Search Results - EGA European Genome-Phenome Archive

WES of blood and patient-matched cecum tumor tissue samples, Panel NGS of patient-matched cfDNA

WES using IDT xGen Research Exome on Illumina NovaSeq 2x150bp: Normal sample (buffy coat), cecum tumor biopsy at diagnosis, ileocecal valve region tumor sample at week 19, pericolonic metastasis at week 19, lymph node metastasis at week 19, peritoneal metastasis at week 19. Week 19 samples from hemicolectomy. Deep coverage cfDNA NGS using PanCeq pan-cancer panel on NextSeq 2x150bp: week 2 and week 10.

Dataset EGAD00001005737

NHLBI TOPMed: My Life Our Future (MLOF) Research Repository of Patients with Hemophilia A (Factor VIII Deficiency) or Hemophilia B (Factor IX Deficiency)

Hemophilia A and B are X-linked bleeding disorders resulting from a deficiency in coagulation factor VIII (FVIII) or factor IX (FIX), respectively. Hemophilia affects approximately 1/5000 male births worldwide, and results in premature death and disability due to bleeding if coagulation factor replacement therapy is not used effectively. Hemophilia is clinically categorized by coagulation factor activity levels and ranges in severity from mild (6% to 30%) to moderate (1-5%) to severe (<1%). Many female "carriers" of hemophilia also have decreased factor activity and morbidity from bleeding. Hemophilia A and B are almost always caused by identifiable mutations in the F8 and F9 genes, respectively, and these mutations are found throughout the structural genes. Although the hemophilias are monogenic disorders, there are wide variations in disease severity and therapeutic outcomes which are not readily explained by the disease causing mutations alone. The My Life Our Future (MLOF) project (www.mylifeourfuture.org) is a national resource developed by a partnership of BloodworksNW (BWNW, formerly the Puget Sound Blood Center), the American Thrombosis and Hemostasis Network (ATHN), the National Hemophilia Foundation (NHF) and Bioverativ, to provide free F8 and F9 gene variant analysis to patients with hemophilia A or B, and to establish a research repository of DNA sequence, DNA, RNA, buffy coat, serum and plasma. The sequence analysis and serum samples are linked to a phenotypic database hosted by ATHN, with samples submitted and clinical data entered at ~100 hemophilia treatment centers (HTCs) nationwide. (See ATHN Research Report Brief in the resource center at www.athn.org). MLOF has become the largest hemophilia genetic project worldwide. The roles of the MLOF partners are: BWNW, to serve as the central laboratory for the project and house the research repository; ATHN, to support and provide the administrative link with HTCs, to facilitate the collection of accurate phenotypic data, to conduct research review and approval for use of the repository and with BWNW to provide samples and data for research projects; NHF, to provide consumer education and facilitate consumer input into the project; and Bioverativ, to provide financial support and scientific input. The project is governed by a Steering Committee consisting of one representative from each organization. Subject samples chosen from the MLOF parent study for TOPMed and WGS were drawn from those who gave (or parents gave) informed consent for the Research Repository and included patients of all severities and type, but with an emphasis on those with severe hemophilia and others at increased risk of neutralizing antibody (inhibitor) formation and who had samples in the Research Repository (plasma, serum, RNA) for potential additional -omic studies. Also included were samples from subjects where a likely causative variant for hemophilia was not found in the F8 or F9 coding region, intron-exon boundaries or immediate upstream and downstream regions. Since hemophilia is an X-linked disorder, the majority of subjects are male. Racial distribution is similar to the overall population distribution.

Study phs001515

NHLBI GO-ESP: Family Studies (Hematological Cancers)

The NHLBI "Grand Opportunity" Exome Sequencing Project (GO-ESP), a signature project of the NHLBI Recovery Act investment, was designed to identify genetic variants in coding regions (exons) of the human genome (the "exome") that are associated with heart, lung and blood diseases. These and related diseases that are of high impact to public health and individuals from diverse racial and ethnic groups will be studied. These data may help researchers understand the causes of disease, contributing to better ways to prevent, diagnose, and treat diseases, as well as determine whether to tailor prevention and treatments to specific populations. This could lead to more effective treatments and reduce the likelihood of side effects. GO-ESP is comprised of five collaborative components: 3 cohort consortia - HeartGO, LungGO, and WHISP - and 2 sequencing centers - BroadGO and SeattleGO. Two major goals in the study of human malignancies are (i) to understand the genetic basis that underlies the predisposition of certain individuals to develop cancer and (ii) to identify the full spectrum of acquired mutations that occur in human cancers. There has been some progress in both of these areas with respect to hematologic malignancies but much remains to be discovered. As a result of recent advantages in sequencing technologies it is now feasible to sequence multiple individual whole exomes at reasonable cost. Such technologies provide a unique opportunity to transform our understanding of the biological basis of human cancer and to identify inherited genetic variants that predispose individuals to the development of hematologic malignancies. Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN), myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and acute leukemia are clonal disorders of hematopoieis. Our study involves performing whole exome sequencing of individuals with these disorders for the purpose of identifying (i) novel inherited genetic variants associated with the risk of developing of MPN/MDS/acute leukemia and (ii) novel acquired mutations associated with the development of MPN/MDS/acute leukemia.

Study phs000632

DNA Methylation in Prostate Tumor and Paired Benign Tissue for African and European Ancestry Men

We recruited prostate cancer (PCa) patients undergoing robotic-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy at the University of Chicago Medical Center Urology Clinic between 2011 and 2017. Our study includes 76 African American (AA) and 75 European American (EA) men with PCa of Gleason Score (GS) ≥7, recruited by the Epidemiology Research Recruitment Core at the University of Chicago. All patients consented to the collection of questionnaire data, prostate tissue, and medical records. The study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of the University of Chicago. Following prostatectomy, prostate tissue was sent to the Human Tissue Research Center (HTRC) at the University of Chicago. Each sample underwent histological examination and Gleason scoring by University of Chicago genitourinary pathologists. The presence of adenocarcinoma was confirmed by overexpression of alpha-methylacyl-coenzyme-A racemase (AMACR) and areas for DNA extraction were marked. Tissue samples used for DNA extraction were obtained using with either a 1mm biopunch or laser microdissection of a 100 µm2 area of tissue. Genome-wide DNA methylation profiles were generated using Illumina's Infinium MethylationEPIC BeadChip array kit. Genome-wide SNP data was generated (from benign tissue DNA) using the Illumina Infinium Multi-Ethnic Global-8 v1.0 array at the University of Chicago Genomics Core Facility. We performed imputation using the Haplotype Reference Consortium (HRC, Version r1.1 2016) panel, which includes all samples from the 1,000 Genomes Project (Phase 3), using the Michigan Imputation Server. The imputed SNP data for mQTL analysis was imputed based on genotype SNP data which was all from benign tissue DNA and the methylation data was identified in both tumor and benign tissue, both AA and EA men, and identified QTLs co-occuring with prostate cancer susceptibility loci.Data including SNP genotypes, DNA methylation, tissue type, and participant characteristics will be available in dbGaP.

Study phs003516

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

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

Study EGAS00001002908

NEOPREDICT-Lung: Neoadjuvant Immunotherapy for Resectable NSCLC

Links via: DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-024-02965-0 PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38689060/ Journal: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-024-02965-0 Abstract Antibodies targeting the immune checkpoint molecules PD-1, PD-L1 and CTLA-4 administered alone or in combination with chemotherapy are standard of care in most patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancers. When given prior to curative surgery, tumor responses and improved event-free survival are achieved. New antibody combinations may be more efficacious and tolerable. In an ongoing, open-label phase II study, 60 biomarker-unselected, treatment-naïve patients with resectable non-small cell lung cancer were randomized to receive two preoperative doses of nivolumab (anti-PD-1) with or without relatlimab (anti-LAG-3) antibody therapy. The primary study endpoint was feasibility of surgery within 43 days, which was met by all patients. Curative resection was achieved in 95% of patients. Secondary endpoints included pathological and radiographic response rates, pathologically complete resection rates, disease-free and overall survival rates, and safety. Major pathological (≤10% viable tumor cells) and objective radiographic responses were achieved in 27% and 10% (nivolumab), and 30% and 27% (nivolumab and relatlimab) of patients, respectively. In 100% (nivolumab) and 90% (nivolumab and relatlimab) of patients tumors and lymph nodes were pathologically completely resected. With 12 months median duration of follow-up, disease-free survival and overall survival rates at 12 months were 89% and 93% (nivolumab), and 93% and 100% (nivolumab and relatlimab). Both treatments were safe with grade ≥ 3 treatment-emergent adverse events reported in 10% and 13% of patients per study arm. Exploratory analyses provided insights into biological processes triggered by preoperative immunotherapy. This study establishes the feasibility and safety of dual targeting of PD-1 and LAG-3 prior to lung cancer surgery.

Study EGAS00001007753

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

Foregut Microbiome and Risk of Gastric Intestinal Metaplasia, and Gastric Cancer Risk

The study is composed of two sub-studies. The first study, conducted by NYU Grossman School of Medicine, is a case-control study of 89 cases with gastric intestinal metaplasia (IM) and 89 matched controls who underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy at three sites affiliated with NYU Langone Health. Shotgun metagenomic sequencing using oral wash samples from the 89 case-control pairs and antral mucosal brushing samples from 55 case-control pairs were conducted. The other study, conducted by Vanderbilt University Medical Center, is a prospective case-control study on the oral microbiome and gastric cancer risk, utilizing shotgun metagenomic sequencing data of pre-diagnostic buccal samples from 319 Asians, 118 African Americans and 51 European Americans. This study includes data from three population-based studies: the Southern Community Cohort Study (SCCS), the Shanghai Women's Health Study (SWHS), and the Shanghai Men's Health Study (SMHS). The SWHS and SMHS include 74,941 women aged 40-70 years and 61,480 men aged 40-74 years, respectively, who were permanent residents of Shanghai and recruited to the cohorts between 1997 and 2006. The SCCS is an ongoing prospective cohort study, including ~86,000 participants recruited during 2002 and 2009 from 12 Southeastern states. Nearly 67% of study participants are African Americans (AAs) and the remaining are European American (EA) subjects.

Study phs002566

Immune heterogeneity in small cell lung cancer and vulnerability to immune checkpoint blockade

Following the pivotal Phase III IMpower133 study, atezolizumab (anti–PD-L1), combined with carboplatin and etoposide (CE), was the first immune checkpoint inhibitor approved for first-line treatment of extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC) and is now a standard of care. A clearer understanding of therapeutically relevant SCLC subsets is needed to improve outcomes and to identify rational combination strategies. Transcriptomic analyses and nonnegative matrix factorization were conducted on 271 pre-treatment patient tumor samples from IMpower133 and four subsets with general concordance to previously reported SCLC subtypes were identified. Deeper investigation into the immune heterogeneity relevant to clinical outcomes uncover two subsets with differing neuroendocrine (NE) versus non-neuroendocrine (non-NE) phenotypes that demonstrated hallmarks of immune cell infiltration. The balance of tumor-associated macrophage (TAM) to T-effector signals distinguished these inflamed subsets. Tumors with low TAM but high T-effector signals had a NE phenotype and demonstrated longer overall survival with PD-L1 blockade and CE versus CE alone than did tumors with high TAM and high T-effector signal, which had a non-NE phenotype. The delineation of SCLC immune heterogeneity offers a clinically relevant approach to discriminate SCLC patients likely to benefit most from immunotherapeutic approaches and highlights the complex mechanisms underlying response and resistance to immune checkpoint blockade.

Study EGAS50000000138

Characterization_of_genomic_landscape_of_Peripheral_T_cell_Lymphomas__not_otherwise_specified__PTCL_NOS_

Peripheral T-cell lymphomas not otherwise specified (PTCL-NOS) represent a heterogeneous group of nodal and extra-nodal mature T-cell lymphomas, with a low prevalence in Western countries. PTCL-NOSs account for about 25% of all PTCLs and are currently diagnosed based on exclusion criteria, as this lymphomas lack unifying morphological, phenotypic and genomic features. Cytogenetic and FISH analysis of PTCL-NOS samples have not revealed recurrent pathogenetic abnormalities, while gene expression profiling has shown only partial ability to segregate cases representing homogeneous clinic-pathological entities. This underscores the need to look at PTCL-NOS with innovative and high-throughput approaches to identify recurrent genetic lesions that could further our understanding of the biology of this heterogeneous group of diseases, provide better diagnostic tools and perhaps new targets for innovative treatments. Our aim is to study ~15 patients affected by PTCL-NOS. Out study will be funded by a private, non-profit Italian cancer research fund (Associazione Italiana per la Ricerca sul Cancro, www.airc.it) based on a grant owned by Anna Dodero and Cristiana Carniti, hematologists at INT. Samples will be analysed by whole genome sequencing using Illumina X10 machines, on a 150bp-PE protocol. Data will be analysed using the pipeline available in Team 78, under the supervision of Peter Campbell, the WTSI faculty who will oversee the project, and by Francesco Maura, visiting scientist at the WTSI.

Study EGAS00001002057

Dynamics of sequence and structural cell-free DNA landscapes in small-cell lung cancer

Patients with small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) have an exceptionally poor prognosis, calling for improved real-time non-invasive biomarkers of therapeutic response. We performed targeted error-correction sequencing on 171 serial plasmas and matched white blood cell (WBC) DNA from 33 patients with metastatic SCLC who received systemic treatment with chemotherapy or immunotherapy-containing regimens. Tumor-derived sequence alterations and plasma aneuploidy were evaluated serially and combined to assess changes in total cell-free tumor load (cfTL). Longitudinal dynamic changes in cfTL were monitored to determine circulating cell-free tumor DNA (ctDNA) molecular response during therapy. Combined tiered analyses of tumor-derived sequence alterations and plasma aneuploidy allowed for assessment of ctDNA molecular response in all patients. Molecular responses captured the therapeutic effect and long-term clinical outcomes in a more accurate and rapid manner compared to radiographic imaging. Patients with sustained molecular responses had longer overall (log-rank p=0.0006) and progression-free (log-rank p<0.0001) survival, with molecular responses detected on average 4 weeks earlier than imaging. ctDNA analyses provide a rapid approach for the assessment of early on-therapy molecular responses and have important implications for the management of patients with SCLC, including the development of improved strategies for real-time tumor burden monitoring.

