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• California Pacific Medical Center Research Breast Health Cohort

  Description of Cohort: The California Pacific Medical Center (CPMC) Breast Health Cohort is a cohort study based at CPMC and is linked to the San Francisco Mammography Registry, one of the sites of the NCI-funded Breast Cancer Screening Consortium (U01CA063740). CPMC is a community hospital in San Francisco, which has one of the highest volumes for mammography in San Francisco. Between September 2004 and June 2007, >90,000 mammograms were performed at CPMC. The CPMC breast health cohort collects demographic and risk factor data on women receiving mammography through participation in the San Francisco Mammography Registry, as part of the Breast Cancer Screening Consortium (U01CA063740). The SFMR database collects information from all sources, including a questionnaire on demographic and risk factor information, the clinical results of the breast examination, the measures of breast density by Dr. John Shepherd and the women who agreed to donate a blood sample. By merging these various sources of information we have very efficiently developed a large sample of women who have donated blood and have had a measure of mamographic density. Blood Collection: Dr. Steve Cummings is leading an effort to collect and archive blood samples from women who are receiving mammography screening. All women who are sent for a screening mammogram at CPMC are considered eligible. Since the cohort began collecting blood samples in July 2004 until June 2007, samples have been collected from over 11,000 women. Measurement of Breast Density: Dr. John Shepherd is currently measuring breast density in a large fraction of the cohort using an automated approach with single X-ray absorptiometry. Dr. Shepherd has established a link with the CPMC mammography center that allows him to collect routine digital mammography information. Using the data from the mammogram, Dr. Shepherd and his group have developed the single X-ray absorptiometry (SXA) technique for measuring density which is described in more detail below. The table demonstrates the distribution of demographic variables and some breast cancer risk factors of women who donated blood and had a breast density measurement in the CPMC breast health cohort. Nearly 80% of the participants are Caucasian and most of the women are post-menopausal with a median age of ~52. Since it will be difficult to accrue a large enough sample from each ethnic group, our study will focus only on Caucasian women. Table: Demographic variables, reproductive history and family history of breast cancer among 2962 women participating in the CPMC cohort study who contributed blood samples between 1994-1997. Variable Median/Percentage Age (Median/IQR) 52 (46-59) Ethnicity Caucasian/White 0.76 Asian/Pacific Islander 0.141 Hispanic 0.029 Mixed Race/Ethnicity 0.039 African American/Black 0.022 American Indian 0.001 Other 0.009 First degree relative with breast cancer 0.17 Age at first birth Nulliparous 0.39 Age<20 0.043 Age>40 0.032 Age<30, ≥20 0.251 Age>30, ≤40 0.282 Measurement of Breast Density in Cohort: Measurement of breast density is accomplished using an automated technique for all mammograms obtained by Dr. Shepherd using Single X-Ray absorptiometry (SXA). SXA measurement of breast density is done on approximately 30% of all screening mammograms. Below we describe the method for measurement of breast density by SXA by Dr. Shepherd's group and its validation and association with breast cancer. As we demonstrate below, breast density, as measured by SXA, is an automated, highly reproducible measure of the density of breast tissue and is associated with breast cancer risk. SXA for Quantifying Breast Density: Single x-ray absorptiometry (SXA) was initially developed for measuring bone density. SXA can determine the fraction of each of two densities simultaneously using the fact the sample is a constant thickness, the thickness in known, and the total attenuation is known. In applying this technique to breast density, we assume a two compartment model: fat and non-fatty (fibroglandular tissue). We use a reference material composed of various concentrations of two materials: one which is the same density as fat and another which is the same density as fibroglandular tissue. The reference material (phantom) is placed in the X-ray field with each mammogram. We have been able to implement this in a way that is unintrusive to the patient and technologist at CPMC. Assuming this two-compartment model and a constant known breast thickness, we can then calculate the percent density at any region of the breast based on the assumption that % pixel grey-scale is proportion to the mass fractions of breast fat and lean tissue. If reference materials (a phantom) of fat and fibroglandular tissue are imaged with the patient's breast and the reference materials have the same thickness as the patient's breast, then the breast's grey-scale values can be converted to fat/fibroglandular mass fractions by interpolating between those two references. The total percent density is found by averaging the volume fraction over all breast pixels. The phantom being used for breast density assessment at CPMC began to be used in September 2004. The phantom does not have to be manipulated by the technologist and stays attached on the mammography device during standard craniocaudal (CC) views. Thus it creates minimal to no interference with the clinical mammogram. Reproducibility of breast density measures: Traditional measures of mammographic density require some human interpretation. A human reader outlines the area perceived to be dense and a computer then calculates the percent area outlined as a percent of the entire image. Thus, while traditional mammographic density is associated with breast cancer risk, it has some limitations. In a study by Drs. Shepherd, Kerlikowske, et al., the correlation coefficient (Pearson's R) between different readers was 0.8-0.9. In contrast to the traditional mammographic density measurement, the SXA measurement is fully automated and, therefore, the reproducibility of the measurement is higher. Dr. Shepherd and colleagues have performed a replication study of SXA as a measurement of breast density. They have estimated the correlation coefficient of the SXA measurement of breast density to be >0.98. Thus, as expected for an automated measure, SXA is a highly reproducible measure of mammographic breast density. Drs. Shepherd and Kerlikowske have recently analyzed the association between breast cancer risk and breast density as measured by SXA (Shepherd et al., Cancer Epi Biomarkers and Prev, 2011, PMID: 21610220). They found that women in the highest quintile of % volumetric density had an odds ratio of 4.1 (95% CI: 2.3 - 7.2) for breast cancer risk compared to women in the lowest quintile of volumetric density. Thus volumetric density appears to be a highly reproducible, automated measure of breast cancer.

