22929 results for "ega"

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• The genomic and immune landscape of long-term survivors of high-grade serous ovarian cancer

  Less than half of all patients with advanced-stage high-grade serous ovarian cancers (HGSC) survive more than five years post-diagnosis but those who have an exceptionally long survival could provide insights into tumor biology and therapeutic approaches. We analyzed 60 patients with advanced-stage, HGSC who survived more than 10 years after diagnosis using whole-genome sequencing, transcriptome, and methylome profiling of their primary tumor samples, comparing this data to 66 short- or moderate-term survivors. Tumors of long-term survivors were more likely to have multiple alterations in genes associated with DNA repair, and more frequent somatic variants resulting in an increased predicted neoantigen load. Patients clustered into survival groups based on genomic and immune cell signatures, including three subsets of patients with BRCA1 alterations with distinctly different outcomes. Specific combinations of germline and somatic gene alterations, tumor cell phenotypes, and differential immune responses appear to contribute to long-term survival in HGSC.

  Study EGAS00001005984

• The chromatin accessibility signature of human immune aging stems from CD8+ T cells

  Aging is linked to deficiencies in immune responses and increased systemic inflammation. To unravel the regulatory programsbehind these changes, we applied systems immunology approaches and profiled chromatin accessibility and the transcriptomein PBMCs, purified monocytes, and B and T cells. Analysis of samples from 77 young and elderly donors revealed a novel androbust aging signature in PBMCs, with simultaneous systematic chromatin closing at promoters and enhancers associated withT cell signaling and a potentially stochastic chromatin opening mostly found at quiescent and repressed sites. Combined analysesof chromatin accessibility and the transcriptome uncovered immune molecules activated/inactivated with aging andidentified the silencing of the IL7R gene and the IL-7 signaling pathway genes as potential biomarkers. This signature is borneby memory CD8+ T cells, which exhibited an aging-related loss in binding of NF-κB and STAT factors. Thus, our study providesa unique and comprehensive approach to identifying candidate biomarkers and provides mechanistic insights into aging-associatedimmunodeficiency.

  Study EGAS00001002605

• The genomic landscape of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma from immunosuppressed and immunocompetent patients reveals common drivers and a novel mutational signature associated with chronic azathioprine exposure

  Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) has a high tumour mutational burden (50 mutations per megabase DNA pair). Combining whole exome analyses from 40 primary cSCC tumours, comprising 20 well differentiated and 20 moderately/poorly differentiated tumours, with accompanying clinical data from a longitudinal study of immunosuppressed and immunocompetent patients, coupled with integration of independent gene expression studies has allowed the identification of commonly mutated genes and altered pathways and processes. Mutational signature analysis revealed the presence of a novel signature (signature 32), which was found exclusively in the tumours from immunosuppressed patients who had been exposed to azathioprine. Characterisation of a panel of 15 keratinocyte cancer cell lines derived from tumours from immunocompetent and immunosuppressed patients reveals that they accurately reflect the mutational signatures and genomic alterations of primary tumours and provide a resource for the validation of tumour drivers and therapeutic targets.

  Study EGAS00001002612

• We describe a method to culture organoids from adult human kidney tissue and describe applications for the culture system.

  Adult Stem Cell (ASC)-derived organoids are 3D epithelial structures that recapitulate essential aspects of their organ of origin. We have developed conditions for the long-term growth of primary kidney epithelial organoids. Cultures can be established from mouse and human kidney tissue, as well as from urine and can be expanded for at least 20 passages (> 6 months). Chromosome numbers remain normal. Human organoids represent proximal as well as distal nephron segments, as evidenced by gene expression, immunofluorescence and tubular functional analyses. BK virus infection of organoids recapitulates in vivo phenomena. Organoids can be established from Wilms nephroblastoma. Kidney organoids from Cystic Fibrosis (CF) patient’s urine allowed ex vivo assessment of treatment efficacy. Finally, organoids cultured on microfluidic organ-on-a-chip plates adopt a tubular conformation and display active transport function. Adult kidney-derived organoids allow studies of hereditary, infectious and malignant kidney disease in a personalized fashion.

