The oesophageal project will focus on adenocarcinoma which is increasing in incidence in the UK and other developed countries and has a very poor outcome. The primary aims of this project are to deeply sequence tumour and normal genomic DNA (including the precursor condition Barrett’s oesophagus when material is available) to provide a comprehensive catalogue of somatic mutations. This will be achieved through a UK-wide network of hospitals involved in a research collaboration called the OCCAMS consortium. The goal of this project is to use high quality clinical material with accurately annotated clinic-pathological, treatment and outcome data.
Chordoma is a rare bone tumor, which is believed to originate from notochordal remnants. Based on the United States Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) data, the incidence of chordoma varies by gender and race; however, little is known about the etiologic factors that predispose to it. Genomic profiling studies of chordoma are limited, particularly in the Chinese population. We therefore conducted a detailed molecular characterization of paired chordoma tumor/normal tissues using fresh frozen tissues and blood collected from skull-based Chinese chordoma patients. These analyses included whole exome sequencing and RNA sequencing analyses.
The cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is thought to be a main route for immune surveillance in the central nervous system (CNS). Understanding the composition and state of CSF in healthy individuals may provide insight into perturbations present during neuroinflammation. Here, we have used single-cell RNA and TCR sequencing to profile CSF and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from healthy individuals and patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS), a chronic autoimmmune disease. In addition, with the goal of understanding how transcriptional artefacts are introduced in transcriptomics experiments, we have performed single-cell and TCR sequencing to profile PBMCs from a healthy individual that were processed with the same enzymatic digestion used for tissues (such as the brain) in the presence or absence of transcription inhibitors.
Cerebral small vessel disease (SVD) is frequently comorbid with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and vascular brain endothelial cells (BECs) are enriched for the expression of genes associated with AD genetic risk. However, the gene regulatory landscapes of neurovascular cells and their intersection with genetic risk for disease remains unexplored. Here we have generated gene regulomes for human BECs, mural cells and other brain cell types to show that AD heritability is primarily immune-related and that it shows modest enrichment in BECs. By contrast, genetic risk for SVD is enriched across cells of the neurovascular unit, including astrocytes. Enhancer-to-gene interactomes implicate amyloid processes in both AD and SVD, though the risk genes are mostly distinct for the two disorders. Motifs for putative partners of lineage transcription factors in microglia and BECs were enriched for AD and SVD variants at genes linked to disease pathways. Gene prioritization and enrichment analyses further identified potential repurposable drugs for AD. Our findings highlight novel regulatory mechanisms and therapeutic targets within the neurovascular system.
These clinical specimens represent solid tumors and matched blood controls that were collected as part of patients' routine care at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. They were sequenced on the targeted platform MSK-IMPACT. Here, we performed germline variant calling on the normal blood specimens and assessed their zygosity in the concomitant tumor specimens for comprehensive exploration of the landscape of pathogenic germline variants in patients with advanced cancer.
Study designed to further our understanding of the pathogenesis of asthma exacerbations in children. Children enrolled in the study (n=217) were all asthmatic and primarily Hispanic white. The children were followed for 18 months until they experienced an asthma exacerbation or completed the follow-up without an exacerbation. The time to the first asthma exacerbation was considered the outcome. The acute and convalescent immune phenotype of each asthma exacerbation was documented.
