Search Results - EGA European Genome-Phenome Archive

Intratumoral plasma cells predict outcomes to PD-L1 blockade in non-small cell lung cancer

Inhibitors of the programmed cell death-1 (PD-1/PD-L1) signaling axis are approved to treat non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients, based on their significant overall survival (OS) benefit. Using transcriptomic analysis of 891 NSCLC tumors from patients treated with either the PD-L1 inhibitor atezolizumab or chemotherapy from two large randomized clinical trials, we found a significant B cell association with extended OS with PD-L1 blockade, independent of CD8+ T cell signals. We then derived gene signatures corresponding to the dominant B cell subsets present in NSCLC from single-cell RNA-seq data. Importantly, we found increased plasma cell signatures to be predictive of OS in patients treated with atezolizumab, but not chemotherapy. B cells were also associated with the presence of tertiary lymphoid structures and organized lymphoid aggregates. Our results suggest an important contribution of B and plasma cells to PD-L1 blockade efficacy in NSCLC.

Study EGAS00001005013

Somatic mutation and selection at epidemiological scale - TwinsUK_RENanoSeq_Buccal

Utilising restriction enzyme NanoSeq, we hope to explore the somatic mutation burden and mutational signatures in buccal cells from TwinsUK donors. Some donors have paired blood samples and data from this will help contextualise that work. All donors have paired Targeted NanoSeq data from buccal swabs. As we age, many tissues become colonised by microscopic clones carrying somatic driver mutations. Some of these clones represent a first step towards cancer whereas others may contribute to ageing and other diseases. However, our understanding of the clonal landscapes of human tissues, and their impact on cancer risk, ageing and disease, remains limited due to the challenge of detecting somatic mutations present in small numbers of cells. Here, we introduce a new version of nanorate sequencing (NanoSeq), a duplex sequencing method with error rates of less than 5 per billion base pairs, which is compatible with whole-exome and targeted gene sequencing. Deep sequencing of polyclonal samples with single-molecule sensitivity enables the simultaneous detection of mutations in large numbers of clones, yielding accurate somatic mutation rates, mutational signatures and driver mutation frequencies in any tissue. Applying targeted NanoSeq to 1,042 non-invasive samples of oral epithelium and 371 samples of blood from a twin cohort, we found an unprecedentedly rich landscape of selection, with 46 genes under positive selection driving clonal expansions in the oral epithelium, over 62,000 driver mutations, and evidence of negative selection in some genes. The high number of positively selected mutations in multiple genes provides high-resolution maps of selection across coding and non-coding sites, a form of in vivo saturation mutagenesis. Multivariate regression models enable mutational epidemiology studies on how carcinogenic exposures and cancer risk factors, such as age, tobacco or alcohol, alter the acquisition and selection of somatic mutations. Accurate single-molecule sequencing has the potential to unveil the polyclonal landscape of any tissue, providing a powerful tool to study early carcinogenesis, cancer prevention and the role of somatic mutations in ageing and disease.

Dataset EGAD00001015621

Genomic Advances in Sepsis (GAinS): RNA-seq

Sepsis is defined as life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to infection. This cohort comprises a subset of patients enrolled in the Genomic Advances in Sepsis (GAinS) study, an established biobank of adult sepsis patients. Patients with sepsis due to community acquired pneumonia or faecal peritonitis were recruited from 34 hospitals across the UK from 2005-2018, with samples for functional genomics and detailed clinical information collected on the first, third and/or fifth day following ICU admission. RNA was extracted from leukocytes isolated at the bedside using LeukoLOCK kits. We have previously identified sepsis response signatures (SRSs), transcriptomic endotypes that are associated with differential early mortality (Davenport et al, Lancet Respir Med, 2016; Burnham et al, AJRCCM, 2017) and response to treatment in a clinical trial (Antcliffe et al, AJRCCM, 2018). We generated RNA sequencing data on 903 samples, including 134 samples repeated from our previously released microarray data. Libraries were prepared using NEB Ultra II Library Prep kits (Illumina) and sequenced on a NovaSeq 6000. Reads were aligned to the reference genome (GRCh38) using STAR and gene counts quantified using featureCounts (annotation Ensembl v99). Counts were TMM-normalised and log-transformed. Following QC, processed data were available on 864 samples from 667 unique patients.

Dataset EGAD00001008730

GDAP - Genome Diversity in Africa Project (2021-02-12)

The Genomic Diversity in Africa Project (GDAP) started with the plan to develop a genomic resource from African populations, characterise genomic diversity and population history, and facilitate clinical studies in Africa. Currently, 25 individuals from 24 ethnolinguistic groups have been whole-genome sequenced at high depth totalling 585 individuals. An additional 41 individuals have been sequenced with 10X Genomics libraries. At this stage, the initial curation of this dataset has been finished and we are performing the analysis in coordination with our collaborators. The current state of the GDAP represents a very diverse panel of African populations that maximizes geographical and ethnic variation and represents a great starting point to achieve the aforementioned goals. However, southern sub-Saharan countries, Bantu speakers and hunter gatherer groups are currently underrepresented, despite being crucial to understand the evolutionary history of the continent. After extensive effort to collate studies documentation, we finally have the opportunity to sequence 600 new individuals from these groups, including countries as Gabon, Rwanda and Zambia, and address these deficiencies. We aim to proceed with the same strategy: to sequence at high depth 25 individuals with standard PCR free libraries, with 2 additional individuals with 10X Genomics Chromium libraries per ethnolinguistic group. The former allows a good representation of variants down to low frequency in any given population, and the latter allows accurate phasing and the analysis of structural variation. By including these new populations, we want to investigate three crucial questions in African history in addition to the initial objectives: the Bantu expansion, the evolutionary history of hunter gatherers and the transatlantic slave trade. Additionally, the expanded dataset will help us better discover the genetic variation present in Africa and characterize the African pangenome. 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/ . This dataset contains all the data available for this study on 2021-02-12.

Dataset EGAD00001006965

Genome Diversity in Africa Project: Uganda (2021-02-17)

Globally, human populations show structured genetic diversity as a result of geographical dispersion, selection and drift. Understanding this genetic variation can provide insights into the evolutionary processes that shape both human adaptation and variation in disease. Populations from SSA have the highest levels of genetic diversity. This characteristic, in addition to historical genetic admixture, can lead to complexities in the design of studies assessing the genetic determinants of disease and human variation. However, such studies of African populations are also likely to provide new opportunities to discover novel disease susceptibility loci and variants and refine gene-disease association signals. A systematic assessment of genetic diversity within SSA would facilitate genomic epidemiological studies in the region. The Genome Diversity in Africa Project (GDAP) aims to produce a comprehensive catalogue of human genetic variation in SSA, including single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), structural variants, and haplotypes. This resource will make a substantial contribution to understanding patterns of genetic diversity within and among populations in SSA, as well as providing a global resource to help design, implement and interpret genomic studies in SSA populations and studies comprising globally diverse populations, complementing existing genomic resources. Specifically, we plan to carry out high depth whole genome sequencing of up to 2000 individuals across Africa (25 individuals from each ethnolinguistic group). Our scientific objectives are to: 1) develop a resource that provides a comprehensive catalogue of genetic variation in populations from SSA accessible to the global scientific community; 2) characterise population genetic diversity, structure, gene flow and admixture across SSA; 3) develop a cost-efficient, next-generation genotype array for diverse populations across SSA; and 4) facilitate whole genome-sequencing association studies of complex traits and diseases by developing a reference panel for imputation and resource for enhancing fine-mapping disease susceptibility loci. These scientific objectives will be supported by cross-cutting operational activities, including network and management of the consortium, research ethics, and research capacity building in statistical genetics and bioinformatics . This dataset contains all the data available for this study on 2021-02-17.

