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• Integration of human pancreatic islet genomic data refines regulatory mechanisms at Type 2 Diabetes susceptibility loci

  Human genetic studies have emphasised the dominant contribution of pancreatic islet dysfunction to development of Type 2 Diabetes (T2D). However, limited annotation of the islet epigenome has constrained efforts to define the molecular mechanisms mediating the, largely regulatory, signals revealed by Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS). We characterised patterns of chromatin accessibility (ATAC-seq, n=17) and DNA methylation (whole-genome bisulphite sequencing, n=10) in human islets, generating high-resolution chromatin state maps through integration with established ChIP-seq marks. We found enrichment of GWAS signals for T2D and fasting glucose was concentrated in subsets of islet enhancers characterised by open chromatin and hypomethylation, with the former annotation predominant. At several loci (including CDC123, ADCY5, KLHDC5) the combination of fine-mapping genetic data and chromatin state enrichment maps, supplemented by allelic imbalance in chromatin accessibility pinpointed likely causal variants. The combination of increasingly-precise genetic and islet epigenomic information accelerates definition of causal mechanisms implicated in T2D pathogenesis.

  Study EGAS00001002592

• Sequencing_component_for_the_whole_genome_methylation_analysis_in_PBMCs_and_cell_subsets__pilot_study_

  DNA methylation has been shown to play a major role in determining cellular phenotype by regulating gene expression. Moreover, dysregulation of differentially methylated genes has been implicated in disease pathogenesis of various conditions including cancer development as well as autoimmune diseases such as systemic Lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis. Evidence is rapidly accumulating for a role of DNA methylation in regulating immune responses in health and disease. However, the exact mechanisms remain unknown. The overall aim of the project is to investigate the role of epigenetic mechanisms in regulating immunity and their impact on autoimmune disease pathogenesis.The aim of this pilot study is to perform whole genome methylation analysis in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and cell subsets (CD4, CD8, CD14, CD19, CD16 and whole PBMCs) obtained from 6 healthy volunteers. Whole genome methylation analysis will be performed using two methodological approaches, the Infinium Methylation Bead Array K450 (Illumina) and MeDIP-seq. mRNA expression arrays will also be performed in order to correlate DNA methylation with gene expression as well as genotyping on the Illumina OmniExpress chip

  Study EGAS00001000490

• The whole blood of female volunteers and sperm from the male volunteer were used to extract genomic DNA to do whole genome sequencing. Distinguished SNPs between parental genomes were retained to analyze parental allele-specific DNA methylation and chromatin accessibility in scCOOL-seq data.

  DNA methylation, chromatin states, and their interrelationships represent critical epigenetic information, but those are largely unknown in human early embryos. Here, we apply scCOOL-seq (Chromatin Overall Omic-scale Landscape Sequencing) to generate a genome-wide map of DNA methylation and chromatin accessibility at single-cell resolution during human preimplantation development. Unlike in mice, the chromatin of paternal genome is already more open than that of maternal genome at the mid-zygote stage in humans, and this state is maintained until the 4-cell stage. After fertilization, genes with high variations in DNA methylation and those with high variations in chromatin accessibility tend to be two different sets. Furthermore, 1,797 (35%) out of 5,155 widely open chromatin regions in promoters closed when transcription activity was inhibited, indicating a feedback mechanism between transcription and open chromatin maintenance. Our work paves the way for dissecting the complex, yet highly coordinated, epigenetic reprogramming during human preimplantation development.

  Study EGAS00001002987

• Whole exome sequencing of longitudinal samples from a melanoma patient receiving MEK plus CDK4/6 inhibitor therapy.

  Combined MEK and CDK4/6 inhibition (MEKi+CDK4i) has shown promising clinical outcomes in NRAS mutant melanoma patients. Here, we interrogated longitudinal biopsies from a patient who initially responded to MEKi+CDK4i therapy but subsequently developed resistance. Whole exome sequencing and functional validation identified an acquired PIK3CAE545K mutation as conferring drug resistance. We demonstrate that PIK3CAE545K pre-existed in a rare subpopulation that was missed by both clinical and research testing, but was revealed upon multi-region sampling due to PIK3CAE545K being non-uniformly distributed. This resistant population rapidly expanded after the initiation of MEKi+CDK4i therapy and persisted in all successive samples even after immune checkpoint therapy and distant metastasis. Functional studies identified activated S6K1 as both a key marker and specific therapeutic vulnerability downstream of PIK3CAE545K-induced resistance. These results demonstrate that comprehensive analysis of pre-treatment samples can reveal rare pre-existing resistant subpopulations and also posit S6K1 as a common downstream therapeutic nexus for the MAPK, CDK4/6, and PI3K pathways.

  Study EGAS00001002846

• Somatic mutations reveal lineage relationships and age-related mutagenesis in human hematopoiesis

  Mutation accumulation during human life can contribute to hematopoietic dysfunction; however, the underlying dynamics are unknown. Somatic mutations in blood progenitors can provide insight into the rate and processes underlying this accumulation, as well as the developmental lineage tree and stem cell division numbers. Here, we catalogue somatic mutations in the genomes of human bone marrow-derived and cord blood-derived hematopoietic stem and multipotent progenitor cells (HSPCs) and find that base substitutions accumulate with approximately 17 base substitutions per year in both populations, while insertions and deletions occur sporadically and at low numbers. The majority of mutations in adult HSPCs were acquired after birth and could be explained by the constant activity of various endogenous processes, which also explains the mutation load in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). We construct a developmental lineage tree revealing a polyclonal architecture of the hematopoietic progenitor compartment and providing evidence that developmental clones exhibit multipotency, though lineage biases can be detected. Our approach highlights novel features of human native hematopoiesis and its implications for leukemogenesis.

  Study EGAS00001003068

• Population_dynamics_in_abnormal_haematopoiesis

  Background: Our recent study has made direct insight into the clonal dynamics of blood cell production in an unperturbed setting in a human. Using whole genome sequencing to track acquired somatic mutations, we were able to construct a phylogenetic tree of different stem and progenitor cells and used this tree to determine the dynamics of mature blood cell production in longitudinal samples. These data set the baseline for understanding population dynamics in abnormal haematopoiesis, and how malignant clones outcompete their normal counterparts to drive haematological malignancies. Aim: This study will measure population dynamics in abnormal human haematopoiesis in patients with clonal blood stem cell disorders. Methods: From patient bone marrow or peripheral blood, we have isolated colonies grown from single blood stem cells/progenitors. Colony DNA will be analysed by whole-genome sequencing to build (or populate) a phylogenetic tree to determine clonal relationships and track stem cell contribution to mature blood cell production. These data will also reveal disease-associated genomic features (mutational burden and mutational signatures) in haematopoietic cells.