Study EGAS00001006831

Towards standardized whole exome sequencing (WES) for cancer patients: lessons from a multicentric pilot study

A growing number of druggable targets and national initiatives for precision oncology necessitate broader genomic profiling for many cancer patients. Whole exome sequencing (WES) offers unbiased analysis of the entire coding sequence, segmentation-based detection of copy number alterations (CNAs), and accurate determination of complex biomarkers including tumor mutational burden (TMB), homologous recombination repair deficiency (HRD), and microsatellite instability (MSI). To assess the inter-institution variability of clinical WES, we performed a comparative pilot study between German Centers of Personalized Medicine (ZPMs) from five participating institutions. Tumor and matched normal DNA from 30 patients were analyzed using custom sequencing protocols and bioinformatic pipelines. Calling of somatic variants was highly concordant with a sensitivity between 91-95% and a positive predictive value (PPV) of 82-95% compared with a three-institution consensus and full agreement for 16 of 17 druggable targets. Deviations were observed for cases with low VAF or coverage, differing annotations, and different filter protocols. CNAs showed overall agreement in 76% for the genomic sequence with high wet-lab variability. Complex biomarkers correlated strongly between institutions (HRD: 0.79-1, TMB: 0.97-0.99) and all institutions agreed on microsatellite instability. This study will contribute to the development of quality control frameworks for comprehensive genomic profiling and sheds light onto parameters that require stringent standardization.

Study EGAS00001007363

Natural Killer Cell Therapies for Hematologic Malignancies

The "Natural Killer Cell Therapies for Hematologic Malignancies" study is an umbrella repository for data pertaining to multiple related clinical trials that aim to assess NK cell therapies as part of treatment strategies for a range of hematologic malignancies. Here, data from two trials, NCT03068819 and NCT02782546, are presented.Cytokine Induced Memory-like NK Cell Adoptive Therapy for Relapsed AML after Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplant in Children and Adults (NCT03068819)Pediatric and young adult (YA) patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) who relapse after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) have extremely poor prognosis. Standard salvage chemotherapy and donor lymphocyte infusions (DLI) have little curative potential. Previous studies showed that natural killer (NK) cells can be stimulated ex vivo with interleukin-12 (IL-12), IL-15, and IL-18 to generate memory-like (ML) NK cells with enhanced anti-leukemia responses. We treated nine pediatric/YA patients with post-HCT relapsed AML with donor ML NK cells on a phase I trial. Patients received fludarabine, cytarabine, and filgrastim followed two weeks later by infusion of DLI and ML NK cells from the original HCT donor. ML NK cells were successfully generated from haploidentical, matched-related and matched-unrelated donors. Following infusion, donor-derived ML NK cells expanded and maintained ML multidimensional mass cytometry phenotype for over 3 months. Furthermore, ML NK cells exhibited persistent functional responses as evidenced by leukemia-triggered IFN-gamma production. Following DLI and ML NK cell adoptive transfer, 4 of 8 evaluable patients achieved complete remission at day 28. Two patients maintained a durable remission for over 3 months with one patient in remission for greater than two years. No significant toxicity was experienced. This study demonstrates that in a compatible immune environment post-HCT, donor ML NK cells robustly expand and persist with potent anti-leukemic activity in the absence of exogenous cytokines. ML NK cells in combination with DLI present a novel immunotherapy platform for AML that has relapsed after allogeneic HCT. This trial was registered at https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT03068819.A Phase II Study of Cytokine Induced Memory-like NK Cell Adoptive Therapy after Haploidentical Donor Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation (NCT02782546)Natural killer (NK) cells are innate lymphoid cells that eliminate cancer cells, produce cytokines, and are being investigated as a nascent cellular immunotherapy. Impaired NK cell function, expansion, and persistence remain key challenges for optimal clinical translation. One promising strategy to overcome these challenges is cytokine-induced memory-like (ML) differentiation, whereby NK cells acquire enhanced anti-tumor function following stimulation with IL-12, IL-15, and IL-18. Here, reduced-intensity conditioning (RIC) for HLA-haploidentical hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) was augmented with same-donor ML NK cells on Day 7 and 3 weeks of N-803 (IL-15 superagonist) to treat patients with relapsed/refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in the clinical trial (NCT02782546). In 15 patients, donor ML NK cells were well-tolerated and 87% of patients achieved a composite complete response at Day 28, which corresponded with clearing high-risk mutations, including TP53 variants. NK cells were the major blood lymphocytes for two months post-HCT with prolific expansion (1104-fold) over 1-2 weeks. Multidimensional mass cytometry and CITE-seq identified donor ML NK cells as distinct from conventional NK cells and persisting for over two months. ML NK cells expressed CD16, CD57, and high granzyme B and perforin, along with a unique transcription factor profile. ML NK cells differentiated in patients had enhanced ex vivo function compared to conventional NK cells from both patient and healthy donors. Overall, same-donor ML NK cell therapy with 3 weeks of N-803 support safely augmented RIC haplo-HCT for AML, with ML NK cells demonstrating enhanced in vivo persistence and functionality, overcoming barriers in the field.

Study phs002681

Characterizing the Role of the Immune Microenvironment in Multiple Myeloma Progression at a Single Cell Level

The plasma cell disease multiple myeloma (MM) is highly dependent on its bone marrow microenvironment (BMME). Early alterations within the bone marrow microenvironment that contribute to the progression of multiple myeloma (MM) from its precursor stages could hold the key to identifying novel therapeutic approaches, yet the intrinsic variability in cellular populations between patients together with differences in sample processing and analysis methods have made it difficult to identify consistent changes between datasets. Here, we used single-cell RNA sequencing of BM cells from precursor stages, monoclonal gammopathy of unknown significance (MGUS), smoldering MM (SMM) and newly diagnosed MM and analyzed our data in combination with a previously published dataset that used a similar patient population and sample processing. Despite vast interpatient heterogeneity, some alterations were seen consistently in both datasets. We identified changes in immune cell populations as disease progressed that were characterized by a substantial decrease in memory and naïve CD4 T cells and an increase in CD8+ effector T cells and T-regulatory cells. These alterations were further accompanied by an enrichment of non-clonal memory B cells and an increase of CD14 and CD16 monocytes in MM compared to its precursor stages. These results provide crucial information of the immune changes associated with the progression to clinical MM and can help to develop immune based strategies for patient stratification and early therapeutic intervention. 

Study phs002756

MILK-Omics: Systems Biology of Human Milk and Its Links to Maternal and Infant Health

The primary objective of the project is to generate a systems-level view of human milk in the context of healthy mothers and their term infants. The study uses biospecimens and clinical data from the Mothers and Infants LinKed for Healthy Growth Study (MILk Study), a prospective observational cohort of approximately 500 exclusively breastfeeding women and their infants who are followed to 6 months of age. The project focuses on mature milk samples collected at 1 month postpartum and infant gut microbiome samples collected at 1 and 6 months of age. Specific Aim 1 is to identify maternal genetic and clinical factors that shape human milk gene expression. Using bulk and single-cell RNA sequencing of the milk cell pellet and genotypes from maternal DNA, we will identify novel genetic determinants of the milk transcriptome and assess potential modification of these genetic associations by gestational weight gain, diet, and other clinical factors. Specific Aim 2 is to describe key features of the normative human milk biosystem and their interactions with one another. Specifically, machine learning techniques will be used to characterize interaction networks and correlational structures among the following features of human milk: transcriptomics, microbiomes, oligosaccharides, metabolomics, lipidomics, and milk macronutrient composition. Specific Aim 3 is to establish how the milk biosystem is related to variation in infant gut microbiomes and health. dbGaP will house the maternal genotype and milk transcriptomics data.The infant microbiome sequence data are associated with BioProject PRJNA1019702.

Study phs003408

The Genomic and Transcriptomic Landscape of a HeLa Cell Line

HeLa is the most widely used model cell line for studying human cellular and molecular biology. To date, no genomic reference for this cell line has been released, and experiments have relied on the human reference genome. Effective design and interpretation of molecular genetic studies performed using HeLa cells require accurate genomic information. Here we present a detailed genomic and transcriptomic characterization of a HeLa cell line. We performed DNA and RNA sequencing of a HeLa Kyoto cell line and analyzed its mutational portfolio and gene expression profile. Segmentation of the genome according to copy number revealed a remarkably high level of aneuploidy and numerous large structural variants at unprecedented resolution. Some of the extensive genomic rearrangements are indicative of catastrophic chromosome shattering, known as chromothripsis. Our analysis of the HeLa gene expression profile revealed that several pathways, including cell cycle and DNA repair, exhibit significantly different expression patterns from those in normal human tissues. Our results provide the first detailed account of genomic variants in the HeLa genome, yielding insight into their impact on gene expression and cellular function as well as their origins. This study underscores the importance of accounting for the strikingly aberrant characteristics of HeLa cells when designing and interpreting experiments, and has implications for the use of HeLa as a model of human biology. Copyright Landry et al., "The Genomic and Transcriptomic Landscape of a HeLa Cell Line," G3: Genes | Genomes | Genetics (2013).

Study phs000643

Tumor-reactive heterotypic CD8 T cell clusters from clinical samples

Emerging evidence suggests a correlation between CD8+ T cell-tumor cell proximity and anti-tumor immune response. However, it remains unknown whether these cells exist as functional clusters that can be isolated from clinical samples. By conventional and imaging flow cytometry, we show here that from 21/21 human melanoma metastases, we could isolate heterotypic clusters, comprising CD8+ T cells interacting with one or more tumor cells and/or antigen-presenting cells (APCs). Single-cell RNA-sequencing revealed that T cells from clusters were enriched for gene signatures associated with tumor reactivity and exhaustion. Clustered T cells exhibited increased TCR clonality indicative of expansion, while TCR-matched T cells showed more exhaustion and co-modulation when conjugated to APCs than to tumor cells. T cells that were expanded from clusters ex vivo exerted on average 9-fold increased killing activity towards autologous melanomas, which was accompanied by enhanced cytokine production. Upon adoptive cell transfer into mice, T cells from clusters showed improved patient-derived melanoma control, which was associated with increased T cell infiltration and activation. Together, these results demonstrate that tumor-reactive CD8+ T cells are enriched in functional clusters with tumor cells and/or APCs and that they can be isolated and expanded from clinical samples. Typically excluded by single cell gating in flow cytometry, these distinct heterotypic T cell clusters serve as a valuable source to decipher functional tumor-immune cell interactions, while they may also be therapeutically explored.

Study EGAS50000000785

Characterization of HCV-specific CD4 T cells during DAA-Therapy

Background: Chronic HCV-infection is characterized by a severe impairment of HCV-specific CD4 T cell help that is driven by chronic antigen stimulation. We aimed to study the fate of HCV-specific CD4 T cells after viral elimination. Methods: HCV-specific CD4 T cell responses were longitudinally analyzed using MHC class II tetramer-technology, multicolor flow cytometry and RNA sequencing in a cohort of chronically HCV-infected patients undergoing therapy with direct-acting antivirals. In addition, HCV-specific neutralizing antibodies and CXCL13 levels were analyzed. Results: We observed that the frequency of HCV-specific CD4 T cells increased within two weeks after initiation of DAA therapy. Multicolor flow cytometry revealed a downregulation of exhaustion and activation markers and an upregulation of memory-associated markers. While cells with a Th1 phenotype were the predominant subset at baseline, cells with phenotypic and transcriptional characteristics of follicular T helper cells increasingly shaped the circulating HCV-specific CD4 T cell repertoire, suggesting antigen-independent survival of this subset. These changes were accompanied by a decline of HCV-specific neutralizing antibodies and the germinal center activity. Conclusion: We identified a population of HCV-specific CD4 T cells with a follicular T helper cell signature that is maintained after therapy-induced elimination of persistent infection and may constitute an important target population for vaccination efforts to prevent re-infection and immunotherapeutic approaches for persistent viral infections.

Study EGAS00001003950

Massively parallel nanowell-based single-cell gene expression profiling

Technological advances have enabled transcriptome characterization of cell types at the single-cell level providing new biological insights. New methods that enable simple yet high-throughput single-cell expression profiling are highly desirable. Here we report a novel nanowell-based single-cell RNA sequencing system, ICELL8, which enables processing of thousands of cells per sample. The system employs a 5184-nanowell-containing microchip to capture ~1300 single cells and process them. Each nanowell contains preprinted oligonucleotides encoding poly-d(T), a unique well barcode, and a unique molecular identifier. The ICELL8 system uses imaging software to identify nanowells containing viable single cells and only wells with single cells are processed into sequencing libraries. Here, we report the performance and utility of ICELL8 using samples of increasing complexity from cultured cells to mouse solid tissue samples. Our assessment of the system to discriminate between mixed human and mouse cells showed that ICELL8 has a low cell multiplet rate (< 3%) and low cross-cell contamination. We characterized single-cell transcriptomes of more than a thousand cultured human and mouse cells as well as 468 mouse pancreatic islets cells. We were able to identify distinct cell types in pancreatic islets, including alpha, beta, delta and gamma cells. Overall, ICELL8 provides efficient and cost-effective single-cell expression profiling of thousands of cells, allowing researchers to decipher single-cell transcriptomes within complex biological samples.

Study EGAS00001002320

Cisplatin increases sensitivity to FGFR inhibition in patient-derived xenograft models of lung squamous cell carcinoma

Lung squamous cell carcinoma (SqCC) is a molecularly complex and genomically unstable disease. No targeted therapy is currently approved for lung SqCC, although potential oncogenic drivers of SqCC have been identified, including amplification of the fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR1). Reports from a recently completed clinical trial indicate low response rates in patients treated with FGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors, suggesting inadequacy of FGFR1 amplification as a biomarker of response, or the need for combination treatment. We aimed to develop accurate models of lung SqCC and determine improved targeted therapies for these tumors. We show that detection of FGFR1 mRNA by RNA in situ hybridisation is a better predictor of response to FGFR inhibition than FGFR1 gene amplification using clinically relevant patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models of lung SqCC. FGFR1-overexpressing tumors were observed in all histological subtypes of non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC) as assessed on a tissue microarray, indicating a broader range of tumors that may respond to FGFR inhibitors. In FGFR1-overexpressing PDX tumors, we observed increased differentiation and reduced proliferation following FGFR inhibition. Combination therapy with cisplatin was able to increase tumor cell death, and dramatically prolonged animal survival compared to single agent treatment. Our data suggest that FGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors can benefit NSCLC patients with FGFR1-overexpressing tumors and provides a rationale for clinical trials combining cisplatin with FGFR inhibitors.

Study EGAS00001002423

Whole Tumor spatial heterogeneity in metastatic melanoma

Heterogeneous inter-tumoral responses, sustained periods of apparent clinical benefit despite lack of objective response to various therapies, and even spontaneous remission are well known within a subpopulation of advanced melanoma patients. The molecular and cellular dynamics facilitating long-term survival remain poorly defined, particularly in the current era ofexposure to multiple potentially active therapies. We studied an exceptional case of long-term survival in a patient with non-responding metastatic melanoma in order to characterize the clonal and microenvironmental factors.We performed immunogenomic analysis of 3 metachronous tumors, and of 67 intratumor sub-regions of one metastatic lesion, usingwhole exome sequencing, RNA-sequencing, immunohistochemistry, and T cell receptor sequencing. Longitudinal analysesidentified mutations in severalknownresistance genes affecting distinctmetastases. Intra-tumoral immune signatures revealed spatially-distinct pockets of immune activation and suppression throughout the metastasis. A specific T cell VBeta CDR3 rearrangement was identified as both dominant and recurrent not only across multiple spatial points within a single tumor mass, but also across metachronous tumors spanning the patient’s disease course. Immunophenotyping of this T cell population with single-cell sequencingsuggestedrepeatedT-cell priming events leading to the persistence of both activated and exhausted T cells bearing this same TCR-Beta at any given time.Our findings highlight genomic and immune heterogeneityin metastatic disease, extending to the intra-tumoral leveland provide a rationale for integrative spatiotemporal analysis of metastatic lesions in the context of immune checkpoint blockade.

