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• Acquisition_of_additional_mutations_drives_accelerated_progression_of_NPM1_positive_CMML_to_AML_

  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/We performed exome sequencing on serial samples from a patient with CMML who progressed to AML. The exome sequencing suggests that NPM1, TET2 and DNMT3a mutations were present in the dominant clone in the CMML sample and that NRAS is a new subclonal mutation in the AML sample. Diagnostic data shows the presence of a FLT3-ITD mutation in the AML sample, which is likely to have driven progression. Here we are performing re-sequencing of the putative driver and some passenger mutations which appear to be in the same clone to validate these mutations and to verify the relative quantification of these abnormalities .

  Study EGAS00001000619

• Genetic makeup of agnospheres

  Agnospheres are cultures of cancer stem cells isolated from tissue biopsies from patients with Cancer of Unknown Primary (CUPs). The latter is a lethal malignancy (median survival <1 year), representing approximately the 3% of all cancers, and characterized by metastatic dissemination in the absence of a primary tumor recognizable by a standardized protocol including thorough body imaging and histopathological analysis. Agnospheres are long-term propagated in culture and, after subcutaneous injection into immunocompromised mice, they display high tumorigenicity and quickly reproduce the clinical presentation of the original tumor, featuring a multi-organ metastatic pattern and poorly differentiated histology. The goal of the project is to analyse the mutational profile of agnospheres in detail, as to verify its correspondance with that of the original tumors. Genetic information will be exploited to investigate the genetic drivers of the CUP phenotype, in particular the hypermetastatic ability and the differentiative block.

  Study EGAS00001004868

• Accurate mapping of mitochondrial DNA deletions and duplications using deep sequencing

  Deletions and duplications in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) cause mitochondrial disease and accumulate in conditions such as cancer and age-related disorders, but validated high-throughput methodology that can readily detect and discriminate between these two types of events is lacking. Here we present MitoSAlt, a computational method for accurate identification, quantification and visualization of mtDNA deletions and duplications from whole genome, whole exome or transcriptome sequencing data. MitoSAlt was tested on simulated sequencing reads and human patient samples with single deletions and duplications to verify its accuracy. Application to mouse models of mtDNA maintenance disease further demonstrated the ability to detect deletions and duplications even at low levels of heteroplasmy. MitoSAlt paves the way for simple and reliable determination of mtDNA deletions and duplications across a wide range of relevant conditions and available sequencing datasets.  

  Study EGAS00001004380

• AACR Project Genomics, Evidence, Neoplasia, Information, Exchange (GENIE)

  AACR Project Genomics Evidence Neoplasia Information Exchange (GENIE) is an international pancancer registry of real-world data assembled through data sharing between 19 leading international cancer centers with the goal of improving clinical decision-making. The registry leverages ongoing clinical sequencing efforts (CLIA/ISO-certified) at participating cancer centers by pooling their data to create a novel, open-access registry to serve as an evidence base for the entire cancer community. Genomic and baseline clinical data from more than 70,000 tumors is accessible through the efforts of our strategic and technical partners, Sage Bionetworks and cBioPortal. The consortium and its activities are driven by openness, transparency, and inclusion to ensure that the project output remains accessible to the global cancer research community and ultimately benefits patients.

  Study phs001337

• IGNITE: Implementing GeNomics In practice: Genomic Medicine Implementation - The Personalized Medicine Program

  IGNITE is an NIH-funded network dedicated to supporting the implementation of genomics in healthcare. IGNITE was created to enhance the use of genomic medicine by supporting the development of methods for incorporating genomic information into clinical care and exploration of the methods for effective implementation, diffusion and sustainability in diverse clinical settings. As part of the IGNITE network, the University of Florida Health Personalized Medicine Program partners with health professionals and patients at UF Health and across the state to develop, implement, study and refine methods that allow genetic information to be used as a routine part of patient care. The program's initial focus is on pharmacogenetics. We also aimed to develop and implement innovative genomic medicine educational programs for health-care providers, health professions students, patients.

