Search Results - EGA European Genome-Phenome Archive

Prevalence and Clinical Characteristics of hearing loss caused by MYH14 mutation

Mutations in MYH14 are reported to cause autosomal dominant nonsyndromic hereditary hearing loss (ADNSHL), and 35 variants have been reported to cause hearing loss in various ethnic groups, but the information on prevalence as well as clinical features are fragmented. In this study, genetic screening for MYH14 variants was carried out using a large series of Japanese hearing loss patients to reveal the information. Massively parallel DNA sequencing of 68 target candidate genes was utilized in 8074 (including 1336 ADNSHL) unrelated Japanese hearing loss patients (probands) to identify genomic variations responsible for hearing loss. We identified 20 patients with 14 mutations from 15 pedigrees. The prevalence was proved to be 0.19% (15/8074) among hearing loss patients, and 1.12% (15/1336) among ADNSHL patients. The 12 mutations out of 14 mutations identified were novel. The patients typically showed late onset, slowly progressive modelate flat-type hearing loss. The clinical information revealed by the present study would contribute to further diagnosis and management of MYH14-associated hearing loss.

Study JGAS000323

Uveal melanoma patient with germline MBD4 nonsense mutation

There is currently no effective treatment for metastasised uveal melanoma (UM). Recently, it was reported that a UM patient was responsive to checkpoint inhibitor (CI) treatment, due to a high tumour mutation burden correlated with a germline loss-of-function MBD4 mutation. Here, we report on another UM patient who carried an MBD4 germline nonsense variant (p.Leu563Ter) and her tumour showed a 5-fold higher than average mutation burden. We confirmed the association between germline loss-of-function variant in MBD4 and CI response. The patient experienced stable disease (10 months) and survived two years with metastatic disease, which is twice as long as median survival. Additionally, the frequency of MBD4 loss-of-function variants in reported UM cohorts was >20 times higher than in an aggregated population genome database (P < 5x10-5), implying a potential role as UM predisposition gene. These findings provide a strong basis for the inclusion of MBD4 in screening of potential UM-prone families as well as stratification of immunotherapy.

Study EGAS00001003362

RNA-seq study of a Princess Margaret Cancer Centre human acute myeloid leukemia patient cohort

The PMCC AML RNAseq dataset consists of 81 AML patient samples (clinical data in Supplemental Table 11 of manuscript), processed in two batches. These patient samples are able to engraft in the NSG (NOD.Cg PrkdcscidIl2rgtm1Wjl /SzJ) mouse model. Five patients (90543, 598, 90240, 110484, 100500) were included in both batches. Viaably frozen material from the Leukemia Tissue Bank at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre/ University Health Network were thawed by dropwise addition of X-VIVO + 50% fetal calf serum supplemented with DNase (100μg/mL final concentration, Roche). RNA was extracted from bulk peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) using the RNeasy Micro Kit (Qiagen Inc.). A paired-end 76 base-pair flow-cell lane Illumina High seq 2000 yielded an average of 240 million sequence reads aligning to genome per sample at the Genome Sciences Centre, BC Cancer Agency for cohort 1. Cohort 2 was subjected to 125 bp, paired-end RNA-sequencing on the Illumina HiSeq 2500 with an average of 50 million reads/sample at the Centre for Applied Genomics, Sick Kids Hospital.

Study EGAS00001004792

FetalQuant-SD: Accurate quantification of fetal DNA fraction by shallow-depth sequencing of maternal plasma DNA

Noninvasive prenatal testing using massively parallel sequencing of maternal plasma DNA has been rapidly adopted in clinical use worldwide. Fetal DNA fraction in a maternal plasma sample is an important parameter for accurate interpretations of these tests. However, there is a lack of methods involving low-sequencing depth and yet would allow a robust and accurate determination of fetal DNA fraction in maternal plasma for all pregnancies. In this study, we have developed a new method to accurately quantify the fetal DNA fraction by analysing the maternal genotypes and sequencing data of maternal plasma DNA. Fetal DNA fraction was calculated based on the proportion of non-maternal alleles at single-nucleotide polymorphisms where the mother is homozygous. This new approach achieves a median deviation of 0.6% between predicted fetal DNA fraction and the actual fetal DNA fraction using as low as 0.03-fold sequencing coverage of the human genome. We believe that this method will further enhance the clinical interpretations of noninvasive prenatal testing using genome-wide random sequencing.

