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• Barcelona_kids_with_melanoma

  This set of samples is composed of eight young people (7-16 years old) that have developed melanoma with first-degree relatives that have also developed cancer, which suggests a genetic component to their disease. Here we want to sequence these samples in order to find the causative mutations. As these samples do not carry any of the high-penetrance mutations known to date, finding the genes(s) responsible will offer new insights into the genetic mechanisms underlying predisposition to melanoma.

  Study EGAS00001000733

• Clinical and genetic analysis of retinopathy of prematurity - GWAS

  This project aims to identify genetic variants that contribute to the development of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). ROP is a leading cause of childhood blindness worldwide. We have performed a genome wide association study (GWAS) using Illumina Global Screening Array (GSA) BeadChip. For this GWAS design we assembled the largest group of ROP patients described to date: around 1000 ROP patients in total. Demographic and phenotypic information associated with each sample includes gestational age, gender, ethnicity, multiple birth status, presence of ROP, and birth weight. The results of this study will help advance our understanding of the genetic susceptibility to ROP and may result in novel treatment options to slow the progression of the disease.

  Study phs002020

• Data from the paper Context-specific Effects of TGFβ/SMAD3 in Cancer Are Modulated by the Epigenome. Tufegdzic et al, Cell Reports 2015

  The transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ) signalling pathway exerts opposing effects on cancer cells, acting either as a tumor-promoter or as a tumor-suppressor. Here we show these opposing effects are a result of the synergy between SMAD3, a downstream effector of TGFβ signalling, and the distinct epigenomes of breast tumor initiating cells (BTICs). These effects of TGFβ are associated with distinct gene expression programs, but genomic SMAD3 binding patterns are highly similar in the BTIC-promoting and BTIC- suppressing contexts. Our data show cell type-specific epigenetic configurations provide a modulatory layer by determining accessibility of genes to regulation by TGFβ/SMAD3. LBH, one such context-specific target gene, is regulated according to its DNA methylation status, and is crucial for TGFβ-dependent promotion of BTICs. Overall, these results reveal that the epigenome plays a central and previously overlooked role in shaping the context-specific effects of TGFβ in cancer.

  Study EGAS00001001570

• Physiological and genetic adaptations to diving in Sea Nomads

  Understanding the physiology and genetics of human hypoxia tolerance has important medical implications, but this phenomenon has thus far only been investigated in high-altitude human populations. Another system, yet to be explored, is humans who engage in breath-hold diving. The indigenous Bajau people (“Sea Nomads”) of Southeast Asia live a subsistence lifestyle based on breath-hold diving and are renowned for their extraordinary breath holding abilities. However, it is unknown whether this has a genetic basis. Using a comparative genomic study, we show that natural selection on genetic variants in the PDE10A gene have increased spleen size in the Bajau, providing them with a larger reservoir of oxygenated red blood cells. We also find evidence of strong natural selection specific to the Bajau on BDKRB2, a gene affecting the human diving reflex. Thus, the Bajau, and possibly other natural diving populations, provide a new opportunity to study human adaptation to hypoxia tolerance.

  Study EGAS00001002823

• Single_cell_analysis_of_cytokine_induced_T_cell_states

  We isolated T cells from healthy platelet donors and cultured them in resting and stimulated conditions with addition of a range of cytokines. We performed scRNA sequencing to assess the variability of polarization in different cytokines treated cells. Cytokines affect T cell responses by polarising them to different phenotypes. Given that the inflammation and and autoimmune tissue distruction is driven by the local production of cytokines, we investigated cytokine induced changes in T cells by using a combination of immunological and genomics approaches. To characterize, the efficacy of cytokine induced porization, here we stimulated naive and memory CD4+ T cells in the presence of cytokine polarizing coctails and profiled single cell transcriptome five days following polarization. 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 EGAS00001003215

• Transcriptomic profiling of T cells following ABHD11 inhibition

  This dataset contains paired-end RNA sequencing data from human T cells treated with ML226, a selective ABHD11 inhibitor, and matched vehicle controls. The experiment was designed to investigate the role of ABHD11 in sterol metabolism and its impact on T cell effector function and autoimmunity. Samples were collected across biological replicates following 24-hour treatment, and RNA was extracted for high-throughput sequencing. Sequencing was performed using an Illumina platform. The dataset supports analysis of differentially expressed genes, alternative transcript usage, and pathway-level effects of ABHD11 inhibition. This dataset is part of the study titled "ABHD11 inhibition drives sterol metabolism to modulate T cell effector function and alleviate autoimmunity".