  Study EGAS00001002729

• scRNA-seq of LN and lymphoma stroma

  The activities of non-haematopoietic cells (NHCs), including mesenchymal stromal cells and endothelial cells, in lymphomas, reportedly underlie lymphomagenesis. However, understanding of lymphoma NHCs has been hampered by unexplained NHC heterogeneity, even in normal human lymph nodes (LNs). Here, we constructed a single-cell transcriptome atlas of >100,000 NHCs collected from 27 human samples, including LNs and various nodal lymphomas, revealing 30 distinct subclusters, including some that were previously unrecognized. Notably, this atlas was highly useful for comparative analysis with lymphoma NHCs, which revealed an unanticipated landscape of subcluster-specific changes in gene expression and interaction with malignant cells in follicular lymphoma NHCs, facilitating our understanding of stromal remodelling in lymphoma and potentially suggesting novel biomarkers. Our study largely updates NHC taxonomy in human LNs and pertains to analysis of disease status, providing a rich resource and deeper insights into LN and lymphoma biology and offering to advance lymphoma management and therapy.

  Study EGAS00001005732

• X chromosomal genetic variants are associated with childhood obesity

  Current genetic association studies are usually focused on autosomal variants only, and the sex chromosomes are often neglected. In recent years, a number of statistical techniques and strategies have been widely described making much easier overcoming X-chromosome technical hurdles and including this region within genetic studies. Tenomodulin (TNMD) is a Xq22 chromosome anti angiogenic locus which has been recently linked to different obesity-related phenotypes. These results have not been replicated to date. Given these facts, we have conducted a genetic association analysis in Spanish children population including seven TNMD SNPs as potential candidate markers for obesity and metabolic dysfunctions. Additionally genotypes for another locus located in the X chromosome, the SLC6A14, have been included in the dataset. A total of 915 DNA samples from 258 normal weight, 177 overweight and 480 obese Spanish children (438 males, 477 females) were genotyped for seven TNMD SNPs and one SLC6A14 SNP. Associations with anthropometric measurements and glucose metabolism were investigated.

  Study EGAS00001002738

• Whole-exome sequencing reveals the origin and evolution of Hepato-Cholangiocarcinoma

  Hepatocellular-cholangiocarcinoma (H-ChC) is a rare subtype of liver cancer with clinicopathological features of both hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA). To date, molecular mechanisms underlying the co-existence of HCC and iCCA components in a single tumor remain elusive. Here we show that H-ChC samples contain substantial private mutations from WES analyses, ranging from 33.1% to 86.4%, indicative of substantive intratumor heterogeneity (ITH). However, on the other hand, numerous ubiquitous mutations shared by HCC and iCCA suggest the monoclonal origin of H-ChC. Mutated genes identify herein e.g. VCAN, ACVR2A and FCGBP are speculated to contribute to distinct differentiation of HCC and iCCA within H-ChC. Moreover, immunohistochemistry demonstrate that EpCAM is highly expressed in 80% of H-ChC implying the stemness of such liver cancer. In summary, our data highlight the monoclonal origin and stemness of H-ChC, as well as substantial intratumoral heterogeneity.

  Study EGAS00001002783

• RNA-seq profiling of NKX6.1 reporter iPSC lines for isolation and analysis of functionally relevant neuronal and pancreas populations

  We generated human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) lines with a GFP reporter inserted in the endogenous NKX6.1 locus. Characterisation of the reporter lines demonstrated faithful GFP labelling of NKX6.1 expression during pancreas and motor neuron differentiation. We performed three independent in vitro differentiations towards the pancreatic endocrine lineage. We FACS-purified GFP positive and negative cells from stage 7 cultures, and generated Smart-Seq2 RNA-sequencing libraries for the pre-sorted cells, as well as the two GFP-sorted cell populations. Gene expression profiling by RNA-sequencing reveals that the NKX6.1-positive population closely resembles mature human beta cells and the functional evaluation of purified populations shows that the glucose-responsive beta-like cells are enriched within the NKX6.1-positive population. These reporter lines provide a valuable resource to the scientific community for the derivation of functional relevant pancreas and neuronal cell subtypes.

