7790 results for "canc*"

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• Somatic Inactivation of Breast Cancer Predisposition Genes in Tumours Associated with Pathogenic Germline Variants

  Breast cancers (BC) from susceptibility gene carriers, including BRCA1/2, PALB2 and RAD51C, have been shown to have bi-allelic loss in the respective genes and be associated with triple-negative (TN) BC and distinctive somatic mutational signatures. Tumour sequencing thus presents an orthogonal approach to assess the role of candidate genes in BC development.

  Study EGAS00001006532

• 5- FU treated organoids

  5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) is a chemotherapeutic drug component that is commonly used for the treatment of solid cancers. The anticancer properties of 5-FU have been attributed to interference with nucleotide synthesis and through direct incorporation into the DNA as being a pyrimidine analog. As both mechanisms of action may have a mutational impact on surviving tumor cells, we performed three independent analyses to characterize the genomic consequences of 5-FU treatment: i) in vitro treatment of intestinal organoids with 5-FU followed by whole genome sequencing, ii) genome-wide mutation analyses in tumor samples from 5-FU treated patients with breast or colorectal cancer, and iii) analysis of paired biopsies from patients treated with 5-FU between biopsies. Our results demonstrate that both in vitro and in vivo 5-FU causes a mutational pattern that is dominated by T>G substitutions in a CTT context and with strong resemblance to COSMIC signature 17. Interestingly, this signature is also found in non 5-FU treated patients, most prominently in esophageal tumors, indicating that distinct endogenous and exogenous triggers can converge into highly similar mutational signatures. Furthermore, our results suggest that 5-FU may have adverse mutagenic effects on healthy cells and contributes to genetic variability in surviving cancer cells thereby contributing to tumor evolution.

  Study EGAS00001003592

• Resolving the immune landscape of human prostate at a single cell level in health and cancer

  The prostate gland produces prostatic fluid, high in zinc and citrate and essential for the maintenance of spermatozoa. Prostate cancer is a common condition with limited treatment efficacy in castration-resistant metastatic disease, including with immune checkpoint inhibitors. We used single-cell RNA-sequencing to perform an unbiased assessment of the cellular landscape of human prostate and identified a previously unappreciated subset of tumour-enriched androgen receptor-negative luminal epithelial cells, with increased expression of cancer-associated genes. We also found a variety of innate and adaptive immune cells in normal prostate that were transcriptionally perturbed in prostate cancer. An exception was a unique, prostate-specific, zinc transporter-expressing macrophage population (MAC-MT), that contributed to tissue zinc accumulation in homeostasis, but showed enhanced inflammatory gene expression in tumours, including T cell-recruiting chemokines. Remarkably, enrichment of the MAC-MT signature in cancer biopsies was associated with improved disease-free survival, suggesting beneficial anti-tumour functions.

  Study EGAS00001005787

• Dedifferentiated_Melanoma_RNAseq

  De- and transdifferentiation of melanoma is a rare histopathological phenomenon that has not be characterised genetically. In this project we plan to sequence the genomes of de and transdifferentiated cases so as to define their genetic make-up.

  Study EGAS00001003601

• Colorectal cancer transcriptomics with primary and metastatic samples

  We performed RNAseq analysis of metastatic colorectal cancer from 16 patients. Normal adjacent tissue, primary tissue, and metastatic tissue were analyzed to uncover metastatic progression and difference between primary and distant metastatic lesions.

  Study EGAS00001006464

• Detection of Gene Fusions using Targeted Next-Generation Sequencing – a Comparative Evaluation

  Study EGAS00001004934

• Bulk RNA-seq of stromal cells from multiple cancer types

  We sorted CD45-CD44+CD90+ stromal cells from multiple tumor types and performed bulk RNA-seq. The data allows to infer CAF programs active across indications.

  Study EGAS00001006497

• Genomic analysis and evolutionary modeling of breast and larynx cancer, based on specimens from Polish population

  We explore the genomic characteristics of the original dataset of breast and larynx cancer specimens of several cell types from the collection of the Department of Applied Radiology of the Maria Sklodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology, Krakow (Poland) Branch and Institute of Human Genetics Polish Academy of Sciences. DNA from paired tissue samples from primary tumor locations and concurrent metastasis to regional lymph nodes was sequenced and matched to controls. A range of genomic analyses was carried out, such as estimation of variant allele frequencies (VAF) and copy number variation (CNV). They show that subsets of variants from primary tumors are present in metastatic lymph nodes and that the CNV pattern is similar, but not identical to that known in the literature. In addition to that, we fit the VAF data to theoretical site frequency spectra predicted by multiple models found in the literature. Analysis suggests existence of secondary advantageous subclones arising on the clonal background as well as of a number of neutral or slightly deleterious passenger mutations.

  Study EGAS00001006456

• Single Cell Dissection of the Tumour Microenvironment Reveals Dynamic Interplay Shaping the Tumour Immunity Continuum in Ovarian Cancer

  Diverse tumour immune phenotypes with distinct T cell infiltration patterns result in different responses to cancer immunotherapies. However, the key determinants and biology underpinning these phenotypes remain elusive. Here, we provide a high-resolution dissection of the tumour microenvironment representative of different tumour immune phenotypes. By performing single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq) of the tumour, immune, and stromal compartments from 15 ovarian cancer patients, we characterized the diverse cellular and functional phenotypes, as well as dynamic interplay within and between these components. Infiltrated and excluded tumours markedly differed from desert tumours in several tumour cell intrinsic features, including high interferon response, antigen presentation and oxidative phosphorylation. Moreover, these tumours were characterized by tumour associated macrophage (TAM)-like myeloid subsets, while desert tumours were enriched in myeloid derived suppressive cell (MDSC)-like myeloid subsets. Infiltrated and excluded tumours differed in their T cell composition and fibroblast subsets. While dysfunctional CD8+ GZMB T cells and IL1-activated fibroblasts (IL1 CAFs) were associated with infiltrated tumours, pre-dysfunctional CD8+ GZMK T cells and TGFB-activated fibroblasts (TGFB CAFs) were enriched in excluded tumours. These findings validated in bulk transcriptomic profiles of 1071 ovarian tumours and using in situ hybridization. Furthermore, our study revealed chemokine receptor-ligand interactions within and across compartments as potential mechanisms mediating immune cell infiltration, exemplified by the tumour cell-T cell crosstalk via a CXC16-CXCR6 axis, stromal-immune cell crosstalk via CXCL12/14-CXCR4 signalling, and TAM-like macrophage-T cell crosstalk through CXCR3-CXCL9/10/11 signalling. Our in-depth characterization of the tumour environment and intercellular interactions provides novel insights into potential molecular mechanisms that shape the distinct biology of tumour immune phenotypes. Our findings may inform novel therapeutic strategies for potentially shifting tumours along the immunity continuum to improve clinical benefit from cancer immunotherapies.