Study EGAS00001003292

Mutational landscape and patterns of clonal evolution in relapsed pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Relapse of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) remains a leading cause of childhood death. Prior studies have shown clonal mutations at relapse often arise from relapse-fated subclones that exist at diagnosis. However, the genomic landscape, evolutionary trajectories and mutational mechanisms driving relapse are incompletely understood. In an analysis of 92 cases of relapsed childhood ALL, incorporating multimodal DNA and RNA sequencing, deep digital mutational tracking and xenografting to formally define clonal structure, we identify 50 significant targets of mutation with distinct patterns of mutational acquisition or enrichment. CREBBP, NOTCH1, and Ras signaling mutations rose from diagnosis subclones, whereas variants in NCOR2, USH2A and NT5C2 were exclusively observed at relapse. Evolutionary modeling and xenografting demonstrated that relapse-fated clones were minor (50%), major (27%) or multiclonal (18%) at diagnosis. Putative second leukemias, including those with lineage shift, were shown to most commonly represent relapse from an ancestral clone rather than a truly independent second primary leukemia. A subset of leukemias prone to repeated relapse exhibited hypermutation driven by at least three distinct mutational processes, resulting in heightened neoepitope burden and potential vulnerability to immunotherapy. Finally, relapse-driving sequence mutations were detected prior to relapse using deep digital PCR at levels comparable to orthogonal approaches to monitor levels of measurable residual disease. These results provide a genomic framework to anticipate and circumvent relapse by earlier detection and targeting of relapse-fated clones.

Study EGAS00001003975

DNA hypermethylation and differential gene expression associated with Klinefelter syndrome

The molecular basis for the phenotypic traits and morbidity in Klinefelter syndrome (KS) are not clarified. As DNA methylation affect gene expression and thereby play a role in disease susceptibility, we performed genome-wide DNA methylation profiling of leucocytes from peripheral blood samples from 67 KS patients, 67 male controls and 33 female controls, in addition to genome-wide RNA-sequencing profiling in a subset of 9 KS patients, 9 control males and 13 female controls. Characterization of the methylome as well as the transcriptome of both coding and non-coding genes identified a unique epigenetic and genetic landscape of both autosomal chromosomes as well as the X chromosome in KS. A subset of genes show significant correlation between methylation values and expression values. Gene set enrichment analysis of differentially methylated positions yielded terms associated with well-known comorbidities seen in KS. In addition, differentially expressed genes revealed enrichment for genes involved in the immune system, wnt-signaling pathway and neuron development. Based on our data we point towards many new candidate genes (AKAP17A, AMOT, APOB, DACT1, DDX58, DOCK7, EIF2S3, FIGNL1, G3BP1, HENMT1, HERC5, IFI44, IFI44L, IFIT1, IFIT3, ISG15, KANK1, LGALS1, NSD1, PEX10, PLSCR1, RSAD2, SHROOM2, SLC25A6, SPEG, SPON2, TXLNG), which may be implicated in the phenotype and further point towards non-coding genes (RP13-216E22.4, RP13-36G14.4, G087825, G088512), which may be involved in X chromosome inactivation in KS and in the regulation of escape genes.

Study EGAS00001002797

Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH)/Broad Hurthle cell carcinoma whole exome sequencing study

In this study, we performed whole-exome sequencing of 41 patients with Hurthle cell carcinoma, a thyroid cancer variant with abundant mitochondria. We were able to identify recurrent somatic mutations in both the nuclear and mitochondrial genomes of Hurthle cell carcinoma. Our study identifies mutations in DAXX (GeneID: 1616), TP53 ( GeneID:7157), NF1(GeneID:4763) , NRAS (GeneID:4893), CDKN1A (GeneID:1026), ARHGAP35 (GeneID:2909), the TERT (GeneID:7015) promoter, and mitochondrial-encoded complex I genes to be candidate driver events in Hurthle cell carcinoma. Furthermore, copy number analysis revealed widespread chromosomal losses, resulting in loss-of-heterozygosity and a near-haploid state, to be a defining feature of these tumors. Finally, by analyzing locoregional recurrences and metastases, we were able to identify that widespread chromosomal losses and mitochondrial complex I mutations appear to be early driver events that are selected during clonal evolution.

Study phs001580

Identification of 22 Novel Loci Associated with Susceptibility to Testicular Germ Cell Tumors

Testicular germ cell tumors (TGCT) are the most common cancers in young men of European ancestry aged 20 to 39 years. The Testicular Cancer Consortium (TECAC) has brought together the largest genome-wise association study (GWAS) study of TGCT to date. We conducted a GWAS of 5,602 cases and 5,006 controls aggregated from 12 locations in the US and Europe. Logistic regression models adjusted for study center and genomic ancestry. Genotypes were imputed against the Human Haplotype Reference Consortium. Meta-analysis was performed to combine GWAS results with summary statistics from five previously published TGCT studies, UK Biobank, deCODE Genetics, and an independent set of cases and controls, for a total of 10,156 cases and 179,683 controls. 22 novel and 45 previously reported loci associated with TGCT surpassed genome-wide significance (p < 5e-08).

Study phs001349

Genomic Predictors of Response to Immune Checkpoint Therapy

Immune checkpoint therapies, including monoclonal antibodies to programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) and cytotoxic % lymphocyte associated protein-4 (CTLA-4), yield durable clinical responses across many tumor types, including metastatic melanoma, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and renal cell carcinoma (RCC). However, predictors of response to these therapies in RCC are still unknown. Genomic characterization of large clinical cohorts of patients treated with anti-CTLA-4 and anti-PD-1 agents in melanoma and NSCLC have suggested that high mutational burden, high neoantigen burden, and high expression of certain genes in pre-treatment tumors may be associated with patient response to these therapies. In this study, we sought to investigate genomic predictors of response to anti-PD1 therapy in metastatic RCC in two independent clinical cohorts using whole exome and whole transcriptome sequencing.

Study phs001493

MP2PRT: Identification of Genetic Changes Associated with Relapse and/or Adaptive Resistance in Patients Registered as Favorable Histology Wilms Tumor on AREN03B2

The Molecular Profiling to Predict Response to Treatment (MP2PRT) program is part of the NCI's Cancer Moonshot Initiative. The aim of this program is the retrospective characterization and analysis of biospecimens collected from completed NCI-sponsored trials of the National Clinical Trials Network and the NCI Community Oncology Research Program. This study, titled "Identification of Genetic Changes Associated with Relapse and/or Adaptive Resistance in Patients Registered as Favorable Histology Wilms Tumor on AREN03B2", performs genomic characterization (WGS 30X, Total RNAseq, miRNAseq) on a discovery set of 70 trio cases (normal tissue, tumor tissue at time of diagnosis, tumor tissue at time of relapse) from patients who relapsed with Favorable Histology Wilms Tumor. Prioritized findings from the discovery set will be validated using Targeted Sequencing in an independent validation set of 47 relapse samples.

Study phs001965

The Ultrasound Study of Tamoxifen

The Ultrasound Study of Tamoxifen is a 12-month longitudinal study to describe volumetric breast density change over time among women with and without tamoxifen exposure. Women were enrolled at the Karmanos Cancer Institute and Henry Ford Health Systems in Detroit, Michigan between 2011-2014. Enrollment included women prescribed tamoxifen for clinical indication (n=82) and a comparison group of women frequency matched on age, race, and menopausal status (n=165). Whole breast ultrasound tomography (UST) scans were used to measure volume averaged sound speed (m/s) as a surrogate of volumetric breast density. Ultrasound tomography (UST) scans were completed at baseline prior to tamoxifen initiation and were repeated at 1-3 months, 4-6 months, and 12 months after tamoxifen initiation. For the comparison group, UST scans were completed at baseline and 12 months. Questionnaires were completed at each scan.

Study phs003183

National Institutes of Health H3Africa African Collaborative Center for Microbiome and Genomics Research (ACCME)

The African Collaborative Center for Microbiome and Genomics Research is a multi-institutional collaborative research project. The objectives of the project are to collaborate and implement high impact integrative epidemiology and genomics research into discovery of biomarkers associated with cervical carcinogenesis. Specifically ACCME links and leverages existing funded research and program activities at the collaborating institutions to study the interaction between vaginal microbiome, host genetic factors and molecular variants of Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) to determine correlates of viral persistence in the causal pathway of cervical cancer, a major cause of preventable mortality in Nigeria and other parts of sub-Saharan Africa. This research offers several opportunities to advance understanding of cervical carcinogenesis, viral oncogenesis, new biomarker discovery and risk stratification by genotype in a cohort of African women. Sponsorship: This project is sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Study phs001945

NHLBI TOPMed: Genetic Study of Atherosclerosis Risk (GeneSTAR)

GeneSTAR began in 1982 as the Johns Hopkins Sibling and Family Heart Study, a prospective longitudinal family-based study conducted originally in healthy adult siblings of people with documented early onset coronary disease under 60 years of age. Commencing in 2003, the siblings, their offspring, and the coparent of the offspring participated in a 2 week trial of aspirin 81 mg/day with pre and post ex vivo platelet function assessed using multiple agonists in whole blood and platelet rich plasma. Extensive additional cardiovascular testing and risk assessment was done at baseline and serially. Follow-up was carried out to determine incident cardiovascular disease, stroke, peripheral arterial disease, diabetes, cancer, and related comorbidities, from 5 to 30 years after study entry. The goal of several additional phenotyping and interventional substudies has been to discover and amplify understanding of the mechanisms of atherogenic vascular diseases and attendant comorbidities.

Study phs001218

Functionally-defined Therapeutic Targets in Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG)

Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG) is a universally fatal childhood cancer. Here, we performed a chemical screen in patient-derived DIPG cell cultures along with RNAseq expression analysis and integrated computational modeling to identify potentially effective therapeutic strategies. Panobinostat, among the more promising agents identified, demonstrated efficacy in pontine orthotopic xenograft models of both H3K27M and histone WT DIPG. These data suggest the potential utility of specific drug combinations and provides evidence of in vivo treatment efficacy of the multi-histone deacetylase inhibitor panobinostat. We are depositing to dbGaP deep sequencing whole exome data for 22 patient tumor samples and 13 matched normals, along with RNAseq data for 12 patient tumor samples and 6 normal pediatric brain tissue samples. In addition, we are depositing 22 RNAseq samples from DIPG cell lines before and after panobinostat treatment.

Study phs000900

Xeroderma Pigmentosum, Complementation Group C, (XPC) and Non-XPC Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma (cSCC) Mutation Rate Study

Base mutations occur at higher frequencies within heterochromatin and late-replicating DNA. In this study, we show that regional differences in mutation frequency are absent in portions of the genome that are not transcribed within cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas (cSCCs) with an XPC-\- genetic background. The XPC-\- genetic background predicates a loss of global genome nucleotide excision repair (GG-NER), thus our data shows that regional differences in mutation frequency are a result of differential access of DNA repair protein. Unexpectedly, we also note that greater transcription reduces mutations on both strands of genes in heterochromatin, and only to those levels observed in euchromatin, in a XPC-dependent fashion. Therefore, transcription likely reduces mutation prevalence by increasing access to DNA repair proteins. This tripartite relationship between DNA repair, transcription, and chromatin state shows a new cancer risk factor in human populations.

Study phs000830

NHLBI TOPMed - NHGRI CCDG: Malmo Preventive Project (MPP)

The Malmö Preventive Project (MPP) was a community-based disease prevention program including 33,346 inhabitants from the city of Malmö in Southern Sweden. Complete birth cohorts between 1921-1949 were invited, and the participation rate was 71%. Participants underwent screening between 1974 to 1992 for cardiovascular risk factors, alcohol abuse, and breast cancer. Between 2002-2006, surviving participants were invited to a reexamination which included blood sampling from which DNA has been extracted. Subjects with prevalent or incident AF were identified from national registers as previously described, and cases with DNA were then matched in a 1:1 fashion to controls with DNA from the same cohort by sex, age (±1 year), and date of baseline exam (±1 year). Also, controls required a follow-up exceeding that of the corresponding AF case.

Study phs001544

Genetic Analysis of Skin Cells

Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) is a form of skin cancer originating from keratinocytes in the skin. They have high mutation burdens, primarily driven by UV-radiation-induced DNA damage. The order in which mutations undergo selection during the evolution of cSCC is not known. A subset of cSCCs grow out of benign neoplasms called actinic keratoses. To better understand the evolution of cSCC, we identified cases of cSCCs adjacent to actinic keratoses. From these cases, we separately microdissected the surrounding normal skin, the actinic keratosis, and the cSCC, and we performed targeted DNA-sequencing on the tissue from each area. We reconstructed tumor phylogenies and performed spatial transcriptomics on the 10X FFPE Visium platform on a subset of cases. Collectively, these studies revealed the mutational and gene expression changes that arise during the evolution of cSCC.

Study phs003282

Genomic Sequencing of Ewing Sarcoma

Pediatric Ewing sarcoma is a pediatric cancer that primarily arises from the bone. It is characterized by chimeric fusions of the EWS gene and an ETS family transcription factor. In this study, we performed massively parallel sequencing of a larger collection of Ewing sarcoma tumors to define the genomic landscape of this disease. We found that these tumors are among of the most genetically normal cancers currently characterized. There was also a marked absence of recurrent mutations in immediately targetable signaling transduction pathway genes. In this study we answer outstanding questions about ETS transcription factor expression, effects of treatment on mutational burden in Ewing sarcoma tumors, and describe patterns of tumor evolution. We also found that loss-of-function mutations in STAG2 were present in approximately 15% of Ewing sarcoma tumors and loss of STAG2 expression was associated with disease metastasis in this patient cohort.

Study phs000804

The Formation and Propagation of Human Robertsonian Chromosomes

Robertsonian chromosomes are a type of variant chromosome found commonly in nature. Present in one in 800 humans, these chromosomes can underlie infertility, trisomies, and increased cancer incidence. Recognized cytogenetically for more than a century, their origins have remained mysterious. Recent advances in genomics have allowed us to assemble three human Robertsonian chromosomes completely. We identify a common breakpoint and epigenetic changes in centromeres that provide insight into the formation and propagation of common Robertsonian translocations. Further investigation of the assembled genomes of chimpanzee and bonobo highlights the structural features of the human genome that uniquely enable the specific crossover event that creates these chromosomes. Resolving the structure and epigenetic features of human Robertsonian chromosomes at a molecular level will pave the way to understanding how chromosomal structural variation occurs more generally, and how chromosomes evolve.

