We propose to build a genetic knowledge bank of Wilms tumour that integrates clinical outcome data with a genetic, epigenetic, and transcriptomic survey of 1,000 Wilms tumours.
We leveraged single nuclei RNA-seq from 192 human brain samples to map cis-eQTLs in 8 brain cell types. We found extensive cell-type specific genetic effect on gene expression and integrated our results with GWAS to identify putative novel risk genes for brain disorders and the cell types in which the disease mechanisms are likely active.
Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers occurring worldwide in women. Even after curative treatment based on clinical subtypes according to molecular features, the risk of relapse still remains. Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) is an emerging tool for clinical cancer detection to monitor the risk of recurrence, therapeutic efficacy and tumor progression. In occurrence of relapse, genomic, transcriptomic and epigenetic profiles are altered, and reflected in cfDNA fragmentation patterns. In this study, we focus on the transcriptionally dynamic loci associated with therapy resistance in breast cancer, and develop the target sequencing approach using cfDNAs to detect individuals with recurrent/metastatic breast cancer.
This study aims to evaluate the genetic characteristics of patient-derived organoids established from gastric-type cervical adenocarcinoma and to assess their similarity to the parental tumors using whole-genome sequencing.
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, the International Agency for Research on Cancer is coordinating the recruitment of 5000 individuals with cancer (colorectal, renal, pancreatic, oesophageal adenocarcinoma or oesophageal squamous cancers) across 5 continents to explore whether different mutational signatures explain marked variation in incidence. In brief, through an international network of collaborators around the world, biological materials are collected, along with demographic, histological, clinical and questionnaire data. Whole genome sequences of tumour-germline DNA pairs are generated at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute (40X and 20X depth respectively). Somatic mutational signatures are subsequently extracted by non-negative matrix factorisation methods and correlated with risk factors 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.
