14470 results for "PLOS+ONE+Pennsylvania+German+ACS+language+code+pdc+open+access+study"

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• Identifying genetic variants that alter TCR usage in the peripheral repertoire

  The relationship between genetic variation and CD8+ T-cell receptor (TCR) repertoire usage in patients receiving Immune Checkpoint Blockade (ICB) therapy for cancer is unexplored. We have conducted a genome-wide and human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-focused analysis of CD8+ T-cell TCR repertoire to identify genetic determinants of variable gene (V-gene) and CDR3 K-mer usage from samples taken prior to and after ICB (n=250). We identify 11 cis and 10 trans V-gene associations, primarily to the MHC, that meet genome-wide significance. TCR clones containing HLA associated V-genes were less stable across treatment, whilst at the single-cell level, genetically associated clones demonstrate subset enrichment and increased tumor reactivity expression profiles. Notably, patients with HLA-matched TCR clones demonstrate improved overall survival. Our work indicates a complex relationship between genotype and TCR repertoire in the context of ICB treatment, with novel implications for understanding factors relating to therapeutic response and patient outcomes.

  Study EGAS00001008189

• MutWP6__CRUK_Grand_Challenge_Mutographs_of_Cancer__Botseq

  The Mutographs project aims to advance our understanding of the causes of cancer through studies of mutational signatures. Led by Mike Stratton, together with Paul Brennan, Ludmil Alexandrov, Allan Balmain, David Phillips and Peter Campbell, this large-scale international research endeavour was awarded a Cancer Research UK Grand Challenge. Within Mutographs, work lead by the Sanger Institute will investigate whether detection of somatic mutations and mutational signatures in circulating white blood cells can be developed into a practical, generic system for surveying and monitoring multiple different endogenous and exogenous exposures, providing an ‘observatory’ on somatic mutational processes in humans. Whole genome sequences are generated at the Wellcome Sanger Institute (Illumina HiSeqX). Somatic mutational signatures are subsequently extracted by non-negative matrix factorisation methods. Through an enhanced understanding of cancer aetiology, Mutographs unprecedented effort is anticipated to outline modifiable risk factors, lead to new approaches to prevent cancer, and provide opportunities to empower early detection, refine high-risk groups and contribute to further therapeutic development.

  Study EGAS00001004330

• Genome analysis of common diseases among older Japanese adults and development of clinical genome information storage

  A comprehensive gene expression analysis of the process leading up to the onset of Alzheimer???s disease (AD) would be helpful for understanding the mechanism. We performed an RNA sequencing analysis on a cohort of 1227 Japanese blood samples, representing 424 AD patients, 543 individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and 260 cognitively normal (CN) individuals. A total of 883 and 1169 statistically significant differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified between CN and MCI (CN-MCI) and between MCI and AD (MCI-AD), respectively. Pathway analyses using these DEGs, followed by protein???protein interaction network analysis, revealed key roles of ribosomal genes (RPL7, RPL11, and RPL14) and phagosomes (CDC42, PTPRC, PLCG1, and ACTR2) in MCI progression, whereas immune-related genes were involved in AD progression. Given the known effectiveness of delaying MCI progression in preventing AD, the genes related to ribosomal function and phagocytosis might emerge as biomarkers for early diagnosis.

  Study JGAS000755

• Unraveling the heterogeneity of multiple myeloma identifies therapy resistant subpopulation with vulnerability to the splicing pathway intervention

  Intra-tumor heterogeneity underlies the therapy resistance of multiple myeloma (MM). However, its details remain unknown. Here, we performed single-cell RNA sequencing coupled with VDJ targeted sequencing on highly purified bone marrow lineage marker-negative CD38+ MM cells from patients at diagnosis and in remission. This approach successfully subdivided MM cells into distinct clusters, unraveling their heterogeneity and plasticity on the axis of cell surface CD138 expression. Notably, unique clusters were identified in the minor CD138-negative population that resisted therapies. CRISPR/Cas9 screening of upregulated genes in the resistant population identified their vulnerability to the splicing pathway inhibition, among which RNA-binding protein 39 (RBM39) appeared to be overexpressed in the resistant population and involved in aberrant splicing. Genetic and pharmacological inhibition of RBM39 exerted a profound synthetic lethal effect on them. Our results unveil an uncharacterized subpopulation associated with therapy resistance and provide a novel therapeutic strategy targeting the splicing pathway in MM.