  Study phs001978

• Pediatric Preclinical Testing Consortium (PPTC)

  The Pediatric Preclinical Testing Consortium (PPTC) is addressing the unmet need of streamlining the development of new therapies for childhood cancers. The PPTC seeks to develop robust biomarkers of anticancer drug activity, and the majority of these are predicted to be genetic mutations that can be detected in tumor DNA and/or RNA. In order to design the most impactful experiments that can be rapidly translated to the clinic, PPTC investigators require a complete genomic characterization of the patient-derived xenograft tumor models that are utilized across the consortium. This will not only allow for the most robust experimental design, but also will increase the engagement of industry partners who seek collaborators poised to provide the proof-of-concept necessary for drugs in their development pipelines. All data and models will be made available to academically qualified investigators.

  Study phs001437

• Childhood Cancer Data Initiative (CCDI): Pediatric In Vivo Testing Program - Neuroblastoma

  The goal of NCI's Pediatric In Vivo Testing Consortium (PIVOT) is to advance the development of effective treatments for pediatric cancers through preclinical in vivo testing of novel therapeutic agents. To design impactful experiments that can be rapidly translated to the clinic, PIVOT investigators require comprehensive genomic characterization of the patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models used across the consortium. This robust experimental design enhances collaboration with industry partners by providing proof-of-concept data for drugs in development. As part of this effort, neuroblastoma PDX models are being molecularly characterized to identify promising therapeutic candidates. The molecular profiling includes whole exome sequencing (WES), RNA-seq, MethylEPIC array, CytoSNP array, and DNA fingerprinting for quality control. Additionally, demographic and clinical data (e.g., diagnosis, disease site, disease status) are shared. These characterized PDX models, matched with patient tumors, guide model selection for preclinical drug testing.

  Study phs003163

• Acquisition of additional mutations drives accelerated progression of NPM1 positive CMML to AML

  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/ We performed exome sequencing on serial samples from a patient with CMML who progressed to AML. The exome sequencing suggests that NPM1, TET2 and DNMT3a mutations were present in the dominant clone in the CMML sample and that NRAS is a new subclonal mutation in the AML sample. Diagnostic data shows the presence of a FLT3-ITD mutation in the AML sample, which is likely to have driven progression. Here we are performing re-sequencing of the putative driver and some passenger mutations which appear to be in the same clone to validate these mutations and to verify the relative quantification of these abnormalities .

  Dataset EGAD00001002194

• Using NGS to Sequence Whole Genomes to Identify Genes Underlying ALS

  Our ALS Consortium - a partnership of clinicians, basic scientists, geneticists, and computational biologists from 48 institutions (4 of which are industry partners) across 5 countries - establishes a framework to apply whole genome sequencing (WGS) and functional genomics to the study of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Because ALS-causing mutations tend to be of moderate impact and are relatively rare in the population (reviewed in Al-Chalabi et al., 2017, PMID: 27982040), identification of new mutations require several thousand samples, which need to be obtained from multiple sites (even the busiest ALS clinics see only 200-400 patients per year). ALS Consortium is using genomics technologies to study the causes and mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative disease, and the contribution of various cell types within the brain and spinal cord. Much of this work is done and continues to be done in collaboration with the members of the NYGC ALS Consortium.

  Study phs003067

• Common origin and somatic mutation patterns of composite lymphomas and leukemias

  When two lymphomas occur concurrently or sequentially in a patient, it is a major question whether they derive from the same lymphocyte or hematopoietic precursor cell or developed independently. We studied four composite classic Hodgkin lymphomas (HL) and other mature B-cell lymphomas, and two composite mature B- and T-cell neoplasias by whole exome sequencing (WES) and analyzed shared somatic mutations in the lymphomas of these clonally related composite lymphomas, indicating their derivation from a common, pre-malignant precursor. Most identified mutations were restricted to one or the other of these lymphomas, likely explaining how distinct lymphomas developed from a common ancestral B cell. In the two B-cell/T-cell lymphoma cases, and a composite clonally unrelated HL/chronic lymphocytic leukemia, the lymphoma partners did not share any somatic mutations. In three cases, we identified potentially oncogenic variants also in cells serving as constitutional controls.

