7790 results for "canc*"

in 22.59 milliseconds.

• Circulating tumour DNA abundance and potential utility in de novo metastatic prostate cancer

  Several systemic therapeutic options exist for metastatic castration sensitive prostate cancer (mCSPC). Circulating tumour DNA can profile metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer and influence treatment decisions, but remains untested in mCSPC. We set out to determine ctDNA abundance at de novo mCSPC diagnosis and whether ctDNA provides complementary clinically relevant information to a prostate biopsy. We collected and sequenced 77 plasma cell-free DNA samples from 53 newly diagnosed patients with mCSPC. Targeted sequencing was also performed on DNA from 48 diagnostic prostate tissue samples.

  Study EGAS00001003351

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

  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 EGAS00001003357

• Single-cell RNA-seq of immune cells sorted from human melanoma tumors

  Tumor immune cell compositions play a major role in response to immunotherapy but the heterogeneity and dynamics of immune infiltrates in human cancer lesions remain poorly characterized. Here we identify conserved intratumoral CD4 and CD8 T cell behaviors in scRNA-seq data from 25 melanoma patients. We discover a large population of CD8 T cells showing continuous progression from an early effector "transitional" into a dysfunctional T cell state. CD8 T cells that express a complete cytotoxic gene set are rare, and TCR sharing data suggest their independence from the transitional and dysfunctional cell states. Notably, we demonstrate that dysfunctional T cells are the major intratumoral proliferating immune cell compartment and that the intensity of the dysfunctional signature is associated with tumor-reactivity. Our data demonstrate that CD8 T cells previously defined as exhausted, are in fact a highly proliferating, clonal and dynamically differentiating cell population within the human tumor microenvironment.

  Study EGAS00001003363

• Anaplastic_Meningioma_WGS_X10

  Anaplastic meningiomas are a rare, malignant variant of meningioma. At present there is no effective treatment for this cancer. The aim of the study is to identify somatic mutations in anaplastic meningiomas. We plan to sequence a set of 500 known cancer genes in 50 anaplastic meningioma and corresponding peripheral blood DNA samples. Bioinformatics will be used to analyse the results to assess the probability of these mutations being causal and so likely of critical importance for the tumour growth. Identification of these mutations will guide selection of appropriate compounds to effectively treat the disease.

  Study EGAS00001000859

• Integrated genomic characterization of adrenocortical carcinoma

  Adrenocortical carcinomas (ACC) are aggressive cancers originating in the cortex of the adrenal glands. Despite the overall poor prognosis, ACC outcome is heterogeneous. CTNNB1 and TP53 mutations are frequent in these tumors, but the complete spectrum of genetic changes remains undefined. Exome sequencing and SNP array analysis of 45 ACC revealed recurrent alterations in known drivers (CTNNB1, TP53, CDKN2A, RB1, MEN1) and genes not previously reported to be altered in ACC (ZNRF3, DAXX, TERT and MED12), which were validated in an independent cohort of 77 ACC. The cell-surface transmembrane E3 ubiquitin ligase ZNRF36 was the gene the most frequently altered (21%), and appears as a potential novel tumor suppressor gene related to the ß-catenin pathway. Our integrated genomic analyses led to the identification of two distinct molecular subgroups with opposite outcome. The C1A group of poor outcome ACC was characterized by numerous mutations and DNA methylation alterations, whereas the C1B group with good prognosis displayed a specific deregulation of two miRNA clusters. Thus, aggressive and indolent ACC correspond to two distinct molecular entities, driven by different oncogenic alterations.Array based dataset for this study has been made public at:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/geo/query/acc.cgi?acc=GSE49280.

  Study EGAS00001000665

• Microsatellite unstable colorectal cancers

  Immune escape has been recognised as one of the hallmarks of cancer. Overcoming this immunomodulatory process by tumour cells has become a major therapeutic target. Here we utilize organoid technology to study immune-cancer interactions and assess immunomodulation by colorectal cancer (CRC). Transcriptional profiling and flow cytometry revealed that organoids maintain differential expression of immunomodulatory molecules present in primary tumours. Finally, we established a method to model antigen-specific epithelial cell killing and cancer immunomodulation in vitro using CRC organoids co-cultured with cytotoxic T cells. Our method may serve as a first step to rebuilding the tumor microenvironment in vitro.

  Study EGAS00001003366

• Chromatin run-on and RNA sequencing of fibrolamellar carcinoma

  Fibrolamellar carcinoma (FLC) is a rare, therapeutically intractable liver cancer that disproportionately affects youth. Here we used chromatin run-on sequencing to characterize the enhancer landscape in FLC and RNA sequencing to identify dysregulated genes in FLC.