Study phs003920

DEPArray-based sorting of pure carcinoma and stromal populations from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues followed by shallow whole genome sequencing

To overcome the challenges of low DNA yields, degraded DNA by formalin fixation and diluted signal of genomic aberrations by non-carcinoma components in the heterogeneous FFPE samples, we isolated pure carcinoma and stromal cells using the DEPArray™ NxT system, a microchip-based digital sorter that allows isolation of pure, homogeneous subpopulations of cells from FFPE samples. We isolated pure carcinoma and stromal cell populations from 12 FFPE tissues, including tissues from 9 primary and metastatic breast cancer and 3 primary ovarian high-grade serous carcinomas. This was followed by downstream shallow whole genome sequencing (WGS) for copy number landscape profiling for 10 samples. Seven out of 10 samples (even some with low tumour content or of old age) produced good quality genomic data, detecting sCNA in all carcinoma population samples but not in the stromal populations.

Study EGAS50000001328

How mitochondrial DNA research can benefit from data reuse through EGA?

Mitochondria are the only cellular organelles harbouring their own DNA, which encodes for proteins essentials in its respiration process. Despite its discovery in 1960, Mitochondrial DNA is often overlooked compared to nuclear DNA. Indeed, not all sequencing technologies capture a good representation of mtDNA (mitochondrial DNA). Recently, Ed Reznik's team (The Ed Reznik Lab | Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center) carried out a massive analysis and reanalysis of single cells WGS (whole genome sequencing) produced with an amplification-free protocol (Direct library prep, DLP). As they demonstrated in the paper Single-cell mtDNA dynamics in tumors is driven by coregulation of nuclear and mitochondrial genomes - PMC, DLP is more effective in catching mtDNA compared to classical single-cell sequencing. These data allowed the team to unravel mtDNA dynamics in tumoral and normal samples, highlighting how mtDNA and nuclear DNA are co-regulated and their ratio is critical for phenotype. Data reuse to achieve the greatest results For this project, Reznik's team re-used data from 3 studies stored at the European Genome-phenome Archive (EGAS00001006343, EGAS00001004448 and EGAS00001003190) that comprised a total of 602 datasets. All of them were initially produced by the teams of Sam Aparicio and Sohrab P. Shah at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre, where Ed Reznik is a promising group leader. This demonstrates, once again, that networking, collaboration and data sharing can achieve the greatest results when coupled with innovative and smart ideas. At the EGA we are proud to provide the scientific community with an infrastructure to enable all those very smart ideas out there to find the right data to be tested.

Blog mitochondrial-dna-research

RNAseq_of_healthy_mesothelial_cells_and_primary_mesothelioma_cell_lines

Mesothelioma is a rare and aggressive cancer associated with previous exposure to asbestos. Currently there are no effective treatments for mesothelioma and majority of patients will die within a year after diagnosis. Although a large number of preclinical and clinical trials assessed the efficacy of various therapuetic modes, including anti-angiogenic therapies, immunotherapy, antibody-drug conjugates and oncolytic viruses, none of the tested molecules entered the clinic. Thus, to better understand what drives mesothelioma carcinogenesis and to identify novel targets for therapy, in this project we aim at performing a comprehensive transcriptomic analysis of heathy mesothelial cells and a panel of mesothelioma cells lines. Primary mesothelial cell lines were established in prof. Marciniak lab from human pleural specimens, while primary mesothelioma cell lines were obtained from MesobanK. Both models constitute low passage cell lines and therefore should closely represent genetics of the original tissue.

Study EGAS00001005728

Frequent mutations in chromatin-remodelling genes in pulmonary carcinoids

Pulmonary carcinoids are rare neuroendocrine tumours of the lung. The molecular alterations underlying the pathogenesis of these tumours have not been systematically studied so far. Here we perform gene copy number analysis (n¼54), genome/exome (n¼44) and transcriptome (n¼69) sequencing of pulmonary carcinoids and observe frequent mutations in chromatin-remodelling genes. Covalent histone modifiers and subunits of the SWI/SNF complex are mutated in 40 and 22.2% of the cases, respectively, with MEN1, PSIP1 and ARID1A being recurrently affected. In contrast to small-cell lung cancer and large-cell neuroendocrine tumours, TP53 and RB1 mutations are rare events, suggesting that pulmonary carcinoids are not early progenitor lesions of the highly aggressive lung neuroendocrine tumors but arise through independent cellular mechanisms. These data also suggest that inactivation of chromatinremodelling genes is sufficient to drive transformation in pulmonary carcinoids.

Study EGAS00001000650

Colorectal advanced adenomas NKI-AvL TGO COCOS series

Colorectal cancer (CRC) develops from normal epithelium, through a benign precursor lesion called adenoma, by accumulation of genetic alterations affecting oncogenes and tumour suppressor genes. About 5% of colorectal adenomas are estimated to progress to CRC. However, it is important to identify which adenomas actually carry a high-risk of progression, because these serve as intermediate endpoints for e.g. screening programs. In clinical practice, adenomas with a size of ≥10 mm, villous component and/or high-grade dysplasia, called advanced adenomas, are considered high-risk, although solid evidence for this classification is lacking. Specific DNA copy number changes are associated with adenoma-to-carcinoma progression.For this tissue dataset, we applied low-pass whole genome sequencing to 96 advanced adenomas. Advanced adenomas were classified as lesions with low-risk or high-risk of progression, according to the presence of specific DNA copy number changes (Carvalho et al, CancerPrevRes, 2018).

Study EGAS00001002952

Therapeutic Targeting of Ependymoma as Informed by Oncogenic Enhancer Profiling

Genomic sequencing has driven precision-based oncology therapy; however, genetic drivers remain unknown or non-targetable for many malignancies, demanding alternative approaches to identify therapeutic leads. Ependymomas are chemotherapy-resistant brain tumours, which, despite genomic sequencing, lack effective molecular targets. Here, we mapped active chromatin landscapes in 42 primary ependymomas in two non-overlapping primary ependymoma cohorts. Enhancer regions revealed novel oncogenes, molecular targets, and pathways, which when subjected to small molecule inhibitor or shRNA treatment, increased survival and slowed proliferation in mouse and neurosphere patient-derived models of ependymomas. This study represents one of the largest enhancer mapping study of any cancer type to date, and provides a framework for target and drug discovery for other cancers recalcitrant to therapeutic development because of their lack of known genetic drivers.

Study EGAS00001002696

Genomic Heterogeneity and the Small Renal Mass

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

Study EGAS00001002919

Whole exome sequencing reveals the mutational spectrum of testicular germ cell tumours

Testicular germ cell tumours (TGCTs) are the most common cancer in young men. Here we perform whole exome sequencing of 42 TGCTs to comprehensively study the mutational profile of TGCT. The mutation rate is uniformly low in all of the tumours (mean 0.5 mutations per megabase [Mb]) as compared to the common cancers, consistent with the embryological origin of TGCT. In addition to expected copy number gain of chromosome 12p and mutation of KIT we identify recurrent mutations in the tumour suppressor gene CDC27 (11.9%). Copy number analysis reveals recurring amplification of the spermatocyte development gene FSIP2 (15.3%) and a 0.4Mb region at Xq28 (15.3%). Two treatment-refractory patients are shown to harbour XRCC2 mutations, a gene strongly implicated in defining cisplatin resistance. Our findings provide further insights into genes involved in the development and progression of TGCT.

Study EGAS00001001084

multi-OMICs study of a pair of infant monozygotic twins with concordant B-cell ALL

B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-cell ALL) is the most common cancer in childhood. Studying identical twins with B-cell ALL provides a unique and tractable model for deciphering the developmental timing of pre- and post-natal mutations contributing to clonal evolution. To date, this has mainly focused on major cytogenetic subgroups of childhood B-cell ALL, including MLL fusions, ETV6-RUNX1, hyperdiploidy, and BCR-ABL1. However, formal demonstration of the prenatal origin and “backtracking” the natural history of the leukemia remains understudied in “B-other”/Normal Karyotype (NK) B-cell ALL. To characterize the genetic and the epigenetic landscape of this particular leukemia subtype, we performed whole genome DNA-, B-cell receptor (BCR)-, and DNA bisulfite-sequencing on a pair of 8-month-old monozygotic twins diagnosed with concordant “B-other”/NK B-cell ALL.

Study EGAS00001003651

Transcriptional_Consequences_of_Copy_Number_Changes_MY_HDBR_200531

Every normal human cell has two copies of each non-sex chromosome. The gain or loss of an extra copy underlies many health conditions, including developmental syndromes and cancer. Ultimately, it is the patterns of genes that are turned on and off that determines which proteins a cell produces and its biological function. Despite the importance of changes in chromosome number (known as aneuploidy or copy number changes), little is known about how these changes impact patterns of gene expression. This project will aim to fill this gap by creating an atlas of patterns of gene expression in cells from developmental tissues with aberrant numbers of chromosomes. These gene expression profiles will then be compared to the patterns of expression in the same cells with two copies of each chromosome, directly measuring the precise, cell specific, consequences of copy number change on gene expression.

Study EGAS00001005100

Accurate mapping of mitochondrial DNA deletions and duplications using deep sequencing

Deletions and duplications in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) cause mitochondrial disease and accumulate in conditions such as cancer and age-related disorders, but validated high-throughput methodology that can readily detect and discriminate between these two types of events is lacking. Here we present MitoSAlt, a computational method for accurate identification, quantification and visualization of mtDNA deletions and duplications from whole genome, whole exome or transcriptome sequencing data. MitoSAlt was tested on simulated sequencing reads and human patient samples with single deletions and duplications to verify its accuracy. Application to mouse models of mtDNA maintenance disease further demonstrated the ability to detect deletions and duplications even at low levels of heteroplasmy. MitoSAlt paves the way for simple and reliable determination of mtDNA deletions and duplications across a wide range of relevant conditions and available sequencing datasets.

Study EGAS00001004380

Whole exome sequencing data of germline and two independent primary leukemias of five patients

The contribution of genetic predisposing factors to the development of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), the most frequently diagnosed cancer in childhood, has not been fully elucidated. Children presenting with multiple de novo leukemias are more likely to suffer from genetic predisposition. Here, we selected five of these patients and analyzed the mutational spectrum of normal and malignant tissues. In two patients, we identified germline mutations in TYK2, a member of the JAK tyrosine kinase family. These mutations were located in two adjacent codons of the pseudokinase domain (p.Pro760Leu and p.Gly761Val). In silico modeling revealed that both mutations affect the conformation of this auto-regulatory domain. Consistent with this notion, both germline mutations promote TYK2 autophosphorylation and activate downstream STAT family members, which could be blocked with the JAK kinase inhibitor I. These data indicate that germline activating TYK2 mutations predispose to the development of ALL.

Study EGAS00001001889

Novel mutations in TOP2A in gliomas

High grade gliomas (HGGs) are aggressive, primary brain tumors with poor clinical outcomes. To better understand glioma pathobiology and find potential therapeutic susceptibilities, we designed a custom- panel 664 cancer- and epigenetics-related genes and employed targeted next generation sequencing to study the genomic landscape of somatic and germline variants in 182 glioma samples of different malignancy grades. Besides known alterations in TP53, IDH1, ATRX, EGFR genes, we found several novel variants that can be potential drivers in gliomas. In four patients from the Polish glioma cohort, we identified a novel recurrent mutation in the TOP2A gene coding for Topoisomerase 2A in glioblastomas (GBM, WHO grade IV gliomas). The mutation results in a substitution of glutamic acid (E) 948 to glutamine (Q) of TOP2 A and we predicted this E948Q substitution may affect DNA binding and a TOP2A enzymatic activity.

Study EGAS00001004556

Oncogenic chimeric transcription factors drive tumor-specific transcription, processing, and translation of silent genomic regions

Many cancers are characterized by gene fusions encoding oncogenic chimeric transcription factors (TFs) such as EWS::FLI1 in Ewing sarcoma (EwS). Here, we find that EWS::FLI1 induces the robust expression of a specific set of novel spliced and polyadenylated transcripts within otherwise transcriptionally silent regions of the genome. These neogenes (NGs) are virtually undetectable in large collections of normal tissues or non-EwS tumors and can be silenced by CRISPR interference at regulatory EWS::FLI1-bound microsatellites. Ribosome profiling and proteomics further show that some NGs are translated into highly EwS-specific peptides. More generally, we show that hundreds of NGs can be detected in diverse cancers characterized by chimeric TFs. Altogether, this study identifies the transcription, processing, and translation of novel, specific, highly expressed multi-exonic transcripts from otherwise silent regions of the genome as a new activity of aberrant TFs in cancer.

Study EGAS00001006293

single-stranded DNA study

A ssDNA library protocol was applied to cfDNA from plasma samples obtained from different DNA extraction methods and revealed significant differences in DNA fragmentation patterns in comparison to dsDNA-based protocols. In particular, a specific combination of methods revealed a population of ultrashort fragments, organized at ~50 bp. We observed significant differences in the relative abundance of these ultrashort DNA fragments in plasma from healthy individuals and cancer patients. Through shallow whole genome sequencing (sWGS, <0.5-fold coverage) and the analysis of somatic copy number aberrations (SCNA), we determined the landscape of genetic alterations in this newly identified population of cfDNA fragments. In addition, we studied their potential link with regulatory regions by investigating the genome-wide coverage patterns at transcription start sites (TSS). Furthermore, we demonstrated that the ultrashort cfDNA fragments map to regions associated with secondary DNA structures, G-quadruplexes (G4s).

Study EGAS00001005093

Epithelial, fibroblast, myeloid, T cell, primary prostate cancer

The collection and use of tissue for this study had Melbourne Health institutional review board approval and patients provided written informed consent (Melbourne Health Local Project Number: 2016.087). Following the prostatectomy of 13 patients, ranging from 52 to 78 years of age and from CAPRA-S risk score of 0 (attributed to benign tissue samples, harvested from a site far from a low grade, low volume cancer) to 7 (Supplementary file 2), a four millimeter tissue core was collected from the prostate tumour site, conditional to histopathological verification66,67. If not otherwise specified, all procedures were carried out at 4 °C. Tissue blocks were washed in Phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) solution for 2 minutes and minced for 2 minutes with a scalpel. Homogenised tissue was added to a solution (total volume of 7 ml) composed by of 1 mg/ml collagenase IV (Worthington Biochemical Corp, USA), 0.02 mg/ml DNase 1 (New England Biolabs, USA), 0.2 mg/ml dispase (Merck, USA). The tissue homogenised was serially digested at 37 °C at 180 rpm, through three steps of 5, 10 and 10 minutes of duration, with the final 3 minutes dedicated to sedimentation at 0 rpm. After each digestion step, the supernatant was aspirated and filtered through a 70 μm strainer into a pre-chilled tube, diluting the solution with 15 ml of 2% bovine serum PBS to quench the enzymatic reaction. The resulting cumulative solution was then centrifuged at 1500 rpm for five minutes, with the supernatant collected and the cell pellet resuspended into 1 ml 2% PBS-serum prior to labelling (Fig. S1).

