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• Single-cell RNA sequencing reveals cell-type specific eQTLs in peripheral blood mononuclear cells

  This proof-of-concept study shows that single-cell RNA sequencing in ~25,000 peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of 45 donors allows for the identification of cell type-specific cis expression quantitative trait loci effects (cis-eQTLs). Moreover, the significant top-eQTL effects show consistent allelic direction (94%) with previously published whole blood deepSAGE data. These cell type-specific eQTLs may give us additional insight into the downstream consequences of genetic risk factors for immune-mediated diseases.

  Study EGAS00001002560

• 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 gliomas. 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 patients. 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.

  Dataset EGAD00001006281

• The African American Breast Cancer Epidemiology and Risk (AMBER) Consortium Study

  The AMBER Consortium Study was formed to pool interview data, questionnaire data, and biological samples from epidemiological studies of breast cancer in African-American women to discover the potential causes of early-onset and aggressive breast cancer in African-American women. AMBER is funded through a Program Project grant from the National Cancer Institute. Genetic data submitted to dbGaP come from participants in the Carolina Breast Cancer Study, Women's Circle of Health Study, and Black Women's Health Study. The P01 consists of four scientific projects; the aims include follow-up on previous GWAS findings for breast cancer susceptibility in AA women as well as investigation of SNPs in candidate genes in biologically plausible pathways. These SNPs were genotyped using DNA from 3130 African-American women with breast cancer and 3700 controls. Descriptions of the original studies that provided the data and samples for this collaborative study are given below. The Carolina Breast Cancer Study (CBCS): a North Carolina population-based case-control study of breast cancer, conducted in three phases. The current study phase, phase 3 (years 2008-2014), includes women residents in 44 counties. CBCS phases 1 and 2 were conducted in 24 counties. Breast cancer cases are identified using Rapid Case Ascertainment in cooperation with the NC Central Cancer Registry. Controls were identified for phases 1 and 2 only (1993-1996 and 1996-2001), using Division of Motor Vehicles lists for women under age 65 and Health Care Financing Administration lists for women 65 and older. Randomized recruitment was used to oversample AA women and women under age 50. In-depth interviews are conducted by study nurses in participants' homes to obtain information on potential risk factors for breast cancer. DNA samples have been obtained from most participants. Overall response rates for Phases 1 and 2 were 74% for AA cases and 54% for AA controls. Phase 3, conducted in 44 counties from 2008-2014, includes cases only. The response rate for AA cases in Phase 3 was 70.5%. The Women's Circle of Health Study (WCHS): a multi-site case-control study in New York City (NYC) and New Jersey (NJ) aimed at evaluating risk factors for early and aggressive breast cancer in women of AA and EA ancestry. Recruitment in NYC took place between January 2002 and December 2008 and involved hospital-based ascertainment of cases, while controls were identified through random digit dialing (RDD). Recruitment at the NJ site started in March 2006 and is ongoing. Phase I of the study ended in April 2012 and covered seven counties in NJ. WCHS2 includes two additional counties. Cases in NJ were identified from 2006 to 2012 by the NJ State Cancer Registry using rapid case ascertainment. Controls were initially recruited though RDD (2006 to 2010) and later through community-based efforts (2009-2012). In-person interviews ascertained data on established and suspected risk factors for breast cancer. DNA samples were obtained. Among eligible AA women, 75% in NY and 54% in NJ completed an interview and provided a biologic specimen. Black Women's Health Study (BWHS): an ongoing prospective cohort study of health and illness among U.S. black women, with a focus on cancer. The study began in 1995 when 59,000 AA women 21-69 years of age from across the United States completed a 14-page postal health questionnaire. The median age at entry was 38, and participants were residents of 17 states in mainland U.S.: Northeast, 28%; South, 30%; Midwest, 23%; West, 19%. The baseline questionnaire elicited information on a wide range of variables, including demographic factors, use of medical care, family history of breast cancer, reproductive and medical history, cigarette and alcohol use, weight, height, waist and hip circumference, medication use, diet, and exercise. Biennial follow-up questionnaires ascertain new cases of breast cancer and other illnesses and update covariate information. Medical record and cancer registry data are sought for all participants who report a diagnosis of breast cancer. As of 2014, approximately 80% of the baseline cohort have completed follow-up. DNA samples were obtained from about 50% of participants. BWHS data for the AMBER consortium were prepared as a nested case-control study, with controls frequency-matched to cases on year of birth, geographic region, and most recent questionnaire completed prior to the end of the at-risk period.

  Study phs000669

• High-coverage whole exome sequence in non-TRU-type lung adenocarcinomas

  In order to elucidate the key genetic events in non-TRU-type lung cancer, we selected 43 non-TRU-type lung adenocarcinomas and performed a whole exome sequence and RNA-seq analysis using a next-generation sequencer. The results of the analysis identified mutations in TP53, KRAS and NKX2-1 as the top three significantly mutated genes, while the EGFR mutation was rare in this cohort. Eight NKX2-1 mutations (5 frameshift, 2 nonsense, and one missense) were identified, with one case harboring two distinct NKX2-1 mutations (missense and frameshift). All NKX2-1 mutants were transcriptionally inactive in reporter assays. Histologically, invasive mucinous adenocarcinomas accounted for most of the NKX2-1 mutations (5 cases), while 1 enteric and 1 acinar adenocarcinoma harbored the NKX2-1 mutation.

  Study JGAS000105

• Tumor-associated preferred end coordinates and somatic variants as signatures of circulating tumor DNA

  Cell-free DNA fragmentation is a nonrandom process. We showed that cell-free DNA fragments with ends at certain genomic coordinates had higher likelihoods of being derived from hepatocellular carcinoma. Other coordinates were associated with cell-free DNA molecules originating from the liver. Quantitative assessment of cell-free DNA molecules bearing these respective groups of end signatures correlated with the amounts of tumor-derived or liver-derived DNA in plasma. There were millions of tumor-associated plasma DNA end coordinates across the genome. Due to their high prevalence, they were more readily detectable than somatic mutations as a cancer signature in plasma. Hence, detection of tumor-associated plasma DNA ends may offer a cost-effective means of capturing evidence for the presence of cancer through liquid biopsy assessment.

  Study EGAS00001003160

• Center for Common Disease Genomics [CCDG] - Cardiovascular ATVB: Atherosclerosis Thrombosis and Vascular Biology

  Italian Atherosclerosis Thrombosis and Vascular Biology study is a prospective, nationwide, case-control study involving 125 coronary care units in Italy. The cases were patients who were hospitalised for a first MI before the age of 45 years and underwent coronary angiography. Acute MI was defined as resting chest pain lasting more than 30 minutes, accompanied by persistent electrocardiographic changes, and confirmed by an increase in total creatine kinase or in the MB fraction to more than twice the upper normal limits. The controls were healthy subjects without a history of thromboembolic disease who were unrelated to the patients, but individually matched with them by age, gender and geographical origin. They were enrolled from among the blood donors or staff of the same participating hospitals. Recruitment of cases and controls took place between 1994 and 2007. This site hosts data from ~60 whole exomes.

  Study phs001592

• Epilepsy related sudden death (2019-08-21)

  These samples include exome sequences of samples from patients who suffered Sudden Unexplained Death in Epilepsy. They all are of European descent. . This dataset contains all the data available for this study on 2019-08-21.

  Dataset EGAD00001005276

• Whole transcriptome sequencing datasets for Low-grade Serous Ovarian Carcinoma

  This dataset includes whole transcriptome sequencing reads from 8 cell lines based on TruSeq stranded mRNA kit (Illumina). They are all 2*75bp reads sequenced using Illumina NextSeq500.

  Dataset EGAD00001006441

• Fastq files from target enrichment

  Fastq files generated during target sequencing of 10MB genomic region surrounding top hits in GWAS in a subset of 86 individuals in case families. Paired end sequencing performed on Illumina NextSeq.

  Dataset EGAD00001007801

• Human Gene Expression Patterns Associated with Experimental P. falciparum Infection

  Description: Experimental exposure to malaria parasites can lead to development of protective immunity, providing a foothold for the development of a malaria vaccine. The goal of this study is to investigate immune transcriptional profiles associated with malaria protective immune responses induced by experimental Chemo-Prophylaxis and Sporozoites (CPS) immunization of P. falciparum-naive human volunteers. Samples for this study were obtained from a CPS-immunization study conducted in 2011 (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01218893), where healthy volunteers received CPS-immunization with bites from different numbers of P. falciparum-infected mosquitoes (three times 15 (n=5), 10 (n=9) or 5 (n=10)). Five control subjects received uninfected mosquito bites under chloroquine prophylaxis. Fifteen weeks after discontinuation of chloroquine prophylaxis, all volunteers were challenged by exposure to infected mosquito bites. Study Design: A maximum of 30 volunteers were divided into four groups. All volunteers received weekly chloroquine prophylaxis for a period of 13 weeks (91 days). During these 13 weeks, on days 8, 36 and 64 they were exposed to the bites of 15 mosquitoes. Group 1 (n=5, positive control) received three CPS immunizations by 15 mosquitoes infected with P. falciparum sporozoites. Group 2 (n=10) received three times 10 bites from infected mosquitoes and 5 bites from uninfected mosquitoes. Group 3 (n=10) received three times 5 bites from infected mosquitoes and 10 bites from uninfected mosquitoes. Group 4 (n=5), the negative control, received three placebo immunizations with 15 bites of uninfected mosquitoes. Fifteen weeks after discontinuation of chloroquine prophylaxis, all 30 volunteers were challenged at day 196 by the bites of 5 infectious mosquitoes and followed for 21 days. All subjects were treated with chloroquine 21 days after challenge or whenever they had a positive thick smear during that period.

