7411 results for "canc*"

in 14.82 milliseconds.

• Genome-wide NanoRCS sequencing of cfDNA and ctDNA from liquid biopsies of healthy individuals and cancer patients

  Levels of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in liquid biopsies may serve as a sensitive biomarker for real-time, minimally-invasive tumor diagnostics and monitoring. However, detecting ctDNA is challenging, as much fewer than 5% of the cell-free DNA in the blood typically originates from the tumor. To detect lowly abundant molecules, extremely sensitive sequencing methods are required. We developed a new technique, NanoRCS, which is based on Oxford Nanopore sequencing of concatenated copies of a single DNA molecule for genome-wide sequencing, and applied this to plasma of healthy individuals, Esophageal cancer patients and Granulosa cell tumor patients and ascites of Ovarian cancer patients. We also sequenced these samples on Illumina Novaseq, to compare the two techniques.

  Study EGAS50000000154

• Deregulation of FOXF1/FENDRR from t(14;16)(q32;q24) defines a subtype of high risk lineage ambiguous leukemia

  Despite great progress in understanding the genomic basis of immature T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia/lymphoblastic lymphoma (T-ALL) and acute leukemias of ambiguous lineage (ALAL), there are still cases that lack defining genetic markers, complicating risk stratification and limiting targeted therapeutic options. Here, we describe a subtype of leukemia defined by the t(14;16)(q32;q24) translocation, which places the FOXF1 gene and its antisense long noncoding RNA gene FENDRR under the regulatory control of the BCL11B enhancer, leading to their ectopic transcriptional activation. Analysis of different high-throughput sequencing data, including WGS, RNA-seq, scDNA-seq, scRNA-seq, ChIP-seq, ATAC-seq, and HiChIP-seq, identified BCL11B-enhancer mediated deregulation of FOXF1/FENDRR as a hallmark of a subtype of high-risk lineage ambiguous leukemia that is potentially amenable to targeted therapeutic intervention.

  Study EGAS50000001255

• Oxidative DNA damage and ubiquitin proteasome system dysfunction underpins neurodegeneration in young adults with a DNA repair disorder

  Xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) is caused by defective nucleotide excision-repair of DNA damage. This results in hypersensitivity to ultraviolet light and increased skin cancer risk, as sunlight-induced photoproducts remain unrepaired. However, many XP patients also display early-onset neurodegeneration, which leads to premature death. The mechanism of neurodegeneration is unknown. Here, we investigate XP neurodegeneration using pluripotent stem cells derived from XP patients and healthy relatives, performing functional multi-omics on samples during neuronal differentiation. We have identified substantially increased levels of 5',8-cyclopurine and 8-oxopurine in XP neuronal DNA secondary to marked oxidative stress. Furthermore, we find endoplasmic reticulum stress is upregulated, and, critically, XP neurons exhibit inappropriate downregulation of the protein clearance ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS). Chemical enhancement of UPS activity improves phenotypes, albeit inadequately, implying that early detection/prevention strategies are necessary to produce clinically impactful outcomes. Thus, we develop an early detection assay predicting neurodegeneration in at-risk patients.

  Study EGAS50000000158

• Longitudinal copy number variation analysis from plasma DNA of head and neck cancer patients under re-radiotherapy

  Recurrent locally advanced head and neck cancer (HNC) patients, receiving re-radiotherapy (re-RT), are presented with short progression-free (PFS) and overall survival. Hence, biomarkers predicting therapy failure are urgently needed. We analyzed copy number variations (CNVs) in blood plasma of HNC patients collected before, during and after re-RT. Detectable CNVs after five and ten fractions of re-irradiation as well as at the end of re-RT were associated with short PFS. Furthermore, we found that CNV kinetics in longitudinally collected plasma reflected therapy response and could detect disease progression in advance of radiographic tumor assessments.

  Study EGAS50000000163

• Residual ANTXR1+ myofibroblasts after chemotherapy inhibit anti-tumor immunity via YAP1 signaling pathway

  Although cancer-associated fibroblast (CAF) heterogeneity is well-established, the impact of chemotherapy on CAF populations remains poorly understood. We address this question in high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC), in which we previously identified 4 CAF populations. While the global content in stroma increases in HGSOC after chemotherapy, the proportion of FAP+ CAF (also called CAF-S1) decreases. Still, maintenance of high residual CAF-S1 content after chemotherapy is associated with reduced CD8+ T lymphocyte density and poor patient prognosis, emphasizing the importance of CAF-S1 reduction upon treatment. Single cell analysis, spatial transcriptomics and immunohistochemistry reveal that the content in the ECM-producing ANTXR1+ CAF-S1 cluster (ECM-myCAF) is the most affected by chemotherapy. Moreover, functional assays demonstrate that ECM-myCAF isolated from HGSOC reduce CD8+ T-cell cytotoxicity through a Yes Associated Protein 1 (YAP1)-dependent mechanism. Thus, efficient inhibition after treatment of YAP1-signaling pathway in the ECM-myCAF cluster is required to enhance CD8+ T-cell cytotoxicity. Altogether, these data pave the way for novel therapy targeting YAP1 in ECM-myCAF in HGSOC.

