4075 results for "*geneti*"

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• Pediatric Whole Genome Sequencing Diagnostic Utility

  The standard of care for first-tier clinical investigation of the etiology of congenital malformations and neurodevelopmental disorders is chromosome microarray analysis (CMA) for copy number variations (CNVs), often followed by gene(s)-specific sequencing searching for smaller insertion-deletions (indels) and single nucleotide variant (SNV) mutations. We compared diagnostic rate of WGS to CMA and targeted gene testing of 100 patients referred to The Hospital for Sick Children Genetics clinic in 2014. WGS identified genetic variants meeting clinical diagnostic criteria in 34% of cases, representing a 4-fold increase in diagnostic rate over CMA (8%) (p-value = 1.42e-05) alone and >2-fold increase in CMA plus targeted gene sequencing (13%) (p-value = 0.0009). WGS identified all rare clinically significant CNVs that were detected by CMA. In an additional 26 patients, WGS revealed indel and missense mutations presenting in a dominant (63%) or a recessive (37%) manner. We found four subjects with mutations in at least two genes associated with distinct genetic disorders, including two cases harboring a pathogenic CNV and SNV. When considering medically actionable secondary findings in addition to primary WGS findings, 38% of patients would benefit from genetic counselling.

  Study EGAS00001001623

• Multimodal Epigenetic Sequencing Analysis (MESA) of Cell-free DNA for Non-invasive Cancer Detection

  Multimodal characterization of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) in the blood can enable the sensitive and non-invasive detection of human cancers but remains technically challenging and costly. Here, we developed Multimodal Epigenetic Sequencing Analysis (MESA), a flexible and sensitive method of capturing and integrating multimodal epigenetic information of cfDNA using a single experimental assay, i.e., non-disruptive bisulfite-free methylation sequencing, such as Enzymatic Methyl-seq (EM-seq) and TET-assisted pyridine borane sequencing (TAPS). MESA can simultaneously infer cfDNA methylation, nucleosome occupancy, nucleosome fuzziness, and fragmentation profile for regions surrounding the promoters and polyadenylation sites (PASs). MESA’s integrated analysis of multimodal epigenetic features significantly improved the performance of cancer detection models compared to the usage of any single modality alone. MESA captures additional and highly complementary epigenetic information from cfDNA without additional experimental assays, highlighting the importance and clinical prospect of using multimodal epigenetic features for non-invasive cancer detection

  Study EGAS00001006462

• Hematopoietic differentiation at single-cell resolution in NPM1-mutated AML

  To investigate the relationship between somatic mutations and phenotypic hematologic differentiation at the single-cell level, we used a droplet-based multi-omics single-cell platform on eleven NPM1-mutated AML diagnostic samples. We developed a bioinformatics framework to perform phylogeny-driven genotype correction, that allowed us to study 52 103 single cells. Intra-leukemic genetic heterogeneity was detectable in all patients, including a branched architecture in nine of them, always owing to co-occurring signaling mutations. We identified two groups of NPM1-mutated AML, one characterized by a progenitor immunophenotype and a second one with a predominant monocytic differentiation. We also identified various degrees of intra-leukemic immunophenotype heterogeneity, sometimes associated with strong genetic/phenotype correlations.

  Study EGAS00001006565

• Clonal fitness inferred from timeseries modeling of single cell cancer genomes

  Progress in defining genomic fitness landscapes in cancer by copy number alterations (CNA) has been impeded by lack of single cell and timeseries sampling. We generated 42,000 single cell whole genomes (scWGS) from breast epithelium and primary triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) patient-derived xenografts (PDX) collected during multi-year time series. Using a Wright-Fisher population genetics model, we inferred reproducible CNA-defined clonal fitness dynamics induced by TP53 mutation and cisplatin chemotherapy, with accurate forecasting of experimentally enforced clonal competition dynamics. Drug treatment in three long-term serially passaged TNBC PDX resulted in cisplatin resistant clones that had shown low fitness in the untreated setting. By contrast high fitness clones from treatment naive controls were eradicated reflecting an inversion of the fitness landscape. Upon drug release selective pressure dynamics were reversed indicating a fitness cost of treatment resistance. Taken together, our findings reveal clonal fitness dynamics linked to CNA and therapeutic resistance in polyclonal tumours.

  Study EGAS00001004448

• Prime editing for functional repair in patient-derived disease models

  Prime editing is a novel genome editing technology using fusion proteins of Cas9-nickase and reverse transcriptase, that holds promise to correct a wide variety of genetic defects. We succeeded in efficient prime editing and functional recovery of disease-causing mutations in patient-derived liver and intestinal stem cell organoids. Whole genome sequencing of did not detect off-target mutations or a mutational signature induced by prime editing.

