8252 results for "canc*"

in 48.19 milliseconds.

• Combination Therapies for Personalised Cancer Medicine in drug resistant EGFR mutant lung cancer

  This study involves mutagenizing a range of different cell lines with ENU to identify those mutations which engender resistance to targeted treatment. In the last decade we have begun to move towards the use of targeted therapeutics in the clinic, often resulting in dramatic response rates in cancer patients. However, clinical experience has demonstrated time and time again that such responses are invariably followed by the development of drug resistance. Identification of the underlying mechanisms may enable us to reverse such resistance. Traditional methods of modelling this resistance in vitro can lead to a plethora of potential resistance mechanisms that can be difficult to decipher.

  Study EGAS00001002509

• High-resolution structural genomics reveals new therapeutic vulnerabilities in glioblastoma

  We investigated the role of 3D genome architecture in instructing functional properties of glioblastoma stem cells (GSCs) by generating the highest-resolution 3D genome maps to-date for this cancer. Integration of DNA contact maps with chromatin and transcriptional profiles identified specific mechanisms of gene regulation, including individual physical interactions between regulatory regions and their target genes. Residing in structurally conserved regions in GSCs was CD276, a gene known to play a role in immuno-modulation. We show that, unexpectedly, CD276 is part of a stemness network in GSCs and can be targeted with an antibody-drug conjugate to curb self-renewal, a key stemness property. Our results demonstrate that integrated structural genomics datasets can be employed to rationally identify therapeutic vulnerabilities in self-renewing cells.

  Study EGAS00001003493

• Pheno-Seq, linking 3D phenotypes of clonal tumor spheroids to gene expression

  3D-culture systems have advanced cancer modeling by reflecting physiological characteristics of in-vivo tissues, but our understanding of functional intratumor heterogeneity including visual phenotypes and underlying gene expression is still limited. Transcriptional heterogeneity can be dissected by single-cell RNA-sequencing, but these technologies suffer from low RNA-input and fail to directly correlate gene expression with contextual cellular phenotypes. Here we present pheno-seq for integrated high-throughput imaging and transcriptomic profiling of clonal tumor spheroids derived from 3D models of breast and colorectal cancer. Specifically, we identify characteristic expression signatures that are associated with heterogeneous invasive and proliferative behavior including a rare cell subtype. Furthermore, we identify functionally relevant transcriptional regulators missed by single-cell RNA-seq, link visual phenotypes defined by heterogenous expression to inhibitor response and infer single-cell regulatory states by deconvolution. We anticipate that directly linking molecular features with patho-phenotypes of cancer cells will improve the understanding of intratumor heterogeneity and consequently prove to be useful for translational research.

  Study EGAS00001002999

• Understanding_the_multicellular_dynamics_of_clear_cell_renal_cell_carcinoma___single_cell_RNA_sequencing

  This study will reconstruct the single cellular phylogeny of tumour and immune cells in relation to both genomic, functional, and spatial location. 20 tumours in total will be studied, including non-progressing small renal masses, progressing small renal masses, relatively indolent larger tumours, and high risk tumour with metastatic sampling. We aim to: Generate a focused, comprehensive phylogenetic characterisation of tumour cells Understand the dependencies of the cancer genome, transcriptome, tissue architecture and the single cellular micro-environment Quantify the single cellular composition and functional intra- and inter- tumoural heterogeneity Determine the phylogeny of tumour associated lymphocytes and their relationship to neo-epitopes and the immune microenvironment Investigate the mechanisms by which the tumour-normal interface constrains tumoural growth

  Study EGAS00001003519

• Exome-wide somatic mutation characterization of small bowel adenocarcinoma

  Small intestinal adenocarcinoma (SIA) is a rare and aggressive form of cancer with limited treatment options. To further characterize the somatic mutation landscape of this tumor type, exome sequencing was conducted on a population-based set of SIA samples from all three parts of the small intestine. Archival tissue from 106 tumors with comprehensive clinical patient information entered exome sequencing from a patient series consisting of SIA cases diagnosed in Finland between the years 2003-2011. Paired-end exome sequencing was performed using Illumina HiSeq 4000, and OncodriveFML was used to identify significantly mutated genes from the exome data. Also mutational signature and pathway enrichment analyses were performed.

  Study EGAS00001002559

• Ductal keratin 15+ luminal progenitors in normal breast exhibit a basal-like breast cancer transcriptomic signature

  Normal breast luminal epithelial progenitors have been implicated as cell of origin in basal-like breast cancer, but their anatomical localization remains understudied. Here, we combine micro-collection of uncultured organoids and single cell mRNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) of FACS-sorted luminal epithelial cells with multicolor imaging to profile ducts and terminal ductal lobular units (TDLUs) and compare them with breast cancer subtypes. Unsupervised clustering reveals eleven distinct clusters and a differentiation trajectory starting with keratin 15+ (K15+) progenitors enriched in ducts. Spatial mapping of luminal progenitors is confirmed at the protein level by staining with critical duct markers. Comparison of the gene expression profiles of normal luminal cells with those of breast cancer subtypes reveals a strong correlation between normal breast K15+ ductal progenitors and basal-like breast cancer. We propose that K15+ basal-like breast cancers originate in ductal progenitors, which emphasizes the importance of not only lineages but also cellular position within the ductal-lobular tree.

  Study EGAS00001005963

• Amplicon_based_sequencing_of_drug_resistant_lung_cancer_cell_lines

  A EGFR mutant NSCLC cell line which is sensitive to AZD9291 inhibition was mutagenised with the chemical mutagen ENU and then drug selected using a AZD9291. Single cell derived colonies were then manually picked and expanded in drug. Resistance was confirmed in a 14 day assay and DNA was collected. These then underwent targeted amplicon-based sequencing to confirm candidate resistance effectors hypothesised from currently available literature.

  Study EGAS00001001675

• Whole Genomes Define Concordance in Matched Primary, Xenograft, and Organoid Models of Pancreas Cancer

  Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has the worst prognosis of any common solid epithelial tumour. Multiple failed clinical trials necessitate newer approaches to understand the molecular etiology of this disease. Patient-derived xenografts (PDX) and patient-derived organoids (PDO) may serve as pre-clinical disease models; however, characterization remains largely unaddressed at the whole genome level. We conducted a comprehensive assessment of the genetic landscape of tumours and matched PDX and PDO from patients with PDAC. Our data show that PDX and PDO recapitulate PDAC tumourigenesis with respect to simple somatic mutations and copy number changes, and capture major structural variation events.

  Study EGAS00001002597

• The genomic landscape of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma from immunosuppressed and immunocompetent patients reveals common drivers and a novel mutational signature associated with chronic azathioprine exposure

  Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) has a high tumour mutational burden (50 mutations per megabase DNA pair). Combining whole exome analyses from 40 primary cSCC tumours, comprising 20 well differentiated and 20 moderately/poorly differentiated tumours, with accompanying clinical data from a longitudinal study of immunosuppressed and immunocompetent patients, coupled with integration of independent gene expression studies has allowed the identification of commonly mutated genes and altered pathways and processes. Mutational signature analysis revealed the presence of a novel signature (signature 32), which was found exclusively in the tumours from immunosuppressed patients who had been exposed to azathioprine. Characterisation of a panel of 15 keratinocyte cancer cell lines derived from tumours from immunocompetent and immunosuppressed patients reveals that they accurately reflect the mutational signatures and genomic alterations of primary tumours and provide a resource for the validation of tumour drivers and therapeutic targets.

  Study EGAS00001002612

• Employing_single_cell_sequencing_for_detection_of_mutational_signatures_reflecting_on_going_mutagenesis_

  12 single cells will be sequenced from a previously single-cell derived clone of a JSC-1 cell line. Additional 12 single cells are likely to be sequenced from a previously single-cell derived clone of a SW756 line. Both belong to CGP’s panel of approximately 1000 human cancer cell lines.

  Study EGAS00001002679

• Allele Balance Bias Identifies Systematic Genotyping Errors and False Disease Associations

  In recent years, Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) has become a cornerstone of clinical genetics and diagnostics. Many clinical applications require high precision, especially if rare events such as somatic mutations in cancer or genetic variants causing rare diseases need to be identified. Although random sequencing errors can be modeled statistically and deep sequencing minimizes their impact, systematic errors remain a problem even at high depth of coverage. Understanding their source is crucial to increase precision of clinical NGS applications. In this work, we studied the relation between recurrent biases in allele balance (AB), systematic errors and false positive variant calls across a large cohort of human samples analyzed by whole exome sequencing (WES). We have modeled the allele balance distribution for biallelic genotypes in 987 WES samples in order to identify positions recurrently deviating significantly from the expectation, a phenomenon we termed allele balance bias (ABB). Furthermore, we have developed a genotype callability score based on ABB for all positions of the human exome, which detects false positive variant calls that passed state-of-the-art filters. Finally, we demonstrate the use of ABB for detection of false associations proposed by rare variant association studies (RVAS).

  Study EGAS00001003027

• Warm_Autopsy_Single_Cell_X10

  Study of cell lineage and embryogenesis using biopsy samples from sites across the whole body (post mortem). Sample donors are recruited sensitively through the Phoenix study and consent to samples being taken after their death for both the Phoenix study and this WTSI study.

