1567 results for "Sweden+NDA+enforceability+one+party+signed"

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• McGill Epigenomics Mapping Centre

  The McGill Epigenomics Mapping Centre (EMC) and Data Coordination Centre (EDCC) were established in 2012 at the McGill University and Genome Quebec Innovation Centre (Montreal, Canada) to support large-scale human epigenome mapping for a broad spectrum of cell types and diseases. Previous epigenetic studies have provided profiles of specific chromatin marks in relation to basic biological processes, and future studies of molecular mechanisms must build upon these proofs-of-concept by integrating sequence-based variation with multiple levels of epigenetic and transcriptional regulation across the genome of human tissues and animal disease models. This project leverages the high-throughput sequencing infrastructure and expertise in genomics and transcriptomics at the McGill Innovation Centre to carry out this research. Controlled access to the data by collaborators and the greater scientific community is gained via a portal, which takes advantage of Compute Canada high-performance computing cluster resources to manage the large volume of data associated from the generation of reference epigenome maps. McGill University is one of two Canadian mapping and data coordination centres, the other based at the Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre in Vancouver, British Columbia. The generation of comprehensive epigenome maps at McGill University is part of a larger international effort that is coordinated by the International Human Epigenome Consortium (IHEC), whose overall long-term objective is to determine the extent to which the epigenome shapes human populations over generations and in response to the environment. This project is funded under the Canadian Epigenetics, Environment, and Health Research Consortium (CEEHRC) by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and by Genome Quebec, with additional support from Genome Canada. The computing and networking infrastructure, and part of the software development, are provided by Compute Canada and CANARIE.

  Study EGAS00001000995

• UK10K COHORT ALSPAC

  The UK10K project proposes a series of complementary genetic approaches to find new low-frequency/rare variants contributing to disease phenotypes. These will be based on obtaining the genome-wide sequence of 4000 samples from the TwinsUK and ALSPAC cohorts (at 6x sequence coverage), and the exome sequence (protein-coding regions and related conserved sequence) of 6000 samples selected for extreme phenotypes. Our studies will focus primarily on cardiovascular-related quantitative traits, obesity and related metabolic traits, neurodevelopmental disorders and a limited number of extreme clinical phenotypes that will provide proof-of-concept for future familial trait sequencing. We will directly analyse quantitative traits in the cohorts and the selected traits in the extreme samples, and also use imputation down to 0.1% allele frequency to extend the analyses to further sample sets with genome wide genotype data. In each case we will investigate indels and larger structural variants as well as SNPs, and use statistical methods that combine rare variants in a locus or pathway as well as single-variant approaches. The Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) is a two-generation prospective study. Pregnant women living in one of three health districts in the former county of Avon with an expected delivery date between April 1991 and December 1992 were eligible to be enrolled in the study, and this formed the initial point of contact for the development of a large, family based resource. Information has been collected on the children and the mothers through retrieval of biological materials (e.g. antenatal blood samples, placentas), biological sampling (e.g. collection of cord blood, umbilical cord, milk teeth, hair, toenails, blood and urine), self-administered questionnaires, data extraction from medical notes, linkage to routine information systems and at repeat research clinics.

  Study EGAS00001000090

• Population Structure and Genetic Diversity in Argentinean populations

  Argentina was one of the last places peopled when humans entered the Americas. Its earliest archeological sites are dated from 13,000 years BP, and throughout its history the region has exhibited broad cultural diversity, involving both hunter-gatherer and agro-pastoral societies, different linguistic families, the Southern expansion of the Inca Empire, the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors and slave trade from Africa. More recently, Argentina has had the highest proportion of influx of transoceanic migration between 1850 and 1940 of any Latin American country. Furthermore, the geographical distribution of immigrants was oriented towards the Pampa region of central-eastern Argentina and the Northeast, so different patterns of mixed ancestry throughout the country are expected. In this present work we aim to describe the history and structure of the Argentinean population. Thus far, we have collected DNA samples from 2904 participants from 15 dispersed regions in Argentina, from the Andean populations in the Northwest to the river lands of the Northeast. Our preliminary data includes genome-scale Illumina Exome Array 250K genotypes, plus next-generation sequencing data from uniformly spaced genomic regions targeted with a genotype-by- sequencing strategy (which covers 1.5% of the genome), for 375 participants from 9 of the 15 populations. We will identify proportions and patterns of European, African and Indigenous American ancestry in the Argentinean cohort via local ancestry inference. The first series of analyses will focus on genomic tracts of Indigenous American ancestry for fine-scale examination of sub-continental structure by comparing to a panel of 493 samples from 52 Indigenous American populations from throughout the Americas. Furthermore, this work will serve as a test of different low-cost strategies (exome genotype array vs. genotype-by-sequencing) for accurate inference of population structure in extant populations.

  Study EGAS00001001663

• Copy number profiling of primary samples and cell lines of retinoblastoma

  While RB1 loss initiates retinoblastoma development, additional somatic copy number alterations (SCNAs) can drive tumor progression. Although SCNAs have been identified with good concordance between studies at a cytoband resolution, accurate identification of single genes for all recurrent SCNAs is still challenging. This study presents a comprehensive meta-analysis of genome-wide SCNAs integrated with gene expression profiling data, narrowing down the list of plausible retinoblastoma driver genes. We performed SCNA profiling of 45 primary retinoblastoma samples and 8 retinoblastoma cell lines by high-resolution microarrays. We combined our data with genomic, clinical and histopathological data of ten published genome-wide SCNA studies, which strongly enhanced the power of our analyses (N=310). Comprehensive recurrence analysis of SCNAs in all studies integrated with gene expression data allowed us to reduce candidate gene lists for 1q, 2p, 6p, 7q and 13q to a limited gene set. Besides the well-established driver genes RB1 (13q-loss) and MYCN (2p-gain) we identified CRB1 and NEK7 (1q-gain), SOX4 (6p-gain) and NUP205 (7q-gain) as novel retinoblastoma driver candidates. Depending on the sample subset and algorithms used, alternative candidates were identified including MIR181 (1q-gain) and DEK (6p gain). Remarkably, our study showed that copy number gains rarely exceeded change of one copy, even in pure tumor samples with 100% homozygosity at the RB1 locus (N=34), which is indicative for intra-tumor heterogeneity. In addition, profound between-tumor variability was observed that was associated with age at diagnosis and differentiation grades. Since focal alterations at commonly altered chromosome regions were rare except for 2p24.3 (MYCN), further functional validation of the oncogenic potential of the described candidate genes is now required. For further investigations, our study provides a refined and revised set of candidate retinoblastoma driver genes.

  Study EGAS00001001715

• Characterization of genetic intratumor heterogeneity in colorectal cancer and matching patient-derived spheroid cultures.

  Patient-derived in vitro cultures of colorectal cancer (CRC) may help guide treatment strategies prior to patient treatment. However, most previous studies have been performed on a single biopsy per tumor. The purpose of this study was to analyze multiple spatially distinct biopsies from CRCs and see how well intratumor heterogeneity (ITH) was recapitulated in matching patient-derived spheroids. Three to five biopsies were collected from six CRC tumors. Each biopsy was split in two; one half was used for spheroid culturing, the other half was used for direct DNA and RNA purification. For two of the patients, lymph node metastases were analyzed. Somatic mutations were called from whole exome sequencing data. Each tumor contained multiple mutations shared across all biopsies and spheroids, including major CRC drivers such as APC, KRAS, and TP53. At the same time, all tumors exhibited ITH on both mutation and copy number level. The concordance between biopsies and spheroids ranged between 40-70% for coding mutations. For three of the patients the biopsy and spheroid from matching areas clustered together, meaning that the spheroid resembled the area of origin more than the other areas. However, all biopsies and spheroids contained private mutations. Thereby, multiple cultures from spatially distinct sites of the tumor increase the insight into the genetic profile of the entire tumor. RNA sequencing based molecular subtyping was stable and seemed independent of genetic ITH. In conclusion, all examined CRC tumors contained genetic ITH on mutation and copy number level. Spheroid cultures partly reflected this ITH, meaning that multiple cultures from distinct sites of the tumor improved the representation of the different genetic subclones in the primary tumor. This should be taken in to account when establishing patient-derived models for drug screening.

  Study EGAS00001002684

• Intra-tumor heterogeneity of localized lung adenocarcinomas defined by multi-region sequencing

  Background: Intra-tumor heterogeneity (ITH) may have profound impacts on biopsy strategy, characterization of actionable targets, treatment planning, and drug resistance. ITH of lung cancers has not been well studied. Methods: We performed multi-region whole exome sequencing (average sequencing depth 277x) on 48 tumor regions from 11 resected lung adenocarcinomas (8 stage I, 2 stage II and one stage III tumors) followed by deep sequencing validation (average sequencing depth 863x). Results: All tumors showed clear evidence of spatial ITH. On average, 76% of all mutations and 20/21 known cancer gene mutations were present in all regions of individual tumors (trunk mutations). Copy number analysis did not show substantial difference in large-scale chromosome aberrations. A canonical KRAS p.G12C mutation was detected in only 1 of 4 tumor regions (branch mutations) at exome depth but detected in all four tumor regions (trunk mutations) at increased sequencing depth. In addition, many heterogeneous branch mutations defined by exome sequencing were detectable in all regions of individual tumors with increasing sequencing depth. Significant differences in mutational spectrum were observed in 6 tumors indicating that specific mutational processes were likely operative at different times during development of these tumors. With a median follow up of 21 months post surgery, 3 patients have relapsed and all 3 patients presented with significantly larger fractions of subclonal mutations in their primary tumors. Conclusions: Although multi-region sampling is still required to fully assess ITH complexity, single biopsy analysis at appropriate depth might be sufficient to identify the majority of known cancer gene mutations in localized lung adenocarcinomas. Larger subclonal mutation fractions may be associated with increased likelihood of postsurgical relapse in patients with localized lung adenocarcinomas. Studies on larger cohort, ideally with comprehensive clinical annotation and repeat biopsy at relapse are needed to fully understand the clinical impact of ITH.

  Study EGAS00001000930

• Bulk-RNA Sequencing of high-grade pancreatic and non-pancreatic Neuroendocrine Neoplasms

  Therapeutic decisions in oncology depend on a precise pathological classification of individual neoplasms. Recent years have seen an intensification of research activities aimed at the extraction of clinically relevant information from patient-derived 'omics' data based on Machine-Learning models. However, a comprehensive training of Machine-Learning models requires sufficiently large numbers of training samples, which are usually not available for rare cancer types. The problem is worsened when individual tissues segregate into different cancer subtypes, as their discrimination would require even more training samples. Methods: Here, we report on a new data-augmentation technique to support the training of Machine-Learning models on ‘omics’ data from pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (panNEN). PanNENs display all properties described above: Only about 2-3% of all pancreatic neoplasms are neuroendocrine and they fall into different subtypes with distinctly different prognosis, which makes the precise classification of such samples both difficult and important for therapy decisions. The approach reconstructs a given transcriptome based on healthy pancreatic cell type signatures and creates a Machine-Learning model that integrates the observed reconstruction error and predicted cell type proportions as features. Results: A benchmark of the deconvolution model predictions with the ground-truth found that the model could efficiently predict the sample grading, disease-related patient survival time, and differentiate between different subtypes in four panNEN and one mixed panNEN and non-pancreatic NENs dataset. We compared the predictive performance of the deconvolution-trained model to that of a model trained directly on the transcriptomic data, under inclusion of the Ki-67 classification gold standard biomarker, and found the performances to be comparable. Conclusion: Our approach serves as a data-augmentation technique to facilitate the training of Machine Learning models for rare cancer types via utilization of data from healthy origin. Additionally, the deconvolution results were clinically interpretable and further research can render the deconvolution approach an effective complementary asset for the clinical classification of neoplasms.

  Study EGAS00001004861

• Reduced Representation Bisulfite Sequencing (RRBS) in various tissues to discover DNA methylation markers for the diagnosis of breast and ovarian cancer.

  Despite a myriad of attempts in the last three decades to diagnose ovarian cancer (OC) earlier, this clinical aim still remains a significant challenge. In addition, monitoring treatment and early detection of fatal breast cancer (BC) remains a major unmet need. Aberrant methylation patterns of linked CpGs analyzed in DNA fragments shed by cancers into the bloodstream (i.e. cell-free DNA) can provide highly specific signals indicating cancer presence.In order to discover the most relevant CpG regions, we used RRBS and analysed several tissue samples: 11 prospectively collected invasive epithelial ovarian cancer samples (high grade serous n=8, low grade serous n=1, endometrioid n=1, mucinous n=1, mean age = 54.7 years), 8 prospectively collected invasive ductal breast cancer samples (2/8 triple negative; mean age = 56.6 years), one benign tumor (papillary serous cystadenoma, age = 86 years), 18 non-neoplastic tissue samples (breast n=7 and adnexal n=11, mean age = 60.2 years), two non-neoplastic endometrial tissues (mean age = 68 years) and twenty three white blood cell samples (mean age = 57.8 years) were assessed by RRBS. Genome wide methylation analysis was performed by Reduced Representation Bisulfite Sequencing (RRBS) at GATC Biotech. DNA was digested with MspI followed by size selection of the library, providing enhanced coverage for the CpG-rich regions. The digested DNA was adapter ligated, bisulfite modified and PCR amplified. The libraries were sequenced on Illumina’s HiSeq 2500. Analysis of the first samples sequenced with 100bp paired-end mode showed that the library insert size was small. Therefore, the remaining samples were sequenced with 50 bp paired-end mode. Using Genedata Expressionist® for Genomic Profiling v9.1, we established a bioinformatics pipeline for the detection of cancer specific differentially methylated regions (DMRs). The most promising DMRs were taken forward for the development and validation of serum based clinical assays.

