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• Analysis of mechanisms of CD19- relapse following novel low affinity CD19 Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T-cells (CD19 CAR T-cells) in a Phase I clinical study in paediatric ALL: CARPALL

  Phase I clinical study (CARPALL, NCT02443831) utilizing a novel low affinity CD19CAR CAR in patients age <25 with high risk CD19+ ALL. Seventeen patients were enrolled and 14 received an infusion of CAR T cells. Among those achieving complete remission, 6 subsequently relapsed, 5 with CD19- disease, 1 with CD19+ disease. Whole exome sequencing of bone marrow DNA from patients with CD19- relapse showed mutations in the CD19 gene predicted to result in loss of surface expression in 4/5 patients. These mutations were not detectable prior to CAR T cell therapy. With a median follow-up of 14 months, 5/14 patients (36%) are alive and disease-free. Overall survival was 84% at 6 months and 63% at 12 months and by the criteria used in the ELIANA study, event-free survival was 67% and 46%. Using more stringent criteria where an event is defined as molecular relapse, molecular EFS was 55% and 29 %. The median duration of remission in responding patients was 7.4 months.

  Study EGAS00001003733

• Epigenetic dynamics of monocyte to macrophage differentiation

  Monocyte to macrophage differentiation involves major biochemical and structural changes in non-dividing cells. In order to elucidate the role of gene regulatory changes during this process, we used high-throughput sequencing to analyze the complete transcriptome and epigenome of human monocytes that were isolated by elutriation and differentiated in vitro by addition of MCSF in serum-free medium. We also investigated the effect of loading the macrophages with modified LDL. We found that many mRNAs and miRNAs were significantly up- or downregulated during differentiation. While there was no correlation between gene expression and DNA methylation changes at transcription start sites, we identified a large number of intra- and intergenic regions that rapidly lost DNA methylation, became nucleosome-free and gained histone marks indicative of active enhancers. Loading of macrophages with modified LDL caused gene expression changes, but no chromatin changes. In summary, our results demonstrate that monocyte to macrophage differentiation is associated with rapid, highly targeted epigenetic changes, whereas lipid uptake mainly affects regulatory circuits of soluble factors.

  Study EGAS00001001595

• NanoRCS and Reference samples

  Genome-wide NanoRCS of cell-free DNA from plasma of healthy controls (4 samples) Genome-wide sequencing of reference blood sample of healthy controls (4 samples)

  Dataset EGAD50000000974

• Long cell-free DNA molecules in maternal plasma (dataset1)

  Bam files consists PET cases and healthy cases

  Dataset EGAD00001008721

• Kids First: Whole Genome Sequencing in Recessive Structural Brain Defects

  Almost 5% of all live births in the US (1:20 births) display an inborn defect, including both structural and functional/metabolic abnormalities. These are among the most common causes of Infant mortality in the developed world and underlie nearly half of hospitalizations in the first 3 years of life. Of the 35 major defects observable at birth from the International Clearinghouse for Birth Defects Surveillance Program (www.icbdsr.org, external link), about half involve the nervous system. Many of these result in lifelong neurodevelopmental disorders. Structural Brain Defects (SBDs) result from errors in development of the central nervous system, including defects in the forebrain, midbrain and hindbrain. Many SBDs arise as the consequence of a single gene bi-allelic mutation, and for this reason, occur more commonly in populations or communities with elevated consanguinity.Our lab has identified dozens of novel SBD genes using WES/WGS in consanguineous SBD families. Importantly, the genes that we and others have identified in these unique families are then used to advance diagnosis in pediatric SBDs around the world. We have built an enormous cohort of SBD families, including newly recruited families not yet studied genetically, and previous families that were negative for cause following WES analysis. Here we propose to collaborate with the Gabriella Miller Kids First Pediatric Research Program (X01) to have sequencing performed in individuals from a total of 200 families with genetically undiagnosed SBDs. The Gleeson Lab team of researchers is dedicated to the field of SBDs, with an outstanding track record of high-impact science, and a collaborative approach to discovery. We have 150 newly recruited families that we propose to study by WES by sequencing blood-derived DNA from two affected patients, or the parents and one affected patient. We also have 50 families in which WES was negative, which we propose to study in a multi-omics approach combining WGS from blood-derived DNA. We anticipate that this study will lead to the identification of many new molecular causes of SBDs, as well as uncover new genotype-phenotype correlations and new disease mechanisms, paving the way for future breakthroughs in detection, treatment and prevention.