Dataset EGAD00001006976

Dataset RNAseq from regions of insitu and invasive human mammary ductal disease

BAM files from RNAseq study from regions of insitu and invasive human mammary ductal disease

Dataset EGAD00001008586

RNAseq data to study PRPF6 regulated splice forms in colon cancer cell lines

Alternative splicing plays critical roles in differentiation, development, and cancer (Pettigrew et al., 2008; Chen and Manley, 2009). The recent identification of specific spliceosome inhibitors has generated interest in the therapeutic potential of targeting this cellular process (van Alphen et al., 2009). Using an integrated genomic approach, we have identified PRPF6, an RNA binding component of the pre-mRNA spliceosome, as an essential driver of oncogenesis in colon cancer. Importantly, PRPF6 is both amplified and overexpressed in colon cancer, and only colon cancer cells with high PRPF6 levels are sensitive to its loss. Our data clearly point to an important role for PRPF6 in colon cancer growth and suggest that a better understanding of its role in alternative splicing in colon cancer is warranted. To determine the specific alternative splice forms that PRPF6 regulates in colon cancer, we plan three experiments: 1. The first involves knocking down expression of PRPF6 in two different cancer cell lines with 3 different siRNAs, and then completing RNA-seq to determine the gene expression changes that occur relative to a non-targeting control siRNA. Because of the role for PRPF6 in pre-mRNA splicing, we especially want to quantify the changes in splice-specific forms of all genes genome-wide to identify genes whose splicing is altered upon PRPF6 knockdown. 2. The second involves immunoprecipitating PRPF6 from two different cancer cell lines and isolating any RNA that is bound to PRPF6, since PRPF6 is an RNA-binding protein. We then want to carry out RNA-seq to identify which RNA molecules co-immunoprecipitated with PRPF6. This will help us determine possible functions for PRPF6 in regulating colon cancer growth. 3. The third involves overexpressing PRPF6 in cell lines and then carrying out RNA-seq to identify any changes in splice-specific gene expression. This will allow us to determine whether increased PRPF6 expression is sufficient to drive alternative splicing changes.

Dataset EGAD00001000817

Detection of isoforms and genomic alterations by high-throughput full-length single-cell RNA sequencing in HGSOC

Understanding the complex background of cancer requires genotype-phenotype information in single-cell resolution. Long-read single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq), capturing full-length transcripts, lacked the depth to provide this information so far. Here, we increased the PacBio sequencing depth to 12,000 reads per cell, leveraging multiple strategies, including artifact removal and transcript concatenation, and applied the technology to samples from three human ovarian cancer patients. Our approach captured 152,000 isoforms, of which over 52,000 were novel, detected cell type- and cell-specific isoform usage, and revealed differential isoform expression in tumor and mesothelial cells. Furthermore, we identified gene fusions, including a novel scDNA sequencing-validated IGF2BP2::TESPA1 fusion, which was misclassified as high TESPA1 expression in matched short-read data, and called somatic and germline mutations, confirming targeted NGS cancer gene panel results. With multiple new opportunities, especially for cancer biology, we envision long-read scRNA-seq to become increasingly relevant in oncology and personalized medicine.

Study EGAS00001006807

Somatic mutation and selection at epidemiological scale - Sanger_NanoSeq_RandD

Bottleneck sequencing of human tissue including neurons, cord blood, sperm 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/. As we age, many tissues become colonised by microscopic clones carrying somatic driver mutations. Some of these clones represent a first step towards cancer whereas others may contribute to ageing and other diseases. However, our understanding of the clonal landscapes of human tissues, and their impact on cancer risk, ageing and disease, remains limited due to the challenge of detecting somatic mutations present in small numbers of cells. Here, we introduce a new version of nanorate sequencing (NanoSeq), a duplex sequencing method with error rates of less than 5 per billion base pairs, which is compatible with whole-exome and targeted gene sequencing. Deep sequencing of polyclonal samples with single-molecule sensitivity enables the simultaneous detection of mutations in large numbers of clones, yielding accurate somatic mutation rates, mutational signatures and driver mutation frequencies in any tissue. Applying targeted NanoSeq to 1,042 non-invasive samples of oral epithelium and 371 samples of blood from a twin cohort, we found an unprecedentedly rich landscape of selection, with 46 genes under positive selection driving clonal expansions in the oral epithelium, over 62,000 driver mutations, and evidence of negative selection in some genes. The high number of positively selected mutations in multiple genes provides high-resolution maps of selection across coding and non-coding sites, a form of in vivo saturation mutagenesis. Multivariate regression models enable mutational epidemiology studies on how carcinogenic exposures and cancer risk factors, such as age, tobacco or alcohol, alter the acquisition and selection of somatic mutations. Accurate single-molecule sequencing has the potential to unveil the polyclonal landscape of any tissue, providing a powerful tool to study early carcinogenesis, cancer prevention and the role of somatic mutations in ageing and disease.

Dataset EGAD00001015624

Intratumoral Heterogeneity and Clonal Evolution Induced by HPV Integration.

The human papillomavirus (HPV) genome is integrated into host DNA in most HPV-positive cancers, but the consequences for chromosomal integrity are unknown. Continuous long-read sequencing of oropharyngeal cancers and cancer cell lines revealed a unique form of structural variation, termed heterocateny here, characterized by heterogeneous, interrelated, and repetative patterns of concatemerized virus and host DNA segments. Evidence of heterocateny was detected in extrachromosomal and/or intrachromosomal DNA in all cases. Unique breakpoint sequences shared across structurally heterogeneous virus-host concatemers within each cancer facilitated stepwise reconstruction of their evolution from a common molecular ancestor. This analysis revealed that unstable virus and virus-host concatemers in ecDNA or integrated form mediate insertion into and excision from chromosomes, capture, rearrangement, and rolling-circle amplification of host DNA, and chromosomal rearrangements. The data indicate that heterocatena is driven by the dynamic, aberrant replication and recombination of an oncogenic DNA virus, thereby extending known consequences of HPV integration to include promotion of intra-tumoral heterogeneity and clonal evolution.

Study EGAS00001006652

Genomic Diagnosis and Individualized Therapy of Highly Penetrant Genetic Diabetes

The most common and well-known causes of diabetes are type 1 and type 2 diabetes; however, there are many other etiologies of diabetes. At least 1-2% of diabetes cases result from high penetrance single gene defects, most commonly in a gene encoding either a transcription factor involved in beta cell development and function or the enzyme glucokinase (GCK). Others have mutations in transcription factors necessary for beta cell development and function. This subset of monogenic diabetes cases is autosomal dominant and is known as "Maturity-Onset Diabetes of the Young" (MODY). Patients with type 1 diabetes are insulin dependent, meaning they lack insulin production and therefore require multiple daily injections of insulin, as well as multiple times a day blood glucose monitoring. This can be quite burdensome. Type 2 diabetes is predominantly an insulin resistance problem and can often be managed with pills initially, but there are many who also require insulin either at diagnosis or later on in their disease course. Usually, monogenic diabetes is misdiagnosed as type 1 or type 2 diabetes and thus treated suboptimally. Those with monogenic diabetes, due to a defect in a gene encoding a transcription factor, respond extremely well to a class of oral diabetes medications called sulfonylureas. Those with GCK-MODY often have a mild, stable, fasting, nonprogressive hyperglycemia for which pharmacological treatment is often not necessary. It is important to accurately diagnose our patients with the correct etiology to their diabetes for a multitude of reasons. Accurately diagnosing a patient with MODY, for example, can predict their clinical course and we can tailor treatment accordingly. If diagnosed with a transcription factor MODY, we can try switching the patient from insulin to an oral sulfonylurea, and if diagnosed with a GCK-MODY, we can consider discontinuing pharmacological treatment altogether. With specific tailoring of treatment, we would hope to improve quality of life by discontinuing perhaps multiple daily injections of insulin and glucose checking as these may not be necessary. In addition, we would hope to improve glycemic control with an eventual decreased cost to society by decreasing the complication rate of diabetes, resulting in less specialty referrals, lab tests, supplies and procedures. Further, given MODY is an autosomal dominant condition with a 50% chance of inheritance to first-degree family members, we could offer testing to asymptomatic family members which could lead to prevention and/or early diagnosis and treatment. Overall, testing for monogenic diabetes is underutilized clinically. Testing is being done in the U.K., but in the U.S. we are lagging behind. This is most predominantly due to lack of knowledge and concern over cost. In addition, it is difficult to differentiate the relatively small number of monogenic diabetes cases from the larger number with type 1 and type 2 diabetes as each of these etiologies have overlapping characteristics. In fact, many patients with monogenic diabetes are being misdiagnosed with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. There are recommendations set forth by different societies on who to consider screening for monogenic diabetes. However, these recommendations are difficult to employ clinically as they are general recommendations, there is no specific algorithm, and they are based on varying levels of evidence. The purpose of this study is to implement a personalized diabetes medicine program to enhance the identification of individuals and families affected by highly penetrant diabetes gene mutations through a combination of systematic screening and genetic testing at the University of Maryland Center for Diabetes and Endocrinology, the Baltimore VA Medical Center and additional partner centers at Geisinger Health System and Bay West Endocrinology Associates, and other UM outpatient clinics. Our hope is to develop an approach that can be eventually implemented across the United States so that we can more often uncover the correct etiology to diabetes, tailor treatment accordingly, and test asymptomatic family members.