Dataset EGAD00001004948

ENOC WGS for the study Genomic consequences of aberrant DNA repair mechanisms stratify ovarian cancer histotypes

For ENOC cohorts, OvCaRe cases were reviewed, including frozen material, by at least two expert gynecopathologists prior to inclusion in the sequencing cohort who provided the confirmation on final selected cohort. Frozen H&E from Tokyo were also used for evaluation along with representative H&E photos and review done at the Jikei School of Medicine. For ENOC, DAH985 and DG1288 are recurrent and both were treated with chemotherapy after their first surgery. DAH123 is a untreated sample, metastasis from an primary endometrial tumour. All HGSC, GCT, CCOC and the rest ENOC tumours are primary tumour samples. Library construction and sequencing Frozen specimens with >50% tumour cellularity (based on initial slide review) were used for cryosectioning and subsequent nucleic acid extraction. Patient tumour and normal blood samples derived from primary, untreated fresh frozen tumour specimens harvested at diagnosis during standard of care debulking surgery. Germline DNA was provided from peripheral blood buffy coat on all specimens except 13 from Tokyo, where non-cancer frozen tissue was used as a germline source. DNA extraction from both matched normal (blood) and tumour samples (frozen tissue) were performed using the QIAamp Blood and Tissue DNA kit (Qiagen) and quantified using a Qbit fluorometer and reagents (high-sensitivity assay). Three lanes of Illumina HiSeq 2500 v4 chemistry for normal samples and five lanes for tumour samples were obtained. The PCR-free protocol was adopted to eliminate the PCR-induced bias and improve coverage across the genome.

Dataset EGAD00001003266

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.

Dataset EGAD00001005111

Gene Expression in an African American Schizophrenia Dataset

Schizophrenia is a common and severe psychotic disorder. While some common SNPs and rare copy number variants have been identified as being significantly associated with disease risk, the biological mechanisms remain largely undefined. To identify gene expression abnormalities in schizophrenia, we generated whole-genome gene expression profiles using RNAseq on lymphoblastoid cell lines from schizophrenia cases and controls of African American ancestry. Genes related to immune processes were enriched in the genes differentially expressed in the schizophrenia cases. Approximately half of the differentially expressed genes in this African American dataset were also differentially expressed by affection status in our previously studied European ancestry dataset (PMID: 28418402).

Study phs002842

Peripheral blood DNA transcriptomics of vedolizumab treatment response in patients with Crohn's disease

Data pertains longitudinal transcriptomic data measured from blood obtained from patients with Crohn's disease that were starting treatment with vedolizumab. Samples were obtained prior to treatment and approximately 26 weeks into treatment during response assessment. At response assessment, patients were classified as responders (R) or non-responders (NR) based on a strict combination of endoscopic, biochemical and clinical criteria: ≥50% reduction in the endoscopic SES-CD score, corticosteroid-free clinical remission (≥3 point drop98 in HBI or HBI ≤4 and no systemic steroids) and/or biochemical response (C-reactive protein (CRP) and fecal calprotectin reduction ≥50% or ≤5 mg/L and fecal calprotectin ≤250 µg/g). Modified response was defined as a combination of corticosteroid-free clinical- (HBI ≤4) and biochemical (CRP ≤5 mg/L and/or fecal calprotectin ≤250 µg/g) remission between week 26-52 without treatment change through week 52. Transcriptomic analyses was conducted through RNA sequencing, wherein mRNA was extracted utilizing the QIAsymphony system, converted into cDNA and sequenced in a paired-end format on the Illumina NovaSeq6000 at the Amsterdam UMC Core Facility Genomics, generating a dataset comprising 40 million 150 bp-reads.

Dataset EGAD50000000385

Peripheral blood DNA transcriptomics of ustekinumab treatment response in patients with Crohn's disease

Data pertains longitudinal transcriptomic data measured from blood obtained from patients with Crohn's disease that were starting treatment with ustekinumab. Samples were obtained prior to treatment and approximately 26 weeks into treatment during response assessment. At response assessment, patients were classified as responders (R) or non-responders (NR) based on a strict combination of endoscopic, biochemical and clinical criteria: ≥50% reduction in the endoscopic SES-CD score, corticosteroid-free clinical remission (≥3 point drop98 in HBI or HBI ≤4 and no systemic steroids) and/or biochemical response (C-reactive protein (CRP) and fecal calprotectin reduction ≥50% or ≤5 mg/L and fecal calprotectin ≤250 µg/g). Modified response was defined as a combination of corticosteroid-free clinical- (HBI ≤4) and biochemical (CRP ≤5 mg/L and/or fecal calprotectin ≤250 µg/g) remission between week 26-52 without treatment change through week 52. Transcriptomic analyses was conducted through RNA sequencing, wherein mRNA was extracted utilizing the QIAsymphony system, converted into cDNA and sequenced in a paired-end format on the Illumina NovaSeq6000 at the Amsterdam UMC Core Facility Genomics, generating a dataset comprising 40 million 150 bp-reads.

Dataset EGAD50000000386

IκBε deficiency accelerates disease development in chronic lymphocytic leukemia

The NFKBIE gene, which encodes the NF-κB inhibitor IκBε, is mutated in 3-7% of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). The most recurrent alteration is a 4-bp frameshift deletion associated with NF-κB activation in leukemic B cells and poor clinical outcome. To study the functional consequences of NFKBIE gene inactivation, both in vitro and in vivo, we engineered CLL B cells and CLL-prone mice to stably down-regulate NFKBIE expression and investigated its role in controlling NF-κB activity and disease expansion. We found that IκBε loss leads to NF-κB pathway activation and promotes both migration and proliferation of CLL cells in a dose-dependent manner. Importantly, NFKBIE inactivation was sufficient to induce a more rapid expansion of the CLL clone in lymphoid organs and contributed to the development of an aggressive disease with a shortened survival in both xenografts and genetically modified mice. IκBε deficiency was associated with an alteration of the MAPK pathway, also confirmed by RNA-sequencing in NFKBIE-mutated patient samples, and resistance to the BTK inhibitor ibrutinib. In summary, our work underscores the multimodal relevance of the NF-κB pathway in CLL and paves the way to translate these findings into novel therapeutic options.

Dataset EGAD50000000754

Mapping Cells and Interactions in the Thymus Across Development and Aging (2025-07-28)

Single cell RNA sequencing on thymic cells from children with syndromic diseases such as Trisomy 21 and inflammatory/autoimmune diseases such as myasthenia gravis. Our group has previously performed atlasing of the healthy human thymus using single cell transcriptomics and obtained an unprecedented understanding of human thymus throughout development. In this study, we intend to survey diseased human thymus and compare this to healthy to obtain a better understanding of thymic dysfunction in human diseases. The diseases we will survey include congenital conditions such as Down's syndrome, CHARGE syndrome, DiGeorge syndrome as well as acquired diseases such as myasthenia gravis and thymic hyperplasia. We intend to perform genetic and genomic study on the samples, including expression analysis. This will not only help us to understand the cells and molecular pathways affected in dysfunctional thymus; but may also lead to generalisable understandings in human genetic diseases and inflammatory/autoimmune diseases. 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/ . This dataset contains all the data available for this study on 2025-07-28.

Dataset EGAD00001015660

Evolution and clinical impact of genetic epistasis within EGFR-mutant lung cancers: multi-timepoint exome sequencing of a single patient's disease

This dataset is a time-series of EGFR-mutant NSCLC clinical specimens from an individual patient profiled using tumor-based whole exome sequencing and the data is in BAM format. DNA was extracted from FFPE for primary tumor and frozen tumor tissue samples and matched non-tumor tissue using the Qiagen Allprep DNA/RNA Mini Kit. The library preparation protocol was based on the Agilent SureSelect Library Prep and Capture System. DNA was resuspended in a low TE buffer and sheared (Duty Cycle 5%; Intensity 175; Cycles/Burst: 200; Time: 300s, Corvaris S2 Utrasonicator). Bar-coded exome libraries were prepared using the Agilent Sure Select V5 library kit per manfucaturer’s specifications. The libraries were run on the HiSeq2500. Raw paired end reads (100bp) in FastQ format generated by the Illumina pipeline were aligned to the full hg19 genomic assembly obtained from USCS, gencode 14, using bwa version 0.7.12. Picard tools version 1.117 was used to sort, remove duplicate reads and generate QC statistics. Tumor DNA was sequenced to median depth of 303X (range 114.39-383.41) and the matched germline DNA to average depth of 231.65.

Dataset EGAD00001003769

Characterisation of the genetic landscape of cutaneous leiomyoma and leiomyosarcoma - Leiomyoma WES

Cutaneous leiomyoma (cLM) and leiomyosarcoma (cLMS) are rare benign and malignant soft tissue neoplasms showing smooth muscle differentiation, respectively, that arise from mesenchymal cells in the dermis and subcutis. Through whole exome sequencing of cLM and cLMS cases, we observed distinct differences between the somatic mutational profile of these tumour types. FH was identified as a driver gene in cLM with genetic alterations of FH occurring via somatic point mutation, somatic copy number loss, biallelic inactivation and germline point mutations. TP53 and RB1 were identified as driver genes in the cLMS cohort, with genetic alterations of TP53 occurring via somatic and germline point mutations, copy number loss and biallelic inactivation. Using RNA-sequencing, we identified recurrent gene fusions, including CRTC1/3-MAML2 in cLMS and a novel MYLK-MAP3K2 fusion. Analysis of the cell types present in the tumour microenvironment revealed a significantly increased presence of macrophages and decreased presence of myeloid dendritic cells in the cLMS cohort relative to the cLM cohort. Additionally, we identified common driver genes between cLMS and LMS from other sites. Thus, we provide the first in-depth profile of the genetic landscape of cLM and cLMS.

Dataset EGAD00001014787

Characterisation of the genetic landscape of cutaneous leiomyoma and leiomyosarcoma - Leiomyosarcoma WES

Cutaneous leiomyoma (cLM) and leiomyosarcoma (cLMS) are rare benign and malignant soft tissue neoplasms showing smooth muscle differentiation, respectively, that arise from mesenchymal cells in the dermis and subcutis. Through whole exome sequencing of cLM and cLMS cases, we observed distinct differences between the somatic mutational profile of these tumour types. FH was identified as a driver gene in cLM with genetic alterations of FH occurring via somatic point mutation, somatic copy number loss, biallelic inactivation and germline point mutations. TP53 and RB1 were identified as driver genes in the cLMS cohort, with genetic alterations of TP53 occurring via somatic and germline point mutations, copy number loss and biallelic inactivation. Using RNA-sequencing, we identified recurrent gene fusions, including CRTC1/3-MAML2 in cLMS and a novel MYLK-MAP3K2 fusion. Analysis of the cell types present in the tumour microenvironment revealed a significantly increased presence of macrophages and decreased presence of myeloid dendritic cells in the cLMS cohort relative to the cLM cohort. Additionally, we identified common driver genes between cLMS and LMS from other sites. Thus, we provide the first in-depth profile of the genetic landscape of cLM and cLMS.

Dataset EGAD00001014789

Chromatin Landscape of BET Inhibitor-Treated CD8+ T-cells from Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Patients

The pan-BET (bromodomain and extra-terminal) inhibitor, OPN-51107 (OPN5) was found to alleviate features of T-cell exhaustion in models of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). To evaluate if OPN5 treatment could relieve fixed chromatin states associated with terminal T-cell dysfunction, ATAC-sequencing was performed on CLL patient T-cells. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 4 treatment-naïve CLL patients were treated ex vivo with 0.5 μM OPN5 or equivalent vehicle (DMSO) in the presence of T-cell activating stimuli (10 μg/mL anti-CD3 and 5 μg/mL anti-CD28) for 16 hours. Live CD8+ T-cells were then isolated via fluorescence-activated cell sorting, and approximately 100,000 viable CD8+ T-cells were subjected to ATAC-sequencing. Libraries were prepared using the Active Motif ATAC-seq kit and underwent paired-end sequencing (2 x 50 bp, 100 cycles) on an Illumina NovaSeq 6000 SP sequencer. Analysis of this data revealed that OPN5 treatment induces a unique chromatin landscape in CLL patient T-cells that is less like that of terminally exhausted T-cells and more like that of effector and memory T-cells. In particular, OPN5 treatment reduced chromatin accessibility at promoter regions of terminal exhaustion-associated genes (e.g., CD101, CCR5, LAG3, BATF3) and increased chromatin accessibility at promoter regions of genes associated with progenitor T-cell function (e.g., TCF7, IL2, CXCR5, IFNG). Individual raw sequencing (fastq) files and processed bigwig files (aligned to the hg38 human reference genome), as well as bigwig files for grouped OPN5- and vehicle-treated samples (aggregate of all 4 patient samples per treatment group) are available via authorized access request through dbGaP.

Study phs003613

Induced Pluripotent Cells Derived from Differentiated Rod Photoreceptors Undergo Efficient Retinogenesis in Three-Dimensional Cultures

"Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are used to study lineage-specific differentiation in culture. We developed a standardized quantitative protocol called STEM-RET to compare eye field specification, optic cup formation, and retinal differentiation across stem cell populations. We reprogrammed individual rod photoreceptors into iPSCs by inducible expression of Oct3/4, Klf4, Sox2, and Myc. We also developed ESC lines from rods by somatic cell nuclear transfer. Using the STEM-RET protocol, we compared the abilities of ESCs, fibroblast-derived iPSCs (f-iPSCs), rod photoreceptor-derived iPSCs (r-iPSCs), and rod photoreceptorderived ESCs to form retinae using STEM-RET. r-iPSCs were the most efficient at producing differentiated retina. Retinae derived from f-iPSCs lacked an inner nuclear layer (INL) and had a concomitant reduction in amacrine cells and other INL cell populations. The INL-specific LIM homeobox gene, Lhx9, was hypermethylated in fiPSCs and concomitantly downregulated in retinae derived from those stem cells. ChIP-seq analysis for H3K36me3, H3K4me1, H3K4me3, H3K9/14Ac, H3K27me3, H3K9me3, CTCF and 5 hydroxymethyl cytosine showed that the major difference between the r-iPSCs and the f-iPSCs were in the genes marked by the CTCF insulator protein. Importantly, CTCF binding enrichment at rod photoreceptor specific genes was at least 10-fold higher in r-iPSCs relative to f-iPSCs. Taken together, our data suggest that both inhibitory and permissive epigenetic marks important for retinal development can be retained in iPSCs and such marks can be exploited to select the most favorable stem cell population to study retinal development or produce photoreceptor precursors for cell transplantation."