  Study EGAS00001002802

• The interface of malignant and immunologic clonal dynamics in high-grade serous ovarian cancer

  High-grade serous ovarian cancer exhibits extensive intratumoral heterogeneity coupled with widespread intraperitoneal disease. Despite this, metastatic spread of tumor clones is non-random, implying the existence of local microenvironmental factors that shape tumor progression. We interrogated the molecular interface between tumorinfiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) and cancer cells in 143 samples from 21 patients using whole-genome sequencing, immunohistochemistry, histologic image analysis, gene expression profiling, and T- and B-cell receptor sequencing. We identify 3 immunologic response categories, which frequently co-exist within individual patients. Furthermore, epithelial CD8+ TIL were inversely associated with malignant cell diversity, evidenced by subclonal neoepitope elimination and spatial tracking between tumor and T-cell clones. Intersecting mutational signatures and immune analysis showed that foldback inversion genomic aberrations lead to worse outcomes even in the presence of cytotoxic TIL (n=433). Thus, regional variation in immune contexture mirrors the pattern of intraperitoneal malignant spread, provoking new perspectives for treatment of this challenging disease.

  Study EGAS00001002839

• Somatic_mutation_and_clonal_evolution_normal_breast_tissue_TGS

  Cancer is a genetic disease caused by an accumulation of mutations, however many of these mutations have been identified in pathologically normal tissue. We aim to use laser-capture microscopy (LCM) to sample individual clones from breast tissue to identify whether cancer-associated mutations appear in this normal tissue, assess the mutational burden present, and identify the mutational processes causing these mutations. We will sample from a wide age range of individuals (<20 to >70 years old) to determine whether these processes differ in pre- and post-menopausal women. We will also be comparing the tissue from healthy individuals (samples from breast reduction surgery) to those at elevated risk of breast cancer (mastectomy from BRCA1/2 patients) and those who have breast cancer (adjacent normal, distal normal, and tumour tissue from mastectomy). This will allow us to determine how these processes are different between these groups of individuals, and gain insight into the earliest stages of tumour development.

  Study EGAS00001002858

• Whole Exome sequencing of Gingivo-buccal Cancer : ICGC-India Project_Batch04

  Whole Exome Sequencing of Gingivo-buccal Cancer: ICGC-India ProjectAs a part of the ICGC, India has undertaken genomic studies on gingivobuccal cancer of the oral cavity, which is the most prevalent form of cancer among men in India. There are various known environmental (life-style) correlates of this cancer, the most important of which are tobacco chewing and HPV infection. Exome of paired DNA samples – isolated from the tumor tissue and from the blood of 47 patients – have been performed to catalog germline and somatic mutations. Association between each observed genomic alteration and exposure to environmental risk factors is being explored. Detailed clinical characterization of the patients, collection of data on demographic and environmental exposures, and isolation of DNA samples from blood and tumor tissues collected from each patient are being done at the Advanced Centre for Research, Treatment and Education on Cancer, Mumbai. Whole exome sequencing is being performed at the National Institute of Biomedical Genomics, Kalyani.

  Study EGAS00001002852

• Somatic_mutation_and_clonal_evolution_normal_breast_tissue_WGS

  Cancer is a genetic disease caused by an accumulation of mutations, however many of these mutations have been identified in pathologically normal tissue. We aim to use laser-capture microscopy (LCM) to sample individual clones from breast tissue to identify whether cancer-associated mutations appear in this normal tissue, assess the mutational burden present, and identify the mutational processes causing these mutations. We will sample from a wide age range of individuals (<20 to >70 years old) to determine whether these processes differ in pre- and post-menopausal women. We will also be comparing the tissue from healthy individuals (samples from breast reduction surgery) to those at elevated risk of breast cancer (mastectomy from BRCA1/2 patients) and those who have breast cancer (adjacent normal, distal normal, and tumour tissue from mastectomy). This will allow us to determine how these processes are different between these groups of individuals, and gain insight into the earliest stages of tumour development.