  Study phs002590

• Assessment of candidate high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma predisposition genes through integrated germline and tumour sequencing

  High-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC) has a significant hereditary component, only half of which is explained. Previously, we performed germline exome sequencing on BRCA1 and BRCA2-negative HGSOC patients, revealing three proposed and 43 novel candidate genes enriched with rare loss-of-function variants. For validation, we undertook case-control analyses using genomic data from disease-free controls. This confirms enrichment for nearly all previously identified genes. Additionally, one-hundred-and-eleven HGSOC tumours from variant carriers were sequenced alongside other complementary studies, seeking evidence of biallelic inactivation as supportive evidence. PALB2 and ATM validate as HGSOC predisposition genes, with 6/8 germline carrier tumours exhibiting biallelic inactivation accompanied by characteristic mutational signatures. Among candidate genes, only LLGL2 consistently shows biallelic inactivation and protein expression loss, supporting it as a novel HGSOC susceptibility gene. The remaining candidate genes fail to validate. Integrating case-control analyses with tumour sequencing is thus crucial for accurate gene discovery in familial cancer studies.

  Study EGAS50000000770

• Sensitive detection of tumor mutations from blood and its application to immunotherapy prognosis

  Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) is attractive for many applications, including cancer detection, locating, and monitoring. A fundamental task underlying these applications is the SNV calling from cfDNA, which, however, faces a new challenge, namely, the generally very low tumor content in cfDNA. Thus all existing callers fail to achieve satisfactory performance. Here we present cfSNV, a method incorporating multi-layer error suppression and hierarchical mutation calling, to address this important challenge. Furthermore, by leveraging cfDNA’s comprehensive coverage of clonal landscape, for the first time cfSNV can profile mutations even in subclones. In both simulated and real patient data, cfSNV vastly outperforms existing tools, showing tens of times increase in sensitivity in detecting mutations with low allele frequency while maintaining high precision. cfSNV can enhance the clinical utilities of cfDNA by dramatically reducing the required sequencing depth and therefore reduce the cost by magnitudes, and further make the Whole-Exome-Sequencing of cfDNA a viable option. As an example, we demonstrate that cfDNA-WES allows a new biomarker to effectively select patients for immunotherapy.

  Study EGAS00001004373

• Three-dimensional human alveolar stem cell culture models reveal infection response to SARS-CoV-2

  Severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which is the cause of a present global pandemic, infects human lung alveolar type 2 (hAT2) cells. Characterizing pathogenesis is crucial for developing vaccines and therapeutics. However, the lack of models mirroring the cellular physiology and pathology of hAT2 cells limits the study. Here, we develop a feeder-free, long-term three-dimensional (3D) culture technique for hAT2 cells derived from primary human lung tissue, and investigate infection response to SARS-CoV-2. By imaging-based analysis and single-cell transcriptome profiling, we reveal rapid viral replication and the increased expression of interferon-associated genes and pro-inflammatory genes in infected hAT2 cells, indicating robust endogenous innate immune response. Further tracing of viral mutations acquired during transmission identifies full infection of individual cells effectively from a single viral entry. Our study provides deep insights into the pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2, and the application of defined 3D hAT2 cultures as models for respiratory diseases.

