7790 results for "canc*"

in 30.48 milliseconds.

• Translation of non-canonical open reading frames as a cancer cell survival mechanism in childhood medulloblastoma

  A hallmark of high-risk childhood medulloblastoma is the dysregulation of RNA translation. Currently, it is unknown whether medulloblastoma dysregulates the translation of putatively oncogenic non-canonical open reading frames. To address this question, we performed ribosome profiling of 32 medulloblastoma tissues and cell lines and observed widespread non-canonical ORF translation. We then developed a step-wise approach to employ multiple CRISPR-Cas9 screens to elucidate functional non-canonical ORFs implicated in medulloblastoma cell survival. We determined that multiple lncRNA-ORFs and upstream open reading frames (uORFs) exhibited selective functionality independent of the main coding sequence. One of these, ASNSD1-uORF or ASDURF, was upregulated, associated with the MYC family oncogenes, and was required for medulloblastoma cell survival through engagement with the prefoldin-like chaperone complex. Our findings underscore the fundamental importance of non-canonical ORF translation in medulloblastoma and provide a rationale to include these ORFs in future cancer genomics studies seeking to define new cancer targets.

  Study EGAS00001007426

• Intra-prostatic tumour evolution, steps in metastatic spread and histogenomic associations revealed by integration of multi-region whole genome sequencing with histopathological features

  We performed whole genome sequencing on 42 prostate cancer samples from the prostate, seminal vesicles and regional lymph nodes of five treatment-naive patients with locally advanced disease who underwent radical prostatectomy. Using cancer cell fractions computed from single nucleotide variants and copy number alterations, we reconstructed the tumour phylogenies, which in turn allowed us to infer key molecular steps in the progression of prostate cancer in these individuals. We mapped the clonal composition of cancer sampled across the prostate in each individual and inferred the routes of spread of cancer cells within the prostate and to seminal vesicles and lymph nodes.

  Study EGAS00001007438

• Metastatic_Breast_Cancer_Validation

  Validation of point mutations and small insertions and deletions in primary and associated metastatic breast cancer samples with matched normal tissues.

  Study EGAS00001001968

• Machine Learning Signal Enrichment for Ultrasensitive Plasma Tumor Burden Monitoring

  In solid tumor oncology, circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) is poised to transform care through accurate assessment of minimal residual disease (MRD) and therapeutic response monitoring. To overcome the sparsity of ctDNA fragments in low tumor fraction (TF) settings and increase MRD sensitivity, we previously leveraged genome-wide mutational integration through plasma whole genome sequencing (WGS). We now introduce MRD-EDGE, a composite machine learning-guided WGS ctDNA single nucleotide variant (SNV) and copy number variant (CNV) detection platform designed to increase signal enrichment. MRD-EDGESNV uses deep learning and a ctDNA-specific feature space to increase SNV signal-to-noise enrichment in WGS by 300X compared to previous WGS error suppression. MRD-EDGECNV also reduces the degree of aneuploidy needed for ultrasensitive CNV detection through WGS from 1 Gb to 200 Mb, thereby expanding its applicability to a wider range of solid tumors. We harness the improved performance to identify MRD following surgery in multiple cancer types, track changes in tumor burden in response to neoadjuvant immunotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and demonstrate ctDNA shedding in precancerous colorectal adenomas. Finally, the radical signal-to-noise enrichment in MRD-EDGESNV enables de novo mutation calling in melanoma and small cell lung cancer (SCLC) without matched tumor, yielding clinically informative TF monitoring for patients on immune checkpoint inhibition (ICI).

  Study EGAS00001007451

• The genomic landscape of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia

  Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common pediatric cancer and arises from B- or T-lineage lymphocyte precursors. ALL comprises dozens of subtypes, and genomic analyses have largely been performed within these subtypes. Here we analyze pediatric ALL genomes across all subtypes, including 768 whole genomes, 1,729 exomes, and 1,889 transcriptomes in 2,754 patients. Most ALL subtypes harbor 4 or more driver alterations per sample, similar to adult cancers, despite low mutation burdens. Hyperdiploid B-ALL copy gains are likely acquired early and synchronously, with copy gains occurring before ultraviolet-induced mutations. By contrast, ultraviolet-induced mutations precede copy gains in iAMP21 B-ALL. Overall, we identified 378 putative ALL driver genes. Most driver alterations vary in prevalence across ALL subtypes, with B-ALL enriched for Ras and B-lineage-related alterations, and T-ALL enriched for PI3K, JAK, and cell cycle alterations. Most B-ALL (54.3%) and T-ALL (51.2%) samples bear at least one rare driver gene alteration (present in less than 2% of samples), including 30 putative novel cancer driver genes associated with ubiquitination, SUMOylation, non-coding, and other functions. Known or novel alterations associated with poor outcomes in specific subtypes include TBL1XR1 alterations in ETV6-RUNX1 patients, CREBBP in Ph-like-CRLF2, SETD2 in hyperdiploid, and PTEN in TAL1 patients. Intriguingly, DUX4 and KMT2A subtypes separate into CEBPA/FLT3- or NFATC4-expressing subgroups with potential clinical implications. Together, these results deepen understanding of ALL etiology and outcomes, and facilitate ALL model development.