  Study EGAS00001004611

• Erythroid/megakaryocytic differentiation confers BCL-XL dependency and venetoclax resistance in acute myeloid leukemia

  Myeloid neoplasms with erythroid or megakaryocytic differentiation include pure erythroid leukemia (PEL), myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) with erythroid features, and acute megakaryoblastic leukemia (FAB M7) and are characterized by poor prognosis and limited treatment options. Here, we investigate the drug sensitivity landscape of these rare malignancies. We show that acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells with erythroid or megakaryocytic differentiation depend on the anti-apoptotic protein BCL-XL, rather than BCL-2, using combined ex vivo drug sensitivity testing, genetic perturbation, and transcriptomic profiling. Single-cell and bulk transcriptomics of patient samples with erythroid and megakaryoblastic leukemias identified high BCL2L1 expression compared to other subtypes of AML and other hematological malignancies, where BCL2 and MCL1 were more prominent. Our results suggest targeting BCL-XL as a potential therapy option in erythroid/megakaryoblastic leukemias and highlight an AML subgroup with potentially reduced sensitivity to venetoclax-based treatments.

  Study EGAS00001006819

• MutWP4__CRUK_Grand_Challenge_Mutographs_of_Cancer__Mutagen_treated_organoids

  The Mutographs project aims to advance our understanding of the causes of cancer through studies of mutational signatures. Led by Mike Stratton, together with Paul Brennan, Ludmil Alexandrov, Allan Balmain, David Phillips and Peter Campbell, this large-scale international research endeavour was awarded a Cancer Research UK Grand Challenge. Different patterns of somatic mutation are generated by the different environmental, lifestyle and genetic factors that cause cancer, many of them are still unknown. Within Mutographs, Kings College London will characterise the mutational signatures induced by putative human carcinogens in order to identify the origins of mutational signatures found in human cancers. To achieve this human organoid cell cultures will be exposed to a representative catalogue of known or suspected human carcinogens and mutagens and, using whole genome sequencing, the patterns of mutations induced by them will be determined. Somatic mutational signatures will be subsequently extracted by non-negative matrix factorisation methods and correlated with exposure data. Through an enhanced understanding of cancer aetiology, Mutographs unprecedented effort is anticipated to outline modifiable risk factors, lead to new approaches to prevent cancer, and provide opportunities to empower early detection, refine high-risk groups and contribute to further therapeutic development.

  Study EGAS00001004873

• The_life_history_of_colorectal_cancer_metastases_study_WGS_X10

  Whole genome sequencing of a series of metastasis collected from 2 patients at autopsy will be used to construct a life history of the cancer, including phylogenetic relationship between the different metastases an also whether there is evidence of convergence towards common biological processes that underpin the metastatic process but though different mutational events

  Study EGAS00001000864

• BASIS_RNAseq

  We propose to definitively characterise the somatic genetics of ER+ve, HER2-ve breast cancer through generation of comprehensive catalogues of somatic mutations in 500 cases by high coverage genome sequencing coupled with integrated transcriptomic and methylation analyses.

  Study EGAS00001000707

• Interferon lambda 4 impairs viral antigen presentation and attenuates T cell responses

  Genetic variants of the interferon lambda (IFNL) gene locus are strongly associated with spontaneous and IFN treatment induced clearance of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections. Individuals with the ancestral IFNL4-dG allele are not able to clear HCV in the acute phase and develop chronic hepatitis C (CHC) with more than 90% probability. Paradoxically, the IFNL4-dG allele encodes a fully functional IFNλ4 protein with antiviral activity against HCV and coronavirus. Here we describe a hitherto unknown effect of IFNλ4 on HCV antigen presentation. Only minor amounts of IFNλ4 are secreted, because the protein is largely retained in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) where it induces ER stress. Stressed cells were significantly weaker activators of HCV specific CD8+ T cells. This was not due to reduced MHC I surface presentation or extracellular IFNλ4 effects, since T cell responses could be restored by exogenous loading of MHC with HCV antigens. Rather, IFNλ4 induced ER stress impaired HCV antigen processing and/or loading onto the MHC I complex. Our results provide a potential explanation for the IFNλ4 – HCV paradox.

  Study EGAS00001005396

• Reconstructing the dispersals and adaptive history of Bantu-speaking populations in Africa and North America

  Bantu languages are spoken by ~310 million Africans, yet the genetic history of Bantu-speaking populations remains largely unexplored. We generated genomic data for 1,318 individuals from 35 populations in western central Africa, where Bantu languages originated. We found that early Bantu speakers first moved southward, through the equatorial rainforest, before spreading toward eastern and southern Africa. We also found that genetic adaptation of Bantu speakers was facilitated by admixture with autochthonous populations, particularly for the HLA and LCT loci. Finally, we identified a major contribution of western central African Bantu speakers to the ancestry of African Americans, whose genomes present no strong signals of natural selection. Together, these results highlight the contribution of Bantu-speaking peoples to the complex genetic history of Africans and African Americans.

  Study EGAS00001002078

• Multiome_HB

  Hepatoblastoma (HB) cells display strong phenotypic heterogeneity with a major impact on drug response, but the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Here, we use a single-cell multi-omic strategy to unravel the molecular determinants of this plasticity. HB display a continuum of single-cell states between hepatocytic (scH), liver progenitor (scLP) and mesenchymal (scM) differentiation poles, with an intermediate scH/LP population bordering scLP and scH areas in spatial transcriptomics. Chromatin accessibility landscapes reveal the gene regulatory networks of each differentiation pole, and the sequence of transcription factor activation underlying cell state transitions. Single-cell mapping of somatic alterations reveals the clonal architecture of each tumor, showing that each genetic subclone displays its own range of cellular plasticity across differentiation poles. The most scLP subclones, overexpressing stem cell and DNA repair genes, proliferate faster after neo-adjuvant chemotherapy. These results highlight how the interplay of clonal evolution and epigenetic plasticity shapes the potential of HB subclones to respond to chemotherapy.