  Study EGAS00001001698

• Ultra-Fast Patient-Derived Xenografts Identify Functional and Spatial Tumour Heterogeneities that Drive Therapeutic Resistance

  Treatment of patients with advanced cancers increasingly relies on agents targeting specific molecular or cellular aberrations. These expensive therapies often fail because of pre-existing drug resistance. Intra-tumoural molecular and micro-environmental heterogeneity resistance can create resistance in one or more subclones of a tumour, leading to spatio-functional heterogeneity. We created a rapid approach for quantifying tumour functional phenotypes based on tumour-implantation into the chorioallantoic membrane of chick embryos. We apply this technique to 43 separate biopsies from 6 patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) with 36 replicates per biopsy, achieving a 93.6% engraftment rate (1449/1548). Challenging these models with sunitinib, an anti-angiogenic therapy frequently used in RCC allowed us to quantify spatio-functional heterogeneity in individual patients. Prediction of de novo drug resistance in advanced cancer patients would facilitate precision medicine by tailoring systemic therapies and improve clinical trial design outcome measures. We describe a patient-derived xenograft platform where fresh patient tumour samples are implanted into the chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) of chick embryos at high engraftment efficiencies, permitting large scale “tumour avatar” studies to guide the selection of drugs and to predict clinical drug resistance outcomes in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) patients. Applying this “tumour avatar” model in a co-clinical trial on RCC patients, we observe intra-tumoural functional heterogeneity with sunitinib treatment, revealing the presence of drug-resistant clones prior to the initiation of therapy. Multi-regional exome Matched DNA sequencing of the primary tumour and metastases revealed DNA mutational signatures associated with sunitinib resistance at baseline and after treatment. These These studies demonstrate a rapid and affordable method of findings confirm the existence of genetic and surveying functional tumour heterogeneities heterogeneity.

  Study EGAS00001002627

• The identification of genetic vulnerabilities in head and neck cancers for the development of novel treatments.

  The global cancer burden is expected to double by the year 2030 and this will disproportionately affect the Asian continent. Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is endemic in Asia. It is the sixth most common cancer worldwide and the second most common in Malaysia, with approximately 600,000 new cases per year globally. Longterm survival remains less than 50%, underscoring the need for better therapeutic strategies. In this proposal we aim to bring new technological advancements in the identification of critical genes in HNSCC and the identification of compounds for the development of new therapies in HNSCC. We propose to genomically characterise 16 unique Asian H&N cancer cell lines, to classify sub groups where identification of essential genes that can be targeted for tumor control can be applied in a more rational way. Further, we propose to use zebrafish, an established drug discovery platform to identify promising pathway-specific compounds that could be further studied using CRISPR/Cas9 lethality screens and biological models to better identify novel therapeutic strategies to combat this major health problem in Asia.

  Study EGAS00001002682

• Canadian prostate cancer samples (CPC-GENE) for PanProstate study

  CPC-GENE has sequenced the genomes of 350 intermediate risk prostate cancers to identify genetic signatures that differ in cancers that responded well to treatment compared with those that did not. CPC-GENE also has sequenced multiple regions of prostate cancer from the same gland to determine if and how the genetic make-up of prostate cancer varies within an individual man’s prostate

  Study EGAS00001003037

• Detection of mutational patterns in cell free DNA (cfDNA) of colorectal cancer by custom amplicon sequencing

  Monitoring the mutational patterns of solid tumors during cancer therapy is a major challenge in oncology. Analysis of mutations in cell free (cf) DNA offers a non-invasive approach to detect mutations that may be prognostic for disease survival or predictive for primary or secondary drug resistance. A main challenge for the application of cfDNA as a diagnostic tool is the diverse mutational landscape of cancer. Here, we developed a flexible end-to-end experimental and bioinformatics workflow to analyze mutations in cfDNA using custom amplicon sequencing. Our approach relies on open software tools to select primers suitable for multiplex PCR using minimal cfDNA as input. In addition, we developed a robust linear model to identify specific genetic alterations from sequencing data of cfDNA. We used our method to design a custom amplicon panel suitable for detection of hotspot mutations relevant for colorectal cancer and analyzed mutations in serial cfDNA samples from 34 patients with advanced colorectal cancer. Our data demonstrates that recurrent and patient-specific mutational patterns can be reliably detected for the majority of patients. Furthermore, we show that the allele frequency of mutations in cfDNA correlates well with disease progression. Finally, we demonstrate that monitoring of cfDNA can outperform the predictive power of currently used tumor markers and reveal mechanisms of resistance to anti-EGFR antibody treatment.

  Study EGAS00001003382

• Automated image-based profiling of complex drug induced phenotypes in patient-derived organoids

  We established a platform for high-throughput confocal fluorescence microscopy and automated image analysis to perform large-scale drug response profiling with patient derived organoids (PDOs). Using PDO lines newly established from colorectal cancer patients with a standardized workflow, we performed chemical perturbations with more than 500 experimental and clinically used compounds. Subsequently, we captured approx. six million images by confocal microscopy. To analyze drug-induced PDO re-organization on a single organoid level we developed SCOPE, a software framework for automated PDO high-throughput image analysis. We observed a rich variety of divergent and reoccurring compound induced phenotypes in organoids. Perturbation of cellular processes, including signaling by MEK, GSK3β, cyclin dependent kinases (CDKs) and others, led to recurring and distinct architectural changes. Highlighting the clinical relevance, PDO viability was heterogeneous after perturbation with anticancer drugs and matched clinical response of corresponding colorectal cancer patients. Our work opens new avenues for image-based profiling for accelerated drug discovery and clinical decision-making.

  Study EGAS00001003140

• ENU_LS_411N_TripleTherapy

  BRAF V600E colorectal cancers do not respond to the only currently FDA approved targeted therapy for CRC. There is currently a trial underway in the UK recruiting V600E CRC patients for treatment with a triple therapy combination of Cetuximab, Trametinib and Dabrafenib. We have mutagenized a pool of V600E CRC cell lines and treated with this triple therapy to select out drug resistant clones. We will now sequence these drug resistant clones with the aim of identifying common point mutations engendering resistance to this new therapy.

  Study EGAS00001001777

• ENU_HT_29_BRAF_Triple_Therapy_Clones

  KRAS mutant CRC is currently in clinical trial with a combination of a MEK and Akt inhibitor. These patients will likely develop resistance to this combination. We aim to identify the mechanisms of resistance via ENU mutagenesis, with a view to identifying additional therapeutics which have the ability to overcome this resistance.

  Study EGAS00001001778

• Tumor-associated preferred end coordinates and somatic variants as signatures of circulating tumor DNA

  Cell-free DNA fragmentation is a nonrandom process. We showed that cell-free DNA fragments with ends at certain genomic coordinates had higher likelihoods of being derived from hepatocellular carcinoma. Other coordinates were associated with cell-free DNA molecules originating from the liver. Quantitative assessment of cell-free DNA molecules bearing these respective groups of end signatures correlated with the amounts of tumor-derived or liver-derived DNA in plasma. There were millions of tumor-associated plasma DNA end coordinates across the genome. Due to their high prevalence, they were more readily detectable than somatic mutations as a cancer signature in plasma. Hence, detection of tumor-associated plasma DNA ends may offer a cost-effective means of capturing evidence for the presence of cancer through liquid biopsy assessment.

  Study EGAS00001003160

• Enrichment of homologous recombination repair alteration in prostate cancer brain metastases

  Whole-exome sequencing profiling of prostate cancer brain metastases

  Study EGAS00001005091

• Somatic_Genetics_of_lesions_from_a_POT1_patient

  In this project we will use exome sequencing to identify somatic mutations in lesions from a patient with a germline mutation in the protection of telomeres 1 gene (POT1).

  Study EGAS00001001343

• MutWP1__CRUK_Grand_Challenge_Mutographs_of_Cancer__pancreas

  The Mutographs project aims to advance our understanding of the causes of cancer through studies of mutational signatures. Led by Mike Stratton, together with Paul Brennan, Ludmil Alexandrov, Allan Balmain, David Phillips and Peter Campbell, this large-scale international research endeavour was awarded a Cancer Research UK Grand Challenge. Different patterns of somatic mutation are generated by the different environmental, lifestyle and genetic factors that cause cancer, many of them are still unknown. Within Mutographs, the International Agency for Research on Cancer is coordinating the recruitment of 5000 individuals with cancer (colorectal, renal, pancreatic, oesophageal adenocarcinoma or oesophageal squamous cancers) across 5 continents to explore whether different mutational signatures explain marked variation in incidence. In brief, through an international network of collaborators around the world, biological materials are collected, along with demographic, histological, clinical and questionnaire data. Whole genome sequences of tumour-germline DNA pairs are generated at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute (Illumina HiSeqX, 40X and 20X depth respectively). Somatic mutational signatures are subsequently extracted by non-negative matrix factorisation methods and correlated with risk factors data. Through an enhanced understanding of cancer aetiology, Mutographs unprecedented effort is anticipated to outline modifiable risk factors, lead to new approaches to prevent cancer, and provide opportunities to empower early detection, refine high-risk groups and contribute to further therapeutic development.

  Study EGAS00001002726

• Chromosomal copy number heterogeneity predicts survival rates across cancers

  Survival rates of cancer patients vary widely within and between malignancies. While genetic aberrations are at the root of all cancers, individual genomic features cannot explain these distinct disease outcomes. In contrast, intra-tumour heterogeneity (ITH) has the potential to elucidate pan-cancer survival rates and the biology that drives cancer prognosis1,2. Unfortunately, a comprehensive and effective framework to measure ITH across cancers is missing3. Here, we introduce a scalable measure of chromosomal copy number heterogeneity that predicts patient survival across cancers. We show that the level of ITH can be derived from a single-sample copy number profile. Using gene-expression data we demonstrate that ongoing chromosomal instability underlies the observed heterogeneity. Analysing 11,534 primary cancer samples from 35 different malignancies, we find that copy number heterogeneity can be accurately deduced and predicts cancer survival across tissues of origin and stages of disease. Our results provide a unifying molecular explanation for the different survival rates observed between cancer types.