  Study EGAS00001005250

• Whole genome shotgun sequencing and somatic mutations data in Hepatocellular carcinoma

  Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common malignancy of the liver. Genomic analysis is conducted to identify genetic alterations in driver genes which are all druggable targets for cancer therapy.

  Study EGAS00001002578

• Multi-site tumor sampling highlights molecular intra-tumor heterogeneity in malignant pleural mesothelioma

  Background:Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a heterogeneous cancer. Better knowledge of molecular and cellular intra-tumor heterogeneity throughout the thoracic cavity is required to develop efficient therapies. This study focuses on molecular intra-tumor heterogeneity using the largest series to date in MPM and is the first to report on the multi-omics profiling of a substantial series of multi-site tumor samples. Methods:Intra-tumor heterogeneity was investigated in 16 patients from whom biopsies were taken at distinct anatomical sites. The paired biopsies collected from apex, side wall, costo-diaphragmatic or highest metabolic sites as well as 5 derived cell lines were screened using targeted sequencing. Whole exome sequencing, RNA sequencing, and DNA methylation were performed on a subset of the cohort for deep characterization. Molecular classification, recently defined histo-molecular gradients, and cell populations of the tumor microenvironment were assessed. Results:Sequencing analysis identified heterogeneous variants notably in NF2, a key tumor suppressor gene of mesothelial carcinogenesis. Subclonal tumor populations were shared among paired biopsies, suggesting a polyclonal dissemination of the tumor. Transcriptome analysis highlighted dysregulation of cell adhesion and extracellular matrix pathways, linked to changes in histo-molecular gradient proportions between anatomic sites. Methylome analysis revealed contribution of epigenetic mechanisms in two patients. Finally, significant changes in the expression of immune mediators and genes related to immunological synapse, as well as differential infiltration of immune populations in the tumor environment were observed and led to a switch from a hot to a cold immune profile in three patients. Conclusions:This comprehensive analysis reveals patient-dependent spatial intra-tumor heterogeneity at the genetic, transcriptomic and epigenetic levels and in the immune landscape of the tumor microenvironment. Results support

  Study EGAS00001005328

• Whole_genome_sequencing_of_rhabdomyosarcoma_tumouroids

  The aim of this study is to investigate the genomic landscape of human cancer.

  Study EGAS00001008270

• Pancreatic Cancer Sequencing Initiative

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

  Study EGAS00001000343

• Comprehensive Deep Sequencing Atlas in HCC tumors

  Establishment of a comprehensive deep sequencing atlas focused on Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) tumors, employing Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS), RNA Sequencing (RNAseq), and Whole Exome Sequencing (WES). The atlas aims to unravel the intricate genetic landscape of HCC, providing a detailed characterization of genomic alterations, transcriptomic profiles, and key mutations associated with this liver cancer. The integration of WGS, RNAseq, and WES data offers a holistic perspective, facilitating a deeper understanding of the molecular mechanisms driving HCC pathogenesis. The resulting atlas serves as a valuable resource for researchers, clinicians, and the broader scientific community, contributing to advancements in HCC diagnostics, prognostics, and therapeutic interventions.

  Study EGAS00001007694

• Whole exome and RNA sequencing of organoid samples derived from TRACERx patients

  Immune checkpoint blockade in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) rarely leads to complete tumour remission, suggesting that tumours harbour subpopulations of cancer cells that can escape immune predation. However, while tumours consist of multiple genetically distinct clones, the extent to which separate tumour subclones differ intrinsically in their functional capacity for immune evasion remains largely unexplored. This has been challenging to address due to an inability to isolate and propagate individual tumour subclones from human cancers. Here, we leverage the multi-region TRACERx lung cancer evolution study to generate a patient-derived platform that allows the functional analysis of immune escape at single clone resolution. We generated libraries of >20 separate NSCLC organoid lines per patient by isolating individual (clonal) organoids established from multiple spatially separated tumour regions. Each organoid subline was co-cultured with autologous tumour infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) to evaluate their capacity to elicit a T cell response. Organoid lines derived from separate tumour regions, or from single clones within individual regions, differ vastly in their capacity to elicit a T cell response, showing the coexistence of intrinsically immune evading (‘hot’) and non-evading (‘cold’) clones in the same primary tumour. Organoid lines escaping T cell recognition represent genetically and transcriptionally unique subclones with a distinct evolutionary history, showing that evolutionary sculpting of subclonal diversity can have functional consequences for anti-tumour immunity. Notably, the identification of immune-evasive subclones would not have been possible using computational approaches alone, highlighting the unique value of functional co-culture platforms. This patient-derived functional co-culture platform reveals that tumour evolution can give rise to distinct cancer clones with intrinsic differences in immune evasion capacity and provides an approach to prospectively identify, isolate and characterise immune evading subclones from patients with cancer.