  Study EGAS00001004935

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

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

  Study EGAS00001006466

• Real-time analysis of the cancer genome and fragmentome from plasma and urine short and long cell-free DNA using Nanopore sequencing

  Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) can be isolated from blood and/or urine of cancer patients and analyzed with sequencing. Unfortunately, most conventional short-read sequencing methods are technically challenging, labor intensive and time consuming, requiring several days but more typically weeks to obtain interpretable data which are limited by a bias for short cfDNA fragments. Here, we demonstrate that with Oxford Nanopore Technologies sequencing  we can achieve economical and ultra-fast delivery of clinical data from liquid biopsies.   Our ‘ITSFASTR’ approach is able to deliver copy number aberrations, and cfDNA fragmentation profiles in less than 24 hours from sample collection. The tumor-derived cfDNA fraction calculated from lung cancer patient plasma and urine from bladder cancer patients was highly correlated (R=0.98) to the tumor fraction calculated from conventional short-read sequencing of the same samples. cfDNA size profile and fragmentation patterns in plasma and urine exhibited the typical cfDNA features yet with a significantly higher proportion of informative fragments that exceed 300bp, exhibiting similar tumor fraction than shorter size fragments. Notably, comprehensive fragment-end composition and nucleosome profiling near transcription start sites can be determined from the same data.  We propose that ITSFASTR is the first point-of-care solution for obtaining genomic and fragmentomic results from liquid biopsies.

  Study EGAS00001006591

• Multi-institutional collaboration to characterize 5hmC in prostate cancer, both tumor biopsies and cfDNA.

  This study used pull-down sequencing to measure 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) levels in tissue biopsy specimens from patients with localized and metastatic castration-resistant (mCRPC) prostate cancer. For a subset of the cohort, the same technique was used to sequence cell-free DNA (cfDNA) isolated from patient plasma. To assess 5hmC levels in cfDNA from a larger number of specimens, plasma samples from another mCRPC cohort were also assayed with this method. The larger cohort of cfDNA samples was further anlayzed with a targeted sequencing gene panel.

  Study EGAS00001004942

• Integrative modeling of tumor genomes and epigenomes for enhanced cancer diagnosis by cell-free DNA.

  3784 whole genome sequencing bam files were generated from plasma cell-free DNA of healthy individuals and patients with cancer. Paired reads were mapped to hg19 human reference genome.

  Study EGAS00001006553

• Genetic insights into the biological mechanisms governing human ovarian ageing

  Reproductive longevity is critical for fertility and impacts healthy ageing in women, yet insights into the underlying biological mechanisms and treatments to preserve it are limited. Here, we identify 290 genetic determinants of ovarian ageing, assessed using normal variation in age at natural menopause (ANM) in ~200,000 women of European ancestry. These common alleles influence clinical extremes of ANM; women in the top 1% of genetic susceptibility have an equivalent risk of premature ovarian insufficiency to those carrying monogenic FMR1 premutations. Identified loci implicate a broad range of DNA damage response (DDR) processes and include loss-of-function variants in key DDR genes. Integration with experimental models demonstrates that these DDR processes act across the life-course to shape the ovarian reserve and its rate of depletion. Furthermore, we demonstrate that experimental manipulation of DDR pathways highlighted by human genetics increase fertility and extend reproductive life in mice. Causal inference analyses using the identified genetic variants indicates that extending reproductive life in women improves bone health and reduces risk of type 2 diabetes, but increases risks of hormone-sensitive cancers. These findings provide insight into the mechanisms governing ovarian ageing, when they act across the life-course, and how they might be targeted by therapeutic approaches to extend fertility and prevent disease.

  Study EGAS00001004947

• Colorectal cancer study

  Matrix metalloproteinase-11 (MMP11) is an enzyme with proteolytic activity against matrix and non-matrix proteins. Although most MMPs are secreted as inactive proenzymes and they are later activated extracellularly, MMP11 is activated intracellularly by furin within the constitutive secretory pathway. It is a key factor in physiological tissue remodeling and its alteration may play an important role in the progression of epithelial malignancies and other diseases. TCGA colon and colorectal adenocarcinoma data showed that upregulation of MMP11 expression correlates with tumorigenesis and malignancy. Here, we provide evidence that a germline variant in the MMP11 gene (NM_005940: c.232C>T; p.(Pro78Ser)), identified by whole exome sequencing, can increase the tumorigenic properties of colorectal cancer (CRC) cells. P78S is located in the prodomain region, which is responsible for blocking MMP11’s protease activity. This variant was detected in the proband and all the cancer-affected family members analyzed, while it was not detected in healthy relatives. In silico analyses predict that P78S could have an impact on the activation of the enzyme. Furthermore, our in vitro analyses show that the expression of P78S in HCT116 cells increases tumor cell invasion and proliferation. In summary, our results show that this variant could modify the structure of the MMP11 prodomain, producing a premature or uncontrolled activation of the enzyme that may contribute to an early CRC onset in these patients. The study of this gene in other CRC cases will provide further information about its role in CRC development, which might improve patient treatment in the future.