Study EGAS00001001288

Immunoreactive_p53_areas_in_human_skin_2

Previous work has suggested that in mice there may be a difference in mutational burden between areas expressing stabilised p53 protein and others. We wish to see if this observation holds true in human sun-exposed epidermis. We will take 0.25mm punch biopsies from peeled human skin epidermis which will be submitted to the low input pipeline prior to sequencing.

Study EGAS00001004463

WES of pleomorphic lung cancer

Pulmonary pleomorphic carcinoma (PPC) is an aggressive and highly heterogeneous non-small-cell lung carcinoma whose underlying biology is still poorly understood. Forty-two tumor areas including 39 primary tumors and 3 metastases from 20 PPC patients were microdissected and the histologically distinct components were subjected to whole exome sequencing (WES) separately. Twist Human Core Exome + RefSeq + Mito-Panel kit (Twist Bioscience) was used for the whole exome capturing according to manufacturer’s guidelines. Paired-end 100-bp reads were generated on the Illumina NovaSeq 6000. After the sequencing, reads were aligned against the reference human genome GRCh38 using Burrows-Wheeler Aligner (BWA, v0.7.12)

Dataset EGAD50000000453

Clonal Evolution of PPM1D Mutations in the Spectrum of Myeloid Disorders

PPM1D, a central regulator of the DNA damage response, is commonly mutated in therapy-related clonal hematopoiesis (CH), acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). PPM1D mutations have been shown to expand under selective pressure of DNA-damaging chemotherapy. However, whether PPM1D mutations promote the development of hematologic malignancies remains unclear.

Study EGAS50000000840

DFCI Gynecological Oncology Data Access Committee

This Data Access Committee is responsible for reviewing requests to access controlled human genomic data generated as part of the RESOLVE clinical trial at DFCI. The committee ensures that access complies with participant consent, institutional policies, and applicable data protection regulations (e.g., GDPR). Data access decisions are made by a multidisciplinary panel including clinical researchers, bioinformaticians, and data governance officers from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. The committee reviews each access request to determine whether the proposed research aligns with the study’s consent terms and the data access policy. If approved, access is granted via the European Genome-phenome Archive (EGA) in accordance with EGA’s data use and security guidelines.

Dac EGAC50000000712

Amplicon based re-sequencing of multi-region PDAC samples

Multi-region tumor samples were cut from frozen sections or FFPEs and reviewed from microdissection and H&E staining in order to select ones with high cellularity. DNA extraction was done using DNeasy Blood & Tissue Kits for frozen samples following the manufacturer’s guideline. Extracted DNAs were processed on an Illumina HiSeq 2500 in a paired end mode (100x100) using a custom targeted panel based on the list of all unique somatic mutations from the original WES data by the Integrated Genomics Operation (IGO) at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (New York, NY).

Dataset EGAD50000000354

Variant calling for LUNG-NSCLC2 cohort

The goal of IMMUcan is to understand how the immune system interacts with tumors and how therapeutic interventions influence this interaction. This cohort includes patients with non-small cell lung cancer who had surgical resection. This is a subcohort of the EORTC SPECTAlung study. This dataset contains whole exome sequencing data from tumor samples processed with the Vegan pipeline. In the absence of matching germline samples, variant calling is performed using two panel of normals (one for female and one for male). It includes SNP and CNV calling.

Dataset EGAD50000002235

Chordoma_Targeted_Sequencing_Study

This Study uses a focused bespoke bait pull down library method to target findings of Chordoma whole genome and whole exome sequencing studies in order to validate findings. This method will also be used on a larger set of tumour only samples in order to find precedence of these findings in a larger set of patient samples.

Study EGAS00001000280

Osteosarcoma_Targeted_Sequencing_Study

This Study uses a focused bespoke bait pull down library method to target findings of Osteosarcoma whole genome and whole exome sequencing studies in order to validate findings. This method will also be used on a larger set of tumour only samples in order to find precedence of these findings in a larger set of patient samples.

Study EGAS00001000278

Meningioma_Targeted_Sequencing_Study

This Study uses a focused bespoke bait pull down library method to target findings of Meningioma whole genome and whole exome sequencing studies in order to validate findings. This method will also be used on a larger set of tumour only samples in order to find precedence of these findings in a larger set of patient samples.

Study EGAS00001000282

Longitudinal profiling of circulating tumour DNA for tracking tumour dynamics in pancreatic cancer

The utility of circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) for longitudinal tumour monitoring in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has not been explored beyond mutations in the KRAS proto-oncogene. We aim to characterise and track patient-specific somatic ctDNA variants, to assess longitudinal changes in disease burden and explore the landscape of actionable alterations.

Study EGAS00001005981

Molecular heterogeneity and commonalities in pancreatic cancer precursors with gastric and intestinal phenotype

Due to the limited number of modifiable risk factors, secondary prevention strategies based on early diagnosis represent the preferred route to improve the prognosis of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Here, we provide a comparative morphogenetic analysis of PDAC precursors aiming at dissecting the process of carcinogenesis and tackling the heterogeneity of preinvasive lesions.

Study EGAS00001006793

Bone marrow single cell genomics from blood cancer samples

The overall goal of this study was to characterize bone marrow cells based on their transcriptome, surface protein expression and BCR- and TCR VDJ-profile for accurate identification of clinically relevant cell states. This project has received funding from the European Union Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 824110 (EASI-Genomics)

Study EGAS00001007332

An MTOR mutation hitchhikes through renal embryogenesis, driving multifocal, multiphenotypic tumours - WGS

Embryogenesis is a vulnerable time. Mutations in developmental cells can result in the seeding of cells predisposed to disease within mature organs, creating a field effect. We characterise an embryonic cancer mutation that drives multifocal, multiphenotypic renal tumours in a 14-year-old girl. Their shared MTOR mutation, absent from normal tissues, increases protein flexibility which enables a FAT domain hinge to dramatically increase mTORC1 activity. Developmental mutations, not usually detected in traditional genetic screening, have vital clinical importance in guiding prognosis, targeted treatment, and family screening decisions for paediatric tumours.

Dataset EGAD00001011645

Whole Exome Sequencing data of glioma from the Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas (CGGA) project

Glioma is the most common and aggressive brain cancer in adults. While primary glioma has been widely studied, molecular characterization of recurrent glioma is still rare. The high-quality sequencing data that we generated provides a useful resource for the community. The CGGA project contains over 2,000 samples from Chinese cohorts. It totally includes the whole-exome sequencing (286), DNA methylation (159), mRNA sequencing (1,018), mRNA microarray (301) and microRNA microarray (198) and matched clinical data. CGGA removes the barriers to researchers, providing rapid and convenient access to high-quality functional genomic data resources for biological research and clinical applications.

Dataset EGAD00001006445

24 Chordoma samples (WES,WGS)

Case series of the rare tumor entity chordoma. 9 cases sequenced with Whole Exome Sequencing (WES) and 2 cases sequenced with Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) were recruited from the personalized oncology program NCT-MASTER/DKTK-MASTER at the German Cancer Research Center. One of the WES patients was re-sequenced at a later time point when he relapsed, this resequencing was done by WGS. Therefore there are 11 patients, one of which with two samples, all of which were sequenced with matched normal controls, amounting to a total number of 24 NGS samples.

Dataset EGAD00001004825

Dataset for hematopoietic_malignancy-EXON

Rare cancer sequencing data of 91 runs in tumor/control pairs, which were uploaded to umbrella studies. The sequencing was always paired

Dataset EGAD00001008882

Dataset for hepatopancreaticobiliary_malignancy-EXON

Rare cancer sequencing data of 162 runs in tumor/control pairs, which were uploaded to umbrella studies. The sequencing was always paired

Dataset EGAD00001008883

Dataset for urologic_cancer-EXON

Rare cancer sequencing data of 112 runs in tumor/control pairs, which were uploaded to umbrella studies. The sequencing was always paired

Dataset EGAD00001008904

An MTOR mutation hitchhikes through renal embryogenesis, driving multifocal, multiphenotypic tumours - scRNA

Embryogenesis is a vulnerable time. Mutations in developmental cells can result in the seeding of cells predisposed to disease within mature organs, creating a field effect. We characterise an embryonic cancer mutation that drives multifocal, multiphenotypic renal tumours in a 14-year-old girl. Their shared MTOR mutation, absent from normal tissues, increases protein flexibility which enables a FAT domain hinge to dramatically increase mTORC1 activity. Developmental mutations, not usually detected in traditional genetic screening, have vital clinical importance in guiding prognosis, targeted treatment, and family screening decisions for paediatric tumours.

Dataset EGAD00001011647

Whole genome sequencing data of high-grade serous ovarian cancer samples (set 2)

Whole genome sequencing data of 8 High-grade serous carcinoma (HGSC) patients (20 samples) sequenced with HiSeq X Ten.

Dataset EGAD00001009791

CCMA-WGSraw

This dataset has the mapped bam files from WGS for the cancer models in CCMA.

Dataset EGAD00001010035

TMD-AMKL targeted follow-up

Genomic libraries will be generated from total genomic DNA derived from 200+ patients with childhood Transient Myeloproliferative Disorder (TMD) and or Acute Megakaryocytic Leukemia (AMKL) as well some matched constitutional samples (n < 50 ). Libraries will be enriched for a selected panel of genes using a bespoke pulldown protocol. 96 Samples will be individually barcoded and subjected to up to two lanes of Illumina HiSeq. Paired reads will be mapped to build 37 of the human reference genome to facilitate the characterisation of known gene mutations in cancer as well as the validation of potentially novel variants identified by prior exome sequencing.

Dataset EGAD00001000783

A somatic reference standard for cancer genome sequencing.

Paired PCR-free whole genome sequencing data of a matched metastatic melanoma cell line (COLO829) and normal across three lineages and across separate institutions, with independent library preparations, sequencing, and analysis. The data was generated with mean mapped coverages of 99X for COLO829 and 103X for the paired normal across three institutions. Overall, common events include >35,000 point mutations, 446 small insertion/deletions, and >6,000 genes affected by copy number changes. We present this reference to the community as an initial standard for enabling quantitative evaluation of somatic mutation pipelines across institutions.

Dataset EGAD00001002142

Clonal expansion of mutated cell population in bladder urothelium (2018-08-03)

1cm biospies of from patients undergoing bladder cystectomy will be collected. The underlying muscle and stroma will be removed and the remaining epithelia dissected into small sequential areas which will be sent for ultra-deep exome sequencing using a panel of known cancer and viral genes. Sequence analysis using similar methods to Martincorena I et al (Science 2015, 348:880) will provide an idea of the somatic mutational landscape in these patient samples. Individual patient muscle samples will also be sequenced as a reference. . This dataset contains all the data available for this study on 2018-08-03.

