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• Transcriptomic and Clonal Characterization of T Cells in the Human Central Nervous System

  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. 

  Study phs002222

• DNA Methylation Analysis of Peripheral Blood Cells from Siblings Discordant for ASD

  Autism is a common disorder whose causes are poorly understood. Both genetic and environmental influences are thought to act together causing autism. Epigenetics is an area that bridges genetic and environmental influencing and commonly is studied by examining dynamic methylation changes to the DNA. We have screened a total of 78 autistic boys and their fathers by this method in 807 genes and find 116 methylation changes that together can correctly identify nearly 80% of the affected boys from their fathers. We propose to confirm these exciting data in a much larger set of genes in 1,200 autistic boys and their families, including unaffected brothers. These data not only could provide new insight into the causes of autism but could also result in a screening test for autism.

  Study phs000619

• Multimodal Mapping of the Immune Landscape in Human Pancreatic Cancer

  Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) is characterized by an immune-suppressive tumor microenvironment that has rendered it largely refractory to immunotherapy. We used single-cell RNA sequencing on patient tumors and matched blood, and we uncovered a previously unappreciated, complex environment of immune-suppressive cellular interactions. These experiments reveal immune checkpoint expression heterogeneity on individual patient T cells, with corresponding ligands on neoplastic and myeloid cells. TIGIT was upregulated on tumor infiltrating CD8+ T cells and was the only checkpoint receptor consistently expressed by exhausted CD8+ T cells. Clinical annotation of the samples revealed that the exhausted signature is most prominent in patients with advanced stages of disease. Our findings suggest individualized combination therapy, involving anti-TIGIT therapies, may be necessary to extend the benefits of immunotherapy to pancreatic cancer patients.

  Study phs002071

• Accelerating Medicines Partnership-Rheumatoid Arthritis (AMP-RA/SLE)

  This project is analyzing tissue and blood samples from people with RA and lupus to pinpoint genes, proteins, chemical pathways, and networks involved at a single cell level. This type of modular, molecular analysis will allow comparisons across the diseases and will provide insights into key aspects of the disease process. The project will identify differences between those RA patients who respond to therapies and those who do not, as well as provide a better systems level understanding of disease mechanisms in both RA and lupus. This knowledge is essential for the development of targeted therapies and for the application of existing and future therapies to appropriate patient populations. Additional datasets can be accessed through ImmPort (http://www.immport.org/immport-open/public/home/studySearch), accession: SDY998, SDY999.

  Study phs001457

• The Finland-United States Investigation of NIDDM Genetics (FUSION) Study

  The Finland-United States Investigation of NIDDM Genetics (FUSION) study is a long-term effort to identify genetic variants that predispose to type 2 diabetes (T2D) or that impact the variability of T2D-related quantitative traits. The initial effort involved linkage analysis of affected-sibling-pair (ASP) families based on over 5,000 individuals living in Finland, and association fine mapping based on these family members and additional T2D cases and controls. Recently we completed a genome-wide association scan on 1161 T2D cases and 1174 normal glucose tolerant (NGT) controls. Individual-level data is available here for the 919 T2D cases and 787 NGT controls who reconsented to the use of their data or are deceased. Version 3 adds individual-level data for additional phenotypic variables.

  Study phs000100

• Prevention of Viral Hepatitis and HIV in Drug Users - A Hepatitis B Model for HIV and an HB Vaccine Model for HIV Vaccine Trials in Drug Users (DASH)

  The goal of the proposed study is to use the Hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccine as a model for a future Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) vaccine trial, examining the efficacy of community-based outreach intervention as well as an accelerated vaccine schedule as a method for increasing acceptance/adherence with HBV vaccination protocols among not-in-treatment drug users. This study also examined the effect of HBV vaccination coupled with community-based outreach intervention on reducing the incidence of HIV, HBV and Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) infections and the frequency of needle use and sexual risk behaviors related to these viral transmissions. A secondary purpose is to assess the antibody response after HBV vaccination as a measurement of immunological response in drug users.

  Study phs002331

• RNA-Seq from PMM2-CDG Patients and Healthy Controls

  Besides the predominant neurological involvement of PMM2-CDG patients, around 20% of patient mortality has been linked to severe infections. However, the immunological dysfunction in PMM2-CDG is not well understood. In this study, we aimed to address this gap and study the molecular mechanisms affected behind immunological issues in PMM2-CDG. Primary skin fibroblasts from three PMM2-CDG patients and three healthy controls were stimulated or not with TNF-alpha and their gene expression was assessed by RNA sequencing. The response to TNF-alpha was characterized based on the differential expressed genes and functional enrichment and and compared between PMM2-CDG and healthy individuais. Gene expression alterations and functional enrichment were further validated by several experimental assays by ELISA, Flow Cytometry and Western Blotting.

  Study phs003313

• Single cell multi-omics analysis of chromothriptic medulloblastoma highlights genomic and transcriptomic consequences of genome instability

  Chromothripsis is a form of genome instability, whereby a presumably single catastrophic event generates extensive genomic rearrangements of one or few chromosome(s). However, little is known about the heterogeneity of chromothripsis across different clones from the same tumor, as well as changes in response to treatment. We analyzed single-cell genomic and transcriptomic alterations linked with chromothripsis in human p53-deficient medulloblastoma (n=7). We reconstructed the order of somatic events, identified early alterations likely linked to chromothripsis and depicted the contribution of chromothripsis to malignancy. We characterized subclonal variation of chromothripsis and its effects on double-minute chromosomes, cancer drivers and putatively druggable targets. Furthermore, we highlighted the causative role and the fitness consequences of specific rearrangements in neural progenitors.

  Study EGAS00001005410

• Clinical relevance of TCGA subtypes for gastric cancer patients

  There is a clinical need for the availability of molecular biomarkers in the tratment of gastric cancer (GC), since survival rates remain poor with a 5-year survival rate of only ~`40% for patients with resectable disease. These markers will elad to a more tailored approach in the treatment of GC, which enhances efficacy and reduces toxicity. Recently, The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) classified GC patients into four molecular subgroups: Epstein Barr Virus positive (EBV+), genomically stable (GS), microsatellite instable (MSI), and chromosomal instable (CIN). For this purpose we aim to collect tumor tissue blocks from patients who participated in the Dutch D1/D2 or the CRITICS trial and who gave informed consent for translational studies. Associations between TCGA subtypes and outcomes to these different therapeutic options will be analyzed.

  Study EGAS50000000779

• RNA-Seq of human longitudinal whole blood samples from PCR-positive and PCR-negative recent household contacts of COVID-19 index cases.

  Little is known about the transcriptomic profile of individuals who are exposed to SARS-CoV-2 yet resist becoming PCR positive. To investigate this, longitudinal whole-blood samples were taken (0, 7, 14, and 28 days after enrolment) from PCR positive and PCR negative SARS-CoV-2-naïve household contacts who were recently exposed to a COVID-19 index. Samples were also taken from pre- and post-pandemic unexposed controls. Total RNA was extracted from PAXgene tubes before undergoing poly(A) selection followed by globin and rRNA depletion. DNA libraries were constructed using the NEBNext® Ultra™ II Directional RNA Library Prep Kit for Illumina. All samples were then sequenced across 2 flowcells of an Illumina HiSeq 4000.

