1169 results for "NHMRC+youth+mental+health+evaluation+2010..2025+Australia"

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• HeLa Cell Genome Sequencing Studies

  HeLa is a human epithelial adenocarcinoma cell line that was derived from biopsy specimens of a 31-year old patient named Henrietta Lacks who was being treated for cervical cancer at The Johns Hopkins University Hospital in 1951. The specimens were obtained without her knowledge or consent just before her death in 1951. HeLa is the oldest and most widely used human cell line and has been an extraordinarily important resource for researchers throughout the world. HeLa cells have served as a standard for understanding many fundamental biological processes, such as testing the polio vaccine, establishing basic techniques for cloning and in vitro fertilization, identifying the cause of cervical cancer (HPV), and advancing the development of anti-cancer drugs.This study contains all authorized whole genome sequence data of the HeLa cell line from datasets currently in dbGaP. These data have been approved for health, medical, and/or biomedical research purposes. Access to these data can be granted for one year. Accessible data will include the studies listed on this page and any additional authorized datasets that become available during this one-year period. The HeLa Genome Data Access Working Group of the Advisory Committee to the Director (ACD) will review requests from the research community for access to these datasets and assess whether the requests align with the terms of use defined in the HeLa Genome Data Use Agreement. The Working Group's findings will be reported to the ACD, and the ACD will make recommendations to the NIH Director about whether a request should be approved or disapproved. The NIH Director will decide whether access to the data will be granted.

  Study phs000640

• Post_Mortem_Tissue_COVID19_RNA

  Single cell analysis of post mortem tissue samples from SARS-CoV2-infected patients We aim to directly identify the human cell types infected by SARS-CoV-2 and measure the cellular response to COVID19 infection across 20 different tissues from infected patient autopsies. We have examined the expression pattern of viral entry receptors across healthy human tissues to predict several candidate target cell types across the airway and heart. In addition, high prevalence of cardiac failure and abnormal renal function in COVID19 patients implicates heart and kidney involvement, but the pathogenesis of organ specific damage - whether via a direct cytopathic mechanism or an indirect inflammatory response - remains unknown . Currently, we lack confirmation of target cell types and cellular processes in infected tissues as autopsies are discouraged in most countries due to health and safety risks. Our collaborators Drs Michael Osborn and Brian Hanley (Imperial College) have outlined guidelines to perform post-mortem in COVID19 patients (Hanley et al., 2020) and have established a programme of autopsies for research to be performed in a high-risk facility at Westminster Public Mortuary. Here, we propose to identify infected cell types and aberrant molecular pathologies in this precious tissue resource using single cell and spatial genomics. We will prioritise three organ systems: the human airway, heart and the kidney. We will directly examine the cellular identities of SARS-CoV-2 infected cell types and identify the cellular responses to infection across these organs. This fundamental knowledge will help guide future treatment choices for COVID19. 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 EGAS00001004442

• Post_Mortem_Tissue_COVID19_spatial

  Single cell analysis of post mortem tissue samples from SARS-CoV2-infected patients We aim to directly identify the human cell types infected by SARS-CoV-2 and measure the cellular response to COVID19 infection across 20 different tissues from infected patient autopsies. We have examined the expression pattern of viral entry receptors across healthy human tissues to predict several candidate target cell types across the airway and heart. In addition, high prevalence of cardiac failure and abnormal renal function in COVID19 patients implicates heart and kidney involvement, but the pathogenesis of organ specific damage - whether via a direct cytopathic mechanism or an indirect inflammatory response - remains unknown . Currently, we lack confirmation of target cell types and cellular processes in infected tissues as autopsies are discouraged in most countries due to health and safety risks. Our collaborators Drs Michael Osborn and Brian Hanley (Imperial College) have outlined guidelines to perform post-mortem in COVID19 patients (Hanley et al., 2020) and have established a programme of autopsies for research to be performed in a high-risk facility at Westminster Public Mortuary. Here, we propose to identify infected cell types and aberrant molecular pathologies in this precious tissue resource using single cell and spatial genomics. We will prioritise three organ systems: the human airway, heart and the kidney. We will directly examine the cellular identities of SARS-CoV-2 infected cell types and identify the cellular responses to infection across these organs. This fundamental knowledge will help guide future treatment choices for COVID19. 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 EGAS00001004441

• An analysis of humoral and cellular immune responses following COVID-19 vaccination.

  Two dose mRNA vaccination provides excellent protection against SARS-CoV-2. However, there are few data on vaccine efficacy in elderly individuals above the age of 801. Additionally, new variants of concern (VOC) with reduced sensitivity to neutralising antibodies have raised fears for vulnerable groups. Here we assessed humoral and cellular immune responses following vaccination with mRNA vaccine BNT162b22 in elderly participants prospectively recruited from the community and younger health care workers. Median age was 72 years and 51% were females amongst 140 participants. Neutralising antibody responses after the first vaccine dose diminished with increasing age, with a steep drop in participants over 80 years old. Sera from participants below and above 80 showed significantly lower neutralisation potency against B.1.1.7, B.1.351 and P.1. variants of concern as compared to wild type. Those over 80 were more likely to lack any neutralisation against VOC compared younger participants following first dose. Binding IgG and IgA antibodies were lower in the elderly, as was the frequency of SARS-CoV-2 Spike specific B- cells. We observed a trend towards lower somatic hypermutation in participants with suboptimal neutralisation, and elderly participants demonstrated clear reduction in class switched somatic hypermutation, driven by the IgA1/2 isotype. SARS-CoV-2 Spike specific T- cell IFN?? and IL-2 responses were secreted primarily by CD4 T cells, and impaired in the older age group. We conclude that the elderly are a high risk population that warrant specific measures in order to mitigate against vaccine failure, particularly where variants of concern are circulating. Specifically, the dosing interval should not be extended in this group.

  Study EGAS00001005380

• 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

• IDH-wildtype untreated human glioblastoma samples (GB-UK cohort), published in Noorani & Haughey et al 2025.

  Extrachromosomal DNA (ecDNA) oncogene amplification is associated with treatment resistance and shorter survival in cancer. Currently, the spatial dynamics of ecDNA, and their evolutionary impact, are poorly understood. Here, we investigate the spatiotemporal evolution of ecDNA by integrating computational modeling with samples from 94 treatment-naive human IDH wild-type glioblastoma patients. Random ecDNA segregation combined with ecDNA-conferred fitness advantages induce distinct spatial ecDNA copy number patterns which depend on ecDNA oncogenic makeup. EGFR-ecDNAs often reach high copy numbers and confer strong fitness advantages. In contrast, PDGFRA-ecDNAs reach lower copy numbers and confer weaker fitness advantages. EGFR structural variants occur exclusively on ecDNA, arise from and are intermixed with wild-type EGFR-ecDNAs. Computational modeling suggests wild-type and variant EGFR-ecDNAs often accumulate before clonal expansion. Using a genetically engineered mouse model, we confirm that the accumulation of oncogenic ecDNA prior to clonal expansion under strong positive selection is observable both in vivo and in vitro in mouse neural stem cells. Intermixed wild-type and variant ecDNAs remain prevalent at diagnosis, as less fit wild-type ecDNAs hitchhike on strongly selected variant EGFR-ecDNAs. A dN/dS analysis in the Genomics England cohort further suggests positive selection of variants on EGFR-ecDNAs but not PDGFRA-ecDNAs in glioblastoma. Overall, our results suggest ecDNA oncogenic makeup determines unique evolutionary trajectories in glioblastoma. New concepts like ecDNA tumor clonality, ecDNA heteroplasmy and multi-species ecDNAs require a refined evolutionary interpretation of genomic data in a large subset of glioblastoma patients and likely other solid cancers.

  Study EGAS00001008126

• Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics - Digital Health Technologies (RADx-DHT): COVID-19 Experience Study (C19EX) Survey

  This was conducted virtually through the Achievement studies platform during the current COVID-19 pandemic. Participants were asked to complete a survey every day to capture information about whether they had experienced symptoms corresponding to respiratory, ILI, and COVID-19 infections within the previous 24 hour period, their experiences with the healthcare system, treatments, diagnostic testing, and their behaviors and potential risk factors. Participants were also asked to share their wearable activity tracker data. The purpose of this study was to better understand the geographic spread of diseases, impacts on daily life, and behavioral and physiological functioning in relation to recent self-reported respiratory disease, influenza-like-illness (ILI), and coronavirus disease (COVID-19) events.DOI: https://rapids.ll.mit.edu/10.57895/6m5z-je42

  Study phs002537

• A study of resistance to novel coronavirus infection in health care workers

  There have been cases of what appear to be nosocomial infections among healthcare workers at several hospitals. The infected healthcare workers were assumed to have contracted the disease through close contact with infected patients. However, we confirmed at each medical institution that there were many healthcare workers who had apparently had closer contact with infected patients than with infected patients, but had not contracted the disease. Thus, the purpose of this study was to clarify the internal factors that make individuals less susceptible to novel coronavirus infection and their stress tolerance, and to establish a system that contributes to the appropriate allocation of healthcare workers and the creation of a system that can more safely deal with this disease in the future.

  Study JGAS000562

• NMR metabolic biomarkers in Biobank Japan generated by Nightingale Health Japan

  The BioBank Japan (BBJ) is a biobank established in the Institute of Medical Science, the University of Tokyo to collect clinical information and biological materials (DNA and serum samples). It collected about 200 thousand participants of 47 diseases started in 2003 (BBJ 1st cohort), and 67 thousand participants of 38 diseases started in 2013 (BBJ 2nd cohort), both in collaboration with 12 medical centers through the MEXT and AMED's "The BioBank Japan Project." This project is aiming at further utilization of the materials, and clinical and genomic information managed by BBJ to contribute to precision medicine by storing, managing, and providing the materials and data, as well as identifying biomarkers associated with disease risk, prognosis, and drug sensitivity.

  Study JGAS000561

• May 2021 data update (fastq) for reference epigenomes generated at Centre for Epigenome Mapping Technologies, Genome Sciences Center, B.C. Cancer Agency as part of the International Human Epigenome Consortium.

  May 2021 data update (fastq) for reference epigenomes generated at Centre for Epigenome Mapping Technologies (Canadian Epigenetics, Environment and Health Research Consortium), Genome Sciences Center, B.C. Cancer Agency, Vancouver, Canada as part of the International Human Epigenome Consortium.

  Dataset EGAD00001008100

• Providing safe access to sensitive human data across borders: Federated EGA becomes a reality

  Enabling discovery and access to sensitive data across national boundaries is vital for improving human health. It enables more powerful and efficient research by increasing the volume and diversity of data available for analysis. It allows us to better understand the causes of diseases – cancer, rare diseases, infectious diseases like COVID-19 – and develop new medicines and treatments. Sensitive human omics data are typically generated by research initiatives and shared using specialist repositories which provide services for data submission, discovery, and access. The EGA is one such repository. Established in 2008 at EMBL’s European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI) in the UK, since 2012 the EGA (“Central EGA”) has been jointly managed by EMBL-EBI and the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG) in Spain. Many countries have emerging personalised medicine programmes which generate data from national initiatives. These programmes are driving a transition in human genomics from being research-driven to receiving funding through healthcare. Data generated in a clinical context are subject to stricter governance than research data and must follow national data protection legislation. To solve these challenges, the Federated EGA provides a network of connected resources to enable transnational discovery of and access to human omics data for research, while also respecting jurisdictional data protection regulations. In this way, the Federated EGA infrastructure supports the goals of European initiatives such as the 1+ Million Genomes initiative (1+MG), the European Health Data Space, and a number of EU-funded 1+MG implementation projects including Beyond 1 Million Genomes. The Federated EGA is made up of “Nodes” – typically nationally funded and operated – which store and manage data locally while allowing global discovery within the Federated EGA network. Since 2016, multiple parallel efforts, supported by ELIXIR and other transnational and national initiatives, have created technical and legal frameworks for establishing the Federated EGA. In 2022, the first five Nodes – Finland, Germany, Norway, Spain, and Sweden – officially joined the Federated EGA by signing Federated EGA Collaboration Agreements with Central EGA. The Finnish FEGA Node is operated by CSC - IT Center for Science and provides data management services according to national laws and the requirements of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). These services provide tools and support for the whole life-cycle of sensitive research data from collating to analysis, publication, and authorised re-use. The development of the services has been a joint effort with the other Nordic nodes within NeIC's Tryggve and Heilsa projects, and funded by Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture and projects coordinated by ELIXIR Finland. Read more about Finnish FEGA signing. The German Human Genome-Phenome Archive (GHGA) strives to provide a national infrastructure as well as an ethical and legal framework that balances FAIR omics data usage and data protection needs for Germany. As a Germany-wide consortium funded by the German Research Foundation under the umbrella of the NFDI association, GHGA combines the expertise of 21 universities and research institutions to form a federated national infrastructure. Read more about GHGA signing. The German Human Genome-Phenome Archive (GHGA) strives to provide a national infrastructure as well as an ethical and legal framework that balances FAIR omics data usage and data protection needs for Germany. As a Germany-wide consortium funded by the German Research Foundation under the umbrella of the NFDI association, GHGA combines the expertise of 21 universities and research institutions to form a federated national infrastructure. Read more about GHGA signing. In Norway, a key component of the infrastructure is the services of The Sensitive Data Service (TSD) offered by USIT at University of Oslo. The Federated EGA Norway Node is developed by ELIXIR Norway and operated by the University of Oslo as the responsible legal entity. Core software modules are developed jointly with the other Nordic nodes in the NeIC Tryggve and Heilsa projects. Read more about FEGA Norway signing. The Spanish FEGA (es-FEGA) is a national service for storing sensitive biomedical data in Spain. Supported by the Spanish Institute of Bioinformatics (INB) in collaboration with Central EGA, sensitive research datasets are primarily hosted at the Barcelona Supercomputing Centre facilities. The Swedish Sensitive Data Archive is a secure data archive and sharing platform for sensitive datasets. It was developed by the National Bioinformatics Infrastructure Sweden (NBIS) in collaboration with other Nordic ELIXIR Nodes through the Tryggve and Heilsa projects funded by NeIC and coordinated with Central EGA through ELIXIR. Read more about the Swedish Node signing. The Swedish Sensitive Data Archive is a secure data archive and sharing platform for sensitive datasets. It was developed by the National Bioinformatics Infrastructure Sweden (NBIS) in collaboration with other Nordic ELIXIR Nodes through the Tryggve and Heilsa projects funded by NeIC and coordinated with Central EGA through ELIXIR. Read more about the Swedish Node signing. By providing a solution for secure and efficient management of human omics data, the Federated EGA aims to foster data reuse, enable reproducibility, accelerate biomedical research, and improve human health. Find out more Interested in setting up your own Federated EGA Node? Check out the FEGA Onboarding Knowledge Base for more information. The ELIXIR Federated Human Data Community is a great entry point for anyone interested in learning more about the Federated EGA. You can: Join the ELIXIR Federated Human Data Community mailing list (select “Human Data”) Attend the ELIXIR Federated Human Data Community calls

  Blog safe-access-to-sensitive-human-data-federated-ega

• California Pacific Medical Center Research Breast Health Cohort

  Description of Cohort: The California Pacific Medical Center (CPMC) Breast Health Cohort is a cohort study based at CPMC and is linked to the San Francisco Mammography Registry, one of the sites of the NCI-funded Breast Cancer Screening Consortium (U01CA063740). CPMC is a community hospital in San Francisco, which has one of the highest volumes for mammography in San Francisco. Between September 2004 and June 2007, >90,000 mammograms were performed at CPMC. The CPMC breast health cohort collects demographic and risk factor data on women receiving mammography through participation in the San Francisco Mammography Registry, as part of the Breast Cancer Screening Consortium (U01CA063740). The SFMR database collects information from all sources, including a questionnaire on demographic and risk factor information, the clinical results of the breast examination, the measures of breast density by Dr. John Shepherd and the women who agreed to donate a blood sample. By merging these various sources of information we have very efficiently developed a large sample of women who have donated blood and have had a measure of mamographic density. Blood Collection: Dr. Steve Cummings is leading an effort to collect and archive blood samples from women who are receiving mammography screening. All women who are sent for a screening mammogram at CPMC are considered eligible. Since the cohort began collecting blood samples in July 2004 until June 2007, samples have been collected from over 11,000 women. Measurement of Breast Density: Dr. John Shepherd is currently measuring breast density in a large fraction of the cohort using an automated approach with single X-ray absorptiometry. Dr. Shepherd has established a link with the CPMC mammography center that allows him to collect routine digital mammography information. Using the data from the mammogram, Dr. Shepherd and his group have developed the single X-ray absorptiometry (SXA) technique for measuring density which is described in more detail below. The table demonstrates the distribution of demographic variables and some breast cancer risk factors of women who donated blood and had a breast density measurement in the CPMC breast health cohort. Nearly 80% of the participants are Caucasian and most of the women are post-menopausal with a median age of ~52. Since it will be difficult to accrue a large enough sample from each ethnic group, our study will focus only on Caucasian women. Table: Demographic variables, reproductive history and family history of breast cancer among 2962 women participating in the CPMC cohort study who contributed blood samples between 1994-1997. Variable Median/Percentage Age (Median/IQR) 52 (46-59) Ethnicity Caucasian/White 0.76 Asian/Pacific Islander 0.141 Hispanic 0.029 Mixed Race/Ethnicity 0.039 African American/Black 0.022 American Indian 0.001 Other 0.009 First degree relative with breast cancer 0.17 Age at first birth Nulliparous 0.39 Age<20 0.043 Age>40 0.032 Age<30, ≥20 0.251 Age>30, ≤40 0.282 Measurement of Breast Density in Cohort: Measurement of breast density is accomplished using an automated technique for all mammograms obtained by Dr. Shepherd using Single X-Ray absorptiometry (SXA). SXA measurement of breast density is done on approximately 30% of all screening mammograms. Below we describe the method for measurement of breast density by SXA by Dr. Shepherd's group and its validation and association with breast cancer. As we demonstrate below, breast density, as measured by SXA, is an automated, highly reproducible measure of the density of breast tissue and is associated with breast cancer risk. SXA for Quantifying Breast Density: Single x-ray absorptiometry (SXA) was initially developed for measuring bone density. SXA can determine the fraction of each of two densities simultaneously using the fact the sample is a constant thickness, the thickness in known, and the total attenuation is known. In applying this technique to breast density, we assume a two compartment model: fat and non-fatty (fibroglandular tissue). We use a reference material composed of various concentrations of two materials: one which is the same density as fat and another which is the same density as fibroglandular tissue. The reference material (phantom) is placed in the X-ray field with each mammogram. We have been able to implement this in a way that is unintrusive to the patient and technologist at CPMC. Assuming this two-compartment model and a constant known breast thickness, we can then calculate the percent density at any region of the breast based on the assumption that % pixel grey-scale is proportion to the mass fractions of breast fat and lean tissue. If reference materials (a phantom) of fat and fibroglandular tissue are imaged with the patient's breast and the reference materials have the same thickness as the patient's breast, then the breast's grey-scale values can be converted to fat/fibroglandular mass fractions by interpolating between those two references. The total percent density is found by averaging the volume fraction over all breast pixels. The phantom being used for breast density assessment at CPMC began to be used in September 2004. The phantom does not have to be manipulated by the technologist and stays attached on the mammography device during standard craniocaudal (CC) views. Thus it creates minimal to no interference with the clinical mammogram. Reproducibility of breast density measures: Traditional measures of mammographic density require some human interpretation. A human reader outlines the area perceived to be dense and a computer then calculates the percent area outlined as a percent of the entire image. Thus, while traditional mammographic density is associated with breast cancer risk, it has some limitations. In a study by Drs. Shepherd, Kerlikowske, et al., the correlation coefficient (Pearson's R) between different readers was 0.8-0.9. In contrast to the traditional mammographic density measurement, the SXA measurement is fully automated and, therefore, the reproducibility of the measurement is higher. Dr. Shepherd and colleagues have performed a replication study of SXA as a measurement of breast density. They have estimated the correlation coefficient of the SXA measurement of breast density to be >0.98. Thus, as expected for an automated measure, SXA is a highly reproducible measure of mammographic breast density. Drs. Shepherd and Kerlikowske have recently analyzed the association between breast cancer risk and breast density as measured by SXA (Shepherd et al., Cancer Epi Biomarkers and Prev, 2011, PMID: 21610220). They found that women in the highest quintile of % volumetric density had an odds ratio of 4.1 (95% CI: 2.3 - 7.2) for breast cancer risk compared to women in the lowest quintile of volumetric density. Thus volumetric density appears to be a highly reproducible, automated measure of breast cancer.

  Study phs000395

• CIDR: Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism Case Control Study

  This is a case-control study of alcoholism, in which the subjects have been drawn from the Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism (COGA), a large, ongoing family-based study that includes subjects from seven sites around the US. COGA has gathered detailed, standardized data on study participants, including diagnostic and neurophysiological assessments. This sample has already proved successful in identifying several genes that influence the risk for alcoholism and neurophysiological endophenotypes, which have been independently replicated. COGA data were included as part of two Genetic Analysis Workshops, and the phenotypes are familiar to the genetics community. Alcoholic probands were recruited from treatment facilities, assessed by personal interview, and after securing permission, other family members were also assessed. A set of comparison families was drawn from the same communities as the families recruited through an alcoholic proband. Assessment involved a detailed personal interview developed for this project, the Semi-Structured Assessment for the Genetics of Alcoholism (SSAGA), which gathers detailed information on alcoholism related symptoms along with other drugs and psychiatric symptoms. Many participants also came to the laboratories for electroencephalographic studies. Neurophysiological features that have been shown to be useful endophenotypes for which we have linkage and in some cases association results are included on a subset of the case-control sample: the beta power of the resting electroencephalogram (EEG), the P3(00) amplitude of the visual event-related potential (ERP), and the theta and delta event-related oscillations (EROs) underlying the P3 (See Porjesz et al., 2005; Porjesz and Rangaswamy, 2007 for reviews). A brief description of COGA is in Edenberg, H. J. (2002) The Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism: an update. Alcohol Res Health 26, 214-218., Bierut, LJ, NL Saccone, JP Rice, A Goate, T Foroud, HJ Edenberg, L Almasy, PM Conneally, R Crowe, V Hesselbrock, T-K Li, JI Nurnberger, Jr, B Porjesz, MA Schuckit, J Tischfield, H Begleiter, and T Reich (2002) Defining alcohol-related phenotypes in humans: The Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism. Alcohol Res Health 26, 208-213. Edenberg HJ and Foroud T (2006) The genetics of alcoholism: identifying specific genes through family studies. Addiction Biology 11, 386-396. This case-control sample of biologically unrelated individuals was drawn from COGA subjects. All cases meet DSM-IV criteria for alcohol dependence. Controls are individuals who have consumed alcohol, but did not meet any definition of alcohol dependence or alcohol abuse, nor did they meet any DSM-IIIR or DSM-IV definition of abuse or dependence for other drugs (except nicotine). All cases and controls have undergone identical clinical assessments. Many individuals in this case-control sample have not previously been genotyped. The Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism (COGA) has four Co-Principal Investigators: B. Porjesz, V. Hesselbrock, H. Edenberg, L. Bierut. COGA includes nine different centers where data collection, analysis, and storage take place. The nine sites and Principal Investigators and Co-Investigators are: University of Connecticut (V. Hesselbrock); Indiana University (H.J. Edenberg, J. Nurnberger Jr., T. Foroud); University of Iowa (S. Kuperman); SUNY Downstate (B. Porjesz); Washington University in St. Louis (L. Bierut, A. Goate, J. Rice); University of California at San Diego (M. Schuckit); Howard University (R. Taylor); Rutgers University (J. Tischfield); Southwest Foundation (L. Almasy). Q. Max Guo serves as the NIAAA Staff Collaborator. This national collaborative study is supported by the NIH Grant U10AA008401 from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). Funding support for genotyping, which was performed at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Inherited Disease Research, was provided by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, the NIH GEI (U01HG004438),and the NIH contract "High throughput genotyping for studying the genetic contributions to human disease" (HHSN268200782096C). COGA has over 250 publications listed at www.niaaagenetics.org

  Study phs000125

• NHLBI TOPMed - NHGRI CCDG: The BioMe Biobank at Mount Sinai

  The IPM BioMe Biobank, founded in September 2007, is an ongoing, broadly-consented electronic health record (EHR)-linked clinical care biobank that enrolls participants non-selectively from the Mount Sinai Medical Center patient population. BioMe currently comprises >42,000 participants from diverse ancestries, characterized by a broad spectrum of longitudinal biomedical traits. Participants are enrolled through an opt-in process and consent to be followed throughout their clinical care (past, present, and future) in real-time, allowing us to integrate their genomic information with their EHRs for discovery research and clinical care implementation. BioMe participants consent for recall, based on their genotype and/or phenotype, permitting in-depth follow-up and functional studies for selected participants at any time. Phenotypic and genomic data are stored in a secure database and made available to investigators, contingent on approval by the BioMe Governing Board. BioMe uses a "data-broker" system to protect confidentiality. Ancestral diversity - BioMe participants represent a broad racial, ethnic and socioeconomic diversity with a distinct and population-specific disease burden. Specifically, BioMe participants are of African (AA), Hispanic/Latino (HL), European (EA) and other/mixed ancestry. BioMe participants are predominantly of African (AA, 24%), Hispanic/Latino (HL, 35%), European (EA, 32%), and other ancestry (OA, 10%). Participants who self-identify as Hispanic/Latino further report to be of Puerto Rican (39%), Dominican (23%), Central/South American (17%), Mexican (5%) or other Hispanic (16%) ancestry. More than 40% of European ancestry participants are genetically determined to be of Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry. With this broad ancestral diversity, BioMe is uniquely positioned to examine the impact of demographic and evolutionary forces that have shaped common disease risk. Phenotypes available in BioMe - BioMe has a high-quality and validated set of fully implemented clinical phenotype data that has been culled by a multi-disciplinary team of experienced investigators, clinicians, information technologists, data-managers, and programmers who apply advanced medical informatics and data mining tools to extract and harmonize EHRs. BioMe, as a cohort, offers a great versatility for designing nested case-control sample-sets, particularly for studying longitudinal traits and co-morbidity in disease burden. Biomedical and clinical outcomes: The BioMe Biobank is linked to Mount Sinai's system-wide Epic EHR, which captures a full spectrum of biomedical phenotypes, including clinical outcomes, covariate and exposure data from past, present and future health care encounters. As such, the BioMe Biobank has a longitudinal design as participants consent to make all of their EHR data from past (dating back as far as 2003), present and future inpatient or outpatient encounters available for research, without restriction. The median number of outpatient encounters is 21 per participant, reflecting predominant enrollment of participants with common chronic conditions from primary care facilities. Environmental data: The clinical and EHR information is complemented by detailed demographic and lifestyle information, including ancestry, residence history, country of origin, personal and familial medical history, education, socio-economic status, physical activity, smoking, dietary habits, alcohol intake, and body weight history, which is collected in a systematic manner by interview-based questionnaire at time of enrollment. The IPM BioMe Biobank contributed ~10,600 DNA samples for whole genome sequencing to the TOPMed program. Samples were selected for the Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) and the Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) working groups. Using a Case-Definition-Algorithm (CDA), we identified ~4,100 individuals with CAD (~50% women) and ~3,000 individuals as controls (65% women). In addition, we identified ~800 individuals with COPD (62% women) and 1800 individuals as controls (72% women). Another 600 BioMe participants with Atrial Fibrillation, all of African ancestry, were included.

