14658 results for "PLOS+ONE+Pennsylvania+German+ACS+language+code+pdc+open+access+study"

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• Dynamics of Tumor Heterogeneity from Primary to Metastatic Dissemination in Prostate Cancer

  PRO-SPeCT: PROstate cancer heterogeneity deconvolution through Single cell Profiling of Chromatin accessibility and Transcriptomic output Identifying drivers of cancer progression to guide treatment selection is hindered by limited abilities to understand tumor heterogeneity’s impact on evolution. Here, we delineated the phenotypic variability across ~300,000 prostate tumor cells collected from multiple loci in primary and matched locoregional metastases. We found inter-patient heterogeneity to be confined to malignant populations. While malignant cell populations exhibit intra-locus heterogeneity, they maintain inter-loci phenotypic similarity within a patient’s prostate gland. In addition, the intra-locus heterogeneity between malignant cell populations is paired with a common clonal architecture. Lastly, we show that malignant cell populations disseminating to locoregional lymph nodes mirror the clonal architecture and phenotypic heterogeneity observed across primary tumor loci while showcasing cell state transition toward inflammatory phenotypes. These findings provide insights into distinct measures of tumor heterogeneity, revealing diverse evolutionary paths across patients converging to common phenotypic adaptations in early prostate cancer progression.

  Study EGAS50000000524

• High MAPK Activity Leading to Reduced WNT Signaling Drives Metastasis in Colorectal Cancer

  Colorectal cancer, a leading cause of cancer-related mortality due to distant metastases, is driven by activating mutations in the Wnt and MAPK pathways. Understanding the interplay between these crucial pathways during metastatic progression is essential for developing effective treatments. Here we developed an immunocompetent mouse model of metastatic colorectal cancer using in vivo orthotopic passaging. We demonstrate that highly metastatic tumor cells exhibit chromosomal amplifications in MAPK pathway genes, leading to increased MAPK activity, which in turn suppresses Wnt-associated transcriptional programs, including stem cell-associated genes. Inhibiting mutant KrasG12D effectively reversed this metastatic transcriptional state, reducing MAPK-driven gene expression and restoring Wnt activity. Notably, this treatment significantly curtailed lung metastases and reduced liver metastases during early seeding stages. Analysis of CRC patient data revealed that high MAPK activity and the associated metastatic gene signature correlated with poorer survival outcomes. These findings underscore that the plasticity of metastasis-initiating cells in CRC arises from the opposing roles of MAPK and Wnt signaling, despite their synergistic importance in colon tumor initiation.

  Study EGAS50000001231

• HIV-phyloTSI: Subtype-independent estimation of time since HIV-1 infection for cross-sectional measures of population incidence using deep sequence data

  Estimating the time since HIV infection (TSI) at population level is essential for tracking changes in the global HIV epidemic. Most methods for determining TSI give a binary classification of infections as recent or non-recent within a window of several months, and cannot assess the cumulative impact of an intervention. We developed a Random Forest Regression model, HIV-phyloTSI, which combines measures of within-host diversity and divergence to generate continuous TSI estimates directly from viral deep-sequencing data, with no need for additional variables. HIV-phyloTSI provides a continuous measure of TSI up to 9 years, with a mean absolute error of less than 12 months overall and less than 5 months for infections with a TSI of up to a year. It performs equally well for all major HIV subtypes based on data from African and European cohorts. We demonstrate how HIV-phyloTSI can be used for incidence estimates on a population level.

  Study EGAS50000000895

• RTEL1 mutation as a modifier of Dyskeratosis Congenita in a family with a Telomerase RNA (hTR) template mutation and variant telomeric repeats

  Vertebrate telomeres, the sequences protecting the end of linear chromosomes, are composed of conserved hexameric GGTTAG repeats. Here we present a C50>A telomerase RNA template mutation that results in the incorporation of the variant telomeric repeat GTTTAG in a family with dyskeratosis congenita primarily presenting as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. The mutant telomerase is characterized by decreased processivity in direct telomerase activity assays and in vivo based on data from Illumina next-generation whole genome sequencing and Oxford Nanopore Technologies long-read telomere sequencing. The latter provided positional mutant repeat information that revealed the inheritance and maintenance of proximal mutant repeats in individuals who did not inherit the template mutation. Additionally, we describe an RTEL1 nonsense mutation that is associated with very short telomeres in progeny harboring wild-type telomerase and inherited mutant telomeric repeats in the absence of overt clinical phenotypes. In contrast, co-inheritance of the RTEL1 nonsense and TERC r.C50>A mutations coincided with severe early-onset DC phenotypes in two individuals.

  Study EGAS50000001644

• Advancing fast in the analysis of circulating tumour DNA

  In cancer patients, solid tumours also release DNA fragments into the blood, and they are called Circulating Tumours DNA (ctDNA). Nowadays, the standard procedure for cancer monitoring is analysis of surgically obtained biopsies. They generate a big amount of material, but the operation is highly invasive and provide medical doctors with a single-time snapshot of the tumours, which are often highly changeable. Analysis of ctDNA, on the other hand, can provide continuous information regarding the tumour itself without the need of invasive procedures. This is why interest in this method is growing, and with it, the need for its technological optimization. Guanhua Zhu and colleagues, at the Genome Institute of Singapore, developed a methodology to quantify ctDNA burden, which means to estimate the amount of tumours derived circulating DNA among all cell-free DNA in the blood of individuals. Their work, published in Nature Communications in april 2021 and summarized in a sketch below, uses state-of-the art methods to analyse cfDNA degradation patterns at promoters and exon regions, to discern it from the DNA coming from the tumours. The bright point of their approach is that simultaneously enable for profiling of actionable cancer mutations and quantitative estimation of ctDNA burden. Their sequencing data of ctDNA has been deposited in the EGA under the accession number EGAS00001004657. This study sums up to a total of 37 of cfDNA and 36 about ctDNA present up to date in the EGA archive. The existence of cfDNA was firstly described back in 2002, while the use of ctDNA analysis in the oncological field exploded only after 2016. The approach is rapidly evolving, moving in parallel with the ever-improving sequencing technologies. Especially, the possibility to obtain high quality sequences from minimal amount of material is a crucial factor. Being able to alleviate cancer patients of disturbing and often slow-recovery procedures, while at the same time improving the quality of diagnosis and disease monitoring seems like a lot to ask. Thankfully, we are blessed with brilliant and dedicated scientists from all around the world who collaborate to make this a reality, sharing their results, knowledge and data.