  Study EGAS00001004508

• Cohort-Based Genome-Wide Association Study of Glioma (GliomaScan)

  We conducted a new independent GWAS of adult glioma using 1,856 cases and 4,955 controls from 14 cohort studies belonging to the Cohort Consortium, 3 case-control studies, and 1 population-based case only study. Cases were newly diagnosed glioma [ICDO-3 codes 9380-9480 or equivalent], and controls were cancer-free at the time of glioma diagnosis. We found evidence of strong replication for three of the seven previously reported associations at 20q13.33 (RTEL), 5p15.33 (TERT), and 9p21.3 (CDKN2BAS), and consistent association signals for the remaining four at 7p11.2 (EGFR both loci), 8q24.21 (CCDC26) and 11q23.3 (PHLDB1). The direction and magnitude of the signal were consistent for samples from cohort and case-control studies, but the strength of the association was more pronounced for loci rs6010620 (20q,13.33; RTEL) and rs2736100 (5p15.33, TERT) in cohort studies despite the smaller number of cases in this group, likely due to higher grade tumors being captured in the cohort studies. Our findings suggest that larger studies focusing on novel approaches as well as specific tumor subtypes or subgroups will be required to identify additional common susceptibility loci for glioma risk.

  Study phs000652

• Rapid brain tumor classification from sparse epigenomic data

  Although the intraoperative, molecular differential diagnosis of the approximately one hundred different brain tumor entities described to date has been a goal of neuropathology in the last decade, this has not yet been achieved in a clinically relevant time frame of less than one hour after biopsy collection. Recent advances in third-generation sequencing technologies have brought this once-elusive goal within reach. However, established machine learning techniques rely on concepts and methods, impractical for live diagnostic workflows in clinical applications. Here, we present MethyLYZR, a Naïve Bayesian framework enabling fully tractable live classification of cancer epigenomes. MethyLYZR can be run in parallel with an ongoing Nanopore experiment with negligible computational cost and provides clinically relevant and accurate cancer classification results within 15 minutes of sequencing. Therefore, only the time required for DNA extraction and the Nanopore sequencer's maximum parallel throughput remain limiting factors for even faster time-to-results. We demonstrate the potential utility of the MethyLYZR framework not only for the neurosurgical intraoperative use case but also for other oncologic indications and cell-free DNA from liquid biopsies.

  Study EGAS50000000559

• Whole Genome Bisulfite Sequencing of Circulating Cell-Free (CCF) DNA and its Cellular Contributors

  Background: Circulating cell free (ccf) fetal DNA has enabled non-invasive prenatal fetal aneuploidy testing without direct discrimination of the genetically distinct maternal and fetal DNA. Current testing may be improved by specifically enriching the sample material for fetal DNA. DNA methylation may allow for such a separation of DNA and thus support additional clinical opportunities; however, this depends on knowledge of the methylomes of ccf DNA and its cellular contributors. Results: Whole genome bisulfite sequencing was performed on a set of unmatched samples including ccf DNA from 8 non-pregnant (NP) and 7 pregnant female donors and genomic DNA from 7 buffy coat and 5 placenta samples. We found CpG cytosines within longer fragments were more likely to be methylated, linking DNA methylation and fragment size in ccf DNA. Comparison of the methylomes of placenta and NP ccf DNA revealed many of the 51,259 identified differentially methylated regions (DMRs) were located in domains exhibiting consistent placenta hypomethylation across millions of consecutive bases, regions we termed placenta hypomethylated domains. DMRs identified when comparing placenta to NP ccf DNA were recapitulated in pregnant ccf DNA, confirming the ability to detect differential methylation in ccf DNA mixtures. Conclusions: We generated methylome maps for four sample types at single base resolution, identified a link between DNA methylation and fragment length in ccf DNA, identified DMRs between sample groups, and uncovered the presence of megabase-size placenta hypomethylated domains. Furthermore, we anticipate these results to provide a foundation to which future studies using discriminatory DNA methylation may be compared.