Dataset EGAD00001004274

Projects

Projects Jointly managed by the European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI) in Cambridge (UK) and the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG) in Barcelona, the EGA provides an invaluable service to the worldwide biomedical research community. The teams leading the EGA are involved in several international partnerships and consortia in numerous scientific fields, where they contribute to ambitious projects. In addition to the project listed below, The EGA is in a long-standing partnership with the Global Alliance for Genomics and Health (GA4GH), as described on the dedicated page. On-going projects Project Duration Domain Funder Tags EASIGEN-DS | The EASIGEN-DS project aims to conduct a design study to establish a new European Research Infrastructure on Advanced Genomics Technologies, EASIGEN. To develop an excellent scientific, technological and operational design, we will conduct landscape studies, stakeholder consultations, and community surveying. 2025-2028 Genomic and health data Horizon Europe DATA MANAGEMENT DOCUMENTATION INFRASTRUCTURE Go-IMPaCT | Go-IMPaCT will contribute sequenced genomes and provide infrastructure as part of IMPaCT-Cohort, one of the three fundamental pillars of the Precision Medicine Infrastructure associated with Science and Technology (IMPaCT) program in Spain. Along with the Genome of Europe (GoE) project, around 18.000 people will have their genomes sequenced, also contributing to Spain's commitments in 1+MG. Go-IMPaCT will fund the development of an EGA node to manage and share this genomic and phenoclinic data, laying the foundations for regional and ethnic genomic variability in Spain to be available for research purposes. The IMPaCT cohort is created with the spirit of being an open research tool, compatible with the rest of the health research ecosystem, and other international initiatives. 2025-2027 Large-scale genomics and health data; personalised medicine Instituto de Salud Carlos III ACCESS DISCOVERY INFRASTRUCTURE METADATA STANDARDS FAIR-FEGA | This project seeks to accelerate data depositions into FEGA, significantly increasing the data flow in and from FEGA nodes. It will build capacity within the FEGA nodes and increase awareness in a wide range of stakeholders, thus altogether achieving the ultimate goal of enhancing data reuse. The project will be carried out by a strategic consortium comprising seven ELIXIR nodes and two ELIXIR communities. 2025-2026 Not applicable ELIXIR ACCESS DISCOVERY DOCUMENTATION INFRASTRUCTURE METADATA STANDARDS FEGA-Connect | A consortium of six ELIXIR nodes plus the Polish FEGA node (in-kind contribution) joining forces to build a solid base to develop solutions for effective multi-omic sensitive data integration between FEGA nodes and other infrastructures and specialised Data repositories. We aim to promote a more coherent data deposition, discoverability and retrieval of multi-omics datasets, providing FAIRer data and consequently accelerating research. 2025-2026 Multi-omics data ELIXIR ACCESS DATA MANAGEMENT DISCOVERY INFRASTRUCTURE METADATA STANDARDS IMPaCT-Data 2 | IMPaCT-Data 2 will develop a digital platform for the integration and modelling of biomedical data associated with IMPaCT (Precision Medicine Infrastructure associated with Science and Technology) projects in Spain. It will deploy a sustainable infrastructure that facilitates the integration, standardisation, interoperability and analysis of clinical, genomic, molecular and medical imaging data. This platform will be aligned with European projects such as Genome of Europe (GoE), the first project to make use of the European Genomic Data Infrastructure (GDI), and EUCAIM. IMPaCT-Data 2 will benefit from advanced Artificial Intelligence and High Computing Capacity Systems capabilities, offering robust and accessible tools for researchers from the National Health System in Spain. 2025-2026 Large-scale genomics and health data; personalised medicine Instituto de Salud Carlos III ACCESS DISCOVERY INFRASTRUCTURE METADATA STANDARDS ERDERA | The European Rare Disease Research Alliance (ERDERA) takes over EJPRD to deliver concrete health benefits to rare disease patients in the next decade by advancing prevention, diagnosis and treatment research. To leave no one behind, over 170 organisations championed by the European Union and member states are working hand in hand to make Europe a world leader in rare diseases research and innovation. 2024-2034 Rare diseases Horizon Europe; "La Caixa" Foundation cofunds CRG's contribution ACCESS DATA ANALYSIS DISCOVERY INFRASTRUCTURE GoE | The Genome of Europe initiative aims to build a European network of national genomic reference cohorts of at least 500.000 citizens. These reference cohorts will be selected to be representative of the European population. 2024-2028 Large-scale genomic and health data Horizon Europe ACCESS DISCOVERY INFRASTRUCTURE METADATA STANDARDS HEREDITARY | HEREDITARY aims to transform the way we approach disease detection, prepare treatment response, and explore medical knowledge by building a robust, interoperable, trustworthy, and secure framework that integrates multimodal health data (including genetic data) while ensuring compliance with cross-national privacy-preserving policies. 2024-2027 Neurodegenerative disorders, gut-brain interplay Horizon Europe DATA MANAGEMENT DATA ANALYSIS EOSC-ENTRUST | The mission of EOSC-ENTRUST is to create a European network of trusted research environments for sensitive data and to drive European interoperability by joint development of a common blueprint for federated data access and analysis. 2024-2026 Trusted Research Environment Horizon Europe INFRASTRUCTURE EBV-MS | "Targeting Epstein-Barr Virus Infection for Treatment and Prevention of Multiple Sclerosis". The ambitious goals of the project are to answer the questions why only a few EBV infected persons develop MS, and define the underlying mechanism of this process, as well as clarify if targeting the EBV infection can prevent MS or improve the disease course. 2023-2028 Viral-host genetics; immune response; disease modelling; Disease prevention Horizon Europe DATA MANAGEMENT DATA ANALYSIS WISDOM | WELL-BEING IMPROVEMENT THROUGH THE INTEGRATION OF HEALTHCARE AND RESEARCH DATA AND MODELS WITHOUT BORDER FOR CHRONIC IMMUNE-MEDIATED DISEASES aims to deploy novel approaches for data processing, harmonisation, management, and secure data sharing and federated access for diseases like multiple sclerosis. Using an end-user guided approach, it will facilitate responsible and critical assessment of the use of AI in healthcare. 2023-2028 Chronic immune-mediated diseases Horizon Europe DATA MANAGEMENT INFRASTRUCTURE EUCAIM | EUropean Federation for CAncer IMages is a project that will build a highly secure, federated and large-scale European cancer imaging platform, with capabilities that will greatly enhance the potential of Artificial Intelligence in oncology. 2023-2027 Cancer Digital Europe Programme (DIGITAL) DISCOVERY CONTAGIO | CONTAGIO (COhorts Network To be Activated Globally In Outbreaks) aims to create coordination mechanisms to rapidly react to infectious disease (re-)emergence in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). 2023-2026 Infectious Diseases European Commission - Horizon Europe ACCESS DATA MANAGEMENT DISCOVERY Youth-GEMs | Youth-GEMS (Gene Environment Interactions in Mental Health TrajectorieS of Youth) will conduct research into the genetic and environmental factors of mental health in young European people. 2022-2027 Mental health European Commission - Horizon Europe DATA MANAGEMENT DISCOVERY GDI | The European Genomics Data Infrastructure project is enabling access to genomic and related phenotypic and clinical data across Europe. It is doing this by establishing a federated, sustainable and secure infrastructure to access the data. 2022-2026 Genomic and health data European Commission - Horizon Europe; "La Caixa" Foundation cofunds CRG's contribution DISCOVERY DOCUMENTATION INFRASTRUCTURE EOSC4Cancer | EOSC4Cancer builds on existing projects, research outcomes and established community solutions to create the federated FAIR data, analysis and services infrastructure needed for European Cancer research programmes. 2022-2025 Cancer European Commission - Horizon Europe DISCOVERY IMPaCT-T2D | The IMPaCT-T2D project aims at studying the complete genomes of a large cohort of patients with Type 2 Diabetes mellitus (T2D), using modern sequencing technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) in order to improve the stratification and pharmacological treatment in the context of precision medicine. 2022-2025 Cardiovascular and Complex Diseases Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation; Instituto de Salud Carlos III ACCESS DATA MANAGEMENT DISCOVERY INFRASTRUCTURE EuCanImage | A European Cancer Image Platform Linked to Biological and Health Data for Next-Generation Artificial Intelligence and Precision Medicine in Oncology. 2020-2025 AI Solutions in Oncology European Commission - H2020 Programme; "La Caixa" Foundation cofunds CRG's contribution DATA MANAGEMENT METADATA STANDARDS GenoMed4ALL | A consortium built to empower personalised medicine in the field of haematological diseases through the use of AI and the pooling of genomic and clinical data. 2020-2025 Hematological diseases European Commission - H2020 Programme DISCOVERY METADATA STANDARDS Completed projects Project Duration Domain Funder Tags BY-COVID | The BeYond-COVID project aims to make COVID-19 data accessible to scientists in laboratories but also to anyone who can use it, such as medical staff in hospitals or government officials. Going beyond SARS-CoV-2 data, the project will provide a framework for making data from other infectious diseases open and accessible to everyone. 2021-2024 Infectious diseases European Commission - H2020 Programme ACCESS DATA MANAGEMENT DISCOVERY INFRASTRUCTURE IMPaCT-Data | IMPaCT-Data aims to create the infrastructure for secondary use of data from Spanish healthcare systems - electronic health records, medical imaging and genomic repositories - and contribute with the knowledge and methodology produced to the healthcare system. 2021-2024 Large-scale genomics and health dataSpanish Ministry of Science and Innovation; Instituto de Salud Carlos III ACCESS DATA MANAGEMENT DISCOVERY INFRASTRUCTURE LaMarató | It is a project aimed at creating and developing a catalan interhospitalary network to interrogate genetic variants from thousands of genetic tests carried out in patients with rare diseases from the main catalan hospitals. 2021-2024 Genomic and health data Fundació La Marató de TV3 (catalan foundation) DISCOVERY HealthyCloud | This consortium will contribute a Strategic Agenda towards the European Health Research and Innovation Cloud. The project will work in collaboration with a broad range of stakeholders to ensure that all voices are included and that the results are technically and ethically sound. 2021-2023 Not Applicable European Commission - H2020 Programme DOCUMENTATION B1MG | Beyond 1 Million Genomes aims to create a network of genetic and clinical data across Europe. The project provides coordination and support to the 1+ Million Genomes Initiative (1+MG). This initiative is a commitment of 24 EU countries, the UK and Norway to give cross-border access to one million sequenced genomes by 2022. 2020-2023 Not applicable European Commission - Horizon Europe DATA MANAGEMENT INFRASTRUCTURE METADATA STANDARDS ELIXIR-CONVERGE | An alliance with the goal of Connecting and aligning ELIXIR Nodes to deliver sustainable FAIR life-science data management services. 2020-2023 Data Management and Infectious Diseases European Commission - H2020 Programme DATA MANAGEMENT INFRASTRUCTURE METADATA STANDARDS IHCC | The International HundredK+ Cohorts Consortium aims to create a global platform for translational research – informing the biological and genetic basis for disease and improving clinical care and population health. 2020-2022 Translational research NIH; The Wellcome Trust; CZI INFRASTRUCTURE METADATA STANDARDS PPCG | The Pan Prostate Cancer Group aims to harmonise and interrogate Whole Genome DNA Sequence data generated around the world from over 2000 men with prostate cancer, with associated transcriptome and methylome data to include men from different clinical categories, and ethnicities. This project is about providing breakthrough advances through analysis of a very large series of Whole Genome DNA data from prostate cancer contributed by many of the leading scientists and clinicians working in prostate cancer genomics. 2019-2024 Cancer Cancer Research UK DATA MANAGEMENT CINECA | Consortium providing a Federated solution enabling population-scale genomic and biomolecular data accessible across international borders accelerating research and improving the health of individuals resident across continents. 2019-2023 Large-scale Genomics and Health Data European Commission - H2020 Programme ACCESS DATA MANAGEMENT DISCOVERY INFRASTRUCTURE EASI-Genomics | A project designed to provide easy access to cutting-edge DNA sequencing technologies to researchers from academia and industry, within a framework that ensures compliance with ethical and legal requirements, as well as FAIR and secure data management. 2019-2023 Next Generation Sequencing European Commission - H2020 Programme ACCESS EJP-RD | An European consortium built to create a comprehensive, sustainable ecosystem allowing a virtuous circle between research, care, and medical innovation. 2019-2023 Rare diseases European Commission - H2020 Programme ACCESS DATA MANAGEMENT DOCUMENTATION METADATA STANDARDS EOSC-Life | EOSC-Life brings together the 13 Life Science research infrastructures (LS RIs) to create an open, digital and collaborative space for biological and medical research. The project will publish 'FAIR' data and a catalogue of services provided by participating RIs for the management, storage and reuse of data in the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC). 2019-2023 Not applicable European Commission - H2020 Programme DOCUMENTATION EUCANCan | A federated network aiming at implementing a cultural, technological and legal integrated framework across Europe and Canada, to enable and facilitate the efficient sharing of cancer genomic data. 2019-2023 Cancer European Commission - H2020 Programme DATA MANAGEMENT METADATA STANDARDS The Federated EGA framework: supporting sensitive data management across the ELIXIR Nodes | This project is a direct continuation of the FHD IS with the goal to position the FEGA framework as the core infrastructure driver to support human data sharing for research. 2019-2023 Human genomic data ELIXIR INFRASTRUCTURE UK Biobank | UK Biobank is a large-scale biomedical database and research resource, containing in-depth genetic and health information from half a million UK participants. This project is to archive whole genome sequencing and other genetic data for UK Biobank participants. 2019-2023 Large-scale Genomics and Health Data The Wellcome Trust; UKRI; Amgen; AstraZeneca; GSK; Johnson & Johnson DATA MANAGEMENT INFRASTRUCTURE VEIS | The core mission of VEIS is to create an open ecosystem of technologies that will address and adapt to the requirements of the systems used to analyse and interpret -omics and clinical data in research and application environments in biomedicine. The aim of the project is to leverage the value of the EGA for both industry and society. 2019-2022 Oncology and Rare diseases Generalitat de Catalunya and European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) ACCESS DISCOVERY ELIXIR BEACON IS | This study follows on from a number of earlier activities that have established the ELIXIR Beacon Project. The main aim is to extend the Beacon protocol, developed at EGA, to become the reference ELIXIR Data Discovery product 2019-2021 Not applicable ELIXIR DISCOVERY ELIXIR FHD IS | This project coordinates the delivery of FAIR compliant metadata standards, interfaces, and reference implementation to support the federated ELIXIR network of human data resources. 2019-2021 Human genomic data ELIXIR INFRASTRUCTURE ELIXIR Rare Disease | The Rare Disease Community extends and generalises the system of access authorisation and high volume secure data transfer developed within the EGA. The goal of the Community is to create a federated infrastructure that will enable researchers to discover, access and analyse different rare disease repositories across Europe. It is doing this in partnership with other European infrastructure projects, namely RD-CONNECT, BBMRI-ERIC and E-Rare.2019-2021 Rare diseases ELIXIR INFRASTRUCTURE Solve-RD | Solve-RD - solving the unsolved rare diseases - is a research project funded by the European Commission. It echoes the ambitious goals set out by the International Rare Diseases Research Consortium (IRDiRC) to deliver diagnostic tests for most rare diseases by 2020. The current diagnostic and subsequent therapeutic management of rare diseases is still highly unsatisfactory for a large proportion of rare disease patients - the unsolved RD cases. For these unsolved rare diseases, we are unable to explain the etiology responsible for the disease phenotype, predict the individual disease risk and/or rate of disease progression, and/or quantitate the risk of relatives to develop the same disorder. 2018-2024 Rare diseases European Commission - H2020 Programme ACCESS DATA MANAGEMENT METADATA STANDARDS EuCanShare | An EU-Canada joint infrastructure for next-generation multi-Study Heart research. 2018-2022 Cardiovascular Diseases European Commission - H2020 Programme ACCESS METADATA STANDARDS

Documentation about/projects-and-funders/projects

A human induced pluripotent stem cell toolbox for studying sex chromosome effects-Whole exome seq

To generate autosomaly isogenic hiPSCs with various chromosome complement, we use Klinefelter syndrome patient skin fibroblasts. These cells harbour XXY sex chromosomes, which can be lost during the reprogramming event and generate cells which are autosomaly identical to each other but differ in sex chromosome complement. We use state of the art reprogramming methods to generate panels of isogenic XXY, XX and XY iPSCs from XXY patient fibroblasts. We have performed Whole exome sequencing on Klinefelter syndrome patient's skin fibroblasts in order to check if two X chromosomes are identical and to see if we can distinguish which X chromosome is more likely to be lost during the reprogramming event in XY cell lines.

Study EGAS50000000930

Clinical Sequencing Exploratory Research (CSER): Clinical sequencing in cancer: Clinical, ethical, and technological studies

The Clinical Sequencing Exploratory Research (CSER) program supports multi-disciplinary projects that bring together clinicians, bioinformaticians, and ethicists to research the challenges of utilizing genomic sequence data in the clinic in the routine practice of medicine. The challenges are many and not disease-specific. Important aims of the research include: development of technical specifications and standards for sequencing in a clinical setting, investigation of methods to transmit genome-scale data to physicians in a fashion and timescale that fits the normal clinical workflow, exploration of regulatory requirements for applying genomic sequence data to patient care, study of physician and patient preferences regarding presentation of genomic information, and study of the ethical implications of returning unanticipated findings. More information about CSER and the investigators and institutions who comprise the CSER consortium can be found at http://www.genome.gov/27546194. The NEXT (New Exome Technology) Medicine Study utilizes a randomized controlled trial (RCT) structure to compare usual care (UC) practice in Medical Genetics Clinics with the introduction of a powerful research tool of whole exome sequencing plus UC practices for Colorectal Cancer and Polyposis (CRCP) in adults. In doing so, the study aims to explore the practical, economic, and ethical implications of identifying and returning incidental findings ("extra" whole exome genetic risk results not associated with CRCP that includes pharmacogenetic variants) to patients. The study will also attempt to identify novel causal genes for CRCP by studying relatives of selected research subjects.

Study phs000999

Collagen XVII Promotes Pancreatic Cancer Through Regulation of PIK3R5

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) contains a desmoplastic stroma that promotes the aggressive biology of this disease. While the varied mechanisms by which fibrillar collagens contribute to PDAC have been defined, little is known about the contribution of transmembrane collagens. Among this class of collagens, Collagen XVII uniquely contains an extensive intracellular domain that connects intracellular cytoplasmic components with the extracellular matrix. Collagen XVII is best characterized as the defining component of the type I hemidesmosome, an anchoring complex that attaches epithelial cells to the underlying basement membrane. In this study, we characterize the expression of collagen XVII in PDAC and the mechanisms by which it contributes to PDAC biology. We demonstrate that crosstalk between PDAC cells and cancer associated fibroblasts drive collagen XVII expression in vitro and xenograft tumor models in vivo. Genetic depletion of collagen XVII in low-passage patient derived cell lines diminishes their metastatic potential and ability to form tumors in mice. Whole transcriptome sequencing of tumors formed by cells with diminished collagen XVII levels revealed dramatically lower levels of PIK3R5, a regulatory subunit of class IB phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K) that interacts with G protein-coupled receptors. Consistent with this, collagen XVII-deficient tumors exhibited lower levels of phosphorylated AKT, a downstream effector of PI3K. The studies highlight the importance of collagen XVII signaling in PDAC and define a novel mechanism by which collagen XVII mediates activation of PI3K.