  Study EGAS00001004702

• A somatic reference standard for cancer genome sequencing with COLO829

  Identification of somatic alterations in cancer has become feasible with the massive adoption of next generation sequencing. However, due to variability in sequencing and informatics pipelines, a common somatic reference is needed. We thus performed paired whole genome sequencing of a metastatic melanoma cell line (COLO829) and a matched lymphoblastoid line (COLO829BL) across three institutions (TGen, Illumina, Genome Sciences Centre at the British Columbia Cancer Agency). We performed a meta-analysis of all data, in combination with the originally reported analysis of these cell lines by Pleasance et al (PMID: 20016485), and report a somatic reference standard based on consensus events. DNA extractions, library preparation, sequencing, and analysis were separately performed at each site. Results were compiled with sequence data previously generated for the cell lines to identify true positive variants, collectively representing a somatic reference standard. Overall, common somatic events include point mutations, small insertion/deletions, and genes affected by concurrent copy number changes. We additionally show divergence of somatic mutations in COLO829 associated with differences in cell line lineage. We present this reference to the community as a standard for enabling interpretation and identification of somatic mutations across institutions and analytical pipelines.

  Study EGAS00001001385

• Whole exome sequencing of Finnish hereditary breast cancer families

  A remarkable proportion of factors causing genetic predisposition to breast cancer (BC) are unknown in non-BRCA1/2 families. Exome sequencing was performed for 13 high-risk Finnish hereditary breast and/or ovarian cancer (HBOC) families to detect variants contributing to BC susceptibility

  Study EGAS00001001835

• Breast Cancer - Subtype defined by an amplification of the HER2 gene

  Clinically positive HER2 (cHER2+) breast cancers (BC) are defined by the amplification and overexpression of the human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER2/ERBB2) gene on chromosome region 17q12 and represent 15% of all BCs. Although anti-HER2 targeted therapies have improved BC’s natural history, the magnitude of their benefit varies widely between patients and deciphering the genomic heterogeneity of cHER2+ BC may provide a basis to better understand patients’ outcome. As part of the ICGC Breast Cancer Working Group effort, we combined whole genome sequencing and transcriptomic analyses of 64 cHER2+ primary invasive carcinomas.

  Study EGAS00001001431

• Whole-exome sequencing of human pancreatic cancers and characterization of genomic instability caused by MLH1 haploinsufficiency and complete deficiency

  Whole-exome sequencing (Exome-Seq) has been successfully applied in several recent studies. We here performed Exome-Seq of 15 pancreatic tumor-normal pairs. We captured 162,073 exons of 16,954 genes and sequenced the targeted regions to a mean coverage of 56 folds. This study identified a total of 1,517 somatic mutations and validated 934 of them by transcriptome sequencing. We detected recurrent mutations in 56 genes. Among them, 41 have not been described. The mutation rates varied widely among tumors. The diversity of mutation rates was significantly correlated with the distinct MLH1 copy-number status. Exome-Seq revealed intensive genomic instability in a tumor with MLH1 homozygous deletion, indicated by a dramatically elevated mutation rate of somatic substitutions, small insertions/deletions (indels), as well as indels presented at microsatellites. Notably, we detected MLH1 allelic loss in 4 tumors. MLH1 expression was decreased by nearly half in these cases. While they were negative in the conventional microsatellite instability assay, they showed a 10.5-fold increase in the mutation rate of somatic indels, e.g. truncating indels in TP53 and TGFBR2, indicating MLH1 haploinsufficiency in correction of DNA indel errors. We further analyzed the exomes of 15 renal cell carcinomas (RCCs) and confirmed MLH1 haploinsufficiency. We observed a significant increase in the mutation rate of somatic indels in affected cases and identified recurrent truncating indels in several cancer genes such as VHL, PBRM1 and JARID1C. Together, our data suggest that MLH1 hemizygous deletion, through increasing the mutation rate of somatic indels, could drive the development and progression of sporadic cancers.

  Study EGAS00001000149

• Genome-wide search for higher order epistasis as modifiers of treatment effects on bone mineral density in childhood cancer survivors

  Survivors of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) exposed to curative treatments that adversely affect BMD (age- and sex-adjusted BMD Z-scores, measured via QCT). Specifically, after SNP QC and annotation, we considered 75523 autosomal SNPs mapped to putative promoter or enhancer regions to restrict our search to 3-way SNP interactions that potentially reflect gene regulation events that influence BMD. We replicated 3-SNP interactions as modifiers of treatment effects in a cohort of adult survivors of non-ALL pediatric cancers (N=1428).

  Study EGAS00001002645

• Whole genome sequencing of Ewings Sarcoma

  Sarcomas are cancers of the bone and soft tissue often defined by their gene fusions. However, the timing, context, and processes by which these pathogenic fusions arise are unknown. We explored this in Ewing sarcoma, a cancer driven by EWSR1-ETS fusions, with very few cooperating mutations. Combining whole-genome sequencing with enhanced informatics, we found that the EWSR1-ETS fusion arose from striking rearrangement clusters in 42% of cases (52/124). Notably, these were organized in loops that universally contained the fusion at their center, while also weaving up to 18 genes together with it. We found the same pattern of rearrangements in three additional types of sarcoma. From these data, we define a new signature for sarcoma fusions that precedes other somatic changes, in the earliest replicating DNA of the genome. This dramatic, sudden process impinges on many genes – generating multiple coding changes that profoundly affect the transcriptome, with the disease-defining gene fusion at its core. These rearrangement loops emerge in an early ES clone from which both the primary tumor and the lethal relapse emerged, and then evolved in parallel until clinically detected.

  Study EGAS00001003385

• Glioblastoma_CRISPR_Screen

  This is an in vitro genome-wide CRISPR/cas9 screen in human glioblastoma stem cells, screening for genes essential for survival of these cells. These cells express cas9 and have been transfected with a guide RNA library causing gene knockouts. We will analyse the sequencing data for depletion of guide RNAs.

  Study EGAS00001001519

• Mutational spectrum of highly differentiated, fusion-negative rhabdomyosarcoma (set 2).

  Pediatric PAX-FOXO1 fusion-negative rhabdomyosarcoma represents a diverse spectrum of tumors. In this study, the mutational spectrum of 22 fusion-negative rhabdomyosarcomas with high, rhabdomyoma-like levels of differentiation was evaluated using OncoPanel v.2 (OPv2), an Agilent SureSelect custom designed bait set consisting of the coding regions of 504 cancer-relevant genes. Corresponding normal tissue was not available. Discarded normal human skeletal muscle, obtained from 7 donors without tumor history, were also included in the sequencing run.

  Study EGAS00001002771

• A comprehensive assessment of somatic mutation detection in cancer using whole genome sequencing

  As whole genome sequencing for cancer genome analysis becomes a clinical tool, a full understanding of the variables affecting sequencing analysis output is required. Using tumor-normal sample pairs from two different types of cancer, chronic lymphocytic leukemia and medulloblastoma, we conducted a benchmarking exercise within the context of the International Cancer Genome Consortium. We compare sequencing methods, analysis pipelines, and even validation methods. Here we show that using PCR-free methods and increasing sequencing depth to ~100x showed benefits, as long as the tumor:control coverage ratio remains balanced. We observe widely varying mutation call rates and low concordance among analysis pipelines, reflecting the artifact-prone nature of the raw data and lack of standards for dealing with the artifacts. However, armed with the benchmark mutation set we have created, we show that many issues are in fact easy to remedy and have an immediate positive impact on mutation detection accuracy.

  Study EGAS00001001539

• Whole genome sequencing of primary and metastatic Melanoma cases in an Australian cohort.

  Melanoma is the fourth most common cancer in Australia and the leading cause of cancer death in young adults. The Australian Melanoma Genome Project (AMGP) is analysing whole genomes from melanomas. We include the results of whole genome sequencing (WGS) for a number of datasets that include cutaneous, acral and mucosal melanoma subtypes.

  Study EGAS00001001552

• We performed whole-exome sequencing of 20 samples (10 actinic keratosis and 10 cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma) to investigate a potential relationship between DNA methylation-based subtypes and genetic mutation patterns (Rodriguez-Paredes et al., Nat Commun 2017)

  Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) is the second most common skin cancer type and arises from keratinocytes. Most cSCC progress from a UV-induced precancerous lesion termed actinic keratosis (AK). Despite various efforts to characterize these lesions molecularly, the etiology of AK and its progression to cSCC remain only partially understood. Here we have used Infinium MethylationEPIC BeadChips to interrogate the DNA methylation status of about 850.000 CpGs in epidermal preparations from healthy skin, AK and cSCC. Importantly, we found that the premalignant AK samples displayed classical features of cancer methylomes and were highly similar to cSCC methylomes. Further analysis identified typical features of stem cell methylomes, such as a reduced DNA methylation age, non-CpG methylation and stem cell-related keratin and enhancer methylation patterns. Interestingly, this signature was detected only in one half of the AK and cSCC samples, while the other half showed keratin and enhancer methylation patterns that were more closely related to the control epidermis. These findings suggest the existence of two distinct subclasses of AK and cSCC that originate from distinct keratinocyte differentiation stages.

  Study EGAS00001002670

• PSCP_mutation_analysis_in_hESCs

  Many studies over the past 10 years, culminating in the recent report of the International Stem Cell Initiative (ISCI, 2011) have shown that hPSC acquire genetic and epigenetic changes during their time in culture. Many of the genetic changes are non-random and recurrent, probably because they provide a selective growth advantage to the undifferentiated cells. Some are shared by embryonal carcinoma cells, the malignant counterparts of ES cells. The origins of these growth advantages are poorly understood, but may come from altered cell cycle dynamics, resistance to apoptosis or altered patterns of differentiation. Less is known about the nature and consequences of epigenetic changes, but it is likely that these similarly affect hPSC behaviour; e.g., enhanced expression of DLK1, an imprinted gene, is associated with altered hPSC growth (Enver et al 2005). Inevitably, these genetic and epigenetic changes will impact on our ability to use hPSC for regenerative medicine, either because malignant transformation of the undifferentiated cells or their differentiated derivatives to be used for transplantation compromises safety, or because they impede the function of those differentiated derivatives, or because they affect the efficiency with which the undifferentiated cells can be expanded and differentiated into desired cell types. Focusing initially upon the existing clinical grade hESC lines, later moving to iPSC, we will Consolidate and extend knowledge of the rate, type and functional impact of the genetic variations that occur during hPSC culture. We will use whole genome and exome sequencing as well as SNP arrays, together with clonal analysis and other cytogenetics techniques. Common changes will be compared with those found in the normal human population, at low frequency in the original cell population or observed during iPSC generation in the HIPSCI project currently based at the WTSI. These studies will provide a better understanding of the range of genetic changes that occur in hPSC beyond the CNVs already identified. In conjunction with cancer genome resources and expertise at WTSI, bioinformatic analyses of these hPSC data will allow us to assess potential impact on hPSC behaviour pertinent to applications in regenerative medicine, notably the likelihood that specific changes arising in undifferentiated PSC cultures may be associated with potential malignant transformation of differentiated progeny. This data is part of a pre-publication release. For information on the proper use of pre-publication data shred by the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute (including details of any publication moratoria), please see http://www.sanger.ac.uk/datasharing/

  Study EGAS00001001561

• The_genetic_evolution_of_precursor_lesions_in_pancreatic_cancer

  Mapping genetic evolution of pancreatic cancer precursor lesions such as IPMNs and PanINs.