  Study EGAS50000000473

• Single-Cell Atlas of Human Liver and Blood Immune Cells Across Fatty Liver Disease Stages

  The goal of the study was to investigate immunological correlates of human fatty liver disease progression. We generated a single-cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq) atlas of immune cells from liver fine needle aspirates (FNAs) and paired peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from a full-spectrum Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD)/Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatohepatitis (MASH) human cohort, using the 3' 10X Genomics platform. Using computational analyses to assess changes in cellular frequencies and function, we found heightened immunoregulatory programs with profibrotic potential alongside a shift from antigen-specific to natural killer cytotoxic functions in the liver with MASH progression. Available data include raw single-cell transcriptomic data (FASTQ files) for each sample type (PBMC, FNA) per patient alongside clinical and histological measurements of fatty liver disease.

  Study phs004044

• NHLBI TOPMed - NHGRI CCDG: Intermountain INSPIRE Registry

  The INtermountain Healthcare Biological Samples Collection Project and Investigational REgistry for the On-going Study of Disease Origin, Progression and Treatment (Intermountain INSPIRE Registry) purpose is to collect biological samples, clinical information and laboratory data from Intermountain Healthcare patients. The registry originally collected samples in patients undergoing a coronary angiography as part of the Intermountain Heart Collaborative Study. It has been expanded to collect samples in patients diagnosed with all types of medical conditions, and patients from the general population including those who have not been diagnosed with health related issues. Just over 25,000 individuals have provided samples as part of this registry. The registry enables researchers to develop a comprehensive collection of information that may help in disease management, including determining best medical practices for predicting, preventing and treating medical conditions.

  Study phs001545

• exploration of biomarkers discriminating squamous cell carcinoma from other lung cancers

  Targeted therapies based on the molecular and histological features of cancer types are becoming standard practice. The most effective regimen in lung cancers is different between squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and adenocarcinoma (AD). Therefore a precise diagnosis is crucial, but this has been difficult, particularly for poorly differentiated SCC (PDSCC) and AD without a lepidic growth component (non-lepidic AD). Biomarkers enabling a precise diagnosis are therefore urgently needed. To achieve this goal, we initially performed CAGE (Cap Analysis of Gene Expression) to quantify promoter activities on 97 frozen tissues from surgically resected lung cancers (22 SCC and 75 AD). We furhter expanded the transcriptome profiling to cover additional 48 malignant neoplasm of bronchus and lung, including mesothelioma and metastatic lung cancers derived from other tissues.

  Study JGAS000488

• GWAS for atrial fibrillation in the Japanese population

  We performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) that utilized 8,180 atrial fibrillation cases and 28,612 controls and followed up in an additional 3,120 cases and 125,064 controls in the Japanese population. We replicated previously reported loci and identified six novel loci. Five of the six novel loci were specifically associated with atrial fibrillation in the Japanese population after comparing our data to individuals of European ancestry, suggesting there might be different susceptibility genetic factors across ancestries. Our study has discovered variants in genes HAND2, KCND3 and NEBL that are relevant to atrial fibrillation susceptibility. The involvement of PPFIA4 and SH3PXD2A in axon guidance also suggested its role in the disease pathogenesis. Our findings may contribute to a better understanding of atrial fibrillation susceptibility and pathogenesis.

  Study JGAS000101

• A single-cell multi-omic atlas of nodal B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas

  Nodal B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas (B-NHL) are a clinically diverse set of cancers thought to originate from distinct stages of B-cell maturation. To characterize intratumor heterogeneity across B-NHL entities, we performed CITE-Seq (cellular indexing of transcriptomes and epitopes) on 51 lymph node samples including mantle cell lymphoma (MCL, n = 8), follicular lymphoma (FL, n = 12), germinal center (GCB, n = 5) or activated B-cell (non-GCB/ABC, n = 7) diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and marginal zone lymphoma (MZL, n = 11) tumors, in addition to non-malignant reactive lymph nodes (rLN, n = 8). We also performed 5 prime scRNA-seq with immune receptor profiling for 11 of these samples (2 rLN, 2 MCL, 3 FL, 2 DLBCL, and 2 MZL).

  Study EGAS50000000342

• Longitudinal_Cambridge_Study_COVID19

  Investigating tissue immune responses to SARSCoV-2 in live and deceased donors This project is part of a longitudinal clinical study that will be run from Cambridge University Medical School (Joseph Cheriyen) studying covid-19 infected patients. The Clatworthy project would use single cell approaches to study severe fatal versus non-fatal in old and old versus young patients and will also provide some information on male versus female. This work will provide single cell resolution insights into immune response to the virus, providing vital information on the biology of covid-19 infection. This data is part of a pre-publication release. For information on the proper use of pre-publication data shared by the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute (including details of any publication moratoria), please see http://www.sanger.ac.uk/datasharing/

  Study EGAS00001004488

• IMCISION RNAseq

  RNA sequencing could be performed on all 32 baseline and 30 on-treatment primary tumor biopsies. Based on gene-set enrichment analysis, the epithelial to mesenchymal transition signature was enriched in baseline tumors of patients without MPR, though its expression was insufficient to predict ICB response. Baseline and on-treatment IFNγ and T-cell signature expression (Z-score) were not significantly higher in patients with an MPR.­­­ Baseline primary tumor hypoxia-associated gene expression in IMCISION did not predict ICB response. However, on-treatment biopsies of MPR tumor samples showed significantly lower hypoxia gene expression when compared to non-MPR samples. Moreover, in a paired analysis of baseline and corresponding on-treatment samples, a significant decrease of hypoxia-related gene expression was observed in MPR biopsies, while this decrease was absent in non-MPR biopsies.

  Study EGAS00001005454

• Whole exome sequencing in RVOT patients

  In a patient with right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) tachycardia we identified a heterozygous point mutation in the selectivity filter of the stretch-activated K2P potassium channel TREK-1 (KCNK2 or K2P2.1). This mutation introduces abnormal sodium permeability to TREK-1 In addition, mutant channels exhibit a hypersensitivity to stretch-activation, suggesting that the selectivity filter is directly involved in stretch-induced activation and desensitization. Increased sodium permeability and stretch-sensitivity of mutant TREK-1 channels may trigger arrhythmias in areas of the heart with high physical strain such as the RVOT. We present a pharmacological strategy to rescue the selectivity defect of the TREK-1 pore. Our findings provide important insights for future studies of K2P channel stretch-activation and the role of TREK-1 in mechano-electrical feedback in the heart.