  Study phs000846

• NHLBI TOPMed: San Antonio Family Heart Study (SAFHS)

  The San Antonio Family Heart Study (SAFHS) is a complex pedigree-based mixed longitudinal study designed to identify low frequency or rare variants influencing susceptibility to cardiovascular disease, using whole genome sequence (WGS) information from 2,590 individuals in large Mexican American pedigrees from San Antonio, Texas. The major objectives of this study are to identify low frequency or rare variants in and around known common variant signals for CVD, as well as to find novel low frequency or rare variants influencing susceptibility to CVD. WGS of the SAFHS cohort has been obtained through three efforts. Approximately 540 WGS were performed commercially at 50X by Complete Genomics, Inc (CGI) as part of the large T2D-GENES Project. The phenotype and genotype data for this group is available at dbGaP under accession number phs000462. An additional ~900 WGS at 30X were obtained through Illumina as part of the R01HL113322 "Whole Genome Sequencing to Identify Causal Genetic Variants Influencing CVD Risk" project. Finally, ~1,150 WGS at 30X WGS were obtained through Illumina funded by a supplement as part of the NHLBI's TOPMed program. Extensive phenotype data are provided for sequenced individuals primarily obtained from the P01HL45522 "Genetics of Atherosclerosis in Mexican Americans" for adults and R01HD049051 for children in these same families. Phenotype information was collected between 1991 and 2016. For this dataset, the SAFHS appellation represents an amalgamation of the original SAFHS participants and an expansion that reexamined families previously recruited for the San Antonio Family Diabetes Study (R01DK042273) and the San Antonio Family Gall Bladder Study (R01DK053889). Due to this substantial examination history, participants may have information from up to five visits. The clinical variables reported are coordinated with TOPMed and include major adverse cardiac events (MACE), T2D status and age at diagnosis, glycemic traits (fasting glucose and insulin), blood pressure, blood lipids (total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, calculated LDL cholesterol and triglycerides). Additional phenotype data include the medication status at each visit, classified in four categories as any current use of diabetes, hypertension or lipid-lowering medications, and, for females, current use of female hormones. Anthropometric measurements include age, sex, height, weight, hip circumference, waist circumference and derived ratios. PBMC derived gene expression assays for a subset of ~1,060 individuals obtained using the Illumina Sentrix-6 chip is also available from the baseline examination. The WGS data have been jointly called and are available in the current TOPMed accession (phs001215).

  Study phs001215

• Genomic profiling of paediatric high grade gliomas from the HERBY clinical trial

  The HERBY trial was a phase-II open-label, randomised, multicentre trial evaluating bevacizumab in patients with newly-diagnosed non-brainstem high grade glioma (HGG) between the ages of 3-18yrs. 121 patients were randomised with 1yr event-free survival as the primary end-point. Confirmation of HGG diagnosis by reference pathology was mandatory before randomisation, followed by review with five independent expert neuropathologists. We collected specimens from 89 patients consenting to translational research, and performed Sanger sequencing for H3F3A, Illumina 450K BeadArray methylation profiling, and whole exome sequencing and RNA sequencing where possible. 7/89 patients (8%) harboured H3F3A G34R/V mutations, whilst 24/89 (27%) harboured H3F3A K27M, the latter reflecting a high proportion of the novel entity recognised in the 2016 WHO classification of diffuse midline glioma with H3K27M mutation. Both histone mutations conferred a significantly shorter progression-free (p=0.0104) and overall survival (p=0.00159). 450K methylation subtyping additionally identified a number of subgroups in histone wild-type cases. These included infrequent (4/86, 4.6%) cases with IDH1 mutation in older children, further categorised into astrocytic ATRX-mutant (n=3) or 1p19q co-deleted with TERT promoter mutation (n=1). 9/74, (12%) of cases were classified as biologically resembling pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma (PXA) by methylation profiling, with 5/9 harbouring BRAF V600E mutations and epithelioid histology, and 3/9 NF1 mutation and giant cell features. Three cases had methylation profiles more closely resembling low grade gliomas, though were morphologically high grade, and harboured MAPK dysregulation in two cases, with the third part of an additional infant (<3yrs) cohort. Finally, four cases had a mutational burden several orders of magnitude higher than the rest, with (2197-5332) somatic coding variants/sample reflecting a hypermutator phenotype. These data provide an important insight into the wide biological diversity of ‘HGG’ found in the paediatric age group and allow for a profound refinement of clinical trial interpretation.