  Study phs001346

• Accurate mutation detection in leukemia by re-sequencing a cancer gene set

  With the advent of whole-genome and whole-exome sequencing, high-quality catalogs of recurrently mutated cancer genes are becoming available for many cancer types. Increasing access to sequencing technology, including bench-top sequencers, provide the opportunity to re-sequence a limited set of cancer genes across a patient cohort with limited processing time. Here, we re-sequenced a set of cancer genes in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) using the Roche/454 technology coupled with Nimblegen sequence capture. First, we investigated how a maximal sensitivity and specificity of mutation detection can be achieved through a benchmark study. We tested nine combinations of different mapping and variant-calling methods, varied the variant calling parameters, and compared the predicted mutations with a large independent validation set obtained by capillary re-sequencing. We found that the combination of two mapping algorithms, namely BWA-SW and SSAHA2, coupled with the variant calling algorithm Atlas-SNP2 yields the highest sensitivity (95%) and the highest specificity (93%). Next, we applied this analysis pipeline to identify mutations in a set of 58 cancer genes, in a panel of 18 T-ALL cell lines and 15 T-ALL patient samples. We confirmed mutations in known T-ALL drivers, including PHF6, NF1, FBXW7, NOTCH1, KRAS, NRAS, PIK3CA, and PTEN. Interestingly, we also found mutations in several cancer genes that had not been linked to T-ALL before, including JAK3. Finally, we re-sequenced a small set of 39 candidate genes and identified recurrent mutations in TET1, SPRY3 and SPRY4. In conclusion, we established an optimized analysis pipeline for Roche/454 data that can be applied to accurately detect gene mutations in cancer, which led to the identification of several new candidate T-ALL driver mutations.

  Study EGAS00001000268

• Integrating Genomic and Transcriptomic Data to Identify Breast Cancer Susceptibility Genes

  Genetic factors play an important role in the etiology of both sporadic and familial breast cancer. Since 2007, common genetic variants in ~200 loci have been identified in genome-wide association studies (GWAS) in relation to breast cancer risk. However, it is often difficult to translate GWAS findings to disease prevention and treatment since causal genes in the large majority of GWAS-identified loci are unknown. Furthermore, a large fraction of breast cancer heritability remains unexplained. Recent studies suggest that nearly 80% of disease heritability can be explained by genetic variants regulating gene expression. Herein, we propose three well-powered transcriptome-wide association studies (TWAS) to systematically investigate the association of breast cancer risk with gene expression across the transcriptome of African, Asian and European descendants. In Aim 1, we will perform RNA sequencing and high-density genotyping assays using normal breast tissue samples, and build race-specific gene expression prediction models using data from 1000 women of African, Asian and European descent. These models will be applied to the GWAS data generated from approximately 320,000 breast cancer patients and controls to impute gene expression for association analyses of predicted gene expression with risk of breast cancer overall, and by estrogen receptor and HER2 status. In Aim 2, we will select the top 50 genes identified in Aim 1 for in vitro functional assays to assess their influence on major cell functions related to cancer biology. In Aim 3, we will evaluate whether TWAS-identified genes may express differently in normal breast tissues and breast cancer tissues collected from African, Asian, and European descendants to assess whether these genes may contribute to racial differences in breast cancer risk by molecular subtypes. With strong methodology and a large sample size, we believe that this proposed study should be able to identify and characterize a large number of novel genes related to breast cancer risk. Uncovering breast cancer susceptibility genes will greatly improve the understanding of the genetic and biological basis for breast cancer and accelerate the translation of genetic findings to disease prevention and patient care.

  Study phs003535

• Targeted MitoExome Sequencing of Mitochondrial OXPHOS Diseases (Massachusetts General Hospital)

  Human disorders of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) represent a devastating collection of inherited diseases. These disorders impact at least 1:5000 live births, and are characterized by multi-organ system involvement. They are characterized by remarkable locus heterogeneity, with mutations in the mtDNA as well as in over 77 nuclear genes identified to date. It is estimated that additional genes may be mutated in these disorders. To discover the genetic causes of mitochondrial OXPHOS diseases, we performed targeted, deep sequencing of the entire mitochondrial genome (mtDNA) and the coding exons of over 1000 nuclear genes encoding the mitochondrial proteome. We applied this 'MitoExome' sequencing to 124 unrelated patients with a wide range of OXPHOS disease presentations from the Massachusetts General Hospital Mitochondrial Disorders Clinic. The 2.3Mb targeted region was captured by hybrid selection and Illumina sequenced with paired 76bp reads. The total set of 1605 targeted nuclear genes included 1013 genes with strong evidence of mitochondrial localization from the MitoCarta database, 377 genes with weaker evidence of mitochondrial localization from the MitoP2 database and other sources, and 215 genes known to cause other inborn errors of metabolism. Approximately 88% of targeted bases were well-covered (>20X), with mean 200X coverage per targeted base.

  Study phs000339

• Phase II trial of targeted immune-depleting chemotherapy and reduced-intensity allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation using 8/8 and 7/8 HLA-matched unrelated donors and utilizing two graft-versus-host disease prophylaxis regimens for the treatment of leukemias, lymphomas, and pre-malignant blood disorders

  Background: Major problems with stem cell transplantation (SCT) for cancer treatment are a lack of suitable donors for patients without an HLA tissue-matched sibling and graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), a serious side effects of immune-suppressing chemotherapy that is given to bring the cancer under control before SCT. In GVHD, the patient's immune system attacks the transplanted donor cells. This study will try to improve the results of SCT from unrelated HLA-matched donors using targeted immune-depleting chemotherapy to bring the cancer under control before transplantation and to lower the chance of graft rejection, followed by reduced-intensity transplant chemotherapy to make the procedure less toxic. Objectives: To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of targeted immune-depleting chemotherapy followed by reduced-intensity transplant chemotherapy in patients with advanced cancers of the blood and immune system. To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of two different drug combinations to prevent GVHD. Both regimens have been successful in preventing GVHD, but they work by different mechanisms and affect the rebuilding of the immune system after the transplant. Eligibility: People 18 to 74 years of age with advanced or high-risk cancers of the blood and immune system who do not have a suitable HLA-matched sibling. Design: All patients receive chemotherapy before transplant to treat the cancer and suppress immune function. All patients receive a conditioning regimen of cyclophosphamide for 4 days and fludarabine for 4 days before SCT to prepare for the transplant. Patients are randomly assigned to one of two combination drug treatments to prevent GHVD as follows: Group 1: Tacrolimus starting 3 days before SCT and continuing for 6 months, plus methotrexate on days 1, 3, 6, and 11 post-SCT, plus sirolimus starting 3 days before the SCT and continuing through day 14 following SCT. Group 2: Alemtuzumab for 4 days starting 8 days before SCT, plus cyclosporine starting 1 day before SCT and continuing for 6 months. Patients receive the donor's stem cells and immune cells 2 days after the conditioning regimen. Patients are followed at the clinic regularly for the first 6 months after SCT, and then less often for at least 5 years. Some visits may include bone marrow aspirates and biopsies, blood draws, and other tests to monitor disease status. A skin biopsy, oral mucosa biopsy, and saliva collection are done to study chronic GVHD.