  Study EGAS00001008092

• MutWP4__CRUK_Grand_Challenge_Mutographs_of_Cancer__organoid_control_WGS

  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, Kings College London will characterise the mutational signatures induced by putative human carcinogens in order to identify the origins of mutational signatures found in human cancers. To achieve this human organoid cell cultures will be exposed to a representative catalogue of known or suspected human carcinogens and mutagens and, using whole genome sequencing, the patterns of mutations induced by them will be determined. Somatic mutational signatures will be subsequently extracted by non-negative matrix factorisation methods and correlated with exposure 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 EGAS00001005449

• Mosaic_Colorectal_Metastasis

  A comparison of the somatic variation present in a primary colorectal tumour and three different liver metastases from the same patient.

  Study EGAS00001000613

• Persistence of circulating tumor DNA in breast cancer patients during neoadjuvant treatment is a significant predictor of poor tumor response

  Purpose:Accurate assessment of response during neoadjuvant systemic treatment (NST) poses a major clinical challenge. Therefore, a minimally-invasive assessment of tumor response based on cell-free circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) may be beneficial to guide treatment decisions.Experimental Design: We profiled 93 genes in tissue from 193 early breast cancer patients. Patient-specific assays were designed to track ctDNA during NST from 145 patients with available plasma. ctDNA presence and levels were correlated with complete pathological response (pCR) and residual cancer burden (RCB) as well as with clinicopathologic characteristics of the tumor to identify potential proxies for ctDNA release. Moreover, we tested the predictive value of driver events identified in the tumor.Results:At baseline, ctDNA could be detected in 63/145 (43.4%) patients and persisted in 25/63 (39.7%) patients at mid-therapy (MT) and 15/63 (23.8%) patients at the end of treatment. ctDNA detection at MT was significantly associated with higher RCB (OR 0.062, 95% CI 0.01-0.48, P=0.0077). Out of 31 patients with detectable ctDNA at MT, 30 patients (96.8%) were non-responders (RCB II, n=8; RCB III, n=22) and only one patient responded to the treatment (RCB I). Considering all 145 patients with baseline (BL) plasma, none of the patients with RCB 0 and only 6.7% of patients with RCB I had ctDNA detectable at MT, while 30.6% and 29.6% of patients with RCB II/III, respectively, had a positive ctDNA result. Conclusion:Overall, our results demonstrate that the detection and persistence of ctDNA at mid-therapy may have the potential to negatively predict response to neoadjuvant treatment and identify patients who will not achieve pCR or be classified with RCB II/III.

  Study EGAS00001005798

• Familial_Thrombocytosis_germline_exome_sequencing

  Agilent whole exome hybridisation capture will be performed on genomic DNA derived from 3 relatives from a family with multiple affected familial thrombocytosis (FT) patients. Germline DNA from 2-4 patients affected with FT will be used to prepare libraries and sequenced in one lane of HiSeq sequencing, mapped to build 37 of the human reference genome to facilitate the identification of novel cancer genes.

  Study EGAS00001000088

• GBM cancer stem cell lines -RNA-seq and WGS data

  Glioblastoma stem cell lines have been profiled for RNA-seq and WGS

  Study EGAS00001003700

• Single_cell_RNA_sequencing_of_rhabdomyosarcoma_tumouroids

  The aim of this study is to investigate the genomic landscape of human cancer.

  Study EGAS00001008273

• Single_cell_RNA_sequencing_of_rhabdomyosarcoma_tumour_tissue

  The aim of this study is to investigate the genomic landscape of human cancer.

  Study EGAS00001008275

• Bulk_RNA_sequencing_of_rhabdomyosarcoma_tumour_tissue

  The aim of this study is to investigate the genomic landscape of human cancer.