Study EGAS00001001611

Genomic and functional fidelity of small cell lung cancer patient-derived xenografts

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) can be generated from biopsies or circulating tumor cells (CTCs), though scarcity of tissue and low efficiency of tumor growth have previously limited these approaches. Applying an established clinical-translational pipeline for tissue collection and an automated microfluidic platform for CTC-enrichment, we generated 17 biopsy-derived PDXs and 17 CTC-derived PDXs in a two-year timeframe, at efficiencies of 89% and 38%, respectively. Whole exome sequencing showed that somatic alterations are stably maintained between patient tumors and PDXs. Early-passage PDXs maintain the genomic and transcriptional profiles of the founder PDX. In vivo treatment with etoposide and cisplatin (EP) in 30 PDX models demonstrated greater sensitivity in PDXs from EP naïve patients, and resistance to EP corresponded to increased expression of a MYC gene signature. Finally, serial CTC-derived PDXs generated from an individual patient at multiple time points accurately recapitulated the evolving drug sensitivities of that patient’s disease. Collectively, this work highlights the translational potential of this strategy.

Study EGAS00001002853

Genetic and epigenetic variation at regulatory regions contribute to cancer evolution under endocrine treatment

Comprehensive profiling of hormone-dependent breast cancer (HDBC) has identified hundreds of protein-coding alterations contributing to cancer initiation, but only a handful have been linked to endocrine therapy resistance, potentially contributing to 40% of relapses. If other mechanisms underlie the evolution of HDBC under adjuvant therapy is currently unknown. In this work, we employ integrative functional genomics to dissect the contribution of cis-regulatory elements (CREs) to cancer evolution by focusing on 12 megabases of non-coding DNA, including clonal enhancers, gene promoters, and boundaries of topologically associating domains. Massive parallel perturbation in vitro reveals context-dependent roles for many of these CREs, with a specific impact on dormancy entrance and endocrine therapy resistance9. Profiling of CRE somatic alterations in a unique, longitudinal cohort of patients treated with endocrine therapies identifies non-coding changes involved in therapy resistance. Overall, our data uncover actionable transient transcriptional programs critical for dormant persister cells and unveil new regulatory nodes driving evolutionary trajectories towards disease progression.

Study EGAS00001006340

Preeclampsia InterPregGen Consortium: Whole Genome Sequencing of 100 unrelated Kazakhs (DNA samples from the Scientific Center of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Perinatology, Almaty, Kazakhstan; Gulnara Svyatova, Principal Investigator

Preeclampsia (PE) is a syndrome affecting pregnant mothers and fetus/babies characterised by hypertension and proteinuria, and is a leading cause of maternal and fetal death and of premature births worldwide. The InterPregGen Consortium was funded by a European Framework 7 (FP7) grant and grew out of the WTCCC3 GWAS comparing ~2000 UK PE mothers with ~6000 common UK controls. The EGAS00001000417 study data is whole genome sequencing of 100 unrelated Kazakhs in order to impute genotypes into PE cases and controls from Kazakhstan and to provide genetic data and infrastructure for future genetic studies in Kazakhstan and Central Asia more generally and to fill a gap in worldwide information as Central Asia is not adequately represented in available genomic data. This study is one component of the InterPregGen FP7 project. DNA samples for this component were collected by InterPregGen Consortium collaborators at the Scientific Center of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Perinatology, Almaty, Kazakhstan (Gulnara Svyatova, Principal Investigator)

Study EGAS00001000417

Pan Prostate Cancer Group data

The Pan Prostate Cancer Group intends to provide breakthrough advances from the analysis of a very large series of Whole Genome DNA data, contributed by many of the leading scientists and clinicians working in prostate cancer genomics generating Whole Genome DNA Sequence (WGS) data from prostate cancer patients. The accumulated data, collected and compared in a common format including common storage, re-analysis through a single pipeline, and investigation to achieve a variety of scientific goals, are presented in this series. This project will provide a global framework for the future analysis of even larger series of genomes as costs of DNA sequencing, storage, and sequence analysis decrease. In addition to these WGS data from different clinical categories, ethnicities, levels of aggressiveness, and disease managed by different treatments with information linked to long-term clinical follow up, we intend to add additional layers of data, including transcriptome and methylation data. The current data series focuses primarily on the analysis of WGS data. For further information, please refer to https://panprostate.org/, and The Pan Prostate Cancer Group Data Sharing Policy, EGAP50000000784.