  Study phs002021

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

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

  Study EGAS00001006456

• Privacy Notice for the Account User

  Privacy Notice for EGA User Account This Privacy Notice explains what personal data is collected by the specific service you are requesting, for what purposes, how it is processed, and how we keep it secure. Note that this service collects personal data directly provided by the user, and also collects personal data from users that is provided by other organisations. 1. Who controls your personal data and how to contact us? European Genome- Phenome Archive - EGA offers a service for permanent archiving and sharing of all types of personally identifiable genetic and phenotypic data resulting from biomedical research projects, jointly managed by European Molecular Biology Laboratory – European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI) and Fundació Centre de Regulació Genòmica - Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG). EMBL-EBI and CRG represent joint Data Controllers’ of processing of your personal data. They and their Data protection officers may be contacted for data protection queries and for exercising your rights under Section 8. You may contact EMBL-EBI, represented by dr. Thomas Keane, by: email at: tk2@ebi.ac.uk or post at EMBL-EBI, Wellcome Genome Campus, CB10 1SD Hinxton, Cambridgeshire, UK. EMBL’s Data Protection Officer may be contacted by: telephone at +49 6221 387-8590, email at dpo@embl.org, or post at EMBL Heidelberg, Data protection officer, Meyerhofstraße 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany. You may contact CRG, whose EGA team is represented by dr. Jordi Rambla de Argila, by: email at jordi.rambla@crg.eu, or post at Fundació Centre de Regulació Genòmica - Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Dr.Aiguader 88, PRBB Building, 08003 Barcelona, Spain. CRG Data protection officer may be contacted by: email at dpo@crg.eu post at Fundació Centre de Regulació Genòmica - Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), C/ Dr. Aiguader, 88, PRBB Building, 08003 Barcelona, Spain. 2. Which is the lawful basis for processing personal data? We process your personal data on the grounds of important public interest. For monitoring your activities on the website, we process your personal data on the grounds of important public interest. Such legal basis is found in Article 5(1)(a) of EMBL Internal Policy No 68 on General Data Protection (hereinafter IP 68), which is equivalent to Article 6 (1)(e) of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (hereinafter GDPR) and upon which personal data are processed for the achievement of the aims laid down in 1973 agreement establishing EMBL, such as the promotion of the cooperation in the fundamental research, in the development of advanced instrumentation and in advanced teaching in molecular biology and dissemination of information. 3. What personal data is collected from users of the service? How do we use this personal data? We collect the following personal data from you: Name Email address Title/Position Organisation Organisational affiliation Username and password (to authenticate access to the system) IP Address (for anonymous usage statistics) We process your personal data: to provide you with the authenticated access to the EGA service (opening and managing submission and distribution account), to publicly publish some aggregate data to facilitate scientific research (e.g. number of accounts, geographic distribution), to better understand the needs of the users and to guide future improvements of the service, to create anonymous usage statistics. If you do not provide us with your personal data we will not be able to open the user account and offer you our services or we will only provide you a subset of functionalities available within the service. 4. Who will have access to your personal data? The personal data will be disclosed to: Authorised staff in the data controller’s institutions acting on data controller`s behalf and instructions (for all user account data), Requested dataset Data access committee – DAC will have access to the name, email, organization, affiliation, title/position of the distribution user account, using it for their own purpose of granting access to their datasets. 5. Will your personal data be transferred to third countries (i.e. countries not part of EU/EEA) and/or international organisations? Distribution user account data are in the process of granting access disclosed to dataset(s) DAC, which might be a recipient in countries outside of the European Economic Area. Insofar as the second joint controller may be subject to GDPR, data transfer to and from the first joint controller (EMBL-EBI) is necessary for important reasons of public interest embedded in the aims of the EMBL and justified in the Article 9(4) of IP 68 (equivalent to Article 49(1)(d) of GDPR) read in conjunction with EMBL`s 1973 establishing agreement and Article 179(2) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. 6. How long do we keep your personal data? All data are stored for as long as you have the account open. Thereafter the storage is prolonged for as long as our service is live, even if you stop using our services. This prolongation is necessary for further scientific research, to ensure legal compliance and security and to facilitate internal and external audits it they arise. By contrast, the log files for the data categories related to anonymous usage statistics (raw web service logs) are processed only for 30 days and thereafter erased. 7. The joint Data Controllers provide these rights regarding your personal data You have the right to: Not be subject to decisions based solely on an automated processing of data (i.e. without human intervention) without you having your views taken into consideration. Request at reasonable intervals and without excessive delay or expense, information about the personal data processed about you. Under your request we will inform you in writing about, for example, the origin of the personal data or the preservation period. Request information to understand data processing activities when the results of these activities are applied to you. It must be clarified that rights under points 4 and 5 are only available whenever you need support whilst using our website. For other processing based on the grounds of important public interest you cannot exercise your rights to object, rectify or erase your personal data according to the Article 13(2)(a)(b) of IP 68 (equivalent to Article 17(3)(b)(d) and Article 21(6) of the GDPR). 8. Supervisory authority If you wish to complain against the processing of your personal data, you may do so by post at: EMBL Heidelberg, Data Protection Committee, Meyerhofstraße 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany, or Autoritat Catalana de Protecció de Dades (Catalan Data Protection Authority), C/Rosselló 214, Esc A, 1r 1a, Barcelona 08008, Spain. Published at: February 6, 2019

  Documentation data-protection/privacy-notice/ega-user-account

• Privacy Notice for EGA Web user

  Privacy Notice for EGA Public Website This Privacy Notice explains what personal data is collected by the specific service you are requesting, for what purposes, how it is processed, and how we keep it secure. 1. Who controls your personal data and how to contact us? European Genome- Phenome Archive - EGA offers a service for permanent archiving and sharing of all types of personally identifiable genetic and phenotypic data resulting from biomedical research projects, jointly managed by European Molecular Biology Laboratory – European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI) and Fundació Centre de Regulació Genòmica - Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG). EMBL-EBI and CRG represent joint Data Controllers’ of processing of your personal data. They and their Data protection officers may be contacted for data protection queries and for exercising your rights under Section 8. You may contact EMBL-EBI, represented by Mallory Freeberg, by: email at: mfreeberg@ebi.ac.uk , or post at EMBL-EBI, Wellcome Genome Campus, CB10 1SD Hinxton, Cambridgeshire, UK. EMBL’s Data Protection Officer may be contacted by: telephone at +49 6221 387-8590, email at dpo@embl.org , or post at EMBL Heidelberg, Data protection officer, Meyerhofstraße 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany. You may contact CRG, whose EGA team is represented by dr. Jordi Rambla de Argila, by: email at jordi.rambla@crg.eu, or post at Fundació Centre de Regulació Genòmica - Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Dr.Aiguader 88, PRBB Building, 08003 Barcelona, Spain. CRG Data protection officer may be contacted by: email at dpo@crg.eu post at Fundació Centre de Regulació Genòmica - Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), C/ Dr. Aiguader, 88, PRBB Building, 08003 Barcelona, Spain. 2. Which is the lawful basis for processing personal data? For providing you access to the website and for offering support whilst using the website, we need your consent under Article 5 (2) of the IP 68 (equivalent to Article 6 (1)(a) of the GDPR). For monitoring your activities on the website, we process your personal data on the grounds of important public interest. Such legal basis is found in Article 5(1)(a) of EMBL Internal Policy No 68 on General Data Protection (hereinafter IP 68), which is equivalent to Article 6 (1)(e) of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (hereinafter GDPR) and upon which personal data are processed for the achievement of the aims laid down in 1973 agreement establishing EMBL, such as the promotion of the cooperation in the fundamental research, in the development of advanced instrumentation and in advanced teaching in molecular biology and dissemination of information. 3. What personal data is collected from users of the service? How do we use this personal data? We collect the following personal data from you: IP addressesDate and time of a visit to the service website Operating systemAmount of data transmittedBrowserEmail address (only when support is requested by the user) The data controller will use your personal data for the following purposes: To provide the user access to the serviceTo better understand the needs of the users and guide future improvements of the serviceTo monitor website activities according to and in compliance with the Terms of UseTo better understand the needs of the website visitors and guide future improvements of the serviceTo conduct and monitor website security activitiesTo create anonymous usage statistics 4. Who will have access to your personal data? The personal data will be disclosed to: Authorised staff in the data controller’s institutions acting on data controller`s behalf and instructions. 5. Will your personal data be transferred to third countries (i.e. countries not part of EU/EEA) and/or international organisations? There are no personal data transfers to third countries or international organisations. 6. How long do we keep your personal data? Any personal data directly obtained from you will be retained as long as the service is live. Such duration serves the purpose of enabling scientific research and ensures legal compliance and facilitates internal and external audits if they arise. By contrast, the log files for the data categories related to anonymous usage statistics (raw web service logs) are processed only for 30 days and thereafter erased. 7. The joint Data Controllers provide these rights regarding your personal data You have the right to: Not be subject to decisions based solely on an automated processing of data (i.e. without human intervention) without you having your views taken into consideration.Request at reasonable intervals and without excessive delay or expense, information about the personal data processed about you. Under your request we will inform you in writing about, for example, the origin of the personal data or the preservation period.Request information to understand data processing activities when the results of these activities are applied to you.Object at any time to the processing of your personal data unless we can demonstrate that we have legitimate reasons to process your personal data.Request free of charge and without excessive delay rectification or erasure of your personal data if we have not been processing it respecting the data protection policies of the respective controllers. It must be clarified that rights under points 4 and 5 are only available whenever you need support whilst using our website. For other processing based on the grounds of important public interest you cannot exercise your rights to object, rectify or erase your personal data according to the Article 13(2)(a)(b) of IP 68 (equivalent to Article 17(3)(b)(d) and Article 21(6) of the GDPR). 8. Supervisory authority If you wish to complain against the processing of your personal data, you may do so by post at: EMBL Heidelberg, Data Protection Committee, Meyerhofstraße 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany, or Autoritat Catalana de Protecció de Dades (Catalan Data Protection Authority), C/Rosselló 214, Esc A, 1r 1a, Barcelona 08008, Spain. 9. CookiesWe use cookies and similar technologies that are strictly necessary for the correct functioning and security of the EGA website (for example, to enable core site features and to help protect the service). These cookies do not store information that directly identifies you.You can set your browser to block or delete cookies. Please note that if you disable strictly necessary cookies, parts of the website may not function properly.Published on February 6, 2019

  Documentation data-protection/privacy-notice/ega-website

• National Cancer Institute (NCI) TARGET: Therapeutically Applicable Research to Generate Effective Treatments

  The Therapeutically Applicable Research to Generate Effective Treatments (TARGET) Initiative seeks to accelerate research in novel marker and drug development, along with understanding the molecular basis of pediatric malignancy, through identification of genomic changes associated with the following childhood cancers: Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) - A fast-growing type of blood cancer in which too many immature white blood cells are found in the blood and bone marrow. Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), including AML Induction Failure cases (AML-IF) - Another type of blood cancer marked by too many myeloblasts, an alternate type of immature white blood cell, are found in the blood and bone marrow. Upon diagnosis, AML patients without high-risk genetic markers undergo standard chemotherapy regimen, called the primary induction phase, to eliminate most cancer cells and induce a remission state. Clear Cell Sarcoma of the Kidney (CCSK) - A rare type of kidney cancer, in which the inside of the cells looks clear when viewed under a microscope. Clear cell sarcoma can spread from the kidney to other organs, most commonly the bone, but also including the lungs, brain, and soft tissues of the body. Neuroblastoma (NBL) - Cancer of cells of the sympathetic nervous system. Cancer Model Systems (MDLS), including PPTP - MDLS includes acute leukemia cell lines and xenografts with matched primary and/or relapsed tumor information, NBL cell lines and xenografts with matched controls, kidney tumor cell lines, normal brain tissues, and embryonic stem cell lines that were sequenced for some TARGET disease projects. Osteosarcoma (OS) - A cancer of the bone that primarily affects children and adolescents. Rhabdoid Tumor (RT) - A rare, fast-growing cancer that usually forms in the kidney or central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord) but can also form in soft tissues in other areas of the body. Rhabdoid tumors tend to spread quickly, are hard to treat, and have a poor prognosis. Wilms' Tumor (WT) - A cancer of cells in the kidney that can spread to the liver, lung and lymph nodes. More information can be found about each TARGET subproject by following the links on the top of this page. Together these cancers account for the majority of the more than 10,000 childhood cancer cases diagnosed in the United States each year. TARGET has employed a set of advanced and complementary genome analysis technologies, including large scale 2nd and 3rd generation genome sequencing, to strategically characterize alterations in both gene expression and in genomic structure (such as deletions and amplification) that are involved in childhood cancers. The goal of this coordinated effort has been to create a comprehensive genomic and transcriptomic profile of each cancer. Integrated analysis of the TARGET data has identified those genes that are either altered in their expression level or mapped to the chromosome regions of deletion/amplification/translocation, as these genes represent strong candidates for therapeutic targeting. To learn more about the TARGET project, which is now completed, visit the website at https://www.cancer.gov/ccg/research/genome-sequencing/target. TARGET data is accessible at the NCI's Genomic Data Commons (GDC) via the GDC's Data Portal and from each of the TARGET Publication Pages at the GDC (Please see the "Supplemental Links" section of any TARGET publication's "Publication Information and Associated Data Files page" at the GDC.). Available datasets include raw sequencing data, datasets generated by the original TARGET research teams (fully annotated clinical information and higher-level/analyzed molecular characterization data - gene expression, copy number variation, epigenetics, targeted sequencing), as well as higher level data generated by the GDC. Please see the TARGET Use and Publication Guidelines for updated details on the sharing of any TARGET substudy data, including how to cite TARGET.