  Study EGAS00001001573

• Genome-wide mutational consequences of nucleotide excision repair-deficiency through XPC deletion in a human adult stem cell culture

  Nucleotide excision repair (NER) is one of the main DNA repair pathways that protect cells against genomic damage. Deficiency in this pathway can contribute to the development of cancer and accelerate aging. NER-deficiency is an important determinant for cancer treatment outcome, as NER-deficient tumors are selectively sensitive to cisplatin treatment. While NER-deficiency has been linked to mutational Signature 5, not all NER-deficient tumors are characterized by a high Signature 5 contribution, illustrating the importance to further characterize the mutational consequences of NER-deficiency. Here, we analyzed the mutational profile of a human adult stem cell (organoid) culture that is deficient in NER through XPC deletion by CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing, and subsequent whole-genome sequencing analysis of a clonally derived organoid. We found that XPC deletion results in an increase in base substitution load and specifically induces Signature 8 mutations, a mutational signature with previously unknown etiology. Presence of Signature 8 may, therefore, serve as a novel biomarker for NER-deficient tumors and could improve personalized treatment strategies.

  Study EGAS00001002681

• A Study to Evaluate Denosumab in Young Patients With Primary Breast Cancer (D-Beyond)

  This is a prospective, single arm phase IIa trial in which patients with early breast cancer will receive pre-operatively two doses of denosumab 120mg subcutaneously one week apart (maximum 12 days) followed by surgery. Tumor, normal breast tissue and blood samples will be collected at baseline and at surgery. Post-operative treatment will be at the discretion of the investigator.Primary objective: to determine if a short course of RANKL inhibition with denosumab can induce a decrease in tumor proliferation rates as determined by Ki67 immunohistochemistry (IHC) in newly diagnosed, early stage breast cancer in pre-menopausal women.

  Study EGAS00001003252

• MutWP5__CRUK_Mutographs_of_Cancer__Breast__Reduction_Mammoplasty___Exome__Novaseq_

  Cancer is a genetic disease caused by an accumulation of mutations, however many of these mutations have been identified in pathologically normal tissue. We aim to use laser-capture microscopy (LCM) to sample individual clones from breast tissue to identify whether cancer-associated mutations appear in this normal tissue, assess the mutational burden present, and identify the mutational processes causing these mutations. We will sample from a wide age range of individuals (<20 to >60 years old) to determine whether these processes differ in pre- and post-menopausal women. We will also be comparing the tissue from healthy individuals (samples from breast reduction surgery) to those at elevated risk of breast cancer (mastectomy from BRCA1/2 patients) and those who have breast cancer (adjacent normal, distal normal, and tumour tissue from mastectomy). This will allow us to determine how these processes are different between these groups of individuals, and gain insight into the earliest stages of tumor development.

  Study EGAS00001003527

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

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

  Study EGAS00001002684

• Integrative genomic analysis reveals cancer-associated mutations at diagnosis of CML in patients with high risk disease

  Genomic events associated with poor outcome in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) are poorly understood. We performed whole exome sequencing, copy number variation and/or RNA-Seq for 65 patients to discover mutations at diagnosis and blast crisis (BC). Forty-six chronic phase patients with the extremes of outcome were studied at diagnosis. Cancer gene variants were detected in 15/27 patients (56%) with subsequent BC or poor outcome and in 3/19 optimal responders (16%), P=.007. Frequently mutated genes at diagnosis were ASXL1, IKZF1 and RUNX1. The methyltransferase SETD1B was a novel recurrently mutated gene. A novel class of variant associated with the Philadelphia translocation was detected at diagnosis in 11/46 patients (24%) comprising fusions and/or rearrangement of genes on the translocated chromosomes, with evidence of fragmentation, inversion and imperfect sequence reassembly. These were more frequent at diagnosis in patients with poor outcome: 9/27 (33%) versus 2/19 optimal responders (11%), P=.07. Thirty-nine patients were tested at BC and all had cancer gene variants, including ABL1 kinase domain mutations in 58%. However, ABL1 mutations co-occurred with other mutated cancer genes in 89% of cases, and these predated ABL1 mutations in 62% of evaluable patients. Gene fusions not associated with the Philadelphia translocation occurred in 42% of patients at BC and commonly involved fusion partners that were known cancer genes (78%). Genomic analysis revealed numerous relevant variants at diagnosis in patients with poor outcome and all patients at BC. Future refined biomarker testing of specific variants will likely provide prognostic information to facilitate a risk-adapted therapeutic approach.

  Study EGAS00001003071

• Parallel Detections of Somatic Gene Mutations in Surgically Resected Tumor tissues and Matched Plasma Specimens in Early-Stages of Primary Breast Cancer

  We developed two panel successively, contain 68 and 136 genes respectively. Combination with ultrasound or mammography, it could be used for breast cancer early detection and avoided unnecessary surgery or other invasive detection.

  Study EGAS00001003075

• 2014_Lung_sq_WES

  Purpose Lung squamous cell carcinoma (SqCC) is the second most prevalent type of lung cancer. Currently, no targeted-therapeutics are approved for treatment of this cancer, largely due to lack of systematic understanding of the molecular parthenogenesis of the disease. To identify therapeutic targets and comparatively analyze them in lung SqCC, we probed somatic alterations of Korean lung SqCC. Patients and Methods We performed massively parallel whole-exome sequencing of 104 Korean lung SqCC patients’ samples with matched normal samples. In addition, copy number analysis and transcriptome analysis were conducted for a subset of these samples. Clinical association with cancer-specific somatic alterations was investigated.

  Study EGAS00001002844

• Dynamics of neoantigen landscape during immunotherapy

  Immune checkpoint inhibitors have shown significant therapeutic responses against tumors containing increased mutation-associated neoantigen load. We have examined the evolving landscape of tumor neoantigens during the emergence of acquired resistance in non-small cell lung cancer patients after initial response to immune checkpoint blockade with anti-PD1 or anti-PD-1/anti-CTLA4 antibodies. Analyses of matched pretreatment and resistant tumors identified genomic changes resulting in loss of 7 to 18 putative mutation-associated neoantigens in resistant clones. Peptides generated from the eliminated neoantigens elicited clonal T cell expansion in autologous T cell cultures, suggesting that they generated functional immune responses. Neoantigen loss occurred through elimination of tumor subclones or through deletion of chromosomal regions containing truncal alterations and were associated with changes in T cell receptor clonality. These analyses provide insights into the dynamics of mutational landscapes during immune checkpoint blockade and have implications for development of immune therapies that target tumor neoantigens.

  Study EGAS00001002704

• Copy number and mutation profiling of Stage 1 epithelial ovarian cancer biopsies

  This project aims at characterizing the genome-wide copy number profile and the variant profile of 139 genes om the five major histotytpes of early-stage (stage I) epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC), to provide insight in the the aethiology and development of the disease.

  Study EGAS00001004961

• Circulating Tumor DNA in Checkpoint Inhibitor treated Lung Cancer

  BackgroundImmune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) are increasingly used to treat non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and there is a critical need for novel predictive/prognostic biomarkers. We evaluated whether dynamics of circulating tumor (ctDNA) can identify NSCLC patients who benefit from single agent ICI.MethodsCirculating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) from 177 patients was analyzed prior ICI and at first treatment evaluation using a Commercial 77-gene panel. We performed de novo mutation calling and corrected for variants related clonal hematopoiesis. ctDNA changes were evaluated as predictors of tumor response estimated with PET/diagnostic CT and survival.ResultsMutations were detected in 159 of 174 (91.4%) analyzable patients. Most responders presented decreasing ctDNA levels, while non-responders had mixed molecular responses. Patients with a >50% molecular ctDNA decrease or no detectable ctDNA demonstrated improved PFS (5.9 versus 1.8 months; HR 0.49, 95%CI, 0.35-0.67, P < .001), and OS (18.9 versus 9.9 months; HR 0.41, 95%CI, 0.30-0.57, P < .001) compared to patients not achieving these endpoints. Clearance of mutations (and no detected ctDNA) had a similar effect (PFS HR 0.45, 95%CI, 0.32-0.61, P < .001; OS 0.37,95%CI, 0.27-0.52, P < .001) compared to patients having stable or additional mutations. After adjusting for clinical factors both >50% ctDNA decrease (HR 0.4, 95% CI, 0.3-0.6, P < .001) and clearance of mutations (HR 0.42, 95% CI, 0.3-0.6, P < .001) remained independent predictors for PFS and OS.ConclusionsctDNA testing reveals significant prognostic albeit not predictive information in ICI treated advanced NSCLC. This relevant information can be obtained with a commercial easy-to-implement ctDNA test that will facilitate extensive testing.

