. Being faster in the process would be a plus. On your side, we went through the process and were able to find some information, but there were aspects we weren't aware of and weren't sure how to handle. I'm not sure if other institutes have different protocols for managing data requests or how they handle these internally. We believe the main issue lies in how the forms are filled out. Do you have any recommendations for other submitters? The main advice is to do this with enough time. Submit the data when you have the sequences, and don’t wait until the last minute. And then it can be under embargo, so you don’t need to make it public at that moment. As soon as you sequence, upload it and then it will be there for whenever you need to publish. How do you think we could encourage other researchers to submit their data? There are different layers here. One is that it is mandatory. You have to do this. The other is that we belong to a research community, to the same community and sharing this is making our research community stronger and more efficient. And then, also because this gives you visibility. The data is there, other people can analyse your data, and this also will bring citations to your papers. It has many advantages.

  Blog from-research-to-data-sharing

• Admixture histories of São Tomé e Príncipe.

  In this study, we aim to reconstruct the complex genetic admixture histories of the population of São Tomé e Príncipe, an archipelago in the Gulf of Guinea that experienced successive waves of forced and deliberate migration from Africa since the 15th century, during and after the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade.

  Study EGAS50000000920

• Enhancer profiling to identify identifies epigenetic markers of endocrine resistance in metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer patients

  Study EGAS00001006161

• Multi-omic analyses from a randomized phase II study of epigenetic priming followed by nivolumab in previously treated metastatic non-small cell lung cancer

  Emergence of resistance to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) mandates the development of strategies for ICB sensitization. We aimed to understand the effects of epigenetic priming in re-shaping the tumor microenvironment, together with molecular drivers of therapeutic response of epigenetic therapy followed by ICB in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC; NCT01928576). This was done through a multi-omic approach encompassing both genomic and transcriptomic analyses. Findings suggest that epigenetic therapy may reshape the tumor microenvironment towards a more inflamed phenotype and prime responses to immunotherapy.

  Study EGAS50000000913

• Multi-omic dataset utilized in the analysis of a phase II study of epigenetic priming followed by nivolumab in lung cancer

  This dataset includes sequence files from whole exome sequencing and bulk RNA sequencing of tissue and blood biospecimens from a phase II clinical trial investigating epigenetic priming followed by immune checkpoint blockade in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC; NCT01928576). There are 78 whole exome sequencing files and 36 bulk RNA sequencing files included in this dataset.

  Dataset EGAD50000001336