  Study EGAS00001002609

• ctDNA quantification in Ewing sarcoma patients

  Background. Treatment stratification and response assessment in pediatric sarcomas has relied on imaging studies and surgical/histopathological evidence of vital tumor cells. Such studies and evidence collection processes often involve radiation and/or general anesthesia in children. Cell-free circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) detection in blood plasma is one available method of so-called liquid biopsies that has been shown to correlate qualitatively and quantitatively to some extent with the existence of vital tumor cells in the body. Our clinical observational study focused on the utility and feasibility of ctDNA detection in pediatric Ewing sarcoma (EWS) as a marker of minimal residual disease (MRD). Patients and Methods. We performed whole genome sequencing to identify the exact breakpoints in tumors known to carry the EWS-FLI1 fusion gene. Patient-specific fusion breakpoints were tracked in peripheral blood plasma using digital droplet PCR (ddPCR) before, during, and after therapy in six consecutive children and young adults with EWS. Presence and levels of fusion breakpoints were correlated with clinical disease courses. The genetic changes in the tumors were defined, and inter- and intra-individual changes in the tumor DNA copy loads were observed over time. Results. We show that the detection of ctDNA in the peripheral blood of EWS patients i) is feasible in the clinical routine and ii) allows for the longitudinal real-time monitoring of MRD activity in children and young adults. Although changing ctDNA levels correlated well with clinical outcome within patients, between patients, a high variability was observed (inter-individually) for the six patients described here. Conclusions. ctDNA detection by ddPCR is a highly sensitive, specific, feasible, and highly accurate method that can be applied in EWS for follow-up assessments as an additional surrogate parameter for clinical MRD monitoring and, potentially, also for treatment stratification in the near future.

  Study EGAS00001006433

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

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

  Study EGAS00001007374

• Diverse mutational landscapes in human lymphocytes

  A lymphocyte suffers many threats to its genome, including programmed mutation during differentiation, antigen-driven proliferation and residency in diverse microenvironments. After developing protocols for single-cell lymphocyte expansions, we sequenced whole genomes from 717 normal naive and memory B and T lymphocytes and hematopoietic stem cells. All lymphocyte subsets carried more point mutations and structural variants than haematopoietic stem cells – the extra mutations were mostly acquired during differentiation, with burdens higher in memory than naive lymphocytes, although T cells also had a higher rate of mutation accumulation throughout life. Off-target effects of immunological diversification accounted for most of the additional differentiation-associated mutations in lymphocytes. Memory B cells acquired, on average, 18 off-target mutations genome-wide for every one on-target IGV mutation during the germinal centre reaction. Structural variation was 16-fold higher in lymphocytes than stem cells, with ~15% of deletions being attributable to off-target RAG activity. Mutational processes associated with ultraviolet light exposure and other sporadic mutational processes generated hundreds to thousands of mutations in some memory lymphocytes. The mutation burden and signatures of normal B lymphocytes were broadly comparable to those seen in many B-cell cancers, suggesting that malignant transformation of lymphocytes arises from the same mutational processes active across normal ontogeny. The mutational landscape of normal lymphocytes chronicles the off-target effects of programmed genome engineering during immunological diversification and the consequences of differentiation, proliferation and residency in diverse microenvironments.

  Dataset EGAD00001008107

• Single Cell Analysis of Human Airways in Healthy and Asthma volunteers

  Bronchoscopies were collected from healthy and asthma volunteers. Cohort inclusion criteria for all subjects were: age between 40 – 65 years and history of smoking < 10 pack years. For the asthmatics, inclusion criteria were: age of onset of asthmatic symptoms ≤12 years, documented history of asthma, use of inhaled corticosteroids with(out) β2-agonists due to respiratory symptoms and a positive provocation test (i.e. PC20 methacholine ≤8mg/ml with 2-minute protocol). For the non-asthmatic controls, the following criteria were essential for inclusion: absent history of asthma, no use of asthma-related medication, a negative provocation test (i.e. PC20 methacholine >8 mg/ml and adenosine 5'-monophosphate >320 mg/ml with 2-minute protocol), no pulmonary obstruction (i.e. FEV1/FVC ≥70%) and absence of lung function impairment (i.e. FEV1 ≥80% predicted). Asthmatics stopped inhaled corticosteroid use 6 weeks prior to all tests. All subjects were clinically characterised with pulmonary function and provocation tests, blood samples were drawn, and finally subjects underwent a bronchoscopy under sedation. If a subject developed upper respiratory symptoms, bronchoscopy was postponed for ≥6 weeks. Fibreoptic bronchoscopy was performed using a standardised protocol during conscious sedation. Six macroscopically adequate endobronchial biopsies were collected for this study, located between the 3rd and 6th generation of the right lower and middle lobe. Extracted biopsies were processed directly thereafter, with a maximum of one hour delay. The medical ethics committee of the Groningen University Medical Center Groningen approved the study, and all subjects gave their written informed consent.

  Dataset EGAD00001005064

• Expression profiling of a human endocrine pancreas iPSC model

  Directed differentiation of stem cells offers a scalable solution to the need for human cell models recapitulating islet biology and T2D pathogenesis. We profiled mRNA expression at six stages of an induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) model of endocrine pancreas development from two donors, and characterized the distinct transcriptomic profiles associated with each stage. Established regulators of endodermal lineage commitment, such as SOX17 (log2 fold change [FC] compared to iPSCs=14.2, p-value=4.9x10-5) and the pancreatic agenesis gene GATA6 (log2 FC=12.1, p-value=8.6x10-5), showed transcriptional variation consistent with their known developmental roles. However, these analyses highlighted many other genes with stage-specific expression patterns, some of which may be novel drivers or markers of islet development. For example, the leptin receptor gene, LEPR, was most highly expressed in published data from in vivo-matured cells compared to the endocrine pancreas-like cells (log2 FC=5.5, p-value=2.0x10-12), suggesting a role for the leptin pathway in the maturation process. Endocrine pancreas-like cells showed significant stage-selective expression of adult islet genes, including INS, ABCC8, and GLP1R, and enrichment of relevant GO-terms (e.g. “insulin secretion”; odds ratio=4.2, p-value=1.9x10-3): however, principal component analysis indicated that in vitro-differentiated cells were more immature than adult islets. Integration of the stage-specific expression information with genetic data from T2D genome-wide association studies revealed that 46 of 82 T2D-associated loci harbor genes present in at least one developmental stage, facilitating refinement of potential effector transcripts. Together, these data show that expression profiling in an iPSC islet development model can further understanding of islet biology and T2D pathogenesis.

  Dataset EGAD00001002148

• Whole Exome and Target Sequencing Data in 75 Samples from 5 Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients.

  Whole Exome and Target Sequencing Data in 75 Samples from 5 Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients. The sequencing was performed by Illumina HiSeq 4000. Background and aims: Intratumoral heterogeneity (ITH) challenges identifying mutations with target therapy potential whereas circulating cell-free DNAs (cfDNAs) could reflect nearly the entire mutation spectrum in given tumors. We investigated how to minimize the limit of ITH for profiling hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).Methods: Thirty-two multi-regional HCC samples from five patients were subjected to whole exome sequencing (WES) and targeted deep sequencing (TDS). ITH extent was measured by the average percentage of non-ubiquitous mutations (present in parts of tumor regions). Matched cfDNAs were also analyzed by WES and TDS. Profiling efficiencies of single tumor specimen and cfDNA were compared and the one better depicted mutational landscape was selected to screen therapeutic targets.Results: We found variable extents of ITH in HCCs and observed branched and parallel evolution patterns. ITH level decreased at higher sequencing depth of TDS than that measured by WES (28.1% vs 34.9%, P < 0.01) but it remained unchanged upon additional samples analyzed. TDS of single tumor specimen detected an average of 70% the total mutations in HCC. Although more mutations were detected in cfDNA under TDS than WES, an average of 47.2% total HCC mutations uncovered by cfDNA suggested tissue outperform cfDNA and the latter may serve as alternative in profiling HCC genome. Consequently, TDS of single tumor tissue in 66 patients and cfDNAs in four unresectable HCCs identified 38.6% (26/66 and 1/4) patients bearing therapeutic targets.Conclusions: TDS of single tumor specimen could largely circumvent ITH to uncover mutations indicative of target therapy in HCC.

  Dataset EGAD00001003278

• Distinct evolutionary trajectories of primary high grade serous ovarian cancers revealed through spatial mutational profiling

  High-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSC) is characterized by poor outcome, often attributed to the emergence of treatment-resistant subclones. We sought to measure the degree of genomic diversity within primary, untreated HGSCs to examine the natural state of tumour evolution prior to therapy. We performed exome sequencing, copy number analysis, targeted amplicon deep sequencing and gene expression profiling on 31 spatially and temporally separated HGSC tumour specimens (six patients), including ovarian masses, distant metastases and fallopian tube lesions. We found widespread intratumoural variation in mutation, copy number and gene expression profiles, with key driver alterations in genes present in only a subset of samples (eg PIK3CA, CTNNB1, NF1). On average, only 51.5% of mutations were present in every sample of a given case (range 10.2 to 91.4%), with TP53 as the only somatic mutation consistently present in all samples. Complex segmental aneuploidies, such as whole-genome doubling, were present in a subset of samples from the same individual, with divergent copy number changes segregating independently of point mutation acquisition. Reconstruction of evolutionary histories showed one patient with mixed HGSC and endometrioid histology, with common aetiologic origin in the fallopian tube and subsequent selection of different driver mutations in the histologically distinct samples. In this patient, we observed mixed cell populations in the early fallopian tube lesion, indicating that diversity arises at early stages of tumourigenesis. Our results revealed that HGSCs exhibit highly individual evolutionary trajectories and diverse genomic tapestries prior to therapy, exposing an essential biological characteristic to inform future design of personalized therapeutic solutions and investigation of drug-resistance mechanisms

  Dataset EGAD00001000669

• Characterization and clinical relevance of the genomic alterations defining invasive lobular breast cancer

  Background: Invasive lobular breast cancer (ILBC) is the second most common histological subtype after ductal breast cancer (IDBC). In spite of significant clinical and pathological differences, ILBC is still treated as IDBC. Here, we aimed at identifying recurrent genomic alterations in ILBC with potential clinical implications.Methods: Starting from 630 ILBC primary tumors with a median follow up of 10 years, we interrogated oncogenic substitutions and indels of 360 cancer genes and genome-wide copy number alterations in 413 and 170 ILBC samples, respectively, and correlated those findings with clinical, pathological, and outcome features. The Cancer Genome Atlas database was used for comparison of frequency estimates.Results: Besides the high mutation frequency of CDH1 in 65% of the tumors, alterations in one of the three key genes of the PI3K pathway, PIK3CA, PTEN and AKT1, were present in more than half of the cases. ERBB2 and ERBB3 were mutated in 5.1 and 3.6% of the tumors. FOXA1 mutations and ESR1 copy number gains were detected in 9% and 25% of the samples. All these alterations were more frequent in ILBC than IDBC. The histological diversity of ILBC was associated with specific genomic alterations, such as enrichment for ERBB2 mutations in the mixed, non-classic subtype, and for ARID1A mutations and ESR1 gains in the solid subtype. Finally, ERBB2 and AKT1 mutations were associated with short-term risk of relapse, and chromosome 1q and 11p gain with increased and decreased breast cancer free survival, respectively.Conclusion: ERBB2, ERBB3 and AKT1 mutations represent high prevalence therapeutic targets in ILBC. FOXA1 mutations and ESR1 gains urgently deserve dedicated clinical investigation, especially in the context of endocrine treatment.