  Study phs001644

• Transdisciplinary Research Into Cancer of the Lung (TRICL) - Exome Plus Targeted Sequencing

  The study was conducted under the auspices of the Transdisciplinary Research In Cancer of the Lung (TRICL) Research Team, which is a part of the Genetic Associations and MEchanisms in ONcology (GAME-ON) consortium, and associated with the International Lung Cancer Consortium (ILCCO). Ethics All participants provided written informed consent. All studies were reviewed and approved by institutional ethics review committees at the involved institutions. Sequencing data are derived from four sub-studies. The sub-studies that contributed include Harvard, Liverpool, Toronto, and IARC. The IARC and Toronto studies are described above. A description of the Harvard and Liverpool studies is provided below. Liverpool Lung Project: The Liverpool Lung Project (LLP)1 is a case control and cohort study, which has over 11,500 individuals, with detailed epidemiological, clinical and outcome data with associated specimens (i.e. tumour tissue, blood, plasma, sputum, bronchial lavage, EBUS and oral brushings). The participants have completed a detailed lifestyle questionnaire and updated data on clinical outcome and hospital events are collected through the Office of National Statistics, Cancer Registry and from Health Episode Statistics. The project is registered on the UK National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) lung cancer portfolio and has all the required ethical approvals and sponsorship arrangements in place. The LLP has detailed standard operating procedures (SOP) for all aspects of the recruitment, data, specimen collection as well as the data storage. The LLP Cohort study has 8,224 participants with blood and 7,761 with plasma samples. The LLP case-control samples have been incorporated into in a large number of international GWAS and molecular studies 2,3, methylation 4-7, microRNA 8and next generation studies 9-11, resulting in high ranking publications, as well as forming the basis for the LLP risk prediction model 12-14 which has been utilised in the UK lung cancer screening trial (UKLS) 15-17 Patient and control DNAs were derived from EDTA-venous blood samples. Harvard Samples. David Christiani at the Harvard University School of Public Health has been directing research studies to investigate etiological factors influencing lung cancer development since 1983 and has amassed a collection of 2000 controls and 5055 lung cancer cases. He has been actively collecting and storing snap frozen tumor samples since 1992. Around 1500 tumor samples have been collected and the average wet tumor yield is about 30 grams of tumor, of which 631 cases have completely annotated clinical and survival information. Pathology confirmation is provided by two pathologists. At the time of surgery, a minimum of 30 grams of wet lung tumor tissue and 30 grams of non-involved tissue from the same lobe is sectioned, flash frozen and sent to Dr. Christiani's lab for logging and storage. A blood sample for DNA and serum is collected. A structured interview by trained research staff is conducted on each case, and clinical outcomes and treatments is extracted and entered into the molecular epidemiology data base at Harvard. Fresh frozen samples have been collected from 1451 lung cancer and are available for study. Samples from this collaborative study have played key roles in major studies, including the initial finding describing EGFR mutations in lung cancer 22. Participants in this study are patients, > 18 years of age, with newly diagnosed histologically confirmed lung cancer. Samples that are included in the analysis have the following histologies: Adenocarcinoma: 8140/3, 8250/3, 8260/3, 8310/3, 8480/3 8560/3; LCC: 8012/3, 8031/3; squamous carcinoma: 8070/3, 8071/3, 8072/3, 8074/3; and other NSCLC: 8010/3, 8020/3, 8021/3, 8032/3, 8230/3. The Toronto Study: The Toronto study was conducted in the Great Toronto Area between 1997 and 2014. Cases were recruited at the hospitals in the network of University of Toronto and Lunenfeld- Tanenbaum Research Institute. At the time of recruitment in the clinical setting, provisional diagnoses of lung carcinoma were first assigned based on clinical criteria. Diagnoses for all cases included were histologically confirmed by the reference pathologist who is a specialist in pulmonary pathology, based on review of pathology reports from surgery, biopsy or cytology samples in 100% of cases. Diagnostic classification was done initially according to ICD-9, ICD-10, and ICD for oncology-2, and subsequently converted to ICD-O-3. Tumors were grouped into the major categories included in this analysis according to primary cancer type based on the ICD-3 definitions. Controls were randomly selected from individual visiting family medicine clinics and Ministry of Finance Municipal Tax Tapes. All subjects were interviewed using a standard questionnaire and information on lifestyle risk factors, occupational history, medical and family history was collected. Blood samples were collected from more than 85% of the subjects. IARC: The IARC data are derived from case-control studies conducted in Russia and include samples that have available tissue samples. Patient and control DNAs were derived from EDTA-venous blood samples. The lung cancer patients were classified according to ICD-O-3; SQ: 8070/3, 8071/3, 8072/3, 8074/3; AD: 8140/3, 8250/3, 8260/3, 8310/3, 8480/3, 8560/3, 8251/3, 8490/3, 8570/3, 8574/3; with tumous with overlapping histologies classified as mixed. The Lung Cancer Transdisciplinary Research Cohort is utilized in the following dbGaP sub-studies. To view genotypes, other molecular data, and derived variables collected in these sub-studies, please click on the following sub-studies below or in the "Sub-studies" section of this top-level study page phs000876 Lung Cancer Transdisciplinary Research Cohort. phs000877 Meta Analysis phs000878 CIDR Lung Cancer phs001681 Affy Axiom Array

  Study phs000876

• Framingham Heart Study-Cohort (FHS-Cohort) - 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. Related Studies Other Framingham data available include: Imaging studies (Framingham Heart Study-Cohort (FHS-Cohort)-Imaging, phs003593), Genetics and genomics (Framingham Cohort, phs000007), Collaborative Cohort of Cohorts for COVID-19 Research (C4R): (Framingham Heart Study, phs002911), and as a component of the Sleep Heart Health Study (SHHS-BioLINCC, phs003637). Available Data Original cohort: data now include examination data from the first 32 clinical exams, selected ancillary data, and event follow-up through 2018. Offspring/Omni1 cohort: Data available include Framingham Offspring examination data from the first 9 clinical exams and selected ancillary data and event follow-up through 2019. Also included are the first 4 exams from the OMNI 1 cohort. Third Generation/Omni2/New Offspring Cohort: Data available include Framingham Generation 3 examination data from the first 3 clinical exams, selected ancillary data and event follow-up through 2019. Also included are the OMNI 2 and New Offspring (NOS) cohorts. A genetic pedigree is not provided for the Framingham phenotype only data. Objectives The objectives of the Framingham Study are to study the incidence and prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and its risk factors, trends in CVD incidence and its risk factors over time, and familial patterns of CVD and risk factors. Other important objectives include the estimation of incidence rates of disease and description of the natural history of cardiovascular disease, including the sequence of clinical signs and systems that precede the clinically recognizable syndrome and the consequences and course of clinically manifest disease. Background Original cohort: The original cohort of the Framingham Study began in 1948 under the U.S. Public Health Service and was transferred under the direct operations of the new National Heart Institute, NIH, in 1949. Participants were sampled from Framingham, Massachusetts, including both men and women. This was the first prospective study of cardiovascular disease and identified the concept of risk factors and their joint effects. Offspring/Omni1 cohort: With the aging of the Framingham cohort and with interest in familiar aggregation and heritability, a new cohort consisting of the offspring of the original cohort was sampled. Spouses of offspring were also included. This new sample, began enrollment in 1971 and constituted a second generation of participants, permitting new assessment of risk factors and outcomes, and provided a resource for the genetic analyses which were yet to come. The Offspring participants have had repeated examinations, though at typically longer intervals than the original cohort. Third Generation/Omni2/New Offspring Cohort: Thirty-one years after enrollment began for the second generation of the Framingham Heart Study (Framingham Offspring Study), Framingham investigators began enrolling adults with at least one parent enrolled in the Offspring study into the Framingham Generation 3 cohort. The addition of the third generation was expected to facilitate investigation of secular trends in risk factors and indicators of health and disease within families, to enhance statistical power to detect genetic and environmental determinants of complex diseases, and to clarify how subclinical cardiovascular disease predicts occurrence of overt clinical events. Participants Original cohort: At entry to the study in 1948-1952, the study recruited 5,209 men and women, ages 28-62 years, living in Framingham, MA. Offspring/Omni1 cohort: 5,124 men and women, ages 5-70 years at entry consisting of offspring of the original Framingham cohort (and spouses of the offspring). In 1994, the Omni Cohort 1 enrolled 507 men and women of African-American, Hispanic, Asian, Indian, Pacific Islander and Native American origins, who at the time of enrollment were residents of Framingham and the surrounding towns. Third Generation/Omni2/New Offspring Cohort: 4095 men and women, almost all who self reported their ethnicity as white, ages 19+ years at entry, with at least one parent in the Framingham Offspring study, participated in the Gen III cohort. The New Offspring Cohort enrolled spouses of Offspring participants that were not otherwise enrolled and had at least two biological children participating in Gen III. 103 New Offspring Spouses (47 men and 56 women) participated. The OMNI 2 cohort enrolled additional ethnically diverse participants, including many individuals related to the participants of Omni Cohort 1 and also individuals unrelated to Omni Cohort 1 members for a total of 410 new participants. Design The cardiovascular disease conditions under investigation include coronary heart disease (angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, coronary insufficiency and sudden and non-sudden death), stroke, hypertension, peripheral arterial disease and congestive heart failure. Original cohort: The Framingham Study is a longitudinal investigation of constitutional and environmental factors influencing the development of CVD in men and women. Examination of participants has taken place every two years and the cohort has been followed for morbidity and mortality over that time period. Offspring/Omni1 cohort: By 1975, a sample of 5,124 men and women, consisting of offspring of the original Framingham cohort (and spouses of the offspring) had participated in the study. Additional studies of these subjects have continued under research contracts. Third Generation/Omni2/New Offspring Cohort: The children of Offspring Cohort participants were initially identified who would be 20 years of age or older by the end of the enrollment period. A higher priority for recruitment was assigned to individuals who belonged to large extended families, in order to complement phenotypic and genotypic information already obtained from prior generations. The baseline examination was begun in 2002 and completed in 2005.

  Study phs003594

• Prader-Willi Syndrome and Early-onset Morbid Obesity Natural History Protocol

  This observational study will involve the comprehensive assessment of the medical, behavioral and nutritional history and the clinical features of individuals with Prader-Willi syndrome and individuals with features of PWS-like/EMO. A blood sample will be obtained from the participants in order to create a DNA and RNA repository. In those PWS participants with a known deletion a blood sample will be collected for DNA in order to perform array comparative genome hybridization (aCGH) microarray or Methylation-Specific Multiplex Ligation-dependent Probe Amplification (MS-MLPA) studies to characterize the extent of the deletion. DNA samples will be sent to the Consortium Center at Baylor College of Medicine for the performance of the aCGH studies and to either Dr. Driscoll or Dr. Butler lab for MS-MLPA analysis. No drugs or treatments will be administered through this protocol. Our goal is to enroll as many participants as possible over a 8 year period. Currently we have enrolled 297 total subjects of which 265 have PWS and 32 EMO. Our original goal was to have enrolled over the first 5 years a clinical database of 200 individuals with PWS and 100 with EMO. We have exceeded expectations in PWS enrollment, but have fallen short in the enrollment of individuals with EMO. Therefore, we would like to reset our goals. We now propose to have an enrollment goal of 400 total subjects of which 350 will have PWS and 50 will have EMO. Eligible participants will be initially enrolled in the natural history study from the 4 clinic sites currently involved with PWS (University of Florida, Kansas University Medical Center, Vanderbilt University and University of California at Irvine). Participants assessed will serve to provide a background of information and a willing cohort for future interventional studies. All participants will have had standard genetic testing at a commercial laboratory prior to entry into the study. The PWS participants will be classified into one of the 3 main molecular classes (deletion, UPD and ID). The EMO participants will have had laboratory testing ruling out PWS and chromosomal aneuploidy (e.g., trisomy 21, Klinefelter syndrome, etc.). Going forward we feel it is important that all newly recruited EMO subjects have an aCGH as part of their evaluation so we can identify those with discrete deletions, duplications or copy number variants (CNV) and compare them to those without aCGH abnormalities. The participants will be assessed annually (0-3 years of age) or biennially (> 3 years) in the Clinical Research Center (or equivalent facility) using standardized protocol including photographs for documentation purposes to compare the evolution of the clinical phenotype.

  Study phs000575

• Molecularly matched targeted therapies plus radiotherapy in patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma without MGMT promoter hypermethylation (N2M2/NOA-20 phase I/IIa umbrella trial)

  Background: Patients with glioblastoma without MGMT promoter hypermethylation are unlikely to benefit from temozolomide (TMZ). Trials aiming at replacing TMZ with targeted agents in not molecularly selected patient populations have failed. Methods: This phase I/IIa umbrella trial aimed at showing safety, feasibility, and preliminary efficacy of targeted compounds in addition to standard radiotherapy initiated within 42 days postoperatively. Molecular diagnostics and bioinformatic evaluation are performed within 28 days after surgery. Stratification for treatment takes place in five subtrials, including alectinib, idasanutlin, palbociclib, vismogedib and temsirolimus, according to the best matching molecular alteration. Patients without matching alterations are randomized between subtrials without strong biomarkers using atezolizumab and asunercept and TMZ as standard of care. Primary objective of the phase I parts of the trial was dose finding or dose validation. In the phase IIa trials, centrally determined progression-free survival at six months (PFS-6) is used as endpoint for efficacy with interim analyses for futility (H0: p=0.231). Results: From May 2018 through July 2022, 301 patients were enrolled and 228 treated in 13 German NOA sites. The alectinib and vismodegib subtrials were closed since no molecularly matching patients were accrued; the idasanutlin subtrial was closed prior to the optimal dose at nine patients at discretion of the company providing the drug. The TMZ subtrial showed a PFS-6 of 18.52% (10/54 patients) (p=0.831) and a median overall survival (OS) of 12.1 months. Asunercept: PFS-6 of 15.4% (4/26) (p=0.8825) and OS of 12.8 months. Atezolizumab: PFS-6 of 21.4% (9/42) (p=0.660) and OS of 11.7 months. Palbociclib with patients demonstrating CDK4 amplification or CDKN2A/B codeletion: PFS-6 of 24.4% (10/41) (p=0.4823) and OS of 12.6 months. Temsirolimus with patients demonstrating mTOR activation: PFS-6 of 39.1% (18/46) (p=0.0109) and OS of 15.4 months. The regimen-limiting toxicity (RLT)-rate is 34.8%, which is insignificantly above the predefined unacceptable rate for RLTs of 30%. Most RLTs had severity grade 3, one RLT had severity grade 4. No RLTs resulted in death. Conclusions: N2M2 allows for elaborate molecular testing being integrated into the treatment decision and efficient determination of treatment activity for patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma. There is clinical activity of temsirolimus in patients with tumors harboring an activated mTOR pathway although this is not positively prognostic without mTOR inhibition; there is no clinical activity for asunercept and atezolizumab in not molecularly selected patients and also palbociclib in molecularly selected patients.

  Study EGAS00001008033

• Orofacial Pain: Prospective Evaluation and Risk Assessment (OPPERA)

  The OPPERA project has two sub-studies investigating effects of genetic, physiological, psychological and clinical factors on the risk of developing painful temporomandibular disorder (TMD). OPPERA I baseline case-control study of chronic TMJD (dbGaP study accession phs000762). This sub-study uses a case-control study design to investigate characteristics associated with chronic TMD. The parent OPPERA phenotype file contains an indicator variable (PHASE1CASECONTROL) identifying participants in this sub-study. Data users should use the relevant case-classification variable (CHRNONICTMDCASE) and apply statistical methods appropriate for case-control studies when analyzing TMJD in this sub-study. OPPERA I prospective cohort for first onset of TMJD (dbGaP study accession phs000850). This sub-study uses a prospective cohort study design to investigate characteristics that predict risk of developing first-onset TMD. The parent OPPERA phenotype file contains an indicator variable (PROSPECTIVECOHORT) identifying participants in this sub-study. Data users should use the relevant case-classification variable (INCIDENTCASE) and the relevant time-in-study variable (FOLLOWUPYEARS) when analyzing TMJD in this sub-study. It is recommended that data users apply statistical methods appropriate for cohort studies of a dynamic population (for example, Cox regression models, where INCIDENTCASE is the censoring variable and FOLLOWUPYEARS is time in study).

  Study phs000761

• 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

• High Density SNP Association Analysis of Melanoma: Case-Control and Outcomes Investigation

  This research builds upon an extensive resource of melanoma cases and hospital based controls collected over several years at the U.T. M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. The goal of this research is to identify novel susceptibility and outcome-related genes for melanoma using a systematic genome-wide association-based approach. Our goal is to conduct high-density SNP association and outcome studies. This dbGaP study contains samples from 2000 European ancestry cases and 1000 European ancestry controls using the Illumina OMNI1-Quad SNP chip. As a part of an ongoing R01 project, we have epidemiological data together with candidate gene results for 1000 of the melanoma cases and the controls. With regard to the outcome aspect of our design, as part of our melanoma Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) grant, our MelCore database contains comprehensive, prospectively maintained clinical information from all melanoma patients included in the study cohort, including primary tumor histopathology and staging information, standard and investigational blood tumor markers, details of surgical and systemic therapies, and extensive follow-up information, including time to relapse or recurrence, pattern of recurrence and survival duration. Finally, we intend to collaborate with the GenoMEL collaboration so we can jointly evaluate each other's findings. The goal of our analysis will be to identify novel genetic factors predisposing the development of melanoma, as well as genetic factors controlling melanoma stage at presentation, recurrence and progression. This study is part of the Gene Environment Association Studies initiative (GENEVA, http://www.genevastudy.org) funded by the trans-NIH Genes, Environment, and Health Initiative (GEI). The overarching goal is to identify novel genetic factors that contribute to melanoma through large-scale genome-wide association studies of 2000 European ancestry cases and 1000 European ancestry controls. Genotyping was performed at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Inherited Disease Research (CIDR). Data cleaning and harmonization were done at the GEI-funded GENEVA Coordinating Center at the University of Washington.

  Study phs000187

• Genome-Wide Association Study of HIV-1 Host Genetics Among Injection Drug Users

  The overarching goal of this project is to identify and characterize genetic determinants of HIV 1 susceptibility and resistance in samples of African American (AA) and European American (EA) injection drug users (IDUs) by conducting (1) a case/control genome-wide association (GWA) study of HIV 1 infection (positive/negative); (2) a case-only GWA study of viral load among HIV+ IDUs. The study uses existing samples and data from Urban Health Study (UHS) (PI: Alex Kral), which was the longest-running study of street-recruited IDUs in North America, from 1986-2005. UHS was a serial, cross-sectional sero-epidemiological study. Data were collected every 6 months in communities with a high prevalence of injection drug use in the San Francisco Bay Area. It used targeted sampling in neighborhoods at easily accessible community field sites, such as churches, single room occupancy hotels, and community centers. Eligibility criteria for initial entry to the study were (1) injection drug use in past 30 days; (2) ability to provide informed consent; and (3) age 18 or older. The UHS cohort includes over 9,000 African American and European American IDUs whose serum samples have been stored and data are available on HIV antibody status, HIV risk behaviors, drug abuse and demographics. The current study includes 985 HIV+ cases and 5,222 HIV- controls. Approximately six HIV- controls per case were frequency matched on: (1) self-reported ancestry; (2) sex; (3) age; (4) year of ascertainment; and (5) HIV risk class. This GWAS (DA026141) was funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA; PI: Eric O. Johnson). Funding support for genotyping, which was performed at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Inherited Disease Research (CIDR), was provided by NIDA and the NIH contract "High throughput genotyping for studying the genetic contributions to human disease"(HHSN268200782096C).

  Study phs000454

• Center for Common Disease Genomics [CCDG] - Cardiovascular: PEGASUS-TIMI 54

  This study is a part of NHGRI's Center for Common Disease Genomics, which is a collaborative large-scale genome sequencing effort to comprehensively identify rare risk and protective variants contributing to multiple common disease phenotypes. Current estimates anticipate that the CCDG program will sequence approximately 140K whole genomes and 225K whole exomes during the life of the project. The Cardiovascular Disease working group of the CCDG considered five diseases: early-onset coronary artery disease (EOCAD), stroke, atrial fibrillation, congestive heart failure and type 2 diabetes. Atrial fibrillation will affect between 6-12 million individuals in the US by 2050. AF also is associated with increased risks of stroke, dementia, heart failure, death, and high health care costs. Many risk factors for AF have been identified, including advancing age, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and CVD risk factors. However, there is little knowledge how to prevent AF. Furthermore, therapies for AF are only partially effective, and are themselves associated with substantial morbidity. Previously, heritable forms of AF have been considered rare; yet in the last decade, it has been established that AF, and in particular early-onset forms of AF, are heritable. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) provide a powerful tool to identify common variants underlying disease risk. The AFGen Consortium currently consists of investigators from more than 25 studies with >20,000 individuals with AF and >100,000 without AF. In the latest analyses, 14 loci have been identified for AF1 . Broadly, the loci implicate genes related to cardiopulmonary development, cardiac-expressed ion channels, and cell signaling molecules. Source: ccdg.rutgers.eduFor this study, The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard generated genetic data for 7,481 individuals from the PEGASUS-TIMI 54 clinical trial run by Brigham and Women's Hospital TIMI study group using whole exome sequencing and whole genome genotyping (Infinium Global Screening Array); all samples serving as controls.  

  Study phs002243

• Phenotypic and Genotypic Study of Keratoconus

  Keratoconus, a disease in which the cornea is abnormally steep and thin, affects approximately 1 in 2000 individuals and usually begins in the second decade of life. Keratoconus is a progressive disorder that results in loss of vision that cannot be alleviated by contact lenses or glasses alone and is a leading indication for corneal transplantation in developed countries (Udar et al., 2006, PMID: 16877401). Keratoconus has a strong genetic component, and while several causative genes are clearly suspected, the underlying pathogenic processes have not yet been identified. The goal of our research is to identify genes that harbor mutations contributing to keratoconus and underlying biochemical processes relevant to keratoconus pathogenesis and to develop a better understanding of the etiology of keratoconus, leading to improved detection, treatment, and management. We will enroll isolated keratoconus along with familial cases and unaffected relatives when available. The subject population will consist of individuals diagnosed with keratoconus and unaffected relatives in families. Individuals/families will be ascertained through support groups and clinical collaborators. The identities of the study participants will be known only to Dr. Chakravarti, the study coordinator, physicians in the team and the post-doctoral fellow(s) working directly on the project. DNA, lymphocytes, and lymphoblastoid cell lines may be prepared from the blood samples for future use. Molecular analyses using markers and sequencing and statistical analyses of these data will be used to identify regions of human chromosomes where putative keratoconus disease genes reside. Analyses of coding DNA sequences within genes from keratoconus subjects will be compared to published control sequences to identify disease specific variants. Additionally, to understand disease pathogenesis, subsets of patients may be asked to provide tear samples. Study subjects will not directly benefit from participation and results will not be disclosed to participants nor their health care providers, unless medically relevant.

  Study phs003168

• Genetic Associations in Idiopathic Talipes Equinovarus (Clubfoot) - GAIT

  Isolated clubfoot or idiopathic talipes equinovarus (ITEV) is one of the five most common birth defects, affecting approximately 4,000 newborns each year in the US. While the orthopedic care of these children has improved, long-term problems persist and the health care costs are significant. Studies suggest that clubfoot is a complex disorder with segregation analyses and family studies indicating that genetic factors play an important etiologic role in the development of clubfoot. Only one environmental factor, maternal smoking during pregnancy, has been implicated. We postulate that a small number of genes account for a substantial fraction of clubfoot and that these genes can be identified in a defined population. The challenge now is to identify the genetic loci and, later, the effect of environmental exposures. To accomplish this task, it is important to have a well-defined population and the methodology to detect linkage with and without association. Towards these goals, we have identified and characterized multiplex clubfoot families, including two large clubfoot families, a resource which is among the largest ITEV populations in existence. We will perform a high-density SNP genome scan (GWAS) on our clubfoot dataset to identify chromosomal regions that may harbor clubfoot genes with subsequent interrogation of these regions and candidate genes. We are in a position with our unique clubfoot population and with the methodology in place to undertake this study. The study phases are: 1) continued ascertainment of multiplex and simplex families and 2) GWAS and characterization of identified chromosomal regions and candidate genes. The results of this study will provide data essential to the identification of the gene(s) contributing to the clubfoot phenotype. Identification of high-risk genotypes can lead to the development of prevention programs in selected populations and may suggest gene-based prevention strategies.

  Study phs000314

• Bone Microarchitecture

  Osteoporosis affects more than 28 million people in the United States and the lifetime risk for osteoporosis-related morbidity is higher than a woman's combined risk for breast cancer, endometrial cancer and ovarian cancer. Health care expenditures for osteoporotic patients in this country are currently nearly 13 billion dollars per annum and are predicted to increase markedly in the next decades due the aging of the population; therefore, it is important to understand the factors that contribute to bone strength and fracture risk. With the advent of skeletal imaging modalities such as high resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT), it is now possible to study the genetics of more highly refined peripheral skeletal microarchitecture phenotypes. Because these refined phenotypes have not been measured in many cohort studies, this project was a collaborative effort to include almost all the existing data on HR-pQCT of the radius and tibia, and genetics from around the world. Cohorts involved in the discovery included: 1) Framingham Osteoporosis Study, 2) Mayo Clinic cohort; 3) Geneva Retirees cohort; 4) OFELY cohort from Lyon France; 5) STRAMBO cohort from Lyon France; 6) Swedish Male cohorts. Replication cohorts undergoing de novo genotyping include: 1) QUALYOR cohort from Lyon France; 2) CaMOS cohort from Canada. Other than the Framingham cohort and the Swedish male cohorts, all discovery cohorts underwent genome wide genotyping with the Affymetrix Axiom Biobank array that had common variants along with exome content based on the early findings from the Exome Sequencing Project. All genotype data from the discovery cohorts were then imputed using the Haplotype Reference Consortium reference panel. Variants for replication genotyping using the Kasp technology were selected based on novelty compared with previously identified loci using DXA phenotypes, minor allele frequency, underlying LD structure within a locus, and likelihood of a variant being functional as assessed using various algorithms for coding and non-coding variants.    