  Study EGAS00001002328

• Neo-RT sWGS

  Paired plasma cell-free DNA (cfDNA) samples were collected from 11 breast cancer patients before and after radiotherapy. Sequencing libraries were prepared using the Agilent SureSelect XT HS2 kit and sequenced on the Illumina NovaSeq 6000 platform. Neo-RT (NCT03818100) is a non-randomised, single-arm feasibility study evaluating neoadjuvant radiotherapy combined with endocrine therapy in women with ER-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer. Eligible patients had grade 1 or 2 disease (grade 3 permitted if chemotherapy was contraindicated) and a palpable tumour size ≥20 mm, for whom radiotherapy was intended to facilitate breast-conserving surgery.

  Dataset EGAD50000002238

• Circulating cell-free DNA analyses for Patient Monitoring in Small Cell Lung Cancer

  This study consists of over 200 data files from cfDNA and germline DNA from 69 patients and 32 healthy normal volunteers discussed in this publication.

  Dataset EGAD00001007070

• Mannheim Liquid Biopsy Unit, Heidelberg University & DKFZ

  The dataset consists of sequenced cell free DNA (cfDNA) samples from colorectal cancer patients. The samples were sequenced on an Illumina MiSeq machine using a custom amplicon sequencing approach. These amplicons were designed to cover the most common mutation hotspots in colorectal cancer. The data include 138 cfDNA samples from 34 different patients. For each patient several samples are available derived from blood drawn at different time points during treatment. In addition the data include samples from 22 histology slides and 30 samples derived from HT29/HCT116 cell lines that were used as controls.

  Dataset EGAD00001004574

• Clinical and biomarker dataset

  Clinical & biomarker data from IMagyn050: treatment arm, treatment approach, outcome of surgery, ECOG PS, PD-L1 status, race, age, disease stage, progression free survival (investigator assessed), overall survival, histology, tumor mutation burden and status, genomic loss of heterozygosity, microsatellite status, BRCA1/2 mutation status, tissue of origin. Mutation status based on FoundationOne NGS for the following genes is also being provided: TP53, BRCA1, CCNE1, MYC, NF1, PIK3CA, RAD21, TERC, PRKCI, KRAS, RB1, BRCA2, ARID1A, AKT2, PTEN, KDM5A, NOTCH3, FGF12, ERBB2, CDK12, EMSY, WHSC1L1, BCL2L1, CDKN2A, GNAS, ARFRP1, ZNF217, SOX2, CCND2, FGF6, FGF23, LYN, MUTYH, AURKA, FGFR1, MCL1, MLL2, MYCL1, ZNF703, BRAF, MAP2K4, CREBBP, TSC2

  Dataset EGAD00001009797

• Exploring the cell-free total RNA transcriptome in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma patients as biomarker source in blood plasma liquid biopsies

  The goal of this study was to investigate cell-free RNA (cfRNA) biomarkers in DLBCL and PMBCL patients. Blood plasma samples (n=168) and matched diagnostic formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue samples (n=69) of DLBCL patients, PMBCL patients and healthy controls were collected between 2016-2021. Plasma samples were collected at diagnosis, at interim evaluation, after treatment, and in case of refractory or relapsed disease. RNA was extracted from 200 µl plasma using the miRNeasy serum/plasma kit and from FFPE tissue using the miRNeasy FFPE kit. RNA was subsequently sequenced on a NovaSeq 6000 instrument using the SMARTer Stranded Total RNA-seq pico v3 library preparation kit.

  Study EGAS00001007585

• Study of Controlled Human Malaria Infections to Evaluate Protection After Intravenous or Intramuscular Administration of PfSPZ Vaccine in Malaria-Naive Adults