  Dataset EGAD50000001845

• National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) Heart Healthy Lenoir (HHL) Genomics Study

  The HHL genomics study uses a systems approach to develop models integrating clinical and genomic data. Previously we developed and tested an approach known as the SAMARA (Supporting A Multidisciplinary Approach to Research in Atherosclerosis) project that applied recent advances in biomedical and computational sciences at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to develop a deeper understanding of human cardiovascular disease (CVD). The Heart-Healthy Lenoir Project expands these studies into the community, using this methodology to: 1) determine the prevalence of genomic risk signatures in high-risk community populations using genome-wide Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) analysis; 2) develop novel genomic models incorporating high-risk features in this population; and 3) determine whether genomic signatures can be used to predict responsiveness to interventions that underlie CVD disparities. DNA was obtained from participants enrolled in two of the HHL clinical trials, 1) Improving Care for Patients With High Blood Pressure (NCT01425515) or 2) Heart-Healthy Lenoir Lifestyle Study (NCT01433484). Participants could enroll in both trials concurrently.

  Study phs001471

• Hypertension delays viral clearance and exacerbates airway hyperinflammation in patients with COVID-19

  In coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), hypertension and cardiovascular diseases are major risk factors for critical disease progression. However, the underlying causes and the effects of the main anti-hypertensive therapies-angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs)-remain unclear. Combining clinical data (n = 144) and single-cell sequencing data of airway samples (n = 48) with in vitro experiments, we observed a distinct inflammatory predisposition of immune cells in patients with hypertension that correlated with critical COVID-19 progression. ACEI treatment was associated with dampened COVID-19-related hyperinflammation and with increased cell intrinsic antiviral responses, whereas ARB treatment related to enhanced epithelial-immune cell interactions. Macrophages and neutrophils of patients with hypertension, in particular under ARB treatment, exhibited higher expression of the pro-inflammatory cytokines CCL3 and CCL4 and the chemokine receptor CCR1. Although the limited size of our cohort does not allow us to establish clinical efficacy, our data suggest that the clinical benefits of ACEI treatment in patients with COVID-19 who have hypertension warrant further investigation.

  Study EGAS00001004772

• Whole Mitochondrial Sequencing of Gingivo-buccal Cancer: ICGC-India Project

  As a part of the ICGC, India has undertaken genomic studies on gingivobuccal cancer of the oral cavity, which is the most prevalent form of cancer among men in India. There are various known environmental (life-style) correlates of this cancer, the most important of which are tobacco chewing and HPV infection. Detailed clinical characterization of the patients, collection of data on demographic and environmental exposures, and isolation of DNA samples from blood and tumor tissues collected from each patient are being done at the Advanced Centre for Research, Treatment and Education on Cancer, Mumbai. Whole genome and other sequencing experiments are being performed at the National Institute of Biomedical Genomics, Kalyani. Whole mitochondria sequencing of 89 patients was performed in this study. The mean depth of sequencing was at least 2500X, but variable across platforms, 2689X and 9894X for amplicon sequencing in Ion Torrent PGM (Tumor-blood pairs=16) and Illumina HiSeq 2500 (Tumor-blood pairs =48), respectively; and, 14,190X for whole genome sequencing in Illumina HiSeq 2500 (Tumor-blood pairs =25). Associations of mutation data with important clinical aspects have been found.