  Study EGAS00001006489

• Somatic copy number alteration and fragmentation analysis in circulating tumor DNA for cancer screening and treatment monitoring in colorectal cancer patients

  Background: Analysis of circulating free DNA (cfDNA) is a promising tool for personalized management of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. Untargeted cfDNA analysis using whole-genome sequencing (WGS) does not need a priori knowledge of the patient´s mutation profile. Methods: Here we established LIquid biopsy Fragmentation, Epigenetic signature and Copy Number Alteration analysis (LIFE-CNA) using WGS with ~6x coverage for detection of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in CRC patients as a marker for CRC detection and monitoring. Results: We describe the analytical validity and a clinical proof-of-concept of LIFE-CNA using a total of 259 plasma samples collected from 50 patients with stage I-IV CRC and 61 healthy controls. To reliably distinguish CRC patients from healthy controls, we determined cutoffs for the detection of ctDNA based on global and regional cfDNA fragmentation patterns, transcriptionally active chromatin sites, and SCNAs. We further combined global and regional fragmentation pattern into a machine learning classifier to accurately predict ctDNA for cancer detection. By following individual patients throughout their course of disease, we show that LIFE-CNA enables the reliable prediction of response or resistance to treatment up to 3.5 months before commonly used CEA. Conclusion: In summary, we developed and validated a sensitive and cost-effective method for untargeted ctDNA detection at diagnosis as well as for treatment monitoring of all CRC patients based on genetic as well as non-genetic tumor-specific cfDNA features. Thus, once sensitivity and specificity have been externally validated, LIFE-CNA has the potential to be implemented into clinical practice. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to consider multiple genetic and non-genetic cfDNA features in combination with ML classifiers and to evaluate their potential in both cancer detection and treatment monitoring.

  Study EGAS00001006490

• Multi-region RNA sequencing of tumour regions and tumour-adjacent normal lung 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).

  Study EGAS00001006517

• Gene signature for predicting homologous recombination deficiency in triple-negative breast cancer

  We developed a gene expression-based classifier for homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) in breast cancer patients using WES and RNA-seq data obtained from 94 TNBC samples from a Malaysian hospital-based cohort (MyBrCa). This classifier was able to predict for high levels of a mutational signature associated with HRD in an additional MyBrCa TNBC validation cohort (this EGA study) as well as in TNBCs from TCGA. We also validated the classifier on a NanoString platform with both fresh frozen and FFPE tissue.

  Study EGAS00001006518

• DERMATLAS__Tubular_adenoma

  IVirtually no other tumour type is associated with so many different forms as skin cancer. Histologically, tumours of the skin may arise from epithelium, including epidermis, hair follicle, sebaceous or sweat gland, melanocytes, dermal-associated mesenchymal structures or tissue resident immune cells, making for a diversity of clinical presentations. Importantly, many skin tumour types have an extremely poor prognosis. Many skin tumour subtypes have never undergone molecular profiling, or if they have, targeted sequencing has been used and the number of cases analyzed has been so limited that deriving firm conclusions about the profile of driver genes, DNA mutational signatures and germline alleles has not been possible For 70 key skin tumour subtypes defined by the World Health Organization, that have not undergone extensive genetic analysis previoulsy, we propose to perform whole exome and transcriptome sequencing, from a range of body sites, to build a genomic atlas of dermatological tumours, including detailed maps of SNVs, copy number alterations, genome-wide methylation and expression profiles. The cases in this cohort are tubular adenomas.

  Study EGAS00001006686

• Characterization of MCSP+ melanoma DCC and MelDCC lines

  To dissect the sequence of genotypic and phenotypic progression during early metastatic colonization, we searched for the earliest detectable disseminated cancer cells (DCC) and identified MCSP+ melanoma cells as strong candidates for metastasis founder cells (MFC) in lymph nodes. We isolated MCSP+ DCC from various stages of metastatic colony-formation, performed scRNA-seq and unravelled their phenotypic progression. Further we performed bulk sequencing on patient-derived DCC models (MelDCC) and showed that they exhibit an immunosuppressive activity on CD8 T cells.

  Study EGAS00001006702

• The temporal mutational and immune tumour microenvironment remodelling of HER2-negative primary breast cancers

  WES and clonality characterization of different timepoints in HER2-negative primary breast cancers receiving neoadjuvant eribulin therapy.

  Study EGAS00001004953

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

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

  Study EGAS00001003814

• Single-cell multi-omics of relapse/refractory multiple myeloma patients (Hipo K08K/H067/K43R)

  Therapy resistance in cancers is ingrained in complex clonal dynamics. While the major clonal population in a tumour might respond well to the employed intervention, minor clones will eventually mutate, consequently acquiring a selective advantage and drug resistance. Hence, to improve cancer therapy, it is crucial to understand the mechanisms behind clonal evolution. Here, we applied single-cell transcriptomics and epigenomics, as well as whole-genome sequencing to 15 patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM). By profiling longitudinal samples throughout varying treatment regimens, we were able to interrogate patterns of evolution across patients. In particular, by defining clones based on copy number aberrations (CNAs), we found evidence for the majority of clones being diminished but not fully eradicated during treatment.

  Study EGAS00001006538

• cfDNA in Hereditary And High-Risk Malignancies (CHARM)

  Our goal is to improve early cancer detection by developing a blood test to predict cancer development in carriers using circulating DNA. As carriers develop cancer, they may have pre-cancerous cells which release this DNA into the blood (cell-free DNA; cfDNA), which can be detected with novel genetic technologies. We propose to use three complementary cfDNA assays:shallow whole genome sequencing (sWGS), Liquid-Biopsy Sequencing (LB-Seq) and Cell-free Methylated DNA Immunoprecipitation and High-throughput Sequencing (cfMeDip-Seq) for early cancer detection.