  Study EGAS00001004169

• WGS of liver cancer in the Japanese population

  Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third leading cancer-related cause of death and the seventh most common form of cancer worldwide, with an estimate of more than 700,000 new cases each year. The most established risk factors of HCC are chronic HBV and HCV infection. HBV infection is responsible for over 50% of the worldwide attributable risk of HCC, especially in East Asia and Africa, while in Japan and several Western countries HCV infection is the most common risk factor for HCC. To gain insights into the molecular alterations of virus-associated HCC, we performed whole genome sequencing (WGS) of 321 HCC tumors from 159 patients. This work was performed as a part of the ICGC (International Cancer Genome Consortium) project.

  Study EGAS00001000678

• 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

• HSC_population_dynamics___CB001_samples

  My research project aims to use the clonal dynamics of spontaneously occurring somatic mutations to answer fundamental questions about human haematopoietic stem cell (HSC) biology. The four major questions I will address are: 1. How do age and aging affect normal human HSC dynamics in vivo? 2. How do in vivo perturbations, particularly chemotherapy and increased levels of reactive oxygen species, affect HSC population dynamics? 3. Is response to in vitro perturbation heritable and/or correlated with other features such as age of individual and contribution of the lineage to peripheral blood? 4. How are HSC dynamics altered in people with early driver mutations (clonal haematopoiesis)?

  Study EGAS00001003397

• ESGI_Exome_sequencing_in_Circulating_Tumor_Cells_to_determine_therapy_related_markers_____

  The objectives of this project are the identification of markers related to cancer therapy resistance in the blood of breast cancer patients and to study the genetic changes in cancer cells during this development of resistance. Whole genome amplified DNA from Circulating Tumor Cells (CTCs), selected during the course of systemic treatment from blood of metastatic breast cancer patients, will be exome sequenced . The patients selected for this study did not respond to therapy.

  Study EGAS00001000747

• Moles

  In this project we have sequenced the exome of skin moles (melanocytic naevi) and also normal skin from young and old people. We are interested in looking at the clonality of these lesions and the burden of UV mutations

  Study EGAS00001000789

• Combined MEK and BCL-2/XL inhibition is effective in high-grade serous ovarian cancer patient-derived xenograft models and BIM levels are predictive of responsiveness

  Most patients with late stage high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) initially respond to chemotherapy but inevitably relapse and develop resistance, highlighting the need for novel therapies to improve patient outcomes. The MEK/ERK pathway is activated in a large subset of HGSOC, thus making it an attractive therapeutic target. Here, we systematically evaluated the extent of MEK/ERK pathway activation and efficacy of pathway inhibition in a large panel of well-annotated HGSOC patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models. The vast majority of models were nonresponsive to the MEK inhibitor cobimetinib (GDC-0973) despite effective pathway inhibition. Proteomic analyses of adaptive responses to GDC-0973 revealed that GDC-0973 upregulated the pro-apoptotic protein BIM, thus priming the cells for apoptosis regulated by BCL2-family proteins. Indeed, combination of both MEK inhibitor and dual BCL-2/XL inhibitor (ABT-263) significantly reduced cell number, increased cell death and displayed synergy in vitro in most models. In vivo, the GDC-0973 and ABT-263 combination was well tolerated and resulted in greater tumor growth inhibition than single agents. Detailed proteomic and correlation analyses identified two subsets of responsive models – those with high BIM at baseline that was increased with MEK inhibition and those with low basal Bim and high pERK levels. Models with low BIM and low pERK were non-responsive. Our findings demonstrate that combined MEK and BCL-2/XL inhibition has therapeutic activity in HGSOC models and provide a mechanistic rationale for clinical evaluation of this drug combination as well as the assessment of the extent to which BIM and/or pERK levels predict drug combination effectiveness in chemoresistant HGSOC.

  Study EGAS00001003427

• The_Little_Princess_Knowledge_Bank_

  We propose to build a genetic knowledge bank of Wilms tumour that integrates clinical outcome data with a genetic, epigenetic, and transcriptomic survey of 1,000 Wilms tumours.

  Study EGAS00001004237

• Stratton__WGS___RCC___Japan

  The Stratton team uses DNA sequencing for somatic mutations to advance understanding of the causes of cancer. In particular, the investigation of “mutational signatures”, which report the mutational processes operative over the lifetime of each individual, to understand whether they are generated by endogenous or exogenous exposures and the extent to which these vary between human populations. Our work brings together global cancer epidemiology and genomics and is particularly characterised by large-scale multinational studies.