  Study EGAS00001002425

• RNA-Seq of vocal fold fibroblasts in Reinke’s edema and control subjects

  The voice disorder Reinke’s edema (RE) is a smoking- and voice-abuse associated benign lesion of the vocal folds, defined by an edema of the Reinke space, accompanied with pathological microvasculature changes and immune cell infiltration. Vocal fold fibroblasts (VFF) are the main cell type of the lamina propria and play a key role in the disease progression. Current therapy is restricted to symptomatic treatment. Hence, there is an urgent need for a better understanding of the molecular causes of the disease. In the present study, we investigated differential expression profiles of RE and control VFF by means of RNA sequencing. In addition, fast gene set enrichment analysis (FGSEA) was performed in order to obtain involved biological processes, mRNA and protein levels of targets of interest were further evaluated. We identified 74 differentially regulated genes in total, 19 of which were upregulated and 55 downregulated. Differential expression analysis and FGSEA revealed upregulated genes and pathways involved in extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling, inflammation and fibrosis. Downregulated genes and pathways were involved in ECM degradation, cell cycle control and proliferation. The current study addressed for the first time a direct comparison of VFF from RE to control and evaluated immediate functional consequences.

  Study EGAS00001005130

• Interpreting molecular role of DNA variants associated with Crohn's Disease through integrative analysis of open chromatin, epigenome and transcriptome data in diverse and relevant tissues and cells

  Crohn's disease (CD), one of the two major inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), results from an inappropriately directed inflammatory response to the enteric microbiota in a genetically susceptible host. Genome wide association studies (GWAS) have linked >200 specific single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to CD disease pathogenesis. Within these regions, there are over 5600 additional SNPs that are in linkage disequilibrium (LD) with the tag SNPs, and it is not known which of these contribute to CD. Most of these SNPs map to non-coding regions of the genome, suggesting that causal variants contribute to CD by modifying gene regulatory element activity. In ths study, we have generated genotype, open chromatin (FAIRE-seq), and transcriptome (RNA-seq) data from macroscopically uninflamed regions of colon tissue for 21 CD patients and 11 non-IBD controls. All patients are adults (>18 years old).

  Study phs001418

• Motif-directed chromatin repression by BCL11B shapes ectopic targeting and lineage commitment

  BCL11B encodes a critical T-lineage transcription factor that is implicated as both an oncogene and a tumor suppressor in acute leukemia. Despite its central role in development and malignancy, a basic understanding of the sequence determinants of BCL11B activity remains obscure. Here, we define two functionally distinct modes of BCL11B engagement with chromatin: Most detectable BCL11B binding events are determined by pre-existing patterns of chromatin accessibility and RUNX1 occupancy. In contrast, BCL11B directs chromatin closing at genomic regions enriched for DNA motifs containing the core “TGACC” sequence, which are most prevalent in non-T lineages. These BCL11B-closed target sites cannot be identified from conventional BCL11B chromatin profiling approaches yet represent the primary mechanism by which BCL11B regulates gene expression. We provide evidence that cell of origin impacts the ability of BCL11B to repress lineage-inappropriate gene programs, thereby promoting lineage skewing. Together, these findings define a motif-centered determinant of BCL11B repression and explain how BCL11B controls lineage specification.

  Study EGAS50000001719

• Comparing nodal versus bony metastatic spread using tumour phylogenies

  The role of lymph node metastases in distant prostate cancer dissemination and lethality is ill defined. Patients with metastases restricted to lymph nodes have a better prognosis than those with distant metastatic spread, suggesting the possibility of distinct aetiologies. To explore this, we traced patterns of cancer dissemination using tumour phylogenies inferred from genome-wide copy-number profiling of 48 samples across 3 patients with lymph node metastatic disease and 3 patients with osseous metastatic disease. Our results show that metastatic cells in regional lymph nodes originate from evolutionary advanced extra-prostatic tumour cells rather than less advanced central tumour cell populations. In contrast, osseous metastases do not exhibit such a constrained developmental lineage, arising from either intra or extra-prostatic tumour cell populations, at early and late stages in the evolution of the primary. Collectively, this comparison suggests that lymph node metastases may not be an intermediate developmental step for distant osseous metastases, but rather represent a distinct metastatic lineage.