  Study EGAS00001006539

• The University of Hong Kong Colon Cancer GCV Study

  Background: Ganciclovir (GCV) is widely used in solid organ and hematopoietic stem cell transplant patients for prophylaxis and treatment of cytomegalovirus. It has long been considered a mutagen and carcinogen. However, the contribution of GCV to cancer incidence and other factors that influence its mutagenicity remains unknown. Methods: This retrospective cohort study analysed genomics data for 121,771 patients who had undergone targeted sequencing compiled by the Genomics Evidence Neoplasia Information Exchange (GENIE) or Foundation Medicine (FM). A statistical approach was developed to identify patients with GCV-associated mutational signature (GCVsig) from targeted sequenced data of tumour samples. Cell line exposure models were further used to quantify mutation burden and DNA damage caused by GCV and other antiviral and immunosuppressive drugs. Results: Mutational profiles from 22 of 121,771 patient samples in the GENIE and FM cohorts showed evidence of GCVsig. A diverse range of cancers was represented. All patients with detailed clinical history available had previously undergone solid organ transplantation and received GCV and mycophenolate treatment. RAS hotspot mutations associated with GCVsig¬¬ were present in 9 of the 22 samples, with all samples harbouring multiple GCV-associated protein-altering mutations in cancer driver genes. In vitro testing in cell lines showed that elevated DNA damage response and GCV¬sig are uniquely associated with GCV but not acyclovir, a structurally similar antiviral. Combination treatment of GCV with the immunosuppressant, mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), increased the misincorporation of GCV in genomic DNA and mutations attributed to GCVsig in cell lines and organoids. Conclusions: In summary, GCV can cause a diverse range of cancers. Its mutagenicity may be potentiated by other therapies, such as mycophenolate, commonly co-prescribed with GCV for post-transplant patients. Further investigation of the optimal use of these drugs could help reduce GCV-associated mutagenesis in post-transplant patients.

  Study EGAS00001006707

• Evaluation of capture and amplicon-based targeted sequencing methods on formalin-fixed tumours

  Evaluated performance of three capture (Agilent’s SureSelectXT HS, Illumina’s Nextera Rapid Capture Custom, and New England Biolabs’ Next Direct Custom) and one amplicon-based (Qiagen’s Human Breast Cancer Panel) targeted sequencing methods on paired blood and FFPE, using whole exome sequencing data from matched fresh-frozen tissue as a comparison.

  Study EGAS00001004965

• Exome sequencing from cfDNA blood samples. 159 samples at 2x101bp Illumina reads in Fastq format.

  Differential presence of exons (DPE) by next generation sequencing (NGS) is a method of interpretation of whole exome sequencing. This method has been proposed to design a predictive and diagnostic algorithm with clinical value in plasma from patients bearing colorectal cancer (CRC). The aim of the present study was to determine a common exonic signature to discriminate between different clinical pictures, such as non-metastatic, metastatic and non-disease (healthy), using a sustainable and novel technology in liquid biopsy. Through DPE analysis, we determined the differences in DNA exon levels circulating in plasma between patients bearing CRC vs. healthy, patients bearing CRC metastasis vs. non-metastatic and patients bearing CRC metastasis vs. healthy comparisons. We identified a set of 510 exons (469 up and 41 down) whose differential presence in plasma allowed us to group and classify between the three cohorts. Random forest classification (machine learning) was performed and an estimated out-of-bag (OOB) error rate of 35.9% was obtained and the predictive model had an accuracy of 75% with a confidence interval (CI) of 56.6-88.5. In conclusion, the DPE analysis allowed us to discriminate between different patho-physiological status such as metastatic, non-metastatic and healthy donors. In addition, this analysis allowed us to obtain very significant values with respect to previous published results, since we increased the number of samples in our study. These results suggest that circulating DNA in patient’s plasma may be actively released by cells and may be involved in intercellular communication and, therefore, may play a pivotal role in malignant transformation (genometastasis).

  Study EGAS00001006656

• Deciphering somatic mosaic structural variation in human blood lineages using single-cell multiomics

  Somatic mosaicism (SM), referring to the presence of somatic mutations in sub-populations of cells within healthy individuals, is associated with an increased risk of a variety of diseases, including cancer. Blood is at particularly high risk of SM, given its rapid turnover and functionally- heterogeneous cell-type composition. While the roles of point mutations and large-scale rearrangements in blood SM have been scrutinised in recent years, the functional impact of mosaic structural variants (mSVs) remains poorly understood. Using haplotype-resolved single-cell multi-omics, we explored the mSV landscape of human hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs).

  Study EGAS00001006567

• Uncovering tumor intrinsic and extrinsic factors that regulate hepatocellular carcinoma growth using patient derived xenograft assays

  Several major factors limit our understanding of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). First, human HCCs are infrequently biopsied for diagnosis and thus are not often biologically interrogated. Second, HCC initiation and progression are strongly influenced by the cirrhotic microenvironment, and the exact contributions of intrinsic and extrinsic tumor factors are unclear. A powerful approach to examine the personalized biology of liver cancers and the influence of host tissues is with patient derived xenograft (PDX) models. In Asia, HCCs from hepatitis B virus patients have been efficiently converted into PDXs, but few parallel efforts from the west have been reported. In a large-scale analysis, we implanted 93 HCCs and 8 cholangiocarcinomas (CCAs) to systematically analyze host factors and to define an optimized platform for PDX development from both surgical and biopsy samples. NSG mice that had undergone partial hepatectomy (PHx) represented the best combination of engraftability, growth, and passageability, but overall rates were low and indicative of a unique intrinsic biology for HCCs in the US. PDX models preserved the histology and genetic features of parental tumors, and ultimately, 9 new models were usable for pre-clinical studies. Intriguingly, HCC PDXs were differentially sensitive to regorafenib and sorafenib and CCA PDXs were also highly sensitive to regorafenib. PDX models functionalize early and advanced stage HCCs and revealed unique biological features of liver cancers from the US.