  Study EGAS00001002857

• Human Pancreatic Beta Cell lncRNAs Control Cell-Specific Regulatory Networks

  Recent studies have uncovered thousands of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in human pancreatic β cells. β cell lncRNAs are often cell type specific and exhibit dynamic regulation during differentiation or upon changing glucose concentrations. Although these features hint at a role of lncRNAs in β cell gene regulation and diabetes, the function of β cell lncRNAs remains largely unknown. In this study, we investigated the function of β cell-specific lncRNAs and transcription factors using transcript knockdowns and co-expression network analysis. This revealed lncRNAs that function in concert with transcription factors to regulate β cell-specific transcriptional networks. We further demonstrate that the lncRNA PLUTO affects local 3D chromatin structure and transcription of PDX1, encoding a key β cell transcription factor, and that both PLUTO and PDX1 are downregulated in islets from donors with type 2 diabetes or impaired glucose tolerance. These results implicate lncRNAs in the regulation of β cell-specific transcription factor networks.

  Study EGAS00001002865

• Exome and RNA sequencing data from 32 ocular and extraocular sebaceous carcinomas

  Sebaceous carcinomas (SeC) are cutaneous malignancies that, in rare cases, metastasize and prove fatal. Here we report whole exome sequencing on 32 SeC, revealing distinct mutational classes that explain both cancer ontogeny and clinical course. A UV-damage signature predominated 10/32 samples, while 9 were instead defined by microsatellite instability (MSI) mutations. UV-damage SeC exhibited poorly differentiated, infiltrative histopathologycompared to MSI signature SeC (p = 0.003), features previously associated with dissemination. Strikingly, UV-damage SeC transcriptomes and anatomic distributionclosely resembling those of cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas (SCC), implicating sun-exposed keratinocytes as a cell of origin. Like SCC, this UV-damage subclass harbors a high somatic mutation burden with >50 mutations/Mb, predicting immunotherapeutic response. In contrast, ocular SeC acquire far fewer mutations without a dominant signature, but show frequent truncating mutations in the ZNF750 epidermal differentiation regulator. Our data exemplify how different mutational processes convergently drive histopathologically related but clinically distinct cancers.

  Study EGAS00001002869

• Spatial Transcriptomics on prostate cancer heterogeneity

  Intratumor heterogeneity is one of the biggest challenges in cancer treatment today. Here we investigate tissue-wide gene expression heterogeneity throughout a multifocal prostate cancer using the spatial transcriptomics (ST) technology. Utilizing a novel approach for deconvolution, we analyze the transcriptomes of nearly 6750 tissue regions and extract distinct expression profiles for the different tissue components, such as stroma, normal and PIN glands, immune cells and cancer. We distinguish healthy and diseased areas and thereby provide insight into gene expression changes during the progression of prostate cancer. Compared to pathologist annotations, we delineate the extent of cancer foci more accurately, interestingly without link to histological changes. We identify gene expression gradients in stroma adjacent to tumor regions that allow for re-stratification of the tumor microenvironment. The establishment of these profiles is the first step towards an unbiased view of prostate cancer and can serve as a dictionary for future studies.

  Study EGAS00001003001

• Single_cell_analysis_T_cell_activation

  We isolated naïve and memory T cells from healthy donors and cultured them in resting and stimulated conditions. We performed scRNA sequencing to assess T cell actiavtaion and perform sceQTL analysis. Major challenges for translating GWAS variants to function include identification of the disease relevant cell types in which the associated variants function. We have shown that immune-disease variants are functional in CD4+ T cell activation, and understanding how GWAS variants affect the activation efficiency is critical for development of new therapies. To perform sceQTL analysis of naïve and memory T cell activation, here we stimulated T cells and profiled single cell transcriptome at different time points following stimulation. We mapped sceQTLs affecting cell activation. This data is part of a pre-publication release. For information on the proper use of pre-publication data shared by the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute (including details of any publication moratoria), please see http://www.sanger.ac.uk/datasharing/

  Study EGAS00001003479

• Heritable pulmonary arterial hypertension in a large Iberian family

  Data from a study of a large Iberian family (n=65 subjects, 5 generations) affected by pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and segregating with the BMPR2 missense mutation p.Arg491Gln (rs137852749, c.1472G>A). PAH is a rare disease characterized by an abnormal rise in mean pulmonary arterial pressure (> or equal to 25 mmHg at rest), which, in turn, leads to a progressive increase in pulmonary vascular resistance and ultimately to death, due to right ventricular failure. Heritable PAH has an overall prevalence below 1 case per million adults and is defined by either the presence of a known genetic defect linked to the disease or a positive family history. Heritable PAH is inherited as an autosomal dominant disease. However, not all BMPR2 mutation carriers develop the disease, highlighting the presence of reduced penetrance. In this family, there are 22 mutation carriers from which 8 were diagnosed with heritable PAH and the other 14 were healthy at the time of examination.