  Study EGAS00001008001

• Probabilistic cell type assignment of single-cell transcriptomic data reveals spatiotemporal microenvironment dynamics in human cancers

  Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) has transformed biomedical research, enabling decomposition of complex tissues into disaggregated, functionally distinct cell types. For many applications, investigators wish to identify cell types with known marker genes. Typically, such cell type assignments are performed through unsupervised clustering followed by manual annotation based on these marker genes, or via "mapping" procedures to existing data. However, the manual interpretation required in the former case scales poorly to large datasets, which are also often prone to batch effects, while existing data for purified cell types must be available for the latter. Furthermore, unsupervised clustering can be error-prone, leading to under- and over- clustering of the cell types of interest. To overcome these issues we present CellAssign, a probabilistic model that leverages prior knowledge of cell type marker genes to annotate scRNA-seq data into pre-defined and de novo cell types. CellAssign automates the process of assigning cells in a highly scalable manner across large datasets while simultaneously controlling for batch and patient effects. We demonstrate the analytical advantages of CellAssign through extensive simulations and exemplify real-world utility to profile the spatial dynamics of high-grade serous ovarian cancer and the temporal dynamics of follicular lymphoma. Our analysis reveals subclonal malignant phenotypes and points towards an evolutionary interplay between immune and cancer cell populations with cancer cells escaping immune recognition.

  Study EGAS00001003452

• PSCP_bisulphite_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 shared by the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute (including details of any publication moratoria), please see http://www.sanger.ac.uk/datasharing/

  Study EGAS00001001625

• Longitudinal therapy monitoring of ALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer (copy number, cell-free DNA)

  Clinical courses of non-small cell lung cancer patients with ALK rearrangements (ALK+ NSCLC) vary widely. We analyzed 271 longitudinal plasma samples from 73 patients with advanced ALK+ NSCLC treated with ALK tyrosine kinase inhibitors by combined hybrid-capture-based targeted sequencing (average 4,100x coverage) for mutation analysis and shallow whole genome sequencing (0.5x coverage) for global copy number profiling from cfDNA.

  Study EGAS00001004276

• Chugai_colorectal_organoid_sequencing

  Genomic and transcriptomic characterization of drug-resistant colon cancer stem cell lines.

  Study EGAS00001000872

• Multisite_Primary_Breast_Cancer

  DNA extracted from multiple biopsies taken from different areas of primary breast tumours will be subjected to targeted re-sequencing and analysed in order to assess intra-tumour heterogeneity with respect to mutations in a selection of cancer related genes.

  Study EGAS00001000891

• Whole-Genome and Epigenomic Landscapes of Etiologically Distinct Subtypes of Cholangiocarcinoma

  Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a hepatobiliary malignancy exhibiting high incidence in countries with endemic liver-fluke infection. We analyzed 489 CCAs from 10 countries, combining whole-genome (71 cases), targeted/exome, copy-number, gene expression, and DNA methylation information. Integrative clustering defined 4 CCA clusters-fluke-positive CCAs (clusters 1/2) are enriched in ERBB2 amplifications and TP53 mutations; conversely, fluke-negative CCAs (clusters 3/4) exhibit high copy-number alterations and PD-1/PD-L2 expression, or epigenetic mutations (IDH1/2, BAP1) and FGFR/PRKA-related gene rearrangements. Whole-genome analysis highlighted FGFR2 3' untranslated region deletion as a mechanism of FGFR2 upregulation. Integration of noncoding promoter mutations with protein-DNA binding profiles demonstrates pervasive modulation of H3K27me3-associated sites in CCA. Clusters 1 and 4 exhibit distinct DNA hypermethylation patterns targeting either CpG islands or shores-mutation signature and subclonality analysis suggests that these reflect different mutational pathways. Our results exemplify how genetics, epigenetics, and environmental carcinogens can interplay across different geographies to generate distinct molecular subtypes of cancer.SIGNIFICANCE: Integrated whole-genome and epigenomic analysis of CCA on an international scale identifies new CCA driver genes, noncoding promoter mutations, and structural variants. CCA molecular landscapes differ radically by etiology, underscoring how distinct cancer subtypes in the same organ may arise through different extrinsic and intrinsic carcinogenic processes.

  Study EGAS00001001653

• TGS___Comprehensive_Molecular_Characterization_of_Colorectal_Cancer_Metastases__MOSAIC_

  Systematic next generation sequencing efforts are beginning to define the genomic landscape across a range of primary tumours, but we know very little of the mutational evolution that contributes to disease progression.We therefore propose to obtain a comprehensive description of genomic, transcriptomic and epigenomic changes in a cohort of matched primary and metastatic colorectal cancers, and additionally to explore the extent to which those mutations identified as recurrent in the metastatic setting are able to subvert normal biological processes using both genetically engineered mouse models and established cancer cell lines. This study will enable us to define to what extent primary tumour profiling can capture the biological processes operative in matched metastases as well as the significance of intratumoural heterogeneity.