  Dataset EGAD00001001395

• Women's Health Initiative Clinical Trial and Observational Study - Imaging

  Objectives: The clinical trial assessed the safety and efficacy of three interventions. Specifically, it evaluated (1) the major health benefits and risks of estrogen plus progestin and estrogen alone, (2) the effects of a low-fat eating pattern on risk of colorectal cancer, and (3) the efficacy of calcium with vitamin D supplementation for preventing hip and other fractures. The objective of the memory study was to determine whether estrogen plus progestin therapy protects global cognitive function, and evaluate the therapy's effect on the incidence of dementia and mild cognitive impairment.The observational study is examining the relationship between lifestyle, socioeconomic, health, and other risk factors with cardiovascular, breast cancer, colorectal cancer and osteoporotic fracture outcomes. Secondary objectives include providing more reliable estimates of the extent to which known risk factors predict disease, more precise estimates of new occurrences of disease, and to provide a future resource for the identification of new or novel risk factors especially factors found in blood. Background: The Women's Health Initiative (WHI) is a long-term national health study that has focused on strategies for preventing the major causes of death, disability, and frailty in postmenopausal women, specifically heart disease, cancer, and osteoporotic fractures. The WHI is primarily composed of an observational study (OS), as well a clinical trial (CT) with three components: Hormone Replacement Therapy (HT), Dietary Modification, (DM) and Calcium/Vitamin D supplementation (CaD).Prior to the WHI, observational studies suggested that postmenopausal hormone therapy was associated with a decreased risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). Potential cardioprotection was based on generally supportive data on lipid levels in intermediate outcome clinical trials, trials in nonhuman primates, and a large body of observational studies suggesting a 40% to 50% reduction in risk among users of either estrogen alone or, less frequently, combined estrogen and progestin. Observational studies primarily examining unopposed estrogen preparations have suggested a 30% to 50% reduction in coronary events, and an 8% to 30% increase in breast cancer with extended use. Other research findings indicated that hormone therapy was also associated with a decreased risk of osteoporosis and increased bone density. The WHI HT trials were designed to test the effects of postmenopausal hormone therapy on risk for coronary heart disease and assess overall risks and benefits in predominantly healthy women. The Women's Health Initiative Memory Program (WHIMS) consists of a suite of studies which include cohorts of women who participated in the WHI HT trials. Postmenopausal women have a greater risk than men of developing Alzheimer's disease, but studies of the effects of estrogen therapy on Alzheimer's disease have been inconsistent. Additionally, observational studies have suggested that postmenopausal hormone treatment may improve cognitive function, but data from randomized clinical trials have been sparse and inconclusive. International comparisons and migration studies have suggested that countries with 50% lower fat intake than the US population had approximately one third the risk of colorectal cancer. Additionally, fairly consistent evidence existed for an effect of dietary fat, vegetables and fruits, and grains on colorectal cancer risk from within-country observational studies, although the protective effect of lower fat intake was no longer clear after adjusting for energy intake. The WHI DM trial was the first randomized trial to directly address the health effects of a low-fat eating pattern in predominantly healthy postmenopausal women from diverse racial/ethnic, geographic, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Osteoporosis is a major cause of injury, loss of independence, and death, and contributes to hip fractures. Observational evidence and data from previous randomized clinical trials suggest that calcium and/or vitamin D supplements may slow bone loss and reduce the risk of falls in postmenopausal and elderly women. However, evidence from trials, observational studies, and meta-analyses of calcium and vitamin D supplementation with respect to hip and other fractures was limited at the time the WHI was initiated. In two prior randomized trials, calcium plus vitamin D supplements did not reduce the risk of nonvertebral fractures among older women. When the WHI CaD trial was designed, guidelines recommended daily intakes of 800 to 1200 mg of calcium with 400 IU of vitamin D for the prevention of osteoporosis, which was not met by many American women. Therefore, the WHI CaD trial was designed to test the primary hypothesis that postmenopausal women randomly assigned to calcium plus vitamin D supplementation would have a lower risk of hip fracture and, secondarily, of all fractures than women assigned to placebo. Subjects: Postmenopausal women ages 50 to 79 were eligible to participate. A woman was considered postmenopausal if she had experienced no vaginal bleeding for 6 months (12 months for women under 55 years of age), had had a hysterectomy, or had ever used postmenopausal hormones. Recruitment was carried out in 40 US clinical centers in 1993-1998. The clinical trial components had additional specific inclusion or exclusion criteria.A total of 68,132 women were randomized into at least one component of the clinical trial. 27,347 women were enrolled in the hormone therapy component with 16,608 in the estrogen plus progestin trial and 10,739 in the unopposed estrogen trial, 48,835 women were enrolled in the diet modification component, and 36,282 women were enrolled in the calcium/vitamin D component. 7,479 women 65 years of age and older at baseline and that participated in the HT trial component were enrolled in the ancillary memory study. Women who were either ineligible or unwilling to participate in the clinical trial component were enrolled in the observational study. For example, many potential participants to the clinical trial component of the study were already undertaking a low fat diet or were using hormone replacement therapy. The effect of the selection process was that women enrolled in the observational study tended to have healthier lifestyles compared to those enrolled in the clinical trial. In total, 93,676 subjects were enrolled in WHI OS, with over 16% being members of a racial/ethnic minority group. The first WHI Extension Study enrolled 115,407 consenting participants from all components of the original WHI study for an additional five years of follow-up, from 2005 to 2010. In 2010, 93,567 women consented to continued follow-up. Design: The clinical trial component of the WHI included three randomized comparisons: hormone therapy, dietary modification, and calcium/vitamin D supplementation. Women could have been randomized into one, two or all three trials.The hormone therapy trial enrolled women to one of two double-blinded trials: estrogen (0.625 mg of conjugated equine estrogens daily) plus progestin (2.5 mg of medroxyprogesterone acetate daily) or estrogen alone. Women with a prior hysterectomy were eligible for the trial of unopposed estrogen. Women with an intact uterus at screening were initially also eligible for unopposed estrogen, but were reassigned to the trial of combined postmenopausal hormones beginning in 1995. Both trials randomized participants 1:1 to either hormone therapy or placebo. A 3-month washout period was required before baseline evaluation of women using postmenopausal hormones at initial screening. Study participants were contacted by telephone 6 weeks after randomization to assess symptoms and reinforce adherence. Follow-up contacts by telephone or clinic visit occurred every 6 months, with clinic visits required annually. The estrogen plus progestin trial was halted in July 2002 after a mean 5.2 years of follow-up because health risks, including increased risk of breast cancer and cardiovascular disease, exceeded benefits. The estrogen alone trial was stopped early in March 2004, because an increased risk of stroke was found with no benefit for coronary heart disease. The primary outcome was coronary heart disease (CHD) (nonfatal myocardial infarction and CHD death), with invasive breast cancer as the primary adverse outcome. The dietary modification trial evaluated the effect of a low-fat, high fruit, vegetable, and grain diet on preventing cardiovascular disease and cancer. Participants were randomly assigned to an intervention or a comparison group in the ratio of 2:3 for cost-efficiency. The intervention was an intensive behavioral modification program, using 18 group sessions in the first year and quarterly sessions thereafter, led by specially trained and certified nutritionists. The program was designed to promote dietary change with the goals of reducing total fat to 20% of energy intake, increasing vegetables and fruits to at least 5 servings daily and grains to at least 6 servings daily. The intervention did not include total energy reduction or weight loss goals. Comparison group participants received a copy of the US Department of Health and Human Services' Dietary Guidelines for Americans and other health-related materials but were not asked to make dietary changes. Dietary intake was monitored using the WHI food frequency questionnaire at 1 year and in a rotating one-third subsample every year thereafter. Women completed a medical update questionnaire every 6 months, and medical records were sought for all women reporting colorectal cancer. The primary outcome was invasive colorectal cancer incidence. Participants in the calcium/vitamin D trial were randomized 1:1 to either supplements or placebo. Active tablets contained 500 mg of elemental calcium (as calcium carbonate) and 200 IU of vitamin D3, to be taken twice daily with meals. The presence and severity of symptoms, safety concerns, and outcomes were ascertained at annual clinic visits and telephone or clinic visits at intervening six-month intervals. Risk factors for fracture were assessed by questionnaire, interview, and clinical examination. The primary outcome was incidence of hip fracture. Participants in the observational study attended a baseline examination and were re-examined three years later. Participants completed annual updates of exposures and clinical outcomes by mail. Final data were collected by mail during the close-out period in April 2004 to March 2005. The major clinical outcomes of interest were coronary heart disease, stroke, breast cancer, colorectal cancer, endometrial cancer, ovarian cancer, osteoporotic fractures, diabetes, and total mortality. Most outcomes were initially ascertained by self-report on an annual questionnaire and documented by hospital and related records. Charts with potential cardiovascular, cancer, and fracture outcomes were sent to the local physician adjudicator for evaluation and classification. Staff at the Clinical Coordinating Center coded and adjudicated all cancers of major interest in the study using standardized SEER guidelines. In 2005, WHI participants were invited to join the Extension Study for an additional five years of follow-up in order to collect long-term outcomes. Participants completed annual data collection forms primarily by mail, similar to the OS follow-up. Women reporting study outcomes were contacted by WHI field center staff to obtain additional details and medical records, which were evaluated by physician adjudicators. In 2010, the woman remaining were invited to join the next Extension Study. In the second extension, women were divided into two groups, one of which would have outcomes documented with medical records (the Medical Records Cohort, MRC), and the other would just be followed by self-report (the Self-Report Cohort, SRC). The MRC consists of women who were in the hormone therapy trials, and all African-American and Hispanic women. In 2012-2013, a subset of the MRC was identified for a potential in-home visit to collect blood and several objective measures of physical functioning. Conclusions: Overall health risks exceeded benefits from use of combined estrogen plus progestin after an average 5.2 year follow-up among healthy postmenopausal US women (Rossouw et al., 2002, PMID:12117397). Among postmenopausal women aged 65 years or older, estrogen plus progestin did not improve cognitive function when compared with placebo (Rapp et al., 2003, PMID: 12771113), increased the risk for probable dementia, and did not prevent mild cognitive impairment (Shumaker, et al., 2003, PMID: 12771112). The use of conjugated equine estrogen increased the risk of stroke, decreased the risk of hip fracture, and did not affect CHD incidence in postmenopausal women with prior hysterectomy after an average of 6.8 years of follow-up (Anderson et al., 2004, PMID: 15082697). Over approximately 8 years of follow-up, a low-fat dietary pattern did not reduce the risk of colorectal cancer (Beresford, et al., PMID: 16467233). Calcium with vitamin D supplementation resulted in a small but significant improvement in hip bone density; however, no significant difference was observed in hip fractures (Jackson, et al., 2006, PMID: 16481635). A recent review summarizes the conclusions from the WHI clinical trials with a focus on clinical practice (Manson, et al., 2024, PMID: 38691368).Description of ECG Imaging Data: Electric cardiograms (ECGs) were given to all clinical trial participants at baseline and in years 3, 6, and 9 of the original WHI study.EKG data consist of 12 lead 10 seconds ECGS sampled at 500Hz via GE ECG machines and process via GE MUSE system. The ECG waveform were directly exported from GE MUSE using MUSE export function in XML format, which include EKG waveform data as well as other ECG characteristics. Waveform data is in base64 encoded format, when it is decoded, it is a binary data that can be used to draw waveform graph. Many programming languages and data tools have built in functions to decode base64 strings. All the other necessary information is included in the LeadData section, total byte size, total sample size etc. (usually 1 sample is 2 bytes). See example below: encoded-data (base64 encoded string) JwAoAC0AKAAiACIAJAAkACQAIwAiACIAHgAcABwAGwAZABgAGAAYABcAEwAQABAAEAAL^/AAsADAAM... decoded-binary-data (1 sample is 2 bytes) 270028002D002800220022002400240024002300220022001E001C001C001B00 1900180018001800170013001000100010000B000B000C000C000D000D000D00 0A000A000A0009000600040004000700070005000500020... These binary values are integers (Y axis data of the graph), hence it is a straightforward process to draw the waveform graph. Acquisition dates have been redacted from this ECG data to comply with WHI policy. All acquisition dates within files and in file names have been set to January 1, 1900 (19000101) to comply with this policy.

  Study phs003824

• Center for Craniofacial and Dental Genetics: Study of Dental Caries and Cleft Lip/Palate in Guatemala

  This study provides an opportunity to investigate the genetics of both dental caries and orofacial clefts (OFCs) in one set of families ascertained in Guatemala. This study is part of the Gene Environment Association Studies initiative (GENEVA, http://www.genevastudy.org), which was developed through the trans-NIH Genes, Environment, and Health Initiative (GEI). Furthermore this study brings together multiple research priorities of the University of Pittsburgh Center for Craniofacial and Dental Genetics (www.ccdg.pitt.edu). A genome-wide panel of 610,000 SNPs was genotyped at the Broad Institute to be comparable to our other pertinent GENEVA studies that are also part of dbGaP (dbGaP accession number phs000095, "Dental Caries: Whole Genome Association and Gene x Environment Studies" and dbGaP accession number phs000094, "International Consortium to Identify Genes and Interactions Controlling Oral Clefts"). The goal of this study is to investigate genetic determinants to dental caries and to OFCs in a novel study population. To date, most genetic studies of dental caries have been conducted in Caucasians, and of OFCs in Caucasians and Asians. The Guatemalan population under study is rural and ethnically mixed with a high proportion of Native-South-Americans. Thirty-six Guatemalans from this dataset were also part of the recent GWAS studies of cleft lip and cleft palate (Beaty et al., 2010 and 2011, dbGaP Study Accession: phs000094, "International Consortium to Identify Genes and Interactions Controlling Oral Clefts"). In addition to the families ascertained in Guatemala, some subjects were genotyped with this cohort to augment the data in the parent GENEVA study (Dental Caries: Whole Genome Association and Gene x Environment Studies, dbGaP accession number phs000095), in particular individuals from the IOWA and PITT GENEVA study sites. Their data are available with the parent study. Dental caries (also known as tooth decay) remains the most common chronic disease of childhood, five times more common than asthma and seven times more common than environmental allergies, with more than 40% of children exhibiting caries when they enter kindergarten. In 2005, it was estimated that dental health care costs were approximately $84 billion, of which 60% or about $50 billion were related to treatment of dental caries. The etiology of dental caries has been studied for many years. Multiple factors contribute to a person's risk for caries, including: 1) environmental factors such as diet, oral hygiene, fluoride exposure and the level of colonization of cariogenic bacteria and 2) host factors such as salivary flow, salivary buffering capacity, position of teeth relative to each other, surface characteristics of tooth enamel and depth of occlusal fissures on posterior teeth. In spite of all that is known about this disease, there are still individuals who appear to be more susceptible to caries and those who are extremely resistant, regardless of the environmental risk factors to which they are exposed, implying that genetic factors also play an important role in caries etiology. This conclusion is supported by studies in both humans and animals, with the most compelling evidence coming from studies of twins reared apart in which investigators found significant resemblance within monozygotic (MZ) but not dizygotic (DZ) twin pairs for percentage of teeth and surfaces restored or carious and estimated the genetic contribution to caries as 40%. Other recent studies of twins reared together estimated the heritability for caries, adjusted for age and gender, as ranging from 45-64%. In our study populations of families, we also estimated caries heritability as approximately 54%-70% of variation in primary dentition caries scores and 35%-55% in the permanent dentition (Wang et al., 2010). Orofacial clefts (OFCs), particularly cleft lip with or without cleft palate (CL/P) and isolated cleft palate (CP) are a major public health problem, affecting one in every 500-1000 births worldwide thus representing the most common facial birth defect and one of the most common of all congenital anomalies. CL/P is a major structural birth defect that is notable for significant lifelong morbidity and complex etiology. The extensive psychological, surgical, speech and dental involvement emphasize the importance of understanding the underlying causes of CL/P. Therefore, many research groups have attempted to elucidate the etiology of CL/P, with some recent success by our research group and others (see Beaty et al., 2010, 2011; Dixon et al., 2011). It is clear that CL/P can occur as part of Mendelian syndromes, that certain chromosomal abnormalities include CL/P in the phenotype, and that certain teratogens can increase the risk of having an offspring with CL/P. However, phenotypes of known etiology comprise only a small portion of all individuals with a CL/P or CP, and the major focus of research into OFCs is to develop an understanding of the etiology of nonsyndromic (NS) forms of clefting. A major focus of the University of Pittsburgh CCDG has been to study additional phenotypes within nonsyndromic OFC families in order to identify sub-clinical expressions of OFC risk genes or risk variants, e.g. SNPs (see Weinberg et al., 2006). A detailed oral exam is conducted as part of these extended phenotypic studies, including a dental caries exam. Note that although there are some reports in the literature of higher caries experience in individuals with clefts, the most recent meta-analysis of those literature reports concluded that individuals born with these defects do not have a higher frequency of caries (Hasslöf and Twetman, 2007). Notably, we investigated the association of CL/P and caries in three of our study populations (including part of the Guatemalan population in this GWAS study) and also found no increase in caries rates of CL/P cases versus controls (Jindal et al., 2011). This study is part of the Gene Environment Association Studies initiative (GENEVA, http://www.genevastudy.org), which was developed through the trans-NIH Genes, Environment, and Health Initiative (GEI). The overarching goal is to identify novel genetic factors that contribute to dental caries and oral clefts through large-scale genome-wide association studies of well-characterized Guatemalan families and individuals. Genotyping was performed at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. The study was supported by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR, U01-DE018903). Data cleaning and harmonization were done at the GEI-funded GENEVA Coordinating Center at the University of Washington.