  Study JGAS000723

• Sensitive neoantigen discovery by real-time mutanome-guided immunopeptidomics - WES

  Targeting cancer-specific HLA-peptide complexes is a promising immunotherapy approach, with mutated neoantigens offering high value for their immunogenicity and cancer-specificity. Selecting immunogenic targets requires personalized prioritization of cancer-specific immunopeptides. Mass spectrometry (MS)-based immunopeptidomics supports this process by directly identifying cancer-specific antigens and informing global presentation patterns to refine immunogenicity predictions. Clinical pipelines, however, must balance global depth and target sensitivity compounded by low input samples and time constraints. Here, we present NeoDiscMS, an extension of the NeoDisc pipeline, enabling personalized immunopeptidomics data acquisition. By leveraging real-time NGS-guided spectral acquisitions, NeoDiscMS maximizing sensitivity with minimal loss of global depth. NeoDiscMS improves TAA-derived peptide detection up to 20% and enhances neoantigen identification confidence compared to the clinical gold standard method. Designed for effectiveness and ease of use, it requires minimal effort for implementation. NeoDiscMS advances personalization in clinical antigen discovery by enabling more sensitive neoantigen detection while seamlessly integrating into existing workflows.

  Study EGAS50000000976

• Dual inhibition of FLT3 and BCL-2 is effective in preclinical models of BCL11B-activated lineage ambiguous leukemia

  Aberrant activation of BCL11B (“BCL11B-a”) defines a subtype of lineage ambiguous leukemias with T-lymphoid and myeloid features, co-occurring activating FLT3 mutations, and a stem/progenitor immunophenotype and gene expression profile. As with other lineage ambiguous leukemias, optimal treatment is unclear and there are limited targeted therapeutic options. Here, we investigated the efficacy of BCL-2 and FLT3 inhibition with venetoclax and gilteritinib, respectively, in preclinical models of BCL11B-a leukemia. Despite variation in response to single agent therapies, the combination of venetoclax plus gilteritinib was highly effective in all models evaluated. BH3 profiling and single cell RNA-seq analysis suggests that resistance to venetoclax and/or gilteritinib monotherapies is due to the tumor-intrinsic activity of BCL-xL and/or MCL-1 prior to drug treatment. These data support clinical evaluation of venetoclax in combination with gilteritinib in BCL11B-a lineage ambiguous leukemias.

  Study EGAS50000000978

• Pooled Mutant KRAS-Targeted Long Peptide Vaccine Combined with Nivolumab and Ipilimumab for Patients with Resected MMR-p Colorectal and Pancreatic Cancer

  We developed INtraCEllular Reverse Transcription with Sorting and sequencing (INCERTS), an approach to combine molecular indexing of receptor repertoires within intact cells and fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS). We demonstrate that INCERTS enables efficient processing of millions of cells from pooled human peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) samples while retaining robust association between T cell receptor (TCR) sequences and cellular phenotypes. We used INCERTS to discover antigen-specific TCRs from patients with cancer immunized with a novel mutant KRAS peptide vaccine. After ex vivo stimulation, 28 uniquely barcoded samples were pooled prior to FACS into peptide-reactive and non-reactive CD4+ and CD8+ populations. Combining complementary patient-matched single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data enabled retrieval of full-length, paired TCR alpha and beta chain sequences for future validation of therapeutic utility. Data available through dbGaP include scRNA-seq with matched TCR-seq.

  Study phs003425

• INCLUDE: Down Syndrome Early Post-Natal Brain Multiome

  Neurodevelopmental deficiencies and neuronal dysfunction contribute to cognitive impairment in individuals with Down syndrome, but what molecular pathways underlie the defects that lead to intellectual disability remain unclear. Human brain development is precisely choreographed through tightly regulated transcriptional programs. Proper regulation of these transcriptional programs is necessary for developing the numerous functionally distinct regions, cell types, and connections of the brain, and forming the basis for human-specific social, cognitive, and motor abilities. These data establish a reference of molecular features of the DS developing brain. Such foundational information will provide not only a reference for any existing and future models, but also a basis for understanding disrupted neural development and impaired cognition in DS.Dataset 1 contains single-nucleus RNAseq and ATACseq from frozen postmortem human basal forebrain tissue. Dataset 2 contains single-nucleus RNAseq and ATACseq from frozen postmortem human dorsolateral prefrontal tissue. Dataset 3 contains single-nucleus RNAseq and ATACseq from frozen postmortem human caudate nucleus tissue.