  Study EGAS50000000136

• Evolutionary Trajectories of Small Cell Lung Cancer under Therapy

  Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is one of the deadliest human cancers with a five-years survival rate of less than 7%. The standard of care for extensive-stage SCLC consists of systemic treatment with platinum and etoposide, recently combined with PD-L1 immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI). SCLC patients show high sensitivity to platinum-based chemotherapy, followed by rapid recurrence, which distinguishes SCLC from most human cancers. Unfortunately, second-line treatment with other chemotherapeutics or immunotherapy is only marginally effective, and patients ultimately succumb to their disease. We performed whole exome sequencing, whole genome sequencing and transcriptome sequencing of multiple tumor regions from 65 patients with SCLC. We determined tumor phylogenies at diagnosis and throughout chemotherapy and immunotherapy by multi-region sequencing of 160 tumors from 65 patients, to thus decipher the evolutionary processes underlying the remarkable sensitivity of small cell lung cancer (SCLC) to chemotherapy.

  Study EGAS50000000169

• Single-cell transcriptomic analyses of peripheral blood mononuclear cells, peritoneal fluid, and peritoneal metastases from patients with colorectal cancer

  The data published here contains single-cell RNA- sequencing (scRNAseq) on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), peritoneal fluid (PF), and peritoneal metastases (PM). PBMC, PF and, where possible, PM was acquired from patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) and subjected to 3' scRNAseq using the 10X Genomics (Chromium Single Cell 3’ Reagent). Sequencing was performed in a paired-ended fashion on either the HiSeq4000 or the NovaSeq6000.

  Study EGAS50000000173

• Neoadjuvant atezolizumab plus chemotherapy in gastric and gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma: the phase 2 PANDA trial

  Gastric and gastroesophageal junction (G/GEJ) cancers carry a poor prognosis, and despite recent advancements most patients die of their disease. While immune checkpoint blockade has become part of the standard of care for patients with metastatic G/GEJ cancers, its efficacy and impact on the tumor microenvironment in the early disease setting remain largely unknown. We hypothesized a higher efficacy of neoadjuvant immunotherapy plus chemotherapy in patients with non-metastatic G/GEJ cancer. In the phase 2 PANDA trial, patients with previously untreated resectable G/GEJ tumors (n=21) received neoadjuvant treatment with one cycle of atezolizumab monotherapy followed by 4 cycles of atezolizumab plus docetaxel, oxaliplatin and capecitabine. Treatment was well-tolerated, and all patients underwent resection without treatment-related delays, meeting the primary endpoint of safety and feasibility. Tissue was obtained at multiple time points, allowing analysis of the effects of single-agent PD-L1 blockade and the subsequent combination with chemotherapy on the tumor microenvironment. A total of 21 patients were included, of whom 20 patients underwent surgery and were evaluable for the secondary pathologic response and survival endpoints, while 19 were evaluable for exploratory translational analyses. A major pathologic response (MPR, ≤10% residual viable tumor) was observed in 14/20 (70%; 95% CI 46-88%) patients, including 9 (45%; 95% CI 23-68%) pathologic complete responses. At a median follow-up of 47 months, 13/14 responders were alive and disease-free, while 5/6 nonresponders had died due to disease recurrence. Notably, baseline PD-1+CD8+ T cell infiltration was significantly higher in responders than in nonresponders, and comparison of the tumor microenvironment alterations following anti-PD-L1 monotherapy versus the subsequent combination with chemotherapy revealed that increased immune activity was achieved upon single-agent PD-1/L1 axis blockade. Based on these data, anti-PD-L1 plus chemotherapy warrants further exploration in patients with non-metastatic G/GEJ cancer, and these results call for validation in a larger cohort.