  Study phs000440

• California Pacific Medical Center Research Breast Health Cohort

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

  Study phs000395

• Procardis study on novel susceptibility genes for coronary artery disease (CAD)

  An increased level of Lp(a) lipoprotein has been identified as a risk factor for coronary artery disease that is highly heritable. The genetic determinants of the Lp(a) lipoprotein level and their relevance for the risk of coronary disease are incompletely understood. METHODS: We used a novel gene chip containing 48,742 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 2100 candidate genes to test for associations in 3145 case subjects with coronary disease and 3352 control subjects. Replication was tested in three independent populations involving 4846 additional case subjects with coronary disease and 4594 control subjects. RESULTS: Three chromosomal regions (6q26-27, 9p21, and 1p13) were strongly associated with the risk of coronary disease. The LPA locus on 6q26-27 encoding Lp(a) lipoprotein had the strongest association. We identified a common variant (rs10455872) at the LPA locus with an odds ratio for coronary disease of 1.70 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.49 to 1.95) and another independent variant (rs3798220) with an odds ratio of 1.92 (95% CI, 1.48 to 2.49). Both variants were strongly associated with an increased level of Lp(a) lipoprotein, a reduced copy number in LPA (which determines the number of kringle IV-type 2 repeats), and a small Lp(a) lipoprotein size. Replication studies confirmed the effects of both variants on the Lp(a) lipoprotein level and the risk of coronary disease. A meta-analysis showed that with a genotype score involving both LPA SNPs, the odds ratios for coronary disease were 1.51 (95% CI, 1.38 to 1.66) for one variant and 2.57 (95% CI, 1.80 to 3.67) for two or more variants. After adjustment for the Lp(a) lipoprotein level, the association between the LPA genotype score and the risk of coronary disease was abolished. CONCLUSIONS: We identified two LPA variants that were strongly associated with both an increased level of Lp(a) lipoprotein and an increased risk of coronary disease. Our findings provide support for a causal role of Lp(a) lipoprotein in coronary disease.

  Study EGAS00000000055

• Knoll et al.: The life-saving benefit of dexamethasone in severe COVID-19 is linked to a reversal of monocyte dysregulation

  Following the demonstration of its life-saving effect in clinical trials, dexamethasone quickly became standard-of-care in the treatment of severe COVID-19. Beneficial effects were reported for patients requiring supplemental oxygen or invasive mechanical ventilation. Yet, a substantial proportion of patients still progressed to a critical condition or succumbed to the disease, despite timely initiation of glucocorticoid treatment. No molecular or cellular correlate of this beneficial treatment response has been defined. Here, we identify distinct cellular and molecular changes in circulating immune cells in patients with COVID-19 elicited in response to dexamethasone treatment. The most profound transcriptional changes in response to dexamethasone treatment were noted in monocytes and in B cells. In monocytes, we observed a reversal of hallmark signatures previously associated with COVID-19 severity, and the induction of a specific monocyte substate enriched in glucocorticoid response gene expression which we here refer to as dexamethasone response cluster. Molecular responses to dexamethasone treatment were directly linked to clinical outcome, since the reversal of pathogenic signatures and induction of glucocorticoid response genes were enriched in patients who survived the disease in response to dexamethasone treatment. Cellular responsiveness of circulating monocytes was thus identified as a correlate of clinical response to dexamethasone treatment. Changes in monocyte transcriptomes could also be linked to epigenetic alterations highlighting early differences in monocytes of dexamethasone responders and non-responders. Further, monocyte single-cell transcriptome-derived signatures were enriched in whole blood transcriptomes from patients with fatal outcome in two independent cohorts, highlighting the potential clinical value for early identification of non-responders who are refractory to dexamethasone treatment. Overall, our findings indicate that the life-saving effects of dexamethasone in COVID-19 patients are linked to a specific immunomodulatory effect based on the reversion of monocyte dysregulation. Our study elucidates the potential mechanism of action of one of the most efficient and cost-effective drugs for the treatment of COVID-19. It further highlights the potential of single-cell omics for monitoring target engagement of immunomodulatory drugs and for the stratification of patients for precision medicine approaches.

  Study EGAS00001007461

• ALS Compute

  Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the progressive loss of brain and spinal cord motor neurons. Half of ALS patients display cognitive symptoms of frontotemporal dementia (FTD); reciprocally, about 40% of FTD patients show motor neuron deficits, and approximately 15% develop overt ALS. The clinical overlap between ALS and FTD means that the two conditions are thought to represent a disease spectrum (ALS/FTD). In recent years, the identification of several genetic causes of ALS/FTD has contributed significantly to our understanding of disease pathogenesis. Unfortunately, one-third of the underlying genetic causes of familial cases and ~90% of sporadic cases of ALS/FTD remain unexplained. As such, there is a dire need to identify additional genetic factors contributing to ALS/FTD. Such studies require huge cohorts of harmonized whole genome sequencing (WGS) data sets from cases and controls. Currently, there are several major ongoing sequencing efforts for ALS patients. Numerous centers lead to inefficiency, especially in terms of overall costs. At a minimum, this includes the cost of high-performance computing, the storage of large data files, and the duplication of effort between groups. This lack of data harmonization between groups precludes sharing of genetic information and weakens collaborative efforts. The cost and logistics are also a barrier to attracting talented investigators to the ALS/FTD field. To overcome this unmet need, we have founded the ALS Compute project. We are centralizing the storage of ALS/FTD WGS data from every significant sequencing effort in the United States and beyond within a single Cloud environment. This approach will facilitate data harmonization and improve accessibility to the data. To accomplish this, we have made the data and the computational infrastructure available via the Terra platform hosted by NHGRI's Genomic Data Science Analysis, Visualization, and Informatics Lab-Space (AnVIL). This will allow researchers worldwide to access this wealth of data, develop new theories of the disease, and yield breakthroughs in our understanding of ALS/FTD.

  Study phs003184

• Asian Indian Diabetic Heart Study (AIDHS) /Sikh Diabetes Study (SDS)

  The Punjabi Sikh population is a well-defined, carefully collected homogeneous sample from northern India and the US. It has unique characteristics, which are ideal for genetic studies. Sikhs are strictly a non-smoking population and about 50% of participants are life-long vegetarians. All subjects included in the genome-wide association studies (GWAS) were recruited from one geographical location. Our population demonstrates a strong familial clustering of type 2 diabetes and related cardio-metabolic disorders that may be genetic and we believe that the contribution of alleles at specific loci are likely to be unique to Punjabi Asians compared to Europeans. Our group first showed that the association of a common variant at rs9939609 in the FTO (fat mass and obesity) gene in South Asians was independent of BMI (PMID:18598350) in contrast to Europeans where the association of same variant with T2D is mediated through obesity (PMID:17434869). These findings were later confirmed in an independent sample of South Indians (PMID:19005641), Pakistanis (PMID:21294771), and even East and South Asians in a large meta-analyses study comprising 96,551 individuals (PMID: 22109280). Earlier reported association of MTNR1B with fasting glucose concentrations and type 2 diabetes in European GWAS could not be confirmed in our Sikh cohort. On the other hand, our study revealed, for the first time, a significant protective association of another less common variant in MTNR1B with fasting glucose levels that was modulated by obesity. Ours was the first report that suggested that the low CETP activity was associated with higher CAD risk (PMID:22143414) in South Asians and that the genetic effects are significantly modulated by environmental factors (alcohol consumption). Our recent GWAS on type 2 diabetes has identified a novel locus at chromosome 13q12 in the SGCG gene (p=1.82x10-8) associated with type 2 diabetes (PMID:23300278) in Punjabi Sikhs. From these findings, we are optimistic that our resource will provide new insights to gene functions in the diabetic pathway and better help researchers to understand and translate these insights to novel therapeutic treatment and early prevention to T2D that may be important beyond Indians.

  Study phs000583

• Ulcerative Colitis Human Microbiome Project (UCHMP)

  The aims of the multi-center Ulcerative Colitis Human Microbiome Project (UCHMP) are to examine the role of the enteric microbiome in causing human ulcerative colitis, specifically the development of pouchitis. Pouchitis is an inflammatory condition of the surgically-created ileoanal pouch that serves as a pseudo-rectum in patients with ulcerative colitis who have undergone a total colectomy. It is a condition unique to ulcerative colitis (UC), as it rarely occurs in non-UC patients who have the same procedure. Within one year, about 50% of patients will develop pouchitis. The condition is almost certainly due to aspects of the pouch microbiota on a background of genetic susceptibility, as most patients respond to treatment with antibiotics. While there have been reports on the microbiota in pouchitis patients, all have been performed after the inflammatory process is initiated, rendering interpretation of the results difficult, as the inflammatory process itself will change the microbiota. Our project is therefore unique and possibly the only opportunity in the role of the enteric microbiome in IBD in a prospective manner, thereby establishing potentially important causal relationships between microbiota structure or function and development of UC.The studies also offer two additional advantages. First, the development of the pouch microbiota can be observed prospectively. Second, the cause of antibiotic treatment failure in some patients with pouchitis may be revealed. The two aims are (1) to identify causal factors in the structure and/or function of the enteric microbiota in the development of pouchitis, and (2) to determine the basis of treatment failure in UC pouchitis patients. Our analyses will include serial measurements of enteric microbial structure (16S rRNA gene-based), function (metagenomics and functional candidate genes), and cultivation, the latter to enhance interpretation of gene sequences derived from metagenomes and targeted gene surveys (either functional or 16S genes). The insights gained from these studies will help us understand the fundamental and causative roles of the enteric microbiome in human inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). This information will be the basis for developing strategies to restore host-microbial relationships to prevent and treat IBD.

  Study phs000262

• NHLBI and NIDDK Sponsored GWAS in Benign Ethnic Neutropenia/Leukopenia (BEN) in African-Americans (age >45 yrs old) from the REGARDS

  Benign ethnic neutropenia (BEN) is a clinical condition more commonly observed in African-Americans. It is characterized by a relative reduction in neutrophil count by about 1000 cells per microliter, leading to a decrease in total leukocyte count by similar decrement. Previous reports of this condition showed that there was neither higher frequency nor increased severity of infections in affected individuals. Bone marrow examinations showed normal white cell maturation; and ex vivo culture of marrow cells showed low normal or slightly reduced number of myeloid colonies. Under physiologic stress, the increases in neutrophil and leukocyte counts of BEN individuals are slightly lower, compared to normal African-Americans or Caucasians. These clinical observations suggest that BEN results from a lower 'set point' for cell number in the marrow. Additionally, case reports of familial BEN, the persistence of BEN over many decades in the US, UK, and Africa, and the recent report of Duffy antigen and chemokine receptor (DARC) being associated with neutropenia, all suggest a strong genetic association to neutropenia/leukopenia. Our initial look into microarray analyses in a pilot trial of subjects showed that there were no significant differences in mRNA signals between BEN and normal subjects. Therefore, we are now proposing a larger study, utilizing Illumina Omni Express chips, to look for genetic associations. We have partnered with the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke study (REGARDS), where nearly half of the cohort are African-Americans. This will be one of the few GWAS being performed in only African-Americans, and will provide valuable genetic information to link with neutropenia and possibly other conditions/diseases. Genotyping was performed by the Johns Hopkins University Center for Inherited Disease Research (CIDR). Quality control of the genotypic and phenotypic data was performed through a collaboration between CIDR and the Genetics Coordinating Center, Department of Biostatistics at the University of Washington, which is funded by a federal contract supported by 14 NIH Institutes (HHSN268200782096C).

  Study phs000507

• RNA-Seq of Whole Blood from Patients with Intracranial Aneurysms

  Rupture of intracranial aneurysms (IAs) causes intracranial hemorrhaging that leads to high rates of neurological deficits and death. Although rupture rates are low, clinicians must decide whether to treat or monitor these potentially dangerous lesions. In the current clinical practice, the most common metric to measure risk of rupture is aneurysm size. However, clinical data show that small aneurysms can also rupture. As a result, alternative clinical stratification scores have been proposed, including the PHASES (Population, Hypertension, Age, Size, Earlier subarachnoid hemorrhage, and Site) score based on patient demographics and IA characteristics to stratify ruptured and unruptured IAs, and the Rupture Resemblance Score (RRS) that stratifies ruptured and unruptured IAs based on hemodynamic and morphological properties. However, all metrics require imaging on digital subtraction angiography (DSA), which is invasive, expensive, requires the use of X-rays, and is associated with transient or permanent neurological and non-neurological complications. We hypothesize that individuals with dangerous IAs have detectable gene expression differences in their blood that could be used as biomarkers to determine rupture risk. We propose to use whole blood transcriptomes to develop a "one-stop" diagnostic test that can detect the presence of IAs and determine the risk of rupture based on circulating RNA expression biomarkers using our prototype AneuScreenTM platform. We aim to develop and validate biomarkers to predict risk, as calculated by the currently-used metric of aneurysm size, the clinical PHASES score, and the RRS. Here, we collected blood samples from consented individuals who were receiving cerebral imaging at the Gates Vascular Institute (Buffalo, NY) for intracranial aneurysm. RNA extracted from blood samples (n=43) was subjected to RNA-sequencing and added to our existing database (n=44). When combined with our previous data, we had transcriptome data from 68 aneurysms (after additional sample filtering). This dataset was stratified into low- and high-risk according to IA size, PHASES score, and RRS score. Differentially expressed genes were identified and used to construct predictive models. Fastq files and basic demographic information for the 43 newly-sequenced intracranial aneurysm samples on this project will be available through dbGaP.