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• Mucociliary Clearance Consortium (MCC) Longitudinal Study of Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia: Participants 5-18 Years of Age

  The purpose of this longitudinal study protocol is to define age-related prevalence of phenotypic characteristics and the progression of key features of lung disease in participants with one of these disorders, Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia (PCD). In PCD, the abnormal structure and function of cilia results in impaired clearance of secretions and consequent obstruction and chronic recurrent infection in the airways, sinuses and middle ears. Although it seems likely that the onset of PCD airway disease occurs early in childhood, as has been reported for cystic fibrosis (CF), the clinical course of PCD lung disease is not well defined, nor, is the time course of emergence of specific microbial pathogens, or the age of onset and rate of progression of airway disease and bronchiectasis. This longitudinal study is designed to define the rate of progression of PCD lung function in participants between 5-18 years of age using spirometry which tracks well with lung impairment and prognosis in other disorders of the airways such as cystic fibrosis. This longitudinal protocol will also systematically track other specific outcomes, including pathogens infecting the airways (assessed by respiratory cultures), and age at onset and progression of airway damage and bronchiectasis (assessed by high-resolution computerized tomography, HRCT, of the chest). Blood will be collected for DNA to test for genetic mutations. The blood samples will be processed to establish a cell line (lymphocyte transformation) for a source of DNA for future genetic studies, in participants with disease. For participants unable to provide a blood sample, a buccal sample will be obtained for DNA.

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• GEnetics of Nephropathy - an International Effort (GENIE) GWAS of Diabetic Nephropathy in the UK GoKinD and All-Ireland Cohorts

  Diabetic kidney disease, or diabetic nephropathy (DN), is one of the leading causes of end-stage renal disease in the United States and worldwide. DN is a common complication of long-standing type 1 and type 2 diabetes. The clinical course is characterized by development of proteinuria and gradual loss of kidney function. Although existing treatments that decrease proteinuria have been shown to moderately abate progression of diabetic kidney disease, many affected patients, who do not die from cardiovascular disease, go on to develop terminal renal failure, necessitating costly renal replacement therapies, such as dialysis and renal transplantation. Type 1 diabetes (T1D) can have its onset in childhood and affected individuals often develop end-stage renal disease in early adulthood, leading to further loss of quality of life. The genetic basis of the disease is not well understood. The GENIE (GEnetics of Nephropathy an International Effort) consortium was initiated to perform the most comprehensive and well powered DN susceptibility genome wide association study (GWAS) analysis to date, using the largest collection of type 1 diabetics with and without kidney disease across four study cohorts. The UK-ROI samples were genotyped as part of this project. UK-ROI Sample Description The UK-ROI collection consists of samples derived from the Republic of Ireland (Dr. Catherine Godson, PI, at University College, Dublin, Ireland) and the United Kingdom (Warren 3 and Genetics of Kidneys in Diabetes UK, UK GoKinD, Dr. Alexander P. Maxwell, PI, at Queen's University of Belfast, UK). All study subjects met the inclusion criteria: white individuals with T1D, diagnosed before 31 years of age, whose parents and grandparents were born in the British Isles.

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• The EVE Asthma Genetics Consortium: Building Upon GWAS

  The EVE Asthma Genetics Consortium comprises U.S. investigators who have conducted genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of asthma; the main objective is to combine results of individual studies to increase the overall power to identify loci for asthma and asthma-associated traits. The consortium includes investigators at 9 U.S. institutions with GWAS results for >10,000 individuals representing European American, African American, African Caribbean, U.S. Hispanic, and Mexican populations and includes the following studies: The Study of Asthma Phenotypes and Pharmacogenomic Interactions by Race-Ethnicity (SAPPHIRE) The Genetic Research on Asthma in the African Diaspora (GRAAD) Study The Genetics of Asthma in Latino Americans (GALA 1) Study The Childhood Asthma Management Program (CAMP) The Childhood Asthma Research and Education (CARE) Network The Children's Health Study (CHS) Mexico City Childhood Asthma Study (MCCAS) The Chicago Asthma Genetics Study (CAG)* The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Collaborative Studies of the Genetics of Asthma (CSGA)* The Severe Asthma Research Program (SARP)* (*CAG, CSGA, and SARP are part of the NHLBI-supported SNP Typing for Association with Multiple Phenotypes from Existing Epidemiologic Data (STAMPEED) consortium.) For the GWAS, we developed a common set of >1 million genotyped and imputed SNPs from the EVE Asthma Genetics Consortium to be tested for association with asthma and associated phenotypes in all samples and combined p-values for a grand meta-analysis for asthma gene discovery. A subset of 296 individuals representing African American, European American, and Latino ancestry were selected for whole genome sequencing. The broad goals of this project were to characterize the genetic architecture of asthma and associated quantitative phenotypes (e.g., lung function, total serum IgE) in ethnically diverse populations from the U.S., Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Barbados.