  Study EGAS00001001801

• DAC for Early detection of ovarian cancer using cell-free DNA fragmentomes and protein biomarkers

  Ovarian cancer is a leading cause of death from gynecological malignancies worldwide. No effective screening methods exist resulting in tumor detection at advanced stages where treatment is less effective. In this study, we used whole-genome cell-free DNA (cfDNA) fragmentome and protein biomarker (CA-125 and HE4) analyses to evaluate 591 women, mostly post-menopausal, from the European Union or the United States with ovarian cancer, benign adnexal masses, or without ovarian lesions. Using a machine learning model that incorporated multi-analyte fragmentome data and protein measurements, we evaluated the detection of ovarian cancer in two clinical settings, detection of ovarian cancers among a healthy population, and classification of adnexal masses as benign or malignant. The combined approach detected ovarian cancer with specificity >99% and sensitivity of 72%, 69%, 87%, and 100% for stages I–IV, respectively (AUC=0.96, 95% CI: 0.94-0.99), including 90% of high grade serous ovarian cancers. At the same specificity, CA-125 alone detected 34%, 62%, 63%, and 100% of ovarian cancers for stages I–IV (p=0.001, two-sided test of equal proportions). Additionally, our approach differentiated benign masses from ovarian cancers with high accuracy (AUC of 0.88, 95% CI=0.83-0.92). These results were validated in an independent population. These findings show that integrated cfDNA fragmentome and protein analyses detect ovarian cancers with high performance, enabling a new accessible approach for noninvasive ovarian cancer screening and diagnostic evaluation.

  Dac EGAC50000000332

• SAPCS 20 Blood RNA-seq from Prostate cancer patients.

  Raw RNA-seq reads (FASTQ format) and Mapped sequencing reads (BAM format) of 20 Prostate cancer patients in Southern African Prostate Cancer Study (SAPCS). Each patient exhibit different pathogenic variations. The Illumina RNA-sequencing is performed from Blood extraction (from QIAamp RNA Blood Mini Kit). rRNA was removed prior using SortMeRNA. STAR aligner program was used for mapping to human genome GRCh38.p14, resulting in an average genome coverage of 9x.

  Dataset EGAD50000000982

• RNA-seq study of longitudinal blood cell samples drawn from children at risk of type 1 diabetes

  The appearance of type 1 diabetes (T1D)-associated autoantibodies is the first and only measurable parameter to predict progression toward T1D in genetically susceptible individuals. However, autoantibodies indicate an active autoimmune reaction, wherein the immune tolerance is already broken. Therefore, there is a clear and urgent need for new biomarkers that predict the onset of the autoimmune reaction preceding auto-antibody positivity or reflect progressive b-cell destruction. Here we report the mRNA sequencing-based analysis of 306 samples including fractionated samples of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells as well as CD4, CD8 cell fractions and unfractionated PBMC samples longitudinally collected from seven children who developed beta-cell autoimmunity (case subjects) at a young age and matched control subjects.

  Dataset EGAD00001005767

• The Institute for Genomic Medicine at Nationwide Children's Hospital Pediatric Cancer and Blood Disorder Project