Uploading files Users who hold an ega-box-XXX account can upload files using either INBOX or FTP. Users who have a Submitter role associated with their email will only be able to upload files using INBOX. Before uploading your files, please make sure that any files that will be uploaded to EGA do not use special characters in their naming convention, such as # ? ( ) [ ] / \ = + < > : ; " ' , * ^ | &. This can cause issues with the archiving process, leading to problems for end users. The EGA is a shared, public service with limited storage. To manage the available resources, we enforce a limit of 10TB per submission account at any one time. If you exceed this limit, a “permission denied” message will be displayed. This will prevent you from uploading more files, but connecting to your inbox.For submissions larger than 10TB, please perform uploads in 10TB batches: register all the metadata and then finalise the submission. Upload the next batch of files and repeat the same metadata registration and finalisation process until you have completed the file upload. Further information can be found in the SP documentation. INBOX FTP The INBOX is only compatible with files encrypted using the Crypt4gh tool Before uploading If you are not a registered EGA user, you will first need an EGA user account. Please note that it may take a few days for your account to be activated, as it needs to be vouched for by the EGA Helpdesk. Once your account is validated, you will be able to request a submitter role. [Optional] Meanwhile, you can create and add your public key to your EGA account profile. This option is not available for old submission accounts (e.g., ega-box-NNN). As soon as you have been granted a submitter role, you will be able to connect with your username and password to the EGA inbox using the SFTP protocol. If you have also registered a public key in your profile, you can also connect using this key. To upload files to your account, you can use the graphical user interface (GUI) or the command line. Graphical User Interface (GUI)We recommend using FileZilla, a free, open-source FTP client. However, you can use any other GUI that allows connecting over the SFTP protocol. For FileZilla as your GUI, follow these steps to upload files: Create a new connection in Site Manager (File > Site Manager) and select the following options (Figure 1): Protocol: SFTP - SSH File Transfer ProtocolHost: __EGA_INBOX_DOMAIN__Logon Type: Key fileUser: your EGA usernameKey file: Path/to/your/private_keyFigure 1: Process of establishing a new connection to __EGA_INBOX_DOMAIN__ using a key file as the logon method in FileZilla. The figure showcases the FileZilla version 3.52.2 operating on IOS v11.2.3. By following the depicted steps, users can create a secure and efficient connection to the inbox, ensuring seamless data transfers.Click Connect, and you will log in remotely to your home directory. You can think of this folder as a storage "in the EGA cloud" in which you will add your files for the EGA. The uploading area has three folders:To-encrypt: Files uploaded in this folder will be encrypted automatically on the fly.Encrypted: Files uploaded in this folder must already be encrypted with Crypt4gh. Upload your files here if your connection is unstable or you have problems completing the upload into-encrypt.Etc: This folder contains two files that allow the server to show you your username and group instead of some internal numbers. Please do not upload files here; otherwise, you will obtain a permission denied error. Find the files you want to upload by browsing your local storage (left side of your screen in FileZilla). Select all the files you want to upload, then right-click on them and select Upload (Figure 2). Figure 2: Step-by-step process of manually uploading files to __EGA_INBOX_DOMAIN__ using FileZilla, with FileZilla version 3.52.2 operating on IOS v11.2.3. The figure demonstrates how users can transfer data from their local storage to the "EGA cloud" by following the depicted steps Please note that regardless of which folder you upload your files in, both folders (to-encrypt, encrypted) will point to the same path (/) (Figure 3). Therefore, you will see your files in both folders. Figure 3: Both folders, to-encrypt and encrypted, point to the same path (/)" If your connection is unstable, please encrypt your files first using Crypt4gh. Then upload them to the ‘encrypted’ folder. The example above shows how to connect to __EGA_INBOX_DOMAIN__ using the private key. However, if you prefer to log in using your credentials, you can do so. Please go to the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for more information. SFTP command line To upload files securely to your private area of the EGA, you can use SFTP(Secure File Transfer Protocol) with your favorite FTP client. Here's what you need to know to get started: Connect to the target host __EGA_INBOX_DOMAIN__. This is the new hostname for the EGA SFTP service. Log in with your EGA username and key files (or password). Upload files to your private EGA inbox to ensure that only you can access the files. By following these steps, you can securely upload your files to the EGA for safe storage and sharing. Using the SFTP command line client in Linux/Unix Open a terminal and type sftp username@hostnameEnter your EGA passwordTo see a list of available SFTP commands, type helpsftp> put – Upload filesftp> get – Download filesftp> cd path – Change remote directory to ‘path’sftp> pwd – Display remote working directorysftp> lcd path – Change the local directory to ‘path’sftp> lpwd – Display local working directorysftp> ls – Display the contents of the remote working directorysftp> lls – Display the contents of the local working directoryType the "put" command to upload files. For example: put *.bamUse the bye command to close the connection (SFTP session). After uploading- Once you have uploaded files to the inbox, please bear in mind that the checksum needs to be calculated, which can take up to two days. You will only be able to link your files to a run/analysis once the encrypted checksum has been calculated.