  Blog advancing-fast-in-the-analysis-of-circulating-tumour-dna

• Fragmentomics Uncover Non-Mutational HRD Features

  Homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) is a key biomarker in prostate cancer (PCa), predicting response to PARP inhibitors and platinum-based therapies. However, current diagnostics often rely solely on BRCA1/2 mutations or genomic scars, missing cases driven by other mechanisms. Tissue-based testing is further limited by tumor heterogeneity and biopsy challenges in metastatic bone disease. Here, we applied a comprehensive multimodal approach to assess HRD in 106 advanced PCa patients using circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA). This included targeted sequencing of homologous recombination repair (HRR) genes, low-pass WGS for genomic instability (sHRD), WES for mutational signatures, and cfDNA fragmentomics and chromatin accessibility profiling. BRCA2 was the most frequently altered gene, often co-occurring with PTEN loss. High sHRD scores correlated with BRCA2/RB1 loss, somatic copy number alterations, and poor survival. HRD tumors showed enrichment of SBS3/ID6 signatures, altered fragment lengths, and reduced accessibility at zinc finger transcription factor sites. These results support ctDNA-based multimodal profiling as a non-invasive strategy for HRD detection and stratification.

  Study EGAS00001008190

• Mutational analysis reveals the origin and therapy-driven evolution of recurrent glioma

  Tumor recurrence is a leading cause of cancer mortality. Therapies for recurrent disease may fail, at least in part, because the genomic alterations driving the growth of recurrences are distinct from those in the initial tumor. To explore this hypothesis, we sequenced the exomes of 23 initial low-grade gliomas and recurrent tumors resected from the same patients. In 43% of cases, at least half of the mutations in the initial tumor were undetected at recurrence, including driver mutations inTP53, ATRX, SMARCA4, and BRAF; this suggests that recurrent tumors are often seeded by cells derived from the initial tumor at a very early stage of their evolution. Notably, tumors from 6 of 10 patients treated with the chemotherapeutic drug temozolomide (TMZ) followed an alternative evolutionary path to high-grade glioma. At recurrence, these tumors were hypermutated and harbored driver mutations in the RB (retinoblastoma) and Akt-mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin) pathways that bore the signature of TMZ-induced mutagenesis.

  Study EGAS00001000579

• Gene fusion and transcriptomic landscapes of sarcomas

  Sarcoma represents a highly heterogeneous group of tumors. We report here the first unbiased and systematic search for gene fusions and analysis of transcriptomic profiles in 100 monomorphic sarcomas cases using RNA-sequencing profiling. Fusion genes were detected in two thirds of samples. Similarly to fusion genes such as PAX3/7-FOXO1, EWSR1/FUS-ETS, SS18-SSX, BRD3/4-NUTM1 or EWSR1/FUS/TAF15-NR4A3 characterizing well-defined entities, we show that all sarcomas displaying CIC fusions- whatever their fusion partner (being DUX4, NUTM1 or FOXO4) - form a transcriptionally homogeneous group of tumors. Likewise, tumors with either a BCOR fusion (with CCNB3, MAML3 or ZC3H7B partners) or with a BCOR internal duplication form a single biological entity. We also found that EML4-ALK fusions also characterize a homogeneous infantile fibrosarcoma subgroup. In contrast, fusions like VGLL2-NCOA2/CITED2, TMP3/TRP-NTRK1 or ETV6-NTRK3 are observed in more heterogeneous tumors. Finally, we also describe a new group of bone sarcomas characterized by EWSR1- or FUS-TFCP2 fusions.

  Study EGAS00001002189

• Recursive splicing in long vertebrate genes

  Recent studies have shown that expression of many genes with exceptionally long introns in the mammalian brain can be perturbed by regulatory factors linked to neurodevelopmental or neurodegenerative disorders1-3, suggesting unique regulatory mechanisms. Here we identify functional recursive splice sites (RSS) in long introns of genes expressed in the brain. These RSS are highly conserved in genes with extreme length across diverse vertebrate species and permit step-wise removal of long introns via recursive splicing. Recursive splicing requires initial definition of a “recursive exon” that is located downstream of RSS, and most often contains premature stop codons. Moreover, we show that RSS create a splicing switch driven by splice site competition in order to distinguish primary mRNA isoforms from alternative isoforms that are prevalent in long genes. The recursive exon is not detectable in the dominant mRNA isoform due to recursive splicing, but is completely included when cryptic promoters or other cryptic exons are used. Thus, by coupling inclusion of recursive exons with the use of cryptic elements, RSS act to distinguish new mRNA isoforms emerging from long genes.

  Study EGAS00001001170

• Exome-seq, RNA-Seq, SNP array profiling of gastric tumor samples and cell lines.

  Gastric cancer is the second leading cause of worldwide cancer mortality, yet the underlying genomic alterations remain poorly understood. Here we performed exome and transcriptome sequencing and SNP array assays to characterize 51 primary gastric tumors and 32 cell lines. Meta-analysis of the exome data and previously published data sets revealed 24 significantly mutated genes in MSS tumors, and 16 in MSI tumors. More than half of the patients in our collection could potentially benefit from targeted therapies. We identified 55 splice-site mutations accompanied by aberrant splicing products, in addition to mutation-independent differential isoform usage in tumors. The ZAK kinase isoform TV1 is preferentially upregulated in gastric tumors and cell lines relative to normal samples. This pattern is also observed in colorectal, bladder, and breast cancers. Overexpression of this particular isoform activated multiple cancer-related transcription factor reporters, while depletion of ZAK in gastric cell lines inhibited proliferation. These results reveal the spectrum of genomic and transcriptomic alterations in gastric cancer, and identify isoform-specific oncogenic properties of ZAK.