  Study EGAS50000000168

• Stability of gut microbiome after COVID-19 vaccination in healthy and immuno-compromised individuals

  Bidirectional interactions between the immune system and the gut microbiota are key contributors to various physiological functions. Immune-associated diseases such as cancer and auto- immunity, and efficacy of immunomodulatory therapies, have been linked to microbiome variation. Although COVID-19 infection has been shown to cause microbial dysbiosis, it remains understudied whether the inflammatory response associated with vaccination also impacts the microbiota. Here, we investigate the temporal impact of COVID-19 vaccination on the gut microbiome in healthy and immuno-compromised individuals; the latter included patients with primary immunodeficiency and cancer patients on immuno- modulating therapies. We find that the gut microbiome remained remarkably stable postvaccination irrespective of diverse immune status, vaccine response, and microbial composition spanned by the cohort. The stability is evident at all evaluated levels including diversity, phylum, species, and functional capacity. Our results in- dicate the resilience of the gut microbiome to host immune changes triggered by COVID-19 vaccination and suggest minimal, if any, impact on microbiome-mediated processes. These findings en- courage vaccine acceptance, particularly when contrasted with the significant microbiome shifts observed during COVID-19 infection.

  Study EGAS50000000179

• Exome sequencing of early and late passage Patient Derived Xenogratf Tumoroids with matched Patient Derived Xenogratfs and matched normal liver

  The breadth and depth at which cancer models are interrogated contribute to successful translation of drug discovery efforts to the clinic. In colorectal cancer (CRC), model availability is limited by a dearth of large-scale collections of patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) and paired tumoroids from metastatic disease, the setting where experimental therapies are typically tested. XENTURION is a unique open-science resource that combines a platform of 129 PDX models and a sister platform of 129 matched PDX-derived tumoroids (PDXTs) from patients with metastatic CRC, with accompanying multidimensional molecular and therapeutic characterization. This specific dataset is focused on a comparison of early and late passage tumoroids transcriptomes. In this study we focused our attention on early (passage 3) and late (passage 8-12) PDXTs with their matched PDXs and normal liver

  Study EGAS50000000185

• Oxidative DNA damage and ubiquitin proteasome system dysfunction underpins neurodegeneration in young adults with a DNA repair disorder

  Xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) is caused by defective nucleotide excision-repair of DNA damage. This results in hypersensitivity to ultraviolet light and increased skin cancer risk, as sunlight-induced photoproducts remain unrepaired. However, many XP patients also display early-onset neurodegeneration, which leads to premature death. The mechanism of neurodegeneration is unknown. Here, we investigate XP neurodegeneration using pluripotent stem cells derived from XP patients and healthy relatives, performing functional multi-omics on samples during neuronal differentiation. We have identified substantially increased levels of 5',8-cyclopurine and 8-oxopurine in XP neuronal DNA secondary to marked oxidative stress. Furthermore, we find endoplasmic reticulum stress is upregulated, and, critically, XP neurons exhibit inappropriate downregulation of the protein clearance ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS). Chemical enhancement of UPS activity improves phenotypes, albeit inadequately, implying that early detection/prevention strategies are necessary to produce clinically impactful outcomes. Thus, we develop an early detection assay predicting neurodegeneration in at-risk patients.

  Study EGAS50000000160

• Oxidative DNA damage and ubiquitin proteasome system dysfunction underpins neurodegeneration in young adults with a DNA repair disorder

  Xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) is caused by defective nucleotide excision-repair of DNA damage. This results in hypersensitivity to ultraviolet light and increased skin cancer risk, as sunlight-induced photoproducts remain unrepaired. However, many XP patients also display early-onset neurodegeneration, which leads to premature death. The mechanism of neurodegeneration is unknown. Here, we investigate XP neurodegeneration using pluripotent stem cells derived from XP patients and healthy relatives, performing functional multi-omics on samples during neuronal differentiation. We have identified substantially increased levels of 5',8-cyclopurine and 8-oxopurine in XP neuronal DNA secondary to marked oxidative stress. Furthermore, we find endoplasmic reticulum stress is upregulated, and, critically, XP neurons exhibit inappropriate downregulation of the protein clearance ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS). Chemical enhancement of UPS activity improves phenotypes, albeit inadequately, implying that early detection/prevention strategies are necessary to produce clinically impactful outcomes. Thus, we develop an early detection assay predicting neurodegeneration in at-risk patients.

  Study EGAS50000000162

• Origin of second malignancies in children

  Pediatric cancers are rare diseases, and children without known germline predisposing conditions who develop a second malignancy during developmental ages are extremely rare. We present four such clinical cases and through whole-genome and error-correcting ultra-deep duplex sequencing of tumor and normal samples, we explored the origin of the second malignancy in four children, uncovering different routes of development. The exposure to cytotoxic therapies was linked to the emergence of a secondary AML. A common somatic mutation acquired early during embryonic development was the driver of two solid malignancies in another child. In two cases, the two tumors developed from completely independent clones diverging during embryogenesis. Importantly, we demonstrate that platinum-based therapies contributed at least in one order of magnitude more mutations per day of exposure than aging to normal tissues in these children.