  Study EGAS00001000958

• MutWP1__CRUK_Grand_Challenge_Mutographs_of_Cancer__Colorectal_LCM

  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. 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 EGAS00001003455

• TRACERx 100: RRBS data from a subset of the first 100 TRACERx tumours

  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 TRACERx100 cohort selected for quantity of material available and high tumour purity. RRBS data was collected for 122 tumour regions across 36 patients each with matched normal. A subset of this cohort was used in a sister study looking at tumour neo-antigen promoter methylation status in NSCLC (71 tumour regions across 28 patients for a total of 99 samples).

  Study EGAS00001003484

• Spatial and temporal diversity in genomic instability processes define early stage lung cancer evolution.

  Deciphering the complexity of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) evolutionary histories may elucidate the basis for its dismal outcome. We performed multi-region sequencing on 25 regions from seven early-stage NSCLCs. Spatial dissection revealed branched tumor evolution, with driver mutations occurring before and after subclonal diversification. Intra-tumor heterogeneity in DNA copy number alterations, translocations and endogenous APOBEC mutational processes, demonstrates that NSCLC may follow multiple distinct evolutionary trajectories simultaneously. In smokers, despite maintained carcinogen exposure, temporal dissection reveals a proportional decrease in smoking-related mutations during tumor progression, accompanied by an increase in APOBEC-related mutations. We observed genome-doubling events early in tumor development of ex-smokers, suggesting prolonged latency periods before clinical detection. Multi-region sequencing demonstrates the relentless and heterogeneous nature of genomic instability processes in early-stage NSCLCs.

  Study EGAS00001000840

• Integrative_genome_profiling_in_AML

  AML emerges as a consequence of accumulating independent genetic aberrations that direct regulation and/or dysfunction of genes resulting in aberrant activation of signalling pathways, resistance to apoptosis and uncontrolled proliferation. Given the significant heterogeneity of AML genomes, AML patients demonstrate a highly variable response rate and poor median survival in response to current chemotherapy regimens. For the past 4 years we have conducted gene expression profiling on purified bone marrow populations equating to normal haematopoietic stem and progenitor cells from healthy subjects and patients with de novo AML in order to identify AML signatures of aberrantly expressed genes in cancer versus normal. We are now applying a series of bioinformatic methodologies combined with clinical and conventional diagnostic data to establish novel genomics strategies for improved prognostication of AML. Additionally, we use our AML signatures to unravel oncogenic signalling pathway activities in AML patients and test inhibitory drugs for these pathways inn preclinical therapeutic programmes. We consider that superimposing GEP and clinical data for our AML patient cohort with additional data on their mutational status will significantly improve the prognostic power of the study as well as unravel yet unknown mutations associated with aberrant signalling activities of oncogenic pathways.

  Study EGAS00001000858

• Guardians_of_the_genome__protecting_DNA_from_endogenous_sources_of_damage_

  Analysis of mutational signatures caused by DNA repair defects in human induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells. A reference human iPS cell line will be used for genetic manipulation to introduce homozygous knockouts of 100 genes known to be involved in or connected to DNA repair or DNA editing. Following a defined period of growth after homozygous knockout of each gene, sub clones will be generated and sequenced. The progenitor “parental” IPS cell line will be used to generate reference sequence data, in order to determine the mutational signature acquired due to the gene knockout. This is a pilot study to investigate the effects of oxygen conditions and growth period on mutations acquired

  Study EGAS00001000874

• RNAseq_of_Human_Organoid_Lines

  The study will use RNAseq 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 EGAS00001003888

• 65 prostate cancer cases WGS and transcriptome sequencing project

  We obtained whole-genome and transcriptome sequencing of tumor-benign pairs from 65 Asian prostate cancer (PCa) patients. Taken together with the TCGA PCa cohort, our integration analysis provides the first comprehensive mutational landscape of PCas across major ethnics worldwide and reveals potential novel role of frequent altered chromatin remodeler genes in PCas without androgen receptor (AR) alteration and complex rearrangements derived from Chromoplexy. In addition, we identified 5 putative tumor suppressor genes (TSGs) chains including one on chromosome 13q with novel findings of PCDH9 (deletions in 15/65 tumors) which was implicated in aggressive progression of prostate cancer. Finally, the integrative pathway and co-expression network analysis followed by the functional study indicated the frequent altered genes, particularly focal amplifications of PLXNA1 (11/65), in semaphoring signaling of axon guidance pathway may interact with PI3K/AKT and AR signaling and also contribute to the aggressiveness and progression of prostate cancer.