  Study EGAS00001003181

• Analysis of translatome, truncating mutations, lncRNA, circRNA and microproteins of 80 human DCM cases and controls

  The regulation of gene expression in healthy and diseased human tissues is incompletely understood and has primarily been studied on the transcriptional level. Here, we quantify the impact of translation on gene expression and annotate novel translational events in 80 human hearts. These include 65 tissues from patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) - the most common cause of heart transplantation – and 15 unaffected controls. We show that translational regulation modulates disease-associated molecular processes. Further, we evaluate ribosome dynamics at protein truncating variants revealing incomplete termination of translation at titin-truncating variants (TTNtv) that commonly cause DCM. Finally, we identify dozens of unknown microproteins translated from lncRNAs and circRNAs and link these to mitochondrial processes. Several microproteins are expressed from lncRNAs with previously demonstrated function, suggesting a dual coding and noncoding role. This resource will stimulate novel functional investigations into cardiac biology in health and disease and may serve as a blueprint for characterizing the translational landscape of other human tissues.

  Study EGAS00001003263

• SNP array files, IDAT files, from 34 members of a Family with a high prevalence of psychosis

  We investigated the genetic causes of major mental disorders (MMDs) including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder I, major depressive disorder, and attention deficit hyperactive disorder, in a large family pedigree from Alpujarras, South of Spain, a region with a high prevalence of psychotic disorders. We applied a systematic genomic approach based on karyotyping (N=4), genotyping by genome-wide SNP array (N=33), whole-exome sequencing (N=4), and whole-genome sequencing (N=12). We performed genome-wide linkage analysis, family-based association analysis, and polygenic risk score estimates. Significant linkage was obtained at chromosome 9 (9q33.1-33.2, LOD score= 4.11), a suggestive region that contains five candidate genes ASTN2, BRINP1, C5, TLR4, and TRIM32, previously associated to MMDs. Comprehensive analysis associated the MMD phenotype with genes of the immune system with dual brain functions. Moreover, the psychotic phenotype was enriched for genes involved in synapsis. These results should be considered once studying the genetics of psychiatric disorders in other families, especially the ones from the same region, since founder effects may be related to the high prevalence.

  Study EGAS00001004592

• Hypertension delays viral clearance and exacerbates airway hyperinflammation in patients with COVID-19

  In coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), hypertension and cardiovascular diseases are major risk factors for critical disease progression. However, the underlying causes and the effects of the main anti-hypertensive therapies-angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs)-remain unclear. Combining clinical data (n = 144) and single-cell sequencing data of airway samples (n = 48) with in vitro experiments, we observed a distinct inflammatory predisposition of immune cells in patients with hypertension that correlated with critical COVID-19 progression. ACEI treatment was associated with dampened COVID-19-related hyperinflammation and with increased cell intrinsic antiviral responses, whereas ARB treatment related to enhanced epithelial-immune cell interactions. Macrophages and neutrophils of patients with hypertension, in particular under ARB treatment, exhibited higher expression of the pro-inflammatory cytokines CCL3 and CCL4 and the chemokine receptor CCR1. Although the limited size of our cohort does not allow us to establish clinical efficacy, our data suggest that the clinical benefits of ACEI treatment in patients with COVID-19 who have hypertension warrant further investigation.

  Study EGAS00001004772

• HCA_Placental_Infection_Atlas

  HCA Placental Infection Atlas Self-renewing human trophoblast stem cells (hTSC) can give rise to major trophoblast lineages, including syncytiotrophoblast (SCT) and extravillous trophoblast (EVT). hTSC has facilitated the study of placental development and function in vitro. Here, we aim to utilise the hTSC line (HMDMC 20/0005) to study human placental infection and inflammation. This study will provide the opportunity to better understand the pathogenesis of human placenta in the event of infection and inflammation. In brief, differentiated hTSC will be infected with relevant pathogens and stimulated with a panel of inflammatory cytokines. We will use single-cell genomic and spatial approaches to characterise cellular heterogeneity in response to infection or cytokines stimulus. In parallel, we will investigate the interaction between iPSC-derived macrophages with different trophoblast lineages during the course of infection using single-cell genomic and spatial methods. 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 EGAS00001004722

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

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

  Study EGAS00001001854

• Description and determinants of the faecal resistome and microbiome of farmers and slaughterhouse workers: a metagenome-wide cross-sectional study.

  Within this study, we extracted DNA of 194 stool samples of persons living or working on pig and broiler farms (54 pig farmers, 24 broiler farmers), 70 pig slaughterhouse workers and 46 control subjects (Lifelines population living in the Northern parts of the Netherlands, and without recent antimicrobial use and occupational livestock contact). Total DNA was sequenced and metagenomic analysis was performed. Subsequently, the faecal resistomes and microbiomes were described and analysed (doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2020.105939). Highlights study: • Food chain workers are exposed to antimicrobial resistant (AMR) bacteria in livestock. • We describe faecal resistomes and microbiomes of farmers and slaughterhouse workers. • Faecal AMR gene loads in pork exposed workers exceed those in broiler farmers/controls. • Resistome and microbiome differences are shown between and within occupational groups. • On-farm working hours and working/living on a pig farm determine the faecal resistome. • Contact with livestock may be a determinant for human AMR gene carriage. This study is part of the EFFORT project: http://www.effort-against-amr.eu/.