  Study phs000218

• Utility of Capillary Blood in Gene Expression Studies

  The FAA Functional Genomics Team examined the feasibility of analyzing gene expression profiles using capillary blood collected by fingerstick, with the goal of developing practical fingerstick blood collections to expand blood collection capabilities and allow large-scale or field-based collections. We compared the RNA sequencing results obtained from two different capillary blood collection and RNA extraction methods with the results obtained from a standard venous blood collection and RNA extraction protocol. We also compared capillary blood processing methods, as well as fingerstick locations, within one capillary collection/extraction method. Within each method we sought to distinguish male from female participants to assess the capacity of each collection/extraction method for gene expression profiling. The study population included 40 participants aged 18-60 who were free from any acute illness or any illness that would preclude blood collection. We determined that capillary blood possesses large-scale significant differences from venous blood and that the two capillary methods produced similar gene expression profiles. We further determined that all methods were useful for detecting gene expression differences between assessed groups (male and female participants in this case). We conclude that capillary blood is suitable for gene expression profiling in quantities as low as 100 μL whole blood, but recommend that researchers should rely on a single blood collection method if they desire to compare results between individual studies. Raw sequencing files (.fastq) from this study are available in dbGaP.

  Study phs003496

• Impact of Genetic Polymorphisms on Human Immune Cell Gene Expression

  While many genetic variants have been associated with risk for human diseases, how these variants affect gene expression in various cell types remains largely unknown. To address this gap, the DICE [Database of Immune Cell Expression, Expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) and Epigenomics] project was established. Considering all human immune cell types and conditions studied, we identified cis-eQTLs for a total of 12,254 unique genes, which represent 61% of all protein-coding genes expressed in these cell types. Strikingly, a large fraction (41%) of these genes showed a strong cis-association with genotype only in a single cell type. We also found that biological sex is associated with major differences in immune cell gene expression in a highly cell-specific manner. These datasets will help reveal the effects of disease risk-associated genetic polymorphisms on specific immune cell types, providing mechanistic insights into how they might influence pathogenesis.

  Study phs001703

• Dataset for liposarcoma-RNA

  Rare cancer sequencing data of 40 runs in tumor/control pairs, which were uploaded to umbrella studies. The sequencing was always paired

  Dataset EGAD00001008854

• Exome Sequencing to Define the Landscape of Plasma Cells in Systemic Light chain Amyloidosis

  Systemic light chain amyloidosis (AL) is characterized by the deposition of immunoglobulin light chains as amyloid fibrils in different organs, where they form toxic protein aggregates. The underlying disease is a plasma cell disorder, but limited whole exome data are available. We report the findings of an exome sequencing study in AL to define a plasma cell signature and compare this to monoclonal gammopathy of undefined significance (MGUS) and myeloma (MM). Twenty-four samples from unselected newly diagnosed untreated AL patients were analysed. CD138+ cells were isolated from bone marrow cells using MACSorting (Miltenyi Biotech, Bisley, UK). Cells were lysed in RLT+ buffer and DNA/RNA extracted using the AllPrep kit (Qiagen, Manchester, UK). Peripheral blood was isolated from patients, white blood cells purified by Ficoll-Pacque and DNA extracted using the QIAamp DNA mini kit (Qiagen). There were a median of 47 acquired nonsynonymous variants (range 4-253) per patient. Thirty percent of patients yielded a mutation in a myeloma driver gene. These mutations were either clonal or sub-clonal. There was evidence of MAPK activation with NRAS mutations, NF-κB activation and DNA repair pathway alterations. Exome data were used to determine the cytogenetic groups of AL samples and identified hyperdiploidy in 33% of cases and t(11;14) in 33% of cases. All translocations were generated via class switch recombination and breakpoints on chromosome 11 fell into the expected regions. A novel translocation, unlikely to be driving disease progression was identified involving RCC1. Finally, further analysis of the APCS gene encoding for the SAP protein did not show any biased genotype in the AL population in comparison to the general population. We conclude that exome sequencing identifies a genetic make-up of AL that is similar to other plasma cell disorders such as MM and MGUS. This not only includes copy number abnormalities and translocations but also nonsynonymous mutations.

  Study EGAS00001001418

• Whole exome sequencing datasets for Low-grade Serous Ovarian Carcinoma

  This dataset includes whole exome sequencing reads from 10 normal and 14 cell lines based on Agilent SureSelect XT Human All Exon v6. They are all 2*100bp reads sequenced using Illumina HiSeq4000.

  Dataset EGAD00001006440

• Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Study - Cohort

  CARDIA is a study examining the etiology and natural history of cardiovascular disease beginning in young adulthood. In 1985-1986, a cohort of 5115 healthy black and white men and women aged 18-30 years were selected to have approximately the same number of people in subgroups of age (18-24 and 25-30), sex, race, and education (high school or less and more than high school) within each of four US Field Centers. These same participants were asked to participate in follow-up examinations during 1987-1988 (Year 2), 1990-1991 (Year 5), 1992-1993 (Year 7), 1995-1996 (Year 10), 2000-2001 (Year 15), 2005-2006 (Year 20), and 2010-2011 (Year 25); the proportions of the surviving cohort that have returned for the seven follow-up examinations were 90%, 86%, 81%, 79%, 74%, 72%, and 72%, respectively. In addition to the follow-up examinations, participants are contacted regularly for the ascertainment of information on out-patient procedures and hospitalizations experienced between contacts. Within the past five years, 95% of the original surviving cohort has been contacted. While the specifics of each examination has differed somewhat, data have been collected on a variety of factors believed to be related to heart disease. These include conditions with clear links to heart disease such as blood pressure, cholesterol and other lipids. Data have also been collected on physical measurements such as weight and skinfold fat as well as lifestyle factors such as substance use (tobacco and alcohol), dietary and exercise patterns, behavioral and psychological variables, medical and family history, and other chemistries (e.g., insulin and glucose). In addition, subclinical atherosclerosis was measured via echocardiography during Years 5, 10, and 25, computed tomography during Years 15 and 20, and carotid ultrasound during Year 20. The CARDIA Cohort is utilized in the following dbGaP sub-studies. To view genotypes, other molecular data, and derived variables collected in these sub-studies, please click on the following sub-studies below or in the "Sub-studies" box located on the right hand side of this top-level study page phs000285 CARDIA Cohort. phs000236 PAGE_CALiCo_CARDIA phs000309 GENEVA_CARDIA phs000399 GO-ESP HeartGO_CARDIA phs000613 CARDIA_CARe

  Study phs000285

• RNAseq in pleural mesothelioma primary cell lines

  Pleural mesothelioma (PM) requires new treatments. Drug repurposing offers a potential approach to finding effective therapies. This study aimed to explore new therapeutic options for PM using RNA sequencing. RNA sequencing was performed on 58 patient-derived PM cell lines. Drug screening of over 1300 compounds was conducted on 11 lines, with further testing of selected drugs on 48 lines. Top candidates were validated in 3D culture and mouse models.