  Study EGAS00001000888

• SeqControl: Process Control for DNA Sequencing

  As next-generation sequencing (NGS) continues to increase in speed and throughput, routine clinical and industrial application draws steadily closer. These “production” uses of NGS will require enhanced quality-monitoring and quality-control to optimize output and reduce costs. We therefore developed a framework called SeqControl for predicting sequencing quality and coverage using a set of 15 metrics describing overall coverage, coverage distribution, base-wise coverage and base-wise quality. Using whole-genome sequences of 27 prostate cancers and 26 normal references we derive multivariate models that predict sequencing quality and depth. SeqControl robustly predicts how much sequencing is required to reach a given coverage depth (AUC = 0.993), accurately classifies clinically relevant formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded samples and makes predictions from as little as 1/8 of a lane of sequencing data (AUC = 0.967). These techniques can be immediately incorporated into existing NGS pipelines to monitor data quality in real-time. SeqControl represents a first step towards statistical process-control for NGS.

  Study EGAS00001000899

• METABRIC: Data from Batra et al (2021); DNA methylation landscapes of 1538 breast cancers reveal a replication-linked clock, epigenomic instability and cis-regulation

  DNA methylation is aberrant in cancer, but the dynamics, regulatory role and clinical implications of such epigenetic changes are still poorly understood. Here, RRBS-based profiles of 1538 breast tumors and 244 normal breast tissues from the METABRIC cohort are reported, facilitating detailed analysis of DNA methylation within a rich context of genomic, transcriptional, and clinical data. Tumor methylation from immune and stromal signatures are deconvoluted leading to the discovery of a tumor replication-linked clock with genome-wide methylation loss in non-CpG island sites. Unexpectedly, methylation in most tumor CpG islands follows two replication-independent processes of gain (MG) or loss (ML) that we term epigenomic instability. Epigenomic instability is correlated with tumor grade and stage, TP53 mutations and poorer prognosis. After controlling for these global trans-acting trends, as well as for X-linked dosage compensation effects, cis-specific methylation and expression correlations are uncovered at hundreds of promoters and over a thousand distal elements. Some of these targeted known tumor suppressors and oncogenes. In conclusion, the study demonstrates that global epigenetic instability can erode cancer methylomes and expose them to localized methylation aberrations in-cis resulting in transcriptional changes seen in tumors.

  Study EGAS00001004327

• A Comparative Analysis of Algorithms for Somatic SNV Detection in Cancer

  Four recently published algorithms for the detection of somatic SNV sites in matched cancer-normal sequencing datasets are VarScan, SomaticSniper, JointSNVMix and Strelka. In this analysis, we apply these four SNV calling algorithms to cancer- normal Illumina exome sequencing of a chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) patient. The candidate SNV sites returned by each algorithm are filtered to remove likely false positives, then characterised and compared to investigate the strengths and weaknesses of each SNV calling algorithm.

  Study EGAS00001000927

• Dissociation of solid tumour tissues with cold active protease for single-cell RNA-seq minimizes conserved collagenase-associated stress responses

  Background Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq) is a powerful tool for studying complex biological systems, such as tumour heterogeneity and tissue microenvironments. However, the sources of technical and biological variation in primary solid tumour tissues and patient-derived mouse xenografts for scRNAseq, are not well understood. Here, we used low temperature (6°C) protease and collagenase (37°C) to identify the transcriptional signatures associated with tissue dissociation across a diverse scRNAseq dataset comprising 128,481 cells from patient cancer tissues, patient-derived breast cancer xenografts and cancer cell lines.Results We observe substantial variation in standard quality control (QC) metrics of cell viability across conditions and tissues. From FACS sorted populations gated for cell viability, we identify a sub-population of dead cells that would pass standard data filtering practices, and quantify the extent to which their transcriptomes differ from live cells. We identify a further subpopulation of transcriptomically “dying” cells that exhibit up-regulation of MHC class I transcripts, in contrast with live and fully dead cells. From the contrast between tissue protease dissociation at 37°C or 6°C, we observe that collagenase digestion results in a stress response. We derive a core gene set of 512 heat shock and stress response genes, including FOS and JUN, induced by collagenase (37°C), which are minimized by dissociation with a cold active protease (6°C). While induction of these genes was highly conserved across all cell types, cell type-specific responses to collagenase digestion were observed in patient tissues. We observe that the yield of cancer and non-cancer cell types varies between tissues and dissociation methods.Conclusions The method and conditions of tumour dissociation influence cell yield and transcriptome state and are both tissue and cell type dependent. Interpretation of stress pathway expression differences in cancer single cell studies, including components of surface immune recognition such as MHC class I, may be especially confounded. We define a core set of 512 genes that can assist with identification of such effects in dissociated scRNA-seq experiments.