  Study EGAS00001006932

• H3K27me3-mediated epigenetic repression regulates neuroblastoma development and contributes to biological heterogeneity

  Characterization of the H3K27me3 repressive landscape in neuroblastoma tumor samples.

  Study EGAS00001008225

• Single cell genomic variation induced by mutational processes in cancer

  How cell-to-cell copy number alterations that underpin genomic instability in human cancers drive genomic and phenotypic variation, and consequently cancer evolution, remains understudied. Here, applying scaled single cell whole genome sequencing to wildtype, TP53-deficient and TP53/BRCA1/2-deficient mammary epithelial cells (n=13,818 genomes) and primary triple negative breast (TNBC) and high grade serous ovarian cancers (HGSC) (n=22,057 genomes), we identified three distinct ‘foreground’ mutational patterns defined by cell-to-cell copy number and structural variation properties occurring in the ‘background’ of cancer-associated genomic instability. Cell and clone-specific high level amplifications (HLAMPs), parallel allele-specific copy number alterations and copy number segment length variation (serrate structural variations) exhibited measurable phenotypic and evolutionary consequences. Clone-specific HLAMPs in known oncogenes were highly prevalent in fold back inversion (FBI)-bearing tumors and associated with increased clone-to-clone phenotypic variation in gene expression inferred from matched single cell RNASeq. Parallel allele-specific alterations were linked with phylogenetically determined evolutionary diversity and clone-specific mono-allelic expression. Serrate patterns present across all clones were increased in FBI tumors, most prominently on a tetraploid background and were highly correlated with increased genomic diversity of cellular populations. Taken together, we show that cell-to-cell structural-copy number variation significantly impacts the phenotypes and evolutionary diversity of TNBC and HGSC, revealing previously hidden genomic states of cancer cells.

  Study EGAS00001006343

• Duplexseq_of_the_interstrand_crosslinks_WGS

  One of the most dangerous forms of DNA damage are interstrand crosslinks (ICLs), which covalently crosslink the two strands of the DNA double helix. The repair of these lesions is crucial for cellular survival due to their ability to block transcription and DNA replication. Initially, the major pathway that has been described in ICL repair involves a network of 22 genes that are mutated in a severe human genetic disease known as Fanconi Anemia (FA). Using synthetic lethality screens in the near-haploid human HAP1 cell line, we recently identified two potentially novel regulators of ICL repair, C1orf112 and THAP12. Loss of C1orf112 and THAP12 causes hypersensitivity to ICL-inducing DNA damaging agents, such as Mitomycin C (MMC). Additionally, C1orf112-depleted cells show elevated levels of micronuclei and accumulation of DNA damage in S-phase. To better understand how C1orf112 and THAP12 mediate the repair of ICLs, we want to perform mutational signature analysis, using the BotSeq method. Therefore, WT, C1orf112 and THAP12 knockout cells were cultured in vehicle or MMC treated conditions for 10 days and the genomic DNA was isolated. FANCA and FANCD2 knockout cells are taken along as controls in this experimental setting.

  Study EGAS00001006545

• Genetic_screening__of_GPI_anchor_protein_synthesis__

  This study will analyse the guide sequence which were used for making mutations in the Cas9-expressing cells. We used GeCKO v2 library which were released by Feng Zhang, 2014. This data is part of a pre-publication release. For information on the proper use of pre-publication data shared by the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute (including details of any publication moratoria), please see http://www.sanger.ac.uk/datasharing/

  Study EGAS00001001256

• Lethal malformation syndrome

  Identification of the genetic basis of rare monogenic diseases can provide insights into disease mechanisms, biological pathways and potential therapeutic targets. Exome sequencing has proven to be a powerful, efficient strategy for the identification of the genes underlying rare Mendelian disorders. The genetic defect behind the lethal malformation syndrome under study is known in some cases and has proven useful in revealing the primary underlying defect. We have six typical unrelated families with no known mutation. The aim of this study is to identify the locus associated with this lethal malformation syndrome in these families using exome sequencing.

  Study EGAS00001000061

• Molecular_QTLs_of_Human_umbilical_vein_endothelial_cells__HUVECs__

  We aim to characterise the range of phenotypic variation in gene expression, epigenetic regulation and intermediate functional phenotypes and its underlying genetic determinants in primary Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) samples We will measure gene expression by RNA sequencing (RNA-seq), genome functionality by ATAC-sequencing (ATAC-seq, to determine which regions are in an open chromatin state) and by determining H3 lysine 27acetylation (H3K27ac), a marker of active transcriptional enhancers, localisation genome wide by chromatin immunoprecipitation coupled with sequencing (ChIP-seq).