  Study EGAS50000000167

• Karyotype Evolution in Response to Chemoradiotherapy and Upon Recurrence of Esophageal Adenocarcinomas

  The genome of esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) is highly unstable and might evolve over time. Here, we track karyotype evolution in EACs in response to treatment and upon recurrence through multi-region and longitudinal analysis. To this end, we introduce L-PAC, a bio-informatics technique that allows inference of absolute copy number aberrations (CNA) of low-purity samples by leveraging information of high-purity samples from the same cancer. Quantitative analysis of matched absolute CNAs reveals that the amount of karyotype evolution induced by chemoradiotherapy (CRT) is predictive for early recurrence and depends on the initial level of karyotype intra-tumor heterogeneity. We observe that CNAs acquired in response to CRT are partially reversed back to the initial state upon recurrence. CRT hence alters the fitness landscape to which tumors can adjust by adapting their karyotype. Together, our results indicate that karyotype plasticity contributes to therapy resistance of EACs.

  Study EGAS00001007711

• Shallow Whole Genome Sequencing of Patient Derived Xenografts

  Chemotherapy is the standard-of-care treatment for metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) and benefits some patients, but what distinguishes responders from non-responders is unclear. In this study, we leveraged a comprehensive collection of 27 molecularly annotated patient-derived xenografts to uncover functional predictors of response to 5-FU and irinotecan combination therapy (FOLFIRI) in mCRC. Genetic analyses revealed that treatment sensitivity was marked by genomic scars indicative of BRCAness, suggesting homologous recombination (HR) deficiency as a key determinant. Accordingly, we surveyed a manually curated panel of 44 genes with a documented role in HR for the potential presence of pathogenic mutations. We did not observe a specific enrichment of HR gene mutations based on response to FOLFIRI. This result, combined with the absence of widespread biallelic inactivation of the analyzed genes and the predominance of mutations categorized as variants of unknown significance, suggests that FOLFIRI sensitivity is not primarily governed by underlying mutations in HR genes responsible for mitigating the genotoxic effects of this therapeutic regimen.

  Study EGAS50000000191

• Microbiome confounders and quantitative profiling challenge established microbial targets in colorectal cancer developmental stages

  Study EGAS00001007413

• cell-Free DNA Genomic Profiling and its Clinical Implementation in Advanced Prostate Cancer

  Sixty-eight patients with advanced prostate cancer in castration-resistant or castration-sensitive settings undergoing treatment at the University Hospital Basel or the St. Claraspital Basel (Switzerland) were selected for targeted parallel sequencing analysis on liquid biopsy (plasma cfDNA) and matched formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tumor tissue samples.

  Study EGAS50000000234

• Comprehensive spatial landscape and plasticity of immunosuppressive fibroblasts in breast cancer

  Although immunosuppressive and pro-metastatic functions of FAP+ Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts (CAF) are well-established, their plasticity and spatial distribution remain poorly understood. Here, we analyze trajectory inference, deconvolute spatial transcriptomics at single-cell level and perform functional assays to generate an integrative high-resolution map of breast cancer (BC), focusing particularly on the different subpopulations within inflammatory and myofibroblastic (iCAF/myCAF) FAP+ CAF. We identify 10 spatially-organized FAP+ CAF-related cellular niches, called EcoCellTypes, which are precisely localized within tumors. Consistent with their spatial organization, we identify DPP4- and YAP1-dependent mechanisms, by which cancer cells drive the transition of the detoxification-associated inflammatory FAP+ CAF cluster (Detox-iCAF) towards immunosuppressive extracellular matrix (ECM)-producing myofibroblasts (ECM-myCAF). In turn, ECM-myCAF polarize TREM2+ macrophages and regulatory NK cells to induce immunosuppressive EcoCellTypes. FAP+ CAF subpopulations accumulate differently depending on the invasive BC status and predict invasive recurrence of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), which could help in identifying low-risk DCIS patients eligible for therapeutic de-escalation.

  Study EGAS50000000220

• Single-cell atlas of penile cancer reveals TP53 mutations as driver for an aggressive phenotype, irrespective of HPV status, and provides clues for treatment personalization

  Our aim was to identify molecular differences in the microenvironment of penile squamous cell carcinoma (PSCC) stratified by TP53 loss-of-function (TP53LOF) mutations and HPV-status. Hence, we present a first single-cell transcriptomic atlas of PSCC. Stratification based on TP53 and HPV-status uncovered differences in CSS and underlying molecular pathways. Our data indicate that TP53LOF tumors are characterized by worse biological behavior regardless of HPV-status. These findings and further research are essential for trial design in PSCC, allowing us to move away from the current one-size-fits-all approach.