  Study phs003072

• Molecular defects in pseudohypoparathyroidism or related disorders

  Maintaining calcium levels within a narrow normal range is of critical importance for numerous different cellular functions. One of the most important regulators of blood calcium levels is parathyroid hormone (PTH), which mediates its actions through the PTH/PTHrP receptor, a Gαs-coupled receptor. Few inherited disorders are characterized by diminished blood calcium levels and elevated blood phosphate levels; some of these disorders are caused by too little PTH synthesis and/or secretion (hypoparathyroidism, HP), while others are caused by resistance towards PTH (pseudohypoparathyroidism, PHP). Only few of the inherited forms of HP (<10%) have been defined at the molecular level. In contrast, genetic mutations have been identified for several inherited forms of PHP. For example, PHP type Ia (PHP-Ia) is caused by maternally inherited mutations in those GNAS exons that encode Gαs, while autosomal dominant PHP type Ib (AD-PHP-Ib) is caused by maternal inherited deletions within or up-stream of GNAS, which are associated with abnormal GNAS methylation. However, a large number of patients with PTH-resistance and thus hypocalcemia show GNAS methylation changes, but their underlying genetic defects have not yet been defined at the DNA level. These "sporadic" patients may be affected by an autosomal recessive form of PHP-Ib (AR-PHP-Ib), which is most likely not linked to the GNAS locus. In our studies, we propose to search through exome sequence analyses for novel genetic mutations responsible for novel autosomal dominant forms of HP that are not caused by mutations in the known disease-causing genes; some of these families are large enough to perform genetic linkage studies. We furthermore propose to search for the genetic mutation(s) responsible for the autosomal recessive variant of PHP-Ib through the analysis of whole exome sequences; for these studies we focus particularly on patients, whose parents are likely to be consanguineous. The proposed efforts are expected to lead to the identification of novel genes that are involved in parathyroid development and function (HP) and genes that are involved in the establishment or maintenance of GNAS methylation (AR-PHP-Ib).

  Study phs000476

• LCCC1122: Defining the Triple Negative Breast Cancer Kinome Response to GSK1120212

  In this study the investigators looked at adaptive reprogramming impact on the kinome when a MEK inhibitor called GSK1120212 (trametinib) was administered in a "window of opportunity" trial. GSK1120212 is not yet approved by the FDA for use in breast cancer patients. The investigators gave GSK1120212 for a short period of time (one week) to examine MEK and the other kinase expression in cancer cells both before and after the study drug is given. The investigators gave this drug for research purposes only. The length of time it was given is not intended to treat cancer. Recently researchers at UNC developed a process that can comprehensively profile the majority of the individual kinases in the kinome and examine the impact on kinase expression of kinase inhibitors (Duncan et al, Cell 2012, PMID: 22500798). This can tell us which kinases need to be concurrently blocked to augment responsiveness and prevent acquired resistance so that the investigators can design the best combinations of kinase blocking drugs for triple negative breast cancer. This is especially important for individuals with triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) because there are no targeted drugs available that can block molecules that affect tumor growth. The investigators believe that kinase-blocking drugs have the potential to be a more effective treatment for people with TNBC. In this recently published study (Zawistowski et al, Cancer Discovery 2017, PMID: 28108460), TNBC patients treated with trametinib for 7 days resulted in a transcriptional response characterized by significant reprogramming of the tyrosine kinome, and this adaptive bypass response in human tumors was found to be similar to that seen in preclinical models including TNBC cell lines and mouse xenografts. In this study we also examined whether reprogramming differed between TNBC molecular subtypes, finding that basal-like and claudin-low human TNBC cells and mouse tumor subtypes had different adaptive transcriptional responses to MEK-ERK inhibition. Mechanistically we found that genome-wide enhancer remodeling drove the adaptive transcriptional response, suggesting that epigenetic approaches to reprogramming may be more durable than kinase inhibitor polypharmacology.

  Study phs001405

• National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Duke Cognition Cohort

  The overall goal is to identify genetic variants influencing normal variation between humans, with a focus on cognitive and neurosensory traits. Because of the focus of funding agencies on disease, very few studies of the genetics of non-disease traits have been performed. The genetic variation underlying the vast majority of differences between humans therefore remains not only undiscovered, but also unexplored. We have assessed >1,200 healthy volunteers for >70 diverse, non-disease phenotypes, with a focus on cognitive and neurosensory traits that are understudied and seem to have a strong biological basis. Our study includes measurements of face recognition, night vision, cognitive performance, auditory pitch discrimination, contagious yawn susceptibility, time perception, sense of direction, taste preferences, personality, sexual behaviors, sleep habits, acne, headache locations, synesthesia, and teeth sensitivity. This method is very different from the focus of most studies on collecting cohorts of patients with disease and controls with minimal phenotypic information. Because we phenotype the same healthy volunteers for multiple highly variable yet heritable traits, we can perform genetic analyses on a large number of phenotypes by just investing once in sequencing the DNA of these participants. An additional >2,000 participants in our cohort have been measured just for cognitive performance instead of for the more extensive phenotyping. Most of the genetic studies in this cohort have been about cognitive perfromance. The number of participants with genetic data generated who have undergone the more extensive phenotyping is limited. Our studies of the more novel traits like contagious yawning have therefore focused more on correlations between different phenotypes until we have a sufficient sample size to truly attempt to make genetic discoveries. . The dataset also includes two small challenge studies. In one study, the cognitive performance of 150 healthy volunteers was measured before and after an acute dose of the antiepileptic drug topiramate. In the other study, the cognitive performance of 13 healthy volunteers was measured before and after 24 hours of sleep deprivation.

  Study phs001406

• National Eye Institute (NEI) Ocular Hypertension Treatment Study (OHTS)

  The Ocular Hypertension Treatment Study (OHTS) is an National Eye Institute-sponsored multi-center, randomized, prospective treatment trial designed to determine whether lowering intraocular pressure (IOP) in individuals with ocular hypertension delays or prevents the development of primary open angle glaucoma (POAG). A total of 1,636 individuals with ocular hypertension between 40 and 80 years old were enrolled in the study. In addition to ocular hypertension, subjects in the OHTS were required to have normal optic nerve appearance as determined by the OHTS Optic Disc Reading Center and normal and reliable visual field tests at the time of enrollment by the OHTS Visual Field Reading Center. OHTS subjects were randomly assigned to either an observational group which received close observation or a topical medication group which received medication as needed to achieve a 20% reduction in IOP from their baseline levels. Subjects then were examined at regular intervals for optic disc cupping or visual field defects. Other clinical measures were also obtained from OHTS subjects including central corneal thickness (CCT) and intraocular pressure. The primary outcome monitored for the OHTS was the development of glaucoma in one or both eyes as defined by reproducible visual field abnormality or reproducible optic disc deterioration attributed to POAG by the masked OHTS Endpoint Committee. The OHTS study design has been reported in detail (Gordon, 1999; PMID: 10326953). The OHTS confirmed that ocular hypertension is a risk factor for developing POAG and showed that lowering IOP reduced the risk for developing POAG (Kass, 2002; PMID: 12049574). The OHTS also demonstrated that thin CCT is a significant risk factor for the development of POAG (Gordon, 2002; PMID: 12049575). Blood samples were also collected from 1,077 OHTS participants for an ancillary genetics study. DNA was prepared from these samples and used in a genome-wide association scan (GWAS) designed to identify genetic factors that control the magnitude of quantitative features of glaucoma (baseline IOP, baseline cup-to-disc ratio, and CCT). Genotypes from the GWAS and these clinical data (IOP, cup-to-disc ratio, and CCT) have been provided to dbGaP.

  Study phs000240

• Longitudinal Studies of Brain Structure and Function in MPS Disorders

  Mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) types I, II, IV, VI and VII, are inherited diseases that result from the bodies inability to break down large sugar molecules that are by-products of metabolism. MPS affects most organs of the body and causes abnormalities in the liver, spleen, bones, and brain. We are studying the central nervous system (primarily the brain) so we can better understand the nature of the problems individuals with MPS I, II, IV, VI and VII have so we can find ways of better treating these problems. We would like to find out about the changes in the brain of individuals with MPS I, II, IV, VI and VII using data from MRI and neuropsychological tests. This is a longitudinal study so patients who enroll will need to be seen 3 times over 5 years. The longitudinal nature of the study allows us to make conclusions about how changes in some structures of the brain and changes in cognitive ability are related. The research objectives are: To identify abnormalities of brain (and central nervous system) structure and function in patients with MPS I, II, IV, VI and VII, regardless of how they are being treated or have been treated in the past; and to track disease progression over time. To examine the degree to which independent variables (e.g., age at first treatment, severity of disease, types of medical abnormalities, mutation, medical events, and sensory abnormalities) have an impact on both functional and structural outcomes as well as on quality-of-life. To identify, through longitudinal study, those measures that most accurately reflect the current disease state. This is a longitudinal study of 75-100 individuals with either MPS I, II, IV, VI and VII. Those participating in the study will be evaluated 3 times over 5 years. The primary site for this study is the University of Minnesota but there are an additional 6 centers in the United States and Canada that are also participating and will provide data for analysis. You will need to be able to travel to Minnesota or one of the participating centers in order to be a part of this study.

  Study phs001328

• Exploring the Genetic Variants Associated with Brain Growth in Children

  Understanding the genetic factors that control brain growth during childhood and adolescence is a priority for neuroscience. Its importance lies partly in the finding that disturbances in the course of brain development characterizes many common childhood behavioral problems. Recent advances in neuroimaging such as the use of non-invasive magnetic resonance imaging have provided a chance to define these trajectories in the living child. The intramural programs of the NIMH and NHGRI have conducted repeated neuroanatomic imaging on children along with the banking of DNA, providing a cohort which is studied for defining developmental trajectories of the brain. A central goal of this cohort is to define the disturbances in brain development that are linked with common behavioral problems, such as excessive impulsivity, hyperactivity and inattention. Studies have demonstrated that problems in these domains are distributed across the entire population and that children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) lie at the extreme end of these behavioral dimensions. We found a similar dimensionality in the development of brain regions that are associated with these behavioral problems. Specifically, we showed that the rate of change in both the lateral prefrontal cortex and interconnected striatum during childhood and adolescence was linked to the severity of symptoms of hyperactivity and impulsivity. As symptoms increased, the rate of growth of both structures decreased. The lateral prefrontal cortex and striatum are core components of richly interconnected 'loops' that support a host of cognitive processes, including attention, cognitive control and motor planning. Anomalies in these structures and their connections have been implicated in many childhood behavioral problems, including ADHD. In summary, we aim to identify the common and rare genetic variants that are associated with the developmental trajectories of the lateral-prefrontal cortex and striatum. Identifying genetic variants influencing the growth of these structures may reveal the biological mechanisms underlying dysregulated control of attention, impulse and activity level, which in the extreme constitute ADHD. The study thus could inform our understanding of neurobiology underpinning one of the most common neuropsychiatric disorders of childhood.

  Study phs000962

• Identification of Somatic Changes in Tumors from Fanconi Anemia Patients

  This study focused on the identification of genomic signatures present in tumors from Fanconi anemia patients. Fanconi anemia is a rare hereditary disease caused by defects in DNA interstrand crosslink repair. The primary patient phenotypes are bone marrow failure and cancer predisposition. We concentrated on squamous cell carcinomas and used whole genome Illumina sequencing (22 tumor samples and 12 normal samples) , whole exome sequencing (37 tumor samples and 33 normal samples), PacBio long-read whole-genome (nine tumor and four normal samples),10X linked-read whole-genome sequencing, 10x single-cell/nuclei 3’ RNA sequencing (three tumor samples), 10x Visium spatial transcriptomics (one tumor sample), EPIC 850K methylation array (six samples), and bulk RNAseq (six tumor samples) to identify somatic changes present in tumors. The study aimed to identify changes that drive tumorigenesis in Fanconi anemia, give insight into the early development and aggressive nature of these tumors, and suggest therapeutic avenues for these patients. Another goal was to compare the genomic changes identified in tumors from Fanconi anemia patients with sporadic head and neck cancers. This study demonstrated that the tumors from Fanconi anemia individuals are generally not driven by HPV. Instead, they acquire mutations in the p53 tumor suppressor. The main characteristic of the tumors is the presence of a high number of structural variants in the form of small deletions, unbalanced translocations, and fold-back inversions, which often form complex rearrangements. These rearrangements result in amplifications and deletions of a multitude of oncogenes and tumor suppressors, respectively. The study also shows that lack of the Fanconi anemia DNA repair pathway leads to an epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in a mouse model and in human samples that may influence the behavior of tumors in Fanconi anemia. Finally, comparing genomic changes in Fanconi anemia and sporadic tumors of the head and neck, we propose that the structural variants present in sporadic cancer result in a functional deficiency of the Fanconi anemia DNA repair pathway.