  Study EGAS00001003944

• HCA_Female_Reporductive_Adult_WSSS_RNA

  Cell atlas of the human placenta The Human Cell Atlas initiative is an ambitious global research effort which aims to describe every cell in the human body across all developmental stages to generate a reference map to accelerate progress in science and medicine particularly relating to human development and disease. The initiative is led by investigators based at the Wellcome Sanger Institute and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard and funding support from the Wellcome and NIH. This specific project will assess human development. We aim to interrogate the cellular composition and molecular regulators underpinning development and maturation through single cell RNA-sequencing/spatial transcriptomics and computational algorithms to predict cellular developmental trajectories and cell-cell interactions. We will subsequent validate these findings in situ using allied imaging technologies e.g. immunohistochemistry and RNAscope and in vitro culture of human intestinal organoids (HIOs). 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 EGAS00001004210

• HCA_Placenta_Adult_Vento_RNA

  The Human Cell Atlas initiative is an ambitious global research effort which aims to describe every cell in the human body across all developmental stages to generate a reference map to accelerate progress in science and medicine particularly relating to human development and disease. The initiative is led by investigators based at the Wellcome Sanger Institute and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard and funding support from the Wellcome and NIH. This specific project will assess human development. We aim to interrogate the cellular composition and molecular regulators underpinning development and maturation through single cell RNA-sequencing/spatial transcriptomics and computational algorithms to predict cellular developmental trajectories and cell-cell interactions. We will subsequent validate these findings in situ using allied imaging technologies e.g. immunohistochemistry and RNAscope and in vitro culture of human intestinal organoids (HIOs). 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 EGAS00001004069

• MethCORR: DNA Methylation-based Characterization, Classification and Prognostication of Colorectal Cancer using Archival Formalin-fixed, Paraffin-embedded Tissue

  Transcriptional characterization and classification has potential to resolve the inter-tumor heterogeneity of colorectal cancer (CRC) and improve patient management. Yet, robust transcriptional profiling is difficult using formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) samples, which complicates testing in clinical and archival material. We present MethCORR, an approach that allows uniform molecular characterization and classification of fresh-frozen and FFPE samples. MethCORR identifies genome-wide correlations between RNA expression and DNA methylation in fresh-frozen samples. This information is used to infer gene expression information in FFPE samples from their DNA methylation profiles. MethCORR was applied to methylation profiles from 877 fresh-frozen and FFPE samples and comparative analysis identified the same two major subtypes in four independent cohorts. Furthermore, subtype-specific prognostic biomarkers that better predicted relapse-free survival (HR=2.66, 95% CI [1.67-4.22], P<0.001) than TNM staging and MSI status were identified and validated using DNA methylation-specific PCR assays. The MethCORR approach is general, and may be similarly successful for other cancer types.

  Study EGAS00001004293

• Infiltrative and drug-resistant slow-cycling cells support metabolic heterogeneity in glioblastoma

  Metabolic reprogramming has been described in rapidly growing tumors, which are thought to mostly contain fast-cycling cells (FCCs) that have impaired mitochondrial function and rely on aerobic glycolysis. Here, we characterize the metabolic landscape of glioblastoma (GBM) and explore metabolic specificities as targetable vulnerabilities. Our studies highlight the metabolic heterogeneity in GBM, in which FCCs harness aerobic glycolysis, and slow-cycling cells (SCCs) preferentially utilize mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation for their functions. SCCs display enhanced invasion and chemoresistance, suggesting their important role in tumor recurrence. SCCs also demonstrate increased lipid contents that are specifically metabolized under glucose-deprived conditions. Increased fatty acid transport in SCCs is targetable by pharmacological inhibition or genomic deletion of FABP7, both of which sensitize SCCs to metabolic stress. Furthermore, FABP7 inhibition, whether alone or in combination with glycolysis inhibition, leads to overall increased survival. Our studies reveal the existence of GBM cell subpopulations with distinct metabolic requirements and suggest that FABP7 is central to lipid metabolism in SCCs and that targeting FABP7-related metabolic pathways is a viable therapeutic strategy.

  Study EGAS00001003251

• Functional screening on patient-derived organoids identifies a therapeutic bispecific antibody that triggers EGFR degradation in LGR5+ tumor cells

  Patient-derived organoids (PDOs) have demonstrated predictive value in prospective clinical trials supporting selection of personalized treatments. Because PDOs retain the organization and physiological functions of their source tissue, PDO biobanks could also be an ideal substrate to screen for novel therapeutic interventions. Here we describe a large-scale functional screen of dual targeting bispecific antibodies (bAbs) on a colorectal cancer (CRC) PDO biobank to target their dependency on cancer stem cells. A novel drug discovery pipeline was assembled where therapeutic bAb panels generated against WNT and receptor tyrosine kinases (RTK) targets were functionally evaluated by high content imaging to capture the complexity of PDO responses across a wide range of different CRCs and paired normal colonic mucosa samples. Our strategy resulted in a bAb that specifically triggers EGFR degradation in LGR5+ CSCs and that exhibits unique therapeutic properties such as potent growth inhibition of KRAS mutant CRCs, blockade of metastasis initiation in preclinical models and minimal toxicity towards normal LGR5+ colon stem cells.

  Study EGAS00001004584

• RNA-seq of M-CSF differentiated human peripheral monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs) - Validation macIDR

  Macrophages represent multifunctional leukocytes defined by their stimulus-specific transcriptional reprogramming. As in vivo macrophages are often difficult to obtain, in vitro macrophage models are often used. We aggregated public expression data to define consensus expression profiles for eight commonly-used in vitro macrophage models and built the classifier macIDR, capable of distinguishing macrophage subsets with high accuracy (>0.95). Classification of in vivo macrophages suggested that alveolar macrophages resembled interleukin-10 activated macrophages in general whereas chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients displayed decreased similarity to interferon-γ stimulated macrophages. Adipose tissue-derived macrophages were classified as unstimulated macrophages, but would resemble LPS-stimulated macrophages more in diabetic-obese patients. Rheumatoid arthritic synovial macrophages were similar to macrophages stimulated with interleukin-10 or interferon-γ. Altogether, our results suggest that macIDR is capable of identifying in vitro macrophages. By projecting in vivo macrophages onto the in vitro macrophages, we were capable of elucidating macrophage-specific changes as a result of tissue and disease.

  Study EGAS00001003451

• Understanding_Self__Organising_Capacity_of_Stem_Cells_during_Implantation_and_Early_Post_implantation_Development_in_vitro_and_in_vivo__Implications_for_Human_Development_

  The aim of this project is to differentiate human embryonic stem cells to an extra-embryonic fate, specifically the hypoblast. This is of uttermost importance given the current lack of human hypoblast stem cells. We hypothesized that the pluripotent characteristics of the starting human embryonic stem cell population may dictate the competency for extra-embryonic cell fate specification. Based on this hypothesis and using human embryonic stem cells maintained in different naïve-like culture regimes, we have now developed conditions that allow the differentiation of human embryonic stem cells to a stable GATA6+ SOX2- population. This suggests that these cells may be putative human hypoblast stem cells. To validate this finding here we propose to perform RNA sequencing experiments of the differentiated human embryonic stem cells. By comparing their RNA expression profile to the single cell sequencing data of the human embryo that we are currently generating, we will be able to determine the identity of our GATA6+ SOX2- cells, and establish whether they represent the in vivo human hypoblast.