  Study EGAS00001000736

• Illumina HumanCoreExome genotyping data from the British Society for Surgery of the Hand Genetics of Dupuytren’s Disease consortium (BSSH-GODD consortium) collection

  Dupuytren's Disease (DD - OMIM126900) is the most common heritable disorder of connective tissue. It is a fibroproliferative disorder of the palmer fascia, causing flexion contractures of affected digits. DD affects men more commonly than women. DD is an archetypal complex disease, with multiple genetic and environmental factors affecting the final expression of the disease phenotype. The incidence increases with age, and the prevalence of DD is therefore increasing as the UK population ages. Half of all patients present before age 60. DD causes significant functional impairment, and severe contractures can lead to permanent disability. The mainstay of current treatment is surgery, but recurrence and complications are both high. For severe contractures, the only suitable treatment option is amputation. The direct costs to the NHS are high, and underestimate the true economic costs to society. We collected salivary samples from adults in the UK who have had surgery for DD. We have genotyped these samples using the Illumina HumanCoreExome Beadchips. https://research.ndorms.ox.ac.uk/public/dupuytrens/what-is-dupuytrens-disease/

  Study EGAS00001001206

• Engineering of a promoterless anti-viral RNAi hairpin into an endogenous miRNA locus

  Short hairpin RNA (shRNA) expression strategies that allow safe and persistent target mRNA knockdown are key to the success of many in vitro or in vivo RNAi applications. Here, we propose a novel solution which is expression of a promoterless miRNA-adapted shRNA (shmiRNA) from an engineered genomic miRNA locus. For proof-of-concept, we genetically “vaccinated” liver cells against a human pathogen, by using TALEns or CRISPR to integrate an anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV) shmiRNA into the liver-specific miR-122/hcr gene. Reporter assays and qRT-PCR confirmed anti-HCV shmiRNA expression as well as miR-122 integrity and functionality. Specificity and safety of shmiRNA integration were validated via PCR, cDNA and miRNA profiling, and whole genome sequencing. A subgenomic HCV replicon and a full-length reporter virus, but not a Dengue virus control, were significantly impaired in the modified cells. Our original combination of DNA engineering and RNAi expression technologies should benefit numerous applications, from basic miRNA research, to human cell and gene therapy.

  Study EGAS00001001252

• Genomes of Relapsing Neuroblastoma

  Neuroblastoma is a malignancy of the developing sympathetic nervous system that is often lethal when relapse occurs, but the molecular mechanisms behind this process are poorly defined. We here used whole-exome sequencing, mRNA expression, array CGH and DNA methylation analysis to holistically characterize 16 paired samples from neuroblastoma patients at diagnosis and relapse. The mutational burden significantly increased in relapsing tumors accompanied by altered mutational signatures and reduced subclonal heterogeneity. Global allele frequencies at relapse indicated clonal mutation selection during disease progression. Promoter methylation patterns were consistent over disease course and patient-specific. Recurrent alterations at relapse included mutations in the putative CHD5 neuroblastoma tumor suppressor, chromosome 9p losses, DOCK8 mutations, inactivating mutations in PTPN14 and a relapse-specific activity pattern for the PTPN14 target gene, YAP. Recurrent new mutations in HRAS, KRAS, DOCK8 and genes mediating cell-cell interaction in 13/16 relapse tumors also indicate disturbances in signaling pathways mediating mesenchymal transition. Our data shed first light on genetic alteration frequency, identity and evolution in neuroblastoma.

  Study EGAS00001001387

• Sequencing_Acute_Myeloid_Leukaemia_

  This project will aim at sequencing and analysing three samples from a patient with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) with t(15;17) translocation (acute promyelocytic leukaemia). The patient was treated with standard chemotherapy and samples (blood and bone marrow) taken for minimal residual disease measured during and after chemotherapy. 2-3years later the patient presented a second AML containing inv (16).In this project we will sequence both AML and normal genomes to find associated mutations This will allow unprecedented insights into the dynamics of appearance of secondary AML, since we will be able to use the MRD samples to track the emergence of the inv(16) leukaemia. We will also be able to distinguish whether the 2 leukaemias are clonally related or not. This project will entail sequencing and analysis of three samples (whole genome 30x coverage) using Hi-Seq. The funds from this grant will cover the cost of sequencing 9 lanes from the AML t(15;17) sample, 9 lanes from AML inv(16) sample and 8 lanes from the normal genome.

  Study EGAS00001000035

• Mitochondrial-Nuclear Mutational Cross-Talk Drives Recurrence of Localized Prostate Cancer

  Prostate cancer remains the most prevalent non-skin cancer in men, but has a remarkably quiet mutational profile. Exome sequencing studies have revealed few recurrent somatic single nucleotide variants (SNVs). Whole-genome sequencing studies have not yet identified highly recurrent driver non-coding SNVs (ncSNVs) or genomic rearrangements (Grs). As a result, the underlying events that drive this frequent disease remain unknown. While mitochondrial mutations have been linked to several tumour types, including prostate cancer, their global frequency and impact has remained unknown. To determine if mitochondrial mutations might drive some prostate cancers, we analyzed the mitochondrial genomes of 216 tumours from patients with the most commonly diagnosed form of prostate cancer. We developed a pipeline that conservatively identified only mitochondrial SNVs (mitoSNVs) that differed in the heteroplasmy fraction as compared to their paired-normal by at least 20%. We identified several features of the mitochondrial genome that were correlated with nuclear genomic mutations, as well as features that were significantly associated with biochemical recurrence.

  Study EGAS00001001782

• Whole Genome Sequencing of Gingivo-buccal Cancer: ICGC-India Project_YR03

  As a part of the ICGC, India has undertaken genomic studies on gingivobuccal cancer of the oral cavity, which is the most prevalent form of cancer among men in India. There are various known environmental (life-style) correlates of this cancer, the most important of which are tobacco chewing and HPV infection. Whole genome sequencing of paired DNA samples – isolated from the tumor tissue and from the blood of twenty five patients – have been performed to catalog germline and somatic mutations. Association between each observed genomic alteration and exposure to environmental risk factors is being explored. Detailed clinical characterization of the patients, collection of data on demographic and environmental exposures, and isolation of DNA samples from blood and tumor tissues collected from each patient are being done at the Advanced Centre for Research, Treatment and Education on Cancer, Mumbai. Whole genome sequencing is being performed at the National Institute of Biomedical Genomics, Kalyani. We have completed whole genome sequencing of paired blood and tumor DNA samples using Illumina HiSeq-2000 and 2500.