  Study phs002652

• Genome-Wide Pleiotropy Scan Across Multiple Cancers

  A whole-exome sequencing (WES) study was conducted in 3,233 cases diagnosed with multiple primary cancers and 3,229 matched cancer-free controls (90% non-Hispanic white, 3% African-American, 3% East Asian, and 4% Latino) selected from individuals in the Kaiser Permanente Research Bank (KPRB) who were members of the Kaiser Permanente Northern California (KPNC) health plan. Cancer-free controls were matched to cases on age at specimen collection (within 2 years), sex, genotyping array (which matched on self-reported race/ethnicity), closest distance using the first two principal components for genetic ancestry, and reagent kit. Cases and controls were drawn from two prospective KPRB cohorts: the Research Program on Genes, Environment and Health (RPGEH) and the ProHealth study. Participants were sequenced by the Regeneron Genetics Center using the Illumina NovaSeq 6000 platform, and sample preparation and quality control were performed using a high-throughput, fully-automated system [PMID: 33087929]. Reads were aligned to the GRCh38 reference genome, and variants were called using WeCall [PMID: 33087929]. Participants with sex discordance, 20x coverage at less than 80% of targeted sites, and/or contamination greater than 5% were excluded. After quality control, we retained n = 6,247 (3,111 cases, 3,136 controls) individuals for downstream analyses. Among participants selected for this WES study, n = 5,432 (2,299 cases; 3,133 controls) consented to deposition of data to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).Further quality control was applied to filter low quality variants. Genotype calls with low depth of coverage (DP) were updated to missing (DP < 7 for SNPs and DP < 10 for indels), after which sites with low allele balance (AB) - variants without at least one sample having AB ≥ 15% for SNPs or AB ≥ 20% for indels - were removed. Lastly, variants with missingness > 10% and Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium p-value < 10-15 were excluded. Further description of quality control and downstream single-variant and gene-based analyses is available in Cavazos et al, 2022 [medRxiv].

  Study phs002809

• Genome-Wide Association Study of Genetic Susceptibility for Graft-vs-Host Disease Cohort 1

  Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (Allo-HSCT) is the only curative therapy for many advanced hematologic malignancies. Allo-HSCT is associated with significant morbidities and mortality, mainly because of the graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) caused by donor T cells recognizing antigens present in recipient tissues, and initiating an alloimmune response resulting in damage to many organs including the skin, gastrointestinal (GI) tract, and liver in recipient. More than half of all Allo-HSCT recipients develop different degrees of GVHD (grades I-IV). About 20% of recipients develop severe GVHD (grades III-IV) that is associated with a very high morbidity and mortality. The most important factor determining the severity of GVHD is the genetic disparities between donors and recipients, as is reflected in human leukocyte antigen (HLA) haplotypes that are routinely checked for donor selection. Even when donors and recipients are HLA-identical, many recipients develop severe GVHD. As a result, non-HLA antigens are important determinants of acute GVHD. An interesting and unique aspect of GVHD is that it is the consequence of an interaction between antigens present in one individual with the immune system of another individual. As a result, genotypes of both donor and recipient, and their interactions affect the pathogenesis of GVHD. To determine the genetic risk factors for GVHD, in the first aim (discovery phase), we will conduct Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS) in 3,000 patients who underwent Allo-HSCT and in their respective donors (6000 DNA samples) that are provided to us by the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR), a research collaboration between the NMDP and Medical College of Wisconsin. In the second aim, we will validate the association between high risk genotypes detected in the first aim and severe GVHD in 1,750 donors and 1,750 recipients of Allo-HSCT, and perform the joint analysis with the discovery samples. In the third aim, we will investigate the functional effect of SNPs detected and validated to be significantly correlated with the severity of acute GVHD in mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR), as an ex vivo surrogate for an alloimmune response.

  Study phs002185

• Neoadjuvant atezolizumab plus chemotherapy in gastric and gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma: the phase 2 PANDA trial

  Gastric and gastroesophageal junction (G/GEJ) cancers carry a poor prognosis, and despite recent advancements most patients die of their disease. While immune checkpoint blockade has become part of the standard of care for patients with metastatic G/GEJ cancers, its efficacy and impact on the tumor microenvironment in the early disease setting remain largely unknown. We hypothesized a higher efficacy of neoadjuvant immunotherapy plus chemotherapy in patients with non-metastatic G/GEJ cancer. In the phase 2 PANDA trial, patients with previously untreated resectable G/GEJ tumors (n=21) received neoadjuvant treatment with one cycle of atezolizumab monotherapy followed by 4 cycles of atezolizumab plus docetaxel, oxaliplatin and capecitabine. Treatment was well-tolerated, and all patients underwent resection without treatment-related delays, meeting the primary endpoint of safety and feasibility. Tissue was obtained at multiple time points, allowing analysis of the effects of single-agent PD-L1 blockade and the subsequent combination with chemotherapy on the tumor microenvironment. A total of 21 patients were included, of whom 20 patients underwent surgery and were evaluable for the secondary pathologic response and survival endpoints, while 19 were evaluable for exploratory translational analyses. A major pathologic response (MPR, ≤10% residual viable tumor) was observed in 14/20 (70%; 95% CI 46-88%) patients, including 9 (45%; 95% CI 23-68%) pathologic complete responses. At a median follow-up of 47 months, 13/14 responders were alive and disease-free, while 5/6 nonresponders had died due to disease recurrence. Notably, baseline PD-1+CD8+ T cell infiltration was significantly higher in responders than in nonresponders, and comparison of the tumor microenvironment alterations following anti-PD-L1 monotherapy versus the subsequent combination with chemotherapy revealed that increased immune activity was achieved upon single-agent PD-1/L1 axis blockade. Based on these data, anti-PD-L1 plus chemotherapy warrants further exploration in patients with non-metastatic G/GEJ cancer, and these results call for validation in a larger cohort.

  Study EGAS50000000168

• Columbia-Yale-Bilkent Study: Genetics Study of Essential Tremor

  This is a research development/planning grant application to initiate collaborative studies with investigators at Bilkent University in Turkey to study the genetics of Essential Tremor (ET). ET is one of the most common neurological diseases, with an estimated 7 million affected individuals in the United States. The most characteristic clinical feature of ET is a kinetic tremor in the hands or arms, which is mild early in the disease process. As the disease progresses, tremor becomes more severe and more anatomically widespread (e.g., head, trunk). Aside from tremor, patients with ET may also present with other motor features including gait ataxia. Non-motor features can include psychiatric manifestations, cognitive decline and dementia. Despite its extraordinarily high prevalence, the genetic causes of ET are largely unknown. We propose to develop a genetic study of ET focusing on consanguineous families in Turkey. Turkey with a population of about 70 million has a high rate of consanguineous marriages. The rate of consanguinity is estimated to be as much as 20-25% with approximately 70% of all consanguineous marriages involving first cousins. Studying the genetics of ET in the Turkish population, particularly in large consanguineous families, may identify novel genetic causes of ET that are also relevant to ET populations in the United States and worldwide. The proposed research has a high probability of success with our collaborators Drs Ozcelik and Tekinay's expertise in human genetics and functional studies together with an established resource of large consanguineous ET families. The specific aims of this planning grant are to: (1) further develop and solidify collaborations with the team in Bilkent and define the scope of the research that will be the focus of an R01 application, (2) assess the Bilkent team's resources and needs in order to successfully conduct the research, (3) implement cross-training between the United States and Turkish groups in the areas of human genetics, genetic epidemiology and risk factor assessment, genomics, clinical diagnosis, functional studies and personalized genomic medicine, and (4) conduct pilot studies to generate preliminary data necessary for an R01 application.

  Study phs001507

• Parallel Genomic Alterations of Antigen and Payload Targets Mediate Polyclonal Acquired Clinical Resistance to the Antibody Drug Conjugate Sacituzumab Govitecan

  Sacituzumab Govitecan (SG), a novel antibody drug conjugate (ADC) incorporating the anti-TROP2 antibody hRS7 conjugated to a topoisomerase-1 inhibitor (SN-38) payload, is the first ADC to be approved for advanced triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). However, mechanisms governing therapeutic resistance to SG are not known. We sought to identify mechanisms of de novo and acquired resistance to SG through unbiased whole-exome sequencing (WES) and RNA sequencing analysis of pre-treatment and multi-site post-progression (autopsy) tumor specimens. We examined three metastatic TNBC cases exhibiting (1) de novo progression, (2) stable disease, and (3) a deep response followed by progression, then mapped the temporal and spatial genomic evolution of acquired resistance in the responding patient. We then conducted additional pre-clinical experiments to validate the observed resistance mechanisms. TROP2 RNA and gene copy number were associated with de novo resistance, as case (1) was found to have absent TROP2 expression in all specimens, case (2) expressed TROP2, while case (3) exhibited both expression and focal genomic amplification of the TACSTD2/TROP2 locus. The genomic phylogeny tree inferred from case (3) post-progression specimens revealed one branch harboring an acquired canonical E418K resistance mutation in TOP1 (encoding topoisomerase 1) and a subsequent sub-clonal TOP1 inactivating frameshift mutation, while a distinct branch exhibited acquisition of a novel T256R missense mutation in TACSTD2 (encoding TROP2). Both the TOP1- and TACSTD2-mutant clones seeded multiple distinct metastatic sites. Through reconstitution experiments in TROP2 negative cells we found that TROP2 T256R is a stable protein with defective cell membrane localization and reduced cell surface binding by RS7 compared to wild-type TROP2. Collectively, these findings underscore TROP2 as a determinant of initial response to SG, and they reveal parallel and mutually exclusive polyclonal molecular mechanisms of acquired resistance involving the direct antibody target and drug payload target in distinct metastatic subclones of a single patient. While further research is needed to extend these novel findings, this study highlights the specificity of SG and illustrates how identifying such mechanisms will inform rational therapeutic strategies to overcome ADC resistance.  

  Study phs002555

• Kids First: Whole Genome Sequencing in Recessive Structural Brain Defects

  Almost 5% of all live births in the US (1:20 births) display an inborn defect, including both structural and functional/metabolic abnormalities. These are among the most common causes of Infant mortality in the developed world and underlie nearly half of hospitalizations in the first 3 years of life. Of the 35 major defects observable at birth from the International Clearinghouse for Birth Defects Surveillance Program (www.icbdsr.org, external link), about half involve the nervous system. Many of these result in lifelong neurodevelopmental disorders. Structural Brain Defects (SBDs) result from errors in development of the central nervous system, including defects in the forebrain, midbrain and hindbrain. Many SBDs arise as the consequence of a single gene bi-allelic mutation, and for this reason, occur more commonly in populations or communities with elevated consanguinity.Our lab has identified dozens of novel SBD genes using WES/WGS in consanguineous SBD families. Importantly, the genes that we and others have identified in these unique families are then used to advance diagnosis in pediatric SBDs around the world. We have built an enormous cohort of SBD families, including newly recruited families not yet studied genetically, and previous families that were negative for cause following WES analysis. Here we propose to collaborate with the Gabriella Miller Kids First Pediatric Research Program (X01) to have sequencing performed in individuals from a total of 200 families with genetically undiagnosed SBDs. The Gleeson Lab team of researchers is dedicated to the field of SBDs, with an outstanding track record of high-impact science, and a collaborative approach to discovery. We have 150 newly recruited families that we propose to study by WES by sequencing blood-derived DNA from two affected patients, or the parents and one affected patient. We also have 50 families in which WES was negative, which we propose to study in a multi-omics approach combining WGS from blood-derived DNA. We anticipate that this study will lead to the identification of many new molecular causes of SBDs, as well as uncover new genotype-phenotype correlations and new disease mechanisms, paving the way for future breakthroughs in detection, treatment and prevention.

  Study phs002590

• Diabetic Retinopathy Genomics Study (DRGen) - Genetic Biomarkers of Diabetic Retinopathy

  Using a well-defined, clinically supported phenotypic strategy, we seek to better understand the role of common and rare genetic variants in the progression of diabetic retinopathy (DR). Whole exome/whole genome sequencing (WES/WGS) was used to systematically search the human genome to detect DR susceptibility genes or genes that protect people from developing advanced DR. Clinical data and bio specimens were obtained from clinically defined DR phenotypes such as, (i) No/Mild NPDR (non-proliferative DR) with a subset of extreme phenotype, ii) Diabetic macular edema (DME) alone and iii) Proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) alone. In this ongoing comprehensive genomic study, we wish to i) Identify potential common and rare variants that may influence the phenotypic differentiation of DR into DME or PDR, ii) Define genetic variants stratified based on the "extreme phenotype," and iii) Characterize genetic factors that determine the differential response to anti-VEGF drugs in DME patients. Definition of Diabetic Retinopathy and classification of groups Study 1. Proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). Anybody showing evidence of retinal neovascularization on the disc (NVD) or elsewhere (NVE) with or without pre-retinal and vitreous hemorrhage will be considered PDR. We will include only those "active" PDR patients. The total number of consented subjects in this study is 182. Study 2. Isolated Phenotype: Varied response with anti-VEGF treatment is a significant limiting factor for better clinical outcomes. We quantify the response to anti-VEGF treatment based on visual acuity changes and anatomic features of DME assessed by optical coherence tomography (OCT). Depending on the response at one month following three monthly intravitreal anti-VEGF injections, we have observed two phenotypes: 1) Good responders: Participants were considered "good responders" if the anatomical outcome to anti-VEGF treatment resulted in a significant reduction of baseline central retinal thickness (CRT) > 25% after three anti-VEGF injections. 2) Poor Responders: Participants were classified as "poor responders" if the outcome of anti-VEGF treatment resulted in a reduction of CRT < 20% or in any increase in CRT after three monthly injections. The total number of consented subjects in this study is 17.