  Study EGAS00001004020

• Whole transcriptome profiling of liquid biopsies from tumour xenografted mouse models: validation cohort

  While cell-free DNA (cfDNA) in liquid biopsies is widely being used and investigated, free circulating RNA (extracellular RNA, exRNA) has the potential to improve therapy response monitoring and cancer detection due to its dynamic nature. A fundamental open question hampering the initiation of large-scale liquid biopsy collections for tumour exRNA analysis is that it remains unclear in which blood subcompartment tumour-derived exRNAs primarily reside. We set out to develop a host-xenograft deconvolution framework, exRNAxeno, with cDNA mapping strategies to either a combined human-mouse reference genome or both species genomes in parallel, that can be applied to exRNA sequencing data from liquid biopsies of human xenograft mouse models, enabling to distinguish (human) tumoural RNA from (murine) host RNA, and as such to specifically analyse tumour-derived exRNA. Subsequently, the preferred exRNAxeno combination pipeline was applied to total exRNA sequencing data from blood platelets and three plasma fractions from a breast cancer patient-derived and neuroblastoma cell line-derived xenograft mouse model. We show that tumoural exRNA concentrations are not determined by plasma platelet levels, while host exRNA concentrations increase with platelet content. Furthermore, a large variability in exRNA levels and gene content across individual mice is observed. In general, the tumoural gene detectability in plasma is correlated with the RNA expression levels in the tumour tissue or cancer cell line. Our results unravel new aspects of tumour-derived exRNA biology in xenograft mouse models.

  Study EGAS00001006582

• HCA_Thymus_Disease_DiGeorge_Transplant_RNA

  Single cell transcriptomics study of thymic transplant biopsies Allogeneic thymus transplantation is the only curative therapy for complete DiGeorge Syndrome (cDGS), a rare severe primary immunodeficiency characterised by athymia. GOSH is one of only two centres worldwide to offer this treatment. Despite a lack of major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-matching between donor and host, transplanted thymus becomes repopulated by recipient bone marrow derived precursor cells and supports development of functional T-cells. The mechanisms underlying thymopoiesis in this context are poorly understood, but over time we observe reconstitution of T-cell immunity, with the ability to produce host naïve T-cells showing a broad T-cell receptor (TCR) repertoire and to generate MHC-restricted T-cell proliferative responses. Although lifesaving, the achieved immunological reconstitution is typically not complete with circulating T-cell numbers usually remaining below the age related normal ranges. Additionally, we observe persistence of donor-derived T-cells of unknown clinical significance. To gain more insight into the mechanisms by which MHC-mismatched transplanted thymus supports T-cell development with self-tolerance, as well as into the basis of suboptimal T-cell immunity, we now aim to investigate immune reconstitution after thymus transplantation in further detail by using single-cell transcriptomics, applied to thymic transplant biopsies and peripheral blood samples collected during standard post-transplant patient care. By identifying which lineages of host- derived cells repopulate the thymic tissue after transplantation, we will be able to address the role of MHC in positive and negative T-cell selection during T-cell differentiation. We will also be able to clarify the exact ontogeny of the persistent donor T-cells, as well as their possible role. Understanding the mechanisms of action of HLA-mismatched transplanted thymus will contribute to treatment optimisation. Additionally, our research provides a unique opportunity to further investigate key immunological concepts, such as tolerance and autoimmunity, challenging existing paradigms in thymus immunology. 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 EGAS00001004025

• PDAC organoid genomic heterogeneity

  The establishment of patient-derived pancreatic cancer organoid culture in recent years creates an exciting opportunity for researchers to perform a wide range of in vitro studies on a model that closely recapitulates the tumor. Among the outstanding questions in pancreatic cancer biology are the causes and consequences of genomic heterogeneity observed in the disease. However, to use pancreatic cancer organoids as a model to study genomic variations, we need to first understand the degree of genomic heterogeneity and its stability within organoids. Here, we used single-cell whole-genome sequencing to investigate the genomic heterogeneity of two independent pancreatic cancer organoids, as well as their genomic stability with extended culture. Clonal populations with similar copy number profiles were observed within the organoids, and the proportion of these clones was shifted with extended culture, suggesting the growth advantage of some clones. However, sub-clonal genomic heterogeneity was also observed within each clonal population, indicating the genomic instability of the pancreatic cancer cells themselves. Furthermore, our transcriptomic analysis also revealed a positive correlation between copy number alterations and gene expression regulation, suggesting the “gene dosage” effect of these copy number alterations that translates to gene expression regulation.

  Study EGAS00001006782

• SDH_deficient_renal_tumours___WGS_

  Succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) deficient renal cancers are a rare and understudied subtype of renal cancer. As such they represent an unmet need in kidney cancer research. Here, we seek to describe the genomics and transcriptomics of SDH deficient renal cancers by sequencing five such tumours. We document their mutational burden, define driver mutations, demonstrate typical patterns of structural variants, and estimate the cell of origin and cellular composition.

  Study EGAS00001004102

• Genomic_characterisation_of_MGUS__

  he hematological malignancy multiple myeloma (MM), also called Kahler’s disease or plasma cell (PC) myeloma, is characterized by a clonal expansion of PCs originating in the bone marrow (BM). The expansion of these cells leads to an overproduction of antibodies and results in typical symptoms such as anemia, renal failure and bone lesions. All cases of MM are preceded by the asymptomatic, non-malignant pre-stage monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS). Of all MGUS patients, only 1% per year will progress to MM. Despite efforts to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying the MGUS-to-MM progression, its pathogenesis still remains largely unknown. Additionally, the genetic profiles of MGUS patients have only been limitedly investigated due to the only incidental finding of MGUS, the difficulties in BM sampling and isolating a sufficient number of aberrant PCs from the BM aspirates of MGUS patients. Consequently, reliable biomarkers to individually predict which MGUS patients will progress to MM and which will not, are lacking. Therefore, it is highly required to study the molecular pathogenesis of MGUS and the role of genetic events in relation to the malignant transformation to MM.