  Study EGAS00001008278

• 'Targeted High Throughput Sequencing in Clinical Cancer Settings: Formaldehyde fixed-paraffin embedded (FFPE) tumor tissues, input amount and tumor heterogeneity'

  "Background: Massively parallel sequencing technologies have brought an enormous increase in sequencing throughput. However, these technologies need to be further improved with regard to reproducibility and applicability to clinical samples and settings. Methods: Using identification of genetic variations in prostate cancer as an example we address three crucial challenges in the field of targeted re-sequencing: Small nucleotide variation (SNV) detection in samples of formalin-fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) tissue material, minimal amount of input sample and sampling in view of tissue heterogeneity.Results: We show that FFPE tissue material can supplement for fresh frozen tissues for the detection of SNVs and that solution-based enrichment experiments can be accomplished with small amounts of DNA with only minimal effects on enrichment uniformity and data variance. Finally, we address the question whether the heterogeneity of a tumor is reflected by different genetic alterations, e.g. different foci of a tumor display different genomic patterns. We show that the tumor heterogeneity plays an important role for the detection of copy number variations, but is of minor importance for the detection of somatic variations.Conclusions: The application of high throughput sequencing technologies in cancer genomics opens up a new dimension for the identification of disease mechanisms. In particular the ability to use small amounts of FFPE samples available from surgical tumor resections and histopathological examinations facilitates the collection of precious tissue materials. However, care needs to be taken in regard to the locations of the biopsies taken, which can have an influence on the prediction of copy number variations. Bearing these technological challenges in mind will significantly improve many large-scale sequencing studies and will - on a long-range - result in a more reliable prediction of individual cancer therapies."

  Study EGAS00001000136

• Pulldown_cytosine_deaminases

  We are looking at the causal factors behind hyper-mutator phenotypes found in previous Breast Cancer sequencing studies.

  Study EGAS00001000233

• Integrative analysis of small cell lung cancer

  Small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) is an aggressive lung tumor subtype. We conducted integrated analysis of genome sequencing, transcriptome, and copy number analysis and found an extremely high mutation rate of 7.4±1 protein-changing mutations per million basepairs. Evidence for inactivation of TP53 and RB1 was found in all sequenced cases. Furthermore, we identified recurrent mutations in CREBBP, EP300, and MLL, observed mutations in PTEN, in SLIT2, and EPHA7, as well as focal amplifications of the FGFR1 locus. As a major feature of SCLC we found mutation in histone modifying genes, observed genome alterations that are therapeutically tractable, and provide a framework for identifying biologically relevant genes in the context of a high mutation rate. Peifer et al., 2012, Nature Genetics.

  Study EGAS00001000299

• Whole-exome Sequencing Combined with Functional Genomics Reveals Novel Candidate Driver Cancer Genes in Endometrial Cancer

  Endometrial cancer is the most common gynecological malignancy, with more than 280,000 cases occurring annually worldwide. Although previous studies have identified important common somatic mutations in endometrial cancer, they have primarily focused on a small set of known cancer genes and have thus provided a limited view of the molecular basis underlying this disease. Here we developed an integrated systems biology approach to identifying novel cancer genes contributing to endometrial tumorigenesis. We first performed whole-exome sequencing on 13 endometrial cancers and matched normal samples, systematically identifying somatic alterations with high precision and sensitivity. We then combined bioinformatics prioritization with high-throughput screening (including both shRNA-mediated knockdown and expression of wild type and mutant constructs) in a highly sensitive cell viability assay. Our results revealed 12 potential driver cancer genes including 10 tumor suppressor candidates (ARID1A, INHBA, KMO, TTLL5, GRM8, IGFBP3, AKTIP, PHKA2, TRPS1 and WNT11) and two oncogene candidates (ERBB3 and RPS6KC1). The results in the “sensor” cell line were recapitulated by siRNA-mediated knockdown in endometrial cancer cell lines. Focusing on ARID1A, we integrated mutation profiles with functional proteomics in 222 endometrial cancer samples, demonstrating that ARID1A mutations frequently co-occur with mutations in the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway and are associated with PI3K pathway activation. siRNA knockdown in endometrial cancer cell lines increased AKT phosphorylation supporting ARID1A as a novel regulator of PI3K pathway activity. Our study presents the first unbiased view of somatic coding mutations in endometrial cancer and provides functional evidence for diverse driver genes and mutations in this disease.

  Study EGAS00001000318

• A Proteogenomic Analysis of Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma in a Chinese Population

  Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is a common and aggressive subtype of renal cancer. Here we conduct a comprehensive proteogenomic analysis of 232 tumor and adjacent non-tumor tissue pairs from Chinese ccRCC patients. By comparing with tumor adjacent tissues, we find that ccRCC shows extensive metabolic dysregulation and an enhanced immune response. Molecular subtyping classifies ccRCC tumors into three subtypes (GP1–3), among which the most aggressive GP1 exhibits the strongest immune phenotype, increased metastasis, and metabolic imbalance, linking the multi-omics-derived phenotypes to clinical outcomes of ccRCC. Nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT), a one-carbon 38 metabolic enzyme, is identified as a potential marker of ccRCC and a drug target for GP1. We demonstrate that NNMT induces DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit (DNA-PKcs) homocysteinylation, increases DNA repair, and promotes ccRCC tumor growth. This study provides insights into the biological underpinnings and prognosis assessment of ccRCC, revealing targetable metabolic vulnerabilities.