  Study EGAS50000001017

• Spatial and Temporal Homogeneity of Driver Mutations in Diffuse Intrinsic Pointine Glioma

  Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Gliomas (DIPG) are deadly pediatric brain tumors where needle biopsies help guide diagnosis and targeted therapies. To address spatial heterogeneity, we analyzed 134 specimens from various neuroanatomical structures of whole autopsy brains from nine DIPG patients. Evolutionary reconstruction indicates histone 3 (H3)K27M – including novel H3.2K27M - mutations potentially arise first and are invariably associated with specific, high-fidelity obligate partners throughout the tumor and its spread, from diagnosis to end-stage disease, suggesting mutual need for tumorigenesis. These H3K27M ubiquitously-associated mutations involve alterations in TP53 cell-cycle (TP53/PPM1D) or specific growth factor pathways (ACVR1/PIK3R1). Later oncogenic alterations arise in sub-clones and often affect the PI3K pathway. Our findings are consistent with early tumor spread outside the brainstem including the cerebrum. The spatial and temporal homogeneity of driver mutations in DIPG implies they will be captured by limited biopsies and emphasizes the need to develop therapies specifically targeting obligate oncohistone partnerships.

  Study EGAS00001001654

• Robust detection of translocations in lymphoma FFPE samples using Targeted Locus Capture-based sequencing - NGS targeted capture control cohort

  In routine diagnostic pathology, cancer biopsies are preserved by Formalin-Fixed, Paraffin-Embedding (FFPE) procedures for examination of (intra-) cellular morphology. Such procedures inadvertently induce DNA fragmentation, which compromises sequencing-based analyses of chromosomal rearrangements. Yet, rearrangements drive many types of hematolymphoid malignancies and solid tumors, and their manifestation is instructive for diagnosis, prognosis and treatment. Here, we present FFPE-Targeted Locus Capture (FFPE-TLC) for targeted sequencing of proximity-ligation products formed in FFPE tissue blocks, and PLIER, a computational framework that allows automated identification and characterization of rearrangements involving selected, clinically-relevant, loci. FFPE-TLC, blindly applied to 149 lymphoma and control FFPE samples, identifies the known and novel rearrangement partners. It outperforms fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) in sensitivity and specificity, and shows clear advantages over standard capture-NGS methods, finding rearrangements involving repetitive sequences which they typically miss. FFPE-TLC is therefore a powerful clinical diagnostics tool for accurate targeted rearrangement detection in FFPE specimens.

  Study EGAS00001005325

• INCLUDE: Genetic Underpinnings of the Multifactorial Phenotype of Trisomy 21 Patients Unveiled by Multi-Omics Approaches

  The INCLUDE (INvestigation of Co-occurring conditions across the Lifespan to Understand Down syndromE) Project is an NIH-wide collaboration that seeks to improve health and quality-of-life for people with Down syndrome. The INCLUDE Project Data Coordinating Center and partners created the INCLUDE Data Hub, a centralized data resource that allows access to large-scale clinical and multi-omics datasets specific to Down syndrome and supports collaborative, cloud-based analysis to accelerate scientific discoveries related to Down syndrome and its co-occurring conditions.Down syndrome (DS) is the most common chromosomal abnormality in livebirths with an incidence of 1 in 700 in the US. To better understand the pathophysiology of DS, this proposal will generate and analyze sequence data on 777 pediatric DS patients from the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), as well as 321 mothers and 148 fathers. We anticipate that the information derived from this deeply-phenotyped cohort will allow for improved understanding of the pathophysiology and molecular mechanisms underlying DS-associated comorbidities, which may inform on new practices for treatment or innovative future therapies.