  Study EGAS00001004124

• The miR-185/PAK6 Axis Predicts Therapy Response and Regulates Survival of Drug-Resistant Leukemic Stem Cells in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia

  Overcoming drug resistance and targeting cancer stem cells remain challenges for curative cancer treatment. To investigate the role of miRNAs in regulating drug resistance and leukemic stem cell (LSCs) fate, we performed global transcriptome profiling in treatment-naïve chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) stem/progenitor cells and identified that miR-185 levels anticipate their response to ABL tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). miR-185 functions as a tumor suppressor; its restored expression impaired survival of drug-resistant cells, sensitized them to TKIs in vitro, and markedly eliminated long-term repopulating LSCs and infiltrating blast cells, conferring a survival advantage in pre-clinical xenotransplantation models. Integrative analysis with mRNA profiles uncovered PAK6 as a crucial target of miR-185 and pharmacological inhibition of PAK6 perturbed the RAS/MAPK pathway and mitochondrial activity, sensitizing therapy-resistant cells to TKIs. Thus, miR-185 presents as a potential predictive biomarker, and dual targeting of miR-185-mediated PAK6 activity and BCR-ABL may provide a valuable strategy for overcoming drug resistance in patients.

  Study EGAS00001004153

• Treatment-mediated selection of lethal prostate cancer clones defined by copy number architectures

  Despite initial responses to hormone treatment, metastatic prostate cancer invariably evolves to a lethal state. To characterize the intra-patient relationships of metastases that evade treatment, we performed genome- wide copy number profiling and bespoke approaches targeting the androgen receptor (AR) on 142 metastatic regions from 10 organs harvested post-mortem from nine men who died from prostate cancer. We identified diverse and patient-unique alterations clustering around the AR in metastases from every patient with evidence of independent acquisition of related genomic changes within an individual and, in some patients, the co-existence of AR-neutral clones. Using the genomic boundaries of pan-autosome copy number change, we confirmed a common clone of origin across metastases and diagnostic biopsies; and identified in individual patients, clusters of metastases occupied by dominant clones with diverged autosomal copy number alterations. Autosome-defined clusters were characterized by cluster-specific AR gene architectures that in two index cases were topologically more congruent than by chance (p-values 0.03, 3.07x10-8). Integration with anatomical site suggested patterns of spread and points of genomic divergence. Copy number boundaries identified treatment-selected clones with putatively distinct lethal trajectories.

  Study EGAS00001006598

• The landscape of chromothripsis across adult cancer types

  Chromothripsis is a recently identified mutational phenomenon, by which a presumably single catastrophic event generates extensive genomic rearrangements of one or a few chromosome(s). Considered as an early event in tumour development, this form of genome instability plays a prominent role in tumour onset. Chromothripsis prevalence might have been underestimated when using low-resolution methods, and pan-cancer studies based on sequencing are rare. We analysed chromothripsis in 28 tumour types covering all major adult cancers (634 tumours, 316 whole-genome and 318 whole-exome sequences). We show that chromothripsis affects a substantial proportion of human cancers, with a prevalence of 49% across all cases. Chromothripsis generates entity-specific genomic alterations driving tumour development, including clinically relevant druggable fusions. Chromothripsis is linked with specific telomere patterns and univocal mutational signatures in distinct tumour entities. Longitudinal analysis of chromothriptic patterns in 24 matched tumour pairs reveals novel insights in the clonal evolution of tumours with chromothripsis. (H021)

  Study EGAS00001004250

• Hi-C analysis of metastatic prostate tumors

  DNA strands have a complex and highly structured three-dimensional shape within the nucleus that has profound but poorly characterized impacts on transcriptional activity. Herein, we performed the first integrated deep Hi-C sequencing on 80 metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer biopsy samples from the West Coast Dream Team consortium.

  Study EGAS00001006604

• Integrative analysis of exome-seq, RNA-seq, ATAC-seq (bulk and single-cell), and Hi-C data generated from 3-D spatially mapped samples acquired during surgical resection from 10 patients diagnosed with IDH-WT glioblastoma

  Glioblastoma (GBM), the most common primary brain cancer in adults, remains incurable with no targeted therapies approved despite decades of investigation into its molecular landscape. Treatment failure is attributed to intratumoral heterogeneity in the GBM genome and epigenome, which foster tumor evolution and selection of resistant clones. However, tumor evolution and intratumoral heterogeneity remain poorly understood on the level of the whole tumor as most studies are based on single samples per patient and lack spatial context. Here, we have used 3-D neuronavigation during surgical resection for 10 primary IDH-WT GBM patients to collect 102 samples representing maximal tumor diversity, each mapped by 3-D spatial coordinates. We have applied a strategic set of genomic and epigenomic assays spanning multiple levels of resolution to discover, orthogonally validate, and functionally assess drivers of tumor evolution and intratumoral heterogeneity. These include extrachromosomal DNA amplifications, chromothripsis events, inversions, and translocations that disrupt both the GBM genome and epigenome while generating fusion transcripts and opportunities for therapeutic intervention. We define epigenomic programs that contribute to GBM evolution and intratumoral heterogeneity, revealing their 3-D spatial patterning within whole tumors and their cell type(s) of origin in single-cell data from the same tumor samples. Notably, we distinguish neuronal, glial, and immune programs aberrantly active in tumor cells from their counterparts in normal cells and discover NEUROD1, JUN/FOS, and NF1 transcription factors as key drivers of GBM evolution and growth. Collectively, these data provide unprecedented insight into GBM evolution and intratumoral heterogeneity from single-cell to whole-tumor resolution, redefining current understanding and providing a rich resource of targets for therapeutic investigation.

  Study EGAS00001006785

• The clinical utility of genomics in childhood cancer extends beyond targetable mutations - WGS data

  We deeply sequenced 864 cancer-associated genes and the complete genomes and transcriptomes for 300 pediatric and adolescent/young adult (AYA) patients with poor prognosis or rare tumors. Using integrative somatic-germline analyses, we assessed the clinical utility of cancer genomics in this population. Clinically actionable variants were identified in 56% of patients. Improved diagnostic accuracy led to modified management in a subset. Therapeutically targetable variants, found in 54% of patients, were of unanticipated timing and type, with over 20% of these derived from the germline. Enrichment in corroborating mutational signature 3 (‘BRCAness’) in patients with germline homologous recombination defects suggests they are drivers of pediatric cancers and potential targets for PARP inhibition. Comprehensive somatic-germline cancer genomic profiling is useful at multiple points in the care trajectory for pediatric/AYA patients, supporting its integration into early clinical management. Re-biopsy at the time of relapse should be considered, and specific attention to mutational burden is indicated. Defective DNA repair genes in the germline may represent important targetable drivers.