- When linking your files to the 'Run' or 'Analysis', ensure that the file name matches the file path '/name' in the INBOX folder.- Please delete the files from your SFTP INBOX after all the runs/analyses have been registered and files are ingested (SP > Files > Files ingested). This will clear your inbox space an allow you to upload more files. This will also prevent the files from reappearing in your Submitter Portal inbox. Frequently Asked Questions Specific to the inbox What username should I use to log in to my inbox? The authentication process for logging in to the EGA website, as well as accessing your inbox and outbox, requires the use of your username. If you have forgotten your registered username, please contact our Helpdesk team for assistance. How are checksums calculated in your inbox? If you encrypt the file beforehand and upload it to the "encrypted" folder, the unencrypted checksum will not be calculated until the file is ingested (i.e., until it is used in a run/analysis). If the file is uploaded to the "to-encrypt" folder, then both checksums are calculated.Please bear in mind that after files have been uploaded to the inbox, the checksum must be calculated, which can take from a few hours to two days. Specific to using keys to authenticate Can I access one EGA account from different devices? Yes, you can access your account from different devices by linking several public keys to your EGA account. Each device can generate a unique public-private key pair, and the corresponding public keys can be linked to the same account. This way, you can use different public keys on different devices and still have access to the same account and data. I have several keys and I don't remember which one is which When generating SSH keys, it's a good practice to add a comment using the -C flag. This will allow you to add a descriptive tag to your key, making it easier to identify later on. Here's an example command that generates an SSH key with a comment: ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C work-pass In this example, we're generating an ed25519 SSH key with the comment work-pass. Once you have multiple keys with different comments, you can use the comments to easily identify each key. To view the comments for your existing SSH keys, you can use the following command: ssh-keygen -l -f /path/to/key This will display the key fingerprint and the associated comment. By checking the comments, you should be able to identify which key is which. What if I can't find my SSH keys for uploading files with a key file, and how can I use new keys? If you can't find your SSH keys, don't worry - you can make new ones. To do this, open your terminal or command prompt and type a command to make a new SSH key. You can pick a name for the key, and choose a password to keep it safe. After making the key, you can add the new key to your account or server where you want to upload files using the key file. This usually involves copying and pasting the key's "public" (e.g. file.pub) part to the right place. If you lose track of the key again, just make a new one and add it again. Keep in mind that SSH keys belong to you and your computer, so if you switch computers or accounts, you'll need to make new keys. I don't want to type the passphrase every time I use the key. What can I do? You can use an ssh-agent to avoid typing the passphrase every time you use the key. An ssh-agent is a program that stores your private keys in memory and provides them to ssh when needed. You can add your key to the ssh-agent using the command ssh-add followed by the path to your key file.Here's an example of the steps to follow: Open a terminal window.Start the ssh-agent by typing the command eval $(ssh-agent).Add your key to the ssh-agent by typing the command ssh-add [key filepath]. For instance, if your key file is located in the home directory with the name mykey, the command will look like this: ssh-add ~/mykey After adding your, key to the ssh-agent, you should be able to use ssh without having to enter your passphrase every time. Can I use my password for authentication (without my private key)? If you prefer to use your username and password for authentication instead of your private key, you can still do so. When using a Graphical User Interface (GUI) such as FileZilla, you can select Ask for password as your Logon Type (Figure 3). This option will prompt you to enter your password when you click Connect, instead of using your private key. Figure 3: This option will prompt you to enter your password when you click "Connect", instead of using your private key. Figure 3: Process of establishing a new connection to __EGA_INBOX_DOMAIN__ using your password as the logon method in FileZilla. The figure showcases the FileZilla version 3.52.2 operating on IOS v11.2.3. By following the depicted steps, users can create a secure and efficient connection to the inbox, ensuring seamless data transfers. It's worth noting that using a password for authentication can be less secure than using an SSH key, as passwords can be more easily compromised through various means. However, if you choose to use your password for authentication, selecting "Ask for password" as your Logon Type is a good way to do so securely via a GUI. Why is it better to use my key and not my password? SSH keys for authentication is generally considered to be more secure and convenient than using passwords. SSH keys are more difficult to crack than passwords, and they can be restricted to specific users and machines, giving you more control over access. Once you set up your SSH keys, you can use them to authenticate quickly and easily, without having to enter a password every time. This makes automation of tasks, such as uploading encrypted files, much simpler. Additionally, SSH keys provide better logging, allowing you to keep track of who is accessing your systems and when. All in all, using SSH keys is a good practice for improving security and convenience in your authentication process.