  Study phs002501

• Research of factors related to diagnosis, progression, prognosis and treatment of hepato-biliary-pancreatic malignancies

  Advanced cancers with metastasis and/or recurrence are usually resistant and refractory to treatment. In our studies, whole exome sequencing analysis, comprehensive epigenetic analysis and genome-wide expression analysis were performed using cancerous and non-cancerous tissues derived from multicentric cohort study of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The aim of the studies is identification of the refractoriness-related deriver genes for application to novel molecular targeted therapy and preventive medicine. The studies are intended for refractory HCC. High frequency of the tumor recurrence even after curative resection is one of the major difficulties in the treatment of HCC. According to our previous studies, not the recurrence itself, but the recurrence pattern has critical effects on prognosis of the patient with HCC. Then, we analyzed the cancerous and non-cancerous tissues of primary HCC on the point of the recurrence patterns in accordance with or without Milan criteria. The materials were obtained from thirty three patients underwent curative hepatectomy for HCC at Department of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery, Tokyo Medical and Dental University Hospital. Written informed consent from these patients, as well as the institutional review board approved was obtained. The determination of the refractory HCC group (16 cases) was based on the point of the recurrence patterns in accordance with Milan criteria for the recurrent tumor (solitary <5cm, or up to 3 nodules <3 cm, without major vascular invasion or distant metastasis) that has been proposed as the useful criteria of the liver transplantation for HCC. The cellular DNA was extracted from the cancerous and non-cancerous tissues of primary HCC by the phenol-chloroform method. After SNP certification using Genome-Wide Human SNP Array 6.0 (Affymetrix), whole exome sequencing was performed at the Cancer Institute of JFCR, as the support infrastructure. Exome sequencing was performed using HiSeq 2000 (Illumina), and the obtained reads were mapped to the human reference genome (hg19) using BWA software. GATK software was used for local realignment base call recalibration. Single nucleotide variants (SNVs) and indels were analyzed by MuTect and SomaticIndelDetector, as well as visual confirmation by IGV software.

  Study JGAS000052

• Therapeutic Resistance to PI3K-alpha Inhibitors

  We have studied the tumor genomic evolution in a patient with metastatic breast cancer bearing an activating PIK3CA mutation. The patient was treated with the PI3Kα inhibitor BYL719 and achieved a lasting clinical response on BYL719, but eventually progressed to treatment and died shortly thereafter. A rapid autopsy was performed and a total of 14 metastatic lesions were collected for further analysis. In order to identify possible genetic determinants of acquired resistance to PI3Kα inhibition, we took a three-step approach. First, we examined both the primary tumor (before BYL719 treatment) and the new lung metastasis by whole genome sequencing (DNA from the spleen was used as a normal control). Then, we analyzed the primary tumor, lung metastasis, and the peri-aortic lesion that remained stable (responding) at the time of progression to BYL719 therapy by whole exome sequencing. Finally, to confirm and expand our findings, we sequenced the primary tumor and all the metastatic lesions to &gt;500-fold coverage using a custom targeted deep-sequencing assay, MSK-IMPACT. Using this 3-step approach, we have demonstrated that patient’s lesion underwent parallel genetic evolution at multiple metastatic sites with different PTEN genomic alterations leading to a convergent PTEN- null phenotype resistant to PI3Kα inhibition. In order to expand our observations, we analyzed paired samples (pre-treatment and at progression) from six additional patients enrolled in the BYL719 trial. Acquired bi-allelic loss of PTEN was found in one additional patient treated with BYL719 whereas in two patients PIK3CA mutations present in the primary tumor were no longer detected at the time of progression. To functionally characterize our findings, inducible PTEN knockdown in sensitive cells resulted in resistance to BYL719, while simultaneous PI3K-p110β blockade reverted this resistance phenotype, both in cell lines and in PTEN-null xenografts derived from our patient. We conclude that parallel genetic evolution of separate sites with different PTEN genomic alterations leads to a convergent PTEN-null phenotype resistant to PI3Kα inhibition.

  Study EGAS00001000991

• Foundation Medicine Genomic Data Used to Identify Prognostic Markers and Fusion Genes in Multiple Myeloma

  The purpose of this study is to identify prognostic markers and treatment targets using a clinically certified sequencing panel in multiple myeloma. Mutational burden was associated with maf and proliferation gene expression groups, and a high-mutational burden was associated with a poor prognosis. We identified homozygous deletions that were present in multiple myeloma within key genes, including CDKN2C, RB1, TRAF3, BIRC3 and TP53, and that bi-allelic inactivation was significantly enriched at relapse. Alterations in CDKN2C, TP53, RB1 and the t(4;14) were associated with poor prognosis. Alterations in RB1 were predominantly homozygous deletions and were associated with relapse and a poor prognosis which was independent of other genetic markers, including t(4;14), after multivariate analysis. Bi-allelic inactivation of key tumor suppressor genes in myeloma was enriched at relapse, especially in RB1, CDKN2C and TP53 where they have prognostic significance. In addition, chromosomal rearrangements that result in oncogenic kinase activation are present in many solid and hematological malignancies, but none have been reported in multiple myeloma (MM). Here we detected fusion genes in 1.5% of patients. These fusion genes were in-frame and the majority of them contained kinase domains from either receptor tyrosine kinases (ALK, ROS1, NTRK3, and FGFR1) or cytoplasmic kinases (BRAF, MAP3K14, and MAPK14) which would result in the activation of MEK/ERK, NF-κB or inflammatory signaling pathways. Fusion genes were present in smoldering MM, newly diagnosed MM and relapse patient samples indicating they are not solely late events. Most fusion genes were subclonal in nature, but one EML4-ALK fusion was clonal indicating it is a driver of disease pathogenesis. Samples with fusions of receptor tyrosine kinases were not found in conjunction with clonal Ras/Raf mutations indicating a parallel mechanism of MEK/ERK pathway activation. Fusion genes involving MAP3K14 (NIK), which regulates the NF-κB pathway, were detected as were t(14;17) rearrangements involving NIK in 2% of MM samples. Activation of kinases in myeloma through rearrangements presents an opportunity to use treatments existing in other cancers.

  Study EGAS00001002874

• HCA_Thymus_Disease_DiGeorge_Transplant_RNA

  Single cell transcriptomics study of thymic transplant biopsies Allogeneic thymus transplantation is the only curative therapy for complete DiGeorge Syndrome (cDGS), a rare severe primary immunodeficiency characterised by athymia. GOSH is one of only two centres worldwide to offer this treatment. Despite a lack of major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-matching between donor and host, transplanted thymus becomes repopulated by recipient bone marrow derived precursor cells and supports development of functional T-cells. The mechanisms underlying thymopoiesis in this context are poorly understood, but over time we observe reconstitution of T-cell immunity, with the ability to produce host naïve T-cells showing a broad T-cell receptor (TCR) repertoire and to generate MHC-restricted T-cell proliferative responses. Although lifesaving, the achieved immunological reconstitution is typically not complete with circulating T-cell numbers usually remaining below the age related normal ranges. Additionally, we observe persistence of donor-derived T-cells of unknown clinical significance. To gain more insight into the mechanisms by which MHC-mismatched transplanted thymus supports T-cell development with self-tolerance, as well as into the basis of suboptimal T-cell immunity, we now aim to investigate immune reconstitution after thymus transplantation in further detail by using single-cell transcriptomics, applied to thymic transplant biopsies and peripheral blood samples collected during standard post-transplant patient care. By identifying which lineages of host- derived cells repopulate the thymic tissue after transplantation, we will be able to address the role of MHC in positive and negative T-cell selection during T-cell differentiation. We will also be able to clarify the exact ontogeny of the persistent donor T-cells, as well as their possible role. Understanding the mechanisms of action of HLA-mismatched transplanted thymus will contribute to treatment optimisation. Additionally, our research provides a unique opportunity to further investigate key immunological concepts, such as tolerance and autoimmunity, challenging existing paradigms in thymus immunology. This data is part of a pre-publication release. For information on the proper use of pre-publication data shared by the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute (including details of any publication moratoria), please see http://www.sanger.ac.uk/datasharing/

  Study EGAS00001004025

• High-resolution testing of ctDNA dynamics predicts survival in metastatic NSCLC

  One of the great challenges of therapeutic oncology is determining who might achieve survival benefit from a particular therapy. Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) provides real-time assessments of patient prognosis and response to treatment using a simple blood draw. While ctDNA positivity is established as a poor prognostic factor, studies on longitudinal ctDNA dynamics have been small and non-randomized, with ctDNA assessments done at disparate time points. To address this, we performed high-sensitivity longitudinal ctDNA testing in 466 patients across 5 time points (1,954 samples total) in a randomized phase III study comparing different chemotherapy-immunotherapy combinations. We leverage machine learning to jointly model multiple ctDNA metrics to predict overall survival in a training/testing framework. _ . Treatment initiation correlated with reductions in ctDNA levels, and training of our machine learning model suggests that assessment of ctDNA dynamics at C3D1 (cycle 3 day 1) of chemo-IO treatment may be optimal to predict OS. The model performs well in the hold-back test data, enabling stratification of patients with Stable Disease (SD) into high-risk vs low-intermediate-risk (HR = 3.2 [2.0-5.3], p &lt;0.001; median 7.1 versus 22.3 months respectively); similarly, the model stratifies patients with a Partial Response (PR) (HR =3.3 [1.7-6.4], p &lt;0.001; median 8.8 versus 28.6 months). Importantly, the model validates well in an external cohort of patients in a different treatment setting and assayed with a different ctDNA technology, in which model predictions similarly identified high-risk patients (OS HR=3.73 [1.83-7.60], logrank p=0.00012). Simulations of clinical trial scenarios employing our ctDNA model further suggest that early ctDNA testing outperforms early radiographic imaging for predicting trial outcomes (increasing the rate of ‘True Go’ decisions by 5.2 - 22.8% depending on the drug combination). Overall, we show that measuring ctDNA dynamics during the course of therapy dramatically improves patient risk stratification, and may provide a means to differentiate between competing therapies at an early time point during clinical trials.

  Study EGAS00001006703

• Download Metadata

  Metadata Distribution Welcome to the realm of Metadata Distribution within the EGA ecosystem! Our Metadata REST API empowers you to effortlessly retrieve metadata from the expansive landscape of EGA. By utilising this API, you gain access to publicly available insights across various EGA domains, including studies, samples, experiments, runs, analyses, policies, DACs, and datasets. Furthermore, this API facilitates cross-referencing of objects, enabling you to gather, for example, all the datasets associated with a specific DAC, seamlessly. In addition, we have added the ability to query private data using the metadata API. If you possess the necessary permissions, you can access behind-the-login private data for a specified list of datasets. Metadata Distribution Index Identifiers Dataset Mappings Website Download Metadata API - Private Identifiers At the core of EGA's organisational structure are unique accessions that serve as essential tags for our diverse objects. Here's a quick overview of the accessions and their corresponding object types: EGA Accession ID EGA Object description EGAS EGA Study Accession ID EGAC EGA DAC Accession ID EGAP EGA Policy Accession ID EGAN EGA Sample Accession ID EGAR EGA Run Accession ID EGAX EGA Experiment ID EGAZ EGA Analysis Accession ID EGAD EGA Dataset Accession ID EGAB EGA Submission ID EGAF EGA File Unique Accession ID For further information check our metadata schema documentation. Dataset Mappings For authorised datasets, comprehensive mappings reveal meaningful connections: Sample_file: This file presents information about the linkage between samples and files available in the dataset. Study_experiment_run_sample: This file presents information about the linkage between studies, experiments, runs, and samples within the dataset. Study_analysis_sample: This file presents information about the linkage between studies, analyses, and samples contained within the dataset. Run_sample: This file presents information about the linkage between runs and samples within the dataset. Analysis_sample: This file presents information about the linkage between analyses and samples within the dataset. An empty file indicates the absence of corresponding information. Website Download Our website serves as your gateway to downloading metadata. Simply navigate to the dataset page, and you'll find a blue Metadata button. Once authenticated, you can click this button for authorised datasets. If you lack permissions for a particular dataset, request access by clicking the 'Request Access' button. For authorised datasets, choose your preferred metadata format: CSV, TSV, or JSON. Metadata API - Private Leverage the power of programmatic metadata downloads! Start by authenticating yourself with your credentials to obtain an access token. With this token, programmatically query private information. Queries mirror the structure of the Public Metadata API. However, behind the login, you can delve into specific mapping information (as mentioned above in dataset mappings) alongside object-level exploration. Authentication An active session is required to work with the API. Each time you log in with your credentials a new session is started, which is identified by an access_token. Below an example on how to obtain one using curl: curl https://idp.ega-archive.org/realms/EGA/protocol/openid-connect/token \ -d 'client_id=metadata-api' \ -d 'username=...' \ --data-urlencode 'password=...' \ -d 'grant_type=password' All responses from the API are in JSON format. A successful response should include a new token to be used for the session: {"access_token":"eyJhbGciOiJSUzI1NiIsInR5cCIgOiA...TNw", "expires_in":300, "refresh_expires_in":1800, "refresh_token":"eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCIgOiA...pTX10", "token_type":"Bearer", ... } Save the access_token value and include it in the API call headers. Example query usage Below you can find some example of queries available behing authentication and authorisation. Querying study-experiment-run-sample mappings: curl https://metadata.ega-archive.org/datasets/{datasetID}/mappings/study_experiment_run_sample \ -H 'Authorization: Bearer access_token' Querying run-sample mappings: curl https://metadata.ega-archive.org/datasets/{datasetID}/mappings/run_sample \ -H 'Authorization: Bearer access_token' Querying study-analysis-sample mappings: curl https://metadata.ega-archive.org/datasets/{datasetID}/mappings/study_analysis_sample \ -H 'Authorization: Bearer access_token' Querying analysis-sample mappings: curl https://metadata.ega-archive.org/datasets/{datasetID}/mappings/analysis_sample \ -H 'Authorization: Bearer access_token' Querying sample-file mappings: curl https://metadata.ega-archive.org/datasets/{datasetID}/mappings/sample_file \ -H 'Authorization: Bearer access_token' You can get a different output format by adding one of these options to the curl command: -H 'Accept: text/tsv' -H 'Accept: application/json' -H 'Accept: text/csv' For more detailed information, refer to the Metadata API Specification.