  Study phs004098

• Single Cell Transcriptional Analysis of Human Adenoids Identifies Molecular Features of Airway Microfold Cells

  We aimed to characterize the cellular composition and molecular features of the human adenoid, a mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue located in the upper airway, with a focus on epithelial populations involved in immune surveillance. To this end, we performed single-nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq) on adenoid tissue obtained from 6 human donors (age 2 – 14; 3 males and 3 females) undergoing routine adenoidectomy. The donor cohort includes clinically annotated samples with no known immunodeficiency or chronic airway disease.Our analysis uncovered distinct epithelial populations, including transcriptionally defined immature and mature microfold (M) cells, and a previously unrecognized interferon-stimulated epithelial population enriched for antiviral response genes, which we term WISP cells (Waldeyer's ring Interferon-Stimulated Population). We validated key transcriptomic findings through multiplex immunofluorescence microscopy in independent donor tissues, confirming the spatial localization of WISP and M cells and their predicted interactions with specific immune subsets.

  Study phs004103

• Human CD4+ T cells regulate peripheral immune responses in rheumatoid arthritis via IGFL2

  To elucidate the role of the immunoregulatory mechanisms of human CD4+ T cells, we analyzed CD4+ T cells in PBMC, synovium and synovial fluid using single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq). We identified insulin-like growth factor (IGF) like family member 2 (IGFL2), an evolutionary novel paralogous inflammatory factor found exclusively in primates. ScRNA-seq of RA synovium showed that IGFL2 is specifically expressed by CD4+ T cells, predominantly within peripheral helper T (Tph) cells, with upregulation correlating to disease severity. IGFL2 promotes TGF-��-induced CXCL13 production in CD4+ T cells. In addition, IGFL2 activates NF-��B signaling and induces monocyte gene signatures associated with pathogenic macrophages from RA synovial tissue, including CXCL10 and CXCL9. Notably, blood IGFL2 protein levels significantly correlate with RA disease severity and effectively discriminate RA patients. These findings highlight the substantial involvement of IGFL2 in RA pathogenesis, emphasizing how human CD4+ T cells exert pleiotropic regulation of local immune responses via this novel primate-specific soluble factor.

  Study JGAS000727

• Transcriptome changes in circulating immune cells of critical COVID-19 patients predict a specific metabolic and epigenetic imprint

  The progression to severe COVID-19 arises predominantly from a dysregulated host immune response, although the underlying regulatory mechanisms still remain partially elusive. This limits a prompt prediction of disease progression and restrains our understanding of “long COVID”. Here, we analyzed the transcriptomes of peripheral blood mononuclear cells collected from COVID-19 patients experiencing different degrees of the disease and control patients. In critical COVID-19 patients, we found an altered regulatory network involving microRNAs, long non-coding RNAs, and coding genes that control mRNA translation-related genes, epigenetics, and metabolism. We also observed an upregulation of tRNA aminoacylation genes and increased expression of coding genes enriched for the cognate amino acids. Collectively, our findings indicate a broad perturbation of the gene expression landscape that characterizes the aberrant host immune response in critical COVID-19 patients and is potentially coordinated by alterations in microRNA expression and tRNA metabolism.

  Study EGAS50000000965

• Hofer et al., A specific subpopulation of cancer-associated fibroblasts promotes resistance to chemotherapy in triple-negative breast cancer by upregulating G0S2 protein

  Chemotherapy is the standard of care for patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), but the mechanisms of chemoresistance remain poorly understood. Here, we investigated the role of cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in the chemotherapy response of TNBC, by combining in vivo analyses of TNBC patients with ex vivo cancer modeling, using tumor-on-chip (ToC) technology. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that the proportion of a specific CAF population, the extracellular matrix-producing myofibroblasts (ECM-myCAFs), is reduced after chemotherapy in chemo-sensitive, but not in chemo-resistant TNBC patients. In ToC devices, primary ECM-myCAFs promoted TNBC cell survival under Doxorubicin and Paclitaxel treatment. The mechanism of chemoresistance was elucidated by using single-cell RNA sequencing, advanced cell imaging and functional assays: ECM-myCAFs upregulate the G0/G1 switch 2 (G0S2) protein in TNBC cells, via activation of SRC family kinases. Altogether, our work identifies G0S2 as a new player in CAF mediated chemotherapy resistance in TNBC.