Study phs001771

WNT-dependent interaction between inflammatory fibroblasts and FOLR2+ macrophages promotes fibrosis in chronic kidney disease

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a public health problem driven by myofibroblast accumulation, leading to interstitial fibrosis. Heterogeneity is a recently recognised characteristics in kidney fibroblasts in CKD, but the role of different populations is still unclear. Here, we characterize a proinflammatory fibroblast population (named CXCL-iFibro), which corresponds to an early state of myofibroblast differentiation in CKD. By performing immunofluorescence studies and spatial transcriptomics analysis on 2 patients, we demonstrate that CXCL-iFibro co-localize with macrophages in the kidney and participate in their attraction, accumulation, and switch into FOLR2+ macrophages from early CKD stages on. In vitro, we cultured primary inflammatory fibroblasts that we characterized by using bulk RNAseq. We show that macrophages promote the switch of CXCL-iFibro into ECM-secreting myofibroblasts through a WNT/-catenin-dependent pathway, thereby suggesting a reciprocal crosstalk between these populations of fibroblasts and macrophages. Finally, the detection of CXCL-iFibro at early stages of CKD is predictive of poor patient prognosis, which shows that the CXCL-iFibro population is an early player in CKD progression and demonstrates the clinical relevance of our findings.

Study EGAS50000000101

Residual ANTXR1+ myofibroblasts after chemotherapy inhibit anti-tumor immunity via YAP1 signaling pathway

Although cancer-associated fibroblast (CAF) heterogeneity is well-established, the impact of chemotherapy on CAF populations remains poorly understood. We address this question in high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC), in which we previously identified 4 CAF populations. While the global content in stroma increases in HGSOC after chemotherapy, the proportion of FAP+ CAF (also called CAF-S1) decreases. Still, maintenance of high residual CAF-S1 content after chemotherapy is associated with reduced CD8+ T lymphocyte density and poor patient prognosis, emphasizing the importance of CAF-S1 reduction upon treatment. Single cell analysis, spatial transcriptomics and immunohistochemistry reveal that the content in the ECM-producing ANTXR1+ CAF-S1 cluster (ECM-myCAF) is the most affected by chemotherapy. Moreover, functional assays demonstrate that ECM-myCAF isolated from HGSOC reduce CD8+ T-cell cytotoxicity through a Yes Associated Protein 1 (YAP1)-dependent mechanism. Thus, efficient inhibition after treatment of YAP1-signaling pathway in the ECM-myCAF cluster is required to enhance CD8+ T-cell cytotoxicity. Altogether, these data pave the way for novel therapy targeting YAP1 in ECM-myCAF in HGSOC.

Study EGAS50000000136

Stability of gut microbiome after COVID-19 vaccination in healthy and immuno-compromised individuals

Bidirectional interactions between the immune system and the gut microbiota are key contributors to various physiological functions. Immune-associated diseases such as cancer and auto- immunity, and efficacy of immunomodulatory therapies, have been linked to microbiome variation. Although COVID-19 infection has been shown to cause microbial dysbiosis, it remains understudied whether the inflammatory response associated with vaccination also impacts the microbiota. Here, we investigate the temporal impact of COVID-19 vaccination on the gut microbiome in healthy and immuno-compromised individuals; the latter included patients with primary immunodeficiency and cancer patients on immuno- modulating therapies. We find that the gut microbiome remained remarkably stable postvaccination irrespective of diverse immune status, vaccine response, and microbial composition spanned by the cohort. The stability is evident at all evaluated levels including diversity, phylum, species, and functional capacity. Our results in- dicate the resilience of the gut microbiome to host immune changes triggered by COVID-19 vaccination and suggest minimal, if any, impact on microbiome-mediated processes. These findings en- courage vaccine acceptance, particularly when contrasted with the significant microbiome shifts observed during COVID-19 infection.

Study EGAS50000000179

Mechanisms of Therapy Driven Clonal Evolution in Oncogenic RAS Mutant Relapsed Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Although multi-agent combination chemotherapy is curative in a significant fraction of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) patients, 20% of cases relapse and most die due to chemo-refractory disease. Here we used whole-exome and whole-genome sequencing to analyze the mutational landscape and pattern of clonal evolution at relapse in pediatric ALL cases. These analyses showed that ALL relapses originate from a common ancestral precursor clone of the diagnosis and relapsed populations and frequently harbor mutations implicated in chemotherapy resistance. RAS-MAPK pathway activating mutations in NRAS, KRAS and PTPN11 were present in 24/55 (44%) cases in our series. Notably, while some cases showed emergence of RAS mutant clones at relapse, in others, RAS mutant clones present at diagnosis were replaced by RAS wild type populations. Mechanistically, functional dissection of mouse and human wild type Kras and mutant Kras (Kras G12D) isogenic leukemia cells demonstrated induction of methotrexate resistance, but also improved response to vincristine, in mutant Kras- expressing lymphoblasts. These results identify chemotherapy driven selection as a central mechanism of leukemia clonal evolution and pave the road for the development of tailored personalized therapies for the treatment of relapsed ALL.

Study phs001072

Transcriptome of Chronic Pain and Disease

The Functional Genomics Section (FGS) is a part of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) within the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Research at the FGS focuses on understanding the mechanics involved in nociception through both clinical samples from patients with chronic pain and mouse models of pain. Pain is relayed from the periphery to the central nervous system through specialized sensory neurons known as nociceptors. The cell body of nociceptors resides in neuronal structures that branch off of the spinal cord known as dorsal root ganglia (DRG). The DRG is a heterogenous tissue containing not only sensory neurons like nociceptors, but also glial cells, capillaries, fibroblasts, and resident macrophages. The interaction between the nociceptors and these DRG cell types can have a significant role in affecting neuronal hyperexcitability and downstream pain sensitivity. To better understand the cellular factors involved in producing conditions of chronic pain, DRGs from consenting organ donors were collected from individuals experiencing pain disorders such as painful diabetic neuropathy and rheumatoid arthritis. A multi-omics approach is being used to identify molecular mechanisms that lead to pain hypersensitivity in patients with chronic pain.  

Study phs002548

Detection of Genes Predisposing to Hematologic Malignancies

We have been conducting genetic studies on families at high risk of different hematologic malignancies, in order to define the related tumors in the families, define precursor and other related conditions, and map and identify susceptibility genes. We have focused mainly on four types of lymphoid malignancies: chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), and Waldenström macroglobulinemia (WM). A few families with a rare lymphoma subtype, hairy cell leukemia (HCL) are included. In addition, single large pedigrees with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and juvenile myelomocytic leukemia (JMML) are included. Families are ascertained for having at least two patients with the same hematologic malignancy and are classified by the type of malignancy that predominates in the family. Multiple types of lymphoid malignancies are often found in the same family. Other data has shown that these conditions aggregate together in families. Verification of cancer diagnoses is obtained through medical records, pathology reports, and flow cytometry. Family members with precursor traits are also included, monoclonal B-cell lymphocytosis (MBL) in CLL families and IgM monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) in WM families.