  Study phs002102

• Genome-wide Association Study of Myasthenia Gravis

  The purpose of this project was to conduct a genome-wide associate study to search for the genetic factors that predispose to myasthenia gravis. The rationale for this study lies in the fact that, although the immunological and physiological processes affecting the neuromuscular junctions of myasthenia gravis patients are well understood, the spectrum of genetic factors that predispose to myasthenia gravis and influence its disease manifestations are not well known. Identification of the myasthenia gravis-related genes will shed light on the fundamental cellular events underlying myasthenia gravis, and will provide focus for research aimed at developing therapies that alter the natural course of the disease. A consortium of fourteen institutions in North America collected DNA samples from 1028 people diagnosed with autoimmune myasthenia gravis. Relevant clinical data have been collected for each patient, including age of onset, severity of disease, response to drug therapy, personal and family history of other autoimmune diseases. Genotyping of the case cohort was performed in the Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD. Genotyping of the case cohort was performed using the HumanOmniExpress-12v1_C SNP array manufactured by Illumina Inc. For the control cohort, we downloaded genotype data from dbGAP (accession phs000196.v2.p1) for 1,998 US neurologically normal individuals. The control cohort had been previously genotyped at the Center for Inherited Disease Research at Johns Hopkins University on HumanOmni1-Quad version 1.0B beadchips (Illumina) as part of the NeuroGenetics Research Consortium GWAS of Parkinson's disease. Analyses were confined to the 677,673 autosomal SNPs that were common to both chips. Of the 1028 samples which were genotyped, 21 samples were excluded due to mismatched genders, 9 were excluded due to low genotype call rate, 5 samples were excluded as duplicates, and 25 samples were excluded as ethnic outliers. The remaining 972 samples were used in analysis.

  Study phs000726

• NHLBI GO-ESP: Family Studies (Hematological Cancers)

  The NHLBI "Grand Opportunity" Exome Sequencing Project (GO-ESP), a signature project of the NHLBI Recovery Act investment, was designed to identify genetic variants in coding regions (exons) of the human genome (the "exome") that are associated with heart, lung and blood diseases. These and related diseases that are of high impact to public health and individuals from diverse racial and ethnic groups will be studied. These data may help researchers understand the causes of disease, contributing to better ways to prevent, diagnose, and treat diseases, as well as determine whether to tailor prevention and treatments to specific populations. This could lead to more effective treatments and reduce the likelihood of side effects. GO-ESP is comprised of five collaborative components: 3 cohort consortia - HeartGO, LungGO, and WHISP - and 2 sequencing centers - BroadGO and SeattleGO. Two major goals in the study of human malignancies are (i) to understand the genetic basis that underlies the predisposition of certain individuals to develop cancer and (ii) to identify the full spectrum of acquired mutations that occur in human cancers. There has been some progress in both of these areas with respect to hematologic malignancies but much remains to be discovered. As a result of recent advantages in sequencing technologies it is now feasible to sequence multiple individual whole exomes at reasonable cost. Such technologies provide a unique opportunity to transform our understanding of the biological basis of human cancer and to identify inherited genetic variants that predispose individuals to the development of hematologic malignancies. Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN), myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and acute leukemia are clonal disorders of hematopoieis. Our study involves performing whole exome sequencing of individuals with these disorders for the purpose of identifying (i) novel inherited genetic variants associated with the risk of developing of MPN/MDS/acute leukemia and (ii) novel acquired mutations associated with the development of MPN/MDS/acute leukemia.

  Study phs000632

• Gene Environment Association Studies (GENEVA): Genetics of Early Onset Stroke (GEOS) Study

  The Genetics of Early Onset Stroke (GEOS) Study is a population-based case-control study designed to identify genes associated with early-onset ischemic stroke and to characterize interactions of identified stroke genes and/or SNPs with environmental risk factors such as smoking and oral contraceptive use. The GEOS study consists of 921 ischemic stroke cases with age of first stroke 16-50 years and a similar number of controls, identified from the Baltimore-Washington area. Cases and controls were recruited in 3 different time periods: Stroke Prevention in Young Women-1 (SPYW-1) conducted from 1992-1996, Stroke Prevention in Young Women-2 (SPYW-2) conducted from 2001-2003, and Stroke Prevention in Young Men (SPYM) conducted from 2003-2007. The overall GEOS sample includes 477 cases who self-reported their race as "white" and 396 cases who self-reported their race as "African American." Traditional stroke risk factors and other study variables, including age, ethnicity, and history of hypertension, diabetes, myocardial infarction (MI), current smoking status, and current oral contraceptive use (both defined as use within one month prior to event for cases and at a comparable reference time for controls), were also collected during standardized interview and were included as covariates in our analyses. This study is part of the Gene Environment Association Studies initiative (GENEVA, http://www.genevastudy.org) funded by the trans-NIH Genes, Environment, and Health Initiative (GEI). The overarching goal is to identify novel genetic factors that contribute to early-onset ischemic stroke through large-scale genome-wide association studies of cases and controls of European and African descent from the Baltimore-Washington area. Genotyping was performed at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Inherited Disease Research (CIDR). Data cleaning and harmonization were done at the GEI-funded GENEVA Coordinating Center at the University of Washington.

  Study phs000292

• Center for Common Disease Genomics [CCDG] - Cardiovascular: ENGAGE Atrial Fibrillation-TIMI 48

  This study is a part of NHGRI's Center for Common Disease Genomics, which is a collaborative large-scale genome sequencing effort to comprehensively identify rare risk and protective variants contributing to multiple common disease phenotypes. Current estimates anticipate that the CCDG program will sequence approximately 140K whole genomes and 225K whole exomes during the life of the project. The Cardiovascular Disease working group of the CCDG considered five diseases: early-onset coronary artery disease (EOCAD), stroke, atrial fibrillation, congestive heart failure and type 2 diabetes. Atrial fibrillation will affect between 6-12 million individuals in the US by 2050. AF also is associated with increased risks of stroke, dementia, heart failure, death, and high health care costs. Many risk factors for AF have been identified, including advancing age, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and CVD risk factors. However, there is little knowledge how to prevent AF. Furthermore, therapies for AF are only partially effective, and are themselves associated with substantial morbidity. Previously, heritable forms of AF have been considered rare; yet in the last decade, it has been established that AF, and in particular early-onset forms of AF, are heritable. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) provide a powerful tool to identify common variants underlying disease risk. The AFGen Consortium currently consists of investigators from more than 25 studies with >20,000 individuals with AF and >100,000 without AF. In the latest analyses, 14 loci have been identified for AF1. Broadly, the loci implicate genes related to cardiopulmonary development, cardiac-expressed ion channels, and cell signaling molecules.Source: https://ccdg.rutgers.edu/sites/default/files/CCDG_CVD_EOAF_FINAL_w_link.pdfFor this study, The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard generated genetic data for 13,667 individuals from the ENGAGE AF-TIMI 48 clinical trial run by Brigham and Women's Hospital TIMI study group using whole exome sequencing and whole genome genotyping (Infinium Global Screening Array); all cases with atrial fibrillation.

  Study phs002774

• Childhood Cancer Data Initiative (CCDI): Genomic Analysis in Pediatric Malignancies

  Pediatric solid tumors are highly heterogeneous, encompassing a large number of histotypes. The genomic landscape of these diseases is characterized by few single-nucleotide variants (SNVs) compared to adult cancers. In contrast, many exhibit a high prevalence of structural or epigenetic changes that alter gene expression, underlining the need for comprehensive genomic approaches such as whole-genome sequencing (WGS). Several studies have specifically addressed the clinical utility of genomic analysis in the pediatric and AYA cancer setting. Review of these studies point to key challenges that must be addressed in order to advance the routine use of genomics in this population. We have established a large collection of solid tumor tissue samples through our biobanking efforts. Where possible, we obtain longitudinal samples from the same patient. These primary patient samples and their corresponding germline have been analyzed using whole genome and whole transcriptome sequencing methods and have been linked to clinical metadata using both manual curation and robust methods for automatic extraction from the electronic health record (EHR). Importantly, research-grade genomic analysis is performed in parallel to our CLIA-grade sequencing (“UCSF500”) efforts for some of the patients in this study cohort and have been submitted as part of the American Association for Cancer Research's project GENIE and/or the National Childhood Cancer Registry. For our sequenced tumor samples, we have retrospective clinical data and ongoing efforts to prospectively record key events throughout the patient's cancer journey. In our solid tumor program, we have developed many patient-derived xenograft models and a number of PDX-derived cell lines. These unique models have been evaluated using genomic and functional approaches including (in some cases) treatment with conventional chemotherapy or investigational agents. Lastly, these samples were collected from a population that is among the most diverse in the nation and includes significant numbers of Asian, Latino, Indigenous and African-American patients, groups that are traditionally underrepresented in many banking efforts.

  Study phs002430

• Structure and Diversity of Urinary Cell-Free DNA Informative of Host-Pathogen Interactions in Human Urinary Tract Infection

  The risk of acquiring urinary tract infection (UTI) is very high for patients who have received kidney transplants; nearly half will develop bacteriuria and an eighth viruria via BK polyomavirus in the first three years following transplantation. Current methodology for diagnosing viral and bacterial infections, while well practiced, is often limited in scope. The advent of next generation sequencing of cell-free DNA has shown promise in its ability to capture multiple perspectives of human health from discovering the origin of cell-free DNA in plasma; such a diagnostic has not been readily applied to urinary cell-free DNA. In this study, we selected 141 urine samples from a cohort of kidney transplant patients, which were collected and stored at Weill Cornell Medical College - New York Presbyterian Hospital. Of these samples, 43 samples were determined to be culture positive (> 10,000 CFU) for one or more bacterial species, including E. coli, Enterococcus, Klebsiella, Haemophilus, and Raoultella. A separate 23 samples were confirmed for BK virus nephropathy, with presence of BK polyomavirus confirmed via qPCR. We also included 29 samples from 14 patients who did not develop UTIs in the first three months following transplantation, and 11 samples that were negative for BK virus nephropathy. For a full description of samples, please see the Supplementary Data 1 in https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29925834/. From these urine samples, we aimed to capture and sequence urinary cell-free DNA using a single-stranded library preparation. In addition, we performed whole-genome bisulfite sequencing to 170 plasma samples collected from 27 hematopoietic cell transplant patients who developed graft-versus host disease and BK polyomavirus infection. We also performed Sample-Intrinsic microbial DNA Found by Tagging and sequencing (SIFT-seq) on 196 cell-free DNA (cfDNA) samples (154 plasma and 42 urine) collected from five groups of subjects. For a full description of samples, please see publications in PMID: 35864089 and PMID: 35058359.

  Study phs001564

• Precision High Intensity Training Through Epigenetics (PHITE)

  Exercising regularly promotes health, but these benefits are complicated by acute inflammation induced by exercise. A potential source of exercise-induced inflammation is cell-free DNA (cfDNA), yet the cellular origins, molecular causes, and immune system interactions of exercise-induced cfDNA are unclear. To study these, 10 healthy individuals were randomized to a 12-week exercise program of either high-intensity tactical training (HITT) or traditional moderate-intensity training (TRAD). Blood plasma was collected pre- and post exercise at weeks 0 and 12 and after 4 week of detraining upon program completion. Whole-genome enzymatic methylation sequencing (EM-seq) with cell-type proportion deconvolution was applied to cfDNA obtained from the 50 plasma samples and paired to concentration measurements for 90 circulating cytokines. Acute exercise increased the release of cfDNA from neutrophils, dendritic cells (DCs), and macrophages proportional to exercise intensity (HITT > TRAD). Exercise training reduced cfDNA released in HITT participants but not TRAD and from DCs and macrophages but not neutrophils. For most participants, training lowered mitochondrial cfDNA at rest, even after detraining. Using a sequencing analysis approach we developed, we concluded that rapid extracellular traps (ETosis) was the likely source of cfDNA, demonstrated by enrichment of nuclear DNA. Further, several cytokines were induced by acute exercise, such as IL-6, IL-10, and IL-16, and training attenuated the induction of only IL-6 and IL-17F. Cytokine levels were not associated with cfDNA induction, suggesting that these cytokines are not the main cause of exercise-induced cfDNA. Overall, exercise intensity and training modulated cfDNA release and cytokine responses, contributing to the anti-inflammatory effects of regular exercise. One additional subject was also used in the methyl-seq data as a control for comparing bisulfite-sequencing to enzymatic methyl sequencing. DNA methylation for MPO gene was found to be significantly different as well, in line with interpretation that neutrophils are primarily undergoing ETosis.

  Study phs003873

• Molecular analysis of diffuse cerebellar gliomas

  Among diffuse gliomas, oligodendrogliomas show relatively better prognosis, respond well to radiotherapy and chemotherapy, and seldom progress to very aggressive tumors. To elucidate the genetic and epigenetic background for such behavior and tumor evolution during tumor relapse, we comparatively analyzed 12 pairs of primary and recurrent oligodendrogliomas with 1p/19q-codeletion. Initial treatment for these patients was mostly chemotherapy alone. Temozolomide was used for 3, and procarbazine, nimustine and vincristine (PAV chemotherapy) were used for 7 patients. World Health Organization histological grade at recurrence was mostly stable; it was increased in 2, the same in 9, and decreased in 1 cases. Whole-exome sequencing demonstrated that the rate of shared mutation between the primary and recurrent tumors was relatively low, ranging from 3.2-57.9% (average, 33.3%), indicating a branched evolutionary pattern. The trunk alterations that existed throughout the course were restricted to IDH1 mutation, 1p/19q-codeletion, and TERT promoter mutation, and mutation of the known candidate tumor suppressor genes CIC and FUBP1 were not consistently observed between primary and recurrent tumors. Multiple sampling from different regions within a tumor showed marked intratumoral heterogeneity. Notably, in general, the number of mutations was not significantly different after recurrence, remaining under 100, and no hypermutator phenotype was observed. FUBP1 mutation, loss of chr. 9p21, and TCF12 mutation were among a few recurrent de novo alterations that were found at recurrence, indicating that these events were clonally selected at recurrence but were not enough to enhance malignancy. Genome-wide methylation status, measured by Illumina 450 K arrays, was stable between recurrence and the primary tumor. In summary, although oligodendroglioma displays marked mutational heterogeneity, histological malignant transformation accompanying events such as considerable increase in mutation number and epigenetic profile change were not observed at recurrence, indicating that noticeable temporal and spatial genetic heterogeneity in oligodendrogliomas does not result in rapid tumor progression.

  Study JGAS000106

• UK10K COHORT ALSPAC

  The UK10K project proposes 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 directly analyse 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. The Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) is a two-generation prospective study. Pregnant women living in one of three health districts in the former county of Avon with an expected delivery date between April 1991 and December 1992 were eligible to be enrolled in the study, and this formed the initial point of contact for the development of a large, family based resource. Information has been collected on the children and the mothers through retrieval of biological materials (e.g. antenatal blood samples, placentas), biological sampling (e.g. collection of cord blood, umbilical cord, milk teeth, hair, toenails, blood and urine), self-administered questionnaires, data extraction from medical notes, linkage to routine information systems and at repeat research clinics.

  Study EGAS00001000090

• Same-day genomic and epigenomic diagnosis of brain tumors using realtime nanopore sequencing

  Molecular classification of cancer has entered clinical routine to inform diagnosis, prognosis and treatment decisions. At the same time, new tumor entities have been identified that cannot be defined histologically. For central nervous systems tumors, the current World Health Organization classification explicitly demands molecular testing, e.g. for 1p/19q- codeletion or IDH mutations, to make an integrated histomolecular diagnosis. However, a plethora of sophisticated technologies is currently needed to assess different genomic and epigenomic alterations and turnaround times are in the range of weeks, which makes standardized and widespread implementation difficult and hinders timely decision making. Here, we explored the potential of a pocket-size nanopore sequencing device for multimodal and rapid molecular diagnostics of cancer. Low-pass whole genome sequencing was used to simultaneously generate copy number (CN) and methylation profiles from native tumor DNA in the same sequencing run. Single nucleotide variants in IDH1, IDH2, TP53, H3F3A and the TERT promoter region were identified using deep amplicon sequencing. Nanopore sequencing yielded ~0.1X genome coverage within six hours and resulting CN and epigenetic profiles correlated well with matched microarray data. Diagnostically relevant alterations, such as 1p/19q codeletion, and focal amplifications could be recapitulated. Using ad hoc random forests, we could perform supervised pan-cancer classification to distinguish gliomas, medulloblastomas and brain metastases of different primary sites. Single nucleotide variants in IDH1, IDH2 and H3F3A were identified using deep amplicon sequencing within minutes of sequencing. Detection of TP53 and TERT promoter mutations shows that sequencing of entire genes and GC-rich regions is feasible. Nanopore sequencing allows same-day detection of structural variants, point mutations and methylation profiling using a single device with negligible capital cost. It outperforms hybridization-based and current sequencing technologies with respect to time-to diagnosis and required laboratory equipment and expertise, aiming to make precision medicine possible for every cancer patient, even in resource restricted settings.

  Study EGAS00001002213

• Genome-wide DNA methylation sequencing identifies epigenetic perturbations in the upper airways under long-term exposure to moderate levels of ambient air pollution

  While the link between exposure to high levels of ambient particulate matter (PM) and increased incidences of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases is widely recognized, recent epidemiological studies have shown that low PM concentrations are equally associated with adverse health effects. As DNA methylation is one of the main mechanisms by which cells regulate and stabilize gene expression, changes in the methylome could constitute early indicators of dysregulated signaling pathways. So far, little is known about PM-associated DNA methylation changes in the upper airways, the first point of contact between airborne pollutants and the human body. Here, we focused on cells of the upper respiratory tract and assessed their genome-wide DNA methylation pattern to explore exposure-associated early regulatory changes. Using a mobile epidemiological laboratory, nasal lavage samples were collected from a cohort of 60 adults that lived in districts with records of low (Simmerath) or moderate (Stuttgart) PM10 levels in Germany. PM10 concentrations were verified by particle measurements on the days of the sample collection and genome-wide DNA methylation was determined by enzymatic methyl sequencing at single-base resolution. We identified 231 differentially methylated regions (DMRs) between moderately and lowly PM10 exposed individuals. A high proportion of DMRs overlapped with regulatory elements, and DMR target genes were involved in pathways regulating cellular redox homeostasis and immune response. In addition, we found distinct changes in DNA methylation of the HOXA gene cluster whose methylation levels have previously been linked to air pollution exposure but also to carcinogenesis in several instances. The findings of this study suggest that regulatory changes in upper airway cells occur at PM10 levels below current European thresholds, some of which may be involved in the development of air pollution-related diseases.

  Study EGAS00001007374

• UCSF Center for Reproductive Health (CRH) Research Bank

  The purpose of this study is to provide a reference profile of small extracellular RNAs in body fluids. These samples were originally obtained in a study that had a different purpose. The purpose of the original study was to add excess biological materials during the course of IVF treatment to a tissue bank. These biological materials included follicular fluid (the liquid that comes out of the ovary with the egg), granulosa cells (cells that surround the egg and help it grow), and other biological materials that help eggs, sperm, and embryos stay healthy and grow outside the body. These banked specimens would allow researchers to learn more about infertility and how to treat it, including studying how to identify the healthiest eggs, sperm, and embryos and how to help them stay healthy and grow.

  Study phs001695

• Exploring Extracellular Vesicle microRNAs in Usher Syndrome Type 1B: Tear-Derived EVs as Indicators of Retinal Health

  The goal of this study was to explore extracellular vesicles (EVs) from human tears and iPSC-derived RPE cells as biomarkers for Usher syndrome type 1B (USH1B), a rare inherited disorder causing deafness and retinitis pigmentosa. Researchers found that tear EVs showed higher levels and diversity of miRNAs, making them a promising non-invasive source for diagnosing USH1B. In contrast to patient-derived RPE cells, which did not express MYO7A protein despite similar expression levels in controls, the study identified specific microRNA signatures associated with retinal degeneration in both tear EVs and RPE-derived EVs. The findings suggest that tear EVs can serve as a useful biomarker for USH1B diagnosis, monitoring, and therapeutic development. Overall, this research aims to contribute to our understanding of disease mechanisms and identify potential targets for treatment in patients with Usher syndrome type 1B.

  Study EGAS50000001200

• Beacon v2 and Federated EGA, part of the GDI project Starter Kit to enable access to genomic and phenotypic data across borders

  The European Genomic Data Infrastructure project has released a ‘Starter Kit’ based on the rare disease and cancer proof-of-concepts from the Beyond 1 Million Genomes (B1MG) project. The Starter Kit, freely available to any interested parties, contains a set of software applications and components co-developed by the 20 GDI nodes and based on open community standards from the Global Alliance for Genomics and Health (GA4GH). Products in the Starter Kit give all countries the technical capability to access synthetic genomic and phenotypic data across borders. The image above shows the full workflow of the GDI Starter Kit user journey. The dotted circles are not included in the Starter Kit yet The EGA’s work is represented in the Starter Kit with Beacon v2 and Federated EGA among the software applications and components. About Beacon v2 Beacon is a protocol for data discovery. This API allows the search of genomic variants and associated information without breaching the datasets privacy. The European Genome-phenome Archive (EGA) is a key contributor to the Beacon v2 Protocol, the Beacon v2 Reference Implementation (B2RI) and the EGA Beacon(s). About Federated EGA The Federated EGA network offers a tool for data storage and sharing. Officially launched in 2022, this network of connected resources enables transnational discovery of and access to human omics data for research, while also respecting jurisdictional data protection regulations. The Federated EGA Onboarding Website contains all the information related to the establishment of a Federated Node.

  Blog beacon-v2-and-federated-ega-part-of-the-gdi-project-starter-kit

• Epidemiological study comparing rates and risk factors for dementia in African Americans in Indianapolis and Yoruba living in Ibadan, Nigeria

  In 1991 collaboration between researchers at Indiana University School of Medicine and the University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria established the Indianapolis-Ibadan Dementia Project. It is a longitudinal, prospective population-based comparative epidemiological study of the prevalence and incidence rates and risk factors of Alzheimer's disease and other age associated dementias. The project compares samples of community-dwelling elderly (age > 70 years) African Americans living in Indianapolis to Yoruba living in Ibadan, Nigeria, employing the same research design, methods, and investigators. It initially reported significantly lower prevalence rates of disorders in the Yoruba compared to the African Americans. In subsequent waves of the study (1994-1995, 1997-1998) incidence rates, rates of newly diagnosed cases, were also found to be significantly lower in the Yoruba. In genetic studies, the frequency of the APOE 4 allele was about the same in the two groups. APOE 4 was a significant risk factor for Alzheimer's disease and dementia in the Americans, while no association was found for the Yoruba. The APOE 2 allele appears to be protective in the Americans, but not the Yoruba. A constellation of factors often associated with vascular risk including a history of hypertension, diabetes, and high cholesterol levels is less common in the Yoruba than in the American group. An interaction was observed between cholesterol, APOE genotype and Alzheimer's disease in both study groups. In 2001-2002 survivors of the original cohort were once again evaluated (N~800 in each site) and 2,000 additional individuals age 70 years and older were enrolled in each site. Blood samples were collected from approximately 1,500 study participants in each site for genetic studies and analysis of biochemical risk factors for vascular disease. Subsequent waves of field work were conducted in 2004, 2007, 2009, and 2011. This fieldwork followed the classic two-stage study design. The study design involves an in-home screening interview with the study participant, which includes a cognitive assessment, medical history and current medications, brief neurological examination, height and weight, blood pressure measurement and assessment of social involvement. There is also a screening interview with a close relative of the study participant to assess activities of daily living, personality change, and medical history of the study participant. On the basis of the screening interview a sample of study participants (N~500 in each site) is selected for a full clinical diagnostic dementia work up which includes a neurological test battery, extensive interview with a family member and examination by a clinician. Diagnoses are made in a consensus diagnosis conference using the criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Revised Third Edition (DSM-III R) and International Classification of Diseases 10th Revision (ICD-10) for dementia. The criteria of the National Institute for Neurological and Communicative Disease and Stroke-Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Association were used to diagnose possible and probable Alzheimer's disease. The focus of the study is risk factors for dementia and Alzheimer's disease, but also of particular importance is the question of mild cognitive impairment. This refers to the condition of having some decline in cognition but the decline is not sufficient to meet the criteria for dementia. We have studied this over the course of this project. In follow up studies of individuals who have this diagnosis about one third of them are better at follow up, about a third are about the same, and about a third decline more to meet the criteria for dementia. This is a very important issue for researchers because the ultimate goal of the research is to figure out how to identify the individuals who will definitely progress to dementia. If there are clear identifiers, it would be possible to make interventions, while individuals still function well, and possibly prevent the development of dementia altogether or delay the onset significantly. This is crucial because at the moment individuals usually do not enter into the medical care system until the dementia symptoms are quite severe, and the pathological damage to the brain cannot be undone.

  Study phs000378

• National Eye Institute Glaucoma Human Genetics Collaboration (NEIGHBOR) Consortium Glaucoma Genome-Wide Association Study: Whole Exome Resequencing in Glaucoma

  This is a study of primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) conducted through exome sequencing of cases and comparison of variant frequencies with general population frequencies available in dbGAP and controlled for sequencing platform artifact to minimize false positives. POAG is an intraocular pressure (IOP) related progressive optic neuropathy that ultimately leads to blindness. This study builds upon the efforts of an on-going collaborative consortium that studied 2,170 POAG cases and 2,347 controls with a unified definition of POAG (the NEIGHBOR consortium: NEI Glaucoma Human genetic collaBORation). The case definition for NEIGHBOR was harmonized with an additional 976 cases and 1140 controls from the NHGRI supported GENEVA (gene-environment) study of glaucoma (GLAUGEN) (NIH/NHGRI U01HG004728, Pasquale PI). In NEIGHBOR, cases and controls were recruited from ophthalmology clinics and were examined by ophthalmologists. For cases, the clinical exam included intraocular pressure measurements, optic nerve assessment and visual field evaluation. Controls had no family history of glaucoma, normal intraocular pressure and normal optic nerves. Cases and controls were also drawn from two clinical trial populations: Advanced Glaucoma Intervention Study (AGIS, NEI U10EY006827, D. Gaasterland PI) and Collaborative Initial Glaucoma Treatment Study (CIGTS, NEI U10 EY009149, P. Lichter PI). The Glaucoma Exome Sequencing study has one Principal Investigator: Theresa Gaasterland (UCSD) and two Co-Investigators: Robert Weinreb, MD, and Kang Zhang, MD, PhD, all of whom are part of the NEIGHBOR, subsequently NEIGHBORHOOD, consortium, which in turn has two Co-Principal Investigators: J. Wiggs (Harvard, MEEI), and M. Hauser (Duke). NEIGHBOR collaborators who contributed samples and/or expertise to the Glaucoma Exome Sequencing study included the following: Harvard Medical School (Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary) (J. Wiggs, L. Pasquale); Duke University Medical Center (M. Hauser, E. Hauser, R. Allingham, S. Schmidt); University of Michigan (J. Richards, S. Moroi, P. Lichter); University of Miami (M. Pericak-Vance, R. Lee, D. Budenz); Vanderbilt University (J. Haines); University of California San Diego (K. Zhang, R. Weinreb; T. Gaasterland); University of Pittsburgh (J. Schuman, G. Wollenstein); University of West Virginia (A. Realini, J. Charlton, S. Zareparsi); Johns Hopkins University (D. Friedman); Stanford University (D. Vollrath, K. Singh), Eye Doctors of Washington (D. Gaasterland), Marshfield Clinic (Cathy McCarty). Hemin Chin serves as the NEI Staff Collaborator. This national collaborative study is supported by multiple NIH grants: NEI R01 EY015543 (Allingham); NEI U10 EY006827 (D. Gaasterland); NHLBI R01 HL073389 (E. Hauser); NEI R01 EY13315 (M. Hauser); NEI U10 EY009149 (Lichter); NEI R01 EY015473 (Pasquale); NEI U10 EY012118 (Pericak-Vance); NEI R03 EY015682 (Realini); NEI R01 EY011671 (Richards); NEI R01 EY09580 (Richards); NEI R01 EY013178 (Schuman); NEI R01 EY015872 (Wiggs); NEI R01 EY009847 (Wiggs); NEI R01 EY010886 (Wiggs); NEI R01 EY144428 (Zhang); NEI R01 EY144448 (Zhang); NEI R01 EY18660 (Zhang). Funding support for genotyping through exome sequencing, which was performed at the University of California, San Diego, was provided by the National Eye Institute (RC2 EY020678-01).