  Study EGAS00001006610

• Hi-C analysis of metastatic prostate tumors - Part 2

  DNA strands have a complex and highly structured three-dimensional shape within the nucleus that has profound but poorly characterized impacts on transcriptional activity. Herein, we performed the first integrated deep Hi-C sequencing on 80 metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer biopsy samples from the West Coast Dream Team consortium.

  Study EGAS00001006612

• Long-read sequencing of diagnosis and post-therapy medulloblastoma reveals complex rearrangement patterns and epigenetic signatures (Hipo_021)

  Cancer genomes harbor a broad spectrum of structural variants (SV) driving tumorigenesis, a relevant subset of which escape discovery using short-read sequencing. We employed Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) long-read sequencing in a paired diagnostic and post- therapy medulloblastoma to unravel the haplotype-resolved somatic genetic and epigenetic landscape. We assemble complex rearrangements and such associated with telomeric sequences, including a 1.55 Megabasepair chromothripsis event. We uncover a complex SV pattern termed ‘templated insertion thread’ (TI thread), characterized by short (mostly <1kb) insertions showing prevalent self-concatenation into highly amplified structures of up to 50kbp in size. TI threads occur in 3% of cancers, with a prevalence ranging to 74% in liposarcoma, and frequent colocalization with chromothripsis. We also perform long-read based methylome profiling and discover allele-specific methylation (ASM) effects, complex rearrangements exhibiting differential methylation, and differential promoter methylation in cancer-driver genes. Our study shows the advantage of long-read sequencing in the discovery and characterization of complex somatic rearrangements.

  Study EGAS00001006629

• The Genetic Landscape of Ocular Adnexa MALT Lymphoma Reveals Frequent Aberrations in NFAT and MEF2B Signaling Pathways

  A comprehensive constellation of somatic non-silent mutations and copy number (CN) variations in ocular adnexa marginal zone lymphoma (OAMZL) is unknown. By utilizing whole-exome sequencing in 69 tumors we define the genetic landscape of OAMZL. Mutations and CN changes in CABIN1 (30%), RHOA (26%), TBL1XR1 (22%), and CREBBP (17%) and inactivation of TNFAIP3 (26%) were among the most common aberrations. Candidate cancer driver genes cluster in the B-cell receptor (BCR), NFkB, NOTCH and NFAT signaling pathways. One of the most commonly altered genes is CABIN1, a calcineurin inhibitor acting as a negative regulator of the NFAT and MEF2B transcriptional activity. CABIN1 deletions enhance BCR-stimulated NFAT and MEF2B transcriptional activity, while CABIN1 mutations enhance only MEF2B transcriptional activity by impairing binding of mSin3a to CABIN1. Our data provide an unbiased identification of genetically altered genes that may play a role in the molecular pathogenesis of OAMZL and serve as therapeutic targets.

  Study EGAS00001006631

• Identification of neoantigen from MSI-CRC patient derived organoids and its application for targeting by autologous T cells

  Targeting neoantigens expressed only by tumor cells enable tumor destruction without unexpected damages to healthy tissues. Here, we identified neoantigens from microsatellite instable (MSI) colorectal cancer (CRC) patient-derived organoids by genomics and immunopeptidomics approches. The neoantigens in this study were predicted from frame-shift mutation by whole-genome sequencing and confirmed its presentation on organoids surface class I HLA molecules by mass spectrometry. We utilized these neoantigens to isolate neoantigen-specific CD8 T cells from autologous PBMC, and proved tumor organoids killing ability of the CD8 T cells, whereas it did not attack normal organoids. This study provides a platform to identify neoantigen from patient-derived cancer organoids and a model to validate T cell recognition, which could be useful for adoptive CD8 T cell transfer treatment for MSI-CRC patient.

  Study EGAS00001006633

• The clinical utility of genomics in childhood cancer extends beyond targetable mutations - Cancer Panel data

  We deeply sequenced 864 cancer-associated genes and the complete genomes and transcriptomes for 300 pediatric and adolescent/young adult (AYA) patients with poor prognosis or rare tumors. Using integrative somatic-germline analyses, we assessed the clinical utility of cancer genomics in this population. Clinically actionable variants were identified in 56% of patients. Improved diagnostic accuracy led to modified management in a subset. Therapeutically targetable variants, found in 54% of patients, were of unanticipated timing and type, with over 20% of these derived from the germline. Enrichment in corroborating mutational signature 3 (‘BRCAness’) in patients with germline homologous recombination defects suggests they are drivers of pediatric cancers and potential targets for PARP inhibition. Comprehensive somatic-germline cancer genomic profiling is useful at multiple points in the care trajectory for pediatric/AYA patients, supporting its integration into early clinical management. Re-biopsy at the time of relapse should be considered, and specific attention to the mutational burden is indicated. Defective DNA repair genes in the germline may represent important targetable drivers.

  Study EGAS00001006642

• Whole genome analysis of pediatric patients with medulloblastoma

  Cancer genomes often contain structural variations (SVs) in non-coding regions, while its impact on tumorigenesis is still unclear. Our goal is to discover genome folding changes resulted from SVs using InfoGenomeR and InfoHiC frameworks, which may reveal novel therapeutic targets. We applied our frameworks to five pediatric patients with medulloblastoma, revealing 3D genome changes of medulloblastoma driver genes.

  Study EGAS00001006653

• Discovery of cancer prognostic markers based on comparison of gene expression in colorectal cancer samples.

  Here, we analyse bulk mRNA-seq data derived from normal tissues adjacent to tumors (NATs) and tumour tissues of colorectal cancer (CRC), including 80 NAT samples and 80 tumour samples.