  Study EGAS00001006606

• GENOMIC MUTATION LANDSCAPE OF SKIN CANCERS FROM DNA REPAIR-DEFICIENT XERODERMA PIGMENTOSUM PATIENTS

  Xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) is a genetic disorder caused by mutations in genes of the Nucleotide Excision Repair (NER) pathway (groups A-G) or in Translesion Synthesis (TLS) DNA polymerase η (group V). XP is associated with an increased skin cancer risk, reaching, for some groups, several thousand-fold compared to the general population. Here, we analyzed 38 skin cancer genomes from five XP groups. We found that the activity of NER determines heterogeneity of the mutation rates across skin cancer genomes and that transcription-coupled NER extends beyond the gene boundaries reducing the intergenic mutation rate. Mutational profile in XP-V tumors revealed the role of polymerase η in the error-free bypass of (i) rare TpG and TpA DNA lesions, (ii) 3’ nucleotides in pyrimidine dimers, and (iii) TpT photodimers. Our study unravels the genetic basis of skin cancer risk in XP and provides insights into the mechanisms reducing UV-induced mutagenesis in the general population.

  Study EGAS00001006732

• UK10K NEURO FSZ

  In the UK10K project we propose a series of complementary genetic approaches to find new low frequency/rare variants contributing to disease phenotypes. These will be based on obtaining the genome wide sequence of 4000 samples from the TwinsUK and ALSPAC cohorts (at 6x sequence coverage), and the exome sequence (protein coding regions and related conserved sequence) of 6000 samples selected for extreme phenotypes. Our studies will focus primarily on cardiovascular-related quantitative traits, obesity and related metabolic traits, neurodevelopmental disorders and a limited number of extreme clinical phenotypes that will provide proof-of-concept for future familial trait sequencing. We will analyse directly quantitative traits in the cohorts and the selected traits in the extreme samples, and also use imputation down to 0.1% allele frequency to extend the analyses to further sample sets with genome wide genotype data. In each case we will investigate indels and larger structural variants as well as SNPs, and use statistical methods that combine rare variants in a locus or pathway as well as single-variant approaches. These Finnish schizophrenia samples have been collected from a population cohort using national registers. The entire sample collection consists of 2756 individuals from 458 families of whom 931 are diagnosed with schizophrenia spectrum disorder, each family having at least two affected siblings. 170 families originate from an internal isolate (Kuusamo) with a three-fold lifetime risk for the trait. The genealogy of the internal isolate is well documented and the individuals form a “megapedigree” reaching to the 17th Century. All diagnoses are based on DSM-IV and for a large fraction of cases there is cognitive data. For further details/descriptions with regard to this data set please contact Tiina Paunio (tiina.paunio@thl.fi)

  Study EGAS00001000118

• Analysis of DNA methylation in normal B cells and chronic lymphocytic leukemia

  Charting differences between tumors and normal tissue is a mainstay of cancer research. However, clonal tumor expansion from complex normal tissue architectures potentially obscures cancer-specific events, including divergent epigenetic patterns. Using whole-genome bisulfite sequencing of normal B cell subsets, we observed broad epigenetic programming of selective transcription factor binding sites coincident with the degree of B cell maturation. By comparing normal B cells to malignant B cells from 268 patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), we showed that tumors derive largely from a continuum of maturation states reflected in normal developmental stages. Epigenetic maturation in CLL was associated with an indolent gene expression pattern and increasingly favorable clinical outcomes.As second study using these samples focued on evolution and resulting intra-tumor heterogeneity in CLL. We used 450k bead-chip arrays to study DNA methylomes in 68 chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) cases, including 28 serial cases. The result establishs linked evolution of epigenetic and genetic alterations in progressive disease, revealing an important aspect of the biology of epigenetics in cancer.

  Study EGAS00001000534

• HipSci___Whole_Exome_sequencing___Ataxia

  The HipSci project brings together diverse constituents in genomics, proteomics, cell biology and clinical genetics to create a UK national iPS cell resource and use it to carry out cellular genetic studies. In this sub-study we perform whole exome sequencing using Agilent whole exome pulldown method on iPS cells generated from skin biopsies or blood samples from rare disease patients diagnosed with hereditary cerebral ataxia

  Study EGAS00001001978

• Genetic landscape of pediatric Low Grade Gliomas & Glioneuronal tumors

  We performed whole-genome sequencing of 42 paired tumor/normal LGG genomes and analyzed somatically acquired single nucleotide variations (SNVs), insertion/deletions, structural variations and copy number variations in the cancer genomes

  Study EGAS00001000255

• Comprehensive epigenomic profiling reveals the extent of disease-specific chromatin states and informs drug target discovery in ankylosing spondylitis

  Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a common, highly heritable inflammatory arthritis characterised by enthesitis of the spine and sacroiliac joints. Genome-wide association studies have revealed >100 genetic associations but their functional effects remain largely unresolved. Here, we present a comprehensive transcriptomic and epigenomic map of disease-relevant blood immune cell subsets from AS patients and healthy controls. We report differential disease signatures for specific genomic regions from individual -omic modalities and multi-omic integration, showing enrichment at genetically associated loci and evidence for altered monocyte function in AS. We link putative functional SNPs with cognate genes using high-resolution Capture-C at 10 loci, including PTGER4 and ETS1. We also show how disease-specific functional genomic data can be integrated with GWAS evidence to enhance therapeutic target discovery. This study combines multiple epigenetic and transcriptional analysis with GWAS to identify cell types, candidate drug target genes and transcriptional regulation of likely pathogenic relevance.