Study EGAS00001002876

Effect of the Placental Transcriptome on Stunting in a Longitudinal African Cohort

Mammals with placentas and flowering plants evolved genomic imprinting in nutritive tissues, the placenta and endosperm, respectively. In these tissues, the genomes inherited from the mother and father are in conflict over resource allocation to offspring. In imprinted genes, transcription is repressed on the paternal or the maternal allele, resulting in allele specific expression (ASE). We investigated the variation in ASE of imprinted genes in term human placentas in order to detect loss of imprinting (LOI), which leads to partial expression of the repressed allele. We collected the placental tissue from birth to women in our multigenerational, prospective cohort study in Mali, West Africa. We followed the women from their own infancies, early childhood to adulthood (age 18+ years). Contingent on prior informed consent, we collected placental tissue and umbilical cord tissue. We conducted RNA-Seq of the fetal compartment of the placentas and targeted DNA-Seq of the umbilical cord tissue, which is fetal, and of saliva samples from parents. Our sequencing effort produced two datasets. The first dataset is the whole transcriptome RNA-Seq dataset of 111 biopsies (59 placentas) and genotyping of 96 genes. Birth length, weight, and placental weight for the children associated with this dataset are listed in the phenotype file (DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msz226). The second dataset includes targeted RNA-Seq of 262 samples (251 placentas) and targeted DNA-Seq for 766 genes. The genes were selected because they met any one of the following criteria: (1) imprinted and reported in some studies, (2) highly expressed in placenta, or (3) relevant to diseases of interest in this cohort (https://doi.org/10.1093/g3journal/jkab176). This study provides the first systematic analysis of variation in LOI across genes and individuals in a human population, and should shed light on the hypothesis that the modulation of imprinting is an epigenetic mechanism and plays a role in the regulation of offspring growth.

Study phs001782

Raw sequencing files from WGS and RNA-Seq

Acute leukemias are the most common malignancies in children with an onset of the disease among 0-6 years-old. The early development of theses malignancies has been proposed as an indicator of their prenatal origin, hypothesis that has been confirmed especially in the case of acute lymphoblastic leukemia. For acute myeloid leukemia (AML), comprising an heterogenous group of different cytogenetics subtypes, this prenatal origin has also been confirmed specially for MLL-rearranged and t(8;21) subgroups. AMLs carrying t(7;12) constitute up to 30% of cases under 2-years-old, frequently being associated with a trisomy of chromosome 19 and an overexpression of MNX1 gene. An in utero origin of this specific subgroup has been suggested but not clearly confirmed. Here, we present the case of a 5-months-old AML patient with t(7;12) in which we have fully characterized a novel breakpoint occurring among ETV6 and NOM1 genes. We demonstrate the presence of this specific ETV6-NOM1 fusion in CD34+ hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells isolated from the cord blood unit from the same patient and stored at birth. Moreover, trisomy +19 present at diagnosis was not detected at birth. Together, our results demonstrate the prenatal origin of the t(7;12) in infant AML, and establish trisomy +19 as a secondary event in this leukemia.