  Study EGAS00001002319

• Neoadjuvant immune checkpoint blockade in high-risk resectable melanoma

  We conducted a randomized phase II study of neoadjuvant nivolumab versus combined ipilimumab with nivolumab in 23 patients with high-risk resectable melanoma (NCT02519322) and assessed clinical responses and immune correlates. Treatment with combined ipilimumab and nivolumab yielded high response rates (RECIST overall response rate 73%, pathologic complete response rate 45%) but substantial toxicity (73% grade 3 treatment related adverse events), whereas treatment with nivolumab monotherapy yielded modest responses (RECIST overall response rate 25%, pathologic complete response rate 25%) and low toxicity (8% grade 3 treatment related adverse events). Immune correlates of response were identified, demonstrating higher lymphoid infiltrates in responders to both therapies and a more clonal and diverse T cell infiltrate in responders to nivolumab monotherapy. Mutational load was also higher in responders to therapy.

  Study EGAS00001003178

• The Precision Medicine in Liver Cancer across an Asia-pacific NETwork (PLANET)

  Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the 2nd most important cause of cancer deaths in the world. The outcomes of treatment in HCC are poor compared to other common cancers because there are no good systemic therapy drugs. We designed a prospective study that will involve 5 different sites within the established Asia-Pacific Hepatocellular Carcinoma Trials Group to study both the genetics as well as immune profiles of HCC in different ethnicities. In this study, patients will be followed-up and at recurrence the tissues to understand the evolution of disease progression. Here, we presented both the genomic (DNA) and phenotypic (RNA) evolution for the first batch of 56 patients. The detailed findings will be listed in the corresponding publication soon.

  Study EGAS00001003813

• ICGC Oesophageal adenocarcinoma - tumour samples

  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.

  Study EGAS00001000725

• Genome_Diversity_in_Africa_Project___ancient_samples___standard_libraries

  Given the central importance of Africa to studies of human origins, genetic diversity and disease susceptibility, large-scale and representative characterisation of genetic diversity in Africa is needed. Analyses of ancient DNA from Africa would complement sequencing of modern African populations and provide unique opportunities to transform our understanding of the pre-history of the region. This approach would greatly refine our understanding of population structure and gene flow in Africa and globally, including genetic signatures of ancient admixture. This low coverage sequencing experiment will allow us to test and refine our pipeline for ancient DNA sequencing.This data is part of a pre-publication release. For information on the proper use of pre-publication data shared by the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute (including details of any publication moratoria), please see http://www.sanger.ac.uk/datasharing/

  Study EGAS00001001182

• Single-cell RNA sequencing of 22 Hodgkin lymphoma tumors and 5 reactive lymph nodes

  Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) is characterized by an extensively dominant tumor microenvironment (TME) composed of different types of non-cancerous immune cells with rare malignant cells. Characterization of the cellular components and their spatial relationship is crucial to understanding crosstalk and therapeutic targeting in the TME. We performed single-cell RNA sequencing of more than 127,000 cells from 22 HL tissue specimens and 5 reactive lymph nodes, profiling for the first time the phenotype of the HL-specific immune microenvironment at single-cell resolution. Library preparation was performed using the 10x Genomics Chromium system, and Illumina sequencing was used to generate 3' gene expression data for every cell. Downstream analysis was performed in R to identify HL-specific microenvironment patterns and identify novel cell populations.

  Study EGAS00001004085

• Neuroblastoma tumor heterogeneity and cell plasticity (from PDX and cell lines)

  Two cell identities, noradrenergic and mesenchymal, have been characterized in neuroblastoma cell lines according to their epigenetic landscapes relying on specific core regulatory circuitries of transcription factors. Yet, their relationship and relative contribution in patient tumors remain to be defined. Here, we document a spontaneous plasticity between the noradrenergic and mesenchymal identities in a subset of cell lines. Strikingly, mesenchymal neuroblastoma cells revert to a noradrenergic phenotype in vivo. Consistently, tumor cells with a mesenchymal identity are detected in single-cell transcriptomic analyses of neuroblastoma tumors and PDX models. Our data also highlight neuroblastoma intra-tumor heterogeneity with the co-existence of distinct tumor populations, including sympathoblast-like and chromaffin-like cells suggesting that neuroblastoma cells arise from a common sympatho-adrenal progenitor.

  Study EGAS00001004781

• Germline variant analysis in childhood AML

  Analysis of rare germline variants in childhood AML in a large panel of cancer predisposition genes (n=216) compiled from literature review, and including genes involved in familial hematological malignancies (HM) and bone marrow failure (BMF) syndromes. The prevalence of extremely rare variants in the combined childhood AML cohort (n=72) was compared to that in the Medical Genome Reference Bank (MGRB; n=2570) comprising individuals aged at least 70 years with no history of cardiovascular disease, dementia or cancer. This showed a significant increase of rare alleles in childhood AML for 100% of subset comparisons. Next additional stringent filtering was applied to determine predicted damaging germline predisposition variants. Overall, 21% of the Australian cohort and 25% of the TARGET cohort presented germline variants predicted to be damaging predisposition variants.

  Study EGAS00001006276

• Persistent Mutation Burden Drives Sustained Anti-Tumor Immune Responses

  Tumor mutation burden is an imperfect proxy of tumor foreignness and has therefore failed to consistently demonstrate clinical utility in predicting responses in the context of immunotherapy. We evaluated mutations in regions of the genome that are unlikely to undergo loss and discovered that clonal mutations in single-copy regions and those present in multiple copies per cell constitute a persistent tumor mutation burden (pTMB) that is linked with therapeutic response to immune checkpoint blockade. Persistent mutations were retained in the context of tumor evolution under selective pressure of immunotherapy and tumors with a high pTMB content were characterized by a more inflamed tumor microenvironment. pTMB imposes an evolutionary bottleneck that cancer cells cannot overcome and may thus drive sustained immunologic tumor control in the context of immunotherapy.

  Study EGAS00001006660

• The Iberian Roma genetic variant server

  The Roma are the most numerous ethnic minority in Europe. The Iberian Roma arrived in the Iberian Peninsula five centuries ago and still today, they keep a strong group identity. Demographic and cultural reasons lie behind a high rate of Mendelian disease often related to founder variants. We have analysed exome data from 119 Iberian Roma individuals collected from 2018 to 2020. A database of variant frequency has been implemented (IRPVS) and made available online. We have analysed the carrier rate of founder private alleles as well as pathogenic variants present in the general population. Significant enrichment in structural variants involving gene clusters related to keratinization and epidermal growth suggest that evolutive mechanisms have developed towards climate and environmental adaptation. IRPVS can be accessed at http://irpvs.clinbioinfosspa.es/