Study phs003641

Ultra-sensitive tumor-informed ctDNA monitoring of treatment response in advanced esophagogastric cancer patients

To explore whether ultra-sensitive circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) profiling enables earlier prediction of treatment response and detection of disease progression, we applied NeXT Personal, an ultra-sensitive bespoke tumor-informed liquid biopsy platform, to profile tumor samples from the KeyLargo study, a phase II trial in which metastatic esophagogastric cancer (mEGC) patients received capecitabine, oxaliplatin, and pembrolizumab. A total of 24 patients were evaluated, and all were ctDNA-positive at baseline. ctDNA levels varied from 406,067 down to 1.5 parts per million (PPM) with a median limit of detection of 2.03 PPM. ctDNA dynamics were highly correlated with changes in tumor size (ρ = 0.59, p = 7.3×10-9). Lack of early molecular response (50% or greater decrease in ctDNA levels at first available time point after 30 days, C2D1 or C4D1) was associated with worse overall survival (OS) (HR 6.6, 95% CI 1.8-24.1, p = 0.005) and progression-free survival (PFS) (HR 15.4, 95% CI 2.7-87.0, p = 0.002). Lack of molecular clearance of ctDNA was associated with worse OS (HR 6.9, 95% CI 1.5-30.8, p = 0.012) and PFS (HR 19.2, 95% CI 2.4-152.8, p = 0.005). Molecular progression (ctDNA increase) preceded imaging-derived progression by a median lead time of 65 days. These results suggest that ultra-sensitive liquid biopsy approaches could improve treatment decision-making for mEGC patients receiving chemotherapy and immunotherapy.

Study EGAS50000001224

Genomic landscapes of endometrioid and mucinous ovarian cancers and morphologically similar tumor types

While endometrioid and mucinous ovarian cancers represent nearly a quarter of ovarian cancers, their molecular characteristics and pathologic origins are poorly understood. To characterize the genomic and epigenomic alterations of these ovarian cancer subtypes and evaluate links to morphologically similar tumors from other sites, we performed sequence, copy number, mutation signature, rearrangement, and methylation analyses from tumor samples and matched normal tissues of 133 patients. These analyses included patients with ovarian endometrioid (n=44), ovarian mucinous (n=43), uterine endometrial (n=15), and gastrointestinal mucinous cancers (n=31). In addition to identifying genes previously known to be involved in these tumors, we identified alterations in RAD51C, NOTCH4, SMARCA1/4 and JAK1 in ovarian endometrioid, ESR1 in uterine endometrioid, and SMARCA4 in ovarian mucinous cancers. Whole genome sequencing revealed rearrangements involving PTEN, NF1, and NF2 in ovarian endometrioid tumors, and NF1 and MED1 in ovarian mucinous cancers. The number of alterations and affected genes in ovarian and uterine endometrioid cancers were similar as were genome-wide methylation profiles, suggesting that these tumors may have a similar tissue of origin. By contrast, methylation patterns in ovarian mucinous cancers were more similar to other gastrointestinal mucinous cancers, including mucinous cancers of the stomach, colon, and pancreas. These analyses provide insights into the genomic landscapes and origins of mucinous and endometrioid ovarian carcinomas, providing new avenues for early clinical intervention and management of patients with these cancers.

Study EGAS50000000523

Non-muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer Molecular Subtypes Predict Differential Response to Intravesical Bacillus Calmette-Guérin

The recommended treatment for patients with high-risk non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (HR-NMIBC) is tumor resection followed by adjuvant Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) bladder instillations. However, only 50% of patients benefit from this therapy. In case of progression to advanced disease, patients must undergo a radical cystectomy with significant morbidity and have a poor clinical outcome. Identifying tumors least likely to respond to BCG can translate into alternative treatments, such as early radical cystectomy or novel targeted or immunotherapies. Here we present molecular profiling of 132 BCG-naive, HR-NMIBC patients, and 44 post-BCG recurrences (34 matched), which uncovered three distinct BCG Response Subtypes (BRS1-3). Patients with BRS3 tumors have reduced recurrence and progression-free survival compared to BRS1-2. BRS3 tumors expressed high EMT-basal markers and had an immunosuppresive profile, which was confirmed with spatial proteomics. Tumors which recurred post-BCG were enriched for BRS3. BRS stratification was validated in a second cohort of 151 BCG-naive HR-NMIBC patients and the molecular subtypes outperformed guideline recommended risk stratification based on clinicopathological variables. For clinical application, we validated that a commercially approved assay was able to accurately predict BRS3 tumors (AUROC 0.86). Our findings provide a potential clinical tool for improved identification of HR-NMIBC patients at the highest risk of progression, which can be used to select patients for early radical cystectomy or novel subtype-directed therapies.

Study EGAS00001006879

ProHealth: Kaiser Permanente Genome-wide Association Study of Prostate Cancer

A genome-wide association study (GWAS) of prostate cancer (PCa) was conducted in Kaiser Permanente (KP) Northern California health plan members (7,783 cases, 38,595 controls; 80.3% non-Hispanic white, 4.9% African-American, 7.0% East Asian, and 7.8% Latino) [PMID: 26034056]. The data for these members were drawn from three KP cohort studies: Research Program in Genes, Environment and Health (RPGEH) ProHealth, and California Men's Health Study (CMHS) (described further under Study History). Four custom arrays were designed for genotyping, one for each of the four major race-ethnicity groups in the RPGEH cohort: African Americans, East Asians, Latinos, and Non-Hispanic Whites. The number of SNPs and SNP content varied by array, with SNP content designed to maximize the genome-wide coverage of low frequency and more common variants specific to the different race-ethnicity groups, including newly identified SNPs from sequencing projects, and SNPs with established associations with disease phenotypes and risk factors [PMIDs: 21565264, 21903159]. Within the total study cohort, n=34,736 completed a consent which permitted deposition of data to NIH. Genotyping followed the same general procedure described in [PMIDs: 26092718, plus additional quality control (QC) steps for the additional men, in order to control for potential batch and kit effects, described in [PMID: 26034056. Briefly, we first repeated the filters described in [PMID: 26092718] for all four arrays (EUR, LAT, EAS, AFR). Then, on an array-wise basis, we removed SNPs with MAF<0.01, with a call rate<95%, or with Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium (HWE) p-value in homogeneous groups<1x10ˆ-5. Furthermore, on the EUR array, to adjust for potential kit effect, we conducted a GWAS of kit, and removed those kit associated SNPs with p<1x10ˆ-6; we also re-genotyped each of the new samples (those not genotyped with the original GERA data) with some of the original GERA data, and removed SNPs with >13/1,268 (1%) mismatches. For the AFR array, to adjust potential plate batch issues, we conducted a GWAS of whether an individual was in the original GERA data vs. in the newly genotyped data and removed those batch-associated SNPs with p<0.05 (we used a stronger threshold than that used for the EUR array because there were fewer individuals on the AFR array); we also re-genotyped each of the new samples with the original GERA data and removed SNPs with >2/78 (2.6%). After the QC described above, imputation was performed as described in [PMID: 26034056]. Imputation was performed on an array-wise basis, pre-phasing with SHAPE-IT v2.5 [PMID: 22138821], and imputing from the 1000 Genomes Project October 2014 release as a cosmopolitan reference panel with IMPUTE2 [PMID: 22384356]. In addition to the GWAS described above, a nested exome-wide association study (EWAS) of PCa was also conducted (7,489 cases, 7,323 controls; 78% non-Hispanic white, 9% African-American, 3% East Asian, 6% Latino, 4% Other). A custom EWAS array primarily focused on rare variants was designed for genotyping that complemented the GWAS arrays [PMID: 26034056]. The EWAS array content included missense and loss-of-function mutations, and rare exonic mutations from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and dbGaP prostate cancer tumor exomes [PMID: 26544944; PMID: 26544944]. Much of the EWAS array design content overlapped with the probesets on the UK Biobank Affymetrix Axiom array [PMID: 30305743]. Genotyping and QC steps taken to filter out samples exhibiting low quality and variants with low call rates are described in Emami et al., 2020 [biorXiv]. The resulting EWAS array genotypes are provided here.

Study phs001221

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Serum Stimulation of Human Intestinal Organoids Induces Barrier Leakiness and Changes in Goblet Cell Differentiation

Human intestinal epithelial cells are the interface between potentially harmful luminal content and basally residing immune cells. Their role is not only nutrient absorption but also the formation of a tight monolayer that constantly secretes mucus creating a multi-layered protective barrier. Alterations in this barrier can lead to increased gut permeability which is frequently seen in individuals with chronic extraintestinal autoimmune diseases, such as Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE). Despite recent advances in identifying alterations in gut microbiota composition in SLE patients, not much attention has been given to the epithelial barrier itself. To date, it remains largely unexplored which role and function intestinal epithelial cells have in SLE pathology. Here, we present a unique near-physiologic in vitro model specifically designed to examine the effects of SLE on the epithelial cells. We utilize human colon organoids that are stimulated with serum obtained from SLE patients. Combining bulk and single-cell RNA transcriptomic analysis with functional assays revealed that SLE serum stimulation induced a unique expression profile marked by a reduction of goblet cell marker expression and mucus composition. Additionally, organoids exhibited imbalanced cellulat composition along with enhanced paracellular permeability,mitochondrial function, and a type I interferon gene signature. Similarly, transcriptomic analysis of SLE human colon biopsies revealed a downregulation of epithelial secretory markers. Our work uncovers a crucial connection between SLE and intestinal homeostasis that might be promoted in vivo through the blood, offering insights into the causal connection of barrier dysfunction and autoimmune diseases.

Study EGAS50000000012

Carboxylesterase 1 mediates a distinctive metabolic profile of dendritic cells to attain an inflammatory phenotype

The metabolic profile of dendritic cells (DCs) shapes their phenotype and functions. Carboxylestrase 1 (CES1) enzyme is highly expressed in mononuclear myeloid cells however its exact role in DCs is elusive. We used a CES1 inhibitor (WWL113) and genetic overexpression to explore the role of CES1 in DCs differentiation in inflammatory models. CES1 expression was analyzed during CD14+ monocytes differentiation to DCs (MoDCs) using quantitative PCR. CES1 Inhibitor (WWL113) was applied during MoDCs differentiation. Surface markers, secreted cytokines, lactic acid production, phagocytic and T cell polarization capacity were analyzed. Transcriptomic and metabolic profile were assessed with RNA-sequencing and mass spectrometry. Cellular respiration was assessed with seahorse respirometry. Transgenic mice were used to assess CES1 overexpression in DCs in inflammatory models. CES1 expression peaks early during MoDCs differentiation. Pharmacological inhibition of CES1 led to higher expression of CD209, CD86 and MHCII. WWL113 treated MoDCs secreted higher quantities of IL6, IL8, TNF and IL10 and demonstrated stronger phagocytic ability and higher capacity to polarize Th17 differentiation in autologous DCs-T cells co-culture model. Transcriptomic profiling revealed enrichment of multiple inflammatory and metabolic pathways. Functional metabolic analysis shows impaired maximal mitochondrial respiration capacity, increased lactate production and decreased intracellular amino acids and TCA intermediates. Transgenic human CES1 overexpression in murine DCs generated less inflammatory phenotype and increased resistance to T cell mediated colitis. In conclusion, CES1 inhibition directs DCs differentiation towards more inflammatory phenotype, that shows stronger phagocytic capacity and supports Th17 skewing. This is associated with disrupted mitochondrial respiration and amino acids depletion.

Study EGAS50000000230

Transposable Elements in FTLD-TDP and ALS-TDP

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a devastating neurodegenerative disease involving the rapid and progressive loss of motor neurons. While a number of inherited mutations have been identified as causing ALS, the vast majority of cases are sporadic with no family history of disease. This has led to the model that ALS may be a complex syndrome with an unknown number of causal molecular pathways. However, nearly all ALS patient tissues display aggregates of the RNA binding protein TDP-43 (TARDBP/TAR DNA-binding protein), and mutations in the gene encoding this protein are known to cause ALS. We show that one of the normal functions of TDP-43 is to bind and regulate retrotransposons, repetitive sequences in the genome that are normally silent, due in part to the function of TDP-43. Furthermore, we demonstrate that many ALS patients with TDP-43 pathology also display de-silencing of retrotransposon RNAs, consistent with a loss of normal TDP-43 function. Those ALS patients that exhibit high levels of retrotransposon expression form a distinct subset of ALS subjects that also show other correlated alterations to the transcriptome. Using unsupervised machine learning algorithms, we identified three distinct molecular subtypes from the whole genomes and transcriptomes of a large cohort of 148 ALS patient samples. The retrotransposon re-activated subset formed 20% of ALS samples; two additional groups displayed signatures of oxidative stress (61%), and glial dysfunction (19%), respectively. Together these results demonstrate that retrotransposon re-activation is common in a subset of ALS patients with TDP-43 pathology.

Study phs001889

Decoding Human Heart Morphogenesis through Single-cell Multi-modal Analyses

The heart, which is the first organ to develop, is highly dependent on its form to function. However, how diverse cardiac cell types spatially coordinate to create complex morphological structures critical for heart function remains to be elucidated. Here, we show that integration of single cell RNA-sequencing with high-resolution multiplexed error-robust fluorescent in situ hybridization (MERFISH) not only resolves the identity of cardiac cell types developing the human heart but also provides a spatial mapping of individual cells that enables illumination of their organization into cellular communities forming distinct cardiac structures. We discovered that many of these cardiac cell types further specified into subpopulations exclusive to specific communities, supporting their specialization according to cellular ecosystem and anatomic region. In particular, ventricular cardiomyocyte subpopulations displayed an unexpected complex laminar organization across the ventricular wall and formed, with other cell subpopulations, several cellular communities. Interrogating cell-cell interactions within these communities revealed signaling pathways orchestrating the spatial organization of cardiac cell subpopulations during ventricular wall morphogenesis. In vivo conditional genetic mouse models and in vitro human pluripotent stem cell studies confirmed an intricate multicellular PLXN-SEMA crosstalk among specific ventricular cardiomyocyte, fibroblast and endothelial cell subpopulations that directs the compaction of the ventricular wall layers. Thus, these detailed findings into the cellular social interactions and specialization of cardiac cell types constructing and remodeling the human heart offer new insights into structural heart diseases as well as engineering complex multi-cellular tissues for human heart repair. Reprinted from Farah et al. (In press), with permission from Nature.

Study phs002031

11988 results for "cancer rna-seq"

in 51.27 milliseconds.