Study EGAS50000000186

Novel CNV contribution to schizophrenia from a genome wide study of 41,321 subjects

Genomic copy number variants (CNVs) have been strongly implicated in the etiology schizophrenia (SCZ). However, apart from a small number of risk variants, elucidation of the CNV contribution to risk has been difficult due to the very low frequencies of risk alleles, all occurring in less than 1% of patients. We sought to address this obstacle through a collaborative effort unprecedented in psychiatry in which we applied a centralized analysis pipeline to a large SCZ cohort of 21,094 cases and 20,227 controls. A global enrichment of CNV burden is observed in SCZ patients (OR=1.11, P=5.7e-15), and persists after excluding loci implicated in previous studies (OR=1.07, P=1.7e-6). CNV Burden is also enriched for genes associated with synaptic function (OR = 1.68, P = 2.8e-11) and neurobehavioral phenotypes in mouse (OR = 1.18, P= 7.3e-05). While only previously implicated loci surpass strict genome-wide testing correction, we identify “novel” CNVs (BH-FDR < 0.05) that confer both protective and risk effects on SCZ and are predominantly mediated by non-allelic homologous recombination (NAHR). Our combined data find genome-wide significant support for eight loci, including 1q21.1, 2p16.3 (NRXN1), 3q29, 7q11.2, 15q13.3, distal 16p11.2, proximal 16p11.2 and 22q11.2.

Study EGAS00001001960

RNA-sequencing of six Pilocytic astrocytoma tumors

Pilocytic astrocytoma (PA) is the most common pediatric brain tumor. A recurrent feature of PA is deregulation of the mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway most often through KIAA1549-BRAF fusion, but also by other BRAF- or RAF1-gene fusions and point mutations (e.g. BRAFV600E). These features may serve as diagnostic and prognostic markers, and also facilitate development of targeted therapy. The aim of this study was to characterize the genetic alterations underlying the development of PA tumor in six cases, and evaluate methods for fusion oncogene detection. Using a combined analysis of RNA sequencing and copy number variation data we identified a new BRAF fusion involving the 5’ gene fusion partner GTF2I (7q11.23), not previously described in PA. The novel GTF2I-BRAF 19-10 fusion was found in one case, while the other five cases harbored the frequent KIAA1549-BRAF 16-9 fusion gene. Comparing fusion detection methods, Fluorescence in situ hybridization with BRAF break apart probe was the most sensitive method for detection of the two different BRAF rearrangements (GTF2I-BRAF and KIAA1549-BRAF). Our finding of a novel BRAF fusion in PA further emphasis the important role of B-Raf in tumorigenesis of these tumor types. Also, the growing list of BRAF/RAF gene fusions suggests these to be informative tumor markers in molecular diagnostics, which could guide future treatment strategies.

Study EGAS00001002149

Genomic insights into the pathogenesis of Epstein-Barr virus-associated diffuse large B-cell lymphoma by whole-genome and targeted amplicon-based sequencing

Epstein–Barr virus (EBV)-associated diffuse large B-cell lymphoma not otherwise specified (DLBCL NOS) constitutes a distinct clinicopathological entity in the current World Health Organization (WHO) classification, yet its genomic features remain sparsely characterized. Combining whole-genome sequencing (WGS), targeted amplicon sequencing (tNGS) and fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH) of tumours from 47 cases of EBV+ DLBCL we delineate the genomic landscape of this rare disease. Interrogating WGS data by sequential gene-set enrichment and network-diffusion we describe an accumulation of mutations affecting the nuclear factor κB (NFκB) pathway (CSNK2A2, CARD10), IL-6/JAK/STAT (SOCS1/3, STAT3) and WNT signalling (FRAT1, SFRP5) alongside aberrations in immunological processes like interferon-response. Further, WGS uncovered structural aberrations including 6q deletions (5/8 patients), which were subsequently validated by FISH (14/32 cases). Integrated WGS and tNGS analysis emphasized a profile distinct from EBV-negative DLBCL enriched for mutations in ARID1A (45%), KMT2A/D (32/30%), ANKRD11 (32%), NOTCH2 (32%). Expanding on previous reports, we identified recurrent alterations in CCR6 (15%), DAPK1 (15%), TNFRSF21 (13%), CCR7 (11%) and YY1 (6%). Our comprehensive description of the mutational landscape in EBV+ DLBCL substantiates the evidence of its pathobiological independence. Further, these observations aid in the refinement of the molecular taxonomy for aggressive lymphomas and guides future therapeutic strategies.