  Study EGAS00001006758

• Transcriptome human nasal epithelium

  1. Odors are detected, firstly, by olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) in the olfactory epithelium of the nose. This neurons then project directly to the olfactory bulb in the brain. Olfaction depends on cellular regeneration of the OE, olfactory bulb and hippocampus, and on their continual re-wiring. The olfactory neural pathway includes regions of the frontal, temporal and limbic brain, which in turn overlap with brain areas involved in brain disorders. OSNs are the only aspect of the human brain exposed to the external environment. This not only makes them vulnerable to environmental changes, but also accessible for biomedical studies. We have already sequenced and developed a protocol for analyzing the transcriptome of mouse main olfactory epithelium and single OSNs. We propose here to perform a similar study for samples from the human olfactory epithelium. We have developed a minimally invasive method for obtaining human OSNs, among other cells from the nasal epithelium. In this experiment, we have obtained cell samples from the olfactory epithelium, including OSN, from healthy volunteers. We would like to further characterize them by RNA sequencing. This will give us valuable insight into human olfaction. It will also provide a first step into a new avenue to study, and find biomarkers for, brain diseases though the analysis of these easily available neurons. This data is part of a pre-publication release. For information on the proper use of pre-publication data shared by the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute (including details of any publication moratoria), please see http://www.sanger.ac.uk/datasharing/

  Dataset EGAD00001002226

• SNP array data for the Milieu Intérieur cohort

  The Milieu Intérieur Consortium aims at identifying the environmental and genetic factors driving variation in innate and adaptive immune systems among healthy individuals. In the last four years, we combined standardized flow cytometric analysis of blood leukocytes, transcriptional profiles of whole blood after immune stimulation and genome-wide DNA genotyping in 1,000 healthy, unrelated donors of western European ancestry, to show that age, sex, as well as persistent infections and smoking, are the most important drivers of inter-individual differences in blood cell composition and transcriptional response to pathogens. The EGAS00001002460 study includes genotype data for 5,699,237 genotyped and imputed SNPs in the 816 healthy donors of the Milieu Intérieur cohort. Note that 184 of the 1,000 initial donors did not agree to share their data online.

  Study EGAS00001002460

• eMERGE Network Genome-Wide Association Study of Red Cell Indices, White Blood Count (WBC) Differential, Diabetic Retinopathy, Height, Serum Lipid Levels, Specifically Total Cholesterol, HDL (High Density Lipoprotein), LDL (Low Density Lipoprotein), and Triglycerides, and Autoimmune Hypothyroidism.

  The electronic Medical Records and Genomics (eMERGE) Network is a consortium of five participating sites (Group Health Seattle, Marshfield Clinic, Mayo Clinic, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University) funded by the NHGRI to investigate the use of electronic medical record systems for genomic research. The goal of eMERGE is to conduct genome-wide association studies in approximately 19,000 individuals using EMR-derived phenotypes and DNA from linked Biorepositories. Using electronic phenotyping methods, the consortium used DNA samples from all participating sites to explore the genetic determinants of red cell indices, white blood count (WBC) differential, diabetic retinopathy, height, serum lipid levels, specifically total cholesterol, HDL (high density lipoprotein), LDL (low density lipoprotein), and triglycerides, and autoimmune hypothyroidism as well as using the phenome-wide association study (PheWAS) paradigm to replicate and discover relationships between targeted genotypes with multiple phenotypes. eMERGE led studies for which original genotyping was performed and are included in this merged set: Genome-Wide Association Study on Cataract and HDL in the Personalized Medicine Research Project Cohort, phs000170 Development and Use of Network Infrastructure for High-Throughput GWA Studies, phs000234 Vanderbilt Genome-Electronic Records (VGER) Project: QRS Duration, phs000188 Northwestern NUgene Project: Type 2 Diabetes, phs000237 A Genome-Wide Association Study of Peripheral Arterial Disease, phs000203 Sites and participants include: Vanderbilt University: BioVU, Vanderbilt's DNA databank, is an enabling resource for exploration of the relationships among genetic variation, disease susceptibility, and variable drug responses, and represents a key first step in moving the emerging sciences of genomics and pharmacogenomics from research tools to clinical practice. BioVU acquires DNA from discarded blood samples collected from routine patient care. The biobank is linked to de-identified clinical data extracted from Vanderbilt's EMR, which forms the basis for phenotype definitions used in genotype-phenotype correlations. Marshfield Clinic: The Marshfield Clinic Personalized Medicine Research Project is a population-based biobank in central Wisconsin with more than 20,000 adult subjects who provided written, informed consent to access their medical records and provided a blood sample from which DNA was extracted and plasma and serum stored. In addition to an average of 30 years of medical history data, a questionnaire about environmental exposures, including a detailed food frequency questionnaire, is available to facilitate gene/environment studies. Northwestern University: The NUgene Project is a repository with longitudinal medical information from participating patients at affiliated hospitals and outpatient clinics from the Northwestern University Medical Center. Participants' DNA samples are coupled with data from a self-reported questionnaire and continuously updated data from our Electronic Medical Record (EMR) representing actual clinical care events. Northwestern has a state-of-the art, comprehensive inpatient and outpatient EMR system of over 2 million patients. NUgene has broad access to participant data for all outpatient visits as well as inpatient data via a consolidated data warehouse. NUgene participants consent to distribution and use of their coded DNA samples and data for a broad range of genetic research by third-party investigators. Group Health(GH)/University of Washington (UW): Aging and Dementia eMERGE study biorepository leverages rich population-based longitudinal data from both electronic medical records and in-depth research data to explore genome wide associations. Participants include Seattle-area members of GH (a large integrated health care system in Washington State) consented and enrolled in 1) the UW Alzheimer's Disease Patient Registry (ADPR) and 2) the Adult Changes in Thought (ACT) study. The ADPR (PI: Eric B. Larson; NIH/NIA U01 AG 006781) is a population-based registry of incident dementia cases designed to identify all new Alzheimer's Disease cases within GH from 1987 to 1996. Medical history, physical, laboratory testing, and neuropsychological testing were performed on all consenting potential cases for determination of dementia status by a consensus conference. The study base of the ADPR population was stable with an attrition rate of less than 1%/year. The ACT study (PI: Eric B. Larson; NIH/NIA U01 AG 006781) is an ongoing community-based cohort study of aging and dementia. The original cohort of 2,581 randomly selected dementia-free members age 65 and older was enrolled in 1994-1996 and expanded by 811 in 2000-2002. Continuous enrollment to maintain a cohort of 2,000 dementia free persons began in 2005. Participants receive biennial assessment including cognitive status determination. The ACT sub-sample is stable; for the original cohort, median enrollment in GH was 19 years prior to joining the ACT study, and 85% of the cohort has ≥10 years of GH enrollment. DNA for the ADPR participants were obtained through a companion study, Genetic Differences in Cases and Controls (PI: Walter Kukull; NIH/NIA R01 AG007584). DNA obtained through both studies were extracted from blood using Gentra Systems Puregene methods. DNA concentration is determined by UV optical density. All samples are checked for quality by 260/280 ratio. For long-term storage, samples are aliquoted and stored at -70°C. Mayo Clinic: The Mayo biobank is a disease-specific biobank for vascular diseases including peripheral arterial disease (PAD). PAD patients were identified from individuals referred to the non-invasive vascular laboratory for lower extremity arterial evaluation. Since 1997, laboratory findings have been recorded into an electronic database employing an in-house software package for data archiving and retrieval; this data becomes part of the Mayo EMR. Patients referred to the center with suspected PAD undergo a comprehensive non-invasive evaluation including the ankle-brachial index (ABI) - the ratio of blood pressure measured in the upper arms divided by blood pressure measured at the ankles. Controls subjects are identified from patients referred to the Cardiovascular Health Clinic for stress ECG. The prevalence of PAD in patients with normal exercise capacity who do not have inducible ischemia on the stress ECG, was <1%. Data regarding risk factors for atherosclerosis such as diabetes, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and smoking are ascertained from the EMR.