  Study EGAS50000000217

• Clonal Evolution and Blastic Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cell Neoplasm - Two Cases

  Here we present two case studies of sequential whole exome sequencing (WES) in patients, who both developed BPDCN throughout their medical history but primarily presented with lymphoid cancers (clonally related ALK-negative anaplastic large-cell lymphoma (ALCL) and T-lymphoblastic lymphoma (T-LBL)) and whose bone marrow at remission exhibited a CMML phenotype, from which in both cases BPDCN clones arose that subsequently became treatment refractory.

  Study EGAS50000000214

• Immune Biomarkers in Metastatic Castration-resistant Prostate Cancer

  Background: Metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) is a heterogeneous disease in which molecular stratification is needed to improve clinical outcomes. The identification of predictive biomarkers can have a major impact on the care of these patients, but the availability of metastatic tissue samples for research in this setting is limited. Objective: To study the prevalence of immune biomarkers of potential clinical utility to immunotherapy in mCRPC by tumour RNA sequencing, and to determine their association with overall survival (OS).

  Study EGAS50000001269

• single-cell RNA-Seq of colorectal cancer patient samples

  Study EGAS00001006665

• Dynamics of checkpoint receptors in γδ T cell subsets are associated with clinical responses during anti-PD-1 immunotherapies

  Gamma delta (γδ) T cells are innate-like lymphocytes with potent anti-tumor properties. Herein, we show that immune checkpoint receptors (ICRs) display differential expression and regulation by the JAK-STAT pathway in Vδ1 and Vδ2 cells and identify constitutive (e.g. TIGIT, PD-1) and inducible (e.g. TIM-3, LAG-3, CTLA-4) ICRs. In melanoma, all γδ T cell subsets downregulated AP-1 transcription factors, but Vδ1 cells specifically expressed high levels of ICR, TOX and inhibitory killer Ig-like receptor (KIR) transcripts, reminiscent of exhaustion. However, patient-derived cells were functionally competent, although induction of LAG-3 and CTLA-4 was impaired. During anti-PD-1 monotherapy, Vδ1 cells specifically bound high levels of therapeutic antibody but only in patients who responded to treatment, revealing a potential new prognostic marker for evaluating the efficacy of IC blockade (ICB) therapy. Finally, expression of KIR genes in Vδ1 cells was downregulated in response to successful ICB therapy. Collectively, our data indicate an intricate relationship between ICRs and γδ T cells and reveal novel approaches by which these cells can be harnessed in order to discern or improve cancer immunotherapy.

  Study EGAS50000001270

• Non-small cell lung cancer molecular subtypes and vulnerability to immunotherapy treatment combinations

  The phase 3 IMpower150 trial in treatment-naïve patients with metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) demonstrated significantly longer progression-free (PFS) and overall survival (OS) with first-line atezolizumab (anti-PD-L1)-bevacizumab (anti-VEGF)-carboplatin-paclitaxel (ABCP) than with bevacizumab-carboplatin-paclitaxel (BCP). We characterised four molecular NSCLC subtypes identified by unsupervised clustering of transcriptomes of 564 pre-treatment primary tumour samples from IMpower150 using non-negative matrix factorization (NMF1-4). Each subtype had distinct tumour PD-L1 expression levels, epithelial characteristics, immune composition, and treatment outcomes. Both NMF2 (enriched in tumour proliferation signal, macrophages, and monocytes) and NMF4 (enriched in B-cells and T cells) had elevated tumour PD-L1 expression. Of these two, only NMF4 demonstrated PFS and OS benefits with ABCP versus either BCP or atezolizumab-carboplatin-paclitaxel (ACP). Patients with NMF1 (enriched in basal and squamous-like cells) had improved outcomes on ABCP compared with ACP or BCP; those with NMF3 (enriched in adenocarcinoma signatures) showed similar outcomes among treatments. These insights could help inform individualised first-line treatment for metastatic NSCLC.

  Study EGAS50000001272

• Broad utility of ultrasensitive analysis of ctDNA dynamics across solid tumors treated with immunotherapy

  Plasma ctDNA sequencing data from samples collected from a pan-cancer cohort of patients with advanced-stage disease treated with IO therapies. This study highlights the broader applicability of ultrasensitive ctDNA as a biomarker across cancer types and immunotherapy modalities. Here, we applied a whole-genome, tumor-informed approach to study ctDNA in 202 advanced-stage cancer patients treated at VHIO. This study captures the plasma sequencing data from the project.

  Study EGAS50000001271