Study EGAS00001004941

Vitamin-D-Kids Asthma

The Vitamin D Kids Asthma Study (VDKA) was a 48-week multicenter randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial of vitamin D3 for severe asthma exacerbations in children 6-16 years old, recruited from February 28, 2016 to September 20, 2019. An ancillary study for nasal sampling was conducted at the Pittsburgh site. Prior to randomization, participants completed questionnaires and underwent collection of nasal samples for gene expression studies. VDKA was approved by the IRBs of all participating institutions, and the ancillary study was approved by the IRB of the University of Pittsburgh. Written parental consent was obtained for participating children, from whom written assent was also obtained.

Study phs004051

Nanopore sequencing enables allelic phasing of FLG loss-of-function variants, intragenic copy number variation and methylation status in atopic dermatitis and ichthyosis vulgaris

Loss-of-function (LoF) variants in the FLG gene are associated with ichthyosis vulgaris (IV) and atopic dermatitis (AD). IV and AD patients with two FLG LoF variants are reported to have a more severe disease course. However, subsets of compound heterozygous patients display phenotypic heterogeneity despite a prediction of a severe phenotype from their genotype. The underlying genetic mechanism of this phenotypic variability is unknown. One possibility is that two LoF FLG variants could be located in cis (on the same allele), thus altering the predicted gene dosage. To investigate the allelic contribution of compound heterozygous FLG LoF mutations to IV phenotypic variability, we employ long reads from Oxford Nanopore Technologies, utilising two methodologies to phase the entire coding region of FLG into parental alleles: an amplicon-sequencing approach and an adaptive-sampling strategy. We investigated the allelic phasing of FLG LoF variants and intragenic-repeat copy-number variations (CNV) of 21 subjects with known compound heterozygous genotypes and mixed IV severity. Our results suggest that IV severity is not linked to the presence of cis variants in our IV patient cohort. Nanopore reads enabled detection and accurate phasing of CNVs and LoF variants into parental alleles, providing a framework for future in-depth genetic analysis. These results highlight the usefulness of utilising long reads for interrogating the FLG gene and other highly repetitive genes for genetic stratification related to clinical phenotypes.

Study EGAS50000000166

NINDS Family-Based Whole-Genome Sequencing to Find Modifiers of Age of Onset in Huntington's Disease

The goal of our studies is to identify genetic modifiers of neurodegeneration in Huntington's disease (HD). HD is caused by expansion of CAG repeats in the huntingtin (Htt) gene, with longer stretches often leading to more rapid disease onset and progression. Yet, for a given number of repeats, the age of symptom onset can be variable, differing by up to decades. Thus, the age of onset of motor symptoms in HD is only partly explained by the length of the CAG expansion. Available evidence suggests that genetic modifiers contribute to the variation in HD onset. Identifying genetic modifiers is important because they may provide critical insights into HD pathogenesis and reveal key pathways that could be targeted by novel HD therapeutics. This is important since there are no disease-modifying therapies for HD, and mHtt is an unattractive small-molecule drug target. We recruited 21 HD families with varying characteristics of disease progression and age of onset and obtained medical histories, clinical records and DNA samples that were subjected to whole-genome sequencing (WGS). These WGS data describe families of 104 subjects, including HD patients and their unaffected family members. These individuals were selected based on individual clinical histories and family structures that best fit our criteria for expressing potential genetic modifiers. We are testing the hypothesis that novel, rare genetic variants contribute to HD and those genetic modifiers can be identified by WGS.

Study phs001071

Whole Genome Sequencing Analysis in a Family of Discordant Twins With Non-Syndromic Microtia and Hemifacial Microsomia: Identification of Novel Candidate Genes and Variants

This research is a non-NIH effort to discover the pathogenesis of non-syndromic microtia and to detect potential candidate genes. Microtia (OMIM 600674, 612290, 251800) is a spectrum of congenital anomalies and facial abnormalities, 90% of the cases followed by hearing loss. Two types of the disease are described in terms of connection to the affected syndromes: anomalies (syndromic) and only clinical manifestation (non-syndromic) associated with other symptoms. Though the exact pathogenesis of microtia remains unknown, pathogenic genes of majority of the microtia syndromic types have been identified. However, the genetic mutation of the non-syndromic microtia has not been confirmed. In this study, whole genome sequencing (WGS) was utilized to screen mutations in monozygotic discordant twins of congenital microtia-atresia and their family members. One of the twins, along with her grandfather, was discordant for microtia-atresia. By bioinformatic analysis of the WGS data from monozygotic twins with microtia and their non-microtia relatives, we proposed that among 28 identified potential genes, 4 of them (CNOT1, ODAD4, TBX15, and GIPC3) could be more responsible for non-syndromic microtia development and phenotypic features. Interested investigators may request to access the DNA genomic sequencing data of the study participants via dbGaP authorized access. In addition to raw genomic sequencing data, datasets of germline mutations and candidate gene mutations may also be available for investigators to request.