  Study EGAS00001004847

• Low and variable tumor reactivity of the intratumoral TCR repertoire in human cancers

  Infiltration of human cancers by T cells is generally interpreted as a sign of immune recognition, and there is a growing effort to reactivate dysfunctional T cells at such tumor sites. However, these efforts only have value if the intratumoral T cell receptor (TCR) repertoire of such cells is intrinsically tumor-reactive, and this has not been established in an unbiased manner for most human cancers. To address this issue, we analyzed the intrinsic tumor-reactivity of the intratumoral TCR repertoire of CD8+ T cells in ovarian and colorectal cancer – two tumor types for which T cell infiltrates form a positive prognostic marker. Data obtained demonstrate that a capacity to recognize autologous tumor is limited to approximately 10% of intratumoral CD8+ T cells. Furthermore, in two out of four patient samples tested, no tumor-reactive TCRs were identified, despite infiltration of their tumors by T cells. These data indicate that the intrinsic capacity of intratumoral T cells to recognize adjacent tumor tissue can be rare and variable, and suggest that clinical efforts to reactivate intratumoral T cells will benefit from approaches that simultaneously increase the quality of the intratumoral TCR repertoire.

  Study EGAS00001003119

• To_profile_the_landscape_of_sebaceous_tumours_WES

  Sebaceous tumours are a rare cutaneous cancer with potential for aggressive behaviour. However, limited information is available on these cancers with few published cases. Here we wish to exome sequence these cancers to define the first genomic landscape for this malignancy. We will extract DNA from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) cores. Cores may be obtained from lesional and non-lesional tissues of primaries as well as matching metastases. The extracted DNA will be used for exome sequencing.

  Study EGAS00001003553

• Non_Tumour_Renal_Cell_Line_Sequencing

  Genomic libraries (500 bps) will be generated from total genomic DNA derived from commomon epithelial cancer samples and subjected to total of eight lanes of 37 bp, paired end sequencing on the llumina GA. Paired reads will be mapped to build 37 of the human reference genome to facilitate the generation of genome wide copy number information, and the identification of novel rearranged cancer genes and gene fusions.

  Study EGAS00001000205

• Exome and RNA sequencing data from 32 ocular and extraocular sebaceous carcinomas

  Sebaceous carcinomas (SeC) are cutaneous malignancies that, in rare cases, metastasize and prove fatal. Here we report whole exome sequencing on 32 SeC, revealing distinct mutational classes that explain both cancer ontogeny and clinical course. A UV-damage signature predominated 10/32 samples, while 9 were instead defined by microsatellite instability (MSI) mutations. UV-damage SeC exhibited poorly differentiated, infiltrative histopathologycompared to MSI signature SeC (p = 0.003), features previously associated with dissemination. Strikingly, UV-damage SeC transcriptomes and anatomic distributionclosely resembling those of cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas (SCC), implicating sun-exposed keratinocytes as a cell of origin. Like SCC, this UV-damage subclass harbors a high somatic mutation burden with >50 mutations/Mb, predicting immunotherapeutic response. In contrast, ocular SeC acquire far fewer mutations without a dominant signature, but show frequent truncating mutations in the ZNF750 epidermal differentiation regulator. Our data exemplify how different mutational processes convergently drive histopathologically related but clinically distinct cancers.

  Study EGAS00001002869

• Androgen deprivation therapy promotes an inflammatory and obesity-like microenvironment in periprostatic fat

  Prostate cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related death and morbidity worldwide. Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is the cornerstone of management for advanced disease. The use of androgen deprivation therapies is associated with multiple side effects, including metabolic syndrome and truncal obesity. At the same time, obesity has been associated with both prostate cancer development and disease progression, linked to its effects on chronic inflammation at a tissue level. The connection between androgen deprivation therapy, obesity, inflammation, and prostate cancer progression is well-established in clinical settings; however, an understanding of the changes in adipose tissue at the molecular level induced by castrating therapies is missing. Here we investigated the transcriptional changes in periprostatic fat tissue induced by profound androgen deprivation therapy in a group of patients with high-risk tumours compared to a matching untreated cohort. We find that androgen deprivation therapy is associated with a pro-inflammatory and obesity-like adipose tissue microenvironment. This study suggests that the beneficial effect of androgen deprivation therapy may be partially counteracted by metabolic and inflammatory side effects in the adipose tissue surrounding the prostate.

  Study EGAS00001003286

• Whole exome sequencing of small cell neuroendocrine cancer of the cervix

  In order to improve treatment selection for high grade neuroendocrine carcinomas of the cervix (NECC), we performed a comparative genomic analysis between this rare tumor type and other cervical cancer types, as well as extra-cervical neuroendocrine small cell carcinomas of the lung and bladder. We performed whole exome sequencing on fresh-frozen tissue from 15 NECCs and matched normal tissue. We then identified mutations and copy number variants using standard analysis pipelines. Published mutation tables from cervical cancers and extra-cervical small cell carcinomas were used for comparative analysis. Descriptive statistical methods were used and a two-sided threshold of P < .05 was used for significance. In the NECC cohort, we detected a median of 1.7 somatic mutations per megabase (range 1.0-20.9). PIK3CA p.E545K mutations were the most frequency observed oncogenic mutation (4/15 tumors, 27%). Activating MAPK pathway mutations in KRAS (p.G12D) and GNAS (p.R201C) co-occurred in two tumors (13%). In total we identified PI3-kinase or MAPK pathway activating mutations in 67% of NECC. When compared to NECC, lung and bladder small cell carcinomas exhibited a statistically significant higher rate of coding mutations (P < .001 for lung; P = .001 for bladder). Mutation of TP53 was uncommon in NECC (13%) and was more frequent in both lung (103 of 110 tumors [94%], P < .001) and bladder (18 of 19 tumors [95%], P < .001) small cell carcinoma. These comparative genomics data suggest that NECC may be genetically more similar to common cervical cancer subtypes than to extra-cervical small cell neuroendocrine carcinomas of the lung and bladder. These results may have implications for the selection of cytotoxic and targeted therapy regimens for this rare disease.

  Study EGAS00001003142

• Cancer_Genome_Libraries_Tests

  Testing library production.Genomic libraries (500 bps) will be generated from total genomic DNA derived from commomon epithelial cancer samples and subjected to paired end sequencing on the llumina plateforms. Paired reads will be mapped to build 37 of the human reference genome to facilitate the generation of genome wide copy number information, and the identification of novel rearranged cancer genes and gene fusions.

  Study EGAS00001000208

• Test_of_PCR_library_method_on_whole_genmoe_samples

  We will sequence 2 whole genome pairs which have had the libraries prepared with a PCR step. The resulting sequence will be compared to teh same samples which have had sequence obtain using a no_PCR library method. the sequence obtained in this experiment may or may not be used in conjunction with the other sequence obtain for these samples in the search for novel cancer mutations.

  Study EGAS00001000214

• Palbociclib resistance analyses on breast cancer bone metastasis PDX

  Identify mecanisms of metastatic breast cancer resistance to palbociclib by RNAseq analyses.

  Study EGAS00001006428

• Mutated H3 Histones Drive Human Pre-Leukemic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Expansion And Promote Leukemic Aggressiveness

  Leukemogenesis is a stepwise progression from mutated, pre-neoplastic hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) to full-blown leukemia. Our ability to prevent or treat acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is limited by our incomplete understanding of the epigenetic disruption that is central to this process, including improper histone methylation. Comprehensive analysis of 16 histone H3 genes in 434 primary AML samples identified Q69H, A26P, R2Q, R8H and K27M/I mutations (1.6%), and a higher incidence in secondary AML (s-AML) (9%). We establish that these mutations are important early events in leukemogenesis. They occur in pre-leukemic HSCs, increase the frequency of functional human HSCs, and alter differentiation. The mutations are present in the major leukemic clones in primary samples, and the mutant histones amplify leukemic aggressiveness with increased proliferation, expansion of leukemic progenitor and blast cells, and superior competitiveness in vivo. These effects are dependent on the specific mutation. Genome-wide analysis of K27 mutants revealed increased expression of genes involved in erythrocyte and myeloid differentiation with a corresponding decrease in histone H3 K27 tri-methylation and increase in K27 acetylation. The functional impact of histone mutations is independent of RUNX1 mutations, although they can co-occur. These data establish the involvement of H3 mutations as initial drivers of pre-cancerous stem cell expansion and leukemogenesis.

  Study EGAS00001003288

• Identifying_Novel_Fusion_Genes_in_Myeloma

  To identify novel fusion genes in Myeloma samples

  Study EGAS00001000220

• Adeno-associated virus in the liver: natural history and consequences in tumor development

  Adeno-associated virus (AAV) is a defective mono-stranded DNA virus, endemic in human population (40-80%). AAV infection has long been considered as non-pathogenic1, however few years ago we reported for the first time recurrent clonal AAV2 insertion in the pathogenesis of human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) developed on normal liver. These clonal viral insertions target cancer driver genes, including CCNA2, CCNE1, TERT, TNFSF10 and MLL4, leading to their overexpression. The viral inserted sequences involved in almost all the cases the 3’ inverse tandem repeat (ITR) of AAV2, which is important for virus integration in host DNA and exhibits a promoter/enhancer activity. Here, we used RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) to investigate their functional impact on the tissue, such as fusion transcript generation events.

  Study EGAS00001003310

• Human pan-cancer plasma cfRNA study - raw data

  This study contains mRNA capture sequencing data from plasma of 266 different human donors. The first, pan-cancer, cohort covers 25 high-grade to metastatic cancer types (8 cancer patients per type) and a control group (8 healthy donors). The validation cohort comprises additional plasma samples from ovarian, prostate and uterine cancer patients (12 per type) as well as additional samples from controls (22 new and 8 repeated). Samples were sequenced on a NovaSeq 6000 and are provided in FASTQ format.