  Study phs000558

• Smith-Lemli-Opitz Syndrome: A Longitudinal Clinical Study of Patients Receiving Cholesterol Supplementation

  Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome (SLOS) is a disorder of cholesterol production by the body. It is caused by changes in the DHCR7 gene, which is the blueprint for an enzyme called 7-dehydrocholesterol- delta7-reductase. This enzyme is necessary for the production of cholesterol by all cells in the body. People with SLOS often have malformations of major organs, slow growth, feeding difficulties and intellectual disability or learning problems. Because patients with SLOS cannot make enough cholesterol, it has been proposed that cholesterol supplementation (either with egg yolk or liquid suspensions of cholesterol) could help improve the symptoms of the disease. However, despite the widespread use of cholesterol supplementation, it is still not known whether it works or not. The study will try to provide an answer to this question by studying the disease and its progression while patients are receiving cholesterol. The clinical features of SLOS are thought to be related to low cholesterol and buildup of toxic cholesterol precursors (substances from which cholesterol is formed). But how exactly low cholesterol and toxic precursors contribute to the disease is poorly understood. This knowledge is critically important because it should help discover new therapeutic targets and develop treatments of the disease in the long run. The study will try to fill this gap with a comprehensive clinical and biochemical testing of the study participants over the course of several years. Last, a limitation of previous SLOS research studies has been their low number of participants. This is understandable because SLOS is a rare diseases and few research groups are working on it. However, in order to fully understand the disease, researchers need to study as many patients as possible. This study is unique in that it is run by a network of several highly specialized clinical research sites across the country. Having several sites involved increases the researcher's ability to recruit and study large number of patients, and centralize patients' information in a comprehensive SLOS clinical registry. This registry will be key to identify markers for diagnostic testing, screening and measuring outcomes in future studies of treatment. The purpose of this study is to learn as much as possible about Smith-Lemli-Opitz Syndrome (SLOS) by following a large group of affected children and adults over time. In this study, we will measure cholesterol and other similar chemicals in blood and urine, evaluate development and behavior, do limited medical evaluation, and carry out brain imaging studies.This study will help researchers: learn more about what causes SLOS and how SLOS changes with age, note differences in features of SLOS among those affected, evaluate the effect of giving extra cholesterol in this condition, and develop ways to evaluate whether treatments developed in the future will be helpful.

  Study phs001430

• FIGHT-207: Anonymized Genomic Alterations and Clinical Responses

  Background: FIGHT-207 was a phase 2 study of the FGFR1-FGFR3 inhibitor pemigatinib in patients with previously treated, locally advanced/metastatic or unresectable solid tumor malignancies harboring activating fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) gene alterations. Population information: 107 patients were divided into 3 cohorts: FGFR1–FGFR3 fusions/rearrangements; n=49 Activating FGFR1–FGFR3 non-kinase domain single nucleotide variants (SNVs); n=32 FGFR1–FGFR3 kinase domain mutations or variants of unknown significance (VUS) with potential pathogenicity; n=26 Participants on study had tumors that were grouped into the following histologies based on ≥ 5 patients: Cholangiocarcinoma, gynecologic cancers (cervical, endometrial, uterine), central nervous system (glioblastoma, low-grade pediatric glioma, astrocytoma), pancreatic cancer, breast cancer, urothelial tract/bladder cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, and other (adrenal cancer, anal cancer, cancer of unknown primary origin, colorectal cancer, gastric/gastroesophageal cancer, gallbladder cancer, giant cell bone tumor, head and neck cancer, lung neuroendocrine cancer, nasopharyngeal cancer, ovarian cancer, prostate cancer, renal cell cancer, sarcoma, solitary fibrous tumor). Among the efficacy-evaluable participants, 99 had both independent review committee (IRC) central best overall response (BOR) and tissue NGS- data; 2 additional patients had Not Evaluable (NE) as central BOR Baseline tissue targeted NGS data (F1CDx, Foundation Medicine Inc.) of genomic alterations are reported for N=101 participants Baseline plasma targeted NGS analysis (PredicineCare, Predicine Inc.) of genomic data are reported for N=83 participants; data at disease-progression are reported for N=78 participants. Principal Findings: The FIGHT-207 study provided evidence of clinical benefit of pemigatinib in multiple histologies, explored the clinical actionability of various FGFR1-FGFR3 gene alterations, and leveraged the depth of translational data from targeted NGS analysis of baseline samples and plasma samples obtained at baseline and end of treatment to provide key insights into the biology of FGFR inhibition and the clinical utility of FGFR inhibitors. The FIGHT-207 article (pending in Nat.Med. NMED-A128973B) reports evidence suggesting clinical acquired resistance to FGFR inhibition via secondary FGFR mutations as well as emerging co-mutations in other oncogenic and tumor suppressor pathways. This study also provides evidence of acquired resistance to FGFR inhibition in multiple histologies beyond cholangiocarcinoma and urothelial cancers in a systemic correlative analysis of post-progression ctDNA in a trial. Data available through dbGaP: Anonymized information for 101 participants with both IRC central BOR evaluation (including 2 patients with NE as BOR) and tissue NGS data, including tumor histology, enrollable FGFR alteration, and outcome. Genomic alterations determined by baseline tissue NGS (F1CDx, Foundation Medicine Inc.) Genomic alterations determined by plasma NGS analysis (PredicineCare, Predicine Inc.) of ctDNA analysis at baseline (n=83) and at end of treatment/ disease progression (n=78) including genomic alterations that were not assessed to be Germline SNPs.

  Study phs003590

• The Thrifty Microbiome: The Role of the Gut Microbiota in Obesity in the Amish

  Emerging evidence that the gut microbiota may contribute in important ways to human health and disease has led us and others to hypothesize that both symbiotic and pathological relationships between gut microbes and their host may be key contributors to obesity and the metabolic complications of obesity. Our "Thrifty Microbiome Hypothesis" poses that gut microbiota play a key role in human energy homeostasis. Specifically, constituents of the gut microbial community may introduce a survival advantage to its host in times of nutrient scarcity, promoting positive energy balance by increasing efficiency of nutrient absorption and improving metabolic efficiency and energy storage. However, in the presence of excess nutrients, fat accretion and obesity may result, and in genetically predisposed individuals, increased fat mass may result in preferential abdominal obesity, ectopic fat deposition (liver, muscle), and metabolic complications of obesity (insulin resistance, hypertension, hyperlipidemia). Furthermore, in the presence of excess nutrients, a pathological transition of the gut microbial community may occur, causing leakage of bacterial products into the intestinal lymphatics and portal circulation, thereby inducing an inflammatory state, further aggravating metabolic syndrome traits and accelerating atherosclerosis. This pathological transition and the extent to which antimicrobial leakage occurs and causes inflammatory and other maladaptive sequelae of obesity may also be influenced by host factors, including genetics. In the proposed study, we will directly test the Thrifty Microbiome Hypothesis by performing detailed genomic and functional assessment of gut microbial communities in intensively phenotyped and genotyped human subjects before and after intentional manipulation of the gut microbiome. To address these hypotheses, five specific aims are proposed: (1) enroll three age- and sex-matched groups from the Old Order Amish: (i) 50 obese subjects (BMI > 30 kg/m2) with metabolic syndrome, (ii) 50 obese subjects (BMI > 30 kg/m2) without metabolic syndrome, and (iii) 50 non-obese subjects (BMI < 25 kg/m2) without metabolic syndrome and characterize the architecture of the gut microbiota from the subjects enrolled in this study by high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA genes; (2) characterize the gene content (metagenome) to assess the metabolic potential of the gut microbiota in 75 subjects to determine whether particular genes or pathways are correlated with disease phenotype; (3) characterize the transcriptome in 75 subjects to determine whether differences in gene expression in the gut microbiota are correlated with disease phenotype, (4) determine the effect of manipulation of the gut microbiota with antibiotics on energy homeostasis, inflammation markers, and metabolic syndrome traits in 50 obese subjects with metabolic syndrome and (5) study the relationship between gut microbiota and metabolic and cardiovascular disease traits, weight change, and host genomics in 1,000 Amish already characterized for these traits and in whom 500K Affymetrix SNP chips have already been completed. These studies will provide our deepest understanding to date of the role of gut microbes in terms of 'who's there?', 'what are they doing?', and 'how are they influencing host energy homeostasis, obesity and its metabolic complications? PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: This study aims to unravel the contribution of the bacteria that normally inhabit the human gastrointestinal tract to the development of obesity, and its more severe metabolic consequences including cardiovascular disease, insulin resistance and Type II diabetes. We will take a multidisciplinary approach to study changes in the structure and function of gut microbial communities in three sets of Old Order Amish patients from Lancaster, Pennsylvania: obese patients, obese patients with metabolic syndrome and non-obese individuals. The Old Order Amish are a genetically closed homogeneous Caucasian population of Central European ancestry ideal for genetic studies. These works have the potential to provide new mechanistic insights into the role of gut microflora in obesity and metabolic syndrome, a disease that is responsible for significant morbidity in the adult population, and may ultimately lead to novel approaches for prevention and treatment of this disorder.

  Study phs000258

• Risk Assessment of Cerebrovascular Events (RACE) Study

  This study includes 1,220 cases with young onset stroke (stroke before age 60 years) who are participants of the larger RACE study. Risk Assessment of Cerebrovascular Events (RACE) is an on-going existing case-control study of stroke now involving over 5000 imaging confirmed cases of stroke and 5000 controls, recruited from seven centers in Pakistan. The study is aimed to investigate the genetic, biomarker and lifestyle determinants of stroke and its subtypes. Cases are eligible for inclusion in the study if they: (i) are aged at least 18 years; (ii) present with a sudden onset of neurological deficit respecting a vascular territory with sustained deficit at 24 hours verified by medical attention within 72 hours after onset (onset is defined by when the patient was last seen normal and not when found with deficit); and (iii) the diagnosis is supported by CT/MRI; and (iv) present with a Modified Rankin Score < 2 prior to the stroke. Findings from patient's history, 12-lead ECG and CT or MRI of the brain. The mandatory procedures for inclusion in this investigation are: (i) clinical verification of cerebrovascular event within 72 hours of onset; (ii) neuroimaging CT (non-contrast) or MRI (MRI is not a mandatory investigation but recorded whenever ordered by the attending physician); and (iii) 12-lead ECG. All other ancillary investigations ordered by the attending physician are recorded as well. The TOAST classification method is used to classify ischemic stroke based on aetiology whereas the Oxfordshire classification is used to classify stroke neuro-anatomically. Control participants for this subset of young onset stroke were individuals enrolled in the Pakistan Risk of Myocardial Infarction Study (PROMIS), a case-control study of acute MI based in Pakistan. RACE capitalizes on the genetic data (including information on GWAS) that has already been collected from the healthy participants enrolled in PROMIS. RACE and PROMIS share similar methodology of recruitment. Participants from both these investigations are derived from similar catchment areas, hence providing an attractive opportunity for RACE to utilize PROMIS controls as common controls for genetic investigations. Controls in PROMIS were recruited following procedures and inclusion criteria as adopted for RACE cases. In order to minimize any potential selection biases, PROMIS controls selected for this stroke substudy were frequency matched to RACE cases based on age and gender and were recruited in the following order of priority: (1) non-blood related or blood related visitors of patients of the out-patient department; (2) non-blood related visitors of stroke patients; (3) patients of the out-patient department presenting with minor complaints (e.g. back pain, minor gastric complaints). Control subjects from the PROMIS study were genotyped at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute on the Illumina 660W Quad array. The Center for Non-Communicable Diseases, Pakistan, serves as the coordinating center for both RACE and PROMIS. More information on these research investigations can be found at www.cncdpk.com. This young onset stroke component to the RACE study was funded through the Gene Environment Association Studies initiative (GENEVA, www.genevastudy.org as one of three studies designed to assess the genetics of young onset stroke and modification of genetic effects by smoking. GENEVA is part of the trans-NIH Genes, Environment, and Health Initiative (GEI). Genotyping of 1,220 young onset stroke cases was performed at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Inherited Disease Research (CIDR). Data cleaning and harmonization were done at the GEI-funded GENEVA Coordinating Center at the University of Washington. This study is part of the Gene Environment Association Studies initiative (GENEVA, http://www.genevastudy.org) funded by the trans-NIH Genes, Environment, and Health Initiative (GEI). The overarching goal is to identify novel genetic factors that contribute to stroke through large-scale genome-wide association studies of cases and controls recruited within Pakistan. Genotyping was performed at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Inherited Disease Research (CIDR). Data cleaning and harmonization were done at the GEI-funded GENEVA Coordinating Center at the University of Washington.

  Study phs000456

• Center for Common Disease Genomics [CCDG] - Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) - Global Microbiome Conservancy Host Exomes

  The human body is a complex ecosystem, hosting tens of billions of bacteria, primarily in the gut. This community, known as the 'gut microbiome', is vital to human health, affecting functions ranging from metabolism, immunity, and development, to behavior. Conversely, reduced microbiome diversity and other imbalances of the gut community (dysbiosis) are associated with many diseases of the industrialized world, such as metabolic syndrome, asthma, and inflammatory bowel diseases among others. Microbiome-based interventions thus hold the potential to revolutionize our understanding of, and therapeutic approaches to, many aspects of human health and disease. Despite many advances, current understanding of the human microbiome is largely limited to majority ethnic groups in industrialized nations, and does not reflect the full diversity of human commensal microbiota. In addition to the scientific ramifications of minority underrepresentation, there are significant translational and ethical implications as well: First, failing to capture the full diversity of healthy human microbiota may limit our ability to understand and generate effective therapeutics for many microbiome-associated diseases. Second, underrepresented groups are less likely to benefit from microbiome-based medical advances tailored to well-studied populations, propagating healthcare inequities. The window of opportunity to characterize human microbiome diversity is closing rapidly. Human gut microbial diversity is diminishing around the globe, due to the spread of Westernized diets and lifestyles, which are associated with reduced microbiome biodiversity. The Global Microbiome Conservancy (GMbC) is a non-profit collaboration between scientists and communities around the world that aims to 1) preserve the full biodiversity of the human gut microbiome, 2) characterize its evolution across populations and host lifestyles and 3) investigate its interactions with the human host. We are collecting gut microbiome and human DNA samples from diverse populations around the world, from isolated groups to urbanized populations, to culture and study this essential biodiversity and to preserve it in a living "seed bank" as a long-term safeguard against future extinctions. The National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) has funded a collaborative large-scale genome sequencing effort to comprehensively identify rare risk and protective variants contributing to multiple common disease phenotypes. Called the Centers for Common Disease Genomics (CCDG), this initiative will explore a range of diseases with the ultimate goal of: Undertaking variant discovery for enough different examples of disease architectures and study designs to better understand the general principles of the genomic architecture underlying common, complex inherited diseases. Understanding how best to design rare variant studies for common disease. Developing resources, informatics tools, and innovative approaches and technologies for multiple disease research communities and the wider biomedical research community. The initial focus of the CCDGs will be in cardiovascular disease (early-onset coronary artery disease, atrial fibrillation, hemorrhagic stroke), neuropsychiatric disease (epilepsy, autism), and autoimmune/inflammatory disease (type 1 diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease). The Broad Institute is one of four selected CCDG project centers. Both exome and genotyping information of GMbC participants will help understanding how recruited human populations are structured and genetically related. This human genetic structure will be analyzed in light of gut microbiome compositional and genomic differences to illuminate associations between specific microbiome traits and human groups and the evolutionary processes involved in the co-evolution of human hosts and their gut microbiome. It will also provide variant information for critical genes shaping the composition of microbiomes, such as genes involved in innate and adaptive immunity (e.g. antimicrobial peptides) or in the regulation of the immune response (e.g. Nod2). Association studies between specific variants in these genes and microbiome features will be performed, which will then be validated with in vitro and in vivo experiments. Human data from GMbC cohorts will also increase the genetic diversity of human populations, providing additional variant information for many susceptible loci that were found to be associated with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. The whole genome sequencing data generated is comprised of samples from diverse and indigenous populations. Raw sequencing data, metadata, vcf and phenotype data at the individual level for a subset of the cohort's samples are available at https://anvilproject.org/data. For questions about availability, contact help@lists.anvilproject.org. Microbiome data for the samples sequenced in this study can be found in phs002235 Global Microbiome Conservancy Sequence Data.

  Study phs002205

• Genetic Basis of Early Onset Bicuspid Aortic Valve Disease

  The study protocol was approved by the Committee for the Protection of Human Subjects at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (HSC-MS-11-0185). Study recruitment began on July 1, 2017, and concluded on March 30, 2022. After written informed consent, we enrolled probands with early onset BAV disease (EBAV), which we defined as individuals with BAV who were under the age of 30 at the time of first clinical event. Clinical events were defined as aortic replacement, aortic valve surgery, aortic dissection, moderate or severe aortic stenosis or aortic regurgitation, large aneurysm (Z > 4.5), or intervention for BAV-related conditions. Those with hypoplastic left heart, known genetic mutations, genetic syndromes, or complex congenital heart disease were excluded. Samples were collected and genotyped as previously reported. For comparison, we analyzed a cohort of older individuals of European ancestry with sporadic BAV disease selected from the International BAV Consortium (BAVGWAS). Phenotypes were derived from record review with confirmation of image data whenever possible [25-26]. The computational pipeline for CNV analysis of Illumina single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array data included three independent CNV detection algorithms.GenomeStudio was used to exclude samples with indeterminate sex or more than 5% missing genotypes, and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with GenTrain = 0. Principal component analysis was used to remove outliers that did not cluster with European ancestry. Prior to CNV analysis, each dataset was trimmed by selecting a common set of 650,000 SNPs that were genotyped on each of the microarrays used in this study.Three independent algorithms (PennCNV, cnvPartition, and QuantiSNP) were used to generate CNV calls and sample-level quality statistics from SNP intensity data. PennCNV and QuantiSNP were run on Unix clusters and cnvPartition data were exported from GenomeStudio. The analysis was run using default configurations. PennCNV was used to generate QC data and remove CNV calls that intersect with polymorphic genomic regions. Samples that met any of the following criteria were excluded, standard deviation of the LogR ratio (obtained from PennCNV) > 0.35 or number of CNVs > 2 standard deviations above the mean for each data set. CNV calls less than 20 Kilobases in length and/or spanned by fewer than 6 probes were excluded. The overlap function for rare CNVs in PLINK was used to construct CNV regions (CNVRs) after adjacent regions were merged using PennCNV. LogR ratio (LRR) and B allele frequency (BAF) data at CNVRs and calls of interest were visualized in GenomeStudio for validation. For segregation analysis, GenomeStudio was used to determine the presence of CNVs in relatives.A total of 22,014 unselected control Illumina Genotypes obtained from the Database of Genotypes and Phenotypes were analyzed using identical methods (S1 Table). The Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (WLS) includes data on a cohort of 10,300 individuals who graduated from Wisconsin high schools in 1957. The Health and Retirement Study (HRS) includes data on 37,000 individuals aged 50 above from 23,000 households across the United States. Principal component analysis was used to select European ancestry genotypes from these datasets for analysis. Datasets were paired for case-control analysis based on the concordance of log-transformed sample-level quality control statistics (number of CNV calls and standard deviation of logR ratios). Chi-squared or Fisher exact tests were used to compare CNV frequencies in cases and controls.Rare CNV functions in PLINK (v1.7) were used to perform permutation-based burden tests or gene set-based enrichment tests. Case control burden tests were restricted to CNVs that were longer than 110 Kb and less than 0.1% in frequency. CNV overlap functions in PLINK were used to identify rare CNVs that intersect between datasets or involve specific BAV or CHD genes . The list of candidate genes included 190 CHD genes that have strong cumulative evidence to cause BAV or related congenital malformations from human or animal model data. Genome Reference Consortium Human Build 37 was used for CNV annotation [34].

  Study phs003705

• Evaluation of Hybridization Capture versus Amplicon-based Methods for Whole Exome Sequencing

  Next generation sequencing has aided characterization of genomic variation. While whole genome sequencing may capture all possible mutations, whole exome sequencing is more cost-effective and captures most phenotype-altering mutations. Initial strategies for exome enrichment utilized a hybridization-based capture approach. Recently, amplicon-based methods were designed to simplify preparation and utilize smaller DNA inputs. We appraised two hybridization capture-based and two amplicon-based whole exome sequencing methods, utilizing both Illumina and Ion Torrent sequencers, comparing on-target alignment, uniformity, and variant calling. While the amplicon methods had higher on-target rates, the hybridization capture-based approaches showed better uniformity. All methods identified many of the same single nucleotide variants, but each amplicon-based method missed variants detected by the other three methods and reported additional variants discordant with all three other technologies. Many of these potential false positives or negatives appear to result from limited coverage, low variant frequency, vicinity to read starts/ends, or the need for platform-specific variant calling algorithms. All methods demonstrated effective copy number variant calling when compared against a single nucleotide polymorphism array. This study illustrates some differences between various whole exome sequencing approaches, highlights the need for selecting appropriate variant calling based on capture method, and will aid laboratories in selecting their preferred approach.

  Study phs000938

• 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

• National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK): Identification of VUR genes by exome sequencing

  Primary vesicoureteric reflux (PVUR), or non-syndromic VUR, is the most common type of congenital anomaly of the kidney and the urinary tract (CAKUT). PVUR is the single most important risk factor for pyelonephritis and renal parenchymal scarring in the pediatric age group. Renal parenchymal scarring due to PVUR is referred to as reflux nephropathy and is a major cause of end stage kidney disease requiring dialysis and kidney transplantation in children. PVUR shows familial aggregation; however, the specific genetic cause(s) of PVUR is unknown despite a number of linkage studies. Reasons for this include: variable expression of the disease, difficulty with case ascertainment, genetic heterogeneity and lack of large pedigrees that can facilitate locus identification. We have ascertained a large 97 member PVUR kindred spanning five generations. We performed a genome-wide linkage study (GWLS) on this family and obtained a significant genome-wide LOD score of 3.3 on chromosome 6p. We performed exome sequencing on affected individuals in the family and identified mutations in tenascin XB (TNXB) as a cause of familial VUR. The proposed studies have the following specific objectives: a) to define the role of tenascin genes in the etiology of PVUR, and b) to identify new PVUR causative genes. Our specific aims are (1) To perform mutation analysis in TNXB and other tenascins in a cohort of 200 individuals with familial and sporadic PVUR and define genotype/phenotype correlations. (2) To perform sequential genome wide linkage studies (GWLS) and whole exome/targeted sequencing in families with PVUR. Impact on public health: Identification of PVUR genes may provide a novel non-invasive diagnostic tool for a subset of children with PVUR. Furthermore, this research will provide insights into the pathogenesis of PVUR and further elucidate the pathways involved in the development of the kidney and genitourinary tract. Future studies will define the role of the genes in the etiology of other malformations of the kidney and urinary tract and also seek to unravel the mechanisms by which the identified gene causes PVUR and other malformations of the kidney and the urinary tract.

  Study phs000778

• HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology Clinical Sequencing Exploratory Research (CSER): Genomic Diagnosis in Children with Developmental Delay

  The overarching goal of this project is to explore the ability for whole exome and genome sequencing technologies to identify the genetic causes of unexplained developmental delay, intellectual disability (DD/ID), and related congenital anomalies in children. Such information may be useful as an endpoint to the otherwise fruitless "diagnostic odyssey" that many DD/ID affected families undergo and in some cases, identification of these genetic variants may point to better therapeutic or educational options by precisely defining the root cause(s) of the child's condition. We seek to identify causal, diagnostically relevant, genetic variants in children with developmental delay and/or intellectual disability (DD/ID). In addition, because our analytical approach includes sequencing probands and their parents (parent-offspring trios and duos; parents are sequenced when available), secondary findings will be returned to adults (parents) at their request. The aims of this research project include: 1) Use exome and whole genome sequencing to identify genetic variation that results in DD/ID. 2) Return primary genetic results (DD/ID causative) as well as secondary findings to probands and their parents, respectively. 3) Understand how the return of genomic test results affects the health and well-being of study participants. The children participating in this study are patients at, or referrals to, North Alabama Children's Specialist (NACS) in Huntsville, Alabama. All blood samples from probands and their parents will be collected at NACS (project 1). Sequencing will be completed at the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, with validation (via Sanger sequencing) conducted at Emory University for all returned variants (project 2). The University of Louisville will oversee questionnaires, surveys and interviews aimed at understanding study participants' perception of, and response to, genetic test results, in addition to assessment of secondary findings preferences (project 3).A subset of variants, largely those determined to be diagnostic or variants of uncertain significance for study participants at the time of disclosure, have been submitted to ClinVar. These variants are listed as part of the "CSER-HudsonAlpha" study within the database.

  Study phs001089

• A Single Cell Atlas of Gene Regulatory Elements in the Human Heart

  Background: Cis-regulatory elements such as enhancers and promoters are crucial for directing gene expression in the human heart. Dysregulation of these elements can result in many cardiovascular diseases that are major leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. In addition, genetic variants associated with cardiovascular disease risk are enriched within cis-regulatory elements. However, the location and activity of these cis-regulatory elements in individual cardiac cell types remains to be fully defined. Methods: We performed single nucleus ATAC-seq and single nucleus RNA-seq to define a comprehensive catalogue of candidate cis-regulatory elements (cCREs) and gene expression patterns for the distinct cell types comprising each chamber of four non-failing human hearts. We used this catalogue to computationally deconvolute dynamic enhancers in failing hearts and to assign cardiovascular disease risk variants to cCREs in individual cardiac cell types. Finally, we applied reporter assays, genome editing, and electrophysiogical measurements in in vitro differentiated human cardiomyocytes to validate the molecular mechanisms of cardiovascular disease risk variants. Results: We defined >287,000 candidate cis-regulatory elements (cCREs) in human hearts at single-cell resolution, which notably revealed gene regulatory programs controlling specific cell types in a cardiac region/structure-dependent manner and during heart failure. We further report enrichment of cardiovascular disease risk variants in cCREs of distinct cardiac cell types, including a strong enrichment of atrial fibrillation variants in cardiomyocyte cCREs, and reveal 38 candidate causal atrial fibrillation variants localized to cardiomyocyte cCREs. Two such risk variants residing within a cardiomyocyte-specific cCRE at the KCNH2/HERG locus resulted in reduced enhancer activity compared to the non-risk allele. Finally, we found that deletion of the cCRE containing these variants decreased KCNH2 expression and prolonged action potential repolarization in an enhancer dosage-dependent manner. Conclusion: This comprehensive atlas of human cardiac cCREs provides the foundation for not only illuminating cell type-specific gene regulatory programs controlling human hearts during health and disease, but also interpreting genetic risk loci for a wide spectrum of cardiovascular diseases.