Study phs003216

Toxigenic Clostridium perfringens isolated from at-risk pediatric inflammatory bowel disease patients

With the goal of studying mucosal-associated bacteria and products detrimental to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients, we directly cultured bacterial communities from mucosal biopsies and examined for detrimental traits. Focusing on red blood cell lysis, a virulence trait, communities from 5 of 9 patients exhibited hemolytic activity. Clostridium perfringens was isolated from each hemolytic community, and whole-genome sequencing confirmed presence of hemolytic toxins – alpha toxin in all 5 strains, perfringolysin O (PFO) in 4 strains, alveolysin in 2 strains – and absence of enterotoxins. In vitro cytotoxicity experiments demonstrated strain supernatants were toxic to various cell types located beneath the intestinal epithelial barrier, including endothelial, neuroblasts, and neutrophils, while impact on epithelial cells was less pronounced. These findings suggest C. perfringens may be damaging particularly when intestinal barrier integrity is compromised, such as in IBD patients. Further characterization using purified toxins and genetic insertion mutants confirmed PFO toxin was sufficient for cell toxicity. C. perfringens supernatants also induced activation of neuroblast and dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neuron cells in vitro, suggesting C. perfringens in inflamed mucosal tissue may directly contribute to abdominal pain, a frequent IBD symptom. Strikingly, C. perfringens was detected in biopsies of 8 of 9 pediatric patients while not in all corresponding stool samples, and in other datasets, C. perfringens was in stool samples of IBD adults (18.7-27.1%) much more frequently versus healthy (5.1%). Our findings showcase C. perfringens may have an important pathogenic impact on IBD patients. Similar to Clostridioides difficile, routine monitoring of C. perfringens and PFO toxins in patients may be beneficial.

Study EGAS50000000334

Family Investigation of Nephropathy and Diabetes (FIND) Study

The Family Investigation of Nephropathy and Diabetes (FIND) is a multicenter study designed to identify genetic determinants of diabetic kidney disease. Study subjects were recruited from eleven centers and in many ethnic groups throughout the United States. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) was conducted with the Affymetrix 6.0 chip. Subjects (index cases) with diabetes and kidney disease were initially recruited, and their parents and siblings were invited to participate. Genetic material from these participants was used to genotype markers throughout the genome. For association-based testing, a case-control design was implemented with study subjects selected primarily from the index cases of the families. Unrelated controls were selected from families where a case was not already selected. Several study sites also contributed non-FIND subjects, both cases and controls (consent forms for the release of FIND and non-FIND subjects/samples are included in this dbGaP release). Cases were selected if they met study criteria for diabetic nephropathy or met inclusion criteria based on elevated serum creatinine levels and abnormal urine protein excretion. Similarly, controls were long-term diabetics with otherwise normal kidney function. See inclusion/exclusion criteria section for a detailed description for the FIND study as a whole and this GWAS. The goal of the FIND study is to identify genes that influence susceptibility to diabetic kidney disease, leading to a better understanding of how kidney disease develops. In the long run, this may lead to improved treatment and prevention of diabetic kidney disease.