  Study EGAS00001006755

• Somatic_mutation_and_clonal_evolution_in_premalignant_lung_disease___WGS

  Cancer is a genetic disease caused by an accumulations of mutations, however many of these mutations have been identified in pathologically normal tissue. We aim to use laser-capture microscopy (LCM) to sample individual clones from the lung tissue of individuals with a variety of lung diseases (COPD, UIP, IPF, Emphysema, pulmonary hypertension). This will allow us to identify whether cancer-associated mutations appear in this normal tissue, assess the mutational burden present, and identify the mutational processes causing these mutations. Smoking is a large risk factor for developing many of these lung diseases so we are particularly keen to determining whether there is evidence of a smoking signature in these patients.

  Study EGAS00001002747

• Dynamics of multiple resistance mechanisms in plasma DNA and their clinical implications for NSCLC patients receiving EGFR-targeted therapies

  Background:The development of resistance mechanisms to targeted therapies is complicated by underlying tumour heterogeneity. When multiple resistance mechanisms co-exist, identifying the dominant driver(s) is critical for selection of treatment. Patients and methods:We studied the relative dynamics of multiple oncogenic drivers and resistance mechanisms in 50 patients with EGFR-mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), during treatment with gefitinib and hydroxychloroquine (NCT00809237). We performed digital PCR and targeted deep sequencing of cell-free DNA from longitudinal plasma samples from all patients, and shallow whole genome sequencing of serial samples from three patients who underwent histological transformation to small-cell lung cancer (SCLC). ResultsEGFR activating mutations were assessed in tumour samples and accurately identified in plasma samples of 95% of patients (41/43). We identified additional mutations including EGFR T790M (31/50, 62%), TP53 (23/50, 46%), PIK3CA (7/50, 14%), and PTEN (4/50, 8%), and tracked their relative levels in plasma. Patients with both TP53 and EGFR mutations detected in plasma pre-treatment tended to have worse overall survival than those where only EGFR was detected. The resistance-conferring EGFR T790M mutation was identified in 62% of the patients who progressed. Changes in relative levels of T790M and activating mutations in EGFR corresponded to clinical responses in two patients who were given sequential treatments. Patients who progressed without T790M detected in plasma had worse PFS during TKI continuation, and developed alternative resistance mechanisms, that could be identified in plasma DNA, including SCLC-associated copy number changes and TP53 mutations, that tracked with progression and response to subsequent therapies. Conclusion:Longitudinal analysis of multiple oncogenic drivers in ctDNA may help identifying dominant mechanisms of resistance to EGFR-targeted therapies, and highlight the importance of monitoring genetic events that are not direct drug targets but provide non-invasive molecular information that may guide clinical management.

  Study EGAS00001002908

• Enrichment of oral-derived bacteria in inflamed colorectal tumors and distinct associations of Fusobacterium in the mesenchymal subtype

  The association between colorectal cancer (CRC) clinical variables and Fusobacterium, but not other intra-tumoral bacteria, has been extensively studied. Here we leveraged whole-transcriptome sequencing from 807 CRC tumor samples from the AVANT phase III trial to dually characterize tumor gene expression and intra-tumoral bacteria. After stringent filtering, 74 high-confidence taxa were identified. 17 of these species, including 4 Fusobacterium spp., were classified as orally-derived and had a robust signal within right-sided, MSI-H, and BRAF mutant tumors. Across consensus molecular subtypes (CMS), integration of Fusobacterium animalis presence and tumor gene expression revealed that F. animalis had the greatest number of associations in mesenchymal CMS4 tumors, despite an overall lower prevalence than in immune CMS1 tumors. Pathway analysis within CMS4 revealed that F. animalis, but not other highly prevalent species, was uniquely associated with pathways for collagen degradation and formation as well as IL-6 and IL-1 cytokine signaling. These associations could explain in part why Fusobacterium has been previously associated with reduced survival in mesenchymal populations. Overall, this study identified oral-derived bacteria, including Fusobacterium, as broadly more prevalent in inflamed CRC tumors compared to the other subtypes, and the association of intra-tumoral bacteria on tumor gene expression is context- and species-specific.

  Study EGAS00001006757

• Personalized RNA mutanome vaccines mobilize poly-specific therapeutic immunity against cancer

  The goal of the sequencing study was to determine the neoantigen profile of melanoma patients. We performed whole exome sequening of the tumor and respective patien matched PBMC samples (2x50nt) and RNA-sqeuencing of the tumor samples. The was analyzed for somatic point mutaions, using the RNA-Seq data to determine mutation expression. This study contains the exome seq data.

  Study EGAS00001003306

• MutWP5__CRUK_Mutographs_of_Cancer__BRCA_Carriers___WG__Novaseq_

  Cancer is a genetic disease caused by an accumulation of mutations, however many of these mutations have been identified in pathologically normal tissue. We aim to use laser-capture microscopy (LCM) to sample individual clones from breast tissue to identify whether cancer-associated mutations appear in this normal tissue, assess the mutational burden present, and identify the mutational processes causing these mutations. We will sample from a wide age range of individuals (<20 to >60 years old) to determine whether these processes differ in pre- and post-menopausal women. We will also be comparing the tissue from healthy individuals (samples from breast reduction surgery) to those at elevated risk of breast cancer (mastectomy from BRCA1/2 patients) and those who have breast cancer (adjacent normal, distal normal, and tumour tissue from mastectomy). This will allow us to determine how these processes are different between these groups of individuals, and gain insight into the earliest stages of tumor development.

  Study EGAS00001003523

• sWGS on cfDNA and matching tumor DNA in pediatric cancer

  This dataset contains shallow whole genome sequencing data from paired cfDNA - tumor DNA samples of various pediatric cancer entities. Files are provided in fastq format. Samples were sequenced on an Ion Proton sequencer (Thermo Fisher Scientific) or a Hiseq3000 (Illumina). Data analysis is available at https://github.com/rmvpaeme/sWGS_pediatric_cancer.

  Study EGAS00001005198

• The University of Hong Kong Gastric Cancer Organoids RHO Signaling Study

  Objective: Cell-cell (CC) and cell-matrix (CM) adhesions are essential for epithelial cell survival, yet dissociation-induced apoptosis is frequently circumvented in malignant cells. Design: We explored CC and CM dependence in 58 gastric cancer (GC) organoids by withdrawing either ROCK inhibitor, matrix, or both, to evaluate their tumorigenic potential in terms of apoptosis resistance, correlation with oncogenic driver mutations and clinical behaviour. We performed mechanistic studies to determine the role of diffuse-type GC drivers: ARHGAP fusions, RHOA, and CDH1, in modulating CC (CCi) or CM (CMi) adhesion independence. Results: 97% of the tumour organoids were CMi, 66% were CCi and 52% were resistant to double withdrawal (CCi/CMi), while normal organoids were neither CMi nor CCi. Clinically, the CCi/CMi phenotype was associated with an infiltrative tumour edge and advanced tumour stage. Moreover, the CCi/CMi transcriptome signature was associated with poor patient survival when applied to 3 public GC datasets. CCi/CMi and CCi phenotypes were enriched in diffuse-type GC organoids, especially in those with oncogenic driver perturbation of RHO signalling via RHOA mutation or ARHGAP fusions. Inducible knockout of ARHGAP fusions in CCi/CMi tumour organoids led to re-sensitization to CC/CM dissociation-induced apoptosis, upregulation of focal adhesion and tight junction genes, partial reversion to a more normal cystic phenotype, and inhibited xenograft formation. Normal gastric organoids engineered with CDH1 or RHOA mutations became CMi or CCi, respectively. Conclusions: The CCi/CMi phenotype has a critical role in malignant transformation and tumour progression, offering new mechanistic information on RHO-ROCK pathway inhibition that contributes to GC pathogenicity.

  Study EGAS00001006252

• ENU_NCI_H508_cetuximab_fixed_concentration_project

  Cetuximab is a targeted monoclonal antibody against the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) which is used therapeutically for the treatment of KRAS wild-type colorectal cancer (CRC). The Cetuximab sensitive KRAS wild-type CRC cell line NCI-H508 has been treated with a fixed concentration of ENU for 24 hours and then selected with Cetuximab until drug resistant clones were ready to be picked and grown up as sub-clones of the parental cell line. These will have genes causally implicated in cancer sequenced to identify common point mutations in multiple independently derived drug resistant clones as a forward genetic screen for mechanisms of resistance to Cetuximab in CRC

  Study EGAS00001001744

• ENU_NCI_H508_Cetuximab_SecondRound

  Cetuximab is a targeted monoclonal antibody against the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) which is used therapeutically for the treatment of KRAS wild-type colorectal cancer (CRC). The Cetuximab sensitive KRAS wild-type CRC cell line NCI-H508 has been treated with a fixed concentration of ENU for 24 hours and then selected with Cetuximab until drug resistant clones were ready to be picked and grown up as sub-clones of the parental cell line. These will have genes causally implicated in cancer sequenced to identify common point mutations in multiple independently derived drug resistant clones as a forward genetic screen for mechanisms of resistance to Cetuximab in CRC

  Study EGAS00001001745

• MutWP5__CRUK_Mutographs_of_Cancer__Breast__Reduction_Mammoplasty__WG_

  Cancer is a genetic disease caused by an accumulation of mutations, however many of these mutations have been identified in pathologically normal tissue. We aim to use laser-capture microscopy (LCM) to sample individual clones from breast tissue to identify whether cancer-associated mutations appear in this normal tissue, assess the mutational burden present, and identify the mutational processes causing these mutations. We will sample from a wide age range of individuals (<20 to >60 years old) to determine whether these processes differ in pre- and post-menopausal women. We will also be comparing the tissue from healthy individuals (samples from breast reduction surgery) to those at elevated risk of breast cancer (mastectomy from BRCA1/2 patients) and those who have breast cancer (adjacent normal, distal normal, and tumour tissue from mastectomy). This will allow us to determine how these processes are different between these groups of individuals, and gain insight into the earliest stages of tumor development.

  Study EGAS00001003311

• Multi-omics Profiling of Asian Breast Cancers

  Whole exome and transcriptome sequencing data of primary tumors from 178 Korean breast cancer patients.