  Study EGAS00001003571

• The Precision Medicine in Liver Cancer across an Asia-pacific NETwork (PLANET) - Intratumoural immune heterogeneity

  The clinical relevance of immune landscape intratumoural heterogeneity (immune-ITH) and its role in tumour evolution remain largely unexplored. Here, we uncover significant spatial and phenotypic immune–ITH from multiple tumour sectors and decipher its relationship with tumour evolution and disease progression in hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC). Immune–ITH is associated with tumour transcriptomic-ITH, mutational burden, and distinct immune microenvironments. Tumours with low immune–ITH experience higher immunoselective pressure and escape via loss of heterozygosity in human leukocyte antigens and immunoediting. Instead, the tumours with high immune-ITH evolve to a more immunosuppressive/exhausted microenvironment. This gradient of immune pressure along with immune-ITH represents a hallmark of tumour evolution, which is closely linked to the transcriptome-immune networks that contributes to disease progression and immune inactivation. Remarkably, high immune-ITH and its transcriptomic signature are predictive for worse clinical outcome in HCC patients. This in-depth investigation of ITH provides evidence on tumour-immune co-evolution along HCC progression.

  Study EGAS00001003814

• Extensive three-dimensional intratumor proteomic heterogeneity revealed by multiregion sampling in high-grade serous ovarian tumor specimens

  Enriched tumor epithelium, tumor-associated stroma, and whole tissue were collected by laser microdissection from thin sections across spatially separated levels of ten high-grade serous ovarian carcinomas (HGSOCs) and analyzed by mass spectrometry, reverse phase protein arrays, and RNA sequencing. Unsupervised analyses of protein abundance data revealed independent clustering of an enriched stroma and enriched tumor epithelium, with whole tumor tissue clustering driven by overall tumor “purity.” Comparing these data to previously defined prognostic HGSOC molecular subtypes revealed protein and transcript expression from tumor epithelium correlated with the differentiated subtype, whereas stromal proteins (and transcripts) correlated with the mesenchymal subtype. Protein and transcript abundance in the tumor epithelium and stroma exhibited decreased correlation in samples collected just hundreds of microns apart. These data reveal substantial tumor microenvironment protein heterogeneity that directly bears on prognostic signatures, biomarker discovery, and cancer pathophysiology and underscore the need to enrich cellular subpopulations for expression profiling. (Companion proteomic data is available in the ProteomeXchange Consortium, PRIDE: PXD026570).

  Study EGAS00001005786

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

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

  Study EGAS00001006218

• Pancreatic islets PISA RNA-seq samples

  GWAS have identified more than 700 genetic signals associated with type 2 diabetes (T2D). To gain insight into the underlying molecular mechanisms, we created the Translational human pancreatic Islet Genotype tissue-Expression Resource (TIGER), aggregating >500 human islet RNA-seq and genotyping datasets. We imputed genotypes using 4 reference panels and meta-analyzed cohorts to improve coverage of expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) and developed a method to combine allele-specific expression across samples (cASE). We identified >1 million islet eQTLs (56% novel), of which 53 colocalize with T2D signals (60% novel). Among them, a low-frequency allele that reduces T2D risk by half increases CCND2 expression. We identified 8 novel cASE colocalizations, among which an SLC30A8 T2D associated variant. We make all the data available through the open-access TIGER portal (http://tiger.bsc.es), which represents a comprehensive human islet genomic data resource to elucidate how genetic variation affects islet function and translate this into therapeutic insight and precision medicine for T2D.

  Study EGAS00001005535

• Multiple Myeloma follow-up sequencing study

  A total of 40 Multiple Myeloma (MM) patients at clinical relapse who progressed during Proteasome Inhibitors (PIs) or Immunomodulating Drugs (IMiDs)-based therapies and who are assigned to antiCD38-based salvage treatments, will be enrolled. We will collect bone marrow (BM) and peripheral blood (PB) samples from patients at specific timepoints: baseline (BM, PB and buccal swab) every 3 month (PB) achievement of response (≥ Very Good Partial Response (VGPR)) (BM and PB) relapse or refractory status to antiCD38-based treatments (BM and PB) Samples will be processed and stored in the "Hematological Laboratory" located in the University of Turin (Italy) for various proposed analyses: at specific time-points CD138+ (Plasma Cells-PCs) awill be immunomagnetically enriched from the BM mononuclear cells and frozen as viable cells in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO); PB mononuclear cells (PBMCs) will be isolated from whole blood by density-gradient centrifugation, and frozen as above; plasma fraction from PB and BM will be obtained by centrifugation and stored frozen; Neutrophils will be obtained at the time of enrollment as a source of control germline DNA and stored frozen.

  Study EGAS00001007092

• atrial appendage RNA-seq in non-, paroxysmal and persistent atrial fibrillation

  Understanding the interconnectedness of structural remodelling processes atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients could identify targets for future therapies. These data include transcriptome sequencing of atrial tissues of patients without AF, with paroxysmal AF and persistent AF (total n=64). In AF patients, epicardial cell gene expression decreased, contrasting with an upregulation of epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) and mesenchymal cell gene expression. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated thickening of the epicardium and an increased proportion of (myo)fibroblast-like cells in the myocardium, supporting enhanced EMT in AF. We furthermore report an upregulation of endothelial cell proliferation, angiogenesis and endothelial signalling. EMT and endothelial cell proliferation concurred with increased interstitial (myo)fibroblast-like cells and extracellular matrix gene expression including enhanced tenascin-c, thrombospondins, biglycan and versican. Morphological analysis discovered increased and redistributed glycosaminoglycans and collagens in the atria of AF patients. Signalling pathways, including cell-matrix interactions, PI3K-AKT and Notch signalling, that could regulate mesenchymal cell activation, were upregulated. These dynamic processes may provide targets to prevent or reverse structural remodelling.