  Study EGAS00001003123

• Control iPSC lines with clinically annotated genetic variants for versatile multi-lineage differentiation

  Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSC) derived from healthy individuals are important controls for disease modeling studies. To create a resource of genetically annotated iPSC, we reprogrammed footprint-free lines from four volunteers in the Personal Genome Project Canada (PGPC). Multilineage directed differentiation efficiently produced functional cortical neurons, cardiomyocytes and hepatocytes. Pilot users further demonstrated line versatility by generating kidney organoids, T-cells and sensory neurons. A frameshift knockout was introduced into MYBPC3 and these cardiomyocytes exhibited a hypertrophic phenotype as expected. WGS annotation of PGPC lines revealed on average 20 coding variants. Importantly, nearly all annotated PGPC and HipSci lines harboured at least one pre-existing or acquired variant with cardiac, neurological or other disease associations. Overall, PGPC lines were efficiently differentiated by multiple users into cell types found in six tissues for disease modelling, and clinical annotation highlighted variant-preferred lines for use as unaffected controls in specific disease settings.

  Study EGAS00001003684

• Whole Exome Sequencing of 60 tumor/normal matched liver Cancers (HCC)

  The French ICGC project on liver tumors is coordinated by Pr Jessica Zucman-Rossi and funded by Inca (French Institute for Cancer). The aim of the present project is to identify the catalog of somatic and germline mutations in liver tumors using whole genome (WGS) and whole exome sequencing (WGS), integrated with DNA methylation and RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) data. The present series corresponds to 60 whole exome tumor/normal pairs with matched RNA-seq. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) accounts for more than 90% of liver cancers, and is a major health problem. It is the 3rd cause of cancer-related mortality. Advances in genomic analyses have formed a comprehensive understanding of different underlying pathobiological layers resulting in hepatocarcinogenesis. Thus, the development of next-generation sequencing technologies has made it possible to generate more comprehensive catalogues of somatic alteration events (single nucleotide substitutions, structural variations, and epigenetic changes) in liver cancer genome than ever before.

  Study EGAS00001003063

• Patient-Derived Lung Cancer Organoid

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

  Study EGAS00001003786

• SG10K_Pilot - Large-scale whole-genome sequencing of three diverse Asian populations in Singapore

  Underrepresentation of Asian genomes has hindered population and medical genetics research on Asians, leading to population disparities in precision medicine. By whole-genome sequencing of 4,810 Singapore Chinese, Malays, and Indians, we found 98.3 million SNPs and small insertions/deletions, over half of which are novel. Population structure analysis demonstrated great representation of Asian genetic diversity by three ethnicities in Singapore, and revealed a Malay-related novel ancestry component. Furthermore, demographic inference suggested that Malays split from Chinese ~24,800 years ago, and experienced significant admixture with East Asians ~1,700 years ago, coinciding with the Austronesian expansion. Additionally, we identified 20 candidate loci for natural selection, among which 14 harbored robust associations with complex traits and diseases. Finally, we showed that our data can substantially improve genotype imputation in diverse Asian and Oceanian populations. These results highlight the value of our data as a resource to empower human genetics discovery across broad geographic regions.

  Study EGAS00001003875

• A spatiotemporal organ-wide gene expression and cell atlas of the developing human heart

  The process of cardiac morphogenesis in humans is incompletely understood. Its full characterization requires a deep exploration of the organ-wide orchestration of gene expression with a single-cell spatial resolution. Here, we present a molecular approach that reveals the comprehensive transcriptional landscape of cell types populating the embryonic heart at three developmental stages, and which maps cell type-specific gene expression to specific anatomical domains. Spatial Transcriptomics identified unique gene profiles corresponding to distinct anatomical regions in each developmental stage. Human embryonic cardiac cell types identified by single-cell RNA-sequencing confirmed and enriched the spatial annotation of embryonic cardiac gene expression. In situ sequencing was then used to refine these results and create spatial subcellular map for the three developmental phases. Finally, we generated a publicly available web resource of the human developing heart to facilitate future studies on human cardiogenesis.