  Study EGAS00001001901

• Scalable whole-genome single-cell library preparation without pre-amplification

  Single-cell genomics is critical for understanding cellular heterogeneity in cancer, but existing library preparation methods are expensive, require sample preamplification and introduce coverage bias. Here we describe direct library preparation (DLP), a robust, scalable, and high-fidelity method that uses nanoliter-volume transposition reactions for single-cell whole-genome library preparation without preamplification. We examined 782 cells from cell lines and triple-negative breast xenograft tumors. Low-depth sequencing, compared with existing methods, revealed greater coverage uniformity and more reliable detection of copy-number alterations. Using phylogenetic analysis, we found minor xenograft subpopulations that were undetectable by bulk sequencing, as well as dynamic clonal expansion and diversification between passages. Merging single-cell genomes in silico, we generated "bulk-equivalent" genomes with high depth and uniform coverage. Thus, low-depth sequencing of DLP libraries may provide an attractive replacement for conventional bulk sequencing methods, permitting analysis of copy number at the cell level and of other genomic variants at the population level.

  Study EGAS00001002170

• Integrated genomic, transcriptional and epigenomic analyses in germinal center-cell lymphomas link the mutation landscape with differential DNA methylation in Burkitt lymphoma

  Biologically and clinically diverse B-cell neoplasms, including Burkitt, follicular and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, show features of germinal center (GC) B-cells. Here we present a comprehensive analysis of the epigenetic landscape of GC-B-cell lymphomas using whole genome bisulfite sequencing paired with genome and transcriptome sequencing from 29 primary tumor samples and four normal GC-B-cell samples. All lymphomas studied showed extensive genome-wide methylation losses as well as intragenic regions where DNA methylation levels were strongly correlated with expression of associated genes. Pathway analysis revealed that these intragenic regions were enriched in signaling networks differentially activated in Burkitt and follicular lymphomas and affected regulatory mechanisms deregulated by recurrent mutations in a large fraction of Burkitt lymphomas (including the ID3/TCF3 complex, the SWI/SNF remodeling complex and the inhibitory GI signaling pathway). Taken together, these results provide a global picture of Burkitt lymphoma pathomechanism and demonstrate a tight connection between epigenetic regulation and other levels of regulatory control in these tumors.

  Study EGAS00001001067

• Pilot_experiment_on_functional_genomics_in_osteoarthritis

  The aim of this work is to apply an integrated systems approach to understand the biological underpinnings of large joint (hip and knee) osteoarthritis which culminates in the need for total joint replacement (TJR). In this pilot we will assess the feasibility of the approach in the relevant tissue. We will obtain diseased and non-diseased tissue (cartilage and endochondral bone) following TJR, coupled with a blood sample, from 12 patients. We will generate genotype data on the HumanCoreExome array and will characterise the 12 pairs of diseased and non-diseased tissue samples in terms of methylation (Illumina 450k array), transcription (RNASeq) and expression (quantitative proteomics). The pilot will help assess the feasibility of isolating sufficient levels of starting material for the different approaches, and will instigate the development of analytical approaches to synthesising the resulting data. If successful, it is envisaged that we will proceed with expanding the work to 500 patients in the first year, with a target total sample size of 3,000 in the longer term. The key collaborators in this work are Mark Wilkinson (Sheffield) and Jyoti Choudhary

  Study EGAS00001001212

• MED12L Gene Alterations Define Aggressive BRCA2-Mutant Prostate Cancers

  Germline mutation of BRCA2 increases the lifetime risk of developing prostate cancer (PCa) by over 700%. BRCA2-mutant PCa have poorer prognosis than sporadic PCa, with rapid development of metastatic, castrate-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) and 5-year cancer-specific survival rates of ~50-60%1-4. Despite this, unique genomic driver events that explain the aggressiveness of localized BRCA2-mutant PCa are lacking. We used whole-genome sequencing to fully characterize 14 BRCA2-mutant PCa and demonstrate that BRCA2-mutant PCa is associated with increased genetic instability and a mutually exclusive mutational burden when compared to sporadic PCa. Importantly, BRCA2-mutated cancers are defined by unique copy number gains and hypomethylation events, including alterations in the MED12L/MED12 axis, which are found solely in mCRPC and are enriched in PCa tumours harbouring aggressive intraductal carcinoma (IDC-P) pathologic sub-types. Our findings begin to explain the clinical entity of BRCA2-mutated PCa as these tumours have a unique and aggressive genotype de novo, associated with IDC-P and mCRPC, even in the hormone-naive setting.

  Study EGAS00001001615

• Mutant KIT as imatinib-sensitive target in metastatic sinonasal carcinoma (H021)

  Sinonasal carcinomas (SNCs) comprise various rare tumor types that are characterized by marked histologic diversity and largely unknown molecular profiles, yet share an overall poor prognosis owing to an aggressive clinical course and frequent late-stage diagnosis. The lack of effective systemic therapies for locally advanced or metastatic SNC poses a major challenge to therapeutic decision making for individual patients. Here, we used whole-exome and transcriptome sequencing to identify a KIT exon 11 mutation (c.1733_1735del, p.578_579del) as actionable target in a patient with metastatic SNC whose tumor, despite all diagnostic efforts, could not be assigned to any known SNC category and was refractory to multimodal therapy. Molecularly guided treatment with imatinib resulted in a dramatic and durable response with remission of nearly all tumor manifestations, indicating a dominant driver function of mutant KIT in this tumor. This observation highlights the potential of unbiased genomic profiling for uncovering the vulnerabilities of individual malignancies, particularly in rare and unclassifiable tumors, and underscores that KIT exon 11 mutations represent tractable therapeutic targets across different histologies.H021

  Study EGAS00001001845

• Integrated genomic analyses identify ARID1A and ARID1B alterations in the childhood cancer neuroblastoma