  Study phs002204

• NHLBI GO-ESP: Family Studies (Mendelian Lipid Disorders)

  The NHLBI "Grand Opportunity" Exome Sequencing Project (GO-ESP), a signature project of the NHLBI Recovery Act investment, was designed to identify genetic variants in coding regions (exons) of the human genome (the "exome") that are associated with heart, lung and blood diseases. These and related diseases that are of high impact to public health and individuals from diverse racial and ethnic groups will be studied. These data may help researchers understand the causes of disease, contributing to better ways to prevent, diagnose, and treat diseases, as well as determine whether to tailor prevention and treatments to specific populations. This could lead to more effective treatments and reduce the likelihood of side effects. GO-ESP is comprised of five collaborative components: 3 cohort consortia - HeartGO, LungGO, and WHISP - and 2 sequencing centers - BroadGO and SeattleGO. In this study, we seek to identify the genetic cause of two monogenic lipid disorders-severe hypercholesterolemia and familial hypoalphalipoproteinemia. Monogenic severe hypercholesterolemia is clinically characterized by elevated total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels in plasma. Elevated LDL-cholesterol levels lead to excessive deposition of cholesterol in arterial walls, which eventually results in accelerated atherosclerosis and premature cardiovascular disease (CVD). Monogenic hypercholesterolemia has a prevalence of approximately one in 500 individuals, making it one of the most common inherited disorders. To date, mutations in the LDL receptor (LDLR) ligand-binding domains of APOB and PCSK9 have been shown to cause hypercholesterolemia. While mutations in these genes can explain a large percentage of clinically diagnosed patients, the underlying molecular determinant in a substantial fraction of patients remains unknown. Familial hypoalphalipoproteinemia (low HDL-C) is defined by an HDL-C below the age- and sex- specific 10th percentile. ABCA1, LCAT, and APOA1 are known to cause familial hypoalphalipoproteinemia. We hypothesize that: (1) additional novel genes responsible for Mendelian forms of low HDL-C exist; and (2) the causal gene and mutation(s) in each family may be discovered with exome analysis of just a few affected individuals in each pedigree.

  Study phs000587

• Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Cohort

  The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study, sponsored by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), is a prospective epidemiologic study conducted in four U.S. communities. The four communities are Forsyth County, NC; Jackson, MS; the northwest suburbs of Minneapolis, MN; and Washington County, MD. ARIC is designed to investigate the etiology and natural history of atherosclerosis, the etiology of clinical atherosclerotic diseases, and variation in cardiovascular risk factors, medical care and disease by race, gender, location, and date. ARIC includes two parts: the Cohort Component and the Community Surveillance Component. The Cohort Component began in 1987, and each ARIC field center randomly selected and recruited a cohort sample of approximately 4,000 individuals aged 45-64 from a defined population in their community. A total of 15,792 participants received an extensive examination, including medical, social, and demographic data. These participants were examined with the baseline visit occurring in 1987-89, the second visit in 1990-92, the third visit in 1993-95, the fourth visit in 1996-98, the fifth visit in 2011-13, the sixth visit 2016-17 and the seventh visit 2018-19. Follow-up occurs yearly by telephone to maintain contact with participants and to assess health status of the cohort. In the Community Surveillance Component, these four communities were investigated to determine the community-wide occurrence of hospitalized myocardial infarction and coronary heart disease deaths in men and women aged 35-84 years. Hospitalized stroke is investigated in cohort participants only. Starting in 2006, the study conducted community surveillance of inpatient (ages 55 years and older) and outpatient heart failure (ages 65 years and older) for heart failure events beginning in 2005. Community Surveillance for non-cohorts ended in event year 2014. ARIC is currently funded through 2028. The ARIC Cohort is utilized in the following dbGaP sub-studies. To view genotypes, other molecular data, and derived variables collected in these sub-studies, please click on the following sub-studies below or in the "Sub-studies" section of this top-level study page phs000280 ARIC Cohort. phs000557 ARIC_CARe phs000090 GENEVA_ARIC phs000223 PAGE_CALiCo_ARIC phs000398 GO-ESP: HeartGo_ARIC phs000668 CHARGE_ARIC phs000860 MICORTEX phs001536 CCDG_ARIC

  Study phs000280

• Temporal Lobe Epilepsy and Retrotransposons

  Idiopathic (cryptogenic) epilepsy is a common, chronic group of brain disorders, affecting 1-2% of the US population, creating a significant public health problem because of the associated morbidity and mortality. One subtype of this complex group of brain disorders, temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), is particularly burdensome, because a substantial fraction of patients do not respond to anticonvulsant medications. If the seizure focus can be localized by imaging and/or EEG, the TLE patient often elects to have a partial resection of the affected temporal lobe, because they have daily seizures, despite multiple pharmacotherapy regimens. Although genetic risk is thought to play a role in TLE, identification of common risk alleles has had limited success. In the past 5 years, data have accumulated to prove that neuronal embryogenesis is accompanied by activation of LINE1 (L1) retrotransposons (RTPs) to an unexpected degree, such that developing neurons may accumulate de novo L1 insertions. This results in a substantial mosaicism within populations of CNS neurons. While most of these somatic de novo L1s will have little effect on neuronal function (perhaps because they occur in gene deserts or in large introns or in genes not required for that cell's function), some may interfere with normal neuronal activity because they have inserted into a gene needed by that particular neuron for normal function. If one or more functional de novo L1s occur early in CNS development, all the daughter neurons that derive from that neuronal precursor will also carry the L1 insertion, perhaps leading to a dysfunctional population of neurons destined to become an epileptic focus. This study leveraged CNS tissue (obtained at craniotomy) from patients with intractable TLE, who have undergone a therapeutic partial resection of one temporal lobe. Using fluorescence-assisted cell sorting of temporal lobe neuronal nuclei, followed by high-throughput sequencing and alignment to the reference genome, detection of de novo L1s will be done. In this manner, it is expected that de-novo intragenic L1s, contributing to idiopathic TLE, will be discovered.

  Study phs002067

• NIDDK IBD Genetics Consortium Crohn's Disease Genome-Wide Association Study

  This dataset contains data from a genome-wide association study performed with 968 Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) affected cases and 995 unrelated controls using the Illumina HumanHap300 Genotyping BeadChip. Cases were selected to have Crohn's disease with ileal involvement, and controls were matched to cases based on sex and year of birth. Subjects were drawn from two cohorts: (1) persons with non-Jewish, European ancestry (561 cases and 563 controls), and (2) persons with Jewish ancestry (407 cases and 432 controls). Genotyping was performed at the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research. Seven-hundred fifty-four of the samples (468 cases and 286 controls) were taken from the NIDDK IBD Genetics Consortium cell line repository. These samples are identified in the IBD_Sample file. The subject IDs for these individuals may be used to request corresponding samples for follow-up research through the repository. In addition, complete phenotype data for these individuals are available, together with the Consortium's phenotyping manual and the forms used to collect the data. The remaining 1,209 samples were obtained from pre-existing collections ascertained through Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Johns Hopkins University, University of Chicago, University of Montreal, University of Pittsburgh, University of Toronto, and the New York Health project (controls only). For these samples, only sex, cohort (Jewish vs. non-Jewish), and age at diagnosis (cases only) are available. Two-hundred three individuals from among the pre-existing samples did not provide consent to release their genotype data (designated as consent group 2 in the file IBD_Subject). Thus, individual genotype data are only provided for 1,760 samples. To compensate for this, we have provided summary results for each SNP. These are based on a stratified analysis testing case/control association. Fifty-one samples had a call rate less than 93% and were therefore excluded from this analysis, leaving an overall sample size of 1,963 - 51 = 1,912. X Chromosome Heterozygosity Nine samples have X chromosome heterozygosity that is neither consistent nor inconsistent with their phenotypic sex. One of these samples was found to have Turner Syndrome. The remaining 8 samples have heterozygosity ranging from 35-76%.

  Study phs000130

• National Institute on Aging (NIA) SardiNIA Study

  Sardinia is the second largest island in the Mediterranean and constitutes a genetically isolated founder population. This population has aided in the identification of genes involved in several Mendelian disorders and is attractive for genetic studies due to its organization in long-established settlements that developed from an initial group of founder settlers (~1,000) thousands of years ago. The current study has recruited 6,148 Sardinians aged 14 and older, from a cluster of four towns in the Lanusei Valley in the Ogliastra region of the province of Nuoro. This sample corresponds to approximately 62% of the population eligible in the area for recruitment. Information collected during enrollment allowed the individuals to be organized into 711 complex pedigrees, each up to five generations deep, with an average kinship coefficient of 0.1628. All volunteers have been characterized for 98 quantitative traits. Traits include anthropomorphic measures, plasma and serum markers (including cholesterol and other markers of cardiovascular disease), and personality traits (using the five-factor model). The main goal of the study is to examine phenotypic similarities between relatives that yield information on the overall contributions of genes to trait variability. Data given here provide p-values for 98 traits studied in 1,412 individuals, based on genotyping with the Affymetrix 500K chip and imputed markers using the HapMap population as a reference (N=2,259,179). Sharing this genome assessment data at high level of resolution for a variety of quantitative traits will be useful for other groups to validate newly observed associations and to investigate possible pleiotropic effects. For ulterior information, and in particular for any individual genotype information, a formal request should be addressed to the Steering Committee, c/o David Schlessinger, Chief, Laboratory of Genetics, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, NIH Biomedical Research Center, 251 Bayview Blvd., Suite 100 Baltimore, MD 21224 USA and should include IRB approval of a detailed proposal, along with a signed statement guaranteeing that no attempt will be made to identify any individual participant.

  Study phs000338

• NHLBI GO-ESP: Heart Cohorts Exome Sequencing Project (Ischemic Stroke Genetic Study, ISGS)

  The NHLBI "Grand Opportunity" Exome Sequencing Project (GO-ESP), a signature project of the NHLBI Recovery Act investment, was designed to identify genetic variants in coding regions (exons) of the human genome (the "exome") that are associated with heart, lung and blood diseases. These and related diseases that are of high impact to public health and individuals from diverse racial and ethnic groups will be studied. These data may help researchers understand the causes of disease, contributing to better ways to prevent, diagnose, and treat diseases, as well as determine whether to tailor prevention and treatments to specific populations. This could lead to more effective treatments and reduce the likelihood of side effects. GO-ESP is comprised of five collaborative components: 3 cohort consortia - HeartGO, LungGO, and WHISP - and 2 sequencing centers - BroadGO and SeattleGO. The Ischemic Stroke Genetics Study (ISGS) is a study of newly onset cases (~600) with ischemic stroke (a stroke due to sudden interruption of blood flow to a part of the brain) compared with sex- and age-matched non-stroke participants. The study was conducted to determine the genes and their variants that contribute to an individual's risk of developing an ischemic stroke. The coordination of the recruitment and flow of the samples occurred at the Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, under the direction of James F. Meschia, MD. The University of Virginia (Stephen S. Rich, PhD) served as the analytic site for the genetic data. All GWAS data on ISGS participants have been deposited into dbGaP. As part of the NHLBI Exome Sequencing Project, DNA from a subset of ISGS participants will undergo exome sequencing. For the NHLBI ESP, a subset of 92 individuals with lacunar (small vessel) or atherosclerotic (large vessel) TOAST subtypes were selected from among all ISGS participants, excluding those individuals with TOAST subtypes of stroke of other etiology or of stroke with undetermined etiology. All 92 samples pass initial quality control metrics and 89 samples completed exome sequencing. A total of 75 participants with appropriate consent and variant calls had their genetic and phenotypic data deposited into dbGaP.

  Study phs000546

• CTN - 0051: Extended-Release Naltrexone vs. Buprenorphine for Opioid Treatment (X:BOT)

  The overarching goal of CTN-0051 is to foster adoption of new relapse-prevention pharmacotherapies in community-based treatment programs (CTPs) where these could have a substantial public health impact. To this end CTN-0051 will assess the comparative effectiveness of extended-release injectable naltrexone (XR-NTX, Vivitrol®), an opioid antagonist recently approved and indicated for the prevention of relapse to opioid dependence, versus buprenorphine-naloxone (BUP-NX, Suboxone®), a high affinity partial agonist indicated for maintenance treatment of opioid dependence, as pharmacotherapeutic aids to recovery. The study is conducted in 8 CTN-affiliated CTPs that provide or partner with detoxification services (inpatient/residential) which have the capacity to maintain participants opioid-free for approximately 3-7 days, have the capacity to provide medication-assisted therapy, and can provide a minimum of one group or individual counseling session per week during the 24-week treatment period. Up to 600 eligible participants will be randomized to treatment with XR-NTX or BUP-NX for 24 weeks (sufficient to include 350 participants who are randomized more than 72 hours after their last opioid). To maximize generalizability, the point of randomization is flexible, from shortly after program admission until just prior to program discharge. The primary goal of the study is to estimate the difference, if one exists, between XR-NTX and BUP-NX in the distribution of the time to relapse (i.e., loss of persistent abstinence) during the 6-month trial. The primary outcome measure is the time to the event, with the event called relapse. Secondary objectives are to: (1) compare outcome on XR-NTX versus BUP-NX across a range of clinical safety and secondary efficacy domains, (2) explore demographic, clinical, and genetic predictors of successful treatment and moderators of differential effectiveness (i.e., what variables may help clinicians choose which of these treatments is best for a given patient), and (3) collect a limited dataset to permit analyses of economic costs and benefits of the two treatments.

  Study phs002876

• NHLBI GO-ESP: Lung Cohorts Exome Sequencing Project (Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension)

  The NHLBI "Grand Opportunity" Exome Sequencing Project (GO-ESP), a signature project of the NHLBI Recovery Act investment, was designed to identify genetic variants in coding regions (exons) of the human genome (the "exome") that are associated with heart, lung and blood diseases. These and related diseases that are of high impact to public health and individuals from diverse racial and ethnic groups will be studied. These data may help researchers understand the causes of disease, contributing to better ways to prevent, diagnose, and treat diseases, as well as determine whether to tailor prevention and treatments to specific populations. This could lead to more effective treatments and reduce the likelihood of side effects. GO-ESP is comprised of five collaborative components: 3 cohort consortia - HeartGO, LungGO, and WHISP - and 2 sequencing centers - BroadGO and SeattleGO. The syndrome of pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a pulmonary disease that carries very high morbidity and mortality. Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a category of PH (WHO Group 1) that includes several entities (idiopathic or heritable PAH, and PAH associated with other diseases such as connective tissue diseases including scleroderma-associated PAH) and carries a dismal prognosis, in particular when it relates to scleroderma-associated PAH (median survival of about 4 years). It is believed that the severity of structural changes involving the pulmonary vasculature and right ventricular failure are genetically determined. The 'Genomics and Genetics of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension' study at Johns Hopkins University aims to identify genetic determinants associated with risk of PAH in a cohort of European American and African American participants with and without PAH. The study also focuses on patients with scleroderma, who are further stratified according to those who have or do not have PAH. The broad goals of the Lung GO/ESP-GO falls into two general categories: (i) discovery of all variants (i.e., common and rare) in all protein-coding regions of the human genome (i.e., the exome) conferring risk to complex pulmonary diseases including PAH. The Johns Hopkins University PAH cohort offers a unique opportunity to elucidate genetic variants that cause PAH.

  Study phs000290

• 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

• National Institute of Environmental Health (NIEHS) Sciences Study of Somatic Mutation Load in Clones of Single Human Cells

  Accumulation of genetic changes with time and proliferation of cells is inevitable. We report here the genome-wide magnitude and spectra of mutations accrued in skin fibroblasts over the lifetime of healthy humans. We found that every cell contains at least one somatic chromosomal rearrangement and 600 - 13,000 base substitutions, similar to the median mutation load in human cancers. The mutation spectra and correlation of changes with epigenomic features also resemble many human cancers. Interestingly, the magnitude of ultraviolet light-characteristic mutations, representative of environmental mutagenesis, in sun-exposed skin was comparable to the number of mutations attributed to endogenous DNA damage estimated in unexposed cells. Our methodology allows delineating the precise contributions of environmental and endogenous factors to the accrual of genetic changes in the human body. This is fundamental to understanding the etiology, and improving the prognosis and prevention of cancers and other genetic diseases.

  Study phs001182

• Resolving the immune landscape of human prostate at a single cell level in health and cancer

  The prostate gland produces prostatic fluid, high in zinc and citrate and essential for the maintenance of spermatozoa. Prostate cancer is a common condition with limited treatment efficacy in castration-resistant metastatic disease, including with immune checkpoint inhibitors. We used single-cell RNA-sequencing to perform an unbiased assessment of the cellular landscape of human prostate and identified a previously unappreciated subset of tumour-enriched androgen receptor-negative luminal epithelial cells, with increased expression of cancer-associated genes. We also found a variety of innate and adaptive immune cells in normal prostate that were transcriptionally perturbed in prostate cancer. An exception was a unique, prostate-specific, zinc transporter-expressing macrophage population (MAC-MT), that contributed to tissue zinc accumulation in homeostasis, but showed enhanced inflammatory gene expression in tumours, including T cell-recruiting chemokines. Remarkably, enrichment of the MAC-MT signature in cancer biopsies was associated with improved disease-free survival, suggesting beneficial anti-tumour functions.

  Study EGAS00001005787

• EuCANCan: EUropean-CANadian Cancer network

  The EUropean-CANadian Cancer network (EuCANCan) is a project aiming to develop a federated network of aligned and interoperable infrastructures for the homogeneous analysis, management and sharing of genomic oncology data for Personalized Medicine. This initiative, funded by the European Commission and the Canadian Institutes of Health and coordinated by the Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC), is expected to process and provide the scientific community with around 30-35 thousand patient samples from different types of cancer, coming from different nodes involved in this project, during the four years of the project. Data generated as part of primary studies, often in small hospitals or research centers, is hardly reused by other projects or groups. EuCANCan is proposed to foster the homogenisation and discoverability of cancer samples from very different sources for the whole community. These efforts will help paving the way to future standardised and global genomics projects, specially for those participant countries that eventually integrate the methodology and infrastructure generated during the project. “The more data we have access to the more and better discoveries. We attempt to overcome the legal and technical limitations in order to generate, gather and exploit bigger datasets as well as answer more ambitious questions”. These were some of the words Dr. David Torrents, main coordinator of the project, shared with a regional radio during the kick-off meeting of the project, on February 11th, 2019. The EUCANCan network will be composed of reference nodes in Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Heidelberg, Paris and Toronto which have established strong research and clinical programs in the field of genomic oncology. The Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), specifically the European Genome-phenome Archive (EGA), is among the leading institutions. Its exhaustive experience in biomedical data archival and secure distribution is considered key for crucial developments within the project. It is also notable the recent inclusion of EUCANCan in the list of GA4GH driver projects. Further information and details can be found in the following links: InsideHPC BSC official description Techweek (Spanish)

  Blog eucancan

• Data Use Ontology (DUO) at EGA

  For those of you that follow the updates of GA4GH you will have seen the unanimous approval of the steering committee for DUO to be included in its suite of technical standards for the sharing of genomic and health related data. DUO has three main features: Each term has been generated by the community and includes a human readable definition that can be expanded where necessary. It is a machine-readable file that encodes how that data can be used and how a researcher intends to use the data. Can be implemented alongside an advanced search algorithm which would allow authenticated users to query and gain access to datasets pertaining to their research. e.g., an industry researcher working on cancer could potentially be matched to any dataset that is allowed for commercial use and for cancer research and offered the opportunity to fetch them automatically. So, what does this mean for EGA? EGA as a driver project has adopted this standard and will be utilizing it for two main purposes in the first instance. i) It will allow EGA users to instantly identify what terms they will need to agree to as part of any Data Access Agreements. This will save valuable time for both applicants and Data Access Committees alike - as you will be able to see if you are likely to be able to access the data based on your research intentions and working background. ii) In the future it will allow users to be able to search for data based on Data Use Ontology terms e.g., you could search for all data that can be used for General Research Use (GRU). As EGA moves forwards submitters will be asked to align their data access policies with DUO so that their dataset(s) can be tagged appropriately on our web pages. If you would like to add DUO to any of your existing datasets, or to any future datasets, do please just let us know.

  Blog data-use-ontology

• Determination of cell specific regulatory enhancers in hematopoetic models

  The BLUEPRINT project is a large-scale project investigating epigenetic mechanisms involved in blood formation, in health and disease. The human variation workpackage (WP10, led by NS) of the project seeks to characterize the effect of common sequence variation on the epigenome status of a cell. To do this, the project will use highly purified blood cells to minimise "experimental noise" and therefore enhance the power to discover modest effects. Two peripheral blood cell types, the CD14+CD16- monocyte (an important central orchestrator of adaptive immunity and a bridge between innate and adaptive immunity) and the CD65+CD9- neutrophilic granulocyte (the frontline cell for innate immunity) have been selected for this purpose. The two types of cells will be obtained at high purity from adult blood (AB) of 200 healthy males and females, respectively. Cells will be purified by using already validated and fully operational protocols that are based on density gradient centrifugation of the buffy coat obtained from whole blood, followed by magnetic bead-based purification using monoclonal antibodies against Cluster of Differentiation (CD) lineage-specific cell surface markers. Units of 475 ml of AB will be obtained from consenting volunteers of the Cambridge BioResource (CBR), a panel of 10,000 healthy volunteers local to Cambridge who have already consented to participate in biomedical research and of whom biological samples (DNA, plasma, serum) and lifestyle data have been deposited in a repository and database, respectively. We are requesting funding from the Human Diversity project to sequence the genomes of the 200 CBR volunteers at low pass (6x coverage). Nuclei, DNA and RNA will be recovered from the purified cells and made available for RNA-seq, DNA-seq and ChIP-seq and genomic DNA for entire genome sequencing will be recovered from the DNA repository.

  Dataset EGAD00001002205

• Evaluation Study of Congestive Heart Failure and Pulmonary Artery Catheterization Effectiveness (ESCAPE-BioLINCC)

  Accessing Data Please refer to “Authorized Access” below regarding accessing data through the BioData Catalyst ecosystem. The data from this accession is not available for download through dbGaP. Objectives To test whether pulmonary artery catheter use was safe and could improve clinical outcomes in participants hospitalized with recurrent heart failure. Background Pulmonary artery catheters have been used to guide adjustment of therapy in multiple settings, but recent studies have raised concern that pulmonary artery catheters may lead to increased mortality in hospitalized participants. Participants A total of 433 participants at 26 sites were enrolled, and randomly assigned to receive therapy guided by clinical assessment and the pulmonary artery catheter or clinical assessment alone. Patients with acute decompensation in which the attending heart failure physician considered pulmonary artery catheterization (PAC) was required or likely to be required within the next 24 hours were entered into a PAC registry. A total of 439 patients were added to the registry. Conclusions Therapy to reduce volume overload during hospitalization for heart failure led to marked improvement in signs and symptoms of elevated filling pressures, with or without the pulmonary artery catheter. Addition of the pulmonary artery catheter to careful clinical assessment did not impact overall mortality and hospitalization. Future trials should test noninvasive assessments with specific treatment strategies that could be used to better tailor therapy for both survival time and survival quality as valued by participants. (Binanay, C. et al., JAMA, 2005)

  Study phs003782

• Whole Genome Scan for Pancreatic Cancer Risk in the Pancreatic Cancer Cohort Consortium and Pancreatic Cancer Case-Control Consortium (PanScan)

  Within the framework of the NCI-sponsored Cohort Consortium, investigators from 12 prospective epidemiologic cohorts formed the Pancreatic Cancer Cohort Consortium in 2006. This study, also known as "PanScan", is funded by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and involves conducting a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of common genetic variants to identify markers of susceptibility to pancreatic cancer. In 2007, the study was expanded to include 8 case-control studies. The study team includes scientists from the cohorts comprising the Consortium, the NCI and the Pancreatic Cancer Case Control Consortium (PanC4). PanScan I and II were conducted in 12 cohort studies and 8 case-control studies, leading to the discovery of four novel regions in the genome associated with risk for pancreatic adenocarcinoma. The third phase of PanScan (PanScan III) was conducted using recently identified incident pancreatic cancer cases drawn from fourteen cohorts from the cohort consortium, including nine prospective cohorts who participated in PanScan I, and five newly joined cohorts. The nine cohort studies that participated in PanScan I and had new genotyping of cases in PanScan III include ATBC, CPS-II, EPIC, HPFS, NHS, PHS, PLCO, SMWHS, and WHI; the five newly joined cohort studies include the Agricultural Health Study (AHS), the Multiethnic Cohort Study (MEC), the Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study (MCCS), the Vitamins and Lifestyle Study (VITAL), and Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial (SELECT). In addition to the cases from cohorts, we also included cases from the Gastrointestinal Cancer Clinic of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Study (DFCI-GCC); from the University Hospital in Heidelberg, Germany, which is part of a larger European clinical case-control study (PANDoRA); and from clinic-based cases from eastern Spain (PANKRAS-II). The dbGaP datasets available include all subjects previously made available from PanScan I and II, plus 1,582 new incident pancreatic cancer cases of European descent from prospective cohorts, case-control studies or case series (genotyped as part of PanScan III). Also included are 61 pancreatic cancer cases and 67 control subjects from PanScan I as well as 173 pancreatic cancer cases from PanScan III of Asian ancestry from the Shanghai Men's and Women's Health Study (Supplemental Table 10, Wolpin et al. (Nat Genet, 2014)). The control population used in the analysis for the Wolpin et al. manuscript included cancer-free individuals from the prospective cohorts that contributed pancreatic cancer cases to PanScan III and controls from the Spanish Bladder Cancer SBC/EPICURO study that were previously genotyped using the OmniExpress, Omni 1M or Omni 2.5M SNP arrays. The data from these control subjects were posted to dbGaP under the GWAS in which they were initially genotyped and will not be made available in duplicate under this dbGaP study.The summary statistics for PanScan I-III were generated as detailed in Wolpin BM. et al., Genome-wide association study identifies multiple susceptibility loci for pancreatic cancer, Nature Genetics 2014; 46(9):994-1000 (https://www.nature.com/articles/ng.3052), and Klein, A. et al., Genome-wide meta-analysis identifies five new susceptibility loci for pancreatic cancer, Nature Communications, 2018;9(1):556 (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-018-02942-5). The dataset includes results from an association study of 5,117 individuals diagnosed with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and 8,845 control individuals, or a total of 13,962 subjects of European ancestry (as compared to the genotype and phenotype information under this project that includes 9,437 individuals (PanScan I and II PDAC case and control individuals and PanScan III PDAC cases only). This is due to the fact that PanScan III “borrowed” GWAS data from control individuals genotyped separately from the PanScan GWAS project and are therefore not included as raw genotypes in phs000206.v5.p3. Association analysis was performed separately for PanScan I-II and PanScan III, followed by a meta-analysis of the two datasets. Results were filtered based on a minor allele frequency (MAF) < 0.01, an imputation INFO score < 0.3 and a heterogeneity P-value < 1x10-10 leaving a total of 9,758,390 variants. Columns in the summary statistics dataset are as follows: ID: variant rsIDChr: chromosome numberPosition: position in the chromosome, genome build GRCh37/hg19MarkerName: variant identifierAllele1: reference alleleAllele2: alternative alleleFreq1: allele frequency for allele2FreqSE: standard error of the allele frequencyMinFreq: the minimal allele frequency across studiesMaxFreq: the max allele frequency across studiesEffect: effect size for allele2StdErr: standard errorP-value: meta-analysis p-valueDirection: summary of effect direction for each studyHetISq: I^2 statistic which measures heterogeneity on scale of 0-100%HetChiSq: chi-squared statistic in simple test of heterogeneityHetDf: degrees of freedom for heterogeneity statisticHetPVal: P-value for heterogeneity statistic