  Study EGAS00001005295

• Primary prostate Hi-C

  Prostate cancer is a heterogeneous disease whose progression is linked to genome instability. Despite large-scale tumour sequencing efforts, the impact of mutations on the genetic architecture in cancer remains ill-defined due to limited integration of genomics data across dimensions. We addressed this limitation by assessing the impact of structural variants on the chromatin states and the three-dimensional organization across benign and malignant primary prostate genomes. We find high concordance in the three-dimensional genome organization between malignant and benign prostate tissues, arguing for constraints to the three-dimensional genome of prostate tumours. Moreover, we identify structural variants as effectors of changes to focal chromatin interactions, guiding cis-regulatory element hijacking that imposes opposing expression changes on genes found at antipodes of a rearrangement. This leads to the repression of tumour suppressor gene expression and up-regulation of oncogenes, such as at the TMPRSS2-ERG and PMEPA1-ZNF156 loci. Collectively, our results argue that cis-regulatory element hijacking by structural variants overshadows large-scale topological changes to alter gene regulation and promote oncogenesis.

  Study EGAS00001005014

• Kalirin-RAC controls nucleokinetic migration in ADRN-type neuroblastoma

  The migrational propensity of neuroblastoma is affected by cell identity, but the mechanisms behind the divergence remain unknown. Using RNAi and time-lapse imaging, we show that ADRN-type NB cells exhibit RAC1- and kalirin-dependent nucleokinetic (NUC) migration that relies on several integral components of neuronal migration. Inhibition of NUC migration by RAC1 and kalirin-GEF1 inhibitors occurs without hampering cell proliferation and ADRN identity. Using three clinically-relevant expression dichotomies, we reveal that most of up-regulated mRNAs in RAC1- and kalirin-GEF1-suppressed ADRN-type NB cells are associated with low-risk characteristics. The computational analysis shows that, in a context of overall gene set poverty, the upregulomes in RAC1- and kalirin-GEF1-suppressed ADRN-type cells are a batch of AU-rich elements (ARE)-containing mRNAs, which suggests a link between NUC migration and mRNA stability. GSEA-based search for vulnerabilities reveals prospective weak points in RAC1- and kalirin-GEF1-suppressed ADRN-type NB cells, including activities of H3K27- and DNA methyltransferases. Altogether, these data support the introduction of NUC inhibitors into cancer treatment research.

  Study EGAS00001005023

• Interferon lambda 4 impairs viral antigen presentation and attenuates T cell responses

  Genetic variants of the interferon lambda (IFNL) gene locus are strongly associated with spontaneous and IFN treatment induced clearance of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections. Individuals with the ancestral IFNL4-dG allele are not able to clear HCV in the acute phase and develop chronic hepatitis C (CHC) with more than 90% probability. Paradoxically, the IFNL4-dG allele encodes a fully functional IFNλ4 protein with antiviral activity against HCV and coronavirus. Here we describe a hitherto unknown effect of IFNλ4 on HCV antigen presentation. Only minor amounts of IFNλ4 are secreted, because the protein is largely retained in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) where it induces ER stress. Stressed cells were significantly weaker activators of HCV specific CD8+ T cells. This was not due to reduced MHC I surface presentation or extracellular IFNλ4 effects, since T cell responses could be restored by exogenous loading of MHC with HCV antigens. Rather, IFNλ4 induced ER stress impaired HCV antigen processing and/or loading onto the MHC I complex. Our results provide a potential explanation for the IFNλ4 – HCV paradox.

  Study EGAS00001005396

• Multimodal single-cell and bulk glioma analyses

  Glioma intratumoral heterogeneity enables adaptation to challenging microenvironments and contributes to therapeutic resistance. We integrated 914 single-cell DNA methylomes, 55,284 single-cell transcriptomes, and bulk multi-omic profiles across 11 adult IDH-mutant or IDH-wild-type gliomas to delineate sources of intratumoral heterogeneity. We show that local DNA methylation disorder associates with cell-to-cell DNA methylation differences, is elevated in more aggressive tumors, links with transcriptional disruption, and is altered in environmental stress response. Glioma cells under in vitro hypoxic and irradiation stress increased local DNA methylation disorder and shifted cell states. We identified a positive association between genetic and epigenetic instability that was supported in bulk longitudinally collected DNA methylation data. Increased DNA methylation disorder associated with accelerated disease progression, and recurrently selected DNA methylation changes were enriched for environmental stress response pathways. Our work identifies an epigenetically facilitated adaptive stress response process and highlights the importance of epigenetic heterogeneity in shaping therapeutic outcomes.

  Study EGAS00001005300

• Combined Metabolic Activators Reduces Liver Fat in Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Patients

  Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) refers to excess fat accumulation in the liver. In animal experiments and human kinetic study, we found that administration of combined metabolic activators (CMA) promotes the oxidation of fat, attenuates the resulting oxidative stress, activates mitochondria and eventually removes excess fat from the liver. Here, we tested the safety and efficacy of CMA in NAFLD patients in a placebo-controlled 10-week study. We found that CMA significantly decreased hepatic steatosis and levels of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, uric acid, and creatinine, whereas found no differences on these variables in the placebo group after adjustment for weight loss. By integrating clinical data with plasma metabolomics and inflammatory proteomics as well as oral and gut metagenomics data, we revealed the underlying molecular mechanisms associated with the reduced hepatic fat and inflammation in NAFLD patients and identified the key players involved in the host-microbiome interactions. In conclusion, we showed that CMA can be used to develop a pharmacological treatment strategy in NAFLD patients.

  Study EGAS00001005616

• A blood atlas of COVID-19 defines hallmarks of disease severity and specificity

  Treatment of severe COVID-19 is currently limited by clinical heterogeneity and incomplete understanding of potentially druggable immune mediators of disease. To advance this, we present a comprehensive multi-omic blood atlas in patients with varying COVID-19 severity and compare with influenza, sepsis and healthy volunteers. We identify immune signatures and correlates of host response. Hallmarks of disease severity revealed cells, their inflammatory mediators and networks as potential therapeutic targets, including progenitor cells and specific myeloid and lymphocyte subsets, features of the immune repertoire, acute phase response, metabolism and coagulation. Persisting immune activation involving AP-1/p38MAPK was a specific feature of COVID-19. The plasma proteome enabled sub-phenotyping into patient clusters, predictive of severity and outcome. Tensor and matrix decomposition of the overall dataset revealed feature groupings linked with disease severity and specificity. Our systems-based integrative approach and blood atlas will inform future drug development, clinical trial design and personalised medicine approaches for COVID-19.