  Study EGAS00001006005

• 54 metastatic colorectal cancer patients from Schleswig-Holstein in North Germany

  Personalized treatment vs standard of care is much debated, especially in clinical practice. Here we investigated whether overall survival differences in metastatic colorectal cancer patients are explained by their tumor mutation profiles or by their treatment differences in real clinical practice.

  Study EGAS00001004108

• Mesothelioma_Whole_Genomes

  Genomic architecture of mesothelioma parent study is project 925. This project is set up in parallel to project 925 in order to Whole genome sequence ten of the 59 tumours in that project.

  Study EGAS00001000830

• Integrative genomic analyses reveal androgen-driven somatic alteration landscape in early-onset prostate cancer

  Early-onset prostate cancer (EO-PCA) represents the earliest clinical manifestation of prostate cancer. To compare the genomic alteration landscapes of EO-PCA with "classical" (elderly-onset) PCA, we performed deep sequencing-based genomics analyses in eleven tumors diagnosed at young age, and pursued comparative assessments with seven elderly-onset PCA genomes. Remarkable age-related differences in structural rearrangement (SR) formation became evident, suggesting distinct disease pathomechanisms. Whereas EO-PCAs harbored a prevalence of balanced SRs, with a specific abundance of androgen-regulated ETS gene fusions including TMPRSS2:ERG, elderly-onset PCAs displayed primarily non-androgen-associated SRs. Data from a validation cohort of >10,000 patients showed age-dependent androgen receptor levels and a prevalence of SRs affecting androgen-regulated genes, further substantiating the activity of a characteristic "androgen-type" pathomechanism in EO-PCA.

  Study EGAS00001000400

• CUT&RUN-sequencing identifies PTK7 as a direct Wnt target in patient-derived colorectal cancer organoids

  The aberrant activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling by APC mutations is a hallmark of colorectal cancer (CRC), but targeting Wnt signaling therapeutically has proven challenging. Deciphering the molecular effects of mutant APC-driven Wnt activation is crucial to enable the discovery of novel therapeutic targets. Here, we employ CUT&RUN-sequencing in patient-derived CRC organoids derived from two donors to dissect the transcriptional regulation by β-catenin in CRC. This analysis identified several genes of interest for CRC development as potential β-catenin target genes. Among these, we characterize PTK7, a co-receptor of the Wnt pathway and stem cell marker, as a main transcriptional target of β-catenin in CRC. We confirm that the expression of PTK7 is directly regulated by β-catenin in a comprehensive panel of CRC models. We demonstrate that APC mutations introduced by CRISPR/Cas9 result in the upregulation of PTK7 expression in human colon organoids, underlining the relevance of this upregulation during CRC carcinogenesis. Finally, we show that PTK7 promotes proliferation in CRC models without definitively affecting canonical Wnt signaling. Together, these results suggest that PTK7, which can be potentially targeted by existing drugs, is a Wnt target gene that contributes to oncogenic growth in CRC.

  Study EGAS00001008295

• Chordoma_Sequencing_Project_Whole_Genome

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

  Study EGAS00001000409

• Kings_Hepatoblastoma_Behjati_Nanoseq_Managed_Access

  A study of the development of liver based tumours.

  Study EGAS00001006877

• Epi_Tax_targeted_sequencing

  Sequencing of 350 cancer genes in BC samples from patients treated with either Epirubicin or Paclitaxel monotherapy in the neoadjuvant setting.

  Study EGAS00001000587

• Plasma-Seq of patients with metastatic prostate cancer

  Study 1 In this study we analysed patients with metastatic prostate cancer to scan their tumor genomes noninvasively in plasma DNA. We wanted to make whole-genome analysis from plasma DNA amenable to clinical routine applications and developed an approach based on a benchtop high-throughput platform, i.e. Illuminas MiSeq instrument. We performed whole-genome sequencing from plasma at a shallow sequencing depth to establish a genome-wide copy number profile of the tumor at low costs within 2 days. The genome-wide profiling in the plasma of our patients revealed multiple copy number aberrations including those previously reported in prostate tumors, such as losses in 8p and gains in 8q. High-level copy number gains in the AR locus were observed in patients with CRPC but not with CSPC disease. We identified the TMPRSS2-ERG rearrangement associated 3-Mbp deletion on chromosome 21 and found corresponding fusion plasma fragments in these cases. In an index case multiregional sequencing of the primary tumor identified different copy number changes in each sector, suggesting multifocal disease. Our plasma analyses of this index case, performed 13 years after resection of the primary tumor, revealed novel chromosomal rearrangements, which were stable in serial plasma analyses over a 9 months period, which is consistent with the presence of one metastatic clone. Our approach provides specific genomic signatures within 2 days which may therefore serve as “liquid biopsy”.