  Study phs000206

• Treatment of Pulmonary Hypertension and Sickle Cell Disease with Sildenafil Therapy (Walk-PHaSST)

  Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a progressive condition characterized by narrowing or stiffening pulmonary arterioles resulting in increased pulmonary blood pressure and reduced delivery of oxygenated blood to the body. It is a common complication of sickle cell disease and initially presents with the symptom of shortness of breath (dyspnea) on exertion. As the condition worsens, other symptoms such as dizziness, lower extremity edema, and chest pain can develop. The drug, sildenafil, works by relaxing blood vessels in the lungs which reduces pulmonary blood pressure and allows more oxygenated blood to circulate. Increased levels of oxygenated blood allows individuals with PAH to tolerate more activity, but guidelines for using sildenafil in patients with PAH and sickle cell disease were unavailable at the time of the Walk-PHaSST trial.Participants were screened for the existence of pulmonary hypertension with a six minute walk test and a Doppler echocardiogram that assessed TRV, diastolic function, and valvular and systolic function. Subjects with TRV ≥ 2.7 m/s received further clinical evaluation for possible causes of pulmonary hypertension. Other screening data included medical history, a physical exam, and standard laboratory testing. For individuals with moderate to severe pulmonary hypertension (TRV ≥ 3.0), a cardiac catheterization was done at the baseline and week 16 data collection periods.Subjects eligible for the main intervention trial based on screening results were randomized in a 1:1 double blind fashion to receive sildenafil or placebo for 16 weeks. Subjects received 20 mg of oral sildenafil or matching placebo 3 times daily for 6 weeks, followed by 40 mg 3 times daily for 4 weeks, followed by 80 mg 3 times daily for 6 weeks, as tolerated. Participants could also receive other therapies as needed to manage sickle cell and related complications. The primary outcome measure of the trial was change in the six minute walk test, a standard indicator of a person's heart and lung function and exercise capacity, from baseline to week 16. After completing the study treatment (or placebo), participants could choose to be part of the open-label follow-up phase of the study and continue to be assessed for up to one year.The study was intended to screen about 1000 subjects and randomize 132 subjects, however it was terminated early due to the unforeseen increase in adverse events in participants treated with sildenafil as compared to placebo. When the study was stopped, 33 participants had completed the trial. Subjects continued to be monitored, but were instructed to taper sildenafil treatment over three to seven days.There was no evidence that treatment with sildenafil impacted the six minute walk distance from baseline to week 16. In addition, treatment with sildenafil appeared to increase rates of hospitalization due to sickle cell disease pain.Due to in part to the early termination of the trial, the majority of subject data was collected from the screening phase of the study (n=720), as opposed to the main intervention trial (n=74).Instructions for requesting individual-level data are available on BioData Catalyst at https://biodatacatalyst.nhlbi.nih.gov/resources/data/. Apply for data access in dbGaP. Upon approval, users may begin accessing requested data in BioData Catalyst. For questions about availability, you may contact the BioData Catalyst team at https://biodatacatalyst.nhlbi.nih.gov/contact.

  Study phs002383

• Drug development for pediatric cancers: the importance of patient' s genomic data re-use

  Cancer in children is uncommon and the overall prognosis for most pediatric cancers is good. However, while the combined survival rates have improved over the last decades, certain childhood malignancies, such as high-grade gliomas or metastatic sarcomas, still remain incurable in most patients. New strategies for targeting those devastating diseases are imperative, and patient genomic data can become a key asset in the process [1]. The Pediatric Cancer Genome Project’s datasets At EGA, we store over 500 datasets with sequencing data from pediatric cancer patients. A remarkable case is the datasets belonging to the Pediatric Cancer Genome Project (PCGP) from St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital–Washington University (Table 1 - EGAS list). PCGP is an ambitious effort to identify the mutations that drive childhood cancer and find new cures. Those datasets include 600 patients with complete tumor and normal genomes from 15 different tumor types. PCGP datasets have been an important resource for various studies that pooled genomic data from different public and in-house datasets to perform extensive genomic characterizations and publish comprehensive pan-cancer pediatric studies [2],[3]. Other interesting pediatric cancer datasets are from the Pediatric Brain Tumor Consortium, Sickkids or ICGC PedBrain project. How data reuse impacts drug development for pediatric cancers Recently, in October 2024, Nature Communications published a work led by the University of Michigan where authors used data from EGA (PCGP) check the table below as part of their strategy to pursue the identification of new tumor vulnerabilities susceptible to becoming novel therapeutic targets in diffuse midline glioma. Diffuse midline gliomas (DMG) are treatment-resistant and uniformly fatal pediatric brain tumors. The prognosis of this brainstem tumor is dismal with a median overall survival of 9–12 months from diagnosis. In this study, the authors first developed a lab model of the disease and reanalyzed data from the EGA to identify genes potentially linked to tumor severity. This approach revealed involvement of specific metabolic pathways, suggesting new possibilities for therapeutic intervention. In mice, the study shows that the use of statins can improve survival. For a brief overview of the underlying science, diffuse midline gliomas present intratumor heterogeneity with subpopulations of less-differentiated oligodendrocyte precursors and more differentiated astrocytes. Authors established in vitro models to recapitulate both phenotypes and identify metabolic programs in both subpopulations. To determine the clinical relevance, the authors re-used gene expression data from 76 DMG patients identifying a gene signature predicting decreased overall survival. After extensive metabolic characterization of subpopulations, authors defined strategies to target specific metabolic vulnerabilities. Pre-clinical experiments in mice using OXPHOS inhibitors and statins showed a reduction in tumor burden and increased overall survival [4]. In this scenario, the re-use of high-quality patient’s sequencing data appeared as an advantageous strategy to support the clinical relevance of in-vitro and pre-clinical findings. On the other hand, in rare conditions such as childhood cancer, the availability of public datasets and the possibility of pooling data from different sources can be the only way to obtain impactful results that lead to improvements for patients. References Davidoff, A. M. Pediatric Oncology. Seminars in pediatric surgery 19, 225–233 (2010). Gröbner, S. N. et al. The landscape of genomic alterations across childhood cancers. Nature 555, 321–327 (2018). Venu Thatikonda et al. Comprehensive analysis of mutational signatures reveals distinct patterns and molecular processes across 27 pediatric cancers. Nature Cancer 4, 276–289 (2023). Mbah, N. E. et al. Therapeutic targeting of differentiation-state dependent metabolic vulnerabilities in diffuse midline glioma. Nature Communications 15, (2024). Datasets and Studies ID Title Access Policy Year EGAD00001000134 Driver mutations in histone H3.3 and chromatin remodelling genes in paediatric glioblastoma McGill-DKFZ Pediatric Brain Tumour Consortium 2016 EGAS0000100192 Somatic Histone H3 Mutations in Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Gliomas and Non-Brainstem Paediatric Glioblastomas St. Jude Children's Research Hospital - Washington University Pediatric Cancer Genome Project 2017 EGAS00001000575 Whole genome sequencing and whole exome sequencing of DIPG tumors and matched normal tissue The hospital for sick children ("SickKids") 2016 EGAD00001000792 Exome sequencing reads of paediatric glioblastoma McGill-DKFZ Pediatric Brain Tumour Consortium 2016 EGAD00001002006 Whole genome sequencing of paediatric glioblastoma in the ICGC PedBrain project ICGC PedBrain project 2016

  Blog drug-development-for-pediatric-cancers

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

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

  Study phs000383

• GEI Studies - Psoriasis

  The GEI Studies Project was started as an NIH consortium involving 5 disease groups with funding provided through the Genes, Environment, and Health Initiative (GEI). The objective of the project was to optimize strategies for identifying rare variants as a follow up to genome-wide association studies (GWAS) using next-generation sequencing technology. One of the five targeted diseases, Psoriasis, is a multifactorial skin disease characterized by epidermal hyperproliferation and chronic inflammation that affects approximately 2% of Americans. Because only about one-third of all patients with psoriasis have a relative who is also affected with the disorder, psoriasis is not widely recognized as a genetic disease. However, previous research on families and identical twins has shown psoriasis has a strong genetic component, although environmental factors (such as infections, stress, and injuries) are also important. Although no definite psoriasis gene has yet been identified, research during the last ten years has revealed over forty potential gene locations that may contribute to the disease. Large amounts of data generated using next-generation sequencing technology would provide a more detailed characterization of sequence variation which would in turn increase the likelihood of detecting causative loci. With the presumption that rare variants are frequently the cause of a large portion of phenotypic variation, it was necessary to use large sample sets. In the main body of this study, we sequenced 4,966 samples (812 dermatologist-diagnosed cases of purely cutaneous psoriasis (PsC), 1,497 cases of rheumatologist-diagnosed psoriatic arthritis, 665 cases of cutaneous psoriasis with uncertain psoriatic arthritis status (PsV) and 1,992 controls) across 5.7 Mb of sequence containing 100 psoriasis candidate loci and 769 genes. For each candidate locus, we considered sequences within 250 kb of the strongest association signal. Within this window, three strategies were employed. For ten of the strongest psoriasis signals, we used a whole-region approach which included non-coding intergenic and intronic sequence. For four established loci of lesser significance, we targeted all full transcription units within the +/- 250 kb interval. For the remaining signals, we targeted the exons of all transcription units within the +/- 250 kb interval. Due to complexities of high-efficiency targeting of HLA genes we selected 5 specific candidate genes for sequencing near the HLA-C gene.

  Study phs000766

• Cooperative Study of Sickle Cell Disease (CSSCD)

  The Cooperative Study of Sickle Cell Disease was initiated in 1977 to determine the natural history of sickle cell disease (SCD) from birth to death in order to identify those factors contributing to the morbidity and mortality of the disease. Specific objectives included: 1) to study the effect of sickle cell disease on growth and development from birth through adolescence 2) to study the conditions or events that may be related to the onset of painful crises 3) to obtain data on the nature, duration, and outcome of major complications of SCD 4) determine the nature, prevalence, and age- related incidence of organ damage due to SCD, and 5) study the role of SCD and its interaction with selected health events.Phases 2 and 3 of the study involved followup of the infant cohort. A total of 709 infants (age less than 6 months) were enrolled during Phase 1 of the Cooperative Study of Sickle Cell Disease (CSSCD), and Phases 2 and 3 of the CSSCD was designed to follow these children for an additional 10 years. The study objectives included: 1) define prospectively the natural history of sickle cell disease; 2) determine the relationships between cognitive and academic functioning and brain status as determined by MRI; 3) determine the cognitive or behavioral markers of silent infarct; 4) determine the relationship of family functioning on the Family Environment Scale (FES) to brain status, cognitive functioning, and social and demographic factors; 5) continue studies that will enhance the state of knowledge on the influence of sickle cell disease on the psychosocial adjustment of children and adolescents. Phase 2A of the study sought to examine the progression of organ damage in the heart, lung, kidney, and liver in adult cohort patients (born before 1/1/56) enrolled in phase 1 of the study between 3/79 and 5/81. A total of 620 patients from 11 centers were eligible for phase 2A.Instructions for requesting individual-level data are available on BioData Catalyst at https://biodatacatalyst.nhlbi.nih.gov/resources/data/. Apply for data access in dbGaP. Upon approval, users may begin accessing requested data in BioData Catalyst. For questions about availability, you may contact the BioData Catalyst team at https://biodatacatalyst.nhlbi.nih.gov/contact.

  Study phs002362

• (Epi)genetic Risk Architectures of Opioid-Dependent Brain

  With nearly 20,000 overdose deaths in 2014 alone, opioid addiction (OA) has emerged as one of the most pressing public health crises in recent US history. One-fifth of individuals who try heroin develop an addiction to opioids. Genetics is a major contributor to OA with an estimated 60% heritability, only somewhat less than schizophrenia (80%) which has recently seen substantial gains in identified underlying genetics. Yet, studies to date have failed to uncover most of the genes that predispose individuals to OA, leaving the overwhelming fraction of OA heritability unexplained. The proposed study takes a novel, integrated "omics-based" strategy to investigate the molecular basis of OA and uncover both genetic and epigenetic factors associated with opioid addiction. The premise for our approach is founded on studies from our labs, and others, implicating regulatory variation in common traits and diseases, including those associated with complex brain phenotypes like addiction. We have collected the largest known cohort of postmortem brains from addicts who overdosed on opioids, along with matched control brains from non-users. From both cases and control specimens, we will isolate cells from 2 regions of the brain closely implicated in the addiction phenotype: the Prefrontal Cortex (PFC) and the Nucleus Accumbens (NAc). In Aim 1, we propose ChIP-seq studies to identify regulatory elements that distinguish cases from controls and define the opioid addiction phenotype. The regulatory differences will be connected to their gene targets through high resolution in situ Hi-C. In Aim 2, we propose QTL-based approaches to identify genetic variants that underlie the regulatory differences (hmQTLs). We also propose eQTL analyses to identify genetic variants that underlie differences in transcript levels between cases and controls. Aim 3 leverages the largest heroin addiction GWAS meta-analysis to date to test the hypothesis that SNPs in regions associated with chromatin and expression differences between cases and controls define novel loci for predisposition to OA. Each Aim has the potential for discovery independent of the others (differential HM, RNAexp, QTLs, and variant-phenotype associations) but their synergy is the most powerful component of the proposed study: identifying regulatory pathways that generate, not only phenotype associations, but hypothesized mechanisms for those associations which can be the focus of new opioid addiction prevention and treatment development.

  Study phs002724

• NHLBI GO-ESP Family Studies: Idiopathic Bronchiectasis of unknown etiology that is not related to cystic fibrosis or classic primary ciliary dyskinesia or immune deficiency or any other known causes

  The NHLBI "Grand Opportunity" Exome Sequencing Project (GO-ESP), a signature project of the NHLBI Recovery Act investment, was designed to identify genetic variants in coding regions (exons) of the human genome (the "exome") that are associated with heart, lung and blood diseases. These and related diseases that are of high impact to public health and individuals from diverse racial and ethnic groups will be studied. These data may help researchers understand the causes of disease, contributing to better ways to prevent, diagnose, and treat diseases, as well as determine whether to tailor prevention and treatments to specific populations. This could lead to more effective treatments and reduce the likelihood of side effects. GO-ESP is comprised of five collaborative components: 3 cohort consortia - HeartGO, LungGO, and WHISP - and 2 sequencing centers - BroadGO and SeattleGO. The major goal of this project is to apply next generation resequencing technology to identify disease-causing variants that cause bronchiectasis of unknown etiology (e.g. non cystic fibrosis (CF), classic primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD), immune deficiency, or any other known cause of bronchiectasis), i.e., "idiopathic bronchiectasis." As part of our ongoing efforts to define the genetic cause of rare lung diseases, we have also studied families in whom diagnosis of PCD or other known etiologies could not be confirmed. We have systematically collected and stored the DNA and phenotypic data on each of the families in our cohort. The phenotypic data includes age, gender, ethnicity information, clinical data pertaining to the airways disease, including neonatal respiratory distress, otitis media, sinusitis and bronchiectasis, ciliary ultrastructure analysis, and microbial colonization (status of nontuberculosis mycobacterium). During the course of our study, we have acquired 98 unrelated patients in whom bronchiectasis seemed to be of unknown causes. We will be using 11 unrelated patients, 5 unrelated affected sib-pairs, and 3 affected sibs from a family from this cohort, based on 1) development of bronchiectasis in the absence of smoking, 2) a good family pedigree with available DNA, and 3) a family history of bronchiectasis and/or occurrence of airways disease in a sibling. Classic CF, PCD and immune deficiency were ruled out, based on the tests described above. Alpha-1 antiprotease deficiency work up was negative and none of the patients were tobacco users or smokers.

  Study phs000518

• Center for Common Disease Genomics [CCDG] - Cardiovascular: Cardiology Biobanking for Biomarker Discovery

  This study is a part of NHGRI's Center for Common Disease Genomics, which is a collaborative large-scale genome sequencing effort to comprehensively identify rare risk and protective variants contributing to multiple common disease phenotypes. Current estimates anticipate that the CCDG program will sequence approximately 140K whole genomes and 225K whole exomes during the life of the project. The Cardiovascular Disease working group of the CCDG considered five diseases: early-onset coronary artery disease (EOCAD), stroke, atrial fibrillation, congestive heart failure and type 2 diabetes. Atrial fibrillation will affect between 6-12 million individuals in the US by 2050. AF also is associated with increased risks of stroke, dementia, heart failure, death, and high health care costs. Many risk factors for AF have been identified, including advancing age, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and CVD risk factors. However, there is little knowledge how to prevent AF. Furthermore, therapies for AF are only partially effective, and are themselves associated with substantial morbidity. Previously, heritable forms of AF have been considered rare; yet in the last decade, it has been established that AF, and in particular early-onset forms of AF, are heritable. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) provide a powerful tool to identify common variants underlying disease risk. The AFGen Consortium currently consists of investigators from more than 25 studies with >20,000 individuals with AF and >100,000 without AF. In the latest analyses, 14 loci have been identified for AF1. Broadly, the loci implicate genes related to cardiopulmonary development, cardiac-expressed ion channels, and cell signaling molecules.Source: https://ccdg.rutgers.edu/sites/default/files/CCDG_CVD_EOAF_FINAL_w_link.pdfThe BioHEART study is a multi-center, prospective, observational cohort study to identify new biomarkers in stable coronary artery disease (CAD) and acute myocardial infarction (MI) (ACTRN12618001322224). Participants are recruited at time of clinically indicated computed tomography (CT) coronary angiogram (CTCA). 1,950 of 5,000 planned participants have been recruited and serum/plasma/erythrocytes/monocytes stored, with follow-up ongoing. CTCA imaging studies provides volumetric quantification of total calcified and non-calcified plaque, which is assessed using established and novel scoring systems. Comprehensive molecular phenotyping is performed on blood samples using state-of-the-art genomic, transcriptomic, proteomics, metabolomic, lipidomic, and immunophenotyping. Outcome data will be used to build improved risk models for CAD.Reference: http://www.anzctr.org.au/ - ACTRN12618001322224

  Study phs002726

• International Consortium to Identify Genes and Interactions Controlling Oral Clefts

  Oral clefts represent the most common group of craniofacial birth defects in humans, and include cleft lip with or without cleft palate (CL/P) and cleft palate (CP). Oral clefts have a complex and heterogeneous etiology, with strong evidence for both genetic and environmental causal factors. Candidate gene studies and genome wide linkage studies have yielded compelling but inconsistent evidence that multiple genes control risk, and several studies have shown evidence for interaction between genes and environmental exposures, especially maternal smoking and nutrient intake. This consortium pulls together a very large collection of cases and their parents from multiple populations, and offers a unique opportunity to expand the search for genes controlling risk to the genome wide level. The specific aims are: To conduct a genome wide analysis on 2000+ case-parent trios ascertained through a case with isolated, non-syndromic CL/P or CP to test for linkage and disequilibrium. Initial analysis will consist of individual tests for gene effects while simultaneously testing for GxE interaction with common maternal exposures including vitamin supplementation, cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption (which have all been implicated as environmental risk factors for oral clefts). To use haplotypes in tests for GxE interaction incorporating population specific estimates. Since haplotype frequencies vary among populations, trios will be assigned haplotypes in a stratified estimation and then a pooled test statistic will be constructed. To test for interaction between SNPs in different genes showing evidence of influencing risk in a test for GxG interaction. To test for interaction between genes and maternal biomarkers using trios from Utah where measures of plasma folate, vitamin B-6, homocysteine and zinc in mothers are available. This study is part of the Gene Environment Association Studies initiative (GENEVA, http://www.genevastudy.org), which was developed through the trans-NIH Genes, Environment, and Health Initiative (GEI). The overarching goal is to identify novel genetic factors that contribute to oral clefts through large-scale genome-wide association studies of well-characterized cases and their parents from multiple populations. Genotyping was performed at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Inherited Disease Research (CIDR). The study was supported by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR). Data cleaning and harmonization were done at the GEI-funded GENEVA Coordinating Center at the University of Washington.

  Study phs000094

• NHLBI GO-ESP: Early-Onset Myocardial Infarction Exome Chip (Broad EOMI)

  The NHLBI "Grand Opportunity" Exome Sequencing Project (GO-ESP), a signature project of the NHLBI Recovery Act investment, was designed to identify genetic variants in coding regions (exons) of the human genome (the "exome") that are associated with heart, lung and blood diseases. These and related diseases that are of high impact to public health and individuals from diverse racial and ethnic groups will be studied. These data may help researchers understand the causes of disease, contributing to better ways to prevent, diagnose, and treat diseases, as well as determine whether to tailor prevention and treatments to specific populations. This could lead to more effective treatments and reduce the likelihood of side effects. GO-ESP is comprised of five collaborative components: 3 cohort consortia - HeartGO, LungGO, and WHISP - and 2 sequencing centers - BroadGO and SeattleGO. As part of this initiative, the Broad has performed genotyping on several thousand subjects from 4 different cohorts on Illumina's ExomeChip platform as described below: The Duke Study: The Duke study enrolled cases from the Duke University Medical Center with myocardial infarction or coronary artery stenosis > 50%. Controls were individuals who were > 50 years old without coronary stenosis > 30% and without history of myocardial infarction, coronary artery bypass grafting, percutaneous coronary intervention, or heart transplant. The InterMountain Heart Study: The Intermountain Heart Study is an observational registry of individuals with coronary artery disease and healthy controls who received care at participating Intermountain Healthcare facilities. The Ottawa Heart Study: The Ottawa heart study enrolled cases with angiographically confirmed coronary artery disease (> 1 coronary artery with > 50% stenosis) who did not have type 2 diabetes and were ≤ 50 years old for males and ≤ 50 years old for females. Controls were also enrolled who were asymptomatic males > age 65 and females > age 70. PennCATH: PennCATH is a case-control study that recruited individuals undergoing coronary angiography at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital. Cases had angiographically confirmed coronary artery disease (>1 coronary artery with 50% stenosis) and were ≤ 55 years old if male and ≤ 60 years old if female. Controls were men > 40 years old and women > 45 years old with normal coronary angiography.

  Study phs000936

• PRE-DETERMINE: Biologic Markers and MRI SCD Cohort Study

  The PRE-DETERMINE Study is a prospective, multi-center study of 5,764 patients with a history of coronary artery disease (CAD) and documentation of either a prior myocardial infarction (MI) or mild to moderate left ventricular dysfunction (LVD) with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) 35-50%. Patients were enrolled at 136 sites where information on baseline demographics, clinical characteristics, pertinent past medical history, lifestyle habits, cardiac test results, and medications were collected via electronic data capture. Electrocardiograms (ECG) along with a blood sample was also collected at baseline, sent to central laboratories, and stored for future analyses. Contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (CE-MRI) scans were collected on a subset of patients and analyzed. Enrollment closed in November 2013 and patients are now being followed centrally by the Clinical Coordinating Center via mail/phone to document interim non-fatal arrhythmic events and cause-specific mortality. Questionnaires that inquire about intervening implantable cardiac defibrillator (ICD) implantations, ICD therapies, cardiac arrest, and other pertinent cardiovascular endpoints are mailed to participants every six months, and follow-up telephone calls are made to non-responders. Study endpoints are being confirmed through review of medical records, interviews with next-of-kin, and autopsy reports, if available.The primary objective of PRE-DETERMINE is to determine whether biologic markers and ECGs can be utilized to advance sudden cardiac death (SCD) risk prediction in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) and LVEF >30-35%. The overarching goal of the study is to identify a series of markers that alone or in combination specifically predict risk of arrhythmic death as compared to other causes of mortality among this at risk population of CHD patients with preserved LVEF> 30-35%. If biologic or ECG markers are identified that can specifically predict risk of ventricular arrhythmias, then these markers may serve as relatively inexpensive methods to identify those at risk. The public health impact of identifying markers could be quite substantial, leading to more efficient utilization of ICDs and advances in our understanding of mechanisms underlying SCD.Among the 95% of participants that provided a blood sample at baseline, genome wide genotyping using the Illumina Global Screening Array (GSA) has been performed. A total of 4,335 participants with European ancestry gave consent that allows genetic research and deposition of data into dbGaP.

  Study phs002940

• Acute Respiratory Distress Network (ARDSNet) Studies 10 and 12 Statins for Acutely Injured Lungs from Sepsis (SAILS) (ARDSNet-SAILS-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. Biospecimens Access to Biospecimens is through the NHLBI Biologic Specimen and Data Repository Information Coordinating Center (BioLINCC). Biospecimens from ARDSNet-SAILS include Plasma, DNA, and Urine. Please note that use of biospecimens in genetic research is subject to a tiered consent. Objectives The SAILS trial was intended to assess the efficacy and safety of oral rosuvastatin in participants with sepsis-induced Acute Lung Injury (ALI) and test the hypothesis that rosuvastatin therapy would improve the clinical outcomes of critically ill participants with sepsis-associated acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Background In ARDS, inflammation in the lungs and other organs can cause life-threatening organ failure. Inhibitors of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase (statins) can modulate inflammatory responses. Previous observational studies suggested that statins improved clinical outcomes in participants with sepsis. Participants There were 745 participants. Design Participants were randomly assigned in permuted blocks to receive either enteral rosuvastatin or placebo. A 40 mg loading dose of the study drug was administered within four hours after randomization. Subsequently, maintenance doses of 20 mg were administered daily until the third day after discharge from the intensive care unit, study day 28, hospital discharge, or death, whichever came first. The primary outcome measure was mortality before hospital discharge home or until study day 60 if the participant was still in a health care facility. Secondary outcome measures included the number of ventilator-free days to day 28, organ-failure-free days to day 14, and ICU-free days to day 28. Conclusions The study was stopped because of futility after 745 of an estimated 1000 participants had been enrolled. There was no significant difference between study groups in 60 day in-hospital mortality or in mean ventilator-free days. The rosuvastatin group had fewer days free of hepatic or renal failure. Thus, rosuvastatin therapy did not improve clinical outcomes in participants with sepsis-associated ARDS and may have contributed to hepatic and renal organ dysfunction.