  The aim of this study is to enable the unification of the clinical and research arms of comprehensive genomic profiling in the setting of cancer and hematologic disease. Increasingly, studies of the genomic etiology of cancer and hematologic diseases are being utilized for patient management, including prognostication, informing diagnosis, and evaluating eligibility for targeted therapeutics and clinical trials. Clinically available testing can be limited in scope and follow-up, and thus assessment of the impact on patient outcomes is difficult to ascertain. N-of-1 studies have the ability to more broadly impact our understanding of the mechanisms of cancer and hematologic disease, and can have benefit for the individual as well as the larger population of patients with these diseases. Thus, we seek to study and characterize the genomic underpinnings of cancer and hematologic disease through genomic profiling studies bridging both clinical and research components. We will rigorously perform and vet research sequencing and genomic studies protocols for the purpose of transitioning these assays to clinically valid testing for use in clinical patient care. We have been enrolling patients onto this comprehensive genomic profiling study since January 2018. As part of the genomic workup for these patients, we have been performing tumor and normal whole genome sequencing, whole exome sequencing and RNA-Seq. The project is largely supported by the Nationwide Children's Foundation, and we anticipate adding another 50-70 cases per year. This protocol is significant in that it expands our understanding of the etiology of cancer and hematologic disease through a comprehensive analysis aimed at detecting a broad scope of genomic aberrations. Additionally, it improves our understanding of the clinical utility of genomic profiling and has the potential to ultimately improve patient management and surveillance at both level of an individual and general populations of patients affected by these diseases. Primary Objectives: Aim 1: Use diagnostic, relapse, and/or germline samples for augmented whole exome sequencing to characterize the spectrum of germline and somatic genomic alterations in pediatric malignancies and hematologic disease. Aim 2: Examine gene expression and fusion events using whole RNA-seq "transcriptome" analysis or targeted RNA-seq analysis such as the Archer FusionPlex technology. Aim 3: Compare the results of our enhanced molecular profiling vs. that which is detectable by traditional methods as related to cytogenetic, molecular, and minimal residual disease analyses performed as part of standard of care. Aim 4: Examine the utility of comprehensive genomic profiling by collection and evaluation of outcomes data as related to enhancement/alteration in diagnosis, prognosis, treatment management, and clinical benefit. Secondary Objective: Aim 1: Use and clinically validate expanded laboratory methodologies and bioinformatic approaches to more broadly assess genomic complexity (e.g. whole genome sequencing, transcriptome sequencing, in vitro analyses, minimal residual disease testing, clonality assays, proteomics) in the setting of hematologic and oncologic disease. In so doing, we aspire to make novel discoveries and associations, as related to disease phenotypes and subtypes, variant causality, therapeutic targeting, and cancer biology.

  Study phs001820

• Somatic L1 Retrotransposition in Colorectal Tumors

  The purpose of this study is to ascertain the locations of somatic LINE-1 retrotransposition events in human colon tumor samples by pooling multiple tumor samples from different patients and performing a targeted resequencing assay (Ewing and Kazazian, Genome Research 2010) to sequence the 3' flanking regions of all insertions in the pooled sample. The result is compared to the result of applying the same method to pooled normal samples from the same patients as were used in the pooled tumor sample and selecting sites that show an insertion in the tumor but not in the normaltissue and do not correspond to any known non-reference LINE-1 insertion allele. The selected sites are then validated by site-specific PCR and capillary sequencing to confirm that they represent LINE-1 insertions and to obtain breakpoint sequences.

  Study phs000536

• Whole Genome Sequencing for Metastatic Mutational Burden in Extraskeletal Myxoid Chondrosarcoma

  Extraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcoma (EMC) is an ultra-rare cancer. Though it has a favorable prognosis and an indolent course, it has high rates of local recurrence and metastasis to the lungs. EMC is most often characterized by a translocation involving the NR4A3 gene most often fusing with EWSR1, leading to constitutive expression of NR4A3, the biological significance of which is unknown. Our study presents a case of EMC with case-matched lung and advanced pelvic metastases. We conducted Whole Genome Sequencing to examine differences in the mutational landscape at two different stages of metastasis. This is the first study to our knowledge to analyze mega-base scale structural variants (SVs) in EMC. Our data validates copy number variants (CNVs) found in previous studies. While the primary tumor and lung metastasis had similar somatic variations and CNVs, the pelvic metastasis had more SVs with especially increased mutational burden of SVs in chromosome 2. This suggests that different molecular drivers appear in more advanced, relapsing EMC compared with the primary tumor and early lung metastasis. The sequencing data is available through dbGaP.

  Study phs003305

• WES analysis in identifying additive genetic factors that may contribute to the occurrence of moyamoya in neurofibromatosis type 1

  Moyamoya is a progressive cerebral vasculopathy, for which genetic susceptibility factors were mainly identified in Asian populations. When associated with other medical conditions, such as neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), this vasculopathy is frequently reported as Moyamoya syndrome (MMS). Intriguingly, most cases of MMS-complicated NF1 have been described in Caucasians, inverting the population ratio for moyamoya vasculopathy observed in Asians, despite NF1 prevalence being constant worldwide. This study aims to investigate whether, among Caucasians, additive genetic factors may contribute to the occurrence of MMS in NF1. WES analysis has been carried out on an Italian family with co-occurrence of NF1 and MMS, as well as other cerebral vasculopathies.