  Study phs000360

• A Genome Wide Scan of Lung Cancer and Smoking

  The majority of cases of lung cancer are the culmination of a dynamic process that begins with smoking initiation, proceeds through dependency and smoking persistence, continues with lung cancer development and ends with progression to disseminated disease or response to therapy and survival. We are conducting a whole genome study of lung cancer and smoking to examine critical steps in lung cancer progression. This study is a genome-wide association study (GWAS) to investigate the genetic determinants of lung cancer risk. The study design efficiently allows identification of genes that also contribute to smoking persistence and outcome from lung cancer using a single GWAS of 5,900 subjects using the primary GENEVA dataset, derived from two studies. The first is the Environment and Genetics in Lung Cancer Etiology Study (EAGLE), a population-based, biologically intensive, case-control study from the Lombardy region of Italy including ~2000 newly diagnosed lung cancer cases and ~2000 age-, gender- and region- matched controls. The second is the Prostate, Lung, Colon and Ovary Study (PLCO) Cancer Screening Trial from which we have selected ~850 lung cancer cases and ~850 controls, also matched on age and gender. Understanding the basis for the well-established hereditary component of lung cancer and smoking persistence could provide new insights into etiology, prevention, and treatment, and have an enormous impact on public health. The same GWAS genotyping data in the two studies will be used to investigate the genetic determinants of smoking persistence. Specifically, we will analyze current smokers and former smokers from EAGLE and PLCO for diverse smoking phenotypes, including persistence of smoking as well as ever/never smoking comparisons, quitting attempts, and the Fagerström index of tobacco addiction. PLCO participants are all European-Americans and EAGLE involves subjects from Italy. EAGLE is a case-control study and contains 3937 phenotyped subjects. PLCO is a screening trial with a cohort design and contains 1651 phenotyped subjects. This study is part of the Gene Environment Association Studies initiative (GENEVA, http://www.genevastudy.org) funded by the trans-NIH Genes, Environment, and Health Initiative (GEI). The overarching goal is to identify novel genetic factors that contribute to lung cancer and smoking through large-scale genome-wide association studies of population-based samples of lung cancer cases and controls. Genotyping was performed at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Inherited Disease Research (CIDR). Data cleaning and harmonization were done at the GEI-funded GENEVA Coordinating Center at the University of Washington.

  Study phs000093

• Genes for Non-Syndromic Congenital Heart Disease

  Congenital heart defects (CHDs) are the most common serious birth defect and a leading cause of infant mortality. Affected individuals who survive infancy require substantial medical care and experience lifelong morbidity and early mortality. Despite their prevalence and impact upon public health, the etiology of CHDs is poorly understood. Our long-term goal is to better define the genetic basis of CHDs and using this information, develop preventive measures and provide precise medical management based on genotype. As CHDs are a heterogeneous group of conditions, we have focused our studies on cases with conotruncal heart defects (CTDs) that comprise at least 36% of all CHDs and are a prominent feature of the 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11DS). We have conducted both SNP- and CNV-based genome-wide association studies as part of our previous and current P01 (HD070454). Our current analyses of genes and gene-sets provide new insights regarding the contribution of common and rare inherited genetic variants to CTDs. Specifically, based on the results from our studies as well as recently published findings, we hypothesize that: (1) CTDs are influenced by the full range of genetic variability (rare to common; de novo and inherited) in relevant gene-sets; (2) the number of disease-related variants within these gene-sets varies directly with CTD severity; and (3) gene-sets associated with CTDs in nonsyndromic individuals are also associated with CTDs in individuals with the 22q11DS. To augment our existing cohorts and thus substantially improve the statistical power of our proposed analyses, application was made to complete array genotyping of a set of patients with CTDs and in particular, those with mild disease represented by isolated aortic arch anomalies. The new cases with CTD and some with an isolated aortic arch anomaly were ascertained at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) while some of the cases with isolated aortic arch anomalies were ascertained by the Pediatric Cardiac Genomics Consortium (PCGC). A small group of cases with left-sided obstructive lesions from CHOP were included to combine with our existing datasets to serve as a comparison to those with CTD. The additional genotype data will augment the statistical power of the proposed common variant analyses. We anticipate that this work will reduce the gaps in our understanding of CTDs by identifying an explicit set of genes associated with CTD-risk by way of common variants. This work will also help define the genetic architecture for the full clinical spectrum of these common birth defects.

  Study phs002059

• The Genomics and Randomized Trials Network (GARNET) Vitamin Intervention Stroke Prevention (VISP) Trial

  The VISP trial (PI Jim Toole, M.D., Wake Forest University School of Medicine) was a multi-center, double-blind, randomized, controlled clinical trial that enrolled patients aged 35 or older with homocysteine (Hcy) levels above the 25th percentile at screening and a non-disabling cerebral infarction (NDCI) within 120 days of randomization (Toole, 2002, PMID: 12417369). The trial was designed to determine if daily intake of a multivitamin tablet with high dose folic acid, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12 reduced recurrent cerebral infarction (primary endpoint), and nonfatal myocardial infarction (MI) or mortality (secondary endpoints). Subjects were randomly assigned to receive daily doses of the high-dose formulation (n=1,827), containing 25mg pyridoxine (B6), 0.4mg cobalamin (B12), and 2.5mg folic acid; or the low-dose formulation (n=1,853), containing 200mcg pyridoxine, 6mcg cobalamin and 20mcg folic acid. Enrollment in VISP began in August 1997, and was completed in December 2001, with 3,680 participants enrolled. Within the trial, 2,164 participants from 46 clinic sites provided DNA and agreed for it to be shared for use in a genetic subset study of VISP. This study is part of Genomics and Randomized Trials Network (GARNET), funded by the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI). The overarching goal is to identify novel genetic factors that contribute to stroke through large-scale genome-wide association studies of treatment response in randomized clinical trials. Genotyping was performed at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Inherited Disease Research (CIDR). Data cleaning and harmonization were performed at the GARNET Coordinating Center at the University of Washington. The data of the VISP trial have been released to dbGaP users in several segments: Version 1 (phs000343.v1.p1), consisted of n=4 phenotype datasets, and all raw, cleaned and imputed genotype data. Version 2 (phs000343.v2.p1) included n=14 additional phenotype datasets (plus pedigree, consent, and sample-mapping data), and increased the available data to a total of n=970 phenotype variables. Version 3 (phs000343.v3.p1) included all n=36 phenotype datasets (plus pedigree, consent, and sample-mapping data), and increased the available data to a total of n=1918 phenotype variables.Version 4 (phs000343.v4.p1), the current release, includes all previous phenotypic datasets, includes one new phenotypic dataset for the untargeted metabolomics data of 50 individuals, includes DNA methylation profiles for n=180 individuals, and sequencing data for n=179 individuals.