  Study phs003736

• Comparison of the treated celiac disease microbiome to that of controls

  Coeliac disease (CeD) is an immune-mediated disorder primarily affecting the small intestine, characterised by an inflammatory immune reaction to dietary gluten. CeD onset results from a multifaceted interplay of genetic and environmental factors. While recent data show that alterations in gut microbiome composition could play an important role, many current studies are constrained by small sample sizes and limited resolution. To address these limitations, we analysed faecal gut microbiota from two Dutch cohorts, CeDNN (128 treated CeD patients (tCeD), 106 controls) and the Lifelines Dutch Microbiome Project (24 self-reported tCeD, 654 controls), using shotgun metagenomic sequencing. Self-reported IBS (570 cases, 1710 controls) and IBD (93 cases, 465 controls) were used as comparative conditions of the gastrointestinal tract. Interindividual variation within the case and control groups was calculated at whole microbiome and strain level. Finally, species-specific gene repertoires were analysed in tCeD patients and controls. Within-individual microbiome diversity was decreased in patients with self-reported IBS and IBD but not in tCeD patients. Each condition displayed a unique microbial pattern and, in addition to confirming previously reported microbiome associations, we identify an increase in the levels of Clostridium sp. CAG:253, Roseburia hominis, and Eggerthella lenta, amongst others. We further show that the observed changes can partially be explained by gluten-free diet adherence. We also observe increased interindividual variation of gut microbiome composition among tCeD patients and a higher bacterial mutation frequency in tCeD that contributes to higher interindividual variation at strain level. In addition, the immotile European subspecies of Eubacterium rectale, which has a distinct carbohydrate metabolism potential, was nearly absent in tCeD patients. Our study sheds light on the complex interplay between the gut microbiome and CeD, revealing increased interindividual variation and strain-level variation in tCeD patients. These findings expand our understanding of the microbiome’s role in intestinal health and disease. Note that some of the data in this study belong to the Lifelines cohort. Access to this dataset can be requested via the page of the EGA data access committee EGAC00001001996. The phenotype data can be requested, for a fee, by filling the application form at https://www.lifelines.nl/researcher/how-to-apply/apply-here.

  Study EGAS50000000959

• Single Cell RNA Sequencing of Tendon Scar Tissue (Tenolysis)

  This human tenolysis sample was collected as a control (non-diabetic sample) as part of larger study described below.The purpose of the larger study is to define the cellular and molecular environment in tendons, pulleys, synovial sheath, tendon scar tissue, and palmar fascia samples. The samples are isolated from discarded tissues from patients who undergo lower limb amputation surgery, dupuytren's disease, trigger finger release, tenolysis surgery, tenosynovitis surgery, distal biceps tendon repair, common extensor debridement and repair, common flexor debridement and repair, or proximal long head of the biceps tenodesis.The dramatic increase in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) as part of the obesity epidemic is one of the most pressing health challenges facing the U.S. Type II diabetes results in systemic inflammation and is characterized by metabolic dysfunction including elevated plasma glucose levels (hyperglycemia). There is a clear link between T2DM and musculoskeletal pathologies; T2DM accelerates the progression of osteoarthritis, and increases fracture risk. Moreover, T2DM impairs tendon homeostasis and repair, and increases the risk and severity of tenosynovitis (infection of the tendon and sheath), however there remains a paucity of information regarding the molecular mechanisms of diabetes-induced changes in tendon function. Flexor and extensor tendons facilitate digit range of motion (ROM) and movement of the hand. Tendon gliding can be impaired by tendon fibrosis and an inability to fit within the surrounding synovial sheath, or due to the formation of fibrous adhesions between the tendon and synovial sheath during healing. Fibrosis and increased disorganization of the extracellular matrix are hallmarks of the diabetic hand phenotype observed in T2DM patients. T2DM dramatically affects the baseline function of tendons; up to 50% of diabetic patients experience impaired hand function, including increased rates of tenosynovitis, and carpal tunnel syndrome. In addition to decrements in tendon gliding function, deficits in mechanical properties are also observed, rendering diabetic tendons more susceptible to rupture. Considering that the complication rate of primary flexor tendon repairs is as high as 40% in non-diabetic patients, and that T2DM further impairs tendon healing, it is imperative to understand the cellular and molecular components of diabetic tendinopathy. The study will define the overall cellular and molecular environment in tendon pulleys, palmar fascia, synovial sheath tissue, and scar tissue (tenolysis and tenosynovitis samples) as a function of type II diabetes.

  Study phs004076

• Data Use Ontology (DUO)

  Data Use Ontology Data Use Ontology at EGA The EGA is committed to its involvement in the work of GA4GH. In an effort to enhance data discoverability and streamline data access, EGA have implemented the use of the Data Use Ontology (DUO), based on consent codes as described in Dyke et al. 2017. The Data Use Ontology codes will be displayed on the live dataset page of your submission to advise any would be requestor on how the data can be used and also to enhance data discoverability as users will be able to search on these codes to find applicable datasets. DUO can be browsed online via the Ontology Lookup Service Learn more reading the Data Use Ontology publication and the GA4GH Machine-Readable Consent Guidance! Check our DAC Portal Take The Tour and learn how to add DUO codes to your policy! Term Shorthand Label Description DUO:0000004 NRES no restriction This data use permission indicates there is no restriction on use. DUO:0000042 GRU general research use This data use permission indicates that use is allowed for general research use for any research purpose. DUO:0000006 HMB health or medical or biomedical research This data use permission indicates that use is allowed for health/medical/biomedical purposes; does not include the study of population origins or ancestry. DUO:0000007 DS disease specific research This data use permission indicates that use is allowed provided it is related to the specified disease. DUO:0000011 POA population origins or ancestry research only This data use permission indicates that use of the data is limited to the study of population origins or ancestry. DUO:0000012 RS research specific restrictions This data use modifier indicates that use is limited to studies of a certain research type. DUO:0000015 NMDS no general methods research This data use modifier indicates that use does not allow methods development research (e.g., development of software or algorithms). DUO:0000016 GSO genetic studies only This data use modifier indicates that use is limited to genetic studies only (i.e., studies that include genotype research alone or both genotype and phenotype research, but not phenotype research exclusively) DUO:0000018 NPUNCU not for profit, non commercial use only This data use modifier indicates that use of the data is limited to not-for-profit organizations and not-for-profit use, non-commercial use. DUO:0000019 PUB publication required This data use modifier indicates that requestor agrees to make results of studies using the data available to the larger scientific community. DUO:0000020 COL collaboration required This data use modifier indicates that the requestor must agree to collaboration with the primary study investigator(s). DUO:0000021 IRB ethics approval required This data use modifier indicates that the requestor must provide documentation of local IRB/ERB approval. DUO:0000022 GS geographical restriction This data use modifier indicates that use is limited to within a specific geographic region. DUO:0000024 MOR publication moratorium This data use modifier indicates that requestor agrees not to publish results of studies until a specific date. DUO:0000025 TS time limit on use This data use modifier indicates that use is approved for a specific number of months. DUO:0000026 US user specific restriction This data use modifier indicates that use is limited to use by approved users. DUO:0000027 PS project specific restriction This data use modifier indicates that use is limited to use within an approved project. DUO:0000028 IS institution specific restriction This data use modifier indicates that use is limited to use within an approved institution. DUO:0000029 RTN return to database or resource This data use modifier indicates that the requestor must return derived/enriched data to the database/resource. DUO:0000043 CC clinical care use This data use modifier indicates that use is allowed for clinical use and care. DUO:0000044 NPOA population origins or ancestry research prohibited This data use modifier indicates use for purposes of population, origin, or ancestry research is prohibited. DUO:0000045 NPU not for profit organisation use only This data use modifier indicates that use of the data is limited to not-for-profit organisations. DUO:0000046 NCU non-commercial use only This data use modifier indicates that use of the data is limited to not-for-profit use. Point to Notice: For the consent code DUO:0000007 where data is restricted to use on a specific disease, please accompany it with an appropriate ontology from MONDO e.g., If the data is restricted to the use of research into juvenile idiopathic arthritis the code should be displayed as DUO:0000007; MONDO:0011429.

  Documentation access/data-access-committee/data-use-ontology

• About

  About What's the EGA? The European Genome-phenome Archive (EGA) is a global network for permanent archiving and sharing of personally identifiable genetic, phenotypic, and clinical data generated for the purposes of biomedical research projects or in the context of research-focused healthcare systems. Jointly managed by the European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI) in Cambridge (UK) and the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG) in Barcelona, we aim to advance biomedical research and promote personalised medicine worldwide by enabling discovery of and access to human genomic and health research data. The EGA contains data collected from individuals whose consent agreements authorise data release for specific research use to bona fide researchers. We ensure strict security measures to control access to the data and maintain patient confidentiality. With expertise in data management and technical infrastructure, we promote FAIR data reuse and enable researchers to share their data securely. By leveraging public funding and our strategic partnerships, the EGA provides a free service for permanent data storage, data discovery, and secure data access. In addition, we foster a federated network to provide transnational access to human research data in compliance with legal frameworks. For additional information about the EGA, please contact: Helen Parkinson and Mallory Freeberg EMBL European Bioinformatics Institute Arcadi Navarro, Roderic Guigó, and Jordi Rambla Center for Genomic Regulation History The European Genome-phenome Archive was launched in 2008 at the European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI), an outstation of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), to address an identified need for archiving and sharing the results of genome-wide association studies from the Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium. With the signing of a memorandum of understanding in 2013 and a formal agreement in 2016, the EGA became a joint project of EMBL-EBI and the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG). The two institutes work together to support the EGA services, including supporting submissions, website, strategic leadership, and data infrastructure developments. In 2022, the Federated EGA was officially launched with the signature of the first five countries: Finland, Germany, Norway, Spain, and Sweden. With more than 20 additional nodes worldwide preparing to join, the Federated EGA aims to become the largest human omics data sharing initiative towards understanding human health and disease. EGA overview If you're a researcher you may need to deposit, manage, or access genomic data in a secure and regulated way. The European Genome-phenome Archive (EGA) is a platform that facilitates these processes, ensuring that sensitive data is stored and shared in accordance with legal and ethical regulations. Submission process To start a submission, you need to become an EGA submitter. For that, you’ll need to sign a Data Processing Agreement (DPA) with us, that defines the terms and conditions under which your data will be processed and shared within the EGA system. The access to each study is controlled by its Data Access Committee (DAC). The DAC is responsible for managing data access requests and ensuring that the release of data is in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Please, note that once your data is released, all public metadata related to your study and dataset(s) will be searchable on the EGA website. However, the files are only accessible under controlled access, which means that a DAC has to agree to a previous data access request. Request process It is possible to submit an access request to data stored at the EGA. The DAC assigned to the study will assess the request and, if approved, grant access to the data. Requesters must provide sufficient justification for your request and comply with the intended data usage in order to get access to it. Each dataset is covered by a Data Access Agreement (DAA) that defines the terms and conditions of use for the specified dataset/s. The DAA is created and provided by the DAC, and must be signed by the individual requesting access to the given dataset/s. Download process Once the request for access is approved, the data and metadata can be downloaded. The EGA offers various download options to fit the needs: it is possible to preview files without downloading them, download specific files of interest, or even download terabytes of data. Overall, the EGA provides a secure and regulated environment for depositing, managing, and accessing human data. Regardless of the role - submitter, DAC member, or requester - the EGA provides assistance for each while ensuring that sensitive data is managed in an ethical and responsible manner. More information on how EGA handles data is available in the EGA dataflow.

  Documentation about/ega

• Evaluation of EBUS-TBNA Aspirates from Advanced NSCLC for Comprehensive Sequencing Platforms Including Whole Genome Sequencing

  Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) is often the only source of tumor tissue from patients with advanced, inoperable lung cancer. EBUS-TBNA aspirates are used for the diagnosis, staging, and genomic testing to inform therapy options. Here we extracted DNA and RNA from 220 EBUS-TBNA aspirates to evaluate their suitability for whole genome (WGS), whole exome (WES), and comprehensive panel sequencing. For a subset of 40 cases, the same nucleic acid extraction was sequenced using WGS, WES, and the TruSight Oncology 500 assay. Genomic features were compared between sequencing platforms and compared with those reported by clinical testing. A total of 204 aspirates (92.7%) had sufficient DNA (100 ng) for comprehensive panel sequencing, and 109 aspirates (49.5%) had sufficient material for WGS. Comprehensive sequencing platforms detected all seven clinically reported tier 1 actionable mutations, an additional three (7%) tier 1 mutations, six (15%) tier 2–3 mutations, and biomarkers of potential immunotherapy benefit (tumor mutation burden and microsatellite instability). As expected, WGS was more suited for the detection and discovery of emerging novel biomarkers of treatment response. WGS could be performed in half of all EBUS-TBNA aspirates, which points to the enormous potential of EBUS-TBNA as source material for large, well-curated discovery-based studies for novel and more effective predictors of treatment response. Comprehensive panel sequencing is possible in the vast majority of fresh EBUS-TBNA aspirates and enhances the detection of actionable mutations over current clinical testing.

  Study EGAS00001007708

• Genome-Wide Association Study of HCC in Non-Asian USA Population

  This GWAS of HCC relied on existing biological and data resources from 7 USA sites and one Canadian site which allows for the integration of genetic and environmental data. Total of 2199 case patients and 1103 non cancer controls were genotyped. Case patients are defined as patients with pathological or radiological diagnosis of HCC with and without chronic hepatitis C virus infection. Study was restricted to Caucasian population without prior infection with chronic HBV infection. All DNA samples were extracted from peripheral blood. Study population of the participated sites are: Site-1: University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center A hospital based-case-control study was initiated at UT MD Anderson Cancer Center in 2000 and approved by the Institutional Review Board of The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. Study design was previously described in detailed (1-3). Written informed consent for an interview and for a biological sample was obtained from each participant. At time of diagnosis prior to treatment exposure. Case patients were recruited from the population of patients with newly diagnosed HCC who were evaluated and treated at the institution's gastrointestinal medical and surgical oncology outpatient clinics. Inclusion criteria were as follows: a pathologically confirmed diagnosis of HCC, U.S. residency, and the ability to communicate in English. Patients with concurrent or past history of other types of cancers were excluded. Control subjects were healthy spouses of patients with cancers other than liver, gastrointestinal, lung, or head and neck (smoking-related cancers) undergoing treatment at our institution. Eligibility criteria for control subjects were the same as those for patients, except that control subjects could not have ever had cancer. A short, structured questionnaire was used to screen potential control subjects on the basis of eligibility criteria. Control subjects and patients were recruited simultaneously. Case patients and control subjects were interviewed by well-trained interviewers who followed a written protocol to guide ascertainment and reduce surveillance, interviewer, and recall bias. No proxy interviews were conducted. The interviewers used a structured and validated questionnaire to collect information about demographic characteristics and potential risk factors for HCC such as personal smoking history, alcohol use, medical history, occupational history, and family history of cancer. Blood samples from cases and controls were tested for HBV and HCV. HCV antibodies, hepatitis B surface antigen, and antibodies to hepatitis B core antigen were detected by use of a third-generation enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) (Abbott Laboratories, North Chicago, IL). Important clinical information were retrieved from patients' medical records. Total of 1188 case patients and 278 controls from MD Anderson study were genotyped. Site-2: Mayo Clinic Case patients and controls included in the study from Mayo clinic were recruited as part of Mayo International Hepatobiliary Neoplasia Register and Biorepository. Only USA patients and controls were participated. All cases and controls signed informed consent indicating their willingness to participate in genetic studies. Epidemiological and clinical data were collected from participants and retrieved from medical records. Total of 522 HCC case patients and 182 controls were genotyped in this study. Site-3: Toronto University Molecular Epidemiology of Hepatobiliary Tumors (HBT study, CAPCR 09-0289) is a hospital-based study that includes 1710 patients diagnosed with liver, bile duct or gallbladder adenocarcinoma (Hepatocellular carcinoma - HCC; cholangiocarcinoma - CCA; and gall bladder adenocarcinoma -GBCa) recruited at University Health Network (UHN) between 2009 and 2018. HBT study is a prospective study of cancer patients that collects self-reported demographic and epidemiological data, medical records/clinical information and blood samples for research purposes. Eligible patients recruited between 2009 and March 15 2016 were selected to participate in the Genome-Wide Association Study in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma (GWAS in HCC, CAPCR 15-9943-CE), a sub-study of the HBT study. Eligible prospective patients recruited after March 15 2016 signed the Addendum to the HBT consent form and became eligible to participate in the GWAS in HCC study. Total of 271 cases and 21 controls were genotyped from Toronto University Site-4: University of Pittsburgh The design of the study has been described previously (4-6). Briefly, this population-based study enrolled 120 HCC patients and 230 matched controls from black, Hispanic, and non-Hispanic white residents of Los Angeles County who were between 18 and 74 years of age at diagnosis from January 1995 through December 2001. HCC Cases were identified through the Los Angeles County Cancer Surveillance Program. We sought to recruit up to two control subjects per case from the neighborhoods where HCC patients resided at the time of diagnosis, who were matched to the index case by sex, age (within 5 years), and race (Hispanic white, non-Hispanic white, black). Blood samples (plasma and buffy coat), medical and lifestyle factors were collected from all consenting participants. Total of 65 cases and 60 controls were genotyped in this study Site-5: South Western Dallas Under IRB approval, HCC Cases and controls were prospectively collected since 2015 from the outpatient Liver clinics from Parkland Health and Hospital System and UT Southwestern Medical Center, two large health systems in Dallas TX. A Total of 31 cases and 29 controls were genotyped from site 5. Site-6: Columbia University HCC patients from Columbia are those recruited as part of the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center Database Shared Resource which seeks to recruit all cancer patients for potential future studies. The PI is Dr. Katherine Crew AAAL5871. This resource collects sociodemographic, lifestyle and clinical data on patients as well as a blood sample. Those who indicated on their consent form that they would participate in genetic studies were included. Total of 79 case patients with HCC were genotyped from Columbia University. Site-7: University of Michigan The study population included from University of Michigan were included from a prospective study of with chronic HCV infection recruited in Ann Arbor Patients who had under- gone liver transplantation, known coinfection with HIV, life expectancy <12 months due to extra-hepatic illnesses, or were receiving HCV treatment at enrolment, were excluded. Protocol, surveys, and data forms were developed where each enrolled patient completed the same questionnaire All patients provided written informed consent before enrolment in the study. The study was approved by the institutional review board or ethics committee at the University of Michigan. Detailed study description was previously published (7). Total of 44 cases and 347 controls were genotyped Site-8: Veteran Administration Medical Center in Houston This research including written informed consent form was jointly approved by Institutional Review Boards for the Baylor College of Medicine and the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center in Houston, Texas. Study details have been previously published (8). Briefly, we prospectively recruited consecutive HCV-infected veterans prior to their previously scheduled HCV clinic visit at a large tertiary care VA medical center between May 1, 2009 and December 31, 2012. Patients completed a research assistant (RA) administered survey interrogating medical and risk factor history including lifetime alcohol use, had anthropometric measurements taken, and completed a fasting venipuncture for performance of the FibroSure-ActiTest as a measure of hepatic pathology. We restricted our current analysis to individuals who were: (1) White male veterans between 18 and 70 years; (2) had no history of HCC, liver transplant, decompensated liver disease including ascites, dementia, or psychosis; (3) were serologically-confirmed to have chronic HCV and to be negative for both HIV and active HBV infection; (4) were not currently receiving anti-HCV pharmacotherapy; and (5) had FibroSURE testing shown F3/F4 fibrosis consistent with cirrhosis.

  Study phs001744

• Serrated Colorectal Cancer: An Emerging Disease Subtype

  This dataset represents two combined study populations. Serrated Colorectal Cancer: An Emerging Disease Subtype (called the Advanced Colorectal Cancer of Serrated Subtype Study or ACCESS Study) was a grant awarded to investigate a newly-recognized, biologically-distinct subtype of colorectal cancer (CRC) called “serrated CRC.” The objective of this project was to characterize factors related to the genetic predisposition, clinical presentation, and prognosis of serrated CRC. The study recruited incident invasive CRC cases diagnosed between April 2016 and December 2018, aged 20-74 years at diagnosis. Cases were identified through the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) cancer registry serving 13 counties in western Washington State. Eligibility for all individuals was limited to those who were English-speaking and could consent. Participation included completing a baseline epidemiologic questionnaire shortly after diagnosis, optional donation of a saliva sample for genetic analysis, and optional consent to release of medical records and tissue specimens related to their diagnosis. Tumor specimens were tested for serrated CRC-defining molecular characteristics. Further, we have vital status on all participants and cause of death on those that have died since enrollment. Hormones and Colon Cancer: Epigenetic Subtypes, Risks, and Survival (called the Post-Menopausal Hormones Study or PMH Study) was a grant awarded to investigate the impact of post-menopausal hormone use on colon cancer risk, tumor molecular characteristics, and outcomes. Eligible cases were females, newly diagnosed with invasive colorectal adenocarcinoma between October 1998 and February 2002, aged 50 to 74 years. Cases were residents of 10 out of the 13 counties in western Washington State served by the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) cancer registry. Eligibility for all individuals was limited to those who were English-speaking with available telephone numbers, in which they could be contacted. Unrelated population-based controls were randomly selected according to age distribution (in 5-year age intervals) of the eligible cases by using lists of licensed drivers from the Washington State Department of Licensing (for individuals aged 50 to 64 years) and rosters from the Health Care Financing Administration (now the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, for individuals older than 64 years). Participation included completing a baseline epidemiologic questionnaire, optional donation of a saliva sample for genetic analysis, and (for cases only) optional consent to release of medical records and tissue specimens related to their diagnosis. Tumor specimens were tested for epigenetic and other molecular characteristics. The ACCESS study was supported by funding from the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health (NCI/NIH) (R01CA196337, PI: Newcomb, PA), as was the PMH Study (R01CA076366, PI: Newcomb, PA). Additional support for the PMH Study came from the Seattle site of the Colon Cancer Family Registry (SCCFR) (U01CA167551, PI: Jenkins, M, and U01/U24CA074794, PI: Newcomb, PA). Additional support for case ascertainment was provided by the Cancer Surveillance System of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, which is funded by Contract Number HHSN261201300012I; NCI Control Number: N01 PC-2013-00012; Contract Number HHSN261201800004I; and NCI Control Number: N01 PC-2018-00004 from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) Program of the National Cancer Institute with additional support from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center and the State of Washington. This research was also supported by the Genomics and Bioinformatics, Comparative Medicine, Specialized Pathology, Collaborative Data Services, and Experimental Histopathology Shared Resources of the Fred Hutch/University of Washington Cancer Consortium (P30 CA015704).Tumor marker testing was performed using formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded diagnostic tumor tissue specimens, and DNA extracted from those specimens. Testing for microsatellite instability (MSI) was based on either a 10-gene panel (BAT25, BAT26, BAT40, MYCL, D5S346, D17S250, ACTC, D18S55, D10S197, BAT34C4) or a 4-marker immunohistochemistry panel of DNA mismatch repair proteins (MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, PMS2). CpG island methylator phenotype (CIMP) testing was based on a validated quantitative DNA methylation assay using a five-gene panel (CACNA1G, IGF2, NEUROG1, RUNX3, SOCS1) or eight-gene panel (CACNA1G, IGF2, NEUROG1, RUNX3, SOCS1, MLH1, CRABP1, CDKN2A). Somatic p.V600E BRAF mutation status was tested for using a fluorescent allele-specific PCR assay. KRAS mutations in codons 12 and 13 were also assessed through forward and reverse sequencing of amplified tumor DNA. DNA was extracted from blood/saliva samples using conventional methods. The genotyping panel completed was the Build37 OncoArray500K-C, including 1%-6% blinded duplicates to monitor the quality of the genotyping. Quality control procedures were performed to 1) make sure that there were no patterns of missing data by batch, study, or plate, 2) check for gender discrepancies and kinship, 3) complete Principal Component Analysis, and 4) test for Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE). Samples were excluded based on call rate, heterozygosity, unexpected duplicates, gender discrepancy, and unexpectedly high identity-by-descent or unexpected genotypic concordance (>65%) with another individual. In addition, variants were excluded based on call rate (98%), lack of HWE in controls (P

  Study phs002171

• Incentives and Case Management to Improve Cardiac Care: Healthy Lifestyle Program (HeLP)

  Data Access NOTE: Please refer to the “Authorized Access” section below for information about how access to the data from this study.Objectives: The HeLP study assessed how early case management, financial incentives contingent on cardiac-rehabilitation attendance, or both impacted adherence to cardiac rehabilitation among patients with lower socioeconomic status (SES) who had a cardiac-rehabilitation-qualifying diagnosis. Background:Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in the United States. Regular attendance at cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is the number one recommendation for patients who have experienced a recent cardiac event. CR is a secondary prevention outpatient program involving an individually tailored structured exercise program along with counseling and encouragement regarding lifestyle changes to reduce the recurrence of major cardiac events.Despite the benefits of CR attendance, enrollment and adherence to the program are low. This is particularly true of individuals of lower socioeconomic status (SES), who also generally suffer a higher burden from CVD on account of higher-risk cardiac profiles. As these profiles are the result of modifiable behavior targeted by CR (i.e., smoking, obesity, lack of physical activity), methods of increasing CR attendance among this population are necessary.Case management and financial incentives contingent on CR attendance are two potential strategies for addressing this issue. Previous studies have shown how trained case managers can support and assist patients with attending CR and improving their cardiac health, and how financial incentives can promote various types of health-related behavior. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate how these two interventions, individually and in tandem, fared at improving CR adherence among individuals of lower SES specifically. Participants:A total of 314 participants were screened, and 209 were randomized. All consented to have their data shared for research purposes. Design:Eligible patients were approached either while still in the hospital or during initial visits to CR. After obtaining informed consent, clinical and demographic characteristics (i.e., age, sex, education, race and ethnicity, smoking status, and CR-qualifying diagnosis) and depressive symptoms were collected. Participants then were randomized 2:3:3:3 to usual care (UC), case management starting in hospital (CM), financial incentives for attending CR (FI), or financial incentives plus case management (FICM). For all participants regardless of condition, an appropriate referral for CR was confirmed after randomization. Over the course of the study participants completed three assessments – one at intake, one after four months, and one after one year. Clinical (i.e., cardiorespiratory fitness, body composition, and cardiac-related quality of life) and sociocognitive (i.e., Beck Depression Inventory, Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessment, and Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function) measures were obtained at each assessment. Participants randomized to the UC condition were contacted weekly by study staff for adverse event checks, but received no additional intervention. Participants randomized to the CM condition were immediately assigned a case manager. Case managers met with their participants, usually within 24 hours of consent while they were still in the hospital, to introduce themselves during an initial check-in. Within the first week of consent they completed a longer, more thorough initial needs assessment with their participant and established behavioral goals. For the next 16 weeks, case managers met with their participants at least once a week, typically over the phone, to discuss progress on these goals and address any problems or barriers that had arisen. Case managers also were available via phone outside of these regular meetings during normal working hours and Saturday mornings. Participants randomized to the FI condition could earn money for completing an initial CR orientation and attending CR sessions. Twenty dollars could be earned for completing the CR orientation session. CR attendance was reinforced on an escalating schedule starting at $10. Payments increased by $2 for each successive session attended, and capped out at a maximum of $40 per session. Unexcused absences resulted in the incentives for that session not being earned, and the potential earnings for the next scheduled session being reset to $10. Successful participation of two consecutive sessions following the reset resulted in the incentives being returned to the amount prior to the reset. In total, participants could earn $1220 for attending the initial orientation and all 36 sessions of CR. The primary outcome of interest was the percentage of participants who completed at least 30 sessions of CR. Secondary outcomes included the number of sessions completed, cardiorespiratory fitness (peak VO2 and estimated metabolic equivalents (METs)), body composition (waist circumference and BMI), depression scores, and both general and cardiac-related qualify of life. Conclusions:The two interventions involving financial incentives (i.e., financial incentives alone and financial incentives plus case management) significantly improved CR adherence compared to usual care. Subsequent analyses revealed that the combination of financial incentives and case management led to greater improvements in CR attendance than financial incentives alone.