  Study EGAS00001003996

• H014: HES5 mediates NOTCH signaling by interaction with AKT to drive liver carcinogenesis

  Notch signaling plays a pivotal role in liver development and aberrant Notch signaling may lead to hepatocellular (HCC) or cholangiocellular carcinoma (CCA) development. Using whole exome sequencing of 54 human HCC samples, we discovered 19 somatic missense mutations in 15 different Notch pathway genes affecting 24.6% (14 of 57) of patients. Prediction of functional impact of these Notch pathway mutations revealed HES5-R31G to have high relevance. We found HES5 to be strongly activated by Notch signaling. In vitro, HES5 reduced cell migration and clonogenicity and in vivo, HES5 inhibited MYC-dependent liver tumor formation. But together with AKT, HES5 increased liver tumor formation in a mouse model. HES5 directly binds to AKT and AKT expression leads to increase HES5 protein levels. Furthermore, HES5 exhibits a negative feed-back loop by inhibiting NOTCH1 and HES1 gene expression. In contrast, HES5-R31G appears to be non-functional possibly by loss of nuclear translocation

  Study EGAS00001003329

• Lenalidomide Resistance in del(5q) Myelodysplastic Syndrome Follows Loss of RUNX1/TP53-mediated Megakaryocytic Differentiation

  Interstitial deletion of the long arm of chromosome 5 (del(5q)) is the commonest structural genomic variant in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). Lenalidomide (LEN) is the treatment of choice for patients with del(5q) MDS, but half of the responding patients become resistant within two years. TP53 mutations are detected in ~20% of patients who become resistant to LEN. Our data show that patients who become resistant to LEN harbor either TP53 or RUNX1 mutations or loss of RUNX1 expression. Here we show that LEN-induced degradation of IKZF1 permits a RUNX1/GATA2 complex to drive megakaryocytic differentiation and consequent del(5q) MDS progenitor cell death via CRBN-mediated CSNK1A1 degradation. Overexpression of GATA2 is able to restore LEN sensitivity in the context of RUNX1 or TP53 mutations by enhancing LEN-induced megakaryocytic differentiation. Screening for TP53 and RUNX1 mutations or downregulation should identify patients resistant to LEN, and strategies to activate GATA2 may resensitize del(5q) MDS cells to LEN

  Study EGAS00001004113

• Whole-exome ultra-high throughput sequencing in brain samples of suicide victims who had suffered from major depressive disorder and control subjects who had died from other causes.

  We carried out whole-exome ultra-high throughput sequencing in brain samples of suicide victims who had suffered from major depressive disorder and control subjects who had died from other causes. This study aimed to reveal the selective accumulation of rare variants in the coding and the UTR sequences within the genes of suicide victims. We also analysed the potential effect of STR and CNV variations, as well as the infection of the brain with neurovirulent viruses in this behavioural disorder. As a result, we have identified several candidate genes, among others three calcium channel genes that may potentially contribute to completed suicide. We also explored the potential implication of the TGF-β signalling pathway in the pathogenesis of suicidal behaviour. To our best knowledge, this is the first study that uses whole-exome sequencing for the investigation of suicide.

  Study EGAS00001003081

• CTCF-dependent enhancer hijacking by the EVI1 oncogene in leukemia

  Chromosomal rearrangements are a frequent cause of oncogene deregulation in human malignancies. Overexpression of EVI1 is found in a subgroup of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with 3q26 chromosomal rearrangements which are often therapy resistant. In a cohort of primary t(3;8)(q26;q24) AML samples we observed the translocation of a MYC super-enhancer to EVI1. We generated a patient-based t(3;8)(q26;q24) model in vitro using CRISPR-Cas9 technology and demonstrated hyper-activation of EVI1 by the hijacked MYC super-enhancer. One MYC super-enhancer element in particular, which recruits early hematopoietic regulators, is critical for EVI1 expression and enhancer-promoter interaction. This interaction is facilitated by a CTCF-bound motif upstream of the EVI1 promoter that acts as an enhancer-docking site in t(3;8) AML. Genomic analyses of 3q26-rearranged AML samples point to a common mechanism by which EVI1 uses this CTCF-bound enhancer-docking site to hijack early hematopoietic enhancers.