  Study EGAS00001000451

• FGFR-driven urothelial cancer

  Study EGAS00001007335

• ERG ALTERATIONS DEFINE A NOVEL SUBTYPE OF ACUTE LYMPHOBLASTIC LEUKEMIA

  Structural chromosomal alterations are a hallmark of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) yet many patients lack an identifiable abnormality on conventional cytogenetic analysis. Here, using integrated analysis of genome-wide DNA copy number and gene expression data of 1764 childhood and adult ALL cases, including whole-genome, exome and mRNA-sequencing of 72 cases, we report a novel subtype of B-progenitor ALL (B-ALL) representing 4-13% of B-ALL cases characterized by a distinct gene expression profile, and focal deletions of ERG (ETS related gene) in 56% of cases. These cases are characterized by expression of a ERG transcript that utilizes a novel exon in intron 6 of ERG spliced to the canonical reading frame of ERG exons 7-10, encoding a 27 kDa C-terminal ERG protein that retains the ETS and transactivating domains but lacks the N-terminal pointed and regulatory domains. This protein is a competitive inhibitor of wild-type ERG and is leukemogenic in vivo. ERG-altered ALL cases have a favourable outcome despite the presence of alterations associated with poor prognosis in non-ERG ALL, such as deletions of IKZF1. These findings identify a new subtype of leukemia characterized by a novel mechanism of ETS transcription factor dysregulation in cancer.

  Study EGAS00001000514

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

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

  Study EGAS00001000547

• Mutational analysis reveals the origin and therapy-driven evolution of recurrent glioma

  Tumor recurrence is a leading cause of cancer mortality. Therapies for recurrent disease may fail, at least in part, because the genomic alterations driving the growth of recurrences are distinct from those in the initial tumor. To explore this hypothesis, we sequenced the exomes of 23 initial low-grade gliomas and recurrent tumors resected from the same patients. In 43% of cases, at least half of the mutations in the initial tumor were undetected at recurrence, including driver mutations inTP53, ATRX, SMARCA4, and BRAF; this suggests that recurrent tumors are often seeded by cells derived from the initial tumor at a very early stage of their evolution. Notably, tumors from 6 of 10 patients treated with the chemotherapeutic drug temozolomide (TMZ) followed an alternative evolutionary path to high-grade glioma. At recurrence, these tumors were hypermutated and harbored driver mutations in the RB (retinoblastoma) and Akt-mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin) pathways that bore the signature of TMZ-induced mutagenesis.

  Study EGAS00001000579

• Epigenetic Intratumor Heterogeneity and Clonal Evolution in Aggressive Prostate Cancer

  Our study investigated the spatial epigenome variation within 5 aggressive prostate adenocarcinomas.

  Study EGAS00001000682

• Exome-seq, RNA-Seq, SNP array profiling of gastric tumor samples and cell lines.

  Gastric cancer is the second leading cause of worldwide cancer mortality, yet the underlying genomic alterations remain poorly understood. Here we performed exome and transcriptome sequencing and SNP array assays to characterize 51 primary gastric tumors and 32 cell lines. Meta-analysis of the exome data and previously published data sets revealed 24 significantly mutated genes in MSS tumors, and 16 in MSI tumors. More than half of the patients in our collection could potentially benefit from targeted therapies. We identified 55 splice-site mutations accompanied by aberrant splicing products, in addition to mutation-independent differential isoform usage in tumors. The ZAK kinase isoform TV1 is preferentially upregulated in gastric tumors and cell lines relative to normal samples. This pattern is also observed in colorectal, bladder, and breast cancers. Overexpression of this particular isoform activated multiple cancer-related transcription factor reporters, while depletion of ZAK in gastric cell lines inhibited proliferation. These results reveal the spectrum of genomic and transcriptomic alterations in gastric cancer, and identify isoform-specific oncogenic properties of ZAK.

  Study EGAS00001000736

• Next-Generation Sequencing of RNA and DNA Isolated from Paired Fresh-Frozen and Formalin-Fixed Paraffin-Embedded Samples of Human Cancer and Normal Tissue

  Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues are an invaluable resource for clinical research. However, nucleic acids extracted from FFPE tissues are fragmented and chemically modified making them challenging to use in molecular studies. We analysed 23 fresh-frozen (FF), 35 FFPE and 38 paired FF/FFPE specimens, representing six different human tissue types (bladder, prostate and colon carcinoma; liver and colon normal tissue; reactive tonsil) in order to examine the potential use of FFPE samples in next-generation sequencing (NGS) based retrospective and prospective clinical studies. Two methods for DNA and three methods for RNA extraction from FFPE tissues were compared and were found to affect nucleic acid quantity and quality. DNA and RNA from selected FFPE and paired FF/FFPE specimens were used for exome and transcriptome analysis. Preparations of DNA Exome-Seq libraries was more challenging (29.5 % success) than that of RNA-Seq libraries, presumably because of modifications to FFPE tissue-derived DNA. Libraries could still be prepared from RNA isolated from two-decade old FFPE tissues. Data were analysed using the CLC Bio Genomics Workbench and revealed systematic differences between FF and FFPE tissue-derived nucleic acid libraries. In spite of this, pairwise analysis of DNA Exome-Seq data showed concordance for 70-80 % of variants in FF and FFPE samples stored for fewer than three years. RNA-Seq data showed high correlation of expression profiles in FF/FFPE pairs (Pearson Correlations of 0.90 +/- 0.05), irrespective of storage time (up to 244 months) and tissue type. A common set of 1,494 genes was identified with expression profiles that were significantly different between paired FF and FFPE samples irrespective of tissue type. Our results are promising and suggest that NGS can be used to study FFPE specimens in both prospective and retrospective archive-based studies in which FF specimens are not available.

  Study EGAS00001000737

• Unraveling metastatic progression of breast cancer

  To reconstruct the trajectories of BC progression, we performed exome sequencing (Illumina HiSeq2000, Truseq DNA sample preparation kit v2 and Exome Enrichment Kit v2; alignement done with BWA, substitutions and indels called with GATK and DINDEL respectively) coupled to validation by Sequenom and deep re-sequencing (ongoing), as well as copy number (CN) analyses (Oncoscan, Affymetrix) on DNA from matched primary (n=1-6/pt), axillary lymph node (ALN, n=1-6 for 4 pts), local recurrence (for 1 pt) and distant metastatic (n=1-5/pt) FFPE samples obtained from an autopsy series of 10 BC pts.

  Study EGAS00001000760

• Helleday_HRAS_Project

  This experiment is looking at the mutational signatures generated by engineered HRAS mutations by using whole genome sequence generated on massively parallel next generation sequencers.

  Study EGAS00001000332

• MYD88/TLR mutations in CLL

  The Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) Genome Project aims to identify genetic alterations involved in the development and progression of the CLL, which are still unknown, with the objective of generating a comprehensive catalogue of genetic alterations in 500 independent tumours. The CLL Genome Project, as a contributing member of the International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC), has the purposes of creating diagnostic tools, discovering therapeutic targets and developing new strategies that will allow a customized therapy for CLL in order to make it more precise and effective.

  Study EGAS00001000772

• Dynamics of genomic clones in breast cancer patient xenografts at single cell resolution

  Human cancers, including breast cancers, are comprised of clones differing in mutation content that evolve dynamically in space and time following principles of Darwinian evolution, underpinning important emergent features such as drug resistance and metastasis. Human breast cancer xenoengraftment is used as a means of capturing and studying tumour biology, and breast tumour xenografts are generally assumed to be reasonable models of the originating tumours. However the consequences and reproducibility of engraftment and propagation on the genomic clonal architecture of tumours has not been systematically examined at single cell resolution. Here we show by both deep genome and single cell sequencing methods, the clonal dynamics of initial engraftment and subsequent serial propagation of primary and metastatic human breast cancers in immunodeficient mice. In all cases examined, clonal selection on engraftment was observed in both primary and metastatic breast tumours, varying in degree from extreme selective engraftment of minor (<5% of starting population) clones to moderate, polyclonal engraftment. Furthermore, ongoing clonal dynamics during serial passaging is a feature of tumours experiencing modest initial selection. Through single cell sequencing, we show that major mutation clusters estimated from tumour population sequencing relate predictably to the most abundant clonal genotypes, even in clonally complex and rapidly evolving cases. Finally, we show that similar clonal expansion patterns can emerge in independent grafts of the same starting tumour population, indicating that genomic aberrations can be reproducible determinants of evolutionary trajectories. Our results show that measurement of genomically defined clonal population dynamics will be highly informative for functional studies utilizing patient-derived breast cancer xenoengraftment.

  Study EGAS00001000952

• Early evolutionary branching across spatial domains predisposes to clonal replacement under chemotherapy in neuroblastoma

  Neuroblastoma (NB) is one of the most lethal childhood cancers due its propensity to treatment resistance. By spatial mapping of subclone geographies before and after chemotherapy across 89 tumor regions from 12 NBs, we find that densely packed territories of closely related subclones present at diagnosis are replaced under effective treatment by islands of distantly related survivor subclones, originating from a different most recent ancestor compared to lineages dominating before treatment. Conversely, in tumors that progressed under treatment, ancestors of subclones dominating later in disease are present already at diagnosis. Chemotherapy treated xenografts and cell culture models replicates these two contrasting scenarios and shows branching evolution to be a constant feature of proliferating NB cells. Phylogenies based on whole genome sequencing of 505 individual NB cells indicate that a rich repertoire of parallel subclones, emerges already with the first oncogenic mutations and lays the foundation for clonal replacement under treatment.