  Study phs000343

• Resistance to Checkpoint Blockade Therapy Through Inactivation of Antigen Presentation

  Although immune checkpoint blockade (CPB) leads to prolonged responses in 15-40% of patients with metastatic melanoma, treatment refractory disease and progression after initial response remain major causes of mortality. While predictors of response have been reported, the common mechanisms of both primary and acquired resistance are poorly understood. To identify mechanisms of resistance and examine the evolving landscape in response to CPB, we performed whole exome sequencing (WES), immunohistochemistry (IHC), and RNA-sequencing (RNAseq) of longitudinal tumor biopsies from 17 metastatic melanoma patients treated with various CPB therapies. We found no significant changes in both mutational and neoantigen loads over time between responders and nonresponders. However, we identified abnormalities in one gene, beta-2-microglobulin (B2M), an essential component of MHC Class I antigen presentation, that were present in samples during disease progression but not regression. In total, we identified B2M aberrations in 29.4% of patients, including multiple early frameshift mutations, loss of heterozygosity (LOH) overlapping B2M, and absence of tumor-specific B2M protein expression. Additional defects in the antigen presentation and IFNγ pathways were identified but were not restricted to progressing lesions in our cohort. In two independent cohorts of 105 and 38 melanoma patients treated with ipilimumab (anti-CTLA4) and pembrolizumab (anti-PD1) respectively, we found that B2M LOH was enriched 3-fold in nonresponders (~30%) vs. responders (~10%) and associated with poorer overall survival (log-rank p=0.01, p=0.006). Loss of both copies of B2M was found only in nonresponders. We also found evidence for association of LOH overlapping IFNGR1 with poorer overall survival exclusively in the anti-PD1 cohort. Thus, B2M loss is likely a common mechanism of primary and acquired resistance to therapies targeting CTLA4 or PD-1.

  Study phs001427

• Tumor-specific expression of let-7i and miR-192 is associated with resistance to cisplatin-based chemoradiotherapy in patients with larynx and hypopharynx cancer

  Background: The majority of patients with locally advanced larynx or hypopharynx squamous cell carcinoma are treated with organ preserving chemoradiotherapy (CRT). Clinical outcome following CRT varies greatly. We hypothesized tumor microRNA (miRNA) expression is predictive for outcome following CRT. Methods: Next-generation sequencing (NGS) miRNA profiling was performed on 37 formalin fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) tumor samples. Patients with a recurrence free survival (RFS) of less than 2 years (“poor outcome”) and patients without recurrence within 2 years (“good outcome”) were compared by differential expression analysis. Tumor-specific miRNAs were selected based on normal mucosa miRNA expression data from The Cancer Genome Atlas database. A model was constructed to predict outcome using group-regularized penalized logistic ridge regression. Candidate miRNAs were validated in the initial sample set by RT-qPCR as well as in 46 additional tumor samples.Results: 1,938 known mature miRNAs were detected. Thirteen miRNAs were differentially expressed (p<0.05, FDR<0.1) according to outcome group. Initial class prediction in the NGS cohort (n=37) resulted in a model combining five miRNAs and disease stage, able to predict CRT outcome with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.82. In the RT-qPCR cohort (n=83), 25 patients (30%) experienced early recurrence (median RFS 8 months; median follow-up 42 months). Class prediction resulted in a model combining let-7i-5p and miR-192-5p and disease stage, able to discriminate with an AUC of 0.80 patients with good versus poor clinical outcome.Conclusion: The combined miRNA expression and disease stage prediction model is superior to using either factor alone. ¬¬¬This study indicates NGS miRNA profiling using FFPE specimens is feasible, resulting in clinically relevant biomarkers.

  Study EGAS00001004001

• Stability of gut microbiome after COVID-19 vaccination in healthy and immuno-compromised individuals

  Bidirectional interactions between the immune system and the gut microbiota are key contributors to various physiological functions. Immune-associated diseases such as cancer and auto- immunity, and efficacy of immunomodulatory therapies, have been linked to microbiome variation. Although COVID-19 infection has been shown to cause microbial dysbiosis, it remains understudied whether the inflammatory response associated with vaccination also impacts the microbiota. Here, we investigate the temporal impact of COVID-19 vaccination on the gut microbiome in healthy and immuno-compromised individuals; the latter included patients with primary immunodeficiency and cancer patients on immuno- modulating therapies. We find that the gut microbiome remained remarkably stable postvaccination irrespective of diverse immune status, vaccine response, and microbial composition spanned by the cohort. The stability is evident at all evaluated levels including diversity, phylum, species, and functional capacity. Our results in- dicate the resilience of the gut microbiome to host immune changes triggered by COVID-19 vaccination and suggest minimal, if any, impact on microbiome-mediated processes. These findings en- courage vaccine acceptance, particularly when contrasted with the significant microbiome shifts observed during COVID-19 infection.

  Study EGAS50000000179

• Transcriptome of Chronic Pain and Disease

  The Functional Genomics Section (FGS) is a part of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) within the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Research at the FGS focuses on understanding the mechanics involved in nociception through both clinical samples from patients with chronic pain and mouse models of pain. Pain is relayed from the periphery to the central nervous system through specialized sensory neurons known as nociceptors. The cell body of nociceptors resides in neuronal structures that branch off of the spinal cord known as dorsal root ganglia (DRG). The DRG is a heterogenous tissue containing not only sensory neurons like nociceptors, but also glial cells, capillaries, fibroblasts, and resident macrophages. The interaction between the nociceptors and these DRG cell types can have a significant role in affecting neuronal hyperexcitability and downstream pain sensitivity. To better understand the cellular factors involved in producing conditions of chronic pain, DRGs from consenting organ donors were collected from individuals experiencing pain disorders such as painful diabetic neuropathy and rheumatoid arthritis. A multi-omics approach is being used to identify molecular mechanisms that lead to pain hypersensitivity in patients with chronic pain.  

  Study phs002548

• Primary Prostate Tumor Tissue DNA Methylation Profiles

  The study cohort includes 525 Caucasian and African American prostate cancer (PCa) patients who underwent radical prostatectomy (RP) as primary therapy for clinically localized adenocarcinoma of the prostate. These patients were previously enrolled in one of two population-based studies: 1) men 40-64 years of age, diagnosed between January 1993 and December 1996; and, 2) men 35-74 years of age, diagnosed between January 2002 and December 2005. Gleason grade and sum, diagnostic PSA, and pathological tumor stage were obtained from the SEER cancer registry. Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded prostate tumor tissue blocks were obtained from RP specimens and used to make hematoxalin and eosin stained slides, which were reviewed by pathologists to confirm the presence/location of adenocarcinoma. For each patient two 1-mm tumor tissue cores from the dominant lesion that were enriched with >=75% tumor cells were taken for DNA purification. The RecoverAll Total Nucleic Acid Isolation Kit (Ambion/Applied Biosciences, Austin, TX) was used to extract DNA, which was then quantified (PicoGreen), aliquoted onto 96-well plates and shipped to Illumina for DNA methylation profiling using the Infinium® HumanMethylation450 BeadChip.