  Study EGAS00001005493

• Multi-omic analysis of cell-of-origin and epigenomic state in pediatric H3K27M gliomas

  It is not known whether midline pediatric gliomas driven by Histone 3 K27M mutations (oncohistones) or EZHIP expression (oncohistone-mimics) share a common cell-of-origin, or arise from distinct cell types with unique vulnerabilities to PRC2 inhibition and partner alterations. Here, we define the etiological and oncogenic relationship between pediatric midline gliomas characterized by inhibition of K27M and K27M-like oncohistones. We assemble an extensive reference for gliogenesis from the developing mouse and human fetal brain. With bulk and single-cell transcriptomics and epigenomics, we profiled a large cohort of primary tumors comprising H3.1K27M and H3.3K27M pontine gliomas, H3.3K27M thalamic gliomas, and EZHIP+ posterior fossa ependymomas. We focus on differences across axes of location (thalamus vs. pons vs. posterior fossa), tumor type (diffuse midline gliomas vs. ependymomas), and oncohistone (H3.1/2K27M vs. H3.3K27M vs. EZHIP). We use tumor molecular features to delineate transcriptional states and cell-of-origin in each entity. Finally, we use culture models in isogenic contexts to interrogate the effect of each oncohistone or mimic.

  Study EGAS00001005773

• Tumor-intrinsic expression of the autophagy gene Atg16l1 suppresses anti-tumor immunity in colorectal cancer

  The vast majority of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients fail to respond to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI). Understanding tumor-intrinsic determinants of immunotherapy resistance is critical to improve CRC patient outcomes. Here, we demonstrate that transcript levels of the core autophagy gene ATG16L1 are prognostic of poor outcome and predictive of ICI resistance in late-stage CRC. Deletion of Atg16l1 in murine CRC organoids markedly inhibited tumor growth in primary and metastatic niches in syngeneic hosts. ATG16L1 deficiency rendered CRC organoids more responsive to interferon (IFN) signaling and enhanced programmed cell death while decreasing tumor stem-like populations. IFN hypersensitivity consequently promoted cytotoxic anti-tumor immunity in vivo. In IMblaze370, a large phase III clinical trial of anti-PD-L1 in advanced metastatic CRC, low ATG16L1 levels identified patients with increased lymphocyte infiltration and improved outcome in a KRAS mutant setting. This work reveals autophagy as a clinically relevant immunosuppressive mechanism in CRC and provides a rationale for autophagy inhibition to boost immunotherapy responses in the clinic.

  Study EGAS00001005952

• Spatio-temporal analysis of prostate tumors in situ suggests pre-existence of treatment-resistant clones

  The molecular mechanisms underlying lethal castration-resistant prostate cancer remain poorly understood, with intratumoral heterogeneity a likely contributing factor. To examine the temporal aspects of resistance, we analyzed tumor heterogeneity in needle biopsies collected before and after treatment with androgen deprivation therapy. By doing so, we were able to couple clinical responsiveness and morphological information such as Gleason score to transcriptome-wide data. Our data-driven analysis of transcriptomes identified several distinct intratumoral cell populations, characterized by their unique gene expression profiles. Strikingly, certain cell populations present before treatment exhibited gene expression profiles that matched those of resistant tumor cell clusters, present after treatment. We confirmed that these clusters were resistant by the localization of active androgen receptors to the nuclei in cancer cells post-treatment. Our data also demonstrated that most stromal cells adjacent to resistant clusters do not express the androgen receptor, and we identified differentially expressed genes for these cells. Altogether, this study shows the potential to increase the power in predicting resistant tumors.

  Study EGAS00001006113

• Proteogenomics reveals two distinct biological pilocytic astrocytoma subgroups

  Pilocytic astrocytoma (PA) is the most common pediatric brain tumor and driven by aberrant MAPK signaling, typically mediated by BRAF alterations. While five-year overall survival rates exceed 95%, tumor recurrence constitutes a major clinical challenge in incompletely resected tumors despite chemotherapeutic or radiation based therapies. Therefore, we used proteogenomics to discern the biological heterogeneity of PA to improve classification of this tumor entity and identify novel therapeutic targets. Our proteogenomics approach integrates RNA sequencing and LC/MS-based proteomic profiling data from a cohort of 58 confirmed, primary PA samples. An integrative genomics approach was conducted to discern the biological heterogeneity of PA and to identify aberrant pathway activation in these biological subgroups. In summary, Pilocytic astrocytomas segregate into two groups where younger patients are significantly associated with Group 1. Importantly, we validate the two distinct biological subgroups in two non-overlapping cohorts. The biological heterogeneity seen here may improve biological classification and reveal novel therapeutic targets specifically useful for non-resectable tumors with high risk of recurrent or progressive disease.

  Study EGAS00001006402

• Multi-focal genomic dissection of synchronous primary and metastatic tissue from de novo metastatic prostate cancer

  De novo metastatic prostate cancer is highly aggressive, but the paucity of routinely-collected tissue in this setting has hindered genomic stratification and jeopardizes precision oncology efforts. Here, we leveraged a rare study of surgical intervention in 43 de novo metastatic prostate cancers to assess somatic genotype across 607 synchronous primary and metastatic tissue foci plus circulating tumor DNA. Intra-prostate heterogeneity was pervasive and impacted clinically-relevant genes, resulting in frequent discordance between select primary-restricted foci and synchronous metastases. Additional complexity was driven in several instances by polyclonal metastatic seeding from the reservoir of phylogenetically-related primary populations. When simulating standard clinical practice relying on a single tissue focus, genomic heterogeneity plus highly variable per-sample tumor fraction caused false genotyping of dominant disease. However, in silico modeling demonstrated that analysis of multiple biopsy cores can rescue misassigned somatic genotypes. Our results define the relationship between synchronous treatment-naive primary and metastatic lesions in de novo metastatic prostate cancer and provide a framework for implementing genomics-guided patient management.

  Study EGAS00001006466

• Upper cortical layer-driven network impairment in schizophrenia

  Schizophrenia is one of the most wide-spread and complex mental disorders. To characterize the impact of schizophrenia, we performed single nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq) of >220,000 neurons from the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex of patients with schizophrenia and matched controls. Additionally, >115,000 neurons were analyzed topographically by immunohistochemistry. Compositional analysis of snRNA-seq data revealed a reduction in abundance of GABAergic neurons and a concomitant increase in principal neurons, most pronounced for upper cortical layer subtypes, which was substantiated by histological analysis. Many neuronal subtypes showed extensive transcriptomic changes, the most dramatic - in upper layer GABAergic neurons, including downregulation in energy metabolism and upregulation in neurotransmission. Transcription factor network analysis demonstrated a developmental origin of transcriptomic changes. Finally, Visium spatial transcriptomics further corroborated upper layer neuron vulnerability in schizophrenia. Overall, our results point towards general network impairment within upper cortical layers as a core substrate associated with schizophrenia symptomatology. Study is available on bioRxiv (https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.11.17.386458) and in upcoming publication.