  Study EGAS00001006945

• Botswana 15 autosomal unlinked microsatellites

  Population structure was investigated in 990 Botswana individuals according to ethno-linguistics, Bantu and Khoisan, and geography (the nine administrative districts) using the AmpFLSTR Identifiler autosomal microsatellite markers. Genetic diversity and forensic parameters were calculated for the overall population, and according to ethno-linguistics and geography. The overall combined power of exclusion (CPE) was 0.9999965412 and the combined match probability 6,28 x 10-19. CPE was highest for the Khoisan Tuu ethnolinguistic group and the Northeast District at 0.9999582029 and 0.9999922652 respectively. CMP ranged from 6.28 x 10-19 (Khoisan Tuu) to 1,02 x 10-18 (Northwest district). Using pairwise genetic distances (FST), analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA), factorial correspondence analysis (FCA), and the unsupervised Bayesian clustering method found in STRUCTURE and landscape genetics software TESS, ethno-linguistics were found to have a greater influence on population structure than geography. FCA showed clustering between Bantu and Khoisan, and within the Bantu. This Bantu sub-structuring was not seen with STRUCTURE and TESS, which detected clustering only between Bantu and Khoisan. The patterns of population structure revealed highlight the need for regional reference databases that include ethno-linguistic and geographic location information. These markers have important potential for bio-anthropological studies as well as for forensic applications.

  Study EGAS00001002380

• Epigenetic age deceleration reflects fitness improvements following a six-month endurance exercise intervention

  Epigenetic clocks are emerging as promising biomarkers of biological aging, yet their sensitivity to short-term interventions remains unclear. This pilot study investigates whether the GrimAge clock can capture the effects of a six-month cycling-based endurance exercise training intervention, with cardiorespiratory fitness (VO₂ max) and body composition as primary outcomes. We enrolled 42 adults aged 35-65, of whom 38 completed the study and 33 adhered to the protocol (>66% adherence). Participants demonstrated significant improvements in VO₂ max (+20%, P < 0.001) and body composition (P < 0.001). High-quality epigenetic data preprocessing yielded highly reproducible GrimAge estimates (< 2 months measurement error), which strongly correlated with chronological age (R² = 0.86, P < 0.001). On average, GrimAge decreased by 7.44 months relative to the expected trajectory (P = 0.012), reflecting improvements in VO₂ max (R² = 0.27, P = 0.002) but not body composition changes. Notably, GrimAge changes strongly correlated with fluctuations in leukocyte composition, particularly neutrophil fraction (R² = 0.74, P < 0.001). Adjusting for leukocyte composition improved consistency in GrimAge changes, aligning them with additional intervention outcomes and explaining up to 81% of variance. These findings demonstrate that GrimAge is responsive to short-term endurance training, serving as a meaningful biomarker of improved cardiorespiratory fitness, while also capturing immune system variability. This study supports the use of GrimAge in evaluating longevity interventions and highlights the importance of accounting for leukocyte composition in epigenetic aging research.

  Study EGAS00001008221

• Natural genetic variation of the cardiac transcriptome in non-diseased donors and patients with dilated cardiomyopathy

  Background: Genetic variation is an important determinant of RNA transcription and splicing, which in turn contributes to variation in human traits including cardiovascular diseases.Results: Here we report the first in-depth survey of heart transcriptome variation using RNA-sequencing in 149 (97)* patients with dilated cardiomyopathy and 113 (108)* non-diseased controls. We reveal extensive differences of gene expression and splicing between dilated cardiomyopathy patients and controls, affecting known as well as novel dilated cardiomyopathy genes. Moreover, we show a widespread effect of genetic variation on the regulation of transcription, isoform usage and allele specific expression. Systematic annotation of genome wide association SNPs identifies 60 functional candidate genes for heart phenotypes, representing 20% of all published heart genome wide association loci. Focusing on the dilated cardiomyopathy phenotype we found that eQTL variants are also enriched for dilated cardiomyopathy genome wide association signals in two independent cohorts.Conclusions: RNA transcription, splicing and allele specific expression are each important determinants of the DCM phenotype and are controlled by genetic factors. Our results represent a powerful resource for the field of cardiovascular genetics. (*) numbers in parentheses represent samples that the publication is based on.

  Study EGAS00001002454

• Genome-wide DNA Methylation Analysis Reveals a Unique Methylation Pattern for Pleural Mesothelioma Compared to Healthy Pleura and Other Lung Diseases

  Study EGAS00001007783

• Genomic characterization of retinoblastoma (targeted sequencing)