  Study phs002983

• Altered enhancer-promoter interaction leads to MNX1 expression in pediatric acute myeloid leukemia with t(7;12)(q36;p13)

  Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with the t(7;12)(q36;p13) translocation occurs only in very young children and has a poor clinical outcome. The expected oncofusion between breakpoint partners (MNX1 and ETV6) has only been reported in a subset of cases. However, a universal feature is the strong transcript and protein expression of MNX1, a homeobox transcription factor that is normally not expressed in hematopoietic cells. Here, we map the translocation breakpoints on chromosomes 7 and 12 in affected patients to a region proximal to MNX1 and either introns 1 or 2 of ETV6. The frequency of MNX1 overexpression in pediatric AML (n=1556, own and published data) is 2.4% and occurs predominantly in t(7;12)(q36;p13) AML. Chromatin interaction assays in a t(7;12)(q36;p13) iPSC cell line model unravel an enhancer-hijacking event that explains MNX1 overexpression in hematopoietic cells. Our data suggest that enhancer-hijacking is a more common and overlooked mechanism for structural rearrangement-mediated gene activation in AML.

  Study EGAS50000000130

• The brain neurovascular epigenome and its association with dementia

  Cerebral small vessel disease (SVD) is frequently comorbid with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and vascular brain endothelial cells (BECs) are enriched for the expression of genes associated with AD genetic risk. However, the gene regulatory landscapes of neurovascular cells and their intersection with genetic risk for disease remains unexplored. Here we have generated gene regulomes for human BECs, mural cells and other brain cell types to show that AD heritability is primarily immune-related and that it shows modest enrichment in BECs. By contrast, genetic risk for SVD is enriched across cells of the neurovascular unit, including astrocytes. Enhancer-to-gene interactomes implicate amyloid processes in both AD and SVD, though the risk genes are mostly distinct for the two disorders. Motifs for putative partners of lineage transcription factors in microglia and BECs were enriched for AD and SVD variants at genes linked to disease pathways. Gene prioritization and enrichment analyses further identified potential repurposable drugs for AD. Our findings highlight novel regulatory mechanisms and therapeutic targets within the neurovascular system.

  Study EGAS50000001160

• Gene fusion and transcriptomic landscapes of sarcomas

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

  Study EGAS00001002189

• Phylogenetic analysis of paired breast carcinomas identifies genetic events associated with clonal recurrence and invasive progression

  Development of ipsilateral breast carcinoma following diagnosis of breast ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) has been assumed to represent recurrence of the primary tumour. However, this may not be the case and it is important to know how often recurrences are new tumours. Ipsilateral primary-recurrence pairs (n=78) were sequenced to test their clonal relatedness. Shared genetic events were identified from whole exome sequencing (n=54 pairs) using haplotype-specific copy number and phylogenetic analysis. The remaining pairs were sequenced by a targeted panel or low-coverage whole genome sequencing. We included 32 non-recurrent DCIS to compare recurrent and non-recurrent disease. We found that 7% of DCIS recurrences were non-clonal by whole exome sequencing, indicative of a new breast carcinoma. Lower resolution methods detected a higher non-clonality rate (29%). Comparing primary DCIS with their recurrences found that evolution of DCIS to invasive disease was associated with increased ploidy and copy number events. TP53 mutations were enriched in DCIS with clonal recurrence compared with non-recurrent DCIS. Our results verify that de novo “recurrent tumours” of independent origin occur in patients who may be at high risk. (https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.05.19.594731v2.full)

  Study EGAS50000001298

• Phenotypic characterization and prognostic impact of CD103+ tissue-resident memory T cells in diffuse large B cell lymphoma

  Tissue-resident memory T (TRM) cells are a population of memory T cells that stably occupy tissues and play a key role in immunosurveillance, having been linked to favorable survival outcomes in various solid tumors. While TRM cells have been identified in lymph nodes, their phenotype and prognostic significance in B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (B-NHL), including diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), remains poorly characterized. The frequency of CD103 expressing T cells in patient samples with DLCBL was quantified by immunofluorescence (IF) staining of tissue biopsies (n=306) and flow cytometry (n=252) of cell disaggregates, and linked with clinical outcome. The phenotype of TRM cells was characterized by spectral flow cytometry (n=10 DLBCL and 2 reactive lymph node (rLN) samples) and single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq) (n=12 aggressive B cell lymphomas and 4 rLN samples). An additional 51 samples from an external dataset were included to verify the single cell transcriptome findings. The flow cytometry and scRNAseq findings in DLBCL were extrapolated to additional B-NHL entities. Through analysis of these datasets we were able to characterize CD103+ TRM-like cells in DLBCL and other B-NHL entities and identified them to represent a prognostically favorable population with an activated/cytotoxic T cell phenotype.