Study phs001219

Epigenomes and Transcriptomes of Brain Samples of Schizophrenics and Controls

We examined the effects of antipsychotic medications on the cell-specific epigenomics and transcriptomics in the frontal cortex of schizophrenic subjects. We performed ChIP-seq (H3K4me3 and H3K27ac) and RNA-seq on neuronal and non-neuronal nuclei of postmortem frontal cortex samples from two cohorts of schizophrenics, either previously treated or not with antipsychotic medications, and control subjects individually matched by sex and age. In total, we tested 29 schizophrenics (15 untreated and 14 treated patients) and their matched control samples. Two replicates were produced on each brain sample for each assay. ChIP-seq data were generated using MOWChIP-seq (Zhu et al., PMID: 31666743) and RNA-seq data were produced using the combination of SMART-seq2 (Picelli et al., PMID: 24385147) and a Nextera XT DNA library preparation kit. The filename contains the information on the experimental group, the number of the sample within the group, the type of the brain nuclei, the epigenomic/transcriptomic data set (either H3K27ac or mRNA), and the number of replicate. For example, “SCZ-1-untreated-neuron-H3K4me3-R1” refers untreated schizophrenic sample #1, replicate 1 ChIP-seq data on H3K4me3.

Study phs002487

Clonal Evolution and Transcriptomic Analysis of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Treated with Ibrutinib

Disease progression has been increasingly appreciated with the use of ibrutinib to treat chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Understanding the pattern of clonal evolution and transcriptomic changes during the early treatment period with ibrutinib may provide insight into the mechanisms of resistance. We performed whole exome sequencing on sequential samples with matched germline controls from 61 patients with CLL during the first 12 months of ibrutinib monotherapy or ibrutinib in combination with rituximab. Additionally, RNA sequencing was done on a subset of 14 patients treated with ibrutinib monotherapy. The presence of clonal shifts was associated with an increased risk of disease progression, suggesting that resistant clones are more likely to emerge in CLL with greater evolutionary capacity.This cohort was later augmented with additional data (including data from 15 additional patients). In total, this second set of data contained whole exome sequencing (31 samples), RNA sequencing (6 samples) and reduced representation bisulfite sequencing (67 samples) for CLL samples and used them to identify expression subtypes of CLL. In an integrative analysis of genetic, transcriptomic, and epigenetic data, incorporating known and newly identified subtypes of CLL, we built new models to improve patient prognostication.

Study phs001473

E5103 Correlative Studies

ECOG-ACRIN E5103 (E5103) was a phase III adjuvant breast cancer trial that randomized 4994 patients with node-positive or high-risk node-negative breast cancer to intravenous doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide every 2 or 3 weeks (at the discretion of treating physician), for four cycles of adriamycin and cyclophosphamide (AC) followed by 12 weeks of weekly paclitaxel (80 mg/m2) alone (Arm A), or to the same chemotherapy with either concurrent bevacizumab (Arm B), or concurrent plus sequential bevacizumab (Arm C). To develop predictive genetic biomarkers for chemotherapy efficacy and toxicities, we have successfully performed genome-wide genotyping and whole exome sequencing in the germline (blood) DNA of 3215 and 672 patients, respectively, from the E5103 trial to investigate the association of genetic variants with chemotherapy efficacy and toxicities. Case and control studies were performed with genome-wide analyses (GWAS) and whole exome analyses (WES) across all arms of E5103 to identify genotypes at single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and deleterious gene mutations that were associated with paclitaxel-induced peripheral neuropathy (TIPN). Through GWAS, we have identified a SNP, rs3125923, and through WES, Cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase (POR), that was significantly associated with grade 3-4 TIPN.

Study phs003201

The Genomic Landscape of Endocrine Resistant Advanced Breast Cancers: Paired Pre- and Post-endocrine Therapy Samples.

The genomic evolution of breast cancers exposed to systemic therapy and its effects on clinical outcome have not been broadly characterized. We integrated the genomic sequencing of 1918 breast cancers, including 1501 hormone receptor-positive tumors, with detailed clinical information and treatment outcomes. Functional mutations in ERBB2 and loss-of-function mutations in NF1 were more than twice as common in post-endocrine therapy tumors compared to treatment-naive tumors. Additional alterations in the MAPK pathway (EGFR, KRAS among others) and in estrogen receptor transcriptional regulators (MYC, CTCF, FOXA1 and TBX3) were also more common compared to hormonal therapy-naive tumors. To determine whether candidate genomic lesions in the MAPK pathway and estrogen receptor transcriptional regulators were present prior to therapy or whether such lesions arose under the selective pressure of therapy, we performed whole-exome sequencing in select patients who had adequate samples acquired prior to and after progression on endocrine therapy. In total, 95 specimens corresponding to 30 treatment-naive primary tumors, 35 post-treatment tumors, and 30 normal samples were sequenced from 30 patients with endocrine-resistant metastatic breast cancer.

Study phs001674

High response rate to anti PD-1 therapy in desmoplastic melanoma

Desmoplastic melanoma (DM) is a rare subtype of melanoma characterized by dense fibrous stroma, resistance to chemotherapy and a lack of actionable driver mutations, but is highly associated with ultraviolet light DNA damage. We analysed 60 patients with advanced DM treated with programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) or PD-1 ligand (PD-L1) blocking antibody therapy. Objective tumor responses were observed in 42 of the 60 patients (70%, 95% confidence interval 57-81%), including 19 patients (32% overall) with a complete response. Whole-exome sequencing revealed a high mutational load and frequent NF-1 mutations (14 out of 17 cases). Immunohistochemistry (IHC) analysis from 19 DM and 13 non-DM revealed a higher percentage of PD-L1 positive cells in the tumor parenchyma in DM (p = 0.04), highly associated with increased CD8 density and PD-L1 expression in the tumor invasive margin. Therefore, patients with advanced DM derive significant clinical benefit from PD-1/PD-L1 immune checkpoint blockade therapy despite being a cancer defined by its dense desmoplastic fibrous stroma. The benefit is likely derived from the high mutational burden and a frequent pre-existing adaptive immune response limited by PD-L1 expression.

Study phs001469

Pharmacogenomics of HIV Therapy - Atazanavir Bilirubin-related Side Effects

This is an evaluation of genetic associations with atazanavir (ATV) discontinuation for bilirubin-related causes within 12 months of treatment. Patients were treated at an HIV primary care clinic in Nashville TN from 1998 to 2012. A previously known SNP in UGT1A1 (rs887829) was used to define metabolizer genotypes (extensive, intermediate, slow metabolizer). Over 500,000 SNPs from genome-wide genotyping were used to define MDS (Multidimensional Scaling) coordinates to account for population stratification. Patients were defined as cases if they discontinued ATV for bilirubin-related causes within 12 months of treatment, otherwise they were defined as controls if they did not stop treatment. Among 321 evaluable patients, 15 (4.6%) had bilirubin-related atazanavir discontinuation within 12 months. Homozygosity for rs887829 T/T was present in 28.1% of black, 21.4% of Hispanic, and 8.6% of white patients. Among all patients the hazard ratio (HR) for bilirubin-related discontinuation with T/T versus C/C genotype was 7.3 (95% C.I.: 1.7 to 31.5; p = 0.007). Among 152 white patients the HR was 14.4 (95% CI: 2.6 to 78.7; p = 0.002), but among 153 black patients the HR was 0.8 (95% C.I. 0.05 to 12.7; p = 0.87).