  Study EGAS00001002621

• Patient-derived organoids model treatment response of metastatic gastrointestinal cancers (targeted and whole-genome sequencing)

  Patient-derived organoids (PDOs) have recently emerged as robust pre-clinical models, however, their potential to predict patient clinical outcomes remain unclear. We report a living biobank of PDOs from metastatic, heavily-pretreated colorectal and gastroesophageal cancer patients recruited in phase I/II clinical trials. Phenotypic and genotypic profiling of PDOs showed a high-degree of similarity to the original patient tumor. Molecular profiling of tumor organoids was matched to drug screening results, suggesting PDOs could complement existing approaches in defining cancer vulnerabilities and improving treatment responses. We compared ex vivo organoid responses to anticancer agents, and PDO-based orthotopic mouse tumor xenograft models to the response of the patient in clinical trials. Our data suggest that PDOs can recapitulate patient responses in the clinic, and have the potential to be implemented in personalized medicine programs.

  Study EGAS00001002784

• Genomic analysis Nasopharyngeal cancer through whole exome sequencing and whole genomic sequencing.

  Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a squamous-cell carcinoma and has remarkable ethnic and geographic distribution, with a high prevalence in southern China, southeast Asia, northern Africa and Alaska. Although there are previous studies implicated NF-κB pathway play an important role in NPC. Newer research also found several important cellular processes and pathways in NPC, including chromatin modification, ERBB-PI3K signaling and autophagy machinery. Put these studies together, although, NPC is still poorly understood at the genetic level. Here we determined the mutational landscape of 553 cases with NPC using whole-genomic and whole-exome sequencing. These approaches revealed a distinct mutational signature and significantly mutated genes.

  Study EGAS00001002788

• Exploiting evolutionary steering in cancer therapy

  Drug resistance, mediated by intra-tumour heterogeneity and clonal evolution, is arguably the biggest problem in cancer therapy today. However, evolving resistance to one drug may come at the cost of increased sensitivity to another due to so-called evolutionary trade-offs. This weakness can be exploited in the clinic using an approach called ‘evolutionary herding’ that aims at controlling the tumour cell population to delay or prevent resistance. However, model systems able to recapitulate cancer evolution experimentally are lacking and current in vitro techniques based on small populations, re-plating and escalating dose, are unsuitable to develop evolutionary herding strategies. We present a novel methodology for evolutionary herding in vitro and ex vivo using patient-derived organoids. Our approach is based on a combination of single-cell barcoding, very large populations of 108-109 cells grown without re-plating, realistic high drug doses, time-course monitoring of cancer clones, and mathematical modelling of tumour evolutionary dynamics. We demonstrate evolutionary herding in non-small cell lung cancer in vitro and in patient-derived colorectal cancer organoids (PDO). We show that herding causes controlled evolutionary bottlenecks that lead to collateral sensitivity. Through genomic analysis, we were also able to determine the mechanisms that drive such sensitivity. Our approach allows modelling evolutionary trade-offs experimentally to test patient-specific evolutionary herding strategies that can be translated into the clinic to control treatment resistance.

  Study EGAS00001003200

• Whole Exome Sequencing of High grade T1 non-muscle invasive bladder cancer

  High-grade T1 (HGT1) bladder cancer (BC) is the highest risk subtype of non-muscle-invasive BC with unpredictable outcome and poorly understood risk factors. Here we performed whole exome sequencing across 61 HGT1 samples to identify genomic predictors of good outcome, recurrence or progression. This study includes somatic mutation calls and clinical data for 61 HGT1 tumors.

  Study EGAS00001004603

• Latency and interval therapy affect the evolution in metastatic colorectal cancer

  While comparison of primary tumor and metastases has highlighted genomic heterogeneity in colorectal cancer (CRC), previous studies have focused on a single metastatic site or limited genomic testing. Combining data from whole exome and ultra-deep targeted sequencing, we explored possible evolutionary trajectories beyond the status of these mutations, particularly among patient-matched metastatic tumors. Our findings confirm the persistence of known clinically-relevant mutations (e.g. those of RAS family of oncogenes) in CRC primary and metastases, yet reveal that latency and interval systemic therapy affect the course of evolutionary events within metastatic lesions. Specifically, our analysis of patient-matched primary and multiple metastatic lesions, developed over time, showed a similar genetic composition for liver metastatic tumors, which were 21-months apart. This genetic makeup was different from those identified in lung metastases developed before manifestation of the second liver metastasis. These results underscore the role of dormancy in the evolutionary path of metastatic CRC.

  Study EGAS00001003646

• Evolution of GBM through therapy

  Primary glioblastoma (GBM) tumours recur following treatment. This is likely due to intratumour heterogeneity (ITH), which reduces the effectiveness of cancer therapies by enabling therapy-driven tumour evolution: Darwinian selection of genotypically and/or phenotypically distinct cells (subclones) that resist treatment to seed regrowth of an even less treatable recurrence. To investigate this we sequenced a pilot cohort of nine paired primary and locally recurrent GBM tumours, alongside matched blood samples, in order to begin characterising therapy resistant cells and thereby infer the mechanisms by which they evaded treatment. These data were included in the first data release from the Glioma Longitudinal AnalySiS (GLASS) consortium.

  Study EGAS00001003546

• Whole_Genome_Sequencing_of_Human_Organoid_Lines

  The study will use WGS to aid in benchmarking different culture conditions in a set of genetically annotated human organoid lines. The data will be used to assess whether there is any clonal differences introduced when culturing these lines in different conditions.

  Study EGAS00001003538

• MutWP5__CRUK_Mutographs_of_Cancer__Breast__BRCA_Carriers__Exome_

  Sequencing of LCM-derived microbiopsies from 20 women who underwent risk-reducing reduction mastectomies due to germline BRCA1/2. Goal to assess the mutational burden, spectrum, and clonal dynamics within the tissue. Exome data will be used as a driver and clonality screen, highly clonal or driver-containing samples will subsequently be sent for whole-genome sequencing. Results from this portion of the study will be compared to women who had cosmetic breast reduction surgeries and those with cancer.

  Study EGAS00001003316

• Myeloproliferative_Disease_Whole_Genomes

  Wholegenome libraries will be prepared from at least two serial samples reflecting different stages of disease progression and matched constitutional DNA for 30 Myeloproliferative Disease samples. Five lanes of Illumina HiSeq sequencing will be performed on each of the tumour samples and four lanes for each of the constitutional DNA. Sequencing data will mapped to build 37 of the human reference genome and analysis will be performed to characterize the spectrum of somatic variation present in these samples including single base pair mutations, insertions, deletions as well as larger structural variants and genomic rearrangements.

  Study EGAS00001000290

• Analyses of IACS-010759 treatment resistance on breast cancer bone metastases

  Identification of biological mecanisms involved in resistance of breast cancer bone metastases to IACS treatment.

  Study EGAS00001006429

• MutWP5__CRUK_Mutographs_of_Cancer__Breast__Cancer_Mastectomy__WG_

  Sequencing of LCM-derived microbiopsies from 40 women who underwent mastectomies due to breast cancer. LCM and sequencing will be conducted on both normal, unaffected breast, and, where possible, tumour tissue. Goal to assess the mutational burden, spectrum, and clonal dynamics within the tissue, and compare findings between the normal and associated cancer tissues. Whole-genome sequencing will be conducted on samples identified as promising from the initial targeted data. Results from this portion of the study will be compared to women who had cosmetic breast reduction surgeries and those who are BRCA carriers.

  Study EGAS00001003317

• Whole Exome sequencing of Gingivo-buccal Cancer : ICGC-India Project_Batch04

  Whole Exome Sequencing of Gingivo-buccal Cancer: ICGC-India ProjectAs a part of the ICGC, India has undertaken genomic studies on gingivobuccal cancer of the oral cavity, which is the most prevalent form of cancer among men in India. There are various known environmental (life-style) correlates of this cancer, the most important of which are tobacco chewing and HPV infection. Exome of paired DNA samples – isolated from the tumor tissue and from the blood of 47 patients – have been performed to catalog germline and somatic mutations. Association between each observed genomic alteration and exposure to environmental risk factors is being explored. Detailed clinical characterization of the patients, collection of data on demographic and environmental exposures, and isolation of DNA samples from blood and tumor tissues collected from each patient are being done at the Advanced Centre for Research, Treatment and Education on Cancer, Mumbai. Whole exome sequencing is being performed at the National Institute of Biomedical Genomics, Kalyani.

  Study EGAS00001002852

• MutWP5__CRUK_Mutographs_of_Cancer__Breast__Cancer_Mastectomy__Targeted_

  Sequencing of LCM-derived microbiopsies from 30 women who mastectomies due to Breast Cancer. Goal to assess the mutational burden, spectrum, and clonal dynamics within the tissue. Targeted data will be used as a driver and clonality screen, highly clonal or driver-containing samples will subsequently be sent for whole-genome sequencing. Results from this portion of the study will be compared to women who had cosmetic breast reduction surgeries and those with germline BRCA 1/2 mutations.

  Study EGAS00001003318

• Genomic Profiling of Thyroid Cancer Reveals a Role for Thyroglobulin in Metastasis

  Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) has a wide geographic variation in incidence, being highest in Saudi Arabia where it is only second to breast cancer as the most common cancer among females. Genomic profiling of PTC from Saudi Arabia has not been attempted previously. We performed whole-exome sequencing of 101 PTC samples and the corresponding genomic DNA to identify genes with recurrent somatic mutations, followed by sequencing of these genes using a next-generation gene panel approach in further 785 samples. In addition to BRAF, N-RAS and H-RAS, which have previously been shown to be recurrently mutated in PTC, our analysis highlights additional genes, including thyroglobulin (TG), which harbored somatic mutations in 3% of the entire cohort. Surprisingly, although TG mutations were not exclusive to mutations in the RAS-MAP kinase pathway, their presence was associated with a significantly worse clinical outcome, which suggests a pathogenic role beyond driving initial oncogenesis. Analysis of metastatic PTC tissue revealed significant enrichment for TG mutations (p<0.001), including events of apparent clonal expansion. Our results suggest a previously unknown role of TG somatic mutations in the pathogenesis of PTC and its malignant evolution.