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• Characterization of Human Transcriptome by Computational and HTS Approaches

  We have deeply sequenced total RNA and whole exome of six different post-mortem human snap-frozen tissues (brain, liver, lung, striated muscle, kidney, heart) from three unrelated healthy Caucasian individuals (males, aged 47-54) with the aim to characterize post-transcriptional events due to alternative splicing and RNA editing. In addition, to facilitate the detection of RNA editing sites we have also resequenced the entire genome of each individual. Data are also used to investigate tissue-specific abundance of mitochondrial DNA from exomes and its correlation with mitochondrial transcription, mass and respiratory activity. Tissues were obtained from Cureline (South San Francisco, CA, USA). DNA and RNA were purified using the DNeasy Blood and Tissue Kit (Qiagen, Hilden, Germany) and the RNeasy Plus Mini Kit (Qiagen, Hilden, Germany), respectively. Exome capture was performed using the TruSeq Exome Enrichment Kit (Illumina, San Diego, CA) and the sequencing was carried out at IGA Technology Services in Udine (Italy) on Illumina HiSeq 2000 (generating for each tissue approximately 40 millions of 100bp paired-end reads). Strand-oriented RNA reads (2x100bp) were generated using the TruSeq Stranded Total RNA Sample Prep Kit (Illumina, San Diego, CA, USA) and sequenced at IGA Technology Services in Udine (Italy) on Illumina HiSeq 2000 platform. Whole genome resequencing was performed at Personal Genomics in Italy on an Illumina HiSeq 2000 platform (2x100bp) with a mean coverage of 30X. MiRNA-Seq was instead performed at IBBE Institute (Italy) using the TruSeq Small RNA Sample Prep Kit on Illumina MiSeq platform. Preliminary bioinformatics analyses have been performed to check quality using FASTQC software and inconsistent read regions have been trimmed using trim_galore. All reads were mapped onto the human reference genome (version hg19) using GSNAP.

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• Heart and Vascular Health Study (HVH)

  Objectives The Heart and Vascular Health Study (HVH) is a case-control study of risk factors for the development of myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, venous thrombosis (VT), and atrial fibrillation (AF). The study setting is Group Health, an integrated health care delivery system in Washington State. Background The HVH originated in 1988 with the examination of risk factors for MI. Over the ensuing years, the study has been funded by a series of grants, which have added case subjects with stroke, VT, and AF, and used a common control group. Study aims have focused on the associations of medication use with cardiovascular events. Starting in 1997, the study aims expanded to include genetic associations with cardiovascular disease. Participants recruited in 2009 or later and who provided blood samples for genetic analysis were asked for consent to deposit genetic and phenotype data in dbGaP. Design As part of the HVH study, case subjects were identified by searching for ICD-9 codes consistent with MI, stroke, VT, or AF, and medical records were reviewed to confirm the diagnosis. Control subjects were identified at random from the Group Health enrollment and were matched to MI cases. All subjects have an index date. For cases, the index date was assigned as the date that the cardiovascular event (MI, stroke, VT, or AF) came to clinical attention. For controls, the index date was a random date within the range of the case index dates. For both cases and controls, information was collected from the inpatient and outpatient medical record, by telephone interview with consenting survivors, and from the Group Health pharmacy and laboratory databases. Consenting participants provided a blood specimen. Genetic Research Genetic factors underlying cardiovascular disease are studied using DNA isolated from the blood samples.

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• Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT) and Epidemiology of Diabetes Interventions and Complications Study (EDIC)

  The Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT, 1982-93) and the Epidemiology of Diabetes Interventions and Complications follow-up study (EDIC, 1994-2016) have been ongoing for more than twenty years. After a mean follow-up of approximately 16 years, the DCCT-EDIC cohort of 1,441 Type 1 diabetics had remained remarkably complete with more than 90% of the original cohort being actively followed. Taken together, the DCCT clinical trial and subsequent EDIC longitudinal follow-up provide a uniquely rich source of information on the impact of intensive therapy on glycemia and the its long-term complications for persons with Type 1 diabetes. The DCCT was a multicenter, randomized clinical trial (1, 2) designed to compare intensive with conventional diabetes therapy with regard to their effects on the development and progression of the early complications of Type 1 diabetes. The DCCT trial found that "intensive therapy effectively delays the onset and slows the progression of diabetic retinopathy, nephropathy, and neuropathy" in patients with Type 1 diabetes (1). The goal of the EDIC follow-up was to examine the longer term effects of the original DCCT interventions, especially as they apply to late-occurring complications, such as cardiovascular disease and more advanced stages of retinal and renal disease (3). The EDIC study has been remarkably fruitful in discovering the long term "imprinting" effects (metabolic memory) of the previous intensive therapy, and in delineating the interactions among risk factors with regard to microvascular complications (4-6). In addition, EDIC established, for the first time, the role of intensive therapy and chronic glycemia on atherosclerosis (7-9). Note: This study description has been prepared using materials authored by the DCCT-EDIC Data Coordinating Center. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF STUDY

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• 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.

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• Columbia University Study of Caribbean Hispanics with Familial and Sporadic Late Onset Alzheimer's disease

  Compared to Caucasians residing in the same community the incidence rate of Alzheimer's disease is approximately twice as high in Caribbean Hispanics. Moreover, Caribbean Hispanics represent a homogenous population with only a few founders. Replication of genetic associations in other ethnic groups provides supporting evidence that a putative gene is involved in the disease pathogenesis, and when different allelic variants within the same genes are associated with disease it can help to localize the pathogenic variant. SORL1 is an example of a candidate gene that was first identified in Hispanics and then confirmed in multiple ethnic and racial groups in a meta-analysis. For this project, we are genotyping 704 individuals in families multiply affected by Alzheimer's disease (166 families). These families were recruited in the United States, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. In addition, we are genotyping 2491 individuals (960 patients with sporadic Alzheimer's disease and 1531 unrelated controls) phenotyped in a similar fashion totaling 3195 individuals. Both cohorts are followed at regular intervals of 18 to 24 months, and potential phenotypes available other than those related to Alzheimer's disease include body mass index, measured blood pressure, neurological history and examinations. More importantly, both studies are funded through 2014 and additional phenotypes could be added in successive waves. We propose a genome wide association (GWA) study of Alzheimer's disease and longitudinal changes in cognition and other age-related neurological and medical phenotypes. The goal will be to identify the chromosomal locations of genes underlying this disease and its related endophenotypes.