  Retinoblastoma is the most frequent intraocular malignancy in children, originating from a maturing cone precursor in the developing retina. Little is known on the molecular basis underlying the biological and clinical behavior of this cancer. Here, using multi-omics data, we demonstrate the existence of two retinoblastoma subtypes. Subtype 1, of earlier onset, includes most of the heritable forms. It harbors few genetic alterations other than the initiating RB1 inactivation and corresponds to differentiated tumors expressing mature cone markers. By contrast, subtype 2 tumors harbor frequent recurrent genetic alterations including MYCN-amplification. They express markers of less differentiated cone together with neuronal/ganglion cell markers with marked inter- and intra-tumor heterogeneity. The cone dedifferentiation in subtype 2 is associated with stemness features including low immune and interferon response, E2F and MYC/MYCN activation and a higher propensity for metastasis. The recognition of these two subtypes, one maintaining a cone-differentiated state, and the other, more aggressive, associated with cone dedifferentiation and expression of neuronal markers, opens up important biological and clinical perspectives for retinoblastomas. In this study, we performed targeted sequencing of the exonic regions of RB1, BCOR and ARID1A on 37 samples from the series of 102 retinoblastomas. Among them, 23 samples were not subjected to whole-exome sequencing, and 14 samples have the whole-exome sequencing data (deposited in EGAS00001005248).

  Study EGAS00001005550

• Hypothalamic transcriptome in Prader-Willi syndrome

  Transcriptional analysis of brain tissue from people with molecularly defined causes of obesity may highlight novel disease mechanisms and therapeutic targets. Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a genetic obesity syndrome characterised by severe hyperphagia. We performed RNA sequencing of the hypothalamus from 4 individuals with PWS and 4 age-matched controls.

  Study EGAS00001002901

• Epigenetic Intratumor Heterogeneity and Clonal Evolution in Aggressive Prostate Cancer

  Our study investigated the spatial epigenome variation within 5 aggressive prostate adenocarcinomas.

  Study EGAS00001000682

• Timing chromosomal amplification events using patterns of somatic mutations in high hyperdiploid acute lymphoblastic leukemia

  This dataset included samples with high hyperdiploid acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) collected from the Division of Clinical Genetics, Lund University, Sweden. All samples were subjected to whole genome sequencing using the Illumina HiSeqX platform. Paired-end sequencing (2x150bp) was done to ~60x coverage for diagnostic samples and ~30x coverage for remission samples. The paired-end reads were aligned to the human reference genome GRCh37 (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/assembly/GCF_000001405.25/) by the Burrows-Wheeler Aligner tool (version 0.7.17). Duplicate reads marking and local realignment were performed by GATK (version 4.0.11.0).

  Study EGAS00001007052

• Interethnic comparability in blood pressure GWAS

  We carried out a genome-wide association and replication study for blood pressure in a two-stage approach (max N = 289,038) with a discovery stage sample of 130,777 East Asian individuals, identifying 19 new genetic loci. We found a significant genetic heterogeneity between East Asian and European-descent populations at several blood pressure loci, conforming to “a common ancestry-specific variant association model”. At 6 unique loci, distinct non-rare (or common) ancestry-specific variants co-localized within the same linkage disequilibrium block despite the significantly discordant direction of effects for the proxy shared variants between the ethnic groups. The genome-wide transethnic correlation of causal-variant effect sizes is 0.898 and 0.851 for systolic and diastolic blood pressure, respectively. Some of the ancestry-specific association signals were also influenced by a selective sweep. Our results provide new evidence for the role of common ancestry-specific variants and natural selection in the occurrence of ethnic differences in complex traits such as blood pressure.

  Study EGAS00001002991

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

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

  Study EGAS00001007057

• Germline RUNX1 Variation and Predisposition to Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic

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

  Study EGAS00001005403

• Pediatric Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma Whole Exome Sequencing

  BACKGROUND: Pediatric papillary thyroid carcinoma (PPTC) is distinct from adult-onset disease. Despite higher rates of regional and distal metastases and more frequent recurrence, there is, paradoxically, a highly favourable prognosis. Historically, only 40-50% of childhood PTC are driven by genomic variants common to adult PTC, while the oncogenic drivers in the remainder are unknown. METHODS: Fifty-two PPTCs were genotyped by candidate gene testing, followed, in a subset (n=32), by whole exome (WES) and transcriptome sequencing (RNASeq) to identify oncogenic variants in driver-unknown tumors and to explore gene expression patterns. FINDINGS: Thirty-one tumors (60%) carried variants identified by candidate gene testing, specifically: BRAFV600E(22%), NRASQ61R(2%), RET-CCDC6(19%), RET-NCOA4(15%) and PAX8-PPARG. Among the 21 remaining tumors with negative first-line genotyping, oncogenic variants were identified in 19 (90%). These were enriched with oncogenic fusions, with 11 non-recurrent fusion transcripts identified, including two that had not been previously described: STRN-RET and TG-PBF. Most fusions were associated with 3’ receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) moieties: RET, MET, ALK and NTRK3. Gene expression analysis defined three distinct clusters, which demonstrated differing expression of genes involved in thyroid differentiation and MAPK signaling. INTERPRETATION: Exome and transcriptome-wide sequencing identify genomic drivers of PPTC in 98% of tumors, whereas conventional genotyping leaves many tumors genetically unexplained. PPTC is driven, in the majority of cases, by oncogenic fusion transcripts involving one of a limited number of RTKs. These observations have broad implications for diagnostic testing and for therapeutic options in children with advanced disease.