  Neuroblastomas are tumors of peripheral sympathetic neurons and are the most common solid tumor in children. To determine the genetic basis for neuroblastoma we performed whole-genome sequencing (6 cases), exome sequencing (16 cases), genome-wide rearrangement analyses (32 cases), and targeted analyses of specific genomic loci (40 cases) using massively parallel sequencing. On average each tumor had 19 somatic alterations in coding genes (range, 3-70). Among genes not previously known to be involved in neuroblastoma, chromosomal deletions and sequence alterations of chromatin remodeling genes, ARID1A and ARID1B, were identified in 8 of 71 tumors (11%) and were associated with early treatment failure and decreased survival. Using tumor-specific structural alterations, we developed an approach to identify rearranged DNA fragments in sera, providing personalized biomarkers for minimal residual disease detection and monitoring. These results highlight dysregulation of chromatin remodeling in pediatric tumorigenesis and provide new approaches for the management of neuroblastoma patients.Data Provider: Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center (SKCCC)

  Study EGAS00001000369

• Lineage-specific genome architecture links disease variants to target genes

  Long-range interactions between DNA regulatory elements and their target genes play major roles in gene regulation. The vast majority of interactions are uncharted, constituting a major missing link in understanding genome control. Here we use promoter capture Hi-C to identify interacting regions of 31,253 promoters in 17 human primary haematopoietic cell types. We show that long-range promoter interactions are highly cell-type specific, preferentially linking active promoters and enhancers. Patterns of promoter interactions reflect cell lineage relationships of the hematopoietic tree, consistent with dynamic remodeling of nuclear architecture during differentiation. Interacting regions are enriched for expression quantitative trait loci with effects on their interacting target genes. We exploit this rich resource of interactome maps to connect non-coding disease variants to their target promoters, identifying thousands of new disease-candidate genes, and implicating a number of gene pathways in disease susceptibility. Our results demonstrate the power of promoter interactomes from primary cells to reveal insights into genomic regulatory mechanisms underlying common diseases.

  Study EGAS00001001911

• Genomic Analyses Identify Recurrent MEF2D Fusions in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

  Chromosomal rearrangements are initiating events in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Here, using RNA-sequencing (RNAseq) of 560 ALL cases, we identify rearrangements between MEF2D (myocyte enhancer factor 2D) and five genes (BCL9, CSF1R, DAZAP1, HNRNPUL1 and SS18) in 22 B progenitor ALL (B-ALL) cases with a distinct gene expression profile, the most common of which is MEF2D-BCL9. Examination of an extended cohort of 1164 B-ALL cases identified 30 cases with MEF2D rearrangements which include an additional fusion partner, FOXJ2, thus MEF2D-rearranged cases comprise 5.3% of cases lacking recurring alterations. MEF2D-rearranged ALL is characterized by a distinct immunophenotype, DNA copy number alterations at the rearrangement sites, older diagnosis age, and poor outcome. The rearrangements result in enhanced MEF2D transcriptional activity, lymphoid transformation, activation of HDAC9 expression and sensitive to histone deacetylase inhibitors treatment. Thus, MEF2D-rearranged ALL represents a distinct form of high-risk leukemia, for which new therapeutic approaches should be considered.

  Study EGAS00001001952

• Genome-wide SNP genotyping of Central African rainforest hunter-gatherers and neighbouring agriculturalists

  The emergence of agriculture in West-Central Africa, ~5,000 years ago, profoundly modified the cultural landscape and mode of subsistence of most sub-Saharan populations. How this major innovation has impacted the genetic history of rainforest hunter-gatherers — historically referred to as “pygmies” — and agriculturalists, however, remains poorly understood. Here, we report genome-wide SNP data from eight of these populations located west-to-east of the equatorial rainforest. We find that hunter-gathering populations present up to 50% of farmer genomic ancestry, and that substantial admixture began only within the last 1,000 years. Furthermore, we show that the historical population sizes characterising these communities already differed before the introduction of agriculture. Our results suggest that the first socio-economic interactions between rainforest hunter-gatherers and farmers introduced by the spread of farming were not accompanied by immediate, extensive genetic exchanges and occurred on a backdrop of two groups already differentiated by their specialisation in two ecotopes with differing carrying capacities.

  Study EGAS00001000605

• Multi-omics analysis defines core genomic alterations in pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas

  Pheochromocytomas (PCC) and paragangliomas (PGL) are neural crest-derived tumors. We performed the integrated genomic analysis of a collection of PCC/PGL from the French COMETE network using SNP arrays, whole-exome sequencing, DNA methylation arrays, mRNA expression arrays and miRNA sequencing. We found that PCC/PGL are characterized by a low mutation rate, with few recurrent somatic mutations and focal copy number alterations (CNAs). In contrast, we detected recurrent broad CNAs strongly associated with known molecular groups, often leading to the biallelic inactivation of the known susceptibility genes of PCC/PGL. We also identified DNA methylation changes and miRNA expression clusters strongly associated with molecular groups. Of note, overexpression of the miRNA cluster 182/96/183 is specific of SDHB-mutated tumors and induces invasive traits, whereas silencing of the imprinted DLK1-MEG3 miRNA cluster due to a loss of heterozygosity of the 14q32.2 locus is a potential driver in a subset of sporadic tumors. This comprehensive analysis illustrates the functional interdependence between genomic and epigenomic dysregulations underlying PCC/PGL.

  Study EGAS00001000933

• BLUEPRINT DNA methylation profiles of graft donors in allogenic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

  Allogenic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is a curative treatment for many hematological conditions. Acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) is a prevalent immune-mediated complication following HSCT. Current diagnostic biomarkers that correlate with aGVHD severity, progression, and therapy response in graft recipients are insufficient. We investigated whether epigenetic marks measured in peripheral blood of healthy graft donors stratify aGVHD severity in HLA-matched sibling recipients prior to HSCT. We measured genome-wide DNA methylation levels in peripheral blood of 91 HSCT donors using Illumina Infinium HumanMethylation450 BeadChips. We showed that epigenetic signatures underlying aGVHD severity in recipients correspond to immune pathways relevant to aGVHD etiology. We identified distinct DNA methylation marks in graft donors that are associated with aGVHD severity status in recipients. Together, our findings suggest that ‘epigenetic matching’ of HSCT donor-recipient pairs in a clinical setting may be used in conjunction with genetic matching to inform both donor selection and transplantation strategy, with the ultimate aim of improving patient outcome.