  Study EGAS00001001788

• Korean Lung Cancer - 36 pair WES data

  This study includes 36 paired samples of Korean Lung Cancer paitients.36 Lung Cnacer samples are paired with each normal(Saliva derived for control) sequencing data.The results of this WES study were analyzed by Mutect and GATK for ranking germline variants and cancer variants to make mutational profile matrix.

  Study EGAS00001002843

• Somatic_mutation_and_clonal_evolution_normal_breast_tissue_TGS

  Cancer is a genetic disease caused by an accumulation of mutations, however many of these mutations have been identified in pathologically normal tissue. We aim to use laser-capture microscopy (LCM) to sample individual clones from breast tissue to identify whether cancer-associated mutations appear in this normal tissue, assess the mutational burden present, and identify the mutational processes causing these mutations. We will sample from a wide age range of individuals (<20 to >70 years old) to determine whether these processes differ in pre- and post-menopausal women. We will also be comparing the tissue from healthy individuals (samples from breast reduction surgery) to those at elevated risk of breast cancer (mastectomy from BRCA1/2 patients) and those who have breast cancer (adjacent normal, distal normal, and tumour tissue from mastectomy). This will allow us to determine how these processes are different between these groups of individuals, and gain insight into the earliest stages of tumour development.

  Study EGAS00001002858

• Biallelic tumor suppressor loss and DNA repair defects in de novo small cell prostate cancer

  Small cell prostatic carcinoma (SCPC) is an aggressive pathology that is managed similar to small cell lung cancer. SCPC can evolve from prostatic adenocarcinoma in response to androgen deprivation therapy but in rare cases is present at initial cancer diagnosis. The molecular etiology of de novo SCPC is incompletely understood due to the scarcity of tumor tissue and the brief life expectancy of patients. Through a retrospective search of our regional oncology pharmacy database, we identified 18 patients diagnosed with de novo SCPC between 2004 and 2017. Ten patients had pure SCPC pathology and the remainder had some admixed adenocarcinoma foci, but all were treated with first line platinum-based chemotherapy. Median overall survival was 28 months. We performed targeted DNA sequencing, whole exome sequencing and mRNA profiling on formalin-fixed paraffin embedded archival tumor tissue. We observed frequent biallelic deletion and/or mutation of tumor suppressors TP53, RB1 and PTEN, similar to treatment related SCPC. Indeed, at the RNA level pure de novo SCPC closely resembled treatment-related SCPC. However, five patients had biallelic loss of DNA repair genes including BRCA1, BRCA2, ATM and MSH2/6: potentially underlying the high genomic instability of this rare disease variant. Two patients with pure de novo SCPC harbored ETS gene rearrangements to androgen-driven promoters, consistent with evolution of de novo SCPC from an androgen-driven ancestor. Overall, our results reveal a highly aggressive molecular landscape underlies this unusual pathologic variant, and propose opportunities for targeted therapy strategies in a disease with few treatment options.

  Study EGAS00001003007

• Combined targeting of BRD4-associated Promoter Activation and NFKB Immunomodulation in ARID1A-mutated Gastric Adenocarcinoma

  Gastric cancer (GC) a leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide, with ARID1A identified as the second most frequently mutated driver gene in GC. This study involves comprehensive genomic profiling of a Singaporean cohort of over 200 GC patients to characterize the mutational signatures associated with ARID1A inactivation across various molecular subtypes of GC. The findings highlight a potential therapeutic approach for ARID1A-mutated GCs, targeting both tumor-intrinsic mechanisms (BRD4-associated promoter activation) and extrinsic immunomodulatory pathways (NFKB signaling).

  Study EGAS00001006397

• MutWP5__CRUK_Mutographs_of_Cancer__Breast__Cancer_Mastectomy__Exome_

  Sequencing of LCM-derived microbiopsies from 30 women who underwent mastectomies due to a breast cancer diagnosis. Goal to assess the mutational burden, spectrum, and clonal dynamics within the tissue. Exome data will be used as a driver and clonality screen, highly clonal or driver-containing samples will subsequently be sent for whole-genome sequencing. Results from this portion of the study will be compared to women who had cosmetic breast reduction surgeries and those with germline BRCA 1/2 mutations.

  Study EGAS00001003319

• Recapitulation of genetic predisposition to medulloblastoma in human neuroepithelial stem cells

  Human neural stem cell cultures provide progenitor cells that are potential cells of origin for brain cancers. However, the extent to which genetic predisposition to tumor formation can be faithfully captured in stem cell lines is uncertain. Here we evaluated neuroepithelial stem (NES) cells, representative of cerebellar progenitors. We transduced NES cells with MYCN, observing medulloblastoma upon orthotopic implantation in mice. Significantly, transcriptomes and patterns of DNA methylation from xenograft tumors were globally more representative of human medulloblastoma compared to a MYCN-driven genetically engineered mouse model. Orthotopic transplantation of NES cells generated from Gorlin syndrome, patients predisposed to medulloblastoma due to germline mutated PTCH1, also generated medulloblastoma. We engineered candidate cooperating mutations in Gorlin NES cells, with mutation of DDX3X or loss of GSE1 both accelerating tumorigenesis. These findings demonstrate that human NES cells provide a potent experimental resource for dissecting genetic causation in medulloblastoma.

  Study EGAS00001003620

• RRBS sequencing of 7 tumour regions and a normal sample from a single TRACERx patient.

  Background: Epigenetic heterogeneity within a tumour can play an important role in tumour evolution and the emergence of resistance to treatment. It is increasingly recognised that the study of DNA methylation (DNAm) patterns along the genome - so-called `epialleles' - offers greater insight into epigenetic dynamics than conventional analyses which examine DNAm marks individually. Results: We have developed a Bayesian model to infer which epialleles are present in multiple regions of the same tumour. We apply our method to reduced representation bisulfite sequencing (RRBS) data from multiple regions of one lung cancer tumour and a matched normal sample. The model borrows information from all tumour regions to leverage greater statistical power. The total number of epialleles, the epiallele DNAm patterns, and a noise hyperparameter are all automatically inferred from the data. Uncertainty as to which epiallele an observed sequencing read originated from is explicitly incorporated by marginalising over the appropriate posterior densities. The degree to which tumour samples are contaminated with normal tissue can be estimated and corrected for. By tracing the distribution of epialleles throughout the tumour we can infer the phylogenetic history of the tumour, identify epialleles that differ between normal and cancer tissue, and define a measure of global epigenetic disorder. Conclusions: Detection and comparison of epialleles within multiple tumour regions enables phylogenetic analyses, identification of differentially expressed epialleles, and provides a measure of epigenetic heterogeneity.

  Study EGAS00001002484

• Genomic Heterogeneity and the Small Renal Mass

  Tumor heterogeneity is believed to represent a barrier to pre-operative genomic characterization in kidney cancer. Previous studies of heterogeneity in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) evaluated only large and metastatic tumors. In small renal tumors in which multiple biopsies are not feasible, the extent of heterogeneity remains unknown. In this study, we evaluated how the extent of genomic heterogeneity in small and large ccRCC. A total of 23 small (<4cm ) and 24 large (>7cm ) ccRCC had 3 regions sampled for evaluation of copy number, clear-cell A/clear-cell B (ccA/ccB) classification, and cell cycle progression (CCP) score. Small tumors have less genomic complexity and significantly fewer subclonal events. Pre-treatment genomic characterization based on a single biopsy in small ccRCC can provide insight into biologic potential to make clinical decisions.

  Study EGAS00001002919

• Psoriatic_arthritis_WGS

  Whole genome sequencing of immune cells from patients diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis

  Study EGAS00001002822

• 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

• Placental_genomics

  The aim of this study is to define the mutational landscape of placentas.

  Study EGAS00001003297

• Pancreatic Cancer Sequencing Initiative OICR

  Pancreatic Cancer Sequencing Initiative for the International Cancer Genome Consortium at the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research.

  Study EGAS00001000395

• A novel TP53-KPNA3 translocation defines a de novo treatment-resistant clone in osteosarcoma

  Osteosarcoma is the most common primary bone cancer. It can be cured by aggressive surgery and chemotherapy, but outcomes for metastatic or chemoresistant disease remain dismal. Cancer sequencing studies have shown that the p53 pathway is dysregulated in nearly every case, often by translocation; however, no studies of osteosarcoma evolution or intratumor heterogeneity have been done to date. We studied a patient with chemoresistant, metastatic disease over the course of three years. We performed exome sequencing on germline DNA and DNA collected from tumor at three separate timepoints. We compared variant calls and variant allele frequencies between different samples. We identified subclonal driver mutations in several different genes in the primary tumor sample and found that one particular subclone dominated subsequent tumor samples at relapse. This clone was marked by a novel TP53-KPNA3 translocation and loss of the opposite-strand wild-type TP53 allele. Future research must focus on functional significance of such clones and strategies to eliminate them.

  Study EGAS00001001805

• High-resolution lung adenocarcinoma expression subtypes identify tumors with dependencies on MET, CDK4, CDK6, and PD-L1

  Lung adenocarcinoma is one of the most common cancer types with various treatment modalities. However, better biomarkers to predict therapeutic response are still needed to improve precision medicine. We utilized a consensus hierarchical clustering approach on 509 LUAD cases from TCGA to identify five robust LUAD expression subtypes. We then integrated genomic (patient and cell line) and proteomic data to help define biomarkers of response to targeted therapies and immunotherapies. This approach defined subtypes with unique proteogenomic and dependency profiles.

  Study EGAS00001006461

• Ovarian cancer organoid biobank

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

  Study EGAS00001003073