Study phs001484

An APOBEC Cytidine Deaminase Mutagenesis in Human Cancers

Reprinted from Roberts et al. "An APOBEC cytidine deaminase mutagenesis pattern is widespread in human cancers", Nature Genetics, 45:970-976, 2013, with permission of Nature Publishing Group: Recent studies indicate that a subclass of APOBEC cytidine deaminases, which convert cytosine to uracil during RNA editing and retrovirus or retrotransposon restriction, may induce mutation clusters in human tumors. We show here that throughout cancer genomes APOBEC-mediated mutagenesis is pervasive and correlates with APOBEC mRNA levels. Mutation clusters in whole-genome and exome data sets conformed to the stringent criteria indicative of an APOBEC mutation pattern. Applying these criteria to 954,247 mutations in 2,680 exomes from 14 cancer types, mostly from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), showed a significant presence of the APOBEC mutation pattern in bladder, cervical, breast, head and neck, and lung cancers, reaching 68% of all mutations in some samples. Within breast cancer, the HER2-enriched subtype was clearly enriched for tumors with the APOBEC mutation pattern, suggesting that this type of mutagenesis is functionally linked with cancer development. The APOBEC mutation pattern also extended to cancer-associated genes, implying that ubiquitous APOBEC-mediated mutagenesis is carcinogenic.

Study phs000677

NHLBI GO-ESP: Family Studies (Familial Interstitial Pneumonia)

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 Familial Interstitial Pneumonia (FIP) project seeks to identify genetic variants in coding regions of the human genome that are linked to FIP by examining the coding regions among relatives with FIP. These data will be used in conjunction with our other genetic studies to help us better understand how and why some individuals develop pulmonary fibrosis.

Study phs000582

Genome-Wide Discovery of Novel Breast Cancer Predisposing Mutations

Cancer risk shows clear heritability, but the inherited genetic factors remain largely unknown. This project will seek to identify new genes in which mutations confer hereditary risk for early onset breast cancer, with important implications for both biological understanding and clinical prediction and prevention. Identifying cancer predisposing mutations can provide new biological insights and significantly impact important clinical decision making regarding treatment, surveillance and preventive approaches. Examples include the BRCA1 breast cancer susceptibility gene, which affects treatment decisions (surgical management), surveillance (frequent breast MRI) and prevention (oophorectory for prevention of ovarian cancer). Hereditary early onset breast cancer patients commonly present to Cancer Genetics clinics, but the majority of these patients do not have identifiable mutations in known candidate genes. Here, we will perform whole exome sequencing to discover novel cancer susceptibility genes. The patients have been recruited from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (PIs Kenneth Offit and Zsofia Stadler) and Massachusetts General Hospital (PI Daniel Haber). All exome sequencing was performed at the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT; samples sequence capture was performed using Agilent SureSelect Human All Exon Kit v2 and sequencing was performed on an Illumina HiSeq 2000 or 2500.

Study phs000822

Altered chromosomal topology drives oncogenic programs in gastrointestinal stromal tumors

Metabolic lesions with pleiotropic effects on epigenetic regulation and other cellular processes are widely implicated in cancer, yet their oncogenic mechanisms remain poorly understood. Succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) deficiency causes a subset of gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) with DNA hyper-methylation. Here we associate this hyper-methylation with changes in chromosome topology that activate oncogenic programs. To investigate epigenetic alterations in this disease, we systematically mapped DNA methylation, CTCF insulators, enhancers and chromosome topology in KIT-mutant, PDGFRA-mutant and SDH-deficient GISTs. Although these respective subtypes share similar enhancer landscapes, we identified hundreds of putative insulators where DNA methylation replaced CTCF binding in SDH-deficient GISTs. We focused on disrupted insulators that partitions super-enhancers from FGF3, FGF4 and the KIT oncogene. Recurrent loss of this insulator alters locus topology in SDH-deficient GISTs, allowing aberrant physical interaction between enhancers and oncogenes. CRISPR-mediated excision of the corresponding CTCF motif in an SDH-intact model disrupted the boundary and up-regulated FGFs and KIT expression. Our findings reveal how a metabolic lesion destabilizes chromatin structure to facilitate the initiation and selection of epigenetic alterations that drive oncogenic programs in the absence of canonical mutations.

Study phs001906

Clinical Resistance to Crenolanib in Acute Myeloid Leukemia Due to Diverse Molecular Mechanisms

FLT3 mutations are commonly detected in Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) patients and are associated with poor prognosis. Crenolanib, a potent type I pan-FLT3 (GeneID:2322) inhibitor, is effective against both internal tandem duplications (ITD) and resistance-conferring tyrosine kinase domain (TKD) mutations. While crenolanib monotherapy has demonstrated significant clinical benefit in heavily pretreated relapsed/refractory AML patients, responses are transient and relapse eventually occurs. To investigate the mechanisms of crenolanib resistance, we performed whole exome sequencing of AML patient samples before and after crenolanib treatment (122 samples from 59 patients). Unlike other FLT3 inhibitors, crenolanib did not induce FLT3 activation loop mutations, and mutations of the FLT3 "gatekeeper" residue were infrequent. Instead, mutations of NRAS (GeneID:4893) and IDH2 (GeneID:3418) arose, mostly as FLT3-independent subclones, while TET2 (GeneID:54790) and IDH1 (GeneID:3417) predominantly co-occurred with the FLT3-mutant clone and were enriched in crenolanib poor-responders. The remaining patients exhibited post-crenolanib expansion of mutations associated with epigenetic regulators, transcription factors, and cohesion factors, suggesting diverse non-FLT3 genetic/epigenetic mechanisms of crenolanib resistance. Drug combinations in experimental models restored crenolanib sensitivity.

Study phs001628

Genetic Analysis of Desmoplastic Melanoma

Desmoplastic melanoma is an infrequent variant of melanoma with sarcomatous histology, distinct clinical behavior, and unknown pathogenesis. We performed low-coverage genome and high-coverage exome sequencing of 20 desmoplastic melanomas, followed by targeted sequencing of 293 genes to validate candidate genes. A high mutation burden (median 62 mutations/Mb) ranked desmoplastic melanoma among the most highly mutated cancers. Mutation patterns strongly implicate UV-radiation as the dominant mutagen, indicating a superficially located cell of origin. Novel alterations included recurrent promoter mutations of NF-kappa B inhibitor epsilon, NFKBIE (IkBε) in 14.5% of samples. Commonly mutated oncogenes in melanomas, in particular BRAF(V600E) and NRAS(Q61K/R), were absent. Instead, other genetic alterations known to activate the MAPK and PI3K signaling cascades were identified in 73% of samples, affecting NF1, CBL, ERBB2, MAP2K1, MAP3K1, BRAF, EGFR, PTPN11, MET, RAC1, SOS2, NRAS, and PIK3CA, some of which being candidates for targeted therapies. Reprinted from: Shain, A. H. et al. Exome sequencing of desmoplastic melanoma identifies recurrent NFKBIE promoter mutations and diverse activating mutations in the MAPK pathway. Nat. Genet. With permission from Nature Genetics

Study phs000977

Characterization of Autosomal CNV Among the Negrito from Peninsular Malaysia

Copy number variation (CNV) has been recognized as a major contributor to human genome diversity. It plays an important role in determining phenotypes and has been associated with a number of common and complex diseases. However the CNV data from diverse populations is rather limited. Here we report the first investigation of copy number variation (CNV) in the indigenous populations from Peninsular Malaysia. We genotyped 34 Negrito genomes from Peninsular Malaysia using the Affymetrix SNP 6.0 microarray and identified 62 putative novel CNVs, consisting of 25 gains and 37 losses. These CNVs appear unique to the Negrito population and were absent in the DGV, HapMap3 and Singapore Genome Variation Project (SGVP) datasets. Analysis of gene ontology revealed that genes within these CNVs were enriched in the immune system (GO:0002376), response to stimulus mechanisms (GO:0050896), as well as the metabolic pathways (GO:0001852). Copy number gains in CNVRs enriched with genes were significantly higher than the losses (P value <0.001). Therefore, in view of the small population size, relative isolation and semi-normadic lifestyles of this community, we speculate that these CNVs may be attributed to recent local adaptation of Negritos from Peninsular Malaysia.