Single cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) is widely used for profiling transcriptomes of individual cells. The droplet-based 10X Genomics Chromium (10X) approach and the plate-based Smart-seq2 full-length method are two frequently-used scRNA-seq platforms, yet there are only a few thorough and systematic comparisons of their advantages and limitations. Here, by directly comparing the scRNA-seq data by the two platforms from the same samples of CD45- cells, we systematically evaluated their features using a wide spectrum of analysis. Smart-seq2 detected more genes in a cell, especially low abundance transcripts as well as alternatively spliced transcripts, but captured higher proportion of mitochondrial genes. The composite of Smart-seq2 data also resembled bulk RNA-seq data better. For 10X-based data, we observed higher noise for mRNA in the low expression level. Despite the poly(A) enrichment, approximately 10-30% of all detected transcripts by both platforms were from non-coding genes, with lncRNA accounting for a higher proportion in 10X. 10X-based data displayed more severe dropout problem, especially for genes with lower expression levels. However, 10X-data can better detect rare cell types given its ability to cover a large number of cells. In addition, each platform detected different sets of differentially expressed genes between cell clusters, indicating the complementary nature of these technologies. Our comprehensive benchmark analysis offers the basis for selecting the optimal scRNA-seq strategy based on the objectives of each study.
At diagnosis, the majority of FL presents with symptomatic disease in advanced/systemic stages of FL (sFL). In contrast only around 10 to 15% of cFL are diagnosed in localized stages (lFL). The biological knowledge is mainly based on data derived from global sFL analysis and only small cohorts of lFL were characterized intensively so far. It is well-known that the hallmark BCL2 translocation is less frequently observed in lFL. Furthermore, lFL differs from sFL concerning their gene expression and their N-glycosylation profiles. In consequence, comprehensive global analysis with CNA profiling and whole exome sequencing was performed in a large cohort of lFL. Additionally, the mutational profile as well as the CNA landscape of lFL and sFL, as well as for BCL2 translocation-positive and -negative was compared.
Drug addiction continues to be a major medical and social problem. It is estimated that one million or more persons in the United States are currently addicted to heroin or prescription opioids, with millions more worldwide. Cocaine addiction and alcohol dependence are frequent comorbid conditions in persons with heroin/opioid dependence in addition to being major primary addictions. Many studies over the past thirty years have shown that these drugs disrupt physiologic systems, and that these disruptions may contribute to drug addiction and alcohol dependence and to relapse to drug or alcohol abuse following withdrawal and abstinence. Clinical observations suggest that individuals differ in their response to heroin, cocaine, and alcohol; however, little is known about specific underlying hereditary genetic factors which might influence individual susceptibility to the addictive properties of these substances. Studies also suggest that both common and distinct heritable factors account for the genetic variance in the susceptibility to the separate addictive diseases. We hypothesize that there is a heritable as well as environmental basis for the acquisition and persistence of, and relapse to, specific addictive diseases. Using samples from individuals without and with opioid and other specific drug dependence diagnoses and psychiatric comorbidities, genetic analyses will be used to determine association and linkage. All study subjects will be extensively characterized with respect to the addictive diseases, medical history, family medical addictive disease history; psychiatric comorbidity, and psychological profile, as well as ethnic/cultural background. A better understanding of the consequences of genetic contributions with respect to protection from, or susceptibility to, heroin/opioid addiction and related codependencies and comorbid conditions, could have enormous importance in both prevention and treatment of this problem.