  Study phs003737

• Center for Common Disease Genomics [CCDG] - Cardiovascular: Pharmacokinetic Polymorphisms in Japanese General Population

  This study is a part of NHGRI's Center for Common Disease Genomics, which is a collaborative large-scale genome sequencing effort to comprehensively identify rare risk and protective variants contributing to multiple common disease phenotypes. Current estimates anticipate that the CCDG program will sequence approximately 140K whole genomes and 225K whole exomes during the life of the project. The Cardiovascular Disease working group of the CCDG considered five diseases: early-onset coronary artery disease (EOCAD), stroke, atrial fibrillation, congestive heart failure and type 2 diabetes. Atrial fibrillation will affect between 6-12 million individuals in the US by 2050. AF also is associated with increased risks of stroke, dementia, heart failure, death, and high health care costs. Many risk factors for AF have been identified, including advancing age, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and CVD risk factors. However, there is little knowledge how to prevent AF. Furthermore, therapies for AF are only partially effective, and are themselves associated with substantial morbidity. Previously, heritable forms of AF have been considered rare; yet in the last decade, it has been established that AF, and in particular early-onset forms of AF, are heritable. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) provide a powerful tool to identify common variants underlying disease risk. The AFGen Consortium currently consists of investigators from more than 25 studies with >20,000 individuals with AF and >100,000 without AF. In the latest analyses, 14 loci have been identified for AF1 . Broadly, the loci implicate genes related to cardiopulmonary development, cardiac-expressed ion channels, and cell signaling molecules.Source: https://ccdg.rutgers.edu/sites/default/files/CCDG_CVD_EOAF_FINAL_w_link.pdfAnalysis of 165 pharmacokinetic-related gene polymorphisms (the number of polymorphisms may increase) using DNA derived from the blood of approximately 1,000 Japanese general populations. Tokai University School of Medicine Molecular Life Sciences 2 Isogo Lab has been trying to find new genes which contribute to the development of multiple diseases and to develop new methods for human genome diversity analysis that will lead to the development of technology for disease screening by finding genes related to diseases and incorporating gene analysis technology. Using this method, we are trying to clarify the relationship between the characteristics of rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis vulgaris and genes to seek effective treatments and prevention methods. Raw sequencing data, metadata, vcf and phenotype data at individual level are available at https://anvilproject.org/data. For questions about availability contact help@lists.anvilproject.org.

  Study phs002985

• Genes for Non-Syndromic Congenital Heart Disease

  Congenital heart defects (CHDs) are the most common serious birth defect and a leading cause of infant mortality. Affected individuals who survive infancy require substantial medical care and experience lifelong morbidity and early mortality. Despite their prevalence and impact upon public health, the etiology of CHDs is poorly understood. Our long-term goal is to better define the genetic basis of CHDs and using this information, develop preventive measures and provide precise medical management based on genotype. As CHDs are a heterogeneous group of conditions, we have focused our studies on cases with conotruncal heart defects (CTDs) that comprise at least 36% of all CHDs and are a prominent feature of the 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11DS). We have conducted both SNP- and CNV-based genome-wide association studies as part of our previous and current P01 (HD070454). Our current analyses of genes and gene-sets provide new insights regarding the contribution of common and rare inherited genetic variants to CTDs. Specifically, based on the results from our studies as well as recently published findings, we hypothesize that: (1) CTDs are influenced by the full range of genetic variability (rare to common; de novo and inherited) in relevant gene-sets; (2) the number of disease-related variants within these gene-sets varies directly with CTD severity; and (3) gene-sets associated with CTDs in nonsyndromic individuals are also associated with CTDs in individuals with the 22q11DS. To augment our existing cohorts and thus substantially improve the statistical power of our proposed analyses, application was made to complete array genotyping of a set of patients with CTDs and in particular, those with mild disease represented by isolated aortic arch anomalies. The new cases with CTD and some with an isolated aortic arch anomaly were ascertained at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) while some of the cases with isolated aortic arch anomalies were ascertained by the Pediatric Cardiac Genomics Consortium (PCGC). A small group of cases with left-sided obstructive lesions from CHOP were included to combine with our existing datasets to serve as a comparison to those with CTD. The additional genotype data will augment the statistical power of the proposed common variant analyses. We anticipate that this work will reduce the gaps in our understanding of CTDs by identifying an explicit set of genes associated with CTD-risk by way of common variants. This work will also help define the genetic architecture for the full clinical spectrum of these common birth defects.

  Study phs002059

• Genetic Analysis of Normal Human Facial Variation

  The purpose of this project is to identify genes associated with normal human quantitative facial variation. The motivation for this project stems from the fact that very little is known about how variation in specific genes relates to the diversity of facial forms commonly observed in humans. Viable candidates for these morphogenes originate from a number of sources: tissue expression studies, animal models with targeted or spontaneous mutations, and genetic syndromes with craniofacial manifestations. Importantly, understanding the genetic basis for normal facial variation also has important implications for health-related research. For example, this work has the potential to shed light on the factors influencing liability to common craniofacial anomalies such as orofacial clefts. There is now ample evidence that certain facial features (e.g., increased midfacial retrusion) characterize individuals genetically at-risk for orofacial clefts (e.g., biological relatives of affected cases). While these predisposing facial features are statistically over-represented in at-risk groups, they are also common in the general population. Since many of the current candidate genes for clefting are thought to play a critical role in facial morphogenesis, variation in these genes may also underlie normal variation in these facial features. These candidate genes, however, probably represent only a small fraction of the total number of loci influencing normal human facial variation. Phenotypes for this project were obtained from over 3000 healthy Caucasian subjects recruited through three separate studies. The majority of the subjects were recruited as part of the 3D Facial Norms Project, which is described in extensive detail here: (https://www.facebase.org/facial_norms/notes). The provided dbGaP phenotypes include a series of anthropometric craniofacial measurements (linear distances) primarily derived from 3D photographic facial surface scans (see previous hyperlink). The specific genotyping requested is described elsewhere in this document. Our analysis team is pursuing a variety of different analytic approaches to derive genetically informative phenotypes, including various shape-based morphometric methods. For those interested in pursuing more advanced phenotypic approaches, the original 3D surface scans and additional phenotypic traits are available to researchers through the FaceBase Consortium. This dataset has the potential to facilitate the discovery of new genetic loci with an important role in both normal and abnormal facial development. It may also serve as a dataset to test hypotheses regarding specific SNP associations (e.g. as a replication dataset) or as part of a larger meta-analysis.

  Study phs000949

• A Genomic Atlas of Systemic Interindividual Epigenetic Variation in Humans (GTEx)

  Methylation of cytosines in CpG dinucleotides is an epigenetic mechanism with essential roles in mammalian development. To explore its functions in cellular differentiation, unbiased analysis of CpG methylation by whole genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS) has been used to characterize epigenetic differences among different human tissues and cell types. Meanwhile, human interindividual variation in DNA methylation that is not cell-type specific has attracted relatively little attention. Systemic interindividual epigenetic variation is important, however, because like genetic variation it is a potential determinant of phenotypic variation and can be assessed in any easily obtainable DNA sample. Since systemic epigenetic variants originate in the preimplantation embryo, their establishment can be influenced by periconceptional environment, and potentially provide information about lifetime risks relevant to global health, obesity, and cancer. We elucidated systemic interindividual variation in CpG methylation in the human genome. We studied brain, heart, and thyroid tissues (representing all three germ layer lineages) from each of 10 donors in the NIH Gene-Tissue Expression (GTEx) project. We performed deep whole genome bisulfite sequencing for these 30 samples, achieving a sequencing depth of over 50x coverage per sample. We identified 9,926 correlated regions of systemic interindividual variation (CoRSIVs). These regions, comprising just 0.1% of the human genome, often correlate with one another over long genomic distances, are associated with transposable elements and subtelomeric regions, conserved across various human ethnic groups, and particularly sensitive to periconceptional environment. While genetic variation appears to influence methylation at most CoRSIVs, many show no evidence of genetic influence, suggestive of 'pure' epigenetic variation. At CoRSIVs, interindividual variation in DNA methylation in an easily biopsied tissue predicts expression in other tissues, and genes associated with these loci are implicated in a range of human disorders. In addition to charting a previously unrecognized molecular level of human individuality, this atlas of human CoRSIVs provides a resource for future population-based investigations into how interindividual epigenetic variation modulates risk of disease.Version 2 now also includes Target Capture Sequencing of CoRSIVs in 808 tissues (188 GTEx Donors). Focusing on the CoRSIVs identified by analyzing WGBS data, a Target Capture Bisulfite sequencing assay was developed. Using the genotype data of 188 GTEx donors, we assessed mQTL by capturing a 1MB region at each CoRSIV and quantifying methylation by Bisulfite-seq. The Target Capture Bisulfite sequencing data will be available to download via the AnVIL project.

  Study phs001746

• CCDG CVD: VIRGO - Variation in Recover-Role of Gender on Outcomes of Young Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI) Patients

  The VIRGO study is a four year research project funded by the NHLBI to study young women and men with heart attacks. A total of 2,000 women who are 18 - 55 years of age and a smaller comparison group of 1,000 similarly aged men will be enrolled in this multi-site observational study from approximately 120 different hospitals across the country. Young women have a much greater risk of dying after an acute myocardial infarction (AMI) than similarly aged men. Their mortality risk is markedly higher than that of young men, and limited data on young minority women suggest that they may have the highest risk of any young subgroup. Findings from the small number of published studies of young women with ischemic heart disease suggest that the biology, epidemiology, care, and outcomes of this group are distinct from those of men. To date, there have been no large studies of this population, even as the death toll is comparable to that from breast cancer in this country. This study will help researchers identify key factors that influence recovery from a heart attack and potentially improve the care and outcomes of young women and men with AMI. Specific Aims: To investigate the excess risk in young women with AMI and to identify key demographic, clinical, metabolic, psychosocial, health care delivery, and biological determinants of prognosis, we propose a national, prospective, observational study of 2,000 women who are 55 years or younger with AMI and a smaller comparison group of 1,000 men. Our prior work and preliminary studies indicate that the sex differences are most prominent in this age group and suggest that by 1 year after discharge, there are substantial sex differences in outcomes. We will also develop risk stratification tools that will help clinicians to identify young women with the highest and lowest risk. Specific Aim 1: Determine sex differences in outcomes following AMI. Specific Aim 2: Determine sex differences in the prevalence and prognostic importance of demographic, clinical, and psychosocial risk factors. Specific Aim 3:Determine sex differences in quality of care. Specific Aim 4: Determine sex differences in the prevalence and prognostic importance of selected biochemical biomarkers following AMI. These samples have been whole genome sequenced as part of the NHGRI's Center for Common Disease Genetics at the Broad Institute.

  Study phs001259

• NHLBI TOPMed: The Genetic Epidemiology of Asthma in Costa Rica

  This administrative supplement to the project, "The Genetic Epidemiology of Asthma in Costa Rica" (R37 HL066289) is in response to NOT-HL-14-029 to perform whole genome sequencing (WGS) on existing NHLBI populations. We focus on asthma because of its public health significance. Asthma affects 26 million U.S. children and adults, remains a major cause of morbidity (one-half million hospitalizations a year) and is the most common cause of school and work days lost. Asthma-related costs are estimated to be over $12.7 billion annually. The Asthma Probands for both the extended pedigrees and the trios utilized in this study were selected on the basis of a physician diagnosis of asthma; a history of recurrent asthma attacks or at least 2 respiratory symptoms; and either airway hyperresponsiveness to methacholine or significant response to bronchodilator (Albuterol) administration. These criteria are identical to the criteria used in the Childhood Asthma Management Program (CAMP). The three primary goals of this project are to: (1) identify common and rare genetic variants that determine asthma and its associated phenotypes (height, weight, IgE level, lung function, bronchodilator response, steroid treatment response) through whole genome sequencing (WGS); (2) perform novel family based association analysis of our WGS data to identify novel genes for asthma; and (3) integrate epigenomic and transcriptomic data with our WGS data and determine the epistatic interactions present using systems genomics approaches. Identification of the molecular determinants of asthma remains an important priority in translational science. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have been successful in this regard, identifying at least 10 novel susceptibility genes for asthma. However, as with most complex traits, the variants identified by GWAS explain only a fraction of the estimated heritability of this disorder. Herein, we propose a novel family-based study design and state-of-the-art genome sequencing techniques to map a set of sequence variants for asthma and its associated phenotypes and assess the interrelationships of the identified genes and variants using systems genomics methods. We have assembled a team of investigators highly-skilled and expert in whole genome sequencing (Drs. Michael Cho and Benjamin Raby), genetic association analysis (Drs. Scott T. Weiss, Jessica Lasky-Su and Christoph Lange), integrative genomics (Drs. Raby, Kelan Tantisira, Augusto Litonjua and Dawn DeMeo), and systems genomics (Drs. Weiss, Amitabh Sharma, Lange and Raby) to address this important problem with both a novel study design and data set.

  Study phs000988

• Framingham Heart Study-Cohort (FHS-Cohort) - Imaging

  The Framingham Heart Study (FHS) is a population-based, observational cohort study initiated in 1948 to prospectively investigate the determinants of cardiovascular disease to guide public health prevention. The FHS began by recruiting an Original Cohort of 5,209 men and women between the ages of 30 and 62 from the town of Framingham, Massachusetts, who had not yet developed overt symptoms of cardiovascular disease or suffered a heart attack or stroke. The Original cohort Exam 1 took place between 1948 and 1953. Since that time the cohort has had a total of 32 biennial exams (ending in 2014) and event follow-up through 2022. In 1971, the FHS added the Offspring cohort, comprising 5124 children whose parents were enrolled in the Original cohort and the spouses of the children. This cohort on average has been examined every three to four years. However, there was an eight year gap between Exam 1 and Exam 2 and a seven year gap between Exam 7 and Exam 8. The latest exam (10) was completed in 2022. In 2002, the transgenerational FHS design was facilitated with the recruitment of 4095 children of the Offspring cohort (Third Generation), and 103 spouses of the Offspring who were not previously enrolled in the study (New Offspring Spouses, NOS). These cohorts have completed 3 exams through 2019. To reflect the changing demographic characteristics of the greater Framingham community, the FHS additionally recruited and enrolled 2 cohorts comprising racial and ethnic minority groups, termed Omni-1 and Omni-2, (n = 506 and 410, respectively) in 1995 and 2002, respectively. These cohorts included individuals of African American, Hispanic, Asian, Indian, Native American, and Pacific Islander descent. The OMNI-1 cohort have completed 5 exams through 2022. The OMNI-2 cohort have completed 3 exams through 2019. Data available for request include Echocardiogram images, available from the following exams in each cohort. Original Cohort: exams 18-32; Offspring cohort: exams 3-10; Third Generation, NOS and OMNI-2 cohorts: exams 1-3; OMNI-1 cohort: exams 1-5.CT image data at one or two timepoints were added for 4427 participants in the offspring, third generation, and OMNI1 and OMNI2 cohorts.Summary level phenotypes for the Framingham Cohort study participants can be viewed at the top-level study page phs000007 Framingham Cohort. Individual level phenotype data and molecular data for all Framingham top-level study and substudies are available by requesting Authorized Access to the Framingham Cohort study phs000007.

  Study phs003593

• Women's Environmental Cancer and Radiation Epidemiology (WECARE) Study

  Study population The WECARE Study is an international multicenter population-based case-control study of cases with asynchronous contralateral breast cancer (CBC) and individually matched controls with unilateral breast cancer (UBC). Recruitment and data collection for the WECARE Study were conducted in two phases, herein referred to as WECARE I (2001–2004) and WECARE II (2009–2012). The study design of the first phase (WECARE I) has been described in detail elsewhere [Bernstein JL, et al 2004, PMID: 15084244]; the second phase (WECARE II) employed a nearly identical approach [Langballe R, et al 2016, PMID: 27400983]. Participants in each phase were identified through eight population-based cancer registries, including six in the United States that contribute to the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program: Los Angeles County Cancer Surveillance Program; Cancer Surveillance System of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center (Seattle region, WA); State Health Registry of Iowa; Cancer Surveillance Program of Orange County/San Diego-Imperial Organization for Cancer Control (Orange County/San Diego, CA); the Greater Bay Area Cancer Registry (San Francisco Bay Area region and Santa Clara region, CA); and the Sacramento and Sierra Center Registry (Sacramento region, CA). Participants were additionally identified using the Ontario Cancer Registry (Canada) and the Danish Breast Cancer Cooperative Group Registry, supplemented by data from the Danish Cancer Registry. The study protocol was approved by the institutional review or regulatory ethics boards at each study site. Data collection Study participants were interviewed by telephone using a structured questionnaire aimed at evaluating known or suspected breast cancer risk factors, including personal demographics, medical history, menstrual and reproductive history, family history of cancer, use of hormones, smoking, and alcohol intake. Risk factor status was assessed during the period prior to first diagnosis, as well as between first diagnosis and reference date (i.e., the at-risk period for CBC). Detailed data on treatment and tumor characteristics were obtained directly from cancer registry records or by abstracting medical records, including pathology and surgical reports, radiation oncology clinic notes, and systemic adjuvant treatment data. Complete medical treatment history information was collected, and for all women who received radiotherapy, the radiation dose to the contralateral breast was reconstructed using radiotherapy records and radiation measurements. Biospecimens were collected from study participants for genotyping: blood collected from WECARE I women; and saliva collected from WECARE II women.

  Study phs003945

• GA4GH

  Standards The EGA is a long-standing supporter of the Global Alliance for Genomics & Health (GA4GH) to enhance responsible sharing of human genetic data through the development of interoperable global standards for human data access. The EGA is one of the founding GA4GH Driver Projects and has contributed to the development and implementation of several GA4GH standards and APIs. Below is a list of the GA4GH standards and APIs that are currently available or planned for implementation at EGA. TechnicalStandards Purpose SpecificationVersion SupportedVersion Implementation Large Scale Genomics htsget A protocol for secure, efficient, and reliable access to sequencing read and variation data. V1.3.0 V1.0.0 Specification Documentation Endpoint Read File Formats (SAM/BAM/CRAM) Specifications for storing next-generation sequencing read data. V3.0.0 V3.0.0 Implementation Example of Usage Variation File Formats (VCF/BCF) The specifications for Variant Call Format Files (VCF) and its binary counterpart BCF. V4.0.0 V2.0.0 V4.0.0 V2.0.0 Implementation Example of Usage Crypt4GH v1.0 Enables direct byte-level compatible random access to encrypted genetic data stored in community standards (e.g. CRAM, VCF) V1.0 V1.0 Specification Documentation Endpoint refget API Enables access to reference sequences using an identifier derived from the sequence itself. V1.2.6 NA Specification RNAget API v1 Provides a means of retrieving data from several types of RNA experiments including (i) feature-level expression data from RNA-seq type measurements and (ii) coordinate-based signal/intensity data similar to a bigwig representation via a client/server model. V1.0.0 NA Documentation Discovery Beacon v2 Supports discovery of genomic variants, phenotypes, and individuals V1.0.1 V0.3 Web UI API Source Code Service Info API v1 The Service Info API is an endpoint for describing GA4GH service metadata, designed for extension and inclusion in other APIs. Service info is used to describe a single service, while Service Registry is used to describe multiple services. V1.0.0 NA Documentation Service Registry API v1 provides information about other GA4GH services, primarily for the purpose of organizing services into networks or groups and service discovery across organizational boundaries. V1.0.0 NA Documentation Data Use Researcher Identities Data Use Ontology (DUO) Allow users to semantically tag genomic datasets with usage restrictions, allowing them to become automatically discoverable based on a health, clinical, or biomedical researcher’s authorisation level or intended use. 2021-02-23 2021-02-23 Specification Documentation Endpoint Authentication & Authorization Infrastructure (AAI) The GA4GH AAI specification leverages OpenID Connect (OIDC) Servers for use in authenticating the identity of researchers desiring to access clinical and genomic resources from data holders adhering to GA4GH standards, and to enable data holders to obtain security-related attributes of those researchers. V1.2.0 V1.2.0 API URI: ega.ebi.ac.uk:8443 Documentation Repository Researcher IDs (passport, visa) Specify the collection of researchers that may access a dataset at any given time, and the credentials they must supply. V1.0.1 V1.0.1 Specification Documentation Endpoint Cloud Tool Registry Service API TRS is a standard API for exchanging tools and workflows to analyze, read, and manipulate genomic data. V2.0.1 NA Documentation Repostiory Data Repository Service API ​DRS API is a standard for building data repositories and adapting access tools to work with those repositories, works with other approved APIs from the GA4GH Cloud Work Stream to allow researchers to discover algorithms across different cloud environments and send them to datasets they wish to analyse. V1.0.3 NA Documentation Repostiory Workflow Execution Service API This API lets users run a single workflow (defined using CWL or WDL) on multiple different platforms, clouds, and environments, and be confident that it will work the same way. The API provides methods to request that a workflow be run, pass parameters to that workflow, get information about running workflows, and cancel a running workflow. V1.0.1 NA Documentation Repostiory Genomic Knowledge Standards Variation Representation v1 Provides a flexible framework of computational models, schemas, and algorithms to precisely and consistently exchange genetic variation data across communities. V1.3.0 EGA team is contributing to including it in in Beacon v2 Specification and Elixir Reference Implementation Documentation Repostiory Clin/ Pheno Data Capture Phenopackets Provides information models with different levels of complexity to enable high level clinical phenotype information as well as deep clinical phenotype information to be exchanged. V2.0.0 Included in Ongoing Submissions EGA team is contributing to including it in in Beacon v2 Specification and Elixir Reference Implementation Documentation Repostiory Driver Project The EGA, jointly coordinated by the EBI and the CRG, was announced, in 2017, to be one of the 15 Driver Projects for GA4GH. Driver Projects are international genomic data initiatives, focussed on real projects and challenges that will guide the development efforts in order to accelerate and enable completely responsible and standarised data sharing by 2022. All chosen Driver Projects make a cross-sectional effort by playing an important role across the different workstreams. Thomas Keane, Jordi Rambla, Mallory Freeberg, and Aina Jené have been named Driver Project Champions for the EGA. All Driver Project Champions will be leading this ambitious initiative for the following years.

  Documentation about/projects-and-funders/ga4gh

• Proteomic predictors of individualized nutrient-specific insulin secretion in health and disease

  Population level variation and molecular mechanisms behind insulin secretion in response to carbohydrate, protein, and fat remain uncharacterized despite ramifications for personalized nutrition. We now define prototypical insulin secretion dynamics in response to the three macronutrients in islets from 140 cadaveric donors, including those diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. We leverage the insulin response heterogeneity and use transcriptomics and proteomics to identify molecular pathways of specific nutrient responsiveness. Surprisingly, we find robust insulin secretion to fatty acid stimulus in ~8% of donors, challenging the idea that fat has negligible effects on insulin release. Distinct islet proteomes with differences in metabolic signalling networks convey this hyper-responsiveness to fat relative to carbohydrate. By comparing human islets to human embryonic stem cell-derived islet clusters, we show that, unlike glucose-responsiveness, fat hyper-responsiveness is equivalent and may be a hallmark of functionally immature cells. Our study represents the first comparison of dynamic responses to nutrients and multi-omics analysis in human insulin secreting cells. Responses of different people’s islets to carbohydrate, protein, and fat lay the groundwork for personalized nutrition.

  Study EGAS00001007241

• Gut microbiome dynamics unravelled with metagenomics sequencing

  It has been already several years since we discovered that microbial therapeutics like Faecal Microbiota Transplantation can be used to treat Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) and Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) with great success. The concept has challenged us to test the limits of our knowledge with the perspective to improve health in the most diverse conditions like Parkinson disease, depression, autism and obesity, just to mention a few. Note: the figure belongs to the original paper and is owned by the authors. Allyson L.Bird and colleagues from Genentech Inc. (San Francisco) recently published an interesting study building up on the key concept that “As microbial therapeutics are increasingly being tested in diverse patient populations, it is essential to understand the host and environmental factors influencing the microbiome.” The authors of this work analysed 1359 gut microbiome samples using shotgun metagenomics sequencing.  The results of the comparison done between microbiota composition across the different groups showed that biological sex is the strongest driver of diversity, while aging (age range studied: 20–69) appears to be the second factor. As smartly outlined in the authors’ own graphical abstract (figure to the left), Bacteroidota species consistently increased with donors' age while Actinobacteriota species, including Bifidobacterium, decreased. This study also integrated data from oncological patients to draw cancer-related evidences. After correcting the biases for technical and geographic differences, they found that cancer patients show significantly altered gut bacterial communities compared with their healthy counterparts. Eg. E.coli was found to be increased in cancer patients together with Bacteroidota/Firmicutes ratios. By comparing sequential samples taken from the same donors (413) within short-distance time points, the authors found that in the short term, intra-individual differences were less than the inter-individual ones, indicating a certain community stability being the norm. One of the pivotal points from this interesting study is that the data proceeds from extremely well-defined and selected donors. Specifically, the data for 949 selected healthy donors came from the Milieu Intérieur (MI) Consortium and extensive metadata, including demographic variables, serological measures, dietary information, and systemic immune profiles, are available. This precise stratification allowed for the robust detection of smaller changes, compared to former works. All sequencing data has been deposited in the EGA archive under the accession number EGAS00001004437. Enjoy this amazing open access paper published in the Experimental Journal of Medicine on January 2021.

  Blog gut-microbiome-dynamics-unravelled