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• Genomic Studies in Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease

  The various forms of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) comprise a genetically heterogeneous set of peripheral neuropathies. Currently, >90 different CMT genes have been identified; yet, for the axonal CMT2 subtype these genes explain only 30-40% of the genetic effect. In particular, the application of exome sequencing has led to an unprecedented pace in identifying about half of those genes in the past five years. We have been at the forefront of this development with 22+ published new gene identifications in the past seven years. This success was only possible through broad national and international collaborations, data sharing, and the development of advanced analysis tools and methods. We also learned that despite an accumulation of exome sequencing data, over 50% of axonal CMT patients remain undiagnosed, suggesting even more genes are involved; additionally, our preliminary data also support the existence of non-coding variations as Mendelian allele contributors. In this study, we will continue our highly impactful work in CMT family recruitment, exome sequencing and traditional gene identification. In addition, we will expand the genetic studies to whole genome sequencing with a focus on families already explored unsuccessfully in whole exome studies. We further plan to perform the first large rare variant burden analysis in the rare disorder CMT2. This is only possible through the exceptional clinical resources we have built over the past decade. Finally, with many CMT genes available, we will perform statistical network analyses on a CMT-ome to identify gene modules and pathways that will be the starting point of polypharmacology, and provide insight into pathophysiology of peripheral nerve degeneration. All data will be available in real-time to an existing network of CMT investigators worldwide, and deposited in dbGaP annually.

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• Hispanic Community Health Study /Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL)

  The Hispanic Community Health Study / Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL) is a multi-center epidemiologic study in Hispanic/Latino populations to determine the role of acculturation in the prevalence and development of disease, and to identify risk factors playing a protective or harmful role in Hispanics/Latinos. The study is sponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and six other institutes, centers, and offices of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The goals of the HCHS/SOL include studying the prevalence and development of disease in Hispanics/Latinos, including the role of acculturation, and identifying disease risk factors that play protective or harmful roles in Hispanics/Latinos. A total of 16,415 persons of Cuban, Dominican, Mexican, Puerto Rican, Central American, and South American backgrounds were recruited through four Field Centers affiliated with San Diego State University, Northwestern University in Chicago, Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx area of New York, and the University of Miami. Seven additional academic centers serve as scientific and logistical support centers. Study participants aged 18-74 years took part in an extensive clinic exam and assessments to ascertain socio-demographic, cultural, environmental and biomedical characteristics. Annual follow-up interviews are conducted to determine a range of health outcomes. The HCHS SOL 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" section of this top-level study page phs000810 HCHS SOL Cohort. phs000555 PAGE CALiCo SOL phs000880 HCHS/SOL Omics in Latinos (Ola)

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• ChiLDReN/BA: Genetic Studies of Biliary Atresia in the Childhood Liver Disease Research Network

  Biliary atresia (BA) is a progressive necroinflammatory process initially involving the extra-hepatic biliary tree. Little is known about the factors that cause BA or the factors that influence disease progression. A variety of genetic, autoimmune, and environmental influences have been hypothesized to be important. Most studies to date have focused on the neonate and young child with BA, yet the older surviving child with BA can provide important information about genetics as well as natural history.The Childhood Liver Disease Research Network (ChiLDReN) conducts two longitudinal and observational studies that include BA patients: Biliary Atresia Study in Infants and Children (BASIC) and A Prospective Database of Infants with Cholestasis (PROBE). Using samples from participants in these two protocols, we have formed the largest known data set of biliary atresia patients in the world. ChiLDReN is performing a series of genomic analyses, with subsequent analyses being released as subsequent versions of this registration, phs003356. Version 1 concerns PKD1L1.About the PKD1L1 Analysis (phs003356.v1): While multiple factors have been implicated in the perinatal biliary injuries that characterize BA, a definitive etiology has not yet been established. This study is part of a larger project to characterize the largest cohort of pediatric BA patients through whole-exome sequencing (WES). In this analysis, we examine the WES of those with various laterality defects to determine whether genetic factors could be identified to explicate the etiopathogenesis of BA in biliary atresia splenic malformation (BASM) syndrome. We specifically explored variations in the PKD1L1 gene, which recently has been identified in mouse models as playing a role in laterality.

  Study phs003356

• Somatic Mutation in Normal Bladder Study

  Adult human somatic tissues are landscapes of mutant clones, but little is known about how these landscapes are shaped by known cancer risk factors. The goal of this study was to determine how the main bladder cancer risk factors (sex and smoking) change the mutational landscape of the normal urothelium. We collected normal urothelium from 45 donors at autopsy by brushing ~2cm² of the surface epithelium in the upper part (dome) and lower part (trigone) of the bladder (79 samples total). To identify mutations with high sensitivity we employed ultradeep (~5000x) DNA error-correcting duplex-sequencing on a panel of 15 protein coding genes and the TERT promoter, previously described to be under positive selection in normal urothelium or relevant to bladder cancer. We identified thousands of clonal driver mutations, which demonstrate pervasive positive selection in the normal urothelium. Males showed a significantly higher number of driver truncating mutations in RBM10, CDKN1A and ARID1A, despite similar rates of non-coding mutations, indicating stronger positive selection and clonal expansion in the male urothelium. We also discovered clonal expansions driven by activating TERT promoter mutations in the normal bladder, which were strongly associated with age and smoking. These results demonstrate that sex and smoking shape the clonal landscape of the normal bladder and indicate that the high mutational content of normal tissues might be leveraged to study the effect of mutations in vivo (i.e. natural saturation mutagenesis). We will deposit in dbGaP de-identified relevant clinical information from the 45 donors and the fastq files derived from duplex sequencing of the 79 samples in the study. We will also deposit fastq files derived from duplex sequencing of 3 control cord blood samples.