Study phs000333

Early Methamphetamine Abstinence: fMRI and Brain Function

This study included two groups of subjects, methamphetamine-dependent and healthy control participants, with the purpose of characterizing brain structure and cognition during the first month of abstinence from methamphetamine. Participants were able to participate in one or both phases of the study. Methamphetamine abusers were held as inpatients and abstained from methamphetamine use during the entirety of the study. Phase I covered the 1st week of abstinence and Phase II covered the next 3-4 weeks of abstinence. Control subjects participated as outpatients at timeframes which corresponded to the assessments taken of methamphetamine users. The following outlines the procedures in more detail. After initial telephone screening, in-person screening and recruitment procedures took place at the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute. Each methamphetamine abuser subject entered the study after completing an interview and questionnaires on drug use history, and providing a positive urine test for methamphetamine. The evaluation included a psychiatric diagnostic interview according to the Structured Clinical Inventory for DSM-IV (SCID-IV), a medical history and physical examination, blood tests [including a complete chemistry panel, hepatic panel, and tests for hepatitis-C and HIV]. Urine samples were also taken for drug screening of illicit drugs, and to test for pregnancy (female subjects). The methamphetamine abusers were then admitted to the General Clinical Research Center (CRC) and participated on a residential basis, where they were administered daily questionnaires about drug craving, withdrawal and mood. The current study makes available phenotype and genotype data, and interested investigators may contact the principal investigator regarding potential sharing of fMRI data.

Study phs001198

Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism (COGA): Smoke Screen and Exome Sequencing

This is a family study of alcoholism, in which the subjects have been drawn from the Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism (COGA), a large, ongoing family-based study that includes subjects from seven sites around the US. COGA has gathered detailed, standardized data on study participants, including diagnostic and neurophysiological assessments. This project has already proved successful in identifying several genes that influence the risk for alcoholism and neurophysiological endophenotypes, which have been independently replicated. COGA data were included as part of two Genetic Analysis Workshops, and the phenotypes are familiar to the genetics community. Alcoholic probands were recruited from treatment facilities, assessed by personal interview, and after securing permission, other family members were also assessed. A set of comparison families was drawn from the same communities as the families recruited through an alcoholic proband. Assessment involved a detailed personal interview developed for this project, the Semi-Structured Assessment for the Genetics of Alcoholism (SSAGA), which gathers detailed information on alcoholism related symptoms along with other drugs and psychiatric symptoms. Many participants also came to the laboratories for electroencephalographic studies. Neurophysiological features that have been shown to be useful endophenotypes for which we have linkage and in some cases association results are included on a subset of the case-control sample: the beta power of the resting electroencephalogram (EEG), the P3(00) amplitude of the visual event-related potential (ERP), and the theta and delta event-related oscillations (EROs) underlying the P3.

Study phs001208

A Genome-wide Association Study (GWAS) of Risk for Osteosarcoma

This is a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of osteosarcoma, the most common primary bone malignancy. Osteosarcoma typically occurs in adolescents and young adults. It occurs at increased frequency in several inherited cancer predisposition syndromes but the genetic contribution to sporadic osteosarcoma is largely unexplored. The objective of this study was to identify genetic risk factors for osteosarcoma by conducting a genome-wide association study. We developed collaborations with multiple institutions in order to attain the necessary sample size required to discover novel loci in the genome associated with osteosarcoma using the GWAS approach. Genomic DNA (either blood or buccal in source) derived from osteosarcoma cases was obtained from each participating institution or research group. De-identified blood or buccal cell DNA samples from osteosarcoma cases were derived from existing biobanks at the collaborative institutions. Control subjects were derived from existing NCI cohorts and matched by gender and ethnicity.

Study phs000734

Maternal Plasma Folate and DNA Methylation in Epigenome-Wide Meta-Analysis of Newborns

Folic acid is routinely recommended for women trying to conceive to ensure proper fetal development. Mechanisms whereby periconceptional folate influences normal development and disease are poorly understood: epigenetics may be involved. This data represents meta-analysis results from a large epigenomics study to examine the association between maternal plasma folate during pregnancy and epigenome-wide DNA methylation using Illumina's HumanMethyl450 (450K) Beadchip in 1,996 newborns from two European cohorts. Results for all CpGs analyzed (419,905) are provided. These data may be downloaded through the dbGaP Authorized Access portal under phg000701.v1.