  Study EGAS50000000886

• ucfDNA workflows for molecular profiling of malignant disease

  Urinary cell-free DNA (ucfDNA) is a promising liquid biopsy analyte obtained by a non-invasive sampling method, particularly valuable in urological cancers due to the proximity of biofluids to the tumor site. However, extremely high fragmentation and low abundance of ucfDNA pose significant analytical challenges. Improper handling and storage can severely affect ucfDNA quality, necessitating optimized pre-analytical workflows for clinical applications. We evaluated multiple pre-analytical workflows, including urine stabilization approaches against unstabilized urine samples. Our results demonstrated that without stabilization, ucfDNA degraded rapidly and minimal quantities remaining after 72 hours. In contrast, urine stabilization preserved ucfDNA integrity, enabling successful downstream analyses, including digital PCR and next-generation sequencing, for mutation detection in cancer-related genes and genome wide copy number profiling. These findings underscore the critical role of stabilization for a reliable ucfDNA analysis and highlight its potential in molecular diagnostics as a complementary tool to plasma-based liquid biopsies.

  Study EGAS50000001093

• Maturation of Human Intestinal Epithelial Cell Layers Fortifies the Apical Surface against Salmonella Attack

  Pathogen invasion of intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) is a key gut infection event. The dynamics of this process in intact epithelia and the factors governing IEC susceptibility remain underexplored. We present a resource for live-cell infection imaging in human enteroid-/colonoid-derived IEC layers, across maturation states and in the presence or absence of soluble mucus production. Utilization of this resource shows how human IEC maturation fortifies the apical surface against invasion by Salmonella Typhimurium (S.Tm). Immature IEC layers appear permissive to S.Tm invasion, but maturation towards an enterocyte/colonocyte phenotype reduces the susceptibility by up to tenfold. This shift couples to downregulated expression of actin regulatory proteins exploited by the pathogen, an increased dependence on the S.Tm effector SipA, and the build-up of the apical IEC glycocalyx linked to surface-attached mucins like MUC13 and nullifiable by StcE-enzyme treatment. This underscores how the maturation state of human IECs governs susceptibility to bacterial invasion.

  Study EGAS50000001241

• Efficient prediction of a spatial transcriptomics profile better characterizes breast cancer tissue sections without costly experimentation

  Spatial transcriptomics is an emerging technology requiring costly reagents and considerable skills, limiting the identification of transcriptional markers related to histology. Here, we show that predicted spatial gene-expressions in unmeasured regions and tissues can enhance biologists��� histological interpretations. We developed the Deep learning model for Spatial gene Clusters and Expression, DeepSpaCE and confirmed its performance using the spatial-transcriptome profiles and immunohistochemistry images of consecutive human breast cancer tissue sections. For example, the predicted expression patterns of SPARC, an invasion marker, highlighted a small tumor-invasion region that is difficult to identify using raw data of spatial transcriptome alone because of a lack of measurements. We further developed semi-supervised DeepSpaCE using unlabeled histology images and increased the imputation accuracy of consecutive sections, enhancing applicability for a small sample size. Our method enables users to derive hidden histological characters via spatial transcriptome and gene annotations, leading to accelerated biological discoveries without additional experiments.

  Study JGAS000290

• WGS analysis of Japanese liver cancer

  Liver cancer is prevalent worldwide, mainly associated with virus infection, and its underlying etiology and genomic structure are heterogeneous. Here we provide a whole-genome landscape of somatic alterations in 300 Japanese liver cancers. Our comprehensive analysis elucidated point mutations in non-coding regions, structural variants (SVs), and virus integrations, in addition to coding mutations, and demonstrated new mutational signatures related with liver carcinogenesis, novel recurrently mutated coding and non-coding regions such as lincRNA NEAT1/MALAT1, promoters, CTCF binding sites, and regulatory regions. SV analysis found a significant association with replication timing, and revealed that known cancer genes (CDKN2A, CCND1, APC, and TERT) and new cancer genes (ASH1L, NCOR1, MACROD2) were recurrently affected by SVs, leading to altered expression of nearby genes. These results emphasize the value of whole genome sequencing analysis to discover cancer driver mutations and to understand comprehensive molecular profiles of liver cancer, especially for SVs and non-coding mutations.