  Study EGAS00001003053

• Molecular Determinants of Tumor Behavior in Early Lung Adenocarcinoma

  Lung adenocarcinoma is the leading cause of cancer death worldwide and a heterogeneous disease with poor survival in the advanced stage. Given that the frequency of early diagnosis is increasing, the investigation of the molecular determinants of disease progression is paramount. Prediction of whether the tumor is indolent or aggressive has been the subject of recent investigations. Yet, the molecular underpinnings explaining the difference in tumor behavior remains largely unknown and is directly relevant to the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of lung cancer screening, including the risks of over-diagnosis and overtreatment. To gain insights into the molecular pathogenesis and the underlying molecular determinants of clinical behavior of early adenocarcinoma, we investigated genetic alterations in 102 surgically resected early adenocarcinomas. We hypothesized that the behavior of early adenocarcinoma can be predicted based on genomic underpinnings. To identify the type of genomic alterations associated with resected indolent and aggressive early lung ADC, the DNA samples from 21 adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS), 27 minimally invasive adenocarcinoma (MIA) and 54 fully invasive adenocarcinoma were collected and subjected to a deep next generation sequencing, targeting a custom 347 cancer gene panel. Our study provides new insights into cancer genomic evolution, helps to elucidate the interplay of somatic mutation and the adaptation of clones, and brings new insights into the key distinction between indolent and aggressive tumor behavior.

  Study phs001811

• scRNA-seq data of human nuclei collected from the temporal cortex of 17 individuals.

  Transcriptome analysis of single cells has tremendously increased our understanding of cellular heterogeneity in complex tissues. However, whole-cell transcriptomics cannot be applied to frozen tissue due to poor cell recovery after freezing. Human tissue is usually limited to tissue banks containing frozen material, and since single nuclei can be readily isolated from frozen tissues, human cell nuclei can substitute whole-cell analysis to extract single cell transcriptomes from human cells. Despite the importance of human tissue analysis, single-nucleus RNA-sequencing protocols are less developed than those for whole cells. SMARTSeq, either in form of custom-made SMARTSeq2 or as part of the Fluidigm C1 platform, provides a high resolution view of the transcriptome, has proven effective for whole-cell analysis and has recently been adapted to nuclei. Here, we show that the standard SMARTSeq2 protocol applied to single nuclei biases the amplification of single-nucleus transcriptomes due to unspecific capturing of transcripts, which can comprise the majority of reads in single-nucleus RNA-sequencing libraries. We demonstrate that modification of the SMARTSeq2 protocol with respect to template switching and cDNA amplification conditions generates sequencing libraries of higher complexity, allows for detection of more genes and reduces biases of the amplified transcriptome. In addition, modification of SMARTSeq2 chemistry allows for gene detection at shallower sequencing depth, thus increasing efficiency and decreasing cost.