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• CPTAC Proteogenomic Study

  Recently, significant progress has been made in characterizing and sequencing the genomic alterations in statistically robust numbers of samples from several types of cancer. For example, The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) and other similar efforts are identifying genomic alterations associated with specific cancers (e.g., copy number aberrations, rearrangements, point mutations, epigenomic changes, etc.) The availability of these multi-dimensional data to the scientific community sets the stage for the development of new molecularly targeted cancer interventions. Understanding the comprehensive functional changes in cancer proteomes arising from genomic alterations and other factors is the next logical step in the development of high-value candidate protein biomarkers. Hence, proteomics can greatly advance the understanding of molecular mechanisms of disease pathology via the analysis of changes in protein expression, their modifications and variations, as well as protein=protein interaction, signaling pathways and networks responsible for cellular functions such as apoptosis and oncogenesis. Realizing this great potential, the NCI launched the third phase of the CPTC initiative in September 2016. As the Clinical Proteomic Tumor Analysis Consortium, CPTAC continues to define cancer proteomes on genomically-characterized biospecimens. The purpose of this integrative approach was to provide the broad scientific community with knowledge that links genotype to proteotype and ultimately phenotype. In this third phase of CPTAC, the program aims to expand on CPTAC II and genomically and proteomically characterize over 2000 samples from 10 cancer types (Lung Adenocarcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma, Glioblastoma Multiforme, Acute Myeloid Leukemia, Clear cell renal Carcinoma, Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma, Cutaneous Melanoma, Sarcoma, Lung Squamous Cell Carcinoma, Uterine Corpus Endometrial Carcinoma) .Germline DNA is obtained from blood and Normal control samples for proteomics varied by organ site. All cancer samples were derived from primary and untreated tumor.

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• CCR8-targeted specific depletion of clonally expanded Treg cells in tumor tissues evokes potent tumor immunity with long-lasting memory

  Foxp3-expressing CD25+CD4+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) are abundantly infiltrating into tumor tissues, hindering effective anti-tumor immunity. Here, assuming that such tumor Tregs were clonally expanding by recognizing tumor-associated antigens, we attempted to characterize them by their gene expression profiling and T-cell receptor (TCR) clonotyping at the single-cell level. We found that they predominantly expressed the chemokine receptor CCR8: ~40% of tumor Tregs, less than 10% of Tregs in other tissues, and few tumor-infiltrating conventional T cells expressed CCR8 in mice and humans. CCR8+ tumor Tregs were phenotypically highly differentiated and functionally stable. One injection of anti-CCR8 mAb with high antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxic activity was indeed able to specifically deplete clonally expanded tumor Tregs and thereby eradicate established tumors in mice. The depletion predominantly expanded tumor-infiltrating CD8+ effector T cells, which were different in activated or exhausted patterns from those seen after immune checkpoint blockade by anti-PD-1 mAb. The treatment also evoked potent secondary immune responses against the same tumor cell line inoculated several months after tumor eradication, indicating that the anti-CCR8-induced memory-type tumor-reactive effector T cells were, once induced, resistant to recovered Treg suppression. In contrast to such evocation of potent tumor immunity, anti-CCR8 treatment scarcely elicited discernable autoimmunity in mice, contrasting with a similar treatment for systemic whole Treg depletion, which induced histologically and serologically evident autoimmunity. Thus, temporary and specific depletion of clonally expanded Tregs in tumor tissues by cell-depleting anti-CCR8 mAb is sufficient to evoke potent tumor immunity with long-lasting memory and without serious autoimmunity.

  Study JGAS000312

• Genome and gene analysis of gastrointestinal cancer and elucidation of its clinicopathological significance

  Cancer develops through the accumulation of genetic and epigenetic aberrations. To identify sequential molecular alterations that occur during the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), we molecularly compared 52 early and 108 overt HCC samples by genome sequencing. Gene mutations in the p53/RB1 pathway, WNT pathway, MLLs, SWI/SNF complexes, and AKT/PI3K pathway were common in HCC. In the early phase of all entities, TERT was the most frequently upregulated gene owing to diverse mechanisms. Despite frequent somatic mutations in driver genes, including CTNNB1 and TP53, early HCC was a separate molecular entity from overt HCC as each had a distinct expression profile. Notably, WNT target genes were not activated in early HCC, regardless of CTNNB1 mutation status, because ?-catenin did not translocate into the nucleus due to the E-Cadherin/?-catenin complex at the membrane. Conversely, WNT targets were definitively upregulated in overt HCC with CTNNB1 mutation associated with downregulation of CDH1 and hypomethylation of CpG islands in the target genes. Similarly, cell cycle genes downstream of the p53/RB pathway were upregulated only in overt HCC with TP53 and/or RB1 gene mutations associated with chromosomal deletion of 4q and/or 16q. Differing from the expression profile, HCC was epigenetically distinguished into four subclasses: normal-like methylation, global-hypomethylation (favorable prognosis), stem-like methylation (poor prognosis), and CpG island methylation. These methylation statuses were globally maintained through HCC progression. Taken together, additional molecular events besides driver gene mutations cooperatively contribute to transcriptional activation of downstream targets as HCC progresses, according to the methylation status of the associated genes.