  Study EGAS50000000943

• Sequencing data from triple-negative breast cancer tumors

  Autoimmunity and anti-cancer immunity lie on the same biological continuum1,2, but their link remains obscure. The paraneoplastic neurological syndrome anti-NMDA receptor (NMDAR) encephalitis (ANRE) is a paradigm for their connectivity3 given that intratumoral NMDAR expression correlates with the generation of anti-NMDAR antibodies4,5. Here, we verify ectopic expression of GluN1 and GluN2B NMDAR sub-units in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC)6 and model this using orthotopic TNBC tumors with inducible expression of GluN1-GluN2B NMDARs. We show that NMDAR expression is sufficient to induce B cell recruitment and their affinity maturation, consistent with an integrated adaptive immune response. Reconstruction of extended intratumoral B cell phylogenies and cryo-EM structural analyses demonstrated that affinity-matured hypermutated and class-switched antibodies emerged from pre-existing germline-configuration lower-affinity anti-NMDAR antibodies. Distinct matured antibodies targeted specific epitopes and induced conformational rearrangements within the NMDAR amino-terminal domain, predictive of their functional effects, ranging from inhibition to potentiation. Passive transfer of an NMDAR-potentiating antibody caused autonomic dysregulation and lowered the seizure threshold in healthy female mice, recapitulating key diagnostic criteria of ANRE4,5. We further identify a correlation between intratumoral NMDAR expression and anti-NMDAR antibody titers in TNBC patients. Taken together, our data establish a direct connection between intratumoral NMDAR expression, antibody maturation, and the onset of autoimmunity. These findings suggest that germline-encoded anti-NMDAR antibodies contribute to immune surveillance but can also trigger autoimmune disease upon maturation, revealing a mechanistic tradeoff between cancer immunity and neurotoxicity.

  Study EGAS50000001585

• Sequencing data from triple-negative breast cancer tumors

  Autoimmunity and anti-cancer immunity lie on the same biological continuum1,2, but their link remains obscure. The paraneoplastic neurological syndrome anti-NMDA receptor (NMDAR) encephalitis (ANRE) is a paradigm for their connectivity3 given that intratumoral NMDAR expression correlates with the generation of anti-NMDAR antibodies4,5. Here, we verify ectopic expression of GluN1 and GluN2B NMDAR sub-units in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC)6 and model this using orthotopic TNBC tumors with inducible expression of GluN1-GluN2B NMDARs. We show that NMDAR expression is sufficient to induce B cell recruitment and their affinity maturation, consistent with an integrated adaptive immune response. Reconstruction of extended intratumoral B cell phylogenies and cryo-EM structural analyses demonstrated that affinity-matured hypermutated and class-switched antibodies emerged from pre-existing germline-configuration lower-affinity anti-NMDAR antibodies. Distinct matured antibodies targeted specific epitopes and induced conformational rearrangements within the NMDAR amino-terminal domain, predictive of their functional effects, ranging from inhibition to potentiation. Passive transfer of an NMDAR-potentiating antibody caused autonomic dysregulation and lowered the seizure threshold in healthy female mice, recapitulating key diagnostic criteria of ANRE4,5. We further identify a correlation between intratumoral NMDAR expression and anti-NMDAR antibody titers in TNBC patients. Taken together, our data establish a direct connection between intratumoral NMDAR expression, antibody maturation, and the onset of autoimmunity. These findings suggest that germline-encoded anti-NMDAR antibodies contribute to immune surveillance but can also trigger autoimmune disease upon maturation, revealing a mechanistic tradeoff between cancer immunity and neurotoxicity.