  Study JGAS000151

• Variant allele frequency changes in TP53 predict pembrolizumab response in patients with metastatic urothelial carcinoma

  Prognoses for patients with metastatic urothelial carcinoma (mUC) have strikingly improved with pembrolizumab, an immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI), but clinical benefits are limited to a subset of patients. Therefore, a non-invasive biomarker to predict pembrolizumab response is urgently required. We retrospectively examined genomic alterations in 25 plasma circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) samples using a targeted sequencing of 77 genes from 16 mUC patients during pembrolizumab treatment. Eleven (68.8%) patients had two or more genomic alterations, including TP53 mutations (as defined by ctDNA-positive status). The proportion of responders to pembrolizumab in the ctDNA-positive group was higher than the ctDNA-negative group (72.7% vs. 20.0%). Furthermore, among all detected genomic alterations, variant allele frequency decreases in TP53 during pembrolizumab treatment were mainly associated with therapeutic response. Collectively, we suggest that profiling of ctDNA in plasma, especially TP53, is useful for predicting and monitoring therapeutic responses to pembrolizumab in mUC patients.

  Study JGAS000622

• Comprehensive assay for the molecular profiling of cancer by target enrichment from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded specimens

  Tumor molecular profiling is becoming a standard of care for patients with cancer, but the optimal platform for cancer sequencing remains undetermined. We established a comprehensive assay, the Todai OncoPanel (TOP), which consists of DNA and RNA hybridization capture-based next-generation sequencing panels. A novel method for target enrichment, named the junction capture method, was developed for the RNA panel to accurately and cost-effectively detect 365 fusion genes as well as aberrantly spliced transcripts. The TOP RNA panel can also measure the expression profiles of an additional 109 genes. The TOP DNA panel was developed to detect single nucleotide variants and insertions/deletions for 464 genes, to calculate tumor mutation burden and microsatellite instability status, and to infer chromosomal copy number. Clinically relevant somatic mutations were identified in 32.2% (59/183) of patients by prospective TOP testing, signifying the clinical utility of TOP for providing personalized medicine to cancer patients.

  Study JGAS000164

• Transcriptome alterations underlying metabolic dysfunction and liver disease in myotonic dystrophy type 1

  Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is a multisystem disorder affecting various organs, including the skeletal muscles, eyes, heart, central nervous system, and endocrine system. Liver dysfunction and lipid metabolism abnormalities are frequently observed in DM1 but are not fully understood. To explore the molecular basis of these abnormalities, transcriptome analysis was performed on postmortem liver samples from DM1 patients DM1 patients (n = 11) and disease control patients (n = 9) using bulkRNA sequencing (RNA-seq) on the MGI DNBSEQ-G400RS. Differential gene expression and alternative splicing analyses revealed significant transcriptomic changes associated with lipid metabolism, liver fibrosis, and glucose homeostasis. Interestingly, transcriptome changes in DM1 livers also revealed partial resolution of sexual dimorphism in gene expression, along with unique sex-specific pathway alterations. A correlation between serum GGT levels and splicing abnormalities in DM1 patients was identified, suggesting a link between transcriptomic changes and clinical outcomes. This dataset provides valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying DM1-related liver dysfunction and metabolic abnormalities.

  Study JGAS000814

• STimage: Robust and interpretable prediction of gene markers and cell types from spatial transcriptomics data

  Spatial transcriptomics (ST) links tissue morphology with gene expression values, opening new avenues for digital pathology. Deep learning models are used to predict gene expression or classify cell types directly from images, offering significant clinical potential but still requiring improvements in interpretability and robustness. We present STimage as a comprehensive suite of models to predict spatial gene expression and classify cell types directly from standard H\&E images. STimage enhances robustness by estimating gene expression distributions and quantifying both data-driven (aleatoric) and model-based (epistemic) uncertainty using ensemble approach with foundation models. Interpretability is achieved through attribution analysis at single-cell resolution integrated with histopathological annotations, functional genes, and latent representations. We validated STimage across diverse datasets, demonstrating its performance across various platforms. STimage-predicted gene expression can stratify patient survival and predict drug response. By enabling molecular and cellular prediction from routine histology, STimage offers a powerful tool to advance digital pathology.

  Study EGAS50000001503

• TONIC-Trial-cfDNA-Project

  Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) is an emerging technology to predict and monitor response to cancer treatment, including immune checkpoint blockade (ICB). However, data on cfDNA dynamics during ICB in metastatic triple negative breast cancer (mTNBC) are limited. While most applications of cfDNA involve assays that focus on mutation detection, mTNBC and multiple other cancer types are driven by copy number alterations (CNAs). We evaluate cfDNA-based copy number profile abnormality (CPA) score as a potential biomarker for monitoring ICB response in mTNBC, analyzing data from 87 patients enrolled in stage 1 and stage 2 of the TONIC-trial. We find significant concordance between cfDNA-based and tissue-based CNA profiles. Additionally, responders show a decrease in CPA scores upon ICB at week 6 (3 cycles of nivolumab). These findings underscore the potential of cfDNA-based CNA dynamics as a non-invasive biomarker for ICB early response assessment in patients with mTNBC.