Study phs000664

VA APOLLO Project - Research for Precision Oncology (RePOP)

The Research for Precision Oncology Program (RePOP) is a research activity that establishes a cohort of Veterans diagnosed with cancer and who have had genomic analyses performed on their tumor tissue as part of standard of care. All data relevant to a patient's cancer and cancer care will be collected under RePOP, including patient demographics, co-morbidities, genomic analysis, treatments, medications, lab values, imaging studies, and outcomes. All RePOP participants will have signed/verbal informed consent and signed HIPAA authorization to have their data stored and shared from RePOP's Precision Oncology Program Data Repository (PODR). The Applied Proteogenomics OrganizationaL Learning and Outcomes (APOLLO) network is a collaboration between NCI, the Department of Defense (DoD), and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to incorporate proteogenomics into patient care as a way of looking beyond the genome, to the activity and expression of the proteins that the genome encodes. The emerging field of proteogenomics aims to better predict how patients will respond to therapy by screening their tumors for both genetic abnormalities and protein information, an approach that has been made possible in recent years due to advances in proteomic technology.

Study phs001374

Integrated Analysis of Multimodal Single-Cell Data

The simultaneous measurement of multiple modalities, known as multimodal analysis, represents an exciting frontier for single cell genomics and necessitates new computational methods that can define cellular states based on multiple data types. Here, we introduce 'weighted nearest neighbor' analysis, an unsupervised framework to learn the relative utility of each data type in each cell, enabling an integrative analysis of multiple modalities. We apply our procedure to a CITE-seq dataset of hundreds of thousands of human white blood cells alongside a panel of 228 antibodies to construct a multimodal reference atlas of the circulating immune system. We demonstrate that integrative analysis substantially improves our ability to resolve cell states and validate the presence of previously unreported lymphoid subpopulations. Moreover, we demonstrate how to leverage this reference to rapidly map new datasets, and to interpret immune responses to vaccination and COVID-19. Our approach represents a broadly applicable strategy to analyze single-cell multimodal datasets, including paired measurements of RNA and chromatin state, and to look beyond the transcriptome towards a unified and multimodal definition of cellular identity. All CITE-seq and ECCITE-seq raw matrices are available in GEO database under the accession number GEO: GSE164378.

Study phs002315

Pharmacogenomic Interactions in Glioblastoma Cell Line Models

Glioblastoma (GBM) is a lethal disease without effective treatments. To advance toward effective therapeutic approaches that are biomarker-driven, there is a need for new targeted agents and to develop accurate preclinical models that encompass its cellular and molecular diversity. Historical cell line models poorly represent molecular diversity of GBMs, so we developed a living tissue bank encompassing 103 patient-derived GBM cell lines (PDGCLs) as a platform for preclinical pharmacogenomic investigation at scale. Thirty-four PDGCLs were submitted to a comprehensive molecular characterization of copy number alterations and mutations using whole exome sequencing (WES) and gene expression (microarrays), and tested against a panel of 390 small molecules at sixteen different duplicated concentrations. After integrating and systematically correlating molecular alterations with drug sensitivities, we yielded 8,083,140 pharmacogenomic interactions, and discovered novel drug and biomarker combinations which help to prioritize highly effective novel candidate treatments in GBM. Our findings demonstrate the utility of deep characterization of large numbers of models from a single disease to detect complex predictors of compound sensitivity, and indicate novel therapeutic approaches for a large fraction of patients with GBM.

Study phs001793

Methotrexate Clearance GWAS in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) Patients

We estimated the plasma clearance of methotrexate from 1279 acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) patients treated on the Children Oncology Group 9904 and 9905 trials (http://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT00005585 and http://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT00005596). Patients received either a 24-hour infusion of a 1 g/m2 dose or 4-hour infusion of a 2 g/m2 dose). Methotrexate clearance was lower in older children (p=7 x 10-7), females (p=2.7 x 10-4), and patients who received a delayed intensification phase (p=0.0022). In a genome-wide analysis, methotrexate clearance was associated with polymorphisms in the SLCO1B1 gene (p=2.1 x 10-11), which encodes for an organic anion transporter. This replicates findings using different schedules of high-dose methotrexate in ALL patients treated on St. Jude protocols. A combined meta-analysis yields a p-value of 5.7 x 10-19 for the association of methotrexate clearance with SLCO1B1 SNP rs4149056 (Trevino et al, PMID 19901119 and Ramsey et al, PMID 23233662). This data set includes the dependent variable of methotrexate clearance and all of the SNP data available from arrays.

Study phs000637

Functional Enhancer Elements Drive Subclass-Selective Expression From Mouse to Human Neocortex

A complete epigenomic map of human brain cell types will be necessary to fully understand their genetic regulation, and to create the next generation of non-species-restricted genetic tools for their functional characterization. Here we performed both bulk and single-nucleus ATAC-seq studies of fresh human neocortical samples excised during neurosurgery, in order to discover the functional genomic elements that discriminate cell types. This dataset contains 78 bulk layer-dissected ATAC-seq samples, and 3660 single-nucleus ATAC-seq samples from fresh acutely isolated human neurosurgical samples. Furthermore, from these data we identified and validated several enhancers for use in AAV context. We also provide validation single cell RNA-seq for 456 human acutely labeled neurosurgical neurons labeled by 3 unique enhancer-AAV vectors, and single cell RNA-seq for 1483 mouse neurons labeled in vivo by 11 unique enhancer-AAV vectors. Together these datasets provide high-resolution maps of single human neocortical cell types, as well as proof of the functional utility of the genomic elements discovered. As a whole these data will be important to furnish the next generation of cell type-specific functional tools and therapies in neuroscience.  

Study phs002292

Resistance Development in Basal Cell Nevus Syndrome through the Basal to Squamous Transition

While basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) arise from ectopic hedgehog pathway activation and can be treated with pathway inhibitors, sporadic BCCs display high resistance rates, while tumors arising in Gorlin syndrome patients with germline Patched (PTCH1) mutations are uniformly suppressed by inhibitor therapy. In rare cases, Gorlin syndrome patients on long-term inhibitor therapy will develop individual resistant tumor clones that rapidly progress, but the basis of this resistance remains unstudied. Here we report a case of a Smoothened inhibitor (SMOi)-resistant tumor arising in a Gorlin patient on suppressive SMOi for nearly a decade. Using a combination of multi-omics and spatial transcriptomics, we define the tumor populations at the cellular and tissue level to conclude that Gorlin tumors can develop resistance to SMOi through the previously described basal to squamous cell carcinoma transition (BST). Intriguingly, through spatial whole exome genomic analysis, we nominate PCYT2, ETNK1, and the phosphatidylethanolamine biosynthetic pathway as novel genetic suppressors of BST resistance. These observations provide a general framework for studying tumor evolution and provide important clinical insight into mechanisms of resistance to SMOi for not only Gorlin syndrome but sporadic BCCs as well.

Study phs003415

Molecular Determinants of Esophageal Cancer in Tanzania

We describe the genomic profiles of 61 esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) cases from Tanzania and compare them to profiles from an existing cohort of ESCC cases from Malawi. We also provide a comparison to ESCC tumors in The Cancer Genome Atlas Program (TCGA). Despite a high burden of ESCC in Eastern Africa, investigations into the genomics in this region are nascent. This represents the largest comprehensive genomic analysis of ESCC from sub-Saharan Africa to date. We observed substantial transcriptional overlap with other squamous histologies via comparison with TCGA PanCan dataset. DNA analysis revealed known mutational patterns, both genome-wide as well as in genes known to be commonly mutated in ESCC. TP53 mutations were the most common somatic mutation in tumors from both Tanzania and Malawi but were detected at lower frequencies than previously reported in ESCC cases from other settings. In a combined analysis, two unique transcriptional clusters were identified: a proliferative/epithelial cluster and an invasive/migrative/mesenchymal cluster. Mutational signature analysis of the Tanzanian cohort revealed common signatures associated with aging and cytidine deaminase activity and an absence of signature 29, which was previously reported in the Malawi cohort.