  Study EGAS00001006495

• Structural Expression of BMMF in tissues of colorectal, lung and pancreatic cancer patients

  Chronic inflammation, linked to the presence of bovine milk and meat factors (BMMF) and specific subsets of macrophages, results in oxygen radical synthesis and induction of mutations in DNA of actively replicating cells and replicating single stranded DNA (zur Hausen et al., 2017). Cancers arising from this process have been characterized as indirect carcinogenesis by infectious agents (without persistence of genes of the agent in premalignant or cancers cells). Here we investigate structural properties of pleomorphic vesicles, regularly identified by staining peritumour tissues of colorectal, lung and pancreatic cancer for expression of BMMF Rep. The latter represents a subgroup of BMMF1 proteins involved in replication of small single-stranded circular plasmids of BMMF, but most likely also contributing to pleomorphic vesicular structures found in the periphery of colorectal, lung and pancreatic cancers. Structurally dense regions are demonstrated in preselected areas of colorectal cancer, after staining with monoclonal antibodies against BMMF1 Rep. Similar structures were observed in human embryonic cells (HEK293TT) overexpressing Rep. These data suggest that Rep or Rep isoforms contribute to the structural formation of vesicles.

  Study EGAS00001006744

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

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

  Study EGAS00001006807

• Genotype data from 'Dense sampling of ethnic groups within African countries reveals fine-scale genetic structure and extensive historical admixture.'

  Previous studies have highlighted how African genomes have been shaped by a complex series of historical events. Despite this, genome-wide data has only been obtained from a small proportion of present-day ethnolinguistic groups. By analysing new autosomal genetic variation data of 1333 individuals from over 150 ethnic groups from Cameroon, Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Nigeria and Sudan, we demonstrate a previously underappreciated fine-scale level of genetic structure within these countries, for example correlating with historical polities in western Cameroon. By comparing genetic variation patterns among populations, we infer that many northern Cameroonian and Sudanese groups share genetic links with multiple geographically disparate populations, likely resulting from long-distance migrations. In Ghana and Nigeria, we infer signatures of intermixing dated to over 2000 years ago, corresponding to reports of environmental transformations possibly related to climate change. We also infer recent intermixing signals in multiple African populations, including Congolese, that likely relates to the expansions of Bantu language-speaking peoples.

  Study EGAS00001006944

• Modulation of the peripheral blood immune cell transcriptome by vitamin D3 supplementation in people with a first demyelinating event: a randomized placebo-controlled trial

  Vitamin D deficiency is a risk factor for developing multiple sclerosis (MS). Both in vitro and animal studies suggest an immunomodulatory effect of vitamin D. The PrevANZ trial, a phase IIb randomized placebo-controlled trial of oral vitamin D3 supplementation in people with a first demyelinating event (FDE), was conducted to determine if supplementation can prevent recurrent disease activity in this cohort at high risk of developing definite MS. As a sub-study of this trial, we used whole blood transcriptomic analyses to investigate the effect of vitamin D3 supplementation on peripheral immune cells in people with an FDE, and to gain insight into potential mechanisms by which vitamin D3 may regulate MS risk and disease activity. The PrevANZ trial randomized participants to 1000 IU, 5000 IU or 10,000 IU daily of oral vitamin D3 or placebo. Peripheral blood was collected at baseline and 12 weeks in PAXgene Blood RNA tubes. Transcriptomic datasets were generated by RNA sequencing.

  Study EGAS00001007346

• Effective reprogramming of patient-derived M2-polarized glioblastoma-associated microglia/macrophages by treatment with GW2580

  Purpose: Targeting immunosuppressive and pro-tumorigenic glioblastoma-associated macrophages and microglial cells (GAMs) has great potential to improve patient outcomes. Colony stimulating factor-1 receptor (CSF1R) has emerged as a promising target for reprogramming anti-inflammatory M2-like GAMs. However, treatment data on patient-derived, tumor-educated GAMs and their influence on the adaptive immunity are lacking. Experimental Design: CD11b+-GAMs freshly isolated from patient tumors were treated with CSF1R-targeting drugs PLX3397, BLZ945, and GW2580. Phenotypical changes upon treatment were assessed using RNAseq. Changes in GAM activation were confirmed in a complex patient-derived 3D tumor organoid model serving as a tumor avatar. Results: The most effective reprogramming of GAMs was observed upon GW2580 treatment, which led to the downregulation of M2-related markers, IL-6, and IL-10, ERK1/2 and MAPK signaling pathways, while M1-like markers and gene set enrichment indicating activated MHC-II presentation were substantially increased. Moreover, treatment of patient-derived glioblastoma organoids with GW2580 confirmed successful reprogramming.

  Study EGAS00001007466

• GOSH_Childhood_Leukemia_Behjati_WellcomeCore_RNA

  Paediatric single-cell archival project This project is taking sequential samples of children with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (B-ALL) treated at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) between 2011 and the present day. Patients selected, are those that have done badly (e.g. had to escalate treatment, relapsed or died) despite having apparently ""good"" or ""intermediate"" risk cytogenetics, and often also had immunotherapy (e.g., the bi-specific T-cell engager blinatumomab) because of this. Using samples from key treatment-points, we hope to better characterise their disease and treatment response, to re-define understandings of risk for patients who did unexpectedly poorly. Additionally, we hope to define the disease/immunological factors that determine response to increasingly used immunotherapies within the field of paediatric B-ALL. Each of the samples will be viably frozen bone marrow-derived mononuclear cells. They will come in Eppendorf's, frozen and de-anonymised, from GOSH. We plan to primarily do single cell analysis (GEX, BCR +/-TCR), and then tumour-only WGS and bulk-RNA expression on left-over

  Study EGAS00001007616

• Endocrine therapy reprogramming of breast cancer facilitates metastatic escape via upregulation of P-Rex1/Rac1 signalling

  The estrogen receptor (ER) drives growth in ~70% of breast cancers, and endocrine therapies prevent recurrence. However, 30% of patients recur, with many fatal cases occurring late (after >5 years), presenting a challenge due to their often non-proliferative nature and limited options. To study this, we generated slow-growing resistant cells that form small primary tumours but readily metastasize. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq) revealed that endocrine therapy reprograms these cells, notably upregulating the Rac1 signalling component P-Rex1. We found in clinical cohorts that P-Rex1 in high in ER+ breast cancer. Intravital imaging demonstrated that Rac1 signalling is active in ER+ cells following endocrine therapy. Targeting the Rac1 pathway with small molecule inhibitors (NSC23766, R-ketorolac) reduced survival and motility in resistant cells, inhibited in vivo Rac1 activity, and reduced tumour burden when combined with tamoxifen in a drug-refractory patient-derived xenograft. This work identifies the P-Rex1/Rac1 axis, as a potential therapeutic target for late recurring ER+ breast cancer.