  Dataset EGAD00001015408

• Incentives and Case Management to Improve Cardiac Care: Healthy Lifestyle Program (HeLP)

  Data Access NOTE: Please refer to the “Authorized Access” section below for information about how access to the data from this study.Objectives: The HeLP study assessed how early case management, financial incentives contingent on cardiac-rehabilitation attendance, or both impacted adherence to cardiac rehabilitation among patients with lower socioeconomic status (SES) who had a cardiac-rehabilitation-qualifying diagnosis. Background:Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in the United States. Regular attendance at cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is the number one recommendation for patients who have experienced a recent cardiac event. CR is a secondary prevention outpatient program involving an individually tailored structured exercise program along with counseling and encouragement regarding lifestyle changes to reduce the recurrence of major cardiac events.Despite the benefits of CR attendance, enrollment and adherence to the program are low. This is particularly true of individuals of lower socioeconomic status (SES), who also generally suffer a higher burden from CVD on account of higher-risk cardiac profiles. As these profiles are the result of modifiable behavior targeted by CR (i.e., smoking, obesity, lack of physical activity), methods of increasing CR attendance among this population are necessary.Case management and financial incentives contingent on CR attendance are two potential strategies for addressing this issue. Previous studies have shown how trained case managers can support and assist patients with attending CR and improving their cardiac health, and how financial incentives can promote various types of health-related behavior. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate how these two interventions, individually and in tandem, fared at improving CR adherence among individuals of lower SES specifically. Participants:A total of 314 participants were screened, and 209 were randomized. All consented to have their data shared for research purposes. Design:Eligible patients were approached either while still in the hospital or during initial visits to CR. After obtaining informed consent, clinical and demographic characteristics (i.e., age, sex, education, race and ethnicity, smoking status, and CR-qualifying diagnosis) and depressive symptoms were collected. Participants then were randomized 2:3:3:3 to usual care (UC), case management starting in hospital (CM), financial incentives for attending CR (FI), or financial incentives plus case management (FICM). For all participants regardless of condition, an appropriate referral for CR was confirmed after randomization. Over the course of the study participants completed three assessments – one at intake, one after four months, and one after one year. Clinical (i.e., cardiorespiratory fitness, body composition, and cardiac-related quality of life) and sociocognitive (i.e., Beck Depression Inventory, Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessment, and Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function) measures were obtained at each assessment. Participants randomized to the UC condition were contacted weekly by study staff for adverse event checks, but received no additional intervention. Participants randomized to the CM condition were immediately assigned a case manager. Case managers met with their participants, usually within 24 hours of consent while they were still in the hospital, to introduce themselves during an initial check-in. Within the first week of consent they completed a longer, more thorough initial needs assessment with their participant and established behavioral goals. For the next 16 weeks, case managers met with their participants at least once a week, typically over the phone, to discuss progress on these goals and address any problems or barriers that had arisen. Case managers also were available via phone outside of these regular meetings during normal working hours and Saturday mornings. Participants randomized to the FI condition could earn money for completing an initial CR orientation and attending CR sessions. Twenty dollars could be earned for completing the CR orientation session. CR attendance was reinforced on an escalating schedule starting at $10. Payments increased by $2 for each successive session attended, and capped out at a maximum of $40 per session. Unexcused absences resulted in the incentives for that session not being earned, and the potential earnings for the next scheduled session being reset to $10. Successful participation of two consecutive sessions following the reset resulted in the incentives being returned to the amount prior to the reset. In total, participants could earn $1220 for attending the initial orientation and all 36 sessions of CR. The primary outcome of interest was the percentage of participants who completed at least 30 sessions of CR. Secondary outcomes included the number of sessions completed, cardiorespiratory fitness (peak VO2 and estimated metabolic equivalents (METs)), body composition (waist circumference and BMI), depression scores, and both general and cardiac-related qualify of life. Conclusions:The two interventions involving financial incentives (i.e., financial incentives alone and financial incentives plus case management) significantly improved CR adherence compared to usual care. Subsequent analyses revealed that the combination of financial incentives and case management led to greater improvements in CR attendance than financial incentives alone.

  Study phs003737

• CIDR Estrogen Receptor Negative Breast Cancer in African American Women: DNA Methylation, Reproductive Events, and Mammary Epithelial Cell Populations

  We conducted methylation profiling of breast tumor DNA from Formalin-Fixed Paraffin-Embedded (FFPE) samples for 1,550 cases from a cohort of Black women from the Black Women’s Health Study (BWHS), the Women’s Circle of Health Study (WCHS), and from the Pathways Study using the Illumina MethylationEPIC array. We will examine differentially methylated loci (DML) between ER+ and ER- tumors, and by age at onset of breast cancer. Combining these data with previously analyzed samples (n=385), we will consider associations between reproductive risk factors and top DML by age at diagnosis and ER status, examining the complex relationships between methylation, tumor and patient characteristics, and reproductive risk factors using structural equation modeling.

  Study phs002688

• Clonal selection after gene therapy in sickle cell disease

  While gene therapy (GT) provides a potentially curative treatment option for patients with sickle cell disease (SCD), the occurrence of myeloid malignancies in clinical trials has prompted concern. To interrogate potential mechanisms underlying increased cancer risk, we used hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) clonal tracking by whole genome sequencing (WGS) to map the somatic mutation and clonal landscape of 2,592 gene modified as well as unmodified single stem and progenitor cells from six SCD patients undergoing gene therapy (7-26 years old, average 12.7× depth). Pre-GT phylogenetic trees in SCD were highly polyclonal and mutation burdens per cell were elevated in some, but not all, patients. Post-GT, no clonal expansions were identified. However, an increased frequency of driver mutations associated with myeloid neoplasms or clonal hematopoiesis (DNMT3A- and EZH2-mutated clones in particular) were seen in both genetically modified and unmodified cells suggested positive selection of mutant clones during gene therapy. This work sheds light on the mutation landscape and HSC clonal dynamics in gene therapy for SCD and highlights enhanced fitness of some HSCs harboring pre-existing driver mutations following gene therapy. Future studies should define the long-term fate of mutant clones including any contribution to expansions associated with myeloid neoplasms.

  Dataset EGAD00001010914

• Targeted sequencing of genes recurrently mutated in AML

  Background Massively parallel sequencing technology has transformed cancer genomics. It is now feasible, in a clinically relevant time-frame, for a clinically manageable cost, to screen DNA from patient tumours for mutations essentially genome-wide. The challenge for personalised medicine will be to increase the sample size to thousands or tens of thousands of well-characterised cases in order to attain sufficient statistical power to stratify patients accurately across the complexity and genomic heterogeneity expected for most of the common tumour types. Currently, whole genome sequencing on this scale is not feasible, and targeted sequencing of relevant portions of the genome will be required. Pilot data We have developed protocols for large-scale, multiplexed sequencing of 100-200 genes in thousands of samples. Essentially, using robotic technology, genomic DNA from the cancer specimen is processed into sequencing libraries with unique DNA barcodes, thereby allowing sequencing reads to be attributed to the sample they derive from. Currently, these sequencing libraries can be generated in a 96-well format using fully automated protocols, and we are exploring methods to expand this to a 384-well format. The sequencing libraries are pooled and hybridized to custom sets of RNA baits representing the genomic regions of interest. Sequencing of the pulled-down libraries is done in pools of 48-96 samples per lane of an Illumina Hi-Seq. This protocol is already implemented at the Sanger Institute. We have published proof that somatic mutations in novel cancer genes can be identified from exome-wide sequencing. In unpublished pilot data, we have established the feasibility of robotic library production, custom pull-down, and multiplexed sequencing of barcoded libraries for 100 known myeloid cancer genes across 760 myelodysplasia samples. Highlights of the data thus far analysed reveal that the coverage is remarkably even between samples; when 96 samples are run, average coverage per lane of sequencing is ~250, with 90-95% of targeted exons covered by >25 reads; known mutations can be discovered in the data set; and the protocol is amenable to whole genome amplified DNA. The bioinformatic algorithms for identification of substitutions and indels in pull-down data are well-established; we have pilot data proving that copy number changes, LOH and genomic rearrangements in specific regions of interest can also be identified by tiling of baits across the relevant loci. Proposal We propose to apply this methodology to 10000 samples from patients with AML enrolled in clinical trials over the last 10-20 years. Oncogenic point mutations and potentially genomic rearrangements will be identified, and linked to clinical outcome data, with a view to undertaking the following sorts of analyses: ? Identification of co-occurrence, mutual exclusivity and clusters of driver mutations. ? Correlation of prognosis with driver mutations and potentially gene-gene interactions ? Exploration of genomic markers of drug response Ultimately, we would like to be in a position to release the mutation data together with matched clinical outcome data to genuine medical researchers via a controlled access approach, possibly within the COSMIC framework (www.sanger.ac.uk/genetics/CGP/cosmic/). The vision here is to generate a portal whereby a clinician faced with an AML patient and his / her mutational profile can obtain a ?personalised? prediction of outcome, together with a fair assessment of the uncertainty of the estimate. With a sufficient sample size, there would also be the potential to develop decision support algorithms for therapeutic choices based on such data.

  Dataset EGAD00001000606

• Cancer immune control needs senescence induction by Stat1 dependent cell cycle regulator pathways in tumours

  Immune checkpoint bloackade (ICB)-based or natural cancer immune responses largely eliminate tumours. Yet, they require additional mechanisms to arrest those cancer cells that are not rejected. Cytokine-induced senescence (CIS) can stably arrest cancer cells, suggesting that interferon-dependent induction of senescence-inducing cell cycle regulators is needed to control those cancer cells that escape from killing. Here we report in two different cancers sensitive to T cell-mediated rejection, we show that deletion of the senescence-inducing cell cycle regulators p16Ink4a/p19Arf (Cdkn2a) or p21Cip1 (Cdkn1a) in the tumour cells abrogated both, the natural and the ICB-induced cancer immune control. Also in humans, melanoma metastases that progressed rapidly during ICB have losses of senescence-inducing genes and amplifications of senescence inhibitors. Metastatic cells also resist CIS. Such genetic and functional alterations are infrequent in metastatic melanomas regressing during ICB. Thus, activation of tumour-intrinsic, senescence-inducing cell cycle regulators is required to stably arrest those cancer cells that escape from eradication.

  Study EGAS00001004151

• Influence of the Microbiome on Epigenetic Mechanisms in IBD

  Live CD4 T cells were sorted from inflamed and non-inflamed tissue samples of IBD patients or from healthy and IBD blood samples. ATAC-Seq libraries were generated from live CD4 T cells sorted from i) inflamed and non-inflamed tissue samples, ii) healthy and IBD blood samples, or from iii) CD4 T cell subsets polarised from healthy blood samples. After isolating crude nuclei, live CD4+ T cells were treated with Tagment DNA buffer and Tagment DNA Enzyme (Nextera DNA Library Prep Kit, Illumina), and then the DNA was purified by MinElute PCR Purification Kit (Qiagen). Transposed DNA fragments were amplified using specific adapters followed by purification with MinElute PCR Purification Kit (Qiagen). Fragments from 240-360pb were selected in the PippinHT system (Sage Science). The quality of the library and its DNA concentration were assessed by Bioanalyzer instruments (Agilent Technologies) and ultimately submitted for sequencing using Illumina HiSeq 2500 sequencer, V4 chemistry. On the other hand, single cell RNA-Seq libraries were generated exclusively from inflamed and non-inflamed tissue samples of Crohn’s disease patients. Briefly, live CD4 T cells were captured and encapsulated before cDNA amplification using the 10X Genomics Chromium Platform. Samples were prepared as outlined by 10x genomics Single Cell 3’ Reagent Kits v2 user guide. Samples were sequenced on a HiSeq 2500 with the following run parameters: Read 1 – 26 cycles, read 2 – 98 cycles, index 1 – 8 cycles.