  Study EGAS00001001287

• Genotype and exome data for an Australian Aboriginal population: a reference panel for health-based research

  Genetic analyses, including genome-wide association studies and whole exome sequencing (WES), provide powerful tools for the analysis of complex and rare genetic diseases. To date there are no reference data for Aboriginal Australians to underpin the translation of health-based genomic research. Here we provide a catalog of variants called after sequencing the exomes of 72 Aboriginal individuals to a depth of 20X coverage in 80% of the sequenced nucleotides. We determined 320,976 single nucleotide variants (SNVs) and 47,313 insertions/deletions using the Genome Analysis Toolkit. We had previously genotyped a subset of the Aboriginal individuals (70/72) using the Illumina Omni2.5 BeadChip platform and found 99% concordance at overlapping sites, which suggests high quality genotyping. Finally, we compared our SNVs to six publicly available variant databases, such as dbSNP and the Exome Sequencing Project, and 70,115 of our SNVs did not overlap any of the single nucleotide polymorphic sites in all the databases. Our data set provides a useful reference point for genomic studies on Aboriginal Australians.

  Study EGAS00001001585

• Integrative genomic profiling of large-cell neuroendocrine carcinomas reveals distinct subtypes of high-grade neuroendocrine lung tumors

  Large-cell neuroendocrine lung carcinomas (LCNEC) have similarities with other lung cancers, but their precise relationship has remained unclear. We conducted comprehensive genomic (n=60) and transcriptomic (n=69) analyses of 75 LCNECs and identified two molecular subgroups: “type I LCNECs” with bi-allelic TP53 and STK11/KEAP1 alterations (37%), and “type II LCNECs” enriched for bi-allelic inactivation of TP53 and RB1 (42%). Despite sharing genomic alterations with adenocarcinomas and squamous cell carcinomas, no transcriptional relationship was found; instead LCNECs form distinct transcriptional subgroups with closest similarity to SCLC. While type I LCNECs and SCLCs exhibit a neuroendocrine profile with ASCL1high/DLL3high/NOTCHlow, type II LCNECs bear TP53 and RB1 alterations and differ from most SCLC tumors with reduced neuroendocrine markers, a pattern of ASCL1low/DLL3low/NOTCHhigh and upregulation of immune-related pathways. In conclusion, LCNECs are comprised of two molecularly defined subgroups, and distinguishing them from SCLC may allow for stratified targeted treatments for high-grade neuroendocrine lung tumors.

  Study EGAS00001000708

• RNA Editing in breast cancer

  High-throughput sequencing screens suggest that RNA editing, which consists in the substitution of adenosine with inosine by the RNA-specific adenosine deaminase (ADAR) enzyme, occurs at several thousand positions across the human genome. Recent evidences have shown that RNA-editing could promote proliferation and carcinogenesis; however, the general principles of ADAR activity on the transcriptome and how ADAR is controlled in cancers remain to be established. The main aim of this project was to investigate the phenomenon of RNA editing in breast and other cancers. The frequency of A-to-I editing was evaluated in 58 breast cancers equally distributed among the different molecular subtypes and 10 normal breast tissues. The analysis was focused on defining: the relationship between the global amount of editing and ADAR expression; the ability to predict the level of editability of specific sites; the distribution of editing in normal and tumour samples and among different breast cancer subtypes; and the clinical, pathological and genomic factors affecting editing.

  Study EGAS00001000495

• Genome-wide prediction of human embryos

  BACKGROUND: Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) enables profiling of embryos for genetic disorders prior to implantation. The majority of PGD testing is restricted in the scope of variants assayed or by the availability of extended family members. While recent advances in single cell sequencing show promise, they remain limited by bias in DNA amplification and the rapid turnaround time (<36 h) required for fresh embryo transfer. Here, we describe and validate a method for inferring the inherited whole genome sequence of an embryo for preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD). METHODS: We combine haplotype-resolved, parental genome sequencing with rapid embryo genotyping to predict the whole genome sequence of a day-5 human embryo in a couple at risk of transmitting alpha-thalassemia. RESULTS: Inheritance was predicted at approximately 3 million paternally and/or maternally heterozygous sites with greater than 99% accuracy. Furthermore, we successfully phase and predict the transmission of an HBA1/HBA2 deletion from each parent. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that preimplantation whole genome prediction may facilitate the comprehensive diagnosis of diseases with a known genetic basis in embryos.

  Study EGAS00001001020

• MINCR is a MYC-induced lncRNA able to modulate MYC’s transcriptional network in Burkitt lymphoma cells

  Despite the established role of the transcription factor MYC in cancer, little is known about the involvement of lncRNAs in mediating MYC’s function. Here we have intersected RNA-sequencing data from MYC-inducible cell lines, from a cohort of 91 mature B-cell lymphomas and from sorted germinal-center B-cells. By this approach, we identified 13 lncRNAs differentially expressed in IG-MYC-positive Burkitt lymphoma and regulated by MYC in the model cell lines. Among them we focused on a lncRNA that we named MINCR, showing a strong correlation with MYC expression in MYC-positive lymphomas and in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas. RNAi experiments showed that MINCR controls cellular viability by influencing the expression of MYC-regulated cell cycle genes. Finally we provide evidences that down-regulation of AURKA, AURKB and CTD1 may explain the reduction in cellular proliferation observed upon MINCR knock-down. We therefore suggest that MINCR acts as a modulator of MYC transcriptional control of cell cycle genes.

  Study EGAS00001001199

• Epigenome and transcriptome profiling of chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients

  Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is characterized by substantial clinical heterogeneity, despite relatively few genetic alterations. To provide a basis for studying epigenome deregulation in CLL, we established genome-wide chromatin accessibility maps for 88 CLL samples from 55 patients using the ATAC-seq assay, and we also performed ChIPmentation and RNA-seq profiling for ten representative samples. Based on the resulting dataset, we devised and applied a bioinformatic method that links chromatin profiles to clinical annotations. Our analysis identified sample-specific variation on top of a shared core of CLL regulatory regions. IGHV mutation status – which distinguishes the two major subtypes of CLL – was accurately predicted by the chromatin profiles, and gene regulatory networks inferred for IGHV-mutated vs. IGHV-unmutated samples identified characteristic differences between these two disease subtypes. In summary, we discovered widespread heterogeneity in the chromatin landscape of CLL, established a community resource for studying epigenome deregulation in leukemia, and demonstrated the feasibility of chromatin accessibility mapping in cancer cohorts and clinical research.