  Study EGAS00001005187

• Long-term organoid culture of a small intestinal neuroendocrine tumor rna-seq

  Gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs) are rare and highly heterogeneous neoplasms whose incidence has markedly increased over the last decades. A grading system based on the tumor cells' proliferation index predicts high-risk for G3 NETs. However, low-to-intermediate grade (G1/G2) NETs have an unpredictable clinical course that varies from indolent to highly malignant. Cultures of human cancer cells enable to perform functional perturbation analyses that are instrumental to enhance our understanding of cancer biology. To date, no tractable and reliable long-term culture of G1/G2 NET has been reported to permit disease modeling and pharmacological screens. Here, we report of the first long-term culture of a G2 metastatic small intestinal NET that preserves the main genetic drivers of the tumor and retains expression patterns of the endocrine cell lineage. Replicating the tissue, this long-term culture showed a low proliferation index, and yet it could be propagated continuously without dramatic changes in the karyotype. The model was readily available for pharmacological screens using targeted agents and as expected, showed low tumorigenic capacity in vivo. Overall, this is the first long-term culture of NETs to faithfully recapitulate many aspects of the original neuroendocrine tumor.

  Study EGAS00001007108

• miRNA_expression_in_response_to_LPS_stimulus_in_macrophages

  Our lab is currently using macrophages as a model system for understanding how geneticvariation modulates the response to external environmental stimulus. We want to extend thisbeyond regular polyadenylated RNA to small RNAs such as miRNAs. This project wouldcover the costs of a pilot to study miRNA response to LPS stimulus, and will be performed aspart of a rotation project in the lab. We will require a small number of miRNA libraries and asingle lane of MiSeq

  Study EGAS00001000691

• Spatial concordance of DNA methylation classification in diffuse glioma

  Background: Intratumoral heterogeneity is a hallmark of diffuse gliomas. DNA methylation profiling is an emerging approach in the clinical classification of brain tumors. The goal of this study is to investigate the effects of intratumoral heterogeneity on classification confidence. Methods: We used neuronavigation to acquire 133 image-guided and spatially-separated stereotactic biopsy samples from 16 adult patients with a diffuse glioma (7 IDH-wildtype and 2 IDH-mutant glioblastoma, 6 diffuse astrocytoma, IDH-mutant and 1 oligodendroglioma, IDH-mutant and 1p19q codeleted), which we characterized using DNA methylation arrays. Samples were obtained from regions with and without abnormalities on contrast enhanced T1 weighted and fluid-attenuated inversion recovery MRI. Methylation profiles were analyzed to devise a three-dimensional reconstruction of (epi)genetic heterogeneity. Tumor purity was assessed from clonal methylation sites. Results: Molecular aberrations indicated that tumor was found outside imaging abnormalities, underlining the infiltrative nature of this tumor and the limitations of current routine imaging modalities. We demonstrate that tumor purity is highly variable between samples and explains a substantial part of apparent epigenetic spatial heterogeneity. We observed that DNA methylation subtypes are often, but not always, conserved in space taking tumor purity and prediction accuracy into account. Conclusion: Our results underscore the infiltrative nature of diffuse gliomas and suggest that DNA methylation subtypes are relatively concordant in this tumor type, although some heterogeneity exists.

  Study EGAS00001005434

• Sequencing of pancreatic cancer primary tumors and metastases

  The extent of heterogeneity of driver gene mutations present in naturally occurring metastases is largely unknown, i.e. treatment-naïve metastatic disease. To address this issue, 60x whole genome sequencing of 26 metastases from 4 patients was carried out. We found that the identical driver gene mutations were present in every metastatic lesion of each patient studied. Passenger gene mutations not known or predicted to have functional consequences accounted for all intratumoral heterogeneity. Even with respect to these passenger gene mutations, the genetic similarity among the founding cells of metastases was markedly higher than that expected for any two cells randomly taken from a normal tissue. The uniformity of driver gene mutations among metastases in the same patient has critical, encouraging implications for the success of future targeted therapies in advanced stage disease.

  Study EGAS00001002186

• HipSci_RNASEQ_BPD

  The HipSci project brings together diverse constituents in genomics, proteomics, cell biology and clinical genetics to create a UK national iPS cell resource and use it to carry out cellular genetic studies. In this sub-study we perform RNAseq on iPS lines from Blood platelet disorders patients.

  Study EGAS00001001993

• HipSci_RNASEQ_Hypertrophic_Cardiomyopathy

  The HipSci project brings together diverse constituents in genomics, proteomics, cell biology and clinical genetics to create a UK national iPS cell resource and use it to carry out cellular genetic studies. In this sub-study we perform RNAseq on iPS lines from Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy patients.

  Study EGAS00001001994

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

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

  Study EGAS00001003199

• HipSci_RNASEQ_Macular_Dystrophy

  The HipSci project brings together diverse constituents in genomics, proteomics, cell biology and clinical genetics to create a UK national iPS cell resource and use it to carry out cellular genetic studies. In this sub-study we perform RNAseq on iPS lines from Macular Dystrophy patients

  Study EGAS00001001995

• Sex-biased patterns shaped the genetic history of Roma

  Whole mtDNA sequences and Y chromosomes from Roma and Non-Roma European samples.