  Dataset EGAD00001011066

• Ovarian Cancer Organoid Biobank

  WGS of ovarian cancer organoids, tumor samples and blood references. Ovarian cancer (OC) is a heterogeneous disease usually diagnosed at a late stage. Experimental in vitro models that faithfully capture the hallmarks and tumor heterogeneity of OC are limited and hard to establish. We present a novel protocol that enables efficient derivation and long-term expansion of OC organoids. Utilizing this protocol, we have established 56 organoid lines from 32 patients, representing the spectrum of ovarian neoplasms, including non-malignant borderline tumors, as well as mucinous, clear-cell, endometrioid, low- and high-grade serous carcinomas. OC organoids recapitulate histological and genomic features of the pertinent lesion from which they were derived, illustrating intra- and inter-patient heterogeneity, and can be genetically modified. We show that OC organoids can be used for drug screening assays and capture different tumor subtype responses to the gold standard platinum-based chemotherapy, including acquisition of chemoresistance in recurrent disease. Finally, OC organoids can be xenografted, enabling in vivo drug sensitivity assays. Taken together, this demonstrates their potential application for research and personalized medicine.

  Dataset EGAD00001004387

• ARDSnet and the iSPAAR Consortium: Genomic Basis of Susceptibility and Outcomes in Patients with the Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS)

  Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS)/ Acute Lung Injury (ALI) is a syndrome defined by the presence of acute hypoxemic respiratory failure, bilateral pulmonary infiltrates on chest radiograph, a known clinical risk factor (e.g. sepsis, pneumonia, trauma, gastric fluid aspiration, pancreatitis, massive transfusion), and the absence of physiologic or clinical evidence of congestive heart failure. The Identification of SNPs Predisposing to Altered ALI Risk (iSPAAR) study is a multi-institutional cooperative study, funded through the NHLBI Recovery Act, that assembled samples and phenotype information from existing cohorts. The consortium included samples from patients with ARDS from the NIH NHLBI ARDS Clinical Trials Network (ARDSNet). Samples were obtained from 3 interventional treatment trials in patients with ARDS, including the Fluid and Catheter Treatment Trial (FACTT), the Albuterol to Treat Acute Lung Injury (ALTA) trial, and the Omega-3 Fatty Acid/Antioxidant Supplementation for ALI trial (Omega). In addition to ARDSnet samples, samples from the other cohorts included cases of established ARDS but also controls: critically ill patients who were at-risk for ARDS but who did not develop ARDS during their hospital course. These cohorts included the Molecular Epidemiology of Acute Respiratory Distress (MEA) Study enrolled at the Harvard University/Massachusetts General Hospital, the Systemic Inflammatory Immune Response Syndrome (SIRS) Patient Database and ICU Traumatic Injury cohorts from Harborview Medical Center, and cohorts collected from the ALI research programs at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of California, San Francisco. The Cohort is utilized in the following dbGaP sub-studies. To view genotypes, other molecular data, and derived variables collected in these sub-studies, please click on the following sub-studies below or in the "Sub-studies" box located on the right hand side of this top-level study page phs000631 ARDSnet iSPAAR Consortium. phs000334 ESP_LungGO_ALI phs000686 ALI_GeneticRisk

  Study phs000631

• The Gene Partnership (TGP) - eMERGE Data

  The Gene Partnership (TGP) is a prospective longitudinal registry at Boston Children's Hospital (BCH) to study the genetic and environmental contributions to childhood health and disease, collect genetic information on a large number of children who have been phenotyped, and implement the Informed Cohort and the Informed Cohort Oversight Board (ICOB). The term "The Gene Partnership" reflects a partnership between researchers and participants. Children seen at BCH are offered enrollment, as are their parents and siblings. DNA is collected on all enrollees. BCH has a comprehensive EMR system, and virtually all inpatient and outpatient data are captured electronically. Clinical data in the BCH EMR is loaded in the i2b2 data warehouse which is available to investigators. Cases, phenotypes, and covariates are ascertained using the i2b2 database. Participants at BCH in TGP have consented to receive any research result and/or incidental finding that arises from studies using TGP that is approved by the Informed Cohort Oversight Board (ICOB) and is in accordance with the participants' preferences; results are returned through the Personally Controlled Health Record (PCHR). BCH and Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC) have partnered as the Pediatric Alliance for Genomic and Electronic Medical Record (EMR) Research (PAGER) site for the eMERGE Phase II network for pediatric institutions, and the cohort for eMERGE at BCH is TGP.

  Study phs000495

• Congenital anosmia 2

  Congenital anosmias can be complete (the lack of a sense of smell) or specific (the inability to detect specific smells). Here we obtained genomic DNA from families with multiple individuals with anosmia, suggesting they are congenital. These include those inherited in a manner consistent with dominant and recessive alleles. We have sequenced the exomes of both affected and unaffected family members on the Illumina platform.

  Dataset EGAD00001002228

• NCI Cancer Model Development for the Human Cancer Model Initiative (HCMI)

  The Cancer Model Development Center (CMDC) project is part of the Human Cancer Model Initiative (HCMI) and is managed by the Office of Cancer Genomics within the Center for Cancer Genomics at the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The goal of the HCMI is to generate approximately 1000 novel human "next generation" tumor-derived models as a community resource. The models aim to faithfully recapitulate the cellular complexity and heterogeneity of human tumors. The CMDCs are tasked by the NCI with producing a proportion of the cancer models. Wellcome Sanger Institute (WSI) is a contributing member of the HCMI. Models developed by HCMI are being derived from a number of tumor types and subtypes (see below), including rare adult, pediatric and understudied cancers. The number of models and the clinical sites from which patient samples are acquired is increasing. Normal tissue, originating tumor, and tumor-derived models are sequenced. The next generation cancer models are associated with rich clinical and genomic data through the NCI Genomic Data Commons for all researchers to advance cancer research. The CMDC and HCMI models will serve as excellent tools in research to provide insight into the pathways that influence tumor growth and progression, how tumors respond to therapy, etc. Ultimately, the data generated using these models will support the development of personalized oncology. There is a delay between registered IDs and model availability. The current model count is found in The HCMI Searchable Catalog which is updated when new models are available for distribution to the research community.

  Study phs001486

• Assessment of cannabidiol and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabiol in mouse models of medulloblastoma

  Phytocannabinoids Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) have been demonstrated to exhibit anti-cancer activity in preclinical models of brain cancer leading to new clinical trials for adults with glioblastoma. We describe here the first report that has investigated a role for THC and CBD in paediatric brain cancer. Cannabinoids had cytotoxic activity against medulloblastoma and ependymoma cells in vitro, functioning in part through the inhibition of cell cycle progression and the induction of autophagy. Despite these effects in vitro, when tested in orthotopic mouse models of medulloblastoma or ependymoma, no impact on animal survival was observed. Furthermore, cannabinoids neither enhanced nor impaired conventional chemotherapy in a medulloblastoma mouse model. These data show that while THC and CBD do have some effects on medulloblastoma and ependymoma cells, are well tolerated and have minimal adverse effects, they do not appear to elicit any survival benefit in preclinical models of paediatric brain cancer.

  Study EGAS00001004963

• Genome-wide prediction of human embryos

  BACKGROUND: Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) enables profiling of embryos for genetic disorders prior to implantation. The majority of PGD testing is restricted in the scope of variants assayed or by the availability of extended family members. While recent advances in single cell sequencing show promise, they remain limited by bias in DNA amplification and the rapid turnaround time (<36 h) required for fresh embryo transfer. Here, we describe and validate a method for inferring the inherited whole genome sequence of an embryo for preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD). METHODS: We combine haplotype-resolved, parental genome sequencing with rapid embryo genotyping to predict the whole genome sequence of a day-5 human embryo in a couple at risk of transmitting alpha-thalassemia. RESULTS: Inheritance was predicted at approximately 3 million paternally and/or maternally heterozygous sites with greater than 99% accuracy. Furthermore, we successfully phase and predict the transmission of an HBA1/HBA2 deletion from each parent. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that preimplantation whole genome prediction may facilitate the comprehensive diagnosis of diseases with a known genetic basis in embryos.

  Study EGAS00001001020

• T-cell receptor sequencing of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) in breast cancer

  The spatial distribution of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) predicts breast cancer outcome and response to systemic therapy, highlighting the importance of an intact tissue structure for characterizing patients’ tumors. Here, we present ST-FFPE, a spatial transcriptomics method for the analysis of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded samples, which opens the possibility of interrogating widely available archival tissue. The method involves extraction, exome capture and sequencing of RNA from different tumor compartments microdissected by laser-capture, and can be used to study the cellular composition of various tumor environments. Focusing on triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), we characterized T cells, B cells, dendritic cells, fibroblasts and endothelial cells in both stromal and intra-epithelial compartments. We found a highly variable spatial distribution of immune cell subsets among tumors. This analysis revealed that the immune repertoires of intra-epithelial T and B cells were consistently less diverse than those of stromal T and B cells. T-cell receptor (TCR) sequencing confirmed a reduced diversity and revealed higher clonality of intra-epithelial T cells relative to the corresponding stromal T cells. Analysis of the top ten dominant clonotypes in the two compartments showed a majority of shared but also some unique clonotypes both in stromal and intra-epithelial T cells. Hyperexpanded clonotypes were more abundant among intra-epithelial than stromal T cells. These findings validate the ST-FFPE method and suggest an accumulation of antigen-specific T cells within tumor core. Because ST-FFPE is readily applicable for analysis of previously collected tissue samples, it could be useful for rapid assessment of intratumoral cellular heterogeneity in multiple disease and treatment settings.