  Study EGAS00001003753

• Von Hippel-Lindau syndrome multi-region exome sequencing project from two patients undertaken at Cancer Research UK's London Research Institute

  Multi-region whole exome sequencing of tumours from patients with Von Hippel-Lindau syndrome reveals convergence of mutayional events upon the PI3L-AKT-mTOR signalling pathway.

  Study EGAS00001000907

• Dissecting intratumor heterogeneity of nodal B cell lymphoma on the transcriptional, genetic, and drug response level

  Tumor heterogeneity encompasses both the malignant cells and their microenvironment. While heterogeneity between individual patients is well-known to affect the efficacy of anti-cancer, most personalized treatment approaches do not account for intratumor heterogeneity. We addressed this issue by studying the heterogeneity of lymph node-derived B cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (B-NHL) by single cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) and transcriptome-informed flow cytometry. We identified transcriptionally distinct malignant subclones and compared their drug response and genomic profiles. Malignant subclones of the same patient responded strikingly different to anti-cancer drugs ex vivo, which recapitulated subclone-specific drug sensitivity during in vivo treatment. Tumor infiltrating T cells represented the majority of non-malignant cells, whose gene expression signatures were similar across all donors, whereas the frequencies of T cell subsets varied significantly between the donors. Our data provide new insights into the heterogeneity of B-NHL and highlight the relevance of intratumor heterogeneity for personalized cancer therapies.

  Study EGAS00001004335

• Exploring_the_landscape_of_somatic_mutations_in_normal_tissue___POL___WGS

  Somatic mutations (burdens and signatures) and clonal dynamics in individuals with germline DNA polymerase mutations.

  Study EGAS00001003682

• WXS of 147 lung cancer patients treated with immunotherapy

  We first attempted to predict MHC-binding neoantigens at high accuracy with convolutional neural networks. This prediction model outperformed previous methods in > 70% of test cases. Importantly, our method remarkably increased the predictive value of neoantigen load especially in combination with known resistance parameters. We then developed a classifier that can predict resistance from point mutations that are deleterious to protein function. Notably, genes involved in the adaptive immune response, cytokine signaling,and EGFR signaling held high explanatory power. Furthermore, when integrated with our neoantigen profiling, these anti-immunogenic mutations revealed significantly higher predictive power than known resistance factors.

  Study EGAS00001003781

• The evolutionary steps from primary to metastatic prostate cancer are largely uncharted, and the ability to use DNA present in body fluids as correlates of aggregate metastatic status is under-examined. We reconstructed phylogenies in ten prostate cancer patients with fatal disease using deep targeted sequencing of the prostate, adjacent and distant organs, as well as plasma, serum, and cerebrospinal fluid at various time points. A total of 163 samples are studied.

  The evolutionary steps from primary tumor to metastasis in prostate cancer are largely uncharted, and the ability to use serum, plasma, and cerebrospinal fluid as a correlate of aggregate metastatic tumor genomic status has not been tested. We used deep targeted sequencing to reconstruct tumor evolution in ten prostate cancer patients with fatal disease encompassing examination of the prostate and adjacent and distant organs, as well as plasma, serum, and cerebrospinal fluid at various time points. We show that there is substantial evolution from a common ancestor within the prostate that results in branching to multiple lineages which form an intermixed multi-clonal primary tumor mass. After the occurrence of key driver aberrations, one of these lineages will metastasize to multiple sites in a sequential fashion. These metastatic sites are then susceptible to being populated by cells from other intra-prostatic lineages or from other metastases. Genomic representation of metastases in body fluids is not uniform. Cerebrospinal fluid analysis can detect lineages not detected in circulating DNA, suggesting possible clinical utility.

  Study EGAS00001003848

• Molecular determinants of response to PD-L1 blockade across tumor types

  Immune checkpoint inhibitors targeting the PD-1/PD-L1 axis lead to durable clinical responses in subsets of cancer patients across multiple indications, including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), urothelial carcinoma (UC) and renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Herein, we complement PD-L1 immunohistochemistry (IHC) and tumor mutation burden (TMB) with RNA-seq in 366 patients to identify unifying and indication-specific molecular profiles that can predict response to checkpoint blockade across these tumor types. Multiple machine learning approaches failed to identify a baseline transcriptional signature highly predictive of response across these indications. Signatures described previously for immune checkpoint inhibitors also failed to validate. At the pathway level, significant heterogeneity was observed between indications, in particular within the PD-L1+ tumors. mUC and NSCLC were molecularly aligned, with cell cycle and DNA damage repair genes associated with response in PD-L1- tumors. At the gene level, the CDK4/6 inhibitor CDKN2A was identified as a significant transcriptional correlate of response, highlighting the association of non-immune pathways to the outcome of checkpoint blockade. This cross-indication analysis revealed molecular heterogeneity between mUC, NSCLC and RCC tumors, suggesting that indication-specific molecular approaches should be prioritized to formulate treatment strategies.