  Study JGAS000233

• How upcycled prostate cancer sequences enabled key findings on telomeres length

  The length of telomeres, the chromosomes’ end tails, as depicted in the figure below, physiologically shorten with aging. This means that younger cells have longer telomeres compared to their aged counterparts; one could say that the length of cells’ telomeres is a measure of their replicative power. Cancer cells are known to be able to turn this into their favour, and expand their replicative immortality through telomere lengthening and maintenance. Despite being a well-studied pan-cancer hallmark, the relation of the telomeres length to specific cancer genomic features is poorly understood. Julia Livingstone and her colleagues from P.C. Boutros' team in Los Angeles focused their work on prostate cancer. To investigate the relations between telomere length and the clinico-genomics of prostate tumours, they used whole genome sequencing (WGS) of 392 published tumour–reference pairs previously deposited at the EGA under accession numbers EGAS00001000400 and EGAS00001000900. Their work was published on Nature Communications in November 2021. They determined the telomere length of the sequencing sample, from both tumour and non-tumour adjacent tissues, and subsequently ran statistical analysis to investigate possible correlation between the telomeres length with several cancer features. The team discovered that telomeres length does not correlate with any specific driver gene mutation, but it does with the overall frequency of single nucleotides variants in a sample. This finding suggests that tumours with shorter telomeres accumulate more mutations without strong selective pressures for specific ones. While proliferation rate did not correlate directly with telomere length, methylation of almost half of all genes strongly did. The team’s results are massive and reveal a complicated and fascinating relation of different clinical and genomic features of prostate cancer with telomere length. In the paper discussion, they smartly consider different possibilities. As noted above, all these amazing results have been obtained analysing previously sequenced samples. Remarkably, the researchers who generated the samples did not focus at all on telomeres length. They indeed studied specific genes mutations and the features of early and late-onset prostate cancer. This proves, once again, the power of sequencing data re-use. This data is tremendously rich in information, and can hardly be exhausted with any number of analyses. Generating sequencing data, especially Whole Genome Sequencing, even better if tumor-reference paired, is like shopping every last article at the grocery store. You can then cook several recipes, or prepare a seven-course dinner, and still have ingredients left for someone else to borrow and cook something you have not thought about, a recipe that is just not in your cookbook. Noteworthy, the data retrieved from the EGA for this paper is associated with rich and complete metadata, meaning pheno-clinical information regarding the sample donors. As Julia Livingstone and her team wrote, using rich clinical annotations enabled them to assess the relationship between telomere length and patients outcome. This highlights once again the importance of reporting and annotating metadata correctly; It might feel like extra work for the researchers depositing their data, but it really has a huge value. Our team at the EGA is currently working to improve the metadata annotation process, with the aim to maximize the benefits for the scientific community.

  Blog prostate-cancer-sequences-enabled-key-findings-on-telomeres-length

• Influence of age on molecular changes and treatment stratification in multimodal glioblastoma therapy

  Background: The increasing life expectancy has led to a rise in high-grade gliomas, particularly in patients of older age. The impact of chronological age, associated molecular changes and contributing factors on therapy response, progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) remain uncertain. Methods: Between January 1st, 2016, and December 31th, 2021, patients with glioblastoma IDH-wt (CNS WHO grade 4) were included. RNA- and T-cell receptor sequencing was performed in a subset of patients. Primary outcome parameters were extent of resection (EOR), progression free- and overall survival. Multivariate analysis was performed to identify independent predictors of survival. Results: A total of 286 patients were included. The mean age was 66.4 years. Chronological age did not correlate with overall survival (r=0.12). With age, tumor immune composition changed towards macrophages with M2 phenotype and decreased numbers of CD8+ and neutrophiles. Aging related genes were not enriched. Beyond 69.5 years of age, despite similar PFS (p=0.0783), OS (p<0.0001) was significantly shorter, compared to younger patients. Extent of resection and adjuvant radiochemotherapy were significant predictors of OS (p<0.0001). No difference in PFS and OS was found between younger and older patients treated with maximal safe resection, followed by concomitant RT and chemotherapy and adjuvant chemotherapy. Conclusions: This study suggests that age alone should not be the sole determinant in therapeutic decision-making for glioblastoma patients. Gross total resection and adjuvant therapy, tailored to individual clinical status, significantly impact survival outcomes. Patient-specific treatment strategies are important to minimize undertreatment and optimize therapeutic outcomes in older patients.