  Study EGAS00001004808

• DIME study: Safety, dose-response and efficacy of treatment with Anaerobutyricum soehgenii on glucose metabolism in human subjects with metabolic syndrome

  The intestinal microbiota has been implicated in insulin resistance, although evidence regarding causality in humans is scarce. We herefore performed a phase I/II dose-finding and safety study on the effect of oral intake of the anaerobic butyrogenic Anaerobutyricum soehgenii on glucose metabolism in subjects with metabolic syndrome. We found that treatment with A. soehgenii was safe and observed an overall significant and dose-dependent increase in insulin sensitivity after 4 weeks in all treated subjects. This was accompanied by an altered microbiota composition and a change in bile acid metabolism. Finally, we show that metabolic response upon administration of A. soehgenii (defined as improved insulin sensitivity 4 weeks after A. soehgenii intake) is dependent on microbiota composition at baseline. These data in humans are promising and additional studies are needed to study long-term effects as well as modes of delivery.

  Study EGAS00001003498

• Feasibility and safety of a multi-cancer blood test for screening and intervention

  We evaluated the feasibility and safety of blood testing for cancer in an interventional study of 10,006 women. Positive tests for DNA or protein were independently confirmed and diagnostic PET-CT imaging was used to localize disease. During the study, 26 cancers were first detected by blood testing, 24 more by standard-of-care screening, and 46 by neither approach. Surgicalexcision of the primary tumors was performed on 12 cancers first detected by blood testing.1.0% of participants underwent PET-CT imaging based on false positive blood tests, and 0.22% underwent a futile invasive diagnostic procedure. These data demonstrate that multi-cancer blood testing, when followed by PET-CT localization, can be safely incorporated into routineclinical care, in some cases leading to surgery with intent to cure. Further studies will be required to determine the clinical validity and utility of multi-cancer blood testing.

  Study EGAS00001004372

• Comparison of 3 protocols for deriving pancreatic progenitors from hPSC with RNA-seq and ATAC-seq

  Several distinct differentiation protocols for deriving pancreatic progenitors (PP) from human pluripotent stem cells have been described but it remains to be shown how similar the PP are across protocols, and how well they resemble their in vivo counterparts. Here we evaluated three differentiation protocols; performed RNA and ATAC-seq on isolated PP derived with these, and compared them to fetal human pancreas populations. This enabled us to define a shared transcriptional and epigenomic signature of the PP, including several genes not previously implicated in pancreas development. Furthermore, we identified a significant and previously unappreciated cross-protocol variation of the PP through multi-omics analysis and demonstrate how such information can be applied to refine differentiation protocols for derivation of insulin-producing beta-like cells. Together, our study highlights the importance of a detailed characterization of defined cell populations derived from distinct differentiation protocols, and provides a valuable resource for exploring human pancreatic development.

  Study EGAS00001003513

• Comparative analysis of somatic variant calling on matched FF and FFPE WGS samples

  This study aims at assessing whether FFPE material can be used for cohort analysis. To this end, we performed an in-depth comparison of somatic SNVs called on matching FF and FFPE whole genome sequences samples extracted from the same metastatic prostate tumor. Four variant callers were used to call somatic variants on both the FF and the FFPE samples. An heuristic was developed to maximize the overlap between the FF and its FFPE counterparts. Then, the extent to which intra-tumor heterogeneity explains discrepancies in variants called between the FF and the FFPE samples was assessed by comparing the clonal and subclonal somatic variants. This study illustrates that when using the correct variant calling strategy, the majority of clonal SNVs can be recovered in an FFPE sample with high precision and sensitivity. These results suggest that somatic variants derived from WGS of FFPE material can be used in cohort studies.