Study phs001059

NOUS-209 off-the-shelf immunotherapy has the potential to hit primary and metachronous colorectal and urothelial cancer in Lynch syndrome

Lynch syndrome is an inherited cancer predisposition characterized by the development of microsatellite-instable tumors, most commonly colorectal and urothelial cancers. These cancers harbor recurrent frameshift mutations (FSMs) that generate shared neoantigens, creating opportunities for targeted immunotherapy. NOUS-209 is a viral-vector–based cancer vaccine encoding 209 of these shared neoantigen peptides. This study investigated the presence and evolution of NOUS-209 target FSMs in Lynch syndrome–associated tumors, revealing their persistence across primary and metachronous cancers and supporting the rationale for NOUS-209 as a preventive immunotherapy.

Study EGAS50000001336

PAK4 inhibition improves PD-1 blockade immunotherapy

Introduction with rationale and aims for study Immune checkpoint blockade therapies have significantly altered the current landscape of cancer treatment. However, this immunotherapy still fails more often than it succeeds. There are now evidences that the lack of tumour infiltration by immune cells is the main mechanism of primary resistance to PD‐1 blockade therapies for cancer. It has been postulated that cancer cell‐intrinsic mechanisms may actively exclude T cells from tumours, suggesting that the finding of actionable molecules that could be inhibited to increase T cell infiltration may synergize with checkpoint inhibitor immunotherapy. With the idea of finding potential drivers of immune exclusion, we performed RNA sequencing analysis of biopsies from melanoma patients and compared the transcriptomic differences of samples that where infiltrated with those that did not have immune infiltration. Methods RNAseq analysis of gene expressions on biopsies from melanoma patients treated with checkpoint blockade were analysed. We focused on the variable of "infiltration: yes or no,", e.g. tumors that were well infiltrated by immune cells with those that kept immune cells out. Sequencing revealed a list of genes whose expression differed between the infiltrated and noninfiltrated tumors. The kinase PAK4 stood out as a good candidate for inhibition treatment in the future as it was consistently enriched in the samples without immune infiltration. To test whether immunotherapy would work better if we deleted PAK4, we first knocked out PAK4, using CRISPR‐Cas9, in the ‐resistant melanoma cell line, B16. Then they injected the melanoma cells into mice and observed that PAK4 KO tumours now responded to PD‐1 blockade. In order to elucidate whether pharmacological inhibition of PAK4 could recapitulate the results observed in the B16 PAK4 KO tumours, we obtained the PAK4 inhibitor, KPT-9274, from Karyopharm Therapeutics. Indeed, inhibiting PAK4 in combination with anti‐PD‐1 immunotherapy significantly slowed the growth of the B16 melanomas more than either drug alone. Results and Conclusions Transcriptomic analysis of melanoma tumors that were well infiltrated by immune cells with those that kept immune cells out revealed a list of genes whose expression differed between the infiltrated and non-infiltrated tumours. The result suggests that p21 activated kinase 4 (PAK4) is enriched in non-responding tumour biopsies with low T cell and dendritic cell infiltration. In addition, PAK4 decreased WNT activity, a signalling pathway that has previously been involved in immune exclusion. In mouse models, genetic deletion of PAK4 increased T cell infiltration and reversed resistance to PD‐1 blockade in a CD8 T cell-dependent manner. Furthermore, combination of with the PAK4 inhibitor, KPT-9274, improved anti‐tumour responses compared to anti‐PD‐1 alone. Therefore, high PAK4 expression is correlated with low T cell and dendritic cell infiltration and lack of response to PD‐1 blockade, which could be reversed with PAK4 inhibition. The data establish a rationale for targeting this kinase with inhibitors in combination with immune checkpoint inhibitors for patients. Future work and data that we can anticipate for this study Oncogenic signalling pathways and specially the WNT signalling pathway, have been associated with lack of immune infiltration and resistance to PD‐1 blockade therapies. Here, we show that PAK4 overcome resistance to PD‐1 blockade while significantly decreases WNT signalling activity. Therefore, it constitutes the first potential druggable target that is able to reverse oncogenic driven immune cell exclusion. However, the fully mechanism whereby PAK4 sensitizes tumours to immunotherapy remains to be fully elucidated. It is necessary to address whether PAK4 inhibition overcomes resistance through WNT signalling inhibition or if other signalling pathways are involved in the observed phenotype.

Study phs001919

17143 results for "free coins in fc 26 Visit Buyfc26coins.com for latest FC 26 coins news..xwWa"

in 27.89 milliseconds.