  Study EGAS00001002882

• Neural Systems, Inhibitory Control, and Methamphetamine Dependence

  The Neural Systems, Inhibitory Control, and Methamphetamine Dependence study started in 2011 and is currently finishing data collection for its last participants. The study included methamphetamine abusing individuals and healthy control participants aged 18-55 years. Participants who qualified over the telephone were scheduled to visit the London Laboratory at the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior for the In-Person Screening Phase. The screening procedures, usually scheduled over two visits, determined if participants were eligible to complete the subsequent study visits. Both groups completed identical screening procedures, with the exception of more in-depth drug use questions for the methamphetamine users. After providing written consent, participants completed questionnaires about their mood, medical, psychiatric and drug use history, personality and life experiences. They also provided a urine sample to determine what drugs they recently used and a breath sample to determine the carbon monoxide levels in their system. The drug screen tested for recent methamphetamine, cocaine, opiates/opioids, benzodiazepines, THC and other amphetamines. Methamphetamine participants needed to test positive for methamphetamine at admission. If methamphetamine participants tested positive for any drugs other than methamphetamine or marijuana, and if healthy control participants tested positive for any drugs other than marijuana, they were excluded from the study. Additionally, the urine samples of female participants were tested for pregnancy; pregnant females were also excluded. If no exclusionary criteria were met during the first screening visit, participants completed a second screening visit to ensure they were mentally and physically healthy enough to participate. The second screening visit included a psychiatric diagnostic interview (DSM-IV (SCID-I) for first 500 participants and the MINI International Neuropsychiatric Interview M.I.N.I for the last 50 participants). Additionally, laboratory tests and procedures were completed by the UCLA General Clinical Research Center and interpreted by a study physician. Laboratory tests included vital signs (heart rate--BPM, blood pressure, and respirations), an electrocardiogram (ECG) to record the electrical activity of the heart, and an 18-cc blood sample to perform laboratory tests which included a complete chemistry and metabolic panel, hepatic panel, Hepatitis-C tests, and HIV test. The laboratory tests from this blood sample ensured that participants' liver and kidneys were functioning normally, and that their standard blood counts (red cell, white cell, and salts) were also normal. If a Hepatitis-C (HCV) or HIV test was positive, participants were not allowed to continue in the study and their results were reported to the California State Health Department. Participants deemed eligible to continue in the methamphetamine group participated on an outpatient basis or were admitted to the UCLA Medical Center to participate on an inpatient basis for up to 10 days. Typically, detectable levels of methamphetamine in urinalysis remain for 2-3 days, therefore inpatient days 0-3 served as a "washout period" and the methamphetamine abusing inpatient participants provided daily urine samples to test for recent drug use and pregnancy (female participants only). Outpatient participants were also required to remain abstinent from all drugs except nicotine and marijuana for at least 4 days prior to study sessions. Self-reported abstinence for outpatients was verified by urine toxicology and saliva screening at every visit to UCLA before completion of study procedures. Neurocognitive assessments, about three hours each, typically took place on two separate days. The purpose of the neurocognitive sessions were to assess participants' intellectual and neurocognitive functioning. On either the same day as the neurocognitive testing or on separate days, both methamphetamine abusers and healthy controls were administered a structural MRI to collect information on brain structure.

  Study phs001197

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

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

  Study phs001466

• Genetic Analysis of Metopic Nonsyndromic Craniosynostosis

  Craniosynostosis (CS), the premature fusion of one or more cranial sutures, is a common defect occurring in 1 in 2,500 live births. About 85% of infants with CS present as nonsyndromic (i.e., without unrelated, major birth defects or developmental delay). Nonsyndromic CS (NCS) is a heterogeneous condition with presumed multifactorial etiology; however, its causes remain largely unknown. As such, primary prevention strategies for this defect are limited. Through our International Craniosynostosis Consortium (ICC), we have advanced the understanding of the genetic etiology for the most common NCS subtype, sagittal NCS (sNCS). As a result of our previous funding (R01 DE016866), we successfully conducted the first genome-wide association study (GWAS) for sNCS and identified robust associations to loci near BMP2 (rs1884302; P=1.1x10-39; OR=4.38) and intronic to BBS9 (rs10262453; P=5.6x10-20; OR=0.24), both biologically plausible genes with a role in skeletal development. Building on our work, we investigated case-parent trios with metopic NCS (mNCS) by GWAS. Both sNCS and mNCS affect the midline sutures of the skull, are more likely to occur among non-Hispanic whites, and show a male excess. For each subtype, evidence for multifactorial determinants is supported by increased recurrence risk in families, increased concordance in monozygotic vs. dizygotic twins, and positive associations with variants in selected genes (e.g., FGFR). Given these similarities, we hypothesize that sNCS and mNCS may share common causative variants. This data represents an extension of our current study aimed to perform a comprehensive molecular characterization of sNCS and mNCS.

  Study phs001508