  Study EGAS00001004456

• Whole exome sequencing of long-term, never relapse exceptional responders of trastuzumab-treated HER2+ metastatic breast cancer

  Trastuzumab has significantly improved the overall survival of patients with HER2+ metastatic breast cancer (MBC). However, outcomes can vary, with patients progressing within 1-year of treatment or exceptional cases of complete response to trastuzumab for ≥ 10 years. Identification of the underlying genomic aberrations of “exceptional responders (ExRs)” compared to “rapid non-responders (NR)” increases our understanding of the mechanisms involved in MBC progression and identification of biomarkers of trastuzumab response and resistance. Whole exome sequencing was performed on six ExRs compared to five NR. The overall fraction of genome copy number alteration (CNA) burden was higher in NR patients (P=0.07), while more significantly pronounced in copy number gains (P=0.03) in NR compared to ExRs. Delineation of the distribution of CNA burden across the genome identified a greater degree of CNA burden in NR within chr8 (P=0.02) and in chr17 (P=0.06) and conferred a statistically significant benefit in overall survival.

  Study EGAS00001004486

• MutWP5__CRUK_Mutographs_of_Cancer__Breast__Reduction_Mammoplasty___Exome__Novaseq_

  Cancer is a genetic disease caused by an accumulation of mutations, however many of these mutations have been identified in pathologically normal tissue. We aim to use laser-capture microscopy (LCM) to sample individual clones from breast tissue to identify whether cancer-associated mutations appear in this normal tissue, assess the mutational burden present, and identify the mutational processes causing these mutations. We will sample from a wide age range of individuals (<20 to >60 years old) to determine whether these processes differ in pre- and post-menopausal women. We will also be comparing the tissue from healthy individuals (samples from breast reduction surgery) to those at elevated risk of breast cancer (mastectomy from BRCA1/2 patients) and those who have breast cancer (adjacent normal, distal normal, and tumour tissue from mastectomy). This will allow us to determine how these processes are different between these groups of individuals, and gain insight into the earliest stages of tumor development.

  Study EGAS00001003527

• MGMT genomic rearrangements contribute to chemotherapy resistance in gliomas

  Temozolomide (TMZ) is an oral alkylating agent used for the treatment of glioblastoma and is now becoming a chemotherapeutic option in patients diagnosed with high-risk low-grade gliomas1. The O-6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) is responsible for the direct repair of the main TMZ-induced toxic DNA adduct, the O6-Methylguanine lesion. MGMT promoter hypermethylation is currently the only known biomarker for TMZ response in glioblastoma patients2. Here we show that a subset of recurrent gliomas carry MGMT genomic rearrangements that lead to MGMT overexpression, independently from changes in its promoter methylation. By leveraging the CRISPR/Cas9 technology we generated some of these MGMT rearrangements in glioma cells and demonstrated that they lead to TMZ resistance both in vitro and in vivo. Lastly we showed that such fusions can be detected in tumor-derived exosomes and could potentially represent an early detection marker of tumor recurrence in a subset of patients treated with TMZ.

  Study EGAS00001004544

• Super enhancers define regulatory subtypes and cell identity in neuroblastoma

  Half of the children diagnosed with neuroblastoma have high-risk disease, disproportionately contributing to overall childhood cancer-related deaths. In addition to recurrent gene mutations, there is increasing evidence supporting the role of epigenetic deregulation in disease pathogenesis. Yet, comprehensive cis-regulatory network descriptions from neuroblastoma tissues are lacking. Here, using genome-wide H3K27ac profiles across 60 neuroblastomas, covering the different clinical and molecular subtypes, we identified four major super enhancer-driven epigenetic subtypes and their underlying master regulatory networks. Three of these subtypes recapitulated known clinical groups, namely MYCN amplified, MYCN non-amplified high-risk and MYCN non-amplified low-risk neuroblastomas. The fourth subtype, exhibiting mesenchymal characteristics, shared features with multipotent Schwann cell precursors, was induced by RAS activation and enriched in relapsed disease. Notably, CCND1, a disease essential gene, was regulated by both mesenchymal and adrenergic regulatory networks converging on distinct super-enhancer modules. Together, this reveals subtype-specific super-enhancer regulation in neuroblastoma.

  Study EGAS00001004551