  Study EGAS50000001308

• Recurrent COPA mutation drives R-spondin-independent Wnt activation in intestinal tumors

  The majority of intestinal tumors harbor mutations in canonical Wnt pathway genes such as APC, whereas the lack of such alterations in a subset of tumors implies alternative tumorigenic routes. Here, we identify recurrent in-frame deletion in COPA, frequently co-occurring with USP9X truncating mutation, in small intestinal adenoma and adenocarcinoma. Patient-derived and CRISPR-engineered small intestinal organoids carrying COPA in-frame deletions exhibit R-spondin-independent yet Wnt ligand-dependent growth, maintaining LGR5 expression without canonical Wnt drivers. Mechanistically, COPA mutation stabilizes frizzled co-receptor LRP6 irrespective of R-spondin, sustaining Wnt pathway activation under growth factor-restricted conditions. USP9X loss further potentiates this phenotype. Unlike canonical Wnt pathway members, COPA encodes the alpha-subunit of coatomer complex I, which engages in vesicle trafficking with little prior linkage to intestinal tumorigenesis. Our findings establish COPA mutation as a novel and atypical intestinal tumor driver and implicate USP9X loss as a cooperating lesion.

  Study JGAS000868

• Chordoma_Sequencing_Project_Whole_Genome

  This is a continuation of the Chordoma Sequencing Project, prelim #G0175-122-CF. All cancers arise due to somatically acquired abnormalities in DNA sequence. Systematic sequencing of cancer genomes allows acquisition of complete catalogues of all classes of somatic mutation present in cancer. These mutation catalogues will allow identification of the somatically mutated cancer genes that are operative and characterise patterns of somatic mutation that may reflect previous exogenous and endogenous mutagenic exposures. In this application, we aim to perform whole genome sequencing on 10 chordoma matched genome pairs. The Chordoma Foundation will fund the RNA Sequencing/Methylation and SNP6 costs for this project while the whole genome and library sequencing will be covered under the CGP, 2012-2013 core WTSI internal funding. An additional sequencing of three cancer cell lines will be added to this work, financed by the Chordoma Foundation. In this project, the Chordoma foundation will pay for the additional costs of methylation, RNA Seq,

  Study EGAS00001000409

• Biallelic DICER1 mutations in sporadic pleuropulmonary blastoma

  Pleuropulmonary blastoma (PPB) is an extremely rare pediatric malignancy in the lung, whose pathogenesis is poorly understood, except for recent reports of frequent germline heterozygous DICER1 mutations. To investigate the genetic basis of PPB, we performed whole-exome sequencing in 7 representative PPB cases, followed by targeted deep sequencing in 12 cases with PPB. DICER1 mutations were found in 11/12 cases. Biallelic DICER1 mutations were common in PPB, in which RNase IIIb domain mutations were found in all cases with or without nonsense/frameshift mutations and were somatic in all evaluable cases. A majority of cases had mutated DICER1 alleles in germline with or without an additional somatic mutation in the remaining allele, while other cases had exclusively somatic mutations involving the RNase IIIb domain. TP53 deletions/mutations were detected in 8/12 cases. Our results highlight a unique role of the RNase IIIb domain mutations and TP53 inactivation in PPB pathogenesis.

  Study EGAS00001000662

• COVID19 Host Genetic Initiative

  The COVID-19 host genetics initiative is a bottom-up collaborative effort that has three main goals: 1. Provide an environment to foster the sharing of resources to facilitate COVID-19 host genetics research (e.g. protocols, questionnaires). 2. Organize analytical activities across studies to identify genetic determinants of COVID-19 susceptibility and severity. 3. Provide a platform to share the results from such activities, as well as the individual-level data where possible, to benefit the broader scientific community. Here, we release the harmonized individual-level data for the subset of individuals who participated in COVID-19 HGI. Please refer to this data dictionary: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1whu_MjShXxbdoAJMCYxZ5C-vWOcRivwfWglTcBRNZgQ/edit#gid=470747846 Please cite both Nakanishi, T el al. J Clin Invest 2021 (PMID: 34597274) and COVID-19 Host Genetics Initiative, Nature 2021 (PMID: 34237774) when you use these data for your publications.

  Study EGAS00001005304