  Study phs001921

• Rare Disease Susceptibility Variant Study in Children with Crohn's Disease and Their Parents Using Targeted Gene Sequencing.

  We performed targeted, massively-parallel sequencing of 101 genes in 205 children with Crohn's disease, including 179 parent-child trios and 200 controls, both of European ancestry. We identified three genes with nominally significant p-values: NOD2, RTKN2, and MGAT3. Only NOD2 was significant after correcting for multiple comparisons. We identified eight novel rare variants in NOD2 that are likely disease-associated. Incorporation of rare variation and compound heterozygosity nominally increased the proportion of variance explained from 0.074 to 0.089. We estimated the population attributable risk and total heritability of variation in NOD2 to be 32.9% and 3.4%, respectively, with 3.7% and 0.25% accounted for by rare putatively functional variants. Sequencing probands (as opposed to genotyping) to identify rare variants and incorporating phase by sequencing parents can recover a portion of the missing heritability of Crohn's disease. (Reprinted from G3 2018;8(9): 2881-2888; PMID: 30166421. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.)

  Study phs001751

• Clonal Evolution and Transcriptomic Analysis of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Treated with Ibrutinib

  Disease progression has been increasingly appreciated with the use of ibrutinib to treat chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Understanding the pattern of clonal evolution and transcriptomic changes during the early treatment period with ibrutinib may provide insight into the mechanisms of resistance. We performed whole exome sequencing on sequential samples with matched germline controls from 61 patients with CLL during the first 12 months of ibrutinib monotherapy or ibrutinib in combination with rituximab. Additionally, RNA sequencing was done on a subset of 14 patients treated with ibrutinib monotherapy. The presence of clonal shifts was associated with an increased risk of disease progression, suggesting that resistant clones are more likely to emerge in CLL with greater evolutionary capacity.This cohort was later augmented with additional data (including data from 15 additional patients). In total, this second set of data contained whole exome sequencing (31 samples), RNA sequencing (6 samples) and reduced representation bisulfite sequencing (67 samples) for CLL samples and used them to identify expression subtypes of CLL. In an integrative analysis of genetic, transcriptomic, and epigenetic data, incorporating known and newly identified subtypes of CLL, we built new models to improve patient prognostication.

  Study phs001473

• Evaluation of Nuclear DNA from Rootless Hairs for Forensic Purposes

  The study aims to overcome current limitations in the recovery of DNA from small, difficult forensic samples. Particularly, our goal is to produce a robust laboratory protocol and the accompanying software to accelerate adoption, as well as to evaluate the reliability and robustness of both the laboratory and computational aspects of generating genotype files from minute and/or degraded DNA samples, such as single, rootless hairs.The data accompanying this study includes raw, paired-end reads from high-throughput sequencing of two panels of saliva, head hair, and pubic hair samples collected from anonymous volunteers at the University of California, Santa Cruz. The smaller set (Hair1.0) comprises 8 individuals, while the larger (Hair2.0) comprises 50 individuals, with 3 overlapping individuals between the two panels identified in post-collection analysis. We did not collect phenotype data or personally identifying information from the participants. For the Hair2.0 panel, only a subset of volunteers provided pubic hairs for DNA extraction and sequencing. Also included are saliva-derived genotype array data for all 8 individuals in the Hair1.0 panel and 44 of 50 individuals in the Hair2.0 panel.

  Study phs002979

• Whole Exome Sequencing in Alopecia Areata Identifies Rare Mutations in KRT82

  Alopecia areata (AA) is an autoimmune disorder, in which the body's own immune cells attack hair follicels resulting in hair loss. It is a complex genetic disease with 14 associated loci previously identified in our genome-wide association study (GWAS). In the study, we performed the whole-exome sequencing (WES) on 849 AA patients with the aim to identify the novel rare variants in genes contributing to AA susceptibility. We performed gene-collapsing analyses and identified keratin 82 (KRT82 Gene ID: 3888) as the highest associated AA gene in the three rare damaging collapsing models with p<6.7E-07 in one of the models. The KRT82 gene is a hair-specific type II keratin expressed in the hair shaft cuticle during the anagen phase of the hair cycle. We reported the lower expression of KRT82 in AA hair follicles, compared to controls, and the KRT82 expression is absent from the bulb region, the site of AA immune attack. This study emphasizes the significance of using WES and gene collapsing analyses to identify rare variation in a functionally relevant risk gene using a moderate sample size.  

  Study phs002632

• An APOBEC Cytidine Deaminase Mutagenesis in Human Cancers

  Reprinted from Roberts et al. "An APOBEC cytidine deaminase mutagenesis pattern is widespread in human cancers", Nature Genetics, 45:970-976, 2013, with permission of Nature Publishing Group: Recent studies indicate that a subclass of APOBEC cytidine deaminases, which convert cytosine to uracil during RNA editing and retrovirus or retrotransposon restriction, may induce mutation clusters in human tumors. We show here that throughout cancer genomes APOBEC-mediated mutagenesis is pervasive and correlates with APOBEC mRNA levels. Mutation clusters in whole-genome and exome data sets conformed to the stringent criteria indicative of an APOBEC mutation pattern. Applying these criteria to 954,247 mutations in 2,680 exomes from 14 cancer types, mostly from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), showed a significant presence of the APOBEC mutation pattern in bladder, cervical, breast, head and neck, and lung cancers, reaching 68% of all mutations in some samples. Within breast cancer, the HER2-enriched subtype was clearly enriched for tumors with the APOBEC mutation pattern, suggesting that this type of mutagenesis is functionally linked with cancer development. The APOBEC mutation pattern also extended to cancer-associated genes, implying that ubiquitous APOBEC-mediated mutagenesis is carcinogenic.

  Study phs000677

• Kids First: Whole Genome Sequencing of Nonsyndromic Craniosynostosis

  The Gabriella Miller Kids First Pediatric Research Program (Kids First) is a trans-NIH effort initiated in response to the 2014 Gabriella Miller Kids First Research Act and supported by the NIH Common Fund. This program focuses on gene discovery in pediatric cancers and structural birth defects and the development of the Gabriella Miller Kids First Pediatric Data Resource (Kids First Data Resource). All of the WGS and phenotypic data from this study are accessible through dbGaP and kidsfirstdrc.org, where other Kids First datasets can also be accessed. Nonsyndromic craniosynostosis (NCS) is a common, major structural birth defect - due to the premature fusion of one or more cranial sutures - that requires extensive surgical correction and is associated with considerable ongoing medical problems and health care costs. Because little is known about the causes of NCS, whole genome sequencing will help advance knowledge of genetic factors contributing to the etiology of NCS. Data from this project will lead to a better understanding of biological processes involved in the etiology of NCS and provide critical insights for development of early diagnostic tools and therapeutic strategies.