  Study EGAS50000001598

• RBMX functional retrocopy safeguards brain development

  Retrotransposition has generated thousands of intronless gene copies in mammalian genomes, yet their contribution to brain development and evolution remains largely unexplored. We investigated the role for RBMX retrocopy in shaping neurodevelopment and modulating disease. First, we reported 8 distinct pathogenic variants in RBMX, an X-linked splicing regulator, in 11 males presenting with intellectual disability, microcephaly, and cortical malformations. Then, we combined transcriptomic profiling, protein–protein and protein–RNA interaction studies both in human cellular models and mouse embryonic cortices to assess the functional redundancy between RBMX and its retrocopy RBMXL1. Finally, we use mouse genetics to dissect RBMX function and its compensation by RBMXL1 in corticogenesis. We show that RBMX pathogenic variants disrupt cortical development through both loss- and gain-of-function mechanisms. Surprisingly, despite severe phenotypes in humans, Rbmx-deficient mice display only mild cortical abnormalities, a discrepancy likely due to compensation by Rbmxl1, a retrocopy that arose independently in mice and humans. We demonstrate that RBMX and RBMXL1 share protein and RNA partners and act redundantly in brain development, with RBMXL1 buffering the impact of RBMX deficiency. Together, these findings establish that RBMXL1 functions as a functional paralog of RBMX safeguarding neurodevelopment by buffering deleterious variation. More broadly, these results identify retrocopies as active contributors to neurodevelopmental robustness and suggest that functional retrocopies may have facilitated the evolutionary diversification of the mammalian brain.

  Study EGAS50000001650

• Aggressive genomic features in clinicallyindolent primary HHV8-negative effusion-based lymphoma

  Human herpesvirus 8-negative effusion-based lymphoma (HHV8-negative EBL) is a distinct lymphoma entity related to fluid overload states caused by underlying medical conditions. Due to a phenotypical resemblance with secondary effusion of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), HHV8-negative EBL is easily misdiagnosed. However, in contrast to DLBCL, HHV8-negative EBL follows a mild clinical course, underpinning the importance to differentiate between the two entities. Only limited molecular data of HHV8-negative EBL has been reported and characteristic genomic patterns are lacking. We performed extensive genomic profiling on 8 HHV8-negative EBL cases. A mean number of 33.6 copy number gains and losses per case were found, with recurrent focal deletions of chromosome 3p14.2 and 6q21 in 6/8 cases, encompassing tumor supressor genes FHIT and PRDM1, respectively. We observed a high rate of mutations across genes frequently involved in DLBCL, including patterns of somatic hypermutation. The most abundant hotspot mutation was found in MYD88L265P (3/8 cases). In addition, 5/8 cases had one or more translocations, involving MYC, BCL2, BCL6, TP63, EXOC2 and KMT2D, with Ig and non-Ig partners. We conclude that HHV8-negative EBL is characterized by genomic features that are commonly found in more aggressive B-cell lymphomas, but despite this follow an indolent clinical course.

  Study EGAS00001002743

• Enhancer profiling identifies epigenetic markers of endocrine resistance and reveals therapeutic options for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer patients (LuCaP cell line data)