  Study EGAS00001001821

• Epigenetic dynamics of monocyte to macrophage differentiation

  Monocyte to macrophage differentiation involves major biochemical and structural changes in non-dividing cells. In order to elucidate the role of gene regulatory changes during this process, we used high-throughput sequencing to analyze the complete transcriptome and epigenome of human monocytes that were isolated by elutriation and differentiated in vitro by addition of MCSF in serum-free medium. We also investigated the effect of loading the macrophages with modified LDL. We found that many mRNAs and miRNAs were significantly up- or downregulated during differentiation. While there was no correlation between gene expression and DNA methylation changes at transcription start sites, we identified a large number of intra- and intergenic regions that rapidly lost DNA methylation, became nucleosome-free and gained histone marks indicative of active enhancers. Loading of macrophages with modified LDL caused gene expression changes, but no chromatin changes. In summary, our results demonstrate that monocyte to macrophage differentiation is associated with rapid, highly targeted epigenetic changes, whereas lipid uptake mainly affects regulatory circuits of soluble factors.

  Study EGAS00001001595

• Circulating Tumor DNA Analysis Detects Minimal Residual Disease and Predicts Recurrence in Patients with Stage II Colon Cancer

  Detection of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) after resection of stage II colon cancer may identify those at the highest risk of recurrence and help inform adjuvant treatment decisions. We used massively-parallel-sequencing–based assays to evaluate the ability of ctDNA to detect minimal residual disease in 1046 plasma samples from a prospective cohort of 230 patients with resected stage II colon cancer. In patients not treated with adjuvant chemotherapy, ctDNA was detected post-operatively in 14 of 178 (7.9%) patients, 11 (79%) of whom had recurred at a median follow-up of 27 months; recurrence occurred in only 16 (9.8 %) of the 164 patients with negative ctDNA (HR, 18; 95% confidence interval [CI], 7.9 to 36; P<0.001). In patients treated with chemotherapy, the presence of ctDNA following completion of chemotherapy was also associated with an inferior recurrence-free survival (HR, 11; 95% CI, 1.8 to 68; P=0.001). ctDNA detection after stage II colon cancer resection provides direct evidence of residual disease and identifies patients at very high risk of recurrence.

  Study EGAS00001001839

• Clonal expansion and epigenetic reprogramming following deletion or amplification of mutant IDH1

  IDH1 mutation is the earliest genetic alteration in low-grade gliomas (LGGs), but its role in tumor recurrence is unclear. Mutant IDH1 drives overproduction of the oncometabolite D-2-hydroxyglutarate (2HG) and a CpG island (CGI) hypermethylation phenotype (G-CIMP). To investigate the role of mutant IDH1 at recurrence, we performed a longitudinal analysis of 50 IDH1 mutant LGGs. We discovered six cases with copy number alterations (CNAs) at the IDH1 locus at recurrence. Deletion or amplification of IDH1 was followed by clonal expansion and recurrence at a higher grade. Successful cultures derived from IDH1 mutant, but not IDH1 wild-type, gliomas systematically deleted IDH1 in vitro and in vivo, further suggestive of selection against the heterozygous mutant state as tumors progress. Tumors and cultures with IDH1 CNA had decreased 2HG, maintenance of G-CIMP, and DNA methylation reprogramming outside CGI. Thus, while IDH1 mutation initiates gliomagenesis, in some patients, mutant IDH1 and 2HG are not required for later clonal expansions.

  Study EGAS00001001854

• Genetic control of the transcriptomic response of monocytes to bacterial and viral stimuli assessed by RNA-seq in Africans and Europeans

  Humans differ in the outcome that follows exposure to life-threatening pathogens, yet the extent of population differences in immune responses, and their genetic and evolutionary determinants, remain undefined. Here, we characterized, using RNA-sequencing, the transcriptional response of primary monocytes from Africans and Europeans to bacterial and viral stimuli - ligands activating Toll-like receptors pathways (TLR1/2, TLR4 and TLR7/8) and influenza virus - and mapped expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL). We identify multiple cis- and trans-eQTL that contribute to the marked differences in immune responses detected within and between populations, including a TLR1 master regulator that decreases expression of pro-inflammatory genes in Europeans only. We show that regulatory variants have been privileged targets of natural selection, uncovering evolutionarily advantageous mechanisms, such as attenuated inflammation. Finally, we demonstrate that admixture with Neandertals introduced regulatory variants into European genomes, affecting preferentially responses to viral challenges, and identify archaic haplotypes that contributed to population genetic adaptation.

  Study EGAS00001001895

• The ICGC-TCGA DREAM Somatic Mutation Calling - Tumour Heterogeneity Challenge

  Tumors are composed of many different cell types, ranging from the normal tissue micro-environment, infiltrating immune cells and tumour cells. This group of tumour cells is itself intrinsically highly heterogeneous, driven by the rapid mutation rate of cancer cells to become a mixture of different sub-populations. These different types of cells, called subclones, have different sets of mutations in their DNA. Because some subclones evolve from others, many subclones share mutations. While it is increasingly easy to determine what mutations are present in the tumor, it remains very difficult to determine which subclones have which mutations. The task of assigning mutations to subclones is called subclonal reconstruction.The ICGC-TCGA DREAM Somatic Mutation Calling - Tumour Heterogeneity Challenge (SMC-Het) is an international effort to improve standard methods for subclonal reconstruction: to quantify and genotype each individual cell population present within a tumor. The goal of this challenge is to identify the best subclonal reconstruction algorithms and to identify the conditions that affect their performance.