  Study phs001806

• Extracorporeal Life Support Survival in a Pediatric Hematopoietic Cellular Transplant Recipient with Presumed Graft Versus Host Disease-Related Fulminant Myocarditis

  We report the case of a 15-year-old female with hypodiploid pre-B acute lymphoblastic leukemia status post allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT) from a matched unrelated male donor who presented on transplant day +75 with cardiac arrest due to ventricular fibrillation associated with fulminant myocarditis. Using conventional diagnostics, an exhaustive search for microbial pathogens in the heart biopsy as well as nasopharynx, blood, urine, and endotracheal aspirate was performed but did not uncover a candidate pathogen. The family consented to a research study for the use of unbiased next-generation genomic sequencing for pathogen identification in the myocardial biopsy. DNA sequencing was performed on 1.5 x 108 sequencing pairs and no microbial pathogens were identified. Interestingly, a significant component of Y-chromosomal human DNA was identified, suggesting infiltration of at least 10 donor leukocytes per host cell. This finding is grossly consistent with the lymphocyte:myocyte ratio in the biopsy according to visual inspection at 40x magnification. This case merits discussion due to (1) her survival after 17 days of veno-arterial extracorporeal life support (ECLS) and (2) the possibility of cardiotropic graft versus host disease (GVHD).

  Study phs001336

• Characterization of Autosomal CNV Among the Negrito from Peninsular Malaysia

  Copy number variation (CNV) has been recognized as a major contributor to human genome diversity. It plays an important role in determining phenotypes and has been associated with a number of common and complex diseases. However the CNV data from diverse populations is rather limited. Here we report the first investigation of copy number variation (CNV) in the indigenous populations from Peninsular Malaysia. We genotyped 34 Negrito genomes from Peninsular Malaysia using the Affymetrix SNP 6.0 microarray and identified 62 putative novel CNVs, consisting of 25 gains and 37 losses. These CNVs appear unique to the Negrito population and were absent in the DGV, HapMap3 and Singapore Genome Variation Project (SGVP) datasets. Analysis of gene ontology revealed that genes within these CNVs were enriched in the immune system (GO:0002376), response to stimulus mechanisms (GO:0050896), as well as the metabolic pathways (GO:0001852). Copy number gains in CNVRs enriched with genes were significantly higher than the losses (P value <0.001). Therefore, in view of the small population size, relative isolation and semi-normadic lifestyles of this community, we speculate that these CNVs may be attributed to recent local adaptation of Negritos from Peninsular Malaysia.

  Study phs000664

• Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center - Whole-Exome Sequencing of Hereditary Prostate Cancer Families

  The specific aim of this study is to identify hereditary prostate cancer (HPC) susceptibility genes using a novel study design, whereby whole-exome sequencing will be undertaken on multiple affected relatives from 19 HPC families, in which ≥ 3 affected relatives were diagnosed with clinically aggressive and/or early onset prostate cancer (PC). While whole-exome sequencing of unrelated affected individuals would result in hundreds of candidate disease variants, this family-based, aggressive/early onset phenotype approach will provide an enriched genetic background for discovery and significantly reduce the number of candidate mutations that will require follow-up. Findings from this pilot study will immediately be followed-up to confirm whether candidate mutations found in each family segregate with disease in the remaining unscreened relatives. As part of this pilot study, we aim to: Perform whole-exome sequencing on 80 affected and 11 unaffected relatives from 19 HPC families that have multiple men diagnosed with an aggressive and/or early onset disease phenotype using the Illumina HiSeq platform; and, Analyze sequencing data using BWA, SAMtools and SeattleSeq to prioritize candidate HPC mutations that segregate with aggressive and/or early onset disease in affected relatives.

  Study phs000350

• Genomics of Circulating Tumor Cells

  Comprehensive analyses of cancer genomes in clinical settings promise to inform prognoses and guide the deployment of precise cancer treatments. A major barrier, however, is the inaccessibility of adequate metastatic tissue for accurate genomic analysis in prostate and other cancers. A potential solution is to characterize circulating tumor cells (CTCs), but this requires overcoming multiple technical hurdles. Here, we report an integrated process to isolate, qualify, and sequence whole exomes of CTCs with high fidelity, using a census-based sequencing strategy. Power calculations suggest that mapping of over 99.995% of the territory accessible in bulk exome sequencing is possible in CTCs. We validated our sequencing process in two prostate cancer patients including one for whom we compared CTC-derived mutations to mutations found in a lymph node metastasis and nine cores of the primary tumor. 51 of 73 CTC mutations (70%) were observed in matched tissue. Moreover, we identified 10 early trunk mutations and 56 metastatic trunk mutations in the non-CTC tumor samples and found 90% and 73% of these, respectively, in CTC exomes. This study establishes a foundation for CTC genomics in the clinic.

  Study phs000717

• Efficacy of Bitter Taste Blockers on Flavor Acceptance in a Human Population

  The goal of this project is to determine variation in human bitter perception and the effectiveness of bitter blockers in individuals of different genotypes. The project is based on the parent project titled "Efficacy of bitter taste blockers on flavor acceptance in pediatric population", which addresses how bitter taste perception affects medication compliance. As a part of the parent project, mothers and their children were recruited from the general population of metropolitan Philadelphia through print and internet media as well as from a database of past research participants. Adults (mothers) were evaluated in the laboratory for bitter taste perception for a variety of "Generally Recognized As Safe" (GRAS) bitter compounds using the general Labeled Magnitude Scale (gLMS) which allows subjects to rate sensory intensity. Mothers were also evaluated for perception of the liquid formulation of the drug KaletraTM, a recommended 1st line treatment for infants with HIV infection, whose taste is rejected by some children and accepted well by others. DNA samples from mothers were genotyped as a part of this study to identify (1) novel genes associated with human bitter perception and (2) the ability of compounds to block bitterness.

  Study phs000839

• Molecular Determinants of Esophageal Cancer in Tanzania

  We describe the genomic profiles of 61 esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) cases from Tanzania and compare them to profiles from an existing cohort of ESCC cases from Malawi. We also provide a comparison to ESCC tumors in The Cancer Genome Atlas Program (TCGA). Despite a high burden of ESCC in Eastern Africa, investigations into the genomics in this region are nascent. This represents the largest comprehensive genomic analysis of ESCC from sub-Saharan Africa to date. We observed substantial transcriptional overlap with other squamous histologies via comparison with TCGA PanCan dataset. DNA analysis revealed known mutational patterns, both genome-wide as well as in genes known to be commonly mutated in ESCC. TP53 mutations were the most common somatic mutation in tumors from both Tanzania and Malawi but were detected at lower frequencies than previously reported in ESCC cases from other settings. In a combined analysis, two unique transcriptional clusters were identified: a proliferative/epithelial cluster and an invasive/migrative/mesenchymal cluster. Mutational signature analysis of the Tanzanian cohort revealed common signatures associated with aging and cytidine deaminase activity and an absence of signature 29, which was previously reported in the Malawi cohort.

  Study phs003217