  Androgen Receptor (AR) signaling inhibitors, including enzalutamide, are treatment options for patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC), but resistance inevitably develops. Using metastatic samples from a prospective phase II clinical trial, we epigenetically profiled enhancer/promoter activities with H3K27ac chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by sequencing, before and after AR-targeted therapy. We identified a distinct subset of H3K27ac-differentially marked regions that associated with treatment responsiveness. These data were successfully validated in mCRPC patient-derived xenograft models (PDX). In silico analyses revealed HDAC3 as a critical factor that can drive resistance to hormonal interventions, which we validated in vitro. Critically, we identified the pan-HDAC inhibitor, vorinostat to be effective in decreasing tumor cell proliferation both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, we uncovered evidence for HDAC3 working together with Glucocorticoid Receptor (GR) as a potential mechanism for this therapeutic effect. These findings demonstrate rationale for new therapeutic strategies including HDAC inhibitors to improve patient outcome in advanced stages of mCRPC. Project Goal: We identified H3K27ac regions associated with resistance in patient samples. Extensive analysis of these regions suggested that HDAC3 may play a role in resistance. To test this, we analyzed ChIP-seq and RNA-seq from cell lines generated from PDX LuCaP samples (recapitulating resistant and non-resistant) to validate findings in patient samples. ChIP-seq samples were used to verify the signals identified from specific factors, such as H3K27ac, AR, FOXA1, GR and HDAC3, their association with resistance and possible mechanisms of action. RNA-seq samples were analyzed to determine the effect of AR signaling in these samples in specific genes in the H3K27ac resistance-associated regions.

  Study EGAS50000000917

• Transcriptional_profiling_of_tauopathies_in_human_IPS_derived_neurons

  This project is a pilot study, in collaboration with Maria Grazia Spillantini and Mariangela Iovino (Cambridge Centre for Brain Repair), to investigate the utility of IPS-derived neurons for the study of neurodegenerative disorders. Our aim is to characterise the transcriptional consequences of tauopathies using neurons derived from differentiated IPSCs as a model system. We will use IPS cells derived from six individuals, four with known mutations in the tau protein, 2 without. RNA will be extracted at Day 0 and Day 65 of differentiation by which time the neuronal tauopathy is apparent. RNA will be extracted and the transcriptome of each line characterised using RNAseq. We will then search for genes that are differentially expressed between the transcriptomes of individuals with tau mutations versus those in controls. My lab will analyse the RNAseq data, comparing both affected and controls and both time-points, to establish candidate genes. Darren Logan’s lab, along with our collaborators, will experimentally verify and further investigate these genes in additional lines and animal models. From this analysis we will generate a list of candidate genes that are differentially expressed between cases and controls. This study will not only help us understand the molecular basis of tauopathies, but also identify gene candidates for biomarkers of neurodegenerative disease. It will serve as a proof of principle for future planned studies into generating and transcriptomically analysing an allelic series of Tau mutations in IPSCs with a controlled genetic background.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 EGAS00001000382

• cfDNA dataset from the urine supernatant of ovarian cancer patients and healthy controls

  Background Ovarian cancer is the deadliest gynecological malignancy worldwide, due to frequent diagnosis at advanced stage. Simple and non-invasive methods for earlier and accurate detection are urgently needed. Here, the presence of tumor-derived DNA in home-collected urine, cervicovaginal self-samples and clinician-taken cervical scrapes of ovarian cancer patients was explored by DNA methylation and copy number analysis. Methods A total of 428 samples (urine, cervicovaginal self-samples, and clinician-taken cervical scrapes) of 110 healthy controls and 54 patients with benign (n=25) or malignant (n=29) ovarian masses were analyzed. Different urine fractions were examined (full void urine, urine supernatant, and urine sediment). All samples were tested for 12 methylation markers by quantitative methylation-specific PCR. Shallow whole-genome sequencing was performed to detect copy number aberrations and verify the presence of tumor-derived DNA. Results Full void urine was most discriminatory between healthy controls and ovarian cancer patients (C2CD4D, p=0.008; CDO1, p=0.022; MAL, p=0.008), followed by cervical scrapes (C2CD4D, p=0.001; CDO1, p=0.004). A significant difference between benign and malignant ovarian masses was only observed for GHSR in the urine sediment (p=0.024). Methylation levels in cervicovaginal self-samples did not discriminate between healthy controls, benign and malignant ovarian masses. Copy number changes were identified in 17% of urine supernatant samples and smaller fragment sizes were seen in urine supernatant samples with a high tumor fraction. Conclusions This study demonstrates the presence of ovarian cancer-derived DNA in home-collected urine. Additional studies are warranted to further explore the clinical applicability of this approach.

  Study EGAS00001007238