  Study EGAS00001007650

• Expanding the utility of transcriptome analysis for mutation detection in high-risk childhood precision oncology

  In precision oncology, rapid and comprehensive mutation detection is essential for diagnosis, prognosis and treatment. Whole transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq) offers unique advantages by capturing functional consequences of genomic alterations and has the potential to detect not only oncogenic fusions, but also a broad spectrum of clinically relevant mutations traditionally identified from DNA-based approaches. We evaluated the utility of RNA-seq in a cohort of 477 high-risk paediatric tumours enrolled in the ZERO childhood cancer precision medicine programme with matched WGS data. A combination of reference-guided and reference-free RNA-seq algorithms were used to detect and interpret fusions and intragenic structural variants (SVs), resolving events from complex rearrangements and paralogous loci. RNA-seq detected 95% of gene fusions, including 33 missed by WGS. All intragenic SVs (100%) detected by WGS were also identified by RNA-seq and RNA-seq was essential for identification and/or interpretation of 30% of SVs. Additional functional insight such as aberrant splice-junctions and transcript abundance were critical for resolving pathogenicity. For single nucleotide variants and small insertions/deletions (SNVs/Indels), RNA-seq confirmed 92% and was essential for refining pathogenicity in 22% through allele-specific expression and splice assessment. These findings highlight RNA-seq as a critical complement to WGS, that transforms interpretation by adding functional context, thereby elevating diagnostic confidence and clinical decision-making.

  Study EGAS00001008472

• RRBS data from TRACERx non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tumours and matched normal adjacent tissue.

  TRACERx (TRAcking Cancer Evolution through therapy (Rx)) is a prospective cohort study designed to investigate intratumor heterogeneity (ITH) in relation to clinical outcome, and to determine the clonal nature of driver events and evolutionary processes in early stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This study looks at multi-region RRBS data from the TRACERx cohort selected for quantity of material available and high tumour purity

  Study EGAS00001006523

• Noninvasive detection of cancer-associated genome-wide hypomethylation and copy number aberrations by plasma DNA bisulfite sequencing

  Noninvasive detection of cancer-associated genome-wide hypomethylation and copy number aberrations by plasma DNA bisulfite sequencing

  Study EGAS00001000566

• NGS_based_viability_screening_using_haploid_cell_line

  Identification of human deubiquitylating enzymes whose knock out result in hypersensitivity to DNA damaging agents, by comparing the sequence reads of ‘barcode region’ from mixed cell culture.

  Study EGAS00001001095

• Clinical Implications of Genomic Alterations in the Tumor and Circulation of Pancreatic Cancer Patients

  Pancreatic adenocarcinoma has the worst mortality of any solid cancer. To evaluate the clinical implications of genomic alterations in this tumor type, we performed whole-exome analyses of 24 tumors, targeted genomic analyses of 77 tumors, and used non-invasive approaches to examine tumor-specific mutations in the circulation of these patients. These analyses reveal somatic mutations in chromatin regulating genes MLL, MLL2, MLL3, and ARID1A in 20% of patients that were associated with improved survival. We observe alterations in genes with potential clinical utility in over a third of cases. Liquid biopsy analyses demonstrate that 43% of patients with localized disease have detectable circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) at diagnosis. Detection of ctDNA after resection predicts clinical relapse and poor outcome, and recurrence by ctDNA is detected 6.5 months earlier than with CT imaging. These observations provide genetic predictors of outcome in pancreatic cancer and have implications for new avenues of therapeutic intervention.

  Study EGAS00001001257

• Rare disruptive mutations in ciliary function genes contribute to testicular cancer susceptibility

  Testicular germ cell tumor (TGCT) is the most common cancer in young men1,2. Here we aimed to identify novel risk factors for TGCT using whole-exome sequencing, which was performed on 328 affected individuals from 153 families, 634 sporadic cases and 1,644 controls. We searched for genes that were recurrently affected by rare variants (minor allele frequency <0.01) with potentially damaging effects and evidence of segregation in families. 8.7% of families carried rare disruptive mutations in the cilia-microtubule genes (CMG) as compared to 0.5% of controls3 (P=2.1x10-8). The most significantly mutated CMG was DNAAF1 with biallelic inactivation and loss of DNAAF1 expression shown in tumors from carriers. DNAAF1 as a cause of TGCT was supported by a DNAAF1Hu255h(+/-) zebrafish model with 94% penetrance for TGCT compared to 14% in wildtype fish. These data implicate cilia-microtubule inactivation as a cause of TGCT development and are the first evidence for CMGs as cancer susceptibility genes.

  Study EGAS00001001789