Study phs003217

Single Duplex DNA Sequencing with CODEC Detects Mutations with High Sensitivity

Detecting mutations from single DNA molecules is crucial in many fields but challenging. Next generation sequencing (NGS) affords tremendous throughput but cannot directly sequence double-stranded DNA molecules (single duplexes) to discern the true mutations on both strands. Here, we present Concatenating Original Duplex for Error Correction (CODEC) which confers single duplex resolution to NGS. CODEC affords 1,000-fold higher accuracy than NGS, using up to 100-fold fewer reads than Duplex Sequencing. CODEC revealed mutation frequencies of 2.72 x 10-8 in sperm of a 39-year-old individual, and somatic mutations acquired with age in blood cells. CODEC detected genome-wide clonal hematopoiesis mutations from single DNA molecules, single mutated duplexes from tumor genomes and liquid biopsies, microsatellite instability (MSI) with 10-fold greater sensitivity, and mutational signatures and specific tumor mutations with up to 100-fold fewer reads. CODEC enables more precise genetic testing and reveals biologically significant mutations which are commonly obscured by NGS errors. We applied CODEC to clinical colon and breast neoplasm samples and uncovered expected mutational signatures including homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) and MSI.

Study phs003255

A Microwell Platform for High-Throughput Longitudinal Phenotyping and Selective Retrieval of Organoids

In traditional bulk culture, organoids tend to overlap, hindering the analysis of individual organoid characteristics in a high-throughput manner. Additionally, variations in the local spatial properties of the bulk matrix make it challenging to distinguish whether phenotypic differences between organoids stem from inherent cellular disparities or disparities in the microenvironment. To address these challenges, we have developed a microwell-based technique that facilitates the quantification of image-based parameters for organoids grown from single cells. Furthermore, these organoids can be easily retrieved from their respective microwells for molecular profiling. By employing a deep-learning image processing pipeline, we conducted a comprehensive assessment of various phenotypic traits in two CRISPR-engineered human gastric organoid models. This analysis encompassed growth rates, cellular movement, and apical-basal polarity. Through our investigation, we successfully identified genomic alterations associated with increased growth rate, as well as changes in accessibility and expression patterns correlated with apical-basal polarity. This novel methodology offers a valuable tool for studying organoid behavior at a single-cell level, enabling researchers to gain deeper insights into organoid biology and associated genetic modifications.

Study phs003315

Detecting and Subtyping Lung Cancer Through Analysis of Circulating Tumor DNA

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is among the most aggressive tumors with poor clinical outcomes. Tumors are rarely resected, which is a major barrier to molecular profiling of tumor tissue; therefore, non-invasive approaches using circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) from liquid biopsies are needed to help advance research and clinical care for patients with SCLC. We developed a targeted capture panel that profiles SCLC genes and transcriptional regulation sites, including transcription start sites (TSS) and transcription factor binding sites (TFBS). This is a single assay that detects genomic mutations and transcriptional regulation activity based on ctDNA fragment patterns reflecting epigenetic nucleosomal positions. We applied this assay to sequence patient-derived xenograft (PDX) and patient plasma samples. We also performed whole genome sequencing (WGS) for a subset of the PDX plasma samples to validate the capture data. We developed new algorithms to quantify activity of key SCLC marker genes of ASCL1, NEUROD1, POU2F3, and ATOH1 and to classify SCLC subtypes based on activity of these markers. Furthermore, we developed a model to classify SCLC from non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), which has potential important applications for monitoring transdifferentiation and tumor plasticity.

Study phs003570

Ischemia Reperfusion Responses in Human Lung Transplants at the Single Cell Resolution

Ischemia reperfusion is an unavoidable step of organ transplantation. Development of therapeutics for lung injury during transplantation has proved challenging; understanding lung injury from human data at the single cell resolution is required to accelerate the development of therapeutics. Donor lung biopsies from six human lung transplant cases were collected at the end of cold preservation and 2-hour reperfusion and underwent single cell RNA sequencing. Donor and recipient origin of cells from the reperfusion timepoint were deconvolved. Gene expression profiles were (1) compared between each donor cell type between timepoints and (2) compared between donor and recipient cells. Inflammatory responses from donor lung macrophages were found after reperfusion with upregulation of multiple cytokines and chemokines, especially IL-1 and IL-1. Significant inflammatory responses were found in alveolar epithelial cells (featured by CXCL8) and lung endothelial cells (featured by IL-6 upregulation). Different inflammatory responses were noted between donor and recipient monocytes and CD8+ T cells. The inflammatory signals and differences between donor and recipient cells observed provide insight into the cellular and molecular mechanisms of ischemia reperfusion induced lung injury. Further investigations may lead to the development of novel targeted therapeutics.

Study EGAS50000000490

Systematic dissection of tumor-normal single-cell ecosystems across a thousand tumors of 30 cancer types

The complexity of the tumor microenvironment poses significant challenges in cancer therapy. Here, to comprehensively investigate the tumor-normal ecosystems, we perform an integrative analysis of 4.9 million single-cell transcriptomes from 1,070 tumor and 493 normal samples in combination with pan-cancer 137 spatial transcriptomics, 8,887 TCGA, and 1,261 checkpoint inhibitor-treated bulk tumors. We define a myriad of cell states constituting the tumor-normal ecosystems and also identify hallmark gene signatures across different cell types and organs. Our atlas characterizes distinctions between inflammatory fibroblasts marked by AKR1C1 or WNT5A in terms of cellular interactions and spatial co-localization patterns. Co-occurrence analysis reveals interferon-enriched community states including tertiary lymphoid structure (TLS) components, which exhibit differential rewiring between tumor, adjacent normal, and healthy normal tissues. The favorable response of interferon-enriched community states to immunotherapy is validated using immunotherapy-treated cancers (n=1,261) including our lung cancer cohort (n=497). Deconvolution of spatial transcriptomes discriminates TLS-enriched from non-enriched cell types among immunotherapy-favorable components. Our systematic dissection of tumor-normal ecosystems provides a deeper understanding of inter- and intra-tumoral heterogeneity.

Study EGAS50000000324

CONNECTS Master Protocol for Clinical Trials targeting Macro- and Micro-Immuno-Thrombosis, Vascular Hyperinflammation, and Hypercoagulability and Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System (RAAS) in Hospitalized Patients with COVID-19 (ACTIV-4 Host Tissue)

ACTIV 4 Host Tissue is a shared-placebo clinical trial platform evaluating therapies targeting the host response to COVID-19 in hospitalized patients. The overarching goal of the platform was to find effective strategies for inpatient management of patients with COVID-19. Therapeutic goals for patients hospitalized for COVID-19 include hastening recovery and preventing progression to critical illness, multiorgan failure, or death. Our objective is to determine whether modulating the host tissue response improves clinical outcomes among patients with COVID-19. Three trials were implemented to investigate three agents: TXA-127, TRV-027, and Fostamatinib. These agents all impact the host tissue response in COVID-19 via a number of unique mechanisms, including potential beneficial effects on the RAAS system and formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). Each trial evaluated the efficacy of these agents' ability to impact the host tissue response and improve outcomes in patients hospitalized with COVID-19. We found no evidence that any of the three agents significantly improved clinical outcomes as measured by the primary outcome, oxygen free days through day 28.