  Study EGAS00001008353

• Reliable detection of somatic mutations in solid tissues by laser-capture microdissection and low-input DNA sequencing

  Somatic mutations accumulate in healthy tissues as we age, giving rise to cancer and potentially contributing to ageing. To study somatic mutations in non-neoplastic tissues, we developed a series of protocols to sequence the genomes of small populations of cells isolated from histological sections. Here, we describe a complete workflow that combines laser-capture microdissection (LCM) with low-input genome sequencing, whilst circumventing the use of whole-genome amplification (WGA). The protocol is subdivided broadly into 4 steps: tissue processing, LCM, low-input library generation and mutation calling and filtering. The tissue processing and LCM steps are provided as general guidelines which may require tailoring based on the specific requirements of the study at hand. Our protocol for low-input library generation utilises enzymatic rather than acoustic fragmentation to generate WGA-free whole-genome libraries. Finally, the mutation calling and filtering strategy has been adapted from previously published protocols to account for artefacts introduced via library creation. To date, we have used this workflow to perform targeted and whole-genome sequencing of small populations of cells (typically 100-1,000 cells) in thousands of microbiopsies from a wide range of human tissues. The low-input DNA protocol is designed to be compatible with liquid handling platforms and make use of equipment and expertise standard to any core sequencing facility. However, obtaining low-input DNA material via LCM requires specialized equipment and expertise. The entire protocol from tissue reception through whole-genome library generation can be accomplished in as little as a week, though 2-3 weeks would be a more typical turnaround time.

  Dataset EGAD00001006088

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

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

  Dataset EGAD00001006965

• A108757B

  Whole genome sequencing for single cells for library A108757B 1644 cells; filetype=bam

  Dataset EGAD00001007086

• Phylogenetic reconstruction of adult blood cancer reveals early origins and lifelong evolution - WGS

  Mutations in cancer-associated genes drive tumour outgrowth. However, the timing of driver mutations and dynamics of clonal expansion that lead to human cancers are largely unknown. We used 580,133 somatic mutations from whole-genome sequencing of 1013 clonal haematopoietic colonies to reconstruct the phylogeny of haematopoiesis, from embryogenesis to clinical disease, in 12 patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms which are blood cancers more common in older age. JAK2V617F, the pathognomonic mutation driving the majority of these cancers, was acquired in utero or childhood, with upper estimates of age of acquisition from 33 weeks gestation to 10.8 years, in all 5 patients in whom JAK2V617F was either the only or the first driver event.  Driver mutations associated with age-related clonal haematopoiesis occurred prior to or following JAK2V617F,  as independent clonal expansions in JAK2V617F-mutated patients, and as large clonal expansions in JAK2V617F-unmutated patients . These mutations were also acquired in utero or childhood, with DNMT3A mutations occurring by 8 weeks of gestation to 7.6 years across 4 patients, and PPM1D mutation occurring by age 5.8yrs in a patient with MPN lacking phenotypic driver mutations. Sequential driver mutation acquisition was common, separated by decades across life, and often outcompeted ancestral clones. The mean latency between JAK2V617F acquisition and clinical presentation was 30 years (range 11-54 years). Rates of clonal expansion were inferred from phylogenetic trees and varied substantially (3% to 190% expansion/year), were affected by additional driver mutations, and were predictive of latency to clinical presentation. Driver mutations and rates of expansion would have been detectable in blood one to four decades before clinical presentation. This study reveals how driver mutation acquisition early in life with life-long growth and evolution underlie adult myeloproliferative neoplasms, providing opportunities for early detection and intervention and a new paradigm for cancer development.

  Dataset EGAD00001007714

• AML Proteogenomic Landscape Whole-transcriptome RNA-Sequencing

  Whole transcriptome RNA-sequencing of purified bone marrow blasts of 136 de novo, treatment naive AML patients. For further details, we refer to the manuscript "The Proteogenomic Landscape of AML" by Jayavelu, Wolf, Buettner et al. mRNA extraction and whole transcriptome sequencing For transcriptome analysis the TruSeq Total Stranded RNA kit was used, starting with 250ng of total RNA, to generate RNA libraries following the manufacturer’s recommendations (Illumina, San Diego, CA, USA). 100bp paired-end reads were sequenced on the NovaSeq 6000 (Illumina) with a median of 57 mio. reads per sample. RNA Data Analysis Data quality control was performed with FastQC v0.11.9. Reads were aligned to the human reference genome (Ensembl GRCh38 release 82) using STAR v2.6.1. Gene count tables were generated while mapping, using Gencode v31 annotations. All downstream analyses were carried out using R v4.0 and BioConductor v3.12 (Huber et al., 2015; R Core Team, 2020). Size-factor based normalization was performed using DESeq2 v1.28.1(Love et al., 2014).

  Dataset EGAD00001008484

• “Castration-persistence” is a distinct state of tolerance to androgen receptor targeting therapies in prostate cancer

  Androgen receptor (AR) signalling is important in prostate cancer progression, and therapies that specifically target this pathway are the mainstay of treatment for advanced disease. Treatment however is non-curative, and resistance develops inevitably with time. Although the mechanisms that drive progressive ‘castration resistant’ disease are reasonably well characterized, how tumours survive acute pathway inhibition is unclear. We performed a neo-adjuvant study of a novel combination of AR targeting therapies, and noted that the objective response to treatment was highly variable. To determine what was driving tumour persistence in poorly responding patients, we comprehensively characterised pre- and post-treatment samples were using both whole genome and RNA-sequencing. We find that ‘castration-persistence’ is a distinct state from ‘castration-resistance’, and is mediated by global transcriptional reprogramming leading to transitional EMT state, which is shared with benign luminal epithelial cells. This appears to be AP-1 and KLF driven, and represents and integration of multiple signalling pathways, particularly IGF2, offering a number of tractable strategies to improve clinical response to AR targeting therapies.

  Study EGAS00001003172