  Study EGAS00001005068

• DNA methylation landscape of prostate cancer

  Metastases from primary prostate cancers to rare locations, such as the brain, are becoming more common due to longer life expectancy thanks to improved treatments. Epigenetic dysregulation is a feature of primary prostate cancer, and distinct DNA methylation profiles are associated with the mutually exclusive SPOP mutant or TMPRSS2-ERG fusion genetic backgrounds. Using a cohort of 42 patients with prostate cancer brain metastases (PCBM), with matched primary samples available for 17 patients, we carried out DNA methylation analysis using Illumina EPIC array. We examined the epigenetic distinction between primary PCa and PCBM, the association between epigenetic alterations and mutational background, and particular epigenetic alterations that may be associated with PCBM in particular. Multiregion sampling of PCBM revealed epigenetic heterogeneity in metastases. We found aberrant methylation in PCBM is associated with mutational background, PRC2 complex activity and upregulation of EZH2, an effect that is particularly pronounced in SPOP mutant PCBM. While we detected a hypermethylator phenotype in PCBM, we also observed hypomethylation occurring at the promoters of genes involved in neuroactive ligand-receptor interactions or the calcium signalling pathway, such as GABRB3 and GRM5, a change not observed in non-brain prostate cancer metastases.

  Study EGAS00001006670

• Recurrent DNMT3B gene rearrangements are associated with unfavorable outcome in dicentric (9;20)-positive pediatric BCP-ALL

  The dicentric chromosome dic(9;20)(p11∼13;q11), occurs in 2% of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) cases. However, the prognostic significance of the dic(9;20) alterations and the mechanism in which these alterations drive leukemogenesis remains elusive. Our study describes the demographic, clinical, prognostic, and molecular characteristics of the dic(9;20)-positive ALL in a cohort of 57 pediatric BCP-ALL patients. Targeted RNA-seq and Array CGH analysis unraveled heterogeneous breakpoints on chromosomes 9 and 20 and frequent deletions of the IKZF1 gene. Together with the intrinsic susceptibility for deletions in CDKN2A, CDKN2B, and PAX5 genes in the dic(9;20)-positive ALL, these patients are eligible for treatment escalation in the AIEOP-BFM ALL 2017 clinical study. Survival analysis revealed poor 5-year event-free survival (pEFS) of 69% in dic(9;20)-positive ALL cases, compared to BCP-ALL patients enrolled in modern treatment studies. Strikingly, we identified six dic(9;20)-positive cases with rearrangements involving the DNMT3B gene, and poor 5-year pEFS of 25% (SE = 20%), compared to 79% (SE = 9%) for the remaining cohort (P = 0.011). Despite the loss of the methyltransferase domain of the DNMT3B gene in most cases with DNMT3B rearrangements, we did not observe major changes in the global methylation patterns. Differential gene expression analysis of DNMT3B-rearranged ALL unraveled a dysregulation of genes involved in hematopoiesis, lymphocyte maturation, and the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. After confirmation in an independent cohort, DNMT3B-rearranged ALL cases should be considered high-risk for relapse and treated accordingly. We provide clinical data sets of Array CGH, targeted RNA-seq, total RNA-seq, whole genome bisulfite (WGBS) and whole genome DNA sequencing (WGS) obtained from bone marrow (BM) or peripheral blood (PB) mononuclear cells of 57 pediatric patients with dicentric chromosome dic(9;20) positive Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), from which in 6 cases DNMT3B gene rearrangement was identified. This data is complemented by total RNA-seq and WGBS of samples from 4 additional ALL patients with a t(12;21) translocation and ETV6-RUNX1 gene fusion. DNA was isolated from BM or PB lymphocytes using Qiagen QIAamp DNA Blood Midi Kit to perform i) Array CGH of 58 dic(9;20) positive samples by hybridizing 500ng DNA using a Agilent 400K SurePrint G3 Custom CGH Human Genome Microarray (e-Array design 84704) ii) WGBS of 6 DNMT3B rearrangement positive samples and 4 ETV6-RUNX1 positive samples using Tecan TrueMethyl oxBS-Seq module for library preparation and Illumina NovaSeq 6000 platform to run 2x151 cycles iii) WGS of DNMT3B rearrangement positive samples using Illumina Lotus DNA Library Prep Kit followed by sequencing running 2x160 cycles on an Illumina NovaSeq 6000 platform. RNA was isolated from PB lymphocytes using the PerkinElmer Chemagic 360 instrument, followed by i) targeted RNA-seq of 56 dic(9;20) positive samples prepared using Illumina TruSight RNA Pan-Cancer Panel and sequenced on an Illumina MiSeq platform running 2x75 cycles ii) total RNA-seq of 6 DNMT3B rearrangement positive samples and 4 ETV6-RUNX1 positive samples utilizing TruSeq Stranded Total RNA Library Prep Gold kit and running 2x100 cycles on an Illumina NovaSeq 6000 platform.

  Study EGAS00001007383

• Longitudinal evaluation of serum microRNAs as biomarkers for neuroblastoma burden and therapeutic p53 reactivation

  Accurate assessment of treatment response and residual disease is indispensable for the evaluation of cancer treatment efficacy. However, performing tissue biopsies for longitudinal follow-up poses a major challenge in the management of solid tumours like neuroblastoma. In the present study, we evaluated whether circulating miRNAs are suitable to monitor neuroblastoma tumour burden and whether treatment-induced changes of miRNA abundance in the tumour are detectable in serum. We performed small RNA sequencing on longitudinally collected serum samples from mice carrying orthotopic neuroblastoma xenografts that were exposed to treatment with idasanutlin or temsirolimus. We identified 57 serum miRNAs to be differentially expressed upon xenograft tumour manifestation, out of which 21 were also found specifically expressed in the serum of human high-risk neuroblastoma patients. The murine serum levels of these 57 miRNAs correlated with tumour tissue expression and tumour volume, suggesting potential utility for monitoring tumour burden. In addition, we describe serum miRNAs that dynamically respond to p53 activation following treatment of engrafted mice with idasanutlin. We identified idasanutlin-induced serum miRNA expression changes upon one day and 11 days of treatment. By limiting to miRNAs with a tumour-related induction, we put forward hsa-miR-34a-5p as a potential pharmacodynamic biomarker of p53 activation in serum.

  Study EGAS00001006678