  Documentation access/download/metadata

• Mapping the epigenomic landscape of human monocytes following innate immune activation reveals context-specific mechanisms driving endotoxin tolerance

  Background Monocytes are key mediators of innate immunity to infection, undergoing profound and dynamic changes in epigenetic state and immune function which are broadly protective but may be dysregulated in disease. Here, we aimed to advance understanding of epigenetic regulation following innate immune activation, acutely and in endotoxin tolerant states. Methods We exposed human primary monocytes from healthy donors (n=6) to interferon-γ or differing combinations of endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide), including acute response (2hr) and two models of endotoxin tolerance: repeated stimulations (6+6hr) and prolonged exposure to endotoxin (24hr). Another subset of monocytes was left untreated (naïve). We identified context-specific regulatory elements based on epigenetic signatures for chromatin accessibility (ATAC-seq) and regulatory non-coding RNAs from total RNA sequencing. Results We present an atlas of differential gene expression for endotoxin and interferon response, identifying widespread context specific changes. Across assayed states, only 24-29% of genes showing differential exon usage are also differential at the gene level. Overall, 19.9% (6884 of 34616) of repeatedly observed ATAC peaks were differential in at least one condition, the majority upregulated on stimulation and located in distal regions (64.1% vs 45.9% of non-differential peaks) within which sequences were less conserved than non-differential peaks. We identified enhancer-derived RNA signatures specific to different monocyte states that correlated with chromatin accessibility changes. The endotoxin tolerance models showed distinct chromatin accessibility and transcriptomic signatures, with integrated analysis identifying genes and pathways involved in the inflammatory response, detoxification, metabolism and wound healing. We leveraged eQTL mapping for the same monocyte activation states to link potential enhancers with specific genes, identifying 1,946 unique differential ATAC peaks with 1,340 expression associated genes. We further use this to inform understanding of reported GWAS, for example involving FCHO1 and coronary artery disease. Conclusion This study reports context-specific regulatory elements based on transcriptomic profiling and epigenetic signatures for enhancer-derived RNAs and chromatin accessibility in immune tolerant monocyte states, and demonstrates the informativeness of linking such elements and eQTL to inform future mechanistic studies aimed at defining therapeutic targets of immunosuppression and diseases.

  Study EGAS00001007362

• OpACIN-neo – A Multicenter Phase 2 Study to identify the Optimal neo-Adjuvant Combination scheme of Ipilimumab and Nivolumab – Whole exome sequencing

  The outcome of patients with macroscopic stage III melanoma is poor. Neoadjuvant treatment with ipilimumab plus nivolumab at the standard dosing schedule induced pathological responses in a high proportion of patients in two small independent early-phase trials. However, toxicity of the standard ipilimumab plus nivolumab dosing schedule was high, preventing its broader clinical use. The aim of the OpACIN-neo study (NCT02977052) to identify a dosing schedule of ipilimumab plus nivolumab that is less toxic but equally effective. 86 patients with macroscopic stage III melanoma were randomised to one of three dosing schedules: arm A, two cycles of ipilimumab 3 mg/kg plus nivolumab 1 mg/kg once every 3 weeks; arm B, two cycles of ipilimumab 1 mg/kg plus nivolumab 3 mg/kg once every 3 weeks; or arm C, two cycles of ipilimumab 3 mg/kg once every 3 weeks directly followed by two cycles of nivolumab 3mg/kg once every 2 weeks. Within the first 12 weeks, grade 3–4 immune-related adverse events were observed in 12 (40%) of 30 patients in group A, six (20%) of 30 in group B, and 13 (50%) of 26 in group C. Pathological responses occurred in 24 (80%) patients in group A, 23 (77%) in group B, and 17 (65%) in group C. The 2-year estimated relapse-free survival was 84% for all patients, 97% for patients achieving a pathologic response and 36% for nonresponders (p&lt;0.001). High tumor mutational burden (TMB) and high interferon-gamma-related gene expression signature score (IFN-γ score) were associated with pathologic response and low risk of relapse; pathologic response rate (pRR) was 100% in patients with high IFN-γ score/high TMB, patients with high IFN-γ score/low TMB or low IFN-γ score/high TMB had pRRs of 91% and 88%; while patients with low IFN-γ score/low TMB had a pRR of only 39%. These data demonstrate long-term benefit in patients with a pathologic response and show the predictive potential of TMB and IFN-γ score.

  Study EGAS00001004832

• OpACIN-neo – A Multicenter Phase 2 Study to identify the Optimal neo-Adjuvant Combination scheme of Ipilimumab and Nivolumab – RNA sequencing

  The outcome of patients with macroscopic stage III melanoma is poor. Neoadjuvant treatment with ipilimumab plus nivolumab at the standard dosing schedule induced pathological responses in a high proportion of patients in two small independent early-phase trials. However, toxicity of the standard ipilimumab plus nivolumab dosing schedule was high, preventing its broader clinical use. The aim of the OpACIN-neo study (NCT02977052) to identify a dosing schedule of ipilimumab plus nivolumab that is less toxic but equally effective. 86 patients with macroscopic stage III melanoma were randomised to one of three dosing schedules: arm A, two cycles of ipilimumab 3 mg/kg plus nivolumab 1 mg/kg once every 3 weeks; arm B, two cycles of ipilimumab 1 mg/kg plus nivolumab 3 mg/kg once every 3 weeks; or arm C, two cycles of ipilimumab 3 mg/kg once every 3 weeks directly followed by two cycles of nivolumab 3mg/kg once every 2 weeks. Within the first 12 weeks, grade 3–4 immune-related adverse events were observed in 12 (40%) of 30 patients in group A, six (20%) of 30 in group B, and 13 (50%) of 26 in group C. Pathological responses occurred in 24 (80%) patients in group A, 23 (77%) in group B, and 17 (65%) in group C. The 2-year estimated relapse-free survival was 84% for all patients, 97% for patients achieving a pathologic response and 36% for nonresponders (p&lt;0.001). High tumor mutational burden (TMB) and high interferon-gamma-related gene expression signature score (IFN-γ score) were associated with pathologic response and low risk of relapse; pathologic response rate (pRR) was 100% in patients with high IFN-γ score/high TMB, patients with high IFN-γ score/low TMB or low IFN-γ score/high TMB had pRRs of 91% and 88%; while patients with low IFN-γ score/low TMB had a pRR of only 39%. These data demonstrate long-term benefit in patients with a pathologic response and show the predictive potential of TMB and IFN-γ score.

  Study EGAS00001004833

• GAW16 Framingham and Simulated Data

  Important links to apply for individual-level data Genetic Analysis Workshop Instructions to Request Authorized Access Data Use Certification Requirements (DUC) Apply here for controlled access to individual level data Research Use Statement Questions regarding GAW16 should be directed to Vanessa Olmo at vanessa@business-endeavors.com. Problem 2: Description of the Framingham Heart Study In GAW16, we use data drawn from the Framingham Heart Study. The Framingham Heart Study &#8212; under the direction of National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; NHLBI &#8212; began in 1948 with the recruitment of adults from the town of Framingham, Massachusetts. At the time, little was known about the general causes of heart disease and stroke, but the death rates for cardiovascular disease (CVD) had been increasing steadily since the beginning of the 20th century and had become an American epidemic. The Framingham Heart Study is now conducted in collaboration with Boston University. The objective of the Framingham Heart Study was to identify the common factors or characteristics that contribute to CVD by following its development over a long period of time in a large group of participants who had not yet developed overt symptoms of CVD or suffered a heart attack or stroke. Between 1948 and 1953 the researchers recruited 5,209 subjects (2,336 men and 2,873 women) between the ages of 29 and 62 from the town of Framingham, Massachusetts and began the first round of extensive physical examinations and lifestyle interviews that they would later analyze for common patterns related to CVD development. Subjects were recruited from lists of addresses recorded for the town. Two out of every three households were approached for participation in the study. While there was no intention to recruit families for family studies, the plan was to recruit all household members in the ages 30-60 within each house that was selected for study. Hence, many biologically related individuals were recruited, including 1644 spouse pairs. Since 1948, these participants have returned to the study every two years for a detailed medical history, physical examination, and laboratory tests. Now in 2008 at 60 years of follow up, there remain about 500 participants from this cohort. Between 1971 and 1975 the study enrolled a second-generation group &#8212; 5,124 of the original participants&#39; children and the spouses of these children &#8212; to participate in similar examinations. 2,616 subjects are offspring of the original spouse pairs and 34 are stepchildren. A total of 898 offspring are children of cohort members where only one parent was a study participant and 1,576 are spouses of the offspring. The Offspring Cohort has been followed every four years through 2001 (except between Exams 1 and 2 with an intervening 8 years) using protocols similar to those used for study of the Original Cohort. Between 2002 and 2005 the study enrolled the third generation (Gen3) of the Framingham Heart Study - 4095 offspring of the second generation. None of their spouses were recruited. An additional 103 parents of this third generation, who were not recruited between 1971 and 1975, were also recruited at this time. The latter group is not included in the GAW16 data. With the recruitment of this third generation, the study has increasingly focused on genetic factors associated with the development of cardiovascular disease and its associated risk factors. To date, there is only one examination of this generation of participants. A description of the recruitment of this third generation and comparison with the earlier generations at their initial recruitment is presented in Splansky GL et al., 2007. Further information on the Study can be found at http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/about/framingham/index.html. Genome-wide Dense SNP Scan in Framingham Heart Study Genetic studies did not begin in the FHS until the 1990s. In the late 1980s and through the 1990s DNA was extracted from blood samples of surviving FHS participants. In 2007, the FHS entered a new phase with the conduct of genotyping for the FHS SHARe (SNP Health Association Resource) project, for which dense SNP genotyping was performed using approximately 550,000 SNPs (GeneChip&#174; Human Mapping 500K Array Set and the 50K Human Gene Focused Panel) in 10,775 samples (some duplicates) from the three generations of subjects (including over 900 pedigrees). Affymetrix conducted all genotyping for the FHS SHARe project, using the 250K Sty, 250K Nsp, and the supplemental 50K platforms. Eighty-nine percent of the DNA samples were collected during the 1990s. To maximize the power of the study, we also extracted DNA from 1133 blood samples, drawn from subjects who had no DNA, to include in the SHARe project. These samples had been sitting in our refrigerators for some time, a few as far back as the 1970s. We refer to these DNA samples as the legacy samples. These samples had a higher failure rate in the genotyping process (40%) than the other eighty-nine percent (3%). Affymetrix invoked its own criteria for a sample to succeed in genotyping. All non-legacy samples must succeed on all three platforms, while legacy samples needed to pass on at least one platform. When a sample failed, additional attempts were made. Samples that repeatedly failed 2-4 times were called failures. Other samples failed due to issues of genotyped sex identification not matching our records or low SNP concordance among SNPs common across arrays or contamination. Eighty-nine percent of the legacy samples for which genotyping results are available passed all three platforms. The genotyping data from the 10,043 samples from 9354 subjects that passed the Affymetrix criteria were additionally checked for gender consistency and consistency with family structure, resulting in genotyping data for 9,274 participants in FHS SHARe. Genotype calls were made with the BRLMM algorithm. The SHARe database is housed at the National Center for Biotechnology Information database of genotypes and phenotypes (NCBI dbGaP) and contains all ~550,000 SNPs. This genome-wide dense SNP scan and a subset of phenotypes from the Framingham Heart Study are the focus of the Genetic Analysis Workshop 16. Further information on the specific variables in the Problem 2 dataset can be found by clicking on the Documents tab at the top of the page. Problem 3: Description of the Simulated Data Set The focus of this simulation is gene discovery in genome-wide association scans (GWAS). The Framingham Heart Study data set (distributed as "Problem 2") is the basis for the FHS* simulated data. The pedigree structures are derived from the data distributed for Problem 2, and we distribute an accompanying triplet file (triplet_sim) containing person ID, father ID, mother ID, to ensure the identical subjects, pedigrees, and singletons are used in the simulated data analysis. Consistent with standard practice, founders and singletons are designated as subjects with both fshare and mshare equal to zero (missing). The simulated data includes a total of 6,479 subjects with both phenotype and genotype data, in 942 pedigrees distributed among 3 generations and 188 singletons. Data inclusion is consistent with the subjects&#39; consent for use by both for-profit and not-for-profit researchers. The genotypes for all Problem 3 replicates are fixed as measured and distributed for Problem 2 for both the genomewide scan and the additional candidate gene SNPs, for a total of approximately 550,000 SNPs (GeneChip&#174; Human Mapping 500K Array Set and the 50K Human Gene Focused Panel). Thus, to analyze the Problem 3 simulated data you also will need to download the Problem 2 genotypes. Note that there are slight discrepancies in counts between Problems 2 and 3 due to a change in consents between the two datasets. Several phenotypes that contribute to coronary heart disease (CHD) were simulated for all individuals with genotypes across three different time points, 10 years apart. All genotyped individuals have complete data; the effects of missing values can be investigated by user-specified missing value patterns. There are 200 longitudinal datasets created, based on the generating model, and each replication is found in a separate dataset. We suggest that if only one replication is to be analyzed, that it be replication 1 to enable more precise comparisons among analytical approaches. The &#39;shareid&#39; will allow you to merge the simulated phenotype data with the Problem 2 genotype data, and reconstruction of the pedigrees using the distributed &#39;triplet_sim&#39; file or for larger families&#39; relationships with the triplet distributed with the Problem 2. The simulated data problem is further described in the associated readme file, and a data dictionary is provided defining all the variables. For disclosure of the generating model for these data, please contact Jean MacCluer at jean@sfbrgenetics.org.

  Study phs000128