  Study EGAS00001007125

• Global Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer Initiative

  Thyroid cancer is the most common endocrine malignancy. Most thyroid cancers are of the well-differentiated (non-aggressive) phenotype, and are almost always cured with standard treatments. In contrast, anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) is rare, accounting for only 1% of thyroid cancers, however it is perhaps the most lethal human malignancy with an average survival of 3 to 6 months. ATC presents with dramatic and rapid onset of airway and esophageal blockage with frequent spread to the lungs. Interestingly, 21–79% of ATCs have coexisting areas or a previous history of well-differentiated cancers. Although this suggests a progression from well-differentiated cancers to ATC, to date there is little molecular conformation that such a progression exists versus de novo generation of ATC. As ATC is extremely rare and most cases are inoperable, there are a paucity of tissue samples for study at any one center. The Global Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer Initiative (GATCI) aims to unite international institutions in order to pool samples (ATC with or without a paired well-differentiated component) for a comprehensive analysis of the genomic landscape of this disease.

  Study EGAS00001002234

• Nala GSI GSAv3 PGx Study

  Background: Microarrays are a well-established and widely adopted technology capable of interrogating hundreds of thousands of loci across the human genome. Combined with imputation to cover common variants not included in the chip design, they offer a cost-effective solution for large-scale genetic studies. Beyond research applications, this technology can be applied for testing pharmacogenomics, nutrigenetics, and complex disease risk prediction. However, establishing clinical reporting workflows requires a thorough evaluation of the assay's performance, which is achieved through validation studies. In this study, we performed pre-clinical validation of a genetic testing workflow based on the Illumina Global Screening Array for 25 pharmacogenomic-related genes. Methods: To evaluate the accuracy of our workflow, we conducted multiple pre-clinical validation studies. Here, we present the results of accuracy and precision assessments, involving a total of 73 cell lines. These assessments encompass reference materials from the Genome-In-A-Bottle (GIAB), the Genetic Testing Reference Material Coordination Program (GeT-RM) projects, as well as additional samples from the 1000 Genomes project (1KGP). We conducted an accuracy assessment of genotype calls for target loci in each indication against established truth sets. Results: In our per-sample analysis, we observed a mean analytical sensitivity of 99.39% and specificity 99.98%. We further assessed the accuracy of star-allele calls by relying on established diplotypes in the GeT-RM catalogue or calls made based on 1KGP genotyping. On average, we detected a diplotype concordance rate of 96.47% across 14 pharmacogenomic-related genes with star allele-calls. Lastly, we evaluated the reproducibility of our findings across replicates and observed 99.48% diplotype and 100 % phenotype inter-run concordance. Conclusion: Our comprehensive validation study demonstrates the robustness and reliability of the developed workflow, supporting its readiness for further development for applied testing.

  Study EGAS00001007710

• Kids First: Whole Genome Sequencing Studies of Multiplex Nonsyndromic Cleft Lip/Palate Families

  Nonsyndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate (NSCLP) is a common birth defect that affects approximately 135,000 newborns worldwide, and imposes significant medical, psychosocial and financial burdens to affected individuals and their families. Genetic variation in numerous genes has been associated with NSCLP, however the exact mechanisms by which they contribute to the condition remain largely unknown. Here, we will use whole genome sequencing and robust analytical approaches to systematically evaluate the causes of NSCLP in 923 individuals from large multigenerational families.

  Study phs002626

• Circumventing intratumoral heterogeneity to identify potential therapeutic targets in hepatocellular carcinoma. Details please contact lifuqiang@genomics and zhaoxin@genomics.cn.

  Background and aims: Intratumoral heterogeneity (ITH) challenges identifying mutations with target therapy potential whereas circulating cell-free DNAs (cfDNAs) could reflect nearly the entire mutation spectrum in given tumors. We investigated how to minimize the limit of ITH for profiling hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).Methods: Thirty-two multi-regional HCC samples from five patients were subjected to whole exome sequencing (WES) and targeted deep sequencing (TDS). ITH extent was measured by the average percentage of non-ubiquitous mutations (present in parts of tumor regions). Matched cfDNAs were also analyzed by WES and TDS. Profiling efficiencies of single tumor specimen and cfDNA were compared and the one better depicted mutational landscape was selected to screen therapeutic targets.Results: We found variable extents of ITH in HCCs and observed branched and parallel evolution patterns. ITH level decreased at higher sequencing depth of TDS than that measured by WES (28.1% vs 34.9%, P < 0.01) but it remained unchanged upon additional samples analyzed. TDS of single tumor specimen detected an average of 70% the total mutations in HCC. Although more mutations were detected in cfDNA under TDS than WES, an average of 47.2% total HCC mutations uncovered by cfDNA suggested tissue outperform cfDNA and the latter may serve as alternative in profiling HCC genome. Consequently, TDS of single tumor tissue in 66 patients and cfDNAs in four unresectable HCCs identified 38.6% (26/66 and 1/4) patients bearing therapeutic targets.Conclusions: TDS of single tumor specimen could largely circumvent ITH to uncover mutations indicative of target therapy in HCC.

  Study EGAS00001002207

• The last addition to the list of clonal evolution studies in the EGA

  Tumours of different types may arise from a single cell with at least one malignant mutation. Accumulation of subsequent hits generates lineages of cells with different cancer transformation power; thus, every clone follows an autonomous evolution, and several clones may co-exist into the same solid or liquid tumour. Clonal evolution studies are not new: the conceptual power of this approach has been recognized since the early ’80, especially in leukaemia patients. Nonetheless, these studies greatly benefit from recent technological improvements -machineries and protocols-, which enable ever-increasing sequencing depth, allowing the detection of low frequency variants and consequently more tumour clones. Note: the figure belongs to the original paper and is owned by the authors. Researchers at the University of Kyoto in Japan, have indeed used state of the art knowledge to investigate the clonal evolution of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in a large panel of patients. CML progresses from a majoritarian benign chronic phase into an often fatal blast crisis phase. It is nowadays known that blast crisis are triggered by genetic instability and disrupted DNA repair, which lead to accumulation of DNA mutations. The use of thyrosine kinase inhibitors targeting the Philadelphia chromosome have enormously improved the treatment of blast crisis, nonetheless resistant patients are still a medical challenge. Yotaro Ochi and collegues used Whole Exome Sequencing of paired chronic phase and blast crisis samples to depict the genetic landscape of progression from the first to the second stage of the disease (as illustrated in their figure). Their results were published in Nature Communication on this May 2021. They used a dataset previously deposited at the EGA (EGAS00001003071) and their new generated data have been made available under accession number EGAS00001005075. Their analysis of the occurring mutations contribute to understanding the mechanisms of CML evolution and therefore develop a protocol for early management of patients with a TKI resistance signature. Up to date, the EGA hosts 99 clonal evolution studies, developed in several cancer types, including myeloma, renal carcinomas and ovarian cancer, in addition to various leukaemia subtypes, where this approach has been more widely applied and produced important results and seminal papers. From a pan-cancer point of view, the definition of tumour architecture through clonal evolution studies is instrumental to unravel the mechanisms of disease progression and treatment-resistance insource. At the EGA, we are honoured to contribute to exciting and important science advances with our service!

  Blog the-last-addition-to-the-list-of-clonal-evolution-studies-in-the-ega

• Upcycling and merging data to challenge the dogma and identify new therapeutic targets for Glioblastoma