  Study EGAS00001008246

• The light chain IgLV3-21 defines a new poor prognostic subgroup in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia: results from a multicenter study

  Purpose: Unmutated (UM) immunoglobulin heavy chain region (IgHV) status or IgHV3-21 gene usage is associated with poor prognosis in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Interestingly, IgHV3-21 is often co-expressed with light chain IgLV3-21 which is potentially able to trigger cell-autonomous BCR-mediated signaling. However this light chain has never been characterized independently of the heavy chain IgHV3-21.Experimental Design: we performed total RNA sequencing to characterize IgLV3-21 patients (n=32) and investigated IgLV3-21 prognostic impact in terms of treatment-free (TFS) and overall (OS) survival in 3 other independent cohorts for a total of 813 patients where IgLV3-21 presence was tested by real-time PCR and confirmed by Sanger sequencing.Results: Using total RNA sequencing to characterize 32 patients with high-risk CLL, we found a high frequency (28%) of IgLV3-21 rearrangements. Gene set enrichment analysis revealed that these patients present higher expression of genes responsible for ribosome biogenesis and translation initiation (P<0.0001) and MYC target genes (P=0.0003). Patients with IgLV3-21 rearrangements displayed a significantly shorter TFS and OS (P<0.05), in particular in IgHV mutated patients. In each of the 3 independent validation cohorts (n=813), we showed that IgLV3-21 rearrangements -similar to UM IgHV status- conferred poor prognosis compared to mutated IgHV (P<0.0001). Importantly, we confirmed in multivariate analysis that this was independent of IgHV mutational status or subset #2 stereotyped receptor (P<0.0001). Conclusions: We therefore demonstrate for the first time that a light chain can impact on CLL prognosis and that IgLV3-21 light chain usage defines a new poor prognostic subgroup in CLL.

  Study EGAS00001002894

• A genome scan for genes underlying adult body size differences between Central African hunter-gatherers and farmers.

  The evolutionary and biological bases of the Central African pygmy phenotype, a characteristic of rainforest huntergatherers defined by reduced body size compared with neighboring farmers, remain largely unknown. Here, we perform a joint investigation in Central African hunter-gatherers and farmers of adult standing height, sitting height, leg length, and body mass index (BMI), considering 358 hunter-gatherers and 169 farmers with genotypes for 153,798 SNPs. In addition to reduced standing heights, hunter-gatherers have shorter sitting heights and leg lengths and higher sitting/standing height ratios than farmers and lower BMI for males. Standing height, sitting height, and leg length are strongly correlated with inferred levels of farmer genetic ancestry, whereas BMI is only weakly correlated, perhaps reflecting greater contributions of non-genetic factors to body weight than to height. Single- and multi-marker association tests identify one region and eight genes associated with hunter-gatherer/farmer status, and 24 genes associated with the height-related traits. Many of these genes have putative functions consistent with roles in determining their associated traits and the pygmy phenotype, and they include three associated with standing height in non-Africans (PRKG1, DSCAM, MAGI2). We find evidence that European height-associated SNPs or variants in linkage disequilibrium with them contribute to standing- and sitting-height determination in Central Africans, but not to the differential status of hunter-gatherers and farmers. These findings provide new insights into the biological basis of the pygmy phenotype, and they highlight the potential of cross-population studies for exploring the genetic basis of phenotypes that vary naturally across populations. Pemberton et al. Human Genetics 2018 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00439-018-1902-3

  Study EGAS00001002975

• Discovery and validation of an ancillary genomic test of malignancy for primary melanocytic tumors

  Background:Pathological diagnosis of melanocytic tumors can be difficult and prone to error. More accurate and reliable ancillary investigations than those currently available are required to improve diagnostic accuracy. Goals: (1) to generate a genomic model for distinguishing benign (nevi) from malignant (melanoma) melanocytic skin tumors, developed from a customized gene panel evaluated on a cohort of 250 nevi and melanomas. (2) To evaluate the performance of the genomic model in melanocytic tumors of uncertain diagnosis/behavior. Details: The cohort of 250 melanomas and naevi was split into a discovery set and a validation set. Our genomic model obtained an area under the curve of 95% in the discovery cohort and 96% for the validation cohort. Based on a Youden index threshold, the resulting classifier shows high specificity (>95% in the discovery and validation cohorts), with sensitivities >80% in the discovery and validation cohorts. Evaluation of the genomic model on a cohort of 110 melanocytic tumors identifies key driver mutations in agreement with the likely pathway of origin of the tumors. The probability of melanoma (p=0.02) from the genomic model was significantly associated with pathology-based estimates of malignancy for melanocytic tumors lacking pathway-defining genomic aberrations (conventional tumors). The genomic model identified 8/36 (22%) conventional tumors with unresolved malignancy to have a high probability of melanoma, with 7/8 of these cases showing negative/non-aberrant results with either fluorescent in-situ hybridization, PRAME and/or p16 immunostains. Furthermore, no evidence of malignant behavior based on the genomic model was seen in 4 conventional borderline tumors with more than 1 year follow-up. Conclusion: This genomic model can become a clinically useful ancillary tool that is highly specific for differentiating melanomas from nevi.

  Study EGAS50000000887

• METABRIC

  Solid tumors are complex tissues composed of a mixture of cancer and normal cells, which complicates the interpretation of their molecular profiles. Normal cell contamination can dilute cancer cell information and tissue architecture is generally not reflected in molecular assays. To address these challenges, we developed a computational approach based on standard Haematoxylin and Eosin-stained sections and demonstrated its power in a discovery cohort of 323 breast tumors and an independent validation cohort of 241 tumors. First, to deconvolute cellular heterogeneity and detect subtle genomic aberrations, we introduced an algorithm based on tumor cellularity to increase the comparability of copy-number profiles between samples. Second, we demonstrated that a predictor for survival integrating image-based and molecular features significantly outperforms classifiers based on single data types. Third, we described and validated a novel, independent prognostic factor based on quantitative analysis of spatial patterns between stromal cells, which are not detectable by molecular assays. Our quantitative methods refine and complement molecular assays of tumor samples and could benefit all large-scale cancer studies.First, to deconvolute cellular heterogeneity and detect subtle genomic aberrations, we introduced an algorithm based on tumor cellularity to increase the comparability of copy-number profiles between samples. Second, we demonstrated that a predictor for survival integrating image-based and molecular features significantly outperforms classifiers based on single data types. Third, we described and validated a novel, independent prognostic factor based on quantitative analysis of spatial patterns between stromal cells, which are not detectable by molecular assays. Our quantitative methods refine and complement molecular assays of tumor samples and could benefit all large-scale cancer studies.