  Study EGAS00001002092

• Pilot_experiment_on_functional_genomics_in_osteoarthritis

  The aim of this work is to apply an integrated systems approach to understand the biological underpinnings of large joint (hip and knee) osteoarthritis which culminates in the need for total joint replacement (TJR). In this pilot we will assess the feasibility of the approach in the relevant tissue. We will obtain diseased and non-diseased tissue (cartilage and endochondral bone) following TJR, coupled with a blood sample, from 12 patients. We will generate genotype data on the HumanCoreExome array and will characterise the 12 pairs of diseased and non-diseased tissue samples in terms of methylation (Illumina 450k array), transcription (RNASeq) and expression (quantitative proteomics). The pilot will help assess the feasibility of isolating sufficient levels of starting material for the different approaches, and will instigate the development of analytical approaches to synthesising the resulting data. If successful, it is envisaged that we will proceed with expanding the work to 500 patients in the first year, with a target total sample size of 3,000 in the longer term. The key collaborators in this work are Mark Wilkinson (Sheffield) and Jyoti Choudhary

  Study EGAS00001001213

• 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

• 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

• Spatial transcriptomics reveal topological immune landscapes of Asian head and neck angiosarcoma

  Angiosarcomas are rare malignant tumors of the endothelium, arising commonly from the head and neck region (AS-HN) and recently associated with ultraviolet (UV) exposure and human herpesvirus-7 (HHV-7) infection. We examined 81 cases of angiosarcomas, including 47 cases of AS-HN, integrating information from whole genome sequencing, gene expression profiling and spatial transcriptomics (10X Visium). In the AS-HN cohort, we observed recurrent somatic mutations in CSMD3 (18%), LRP1B (18%), MUC16 (18%), POT1 (16%) and TP53 (16%). UV-positive AS-HN harbored significantly higher tumor mutation burden (TMB) than UV-negative cases (p=0.0294). NanoString profiling identified three clusters with distinct tumor inflammation signature (TIS) scores (p<0.001). Spatial transcriptomics revealed topological profiles of the tumor microenvironment, identifying dominant but tumor-excluded inflammatory signals in “immune-hot” cases and immune foci even in otherwise “cold” cases. In conclusion, spatial transcriptomics reveal the tumor immune landscape of angiosarcoma, and in combination with multi-omic information, may improve implementation of treatment strategies.

  Study EGAS00001007083

• Clonal hematopoiesis is associated with adverse outcomes in patients with COVID-19

  Clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP) is defined as the occurrence of an expanded proportion of mature blood cells derived from a mutant hematopoietic precursor without evidence of hematological malignancies. The principle behind this is that the somatic mutation confers a fitness advantage to the cell in which it arose. Different clinical consequences are linked with this expansion. Early evidence of an association with higher mortality risk was provided. This was not related to higher rates of cancer but was associated in particular with increased cardiovascular mortality. Mechanistically, inflammatory processes are not only related to the development of clonal hematopoiesis, but in turn it is also a driver of inflammation. Besides pulmonary symptoms, COVID-19 evokes complex extra-pulmonary manifestations driving the pathophysiology. Among them, both inflammatory and cardiac-associated mechanisms have been deciphered. With the aim of assessing the impact of clonal hematopoiesis on the pathophysiology of COVID-19, hospitalized patients with severe or critical course were evaluated for the presence of CHIP driver mutations and, more importantly, the association with the clinical picture.

  Study EGAS00001006218

• Ovarian cancer organoid biobank

  Ovarian cancer (OC) is a heterogeneous disease usually diagnosed at a late stage. Experimental in vitro models that faithfully capture the hallmarks and tumor heterogeneity of OC are limited and hard to establish. We present a novel protocol that enables efficient derivation and long-term expansion of OC organoids. Utilizing this protocol, we have established 56 organoid lines from 32 patients, representing the spectrum of ovarian neoplasms, including non-malignant borderline tumors, as well as mucinous, clear-cell, endometrioid, low- and high-grade serous carcinomas. OC organoids recapitulate histological and genomic features of the pertinent lesion from which they were derived, illustrating intra- and inter-patient heterogeneity, and can be genetically modified. We show that OC organoids can be used for drug screening assays and capture different tumor subtype responses to the gold standard platinum-based chemotherapy, including acquisition of chemoresistance in recurrent disease. Finally, OC organoids can be xenografted, enabling in vivo drug sensitivity assays. Taken together, this demonstrates their potential application for research and personalized medicine.

  Study EGAS00001003073

• DNA methylation atlas of normal human cell types

  DNA methylation is a fundamental epigenetic mark that governs chromatin organization, cell identity, and gene expression. Here we describe a human methylome atlas, based on deep whole-genome bisulfite sequencing allowing fragment-level analysis across thousands of unique markers for 39 cell types sorted from 205 healthy tissue samples. Replicates of the same cell-type are >99.5% identical, demonstrating robustness of cell identity programs to genetic variation and environmental perturbation. Unsupervised clustering of the atlas recapitulates key elements of tissue ontogeny, and identifies methylation patterns retained since gastrulation. Loci uniquely unmethylated in an individual cell type often reside in transcriptional enhancers and contain DNA binding sites for tissue-specific transcriptional regulators. Uniquely hyper-methylated loci are rare and are enriched for CpG islands, polycomb targets, and CTCF binding sites, suggesting a novel role in shaping cell type-specific chromatin looping. The atlas provides an essential resource for interpretation of disease-associated genetic variants, and a wealth of potential tissue-specific biomarkers for use in liquid biopsies.

  Study EGAS00001006791

• DERMATLAS__Leiomyosarcoma_RNAseq

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

  Study EGAS00001007631

• DERMATLAS__SG_basal_cell_adenoma_and_adenocarcinoma_WES

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

  Study EGAS00001007745

• Inference of transcription factor binding from cell-free DNA enables tumor subtype prediction and early detection

  Deregulation of transcription factors (TFs) is an important driver of tumorigenesis, but non-invasive assays for assessing transcription factor activity are lacking. We Here we developed and validated a minimally invasive method for assessing TF activity based on cell-free DNA sequencing and nucleosome footprint analysis. We analyzed whole genome sequencing data for >1,000 cell-free DNA samples from cancer patients and healthy controls using a newly developed bioinformatics pipeline developed by us that infers accessibility of TF binding sites from cell-free DNA fragmentation patterns. We observe patient-specific as well as tumor-specific patterns, including accurate prediction of tumor subtypes in prostate cancer, with important clinical implications for the management of patients. Furthermore, we show that cell-free DNA TF profiling is capable of detection of early-stage colorectal carcinomas. Our approach for mapping tumor-specific transcription factor binding in vivo based on blood samples makes a key part of the noncoding genome amenable to clinical analysis.

  Study EGAS00001003206

• DERMATLAS__Leiomyosarcoma_WES

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

  Study EGAS00001007628