Study phs003708

Prediction of homologous recombination deficiency identifies colorectal tumors sensitive to PARP inhibition

BRCAness is a well-established feature in breast, ovarian, prostate and pancreatic carcinomas, our recent findings indicate that up to 15% of colorectal cancers (CRC) also harbor defects in the HR pathway, presenting promising opportunities for innovative therapeutic strategies in CRC patients. We developed a new tool called HRDirect, which builds upon the HRDetect algorithm and is able to predict HRD from reference-free tumor samples. We validated HRDirect using matched breast cancer and CRC patient samples. Subsequently, we assessed its efficacy in predicting response to the PARP inhibitor olaparib by comparing it with two other commercial assays: AmoyDx HRD by Amoy Diagnostics and the TruSight Oncology (TSO) _500 HRD panel by Illumina NGS technology. While all three approaches successfully identified the most PARPi-sensitive CRC models, HRDirect demonstrated superior precision in distinguishing resistant models compared to AmoyDX and TSO500-HRD, which exhibited overlapping scores between sensitive and resistant cells. Furthermore, we propose integrating HRDirect scoring with ATM immunohistochemical analysis as part of our "composite biomarker approach" to enhance the identification of HRD tumors, with an immediate translational and clinical impact for CRC personalized treatment.

Study EGAS50000000426

Harnessing Epigenetic Regulators to improve HSC-based lentiviral gene therapy

Curative benefits of autologous and allogeneic transplantation of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) have been proven for various diseases. However, the low number of true HSCs that can be collected from patients and subsequently in vitro maintenance and expansion of true HSCs for genetic correction remain challenging. Addressing this issue, we here focused on optimizing culture conditions to improve the ex vivo expansion of true HSCs for gene therapy purposes. In particular, we explore the use of epigenetic regulators to enhance the effectiveness of HSC-based lentiviral (LV) gene therapy. The HDAC inhibitor Quisinostat and the bromodomain inhibitor CPI203 each promote ex vivo expansion of functional HSCs, as validated by xenotransplantation assays and single cell RNA-sequencing analysis. We confirmed the stealth effect of LV transduction on the loss of HSC numbers in commonly used culture protocols, while addition of Quisinostat or CPI203 improved expansion of HSCs in transduction protocols. Of note, we demonstrated that addition of Quisinostat improved LV transduction efficiency of HSCs and early progenitors. Our suggested culture conditions highlight the potential therapeutic effect of epigenetic regulators in hematopoietic stem cell biology and their clinical applications to advance HSC-based gene correction.

Study EGAS50000000175

Identification of HER2-positive breast cancer molecular subtypes with potential clinical implications in the ALTTO clinical trial

In HER2-positive breast cancer, clinical outcome and sensitivity to HER2-targeted therapies are influenced by both tumor and microenvironment features. However, we are currently unable to depict the molecular heterogeneity of this disease with sufficient granularity. Here, by performing gene expression profiling in HER2-positive breast cancers from patients receiving adjuvant trastuzumab in the ALTTO clinical trial, we identified and characterized five molecular subtypes associated with the risk of distant recurrence: immune-enriched (IM), proliferative/metabolic-enriched (P/Met), mesenchymal/stroma-enriched (Mes/S), luminal (LUM), and ERBB2-enrichedERBB2-dependent (ERBB2-EERBB2-D). We next validated the biological profiles of the subtypes and explored their prognostic/predictive value in external cohorts, namely the NeoALTTO trial, SCAN-B, I-SPY2, METABRIC and TCGA. IM tumors presented better survival outcomes, in contrast to Mes/S and P/Met tumors, while LUM tumors and ERBB2-EERBB2-D were characterized by low and high rates of pathological complete response, respectively. Of note, these molecular subtypes provide the rationale for treatment approaches leveraging the heterogeneous biology of HER2-positive breast cancer.

Study EGAS50000000525

Somatic Mutations in Individual Skin Cells

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is the primary cause of melanoma through the acquisition of driver mutations in melanocytes. It also plays a significant role in oncogenesis in other skin cells, such as keratinocytes. However, the mutational profiles vary widely among different skin cancers, and the early mutational processes in different cell types from the same skin, is not well understood. Additionally, our preliminary studies also suggest that the mutation burden in different skin cells vary significantly based on risk factors such as the anatomical site and the use of tanning beds. To explore this, we employed innovative Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) tools to perform a site-matched comparison of the genomic landscapes of melanocytes, keratinocytes, and fibroblasts. From 20 biopsies of physiologically normal skin, collected from various anatomical sites across 16 donors, we have performed DNA-sequencing on 106 melanocytes, 78 keratinocytes and 13 fibroblasts. Of these samples, we have also simultaneously performed RNA-sequencing on 78 melanocytes, 46 keratinocytes and 9 fibroblasts. For normal bulk DNA, we also performed targeted (UCSF500; n=9) or exome sequencing (n=8) of skin or saliva samples from the donors.

Study phs003683

Yale SPORE in Skin Cancer Project 2

Understanding the relationship between tumor and peripheral immune environments could allow longitudinal immune monitoring in cancer. Here, we examined whether T cells that share the same TCRab and are found in both tumor and blood can be interrogated to gain insight into the ongoing tumor T cell response. Paired transcriptome and TCRab repertoire of circulating and tumor-infiltrating T cells were analyzed at the single cell level from matched tumor and blood from patients with metastatic melanoma. The data shared here consist of gene expression matrix and fastq files obtained from sequencing single-cell libraries generated with the Chromium (TM) 5' technique. For each of 18 immunotherapy naive and 11 previously treated melanoma patients, T cells (Live/CD45+/TcRab+) were FACS-sorted from PBMCs and freshly resected tumors. Metadata associated with each individual cell consist of Patient I.D., biological sex, immunotherapy status, amino acid and nucleotide CDR3 sequence of the TCR alpha and beta chain (obtained from matched VDJ region enriched libraries), and sequencing batch. Further details about previous treatment history and other clinical parameters can be found in the associated manuscripts (Lucca et al., 2021: PMID: 33651881; Lu et al., PMID: 39609626).

Study phs002289

Blood Group Genotypes and Phenotypes in Omani Blood Donors and Its Links With Susceptibility to Malaria

The Omani population experienced endemic malaria prior to eradication in the late 1990's. Since malaria is known to be a strong selective pressure on the human genome, particularly at blood group associated loci, we aimed to understand how selective pressures from malaria may be affecting genetic variation at blood group loci. Blood samples were collected from 100 healthy, Omani blood donors. Serology testing for 10 clinically relevant blood groups and whole genome sequencing (WGS) to an average coverage of 16X were performed on all samples. Additionally, using the WGS data, genetic variants (SNPs and INDELs) were called for chromosomes 1 - 22 using GRCh38. We find signals of selection at the Plasmodium vivax associated locus, ACKR1 (the Duffy blood group), but not at any Plasmodium falciparum associated loci. We also characterized several previously undescribed blood group alleles in the Omani population affecting antigenic expression, mostly at the RHD, RHCE, and GYPB loci. The data available from this project include BAM files from 100 Omani samples aligned to GRCh38, per chromosome VCF files, and results from the serology tests for all 10 blood groups.

Study phs003694

Distinct immune cell infiltration patterns in PDAC exhibit divergent immune cell selection and immunosuppressive mechanisms

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma has a dismal prognosis. A comprehensive analysis of single-cell multi-omic data from matched tumour-infiltrated CD45+ cells and peripheral blood in 12 patients, and two published datasets, reveals a complex immune infiltrate. Patients have either a myeloid-enriched or adaptive-enriched tumour microenvironment. Lymphocyte enrichment is intrinsically linked with highly distinct B and T cell clonal selection, diversification, and differentiation. Using TCR data, we see the largest clonal expansions in CD8 effector memory, senescent cells, and highly activated regulatory T cells which are induced within the tumour from naïve cells. We identify pathways that potentially lead to a suppressive microenvironement, including targets of immunotherapy and checkpoints including TIGIT/PVR and SIRPA/CD47. PDAC patient tumors from the APACT clinical trial revealed that patients with myeloid enrichment had the shorter overall survival compared to those adaptive cell enrichment. We identify multiple therapeutic targets that should form the basis for rational design including boosting of B cell responses, targeting immunosuppressive macrophages, and specific Treg depletion approaches. The dataset is scRNA-seq data from PDAC patients.

Study EGAS50000000726

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