  Study EGAS00000000098

• Copy numbers in resectable gastric cancer treated with surgery alone

  Purpose: Gastric cancer is a heterogeneous disease requiring stratification to recognize its underlying biology and variable clinical outcome. The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) recognizes four molecular subgroups: Epstein-Barr virus positive (EBV+) and microsatellite instable (MSI) with superior survival compared to genomically stable (GS) and chromosomal instable (CIN). Since classification criteria to distinguish GS from CIN were not defined, alternative markers such as Lauren’s histopathology or CDH1/p53 immunohistochemistry are commonly applied. Here we compared survival of gastric cancer subgroups determined by four methods. Experimental Design: EBV- and microsatellite stable tumors from a total of 309 patients treated with surgery alone were assigned to subgroups by: (i) specific copy number aberrations as determined by TCGA (GS or CIN), (ii) genome instability index (GII; high or low), (iii) Lauren’s classification (diffuse or intestinal), and (iv) CDH1/p53 immunohistochemistry (IHC; aberrant CDH1, normal-, or aberrant p53 expression). Subgroups were associated with cancer-related survival (CRS). Results: Five-year CRS was 42.0% for diffuse and 49.5% for intestinal type tumors, and 57.8% for GS and 41.6% for CIN tumors. Classification by GII or CDH1/p53 IHC did not correlate with CRS. The combination of TCGA and Lauren classifications resulted in four distinct subgroups. Five-year CRS for GS-intestinal (n=24), GS-diffuse (n=57), CIN-intestinal (n=142) and CIN-diffuse (n=86) was 61.4%, 56.5%, 47.6%, and 31.5%, respectively. Conclusions: TCGA’s GS and CIN have additional prognostic value to Lauren’s diffuse and intestinal subgroups in gastric cancer. GS-intestinal, GS-diffuse, CIN-intestinal and CIN-diffuse constitute biologically distinct entities and are suggested as stratification variables for future studies.

  Study EGAS00001007394

• Enhanced detection of circulating tumor DNA by fragment size analysis

  Existing methods to improve detection of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) have focused on sensitivity for detecting genomic alterations but have rarely considered the biological properties of plasma cell-free DNA (cfDNA). We hypothesized that differences in fragment lengths of circulating DNA could be exploited to enhance sensitivity for detecting the presence of ctDNA and for non-invasive genomic analysis of cancer. We surveyed ctDNA fragment sizes in 344 plasma samples from 200 cancer patients using low-pass whole-genome sequencing (0.4×). To establish the size distribution of mutant ctDNA, tumor-guided personalized deep sequencing was performed in 19 patients. We detected enrichment of ctDNA in fragment sizes between 90–150 bp, and developed methods for in vitro and in silico size selection of these fragments. Selecting fragments between 90–150 bp improved detection of tumor DNA, with more than 2-fold median enrichment in >95% of cases, and more than 4-fold enrichment in > 10% of cases. Analysis of size-selected cfDNA identified clinically actionable mutations and copy number alterations that were otherwise not detected. Identification of plasma samples from patients with advanced cancer was improved by predictive models integrating fragment length and copy number analysis of cfDNA, with AUC> 0.99 compared to AUC < 0.80 without fragmentation features. Increased identification of cfDNA from patients with glioma, renal, and pancreatic cancer was achieved with AUC > 0.91, compared to AUC < 0.5 without fragmentation features. Fragment size analysis and selective sequencing of specific fragment sizes can boost ctDNA detection. This could reduce the required depth of cfDNA sequencing for clinical applications, earlier diagnosis and study of tumor biology.

  Study EGAS00001003258

• Limited Association between HRR Gene Alterations and HRD in Molecular Tumor Board Cancer Samples: Who should be tested for HRD?

  Alterations in Homologous Recombination Repair (HRR) Pathway genes have been found to be associated with HR-Deficiency (HRD), which is an approved biomarker for PARP Inhibitor (PARPi) treatment. The aim of a Molecular Tumor Board (MTB) is to identify molecular alterations in cancer patients with advanced tumors that may suggest off-label treatment options. So far, few studies have analyzed the presence of HRR gene mutations and their association with HRD outside of clinical studies. Currently, no data on HRD testing in the setting of a MTB have been published. For the present study, a cohort of 237 patients encompassing 24 different tumor entities was collected from the MTB of the Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen-EMN. We show that an elevated Genomic Instability Score (GIS ≥ 42) can occur in samples with and without mutations in HRR-related genes. Overall, 38.1% of cancer samples with BRCA1/2 mutations, 10.9% of tumors with alterations in HRR genes other than BRCA1/2, and 4.3% of cancer samples without HRR gene mutations harbored an elevated GIS. Notably, our data show that various inactivating BRCA1/2 mutations are not associated with an elevated GIS. Taken together, panCancer assessment of HRD in addition to BRCA1/2 and other HRR gene mutational analysis is recommended to guide decisions regarding PARPi treatment. Further studies are needed to establish thresholds for GIS in non-ovarian cancer entities. Finally, HRD can be observed in 4.3% of BRCA1/2 and other HRR gene wildtype cancer samples, and may emerge as an independent biomarker for PARPi in the future.

  Study EGAS00001008063