  Study EGAS00001004207

• Genetic_factors_underlying_premature_MI_in_Greek_families_without_vessel_disease

  The study will analyse by exome sequencing 8 Greek family members with an excess of potentially damaging mutations relating to premature MI and no vessel disease, to identify genetic factors underlying this condition. This is a follow on from project GPMI-NVD

  Study EGAS00001000478

• Double mutant DNMT3A AML: a unique subtype

  Mutation of DNMT3A, encoding a de novo methyltransferase essential for cytosine methylation, is a common early event in clonal hematopoiesis (CH) and adult acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Spontaneous deamination of methylated cytosines damages DNA, which is repaired by the base excision repair (BER) enzymes MBD4 and TDG. Congenital MBD4-deficiency has been linked to early-onset CH and AML, and is marked by exceedingly high levels of DNA damage and mutation of DNMT3A. Strikingly, wildtype (WT) DNMT3A binds TDG, thereby potentiating its repair activity. Since TDG is the only remaining BER enzyme in MBD4-deficient AML patients capable of repairing methylation damage, we investigated whether mutant DNMT3A negatively affects the repair function of TDG. We found that, whereas WT DNMT3A stimulates TDG function, mutant DNMT3A impairs TDG-mediated repair of DNA damage in vitro. In light of this finding and to extrapolate our observations to the broader AML patient population, we investigate here the genetic profiles and survival outcomes of AML patients with single (SM) versus double mutant (DM) DNMT3A. DM DNMT3A AML patients show a characteristic driver mutation landscape and reduced overall survival when compared to SM DNMT3A AML patients. Importantly, whole-genome sequencing showed a trend for increased DNA damage in primary DM DNMT3A AML samples, especially when DNMT3A mutations are located at the DNMT3A-TDG interaction interface.

  Study EGAS00001007966

• DERMATLAS__SG_basal_cell_adenoma_and_adenocarcinoma_WES

  Virtually no other tumour type is associated with so many different forms as skin cancer. Histologically, tumours of the skin may arise from epithelium, including epidermis, hair follicle, sebaceous or sweat gland, melanocytes, dermal-associated mesenchymal structures or tissue resident immune cells, making for a diversity of clinical presentations. Importantly, many skin tumour types have an extremely poor prognosis. Many skin tumour subtypes have never undergone molecular profiling, or if they have, targeted sequencing has been used and the number of cases analyzed has been so limited that deriving firm conclusions about the profile of driver genes, DNA mutational signatures and germline alleles has not been possible For 70 key skin tumour subtypes defined by the World Health Organization, that have not undergone extensive genetic analysis previoulsy, we propose to perform whole exome and transcriptome sequencing, from a range of body sites, to build a genomic atlas of dermatological tumours, including detailed maps of SNVs, copy number alterations, genome-wide methylation and expression profiles. The cases in this cohort are SG basal cell adenomas and adenocarcinomas.

  Study EGAS00001007745

• Atypical tetrasomy 18 in a hepatoblastoma patient

  Constitutive aneuploidy often underlies developmental defects, while copy-number alterations are recurrent somatic events in cancers. Rarely, mosaic aneuploidy links developmental defects and cancer development, yet its molecular basis remains elusive. We report the first cancer case in a tetrasomy 18 patient—a female who developed hepatoblastoma at age two and remains recurrence-free 24 months post-surgery and chemotherapy. Whole-genome sequencing and Fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) uncovered a complex rearrangement with eight breakpoints between 18p11.32 to 18q12.1, present in 10% of liver and blood cells. Haplotype analysis revealed a pre-zygotic origin, with mosaicism arising from early rescue by loss of the rearranged chromosome. Strikingly, all tumor cells retained this rearranged chromosome. Single-nucleus RNA-seq of liver and hepatoblastoma tissue traced the aneuploidy’s evolution during gametogenesis, organogenesis, and tumorigenesis. This study provides insights into mechanisms of aneuploidy-driven cancer, highlighting the interplay of mosaicism, developmental defects, and tumor evolution in a rare genetic syndrome.

  Study EGAS00001008072

• Genomic evolution and transcriptional changes in the evolution of prostate cancer into neuroendocrine and ductal carcinoma types (RNAseq)

  Prostate cancer is typically of acinar adenocarcinoma type but can occasionally present as neuro-endocrine and/or ductal type carcinoma. These are associated with clinically aggressive disease and the former often arises on a background of androgen deprivation therapy, although it can al-so arise de novo. Two prostate cancer cases were sequenced by exome capture from archival tis-sue. Case 1 was de novo small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma and ductal adenocarcinoma with 3 longitudinal samples over 5 years. Case 2 was a single time point after development of treatment related neuroendocrine prostate carcinoma. Case 1 showed whole genome doubling in all sam-ples and focal amplification of AR in all samples except the first time point. Phylogenetic analysis revealed a common ancestry for the ductal and small cell carcinoma. Case 2 showed 13q loss (involving RB1) in both adenocarcinoma and small cell carcinoma regions, and 3p gain, 4p loss, 17p loss (involving TP53) in the latter. By using highly curated samples, we demonstrate for the first time that small cell neuroendocrine and ductal prostatic carcinoma can have a common an-cestry and the process of evolution over time. We highlight whole genome doubling in a patient with prostate cancer relapse, reinforcing its poor prognostic nature.

  Study EGAS00001007428