  Study EGAS00001004343

• Plasma DNA aberrations in systemic lupus erythematosus revealed by genomic and methylomic sequencing

  We performed a high-resolution analysis of the biological characteristics of plasma DNA in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients using massively parallel genomic and methylomic sequencing. A number of plasma DNA abnormalities were found. First, aberrations in measured genomic representations (MGRs) were identified in the plasma DNA of SLE patients. The extent of the aberrations in MGRs correlated with anti-double–stranded DNA (anti-dsDNA) antibody level. Second, the plasma DNA of active SLE patients exhibited skewed molecular size-distribution profiles with a significantly increased proportion of short DNA fragments. The extent of plasma DNA shortening in SLE patients correlated with the SLE disease activity index (SLEDAI) and anti-dsDNA antibody level. Third, the plasma DNA of active SLE patients showed decreased methylation densities. The extent of hypomethylation correlated with SLEDAI and anti-dsDNA antibody level. To explore the impact of anti-dsDNA antibody on plasma DNA in SLE, a column-based protein G capture approach was used to fractionate the IgG-bound and non–IgG-bound DNA in plasma. Compared with healthy individuals, SLE patients had higher concentrations of IgG-bound DNA in plasma. More IgG binding occurs at genomic locations showing increased MGRs. Furthermore, the IgG-bound plasma DNA was shorter in size and more hypomethylated than the non–IgG-bound plasma DNA. These observations have enhanced our understanding of the spectrum of plasma DNA aberrations in SLE and may provide new molecular markers for SLE. Our results also suggest that caution should be exercised when interpreting plasma DNA-based noninvasive prenatal testing and cancer testing conducted for SLE patients.

  Study EGAS00001000962

• Patient-Derived Lung Cancer Organoid

  Lung cancer shows substantial genetic and phenotypic heterogeneity across individuals, driving a need for personalized medicine. Here we report lung cancer organoids and normal bronchial organoids established from patients tissues comprising five histological subtypes of lung cancer and non-neoplastic bronchial mucosa as in vitro models representing individual patient. The lung cancer organoids recapitulate the tissue architecture of the primary lung tumours and maintain the genomic alterations of the original tumours during long-term expansion in vitro. The normal bronchial organoids maintain cellular components of normal bronchial mucosa. Lung cancer organoids respond to drugs based on their genomic alterations: a BRCA2 mutant organoid to olaparib, an EGFR mutant organoid to erlotinib, and an EGFR mutant/MET amplified organoid to crizotinib. Considering the short length of time from organoid establishment to drug testing, our newly developed model may prove useful for predicting patient-specific drug responses through in vitro patient-specific drug trials.

  Study EGAS00001003786

• Comprehensive genomic profiles of small cell lung cancer

  We have sequenced the genomes of 110 small cell lung cancers (SCLC), one of the deadliest human cancers. We found bi-allelic inactivation of TP53 and RB1 in nearly all the tumors analyzed, sometimes by complex genomic rearrangements. Two tumors with wild-type RB1 had evidence of chromothripsis leading to overexpression of Cyclin D1, revealing an alternative mechanism of Rb1 deregulation. Thus, loss of the tumor suppressors TP53 and RB1 is obligatory in SCLC. We further discovered somatic genomic rearrangements of TP73 that create an oncogenic version of this gene, TP73Δex2/3. In few cases, SCLC tumors exhibited kinase gene mutations, providing a possible therapeutic opportunity for individual patients. Finally, we observed inactivating mutations in NOTCH family genes in 25% of human SCLC. Accordingly, activation of Notch signaling in a pre-clinical SCLC mouse model dramatically reduced the number of tumors and extended the survival of the mutant mice. Furthermore, neuroendocrine gene expression was abrogated by Notch activity in SCLC cells. This first comprehensive study of somatic genome alterations in SCLC uncovers several key biological processes and identifies candidate therapeutic targets in this highly lethal form of cancer.