  Glioblastoma is the most common brain tumour. Characterised by a poor prognosis and its recurrence after multimodal treatments, the search for preventable risk factors has been mainly inconclusive up to date. Recently, the data merge from datasetsdeposited at the EGA allowed Aaron Diaz’s team to discover that the glioblastoma cells shift toward a mesenchymal phenotype when the tumour is recurring. Challenges in glioblastoma research As for virtually all cancer types, many efforts have been made to unveil the molecular features responsible of the disease, and several cellular pathways have indeed been identified as being frequently mutated in glioblastoma. Nonetheless, targeted therapies based on identified genes have so far failed to improve outcome, thus survival mostly relies on a standard treatment unchanged since 2005. This is a frustrating situation for both the scientific and medical communities, and above all for the patients, still facing a dreadful path. Some researchers hypothesised that this may be due to the inability to efficiently target cancer stem cells, the originators of the other cell types, thus inducing cancer relapse. In 2019 Charles P. Couturier and colleagues sequenced RNA from single cells of freshly excised glioblastomas of 16 patients, and demonstrated that glioblastoma cells replicate normal brain cell development with a conserved neural cancer cell hierarchy centered around glial progenitor-like cells. In this way, they helped identify the possible target cells to improve efficacy and durability of treatment. Data upcycling at the EGA: the glioblastoma case study Single cell RNA sequencing is generated with a laborious and expensive protocol. The quality of the starting material is crucial (cells sample freshly extracted from the patients) and often several attempts are needed before producing reliable quality sequencing results. Collecting big numbers of patients is also challenging. The sequencing data produced by Kevin Petrecca’s group in Montreal, Canada and deposited at the EGA (EGAS00001004422) was recently upcycled by Lin Wang in San Francisco, California and pooled with their freshly produced ones, and then deposited at the EGA as Dataset EGAS00001004909 The data merge allowed Aaron Diaz’s team to discover that the glioblastoma cells shift toward a mesenchymal phenotype when the tumour is recurring. They profiled 86 primary-recurrent patient-matched paired glioblastoma samples with single-nucleus RNA, among other techniques. These very comprehensive results lead the team to challenge the findings from several other cancer fields where chemotherapy standard chemo-radiation therapy selection pressure at the level of genomic alterations; this is indeed not the case for glioblastoma, where the pressure results in phenotypic transition between cellular states. Several technical controls were made to ensure that the merge of the data was not introducing a bias in the results, and an Inter-table analysis demonstrated nearly equal contribution to overall variance from each of the studies included, indicating that the findings were not due to inter-laboratory technical effect. A novel principal-component analysis showed that the largest contribution to variation in primary glioblastoma neoplastic cells was an axis between MES (mesenchymal) and proneural expression programs. In summary, treating glioblastoma often makes a MES, as commented by Lucy Stead about this remarkable work. Check Aaron Diaz’s team Nature Cancer paper, with strong technical tools, state of the art analysis and data from different sources converging to the same outcomes that made possible a significant step toward a better handling of a frightful cancer. References Couturier, C.P., Ayyadhury, S., Le, P.U. et al. Single-cell RNA-seq reveals that glioblastoma recapitulates a normal neurodevelopmental hierarchy. Nat Commun 11, 3406 (2020). Stead, L.F. Treating glioblastoma often makes a MES. Nat Cancer 3, 1446–1448 (2022). Wang, L., Jung, J., Babikir, H. et al. A single-cell atlas of glioblastoma evolution under therapy reveals cell-intrinsic and cell-extrinsic therapeutic targets. Nat Cancer 3, 1534–1552 (2022). Related links: Kevin Petrecca’s group dataset deposited at the EGA: EGAS00001004422 Lin Wang dataset deposited at the EGA: EGAS00001004909

  Blog upcycling-and-merging-data-to-challenge-glioblastoma

• Data Use Ontology (DUO) at EGA

  For those of you that follow the updates of GA4GH you will have seen the unanimous approval of the steering committee for DUO to be included in its suite of technical standards for the sharing of genomic and health related data. DUO has three main features: Each term has been generated by the community and includes a human readable definition that can be expanded where necessary. It is a machine-readable file that encodes how that data can be used and how a researcher intends to use the data. Can be implemented alongside an advanced search algorithm which would allow authenticated users to query and gain access to datasets pertaining to their research. e.g., an industry researcher working on cancer could potentially be matched to any dataset that is allowed for commercial use and for cancer research and offered the opportunity to fetch them automatically. So, what does this mean for EGA? EGA as a driver project has adopted this standard and will be utilizing it for two main purposes in the first instance. i) It will allow EGA users to instantly identify what terms they will need to agree to as part of any Data Access Agreements. This will save valuable time for both applicants and Data Access Committees alike - as you will be able to see if you are likely to be able to access the data based on your research intentions and working background. ii) In the future it will allow users to be able to search for data based on Data Use Ontology terms e.g., you could search for all data that can be used for General Research Use (GRU). As EGA moves forwards submitters will be asked to align their data access policies with DUO so that their dataset(s) can be tagged appropriately on our web pages. If you would like to add DUO to any of your existing datasets, or to any future datasets, do please just let us know.

  Blog data-use-ontology

• Tumor inflammation and mutational burden are differentially associated with response to nivolumab or nivolumab plus ipilimumab in metastatic colorectal cancer

  Nivolumab alone and in combination with ipilimumab demonstrated durable clinical benefit in patients with previously treated microsatellite instability-high/mismatch repair-deficient metastatic colorectal cancer in the phase 2 CheckMate 142 study. Exploratory biomarker analyses of tumor and microbiome samples from CheckMate 142 were performed to evaluate associations between various biomarkers and the efficacy of nivolumab monotherapy and nivolumab plus ipilimumab combination in these patients. Higher expression of inflammation-related gene expression signatures was associated with improved response per investigator assessment and survival benefit with nivolumab monotherapy. In contrast, higher tumor mutational burden, tumor indel burden and degrees of microsatellite instability were associated with improved response per investigator assessment and survival benefit with nivolumab plus ipilimumab. While interpretation is limited by the exploratory nature of these analyses, they suggest that tumor antigenicity rather than baseline tumor inflammation might be important for the combinatorial efficacy. Validation of these findings in larger, randomized studies is necessary.

  Study EGAS50000000416

• German early-onset prostate cancer cohort of the Pan-Prostate Cancer Genome (PPCG) project

  Prostate cancer is the most frequent malignant tumor in males and the second most frequent cause of cancer-related death. Currently, in Germany, more than 60,000 prostate cancers are diagnosed every year. Although most of these patients are treated in a curative attempt, more than 10,000 German men die from prostate cancer annually. Owing to the demographic changes of our society, a further doubling of prostate cancer incidences during the next 20 years is expected. Prostate cancer is generally considered a tumor of elderly men. However, a fraction of prostate cancers are diagnosed at the age of 55 years or less. For several reasons, these “early onset prostate cancers” may represent a key entity for the understanding of prostate cancer biology. First, it is likely that early onset prostate cancers represent a distinct molecular subgroup of prostate cancer (PCa), potentially characterized by relatively small numbers of genetic changes, some of which may be particularly strong driver mutations for PCa development. Second, a fraction of prostate cancers in young individuals could represent classical prostate cancers that are detected at a very early stage and might therefore have accumulated molecular changes/mutations occurring that are most instrumental for prostate cancer early detection. Third, PCa with hereditary backgrounds are likely to accumulate in the age group below 55 years. A comparison with other sample sets (e.g. from other ICGC consortia), a systematic genomic analysis of young men with PCa could therefore lead to the detection of mechanisms for hereditary PCa. Fourth, a better understanding of these tumors is particularly relevant as finding optimal treatment regimens is most critical in young cancer patients. We are analyzing the entire genomic DNA sequences of at least 200 PCas (and matched non-tumorous DNA) of young men (≤ 55y), to at least 30 fold coverage, and integrate single-nucleotide variants and genomic structural variations with differential methylation, mRNA and miRNA expression data.Tissues were collected at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf. Sequencing was performed at DKFZ and NCT (Heidelberg), EMBL (Heidelberg), and MPIMG (Berlin). Data management and bioinformatic data analyses is being conducted at DKFZ.

  Study EGAS00001003373

• Prenatal lead exposure is associated with decreased cord blood DNA methylation of the glycoprotein VI gene involved in platelet activation and thrombus formation

  Early-life lead exposure impairs neurodevelopment and later exposure affects the cardiovascular system. Lead has been associated with reduced global 5-methylcytosine DNA methylation, suggesting that lead toxicity acts through epigenetic mechanisms. The objective of this study is to clarify how early life lead exposure alters DNA methylation of specific genes, using an epigenomic approach. We measured lead concentrations in urine (gestational week, GW, 8) and erythrocytes (GW 14), using ICP-MS, for 127 pregnant mothers recruited in the MINIMat food and supplementation cohort in rural Bangladesh. Cord blood DNA methylation was analyzed with the Infinium HumanMethylation450K BeadChip and top sites were validated by methylation-sensitive high-resolution melt curve analysis. Maternal urinary lead concentrations (divided into quartiles) showed significant (after adjustment for FDR) inverse associations with methylation at nine CpGs. Three of these sites were in the 5’ end, including the promoter, of glycoprotein IV (GP6); cg18355337 (q=0.029, β=-0.30), cg25818583 (q=0.041, β=-0.18) and cg23796967 (q=0.047, β=-0.17). The methylation in another CpG site in GP6 was close to significant (cg05374025, q=0.057, β=-0.23). The erythrocyte lead concentrations (divided into quartiles) were also inversely associated with CpG methylation in GP6, although this was not statistically significant after FDR-adjustments. Eight CpG sites in GP6 constituted a differentially methylated region in relation to urinary lead (p=0.005, q=0.48) and erythrocyte lead (p=0.007, q=0.46). In conclusion, we found that moderate prenatal lead exposure appear to epigenetically affect GP6, a key component of platelet aggregation and thrombus formation, suggesting a novel link between early lead exposure and cardiovascular disease later in life.

  Study EGAS00001001575

• The clonal and mutational evolution spectrum of primary triple negative breast cancers

  Primary triple negative breast cancers (TNBC) represent approximately 16% of all breast cancers and are a tumour type defined by exclusion,for which comprehensive landscapes of somatic mutation have not been determined. Here we show in 104 early TNBC cases, that at the time of diagnosis these cancers exhibit a wide and continuous spectrum of genomic evolution, with some exhibiting only a handful of somatic aberrations in a few pathways, whereas others contain hundreds of somatic events and multiple pathways implicated. Integration with matched whole transcriptome sequence data revealed that only 36% of mutations are expressed. By examining single nucleotide variant (SNV) allelic abundance derived from deep re-sequencing (median > 20,000 fold) measurements in 2414 somatic mutations, we determine for the first time in an epithelial tumour, the relative abundance of clonal genotypes among cases in the population. We show that TNBC vary widely and continuously in their clonal frequencies at the time of diagnosis, with basal subtype TNBC exhibiting more variation than non-basal TNBC. Although p53 and somatic mutations appear clonally dominant compared with other pathways, in some tumours their clonal frequencies are incompatible with founder status. Mutations in cytoskeletal and cell shape/motility proteins occurred at lower clonal frequencies, suggesting they occurred later during tumour progression. Taken together our results show that future attempts to dissect the biology and therapeutic responses of TNBC will require the determination of individual tumour clonal genotypes.

  Study EGAS00001000132