  Study EGAS00001000925

• Therapeutic Resistance to PI3K-alpha Inhibitors

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

  Study EGAS00001000991

• Acute_Lymphoblastic_Leukemia_Sequencing

  Agilent whole exome hybridisation capture will be performed on genomic DNA derived from 50 Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia samples and matched normal DNA from the same patients. Three lanes of Illumina GA sequencing will be performed on the resulting 100 exome libraries and mapped build 37 of the human reference genome to facilitate the identification of novel cancer genes. In addition, 500bp, NO_PCR total genomic libraries will be prepared from the same samples and five lanes of Illumina GA sequencing will be analysed to characterise genome wide, somatically acquired structural variation.

  Study EGAS00001000058

• Somatic_mutation_and_clonal_evolution_in_the_human_bladder_WES_NOVASEQ

  n this study, we aim to characterise the landscape of mutation and clonal selection in the human bladder. The study includes targeted sequencing of laser-dissected microbiopsies from the bladder. The samples utilised in this study will include urothelium from transplant donors with no history of bladder cancer and cystectomy specimens from patients with bladder cancer.

  Study EGAS00001003456

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

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

  Study EGAS00001000930

• Ischemic stroke in a Swedish case-control study.

  Background. Genetic risk scores (GRS), summing up the total effect of several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in genes associated with either coronary risk or cardiovascular risk factors, have been tested for association with ischemic stroke with conflicting results. Recently an association was found between a GRS, based on 29 SNPs discovered by genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and hypertension. The aim of our study was to investigate the possible association of the same GRS with ischemic stroke on top of other “traditional risk factors”, also testing its potential improvement in indices of discrimination and reclassification, in a Swedish case-control study. Methods and results. Twenty-nine SNPs were genotyped in 3,677 stroke cases and 2,415 controls included in the Lund Stroke Register (LSR), the Malmö Diet and Cancer (MDC) study and the Sahlgrenska Academy Study on Ischemic Stroke (SAHLSIS). The analysis was conducted in the entire material, and separately for the three samples. After adjustment for hypertension, diabetes mellitus and smoking habits, the GRS was associated with ischemic stroke in the entire material [OR (95% CI) 1.086 (1.029-1.147) per SD increase in the GRS p=0.003] with similar trends in all three samples; LSR [1.050 (0.967-1.140)]; p=0.25], MDC [1.168 (1.060-1.288); p=0.002] and SAHLSIS [1.124 (0.997-1.267); P=0.055]. Measures of discrimination and reclassification improved marginally using the GRS. Conclusions. A blood pressure GRS is independently associated with ischemic stroke risk in three Swedish case-control studies, however, the effect size is low and adds marginally to prediction of stroke on top of traditional risk factors including hypertension.

  Study EGAS00001000936

• RNA-sequencing of Non-muscle Invasive Bladder cancer (NMIBC)

  This RNA-sequencing cohort includes 78 Non-muscle Invasive Bladder cancer (NMIBC) samples and 7 Muscle Invasive Bladder cancer (MIBC) samples.

  Study EGAS00001004358

• Mutational signature in colorectal cancer induced by genotoxic pks+ E. coli

  Various species of the intestinal microbiota have been associated with the development of colorectal cancer (CRC), yet a direct role of bacteria in the occurrence of oncogenic mutations has not been established. Escherichia coli can carry the pathogenicity island pks, which encodes a set of enzymes that synthesize colibactin. This compound alkylates DNA on adenine residues and induces double strand breaks in cultured cells. Here, we exposed human intestinal organoids to genotoxic pks+ Escherichia coli by repeated luminal injection over a period of 5 months. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) of clonal organoids before and after this exposure reveals a distinct mutational signature, absent from organoids injected with isogenic pks-mutant bacteria. The same mutational signature is detected in a subset of 3668 human metastatic cancer genomes, predominantly in a subset of CRC cases. Our study describes a distinct mutational signature in CRC and implies that the underlying mutational process directly results from past exposure to bacteria carrying the colibactin-producing pks pathogenicity island.

  Study EGAS00001003934

• A benchmarking resource for NGS testing of cancer predisposition genes

  A benchmarking resource of 639 individuals, to assess the analytical sensitivity of cancer predisposition gene (CPG) testing.The dataset includes sequencing data generated using the TruSight Cancer Panel (TSCP) a targeted NGS assay for analysis of CPGs and orthogonally generated data supporting at least one pathogenic variant in a CPG for a total of 645 pathogenic CPG variants.The set of pathogenic CPG variants includes strong representation of some of the most challenging types of pathogenic variants, with 339 indels, including 16 complex indels and 24 insertions or deletions with length greater than 5bp, and 74 exon CNVs, including 23 single exon CNVs. There are 502 pathogenic variants in BRCA1 or BRCA2, making this an important first-line validation dataset for laboratories performing NGS testing of BRCA1 and BRCA2.

  Study EGAS00001002993