  The study was performed to evaluate whole-blood transcriptomic profiles via RNA-seq before, during, and after immunization with the PfSPZ Vaccine in malaria-naïve, health adults enrolled in VRC 314 (NCT02015091). VRC 314 was designed as an open-label evaluation of the safety, tolerability, immunogenicity, and protective efficacy of the PfSPZ Vaccine. This study was designed to substantiate the initial results with the IV vaccination route for protection against CHMI that was observed in VRC 312 (NCT01441167). Based on the potential importance of dose and schedule in optimizing sustained immunity with this vaccine, an increase in PfSPZ IV dosage on schedules of 3 to 5 vaccinations was evaluated for protection against CHMI conducted early (about 3 weeks) and late (about 24 weeks) after completion of vaccinations. To assess if a higher dose given by another route confers protection, one group received PfSPZ IM, with half of the amount administered in each arm on a schedule with 4 vaccination. The primary objectives of the study were related to the safety and tolerability of vaccinations by the IV and IM routes of administration and protection against Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) challenge performed via a well-established CHMI procedure early (2-4 weeks) after completing schedules of 3 to 5 vaccinations. The secondary objective was related to the durability of protection at 20-26 weeks after the last vaccination, and exploratory objectives were related to the immunogenicity of the PfSPZ Vaccine and identifying potential immune correlates of protection. To further determine potential molecular correlates of immunogenicity and/or protection, RNA-seq was performed on whole blood collected from subjects in all dose groups at time points before, during, and after immunization.

  Study phs002423

• Phenotypic and Genotypic Study of Keratoconus

  Keratoconus, a disease in which the cornea is abnormally steep and thin, affects approximately 1 in 2000 individuals and usually begins in the second decade of life. Keratoconus is a progressive disorder that results in loss of vision that cannot be alleviated by contact lenses or glasses alone and is a leading indication for corneal transplantation in developed countries (Udar et al., 2006, PMID: 16877401). Keratoconus has a strong genetic component, and while several causative genes are clearly suspected, the underlying pathogenic processes have not yet been identified. The goal of our research is to identify genes that harbor mutations contributing to keratoconus and underlying biochemical processes relevant to keratoconus pathogenesis and to develop a better understanding of the etiology of keratoconus, leading to improved detection, treatment, and management. We will enroll isolated keratoconus along with familial cases and unaffected relatives when available. The subject population will consist of individuals diagnosed with keratoconus and unaffected relatives in families. Individuals/families will be ascertained through support groups and clinical collaborators. The identities of the study participants will be known only to Dr. Chakravarti, the study coordinator, physicians in the team and the post-doctoral fellow(s) working directly on the project. DNA, lymphocytes, and lymphoblastoid cell lines may be prepared from the blood samples for future use. Molecular analyses using markers and sequencing and statistical analyses of these data will be used to identify regions of human chromosomes where putative keratoconus disease genes reside. Analyses of coding DNA sequences within genes from keratoconus subjects will be compared to published control sequences to identify disease specific variants. Additionally, to understand disease pathogenesis, subsets of patients may be asked to provide tear samples. Study subjects will not directly benefit from participation and results will not be disclosed to participants nor their health care providers, unless medically relevant.

  Study phs003168

• cfRRBS on cfDNA from pediatric cancer patients

  This dataset contains cell-free reduced representation bisulfite sequencing data from 60 pediatric cancer samples. Files are provided in fastq format. Samples were sequenced on a NextSeq 500.

  Dataset EGAD00001005928

• IMCISION DNAseq

  Whole-exome sequencing of 32 primary head and neck squamous cell carcinoma samples prior to treatment with neoadjuvant anti-PD-1 (n=6) or anti-PD-1 + anti-CTLA-4 (n=26) immunotherapy. DNA quantity used: 50ng. Library Preparation Kit: Twist Human Core Exome Plus (Twist Bioscience). Sequencing parameters: NovaSeq 6000, 2x 100 bp. File type: fastQ.

  Dataset EGAD00001008139

• The tissue origin of highly elevated cell-free DNA in patients with and without cancer

  Forty years ago, the first measurements of cell free DNA (cfDNA) from cancer patients revealed that its total concentration was often elevated compared to healthy controls. The basis for this increase, and in particular the source of the extra cfDNA in such patients, has never been determined. To address this issue, we assessed methylation patterns of cfDNA from 57 individuals, 34 of whom had unequivocally elevated cfDNA concentrations (i.e., >15 ng/mL of plasma). We found that the excess cfDNA in cancer patients did not come from either neoplastic cells or surrounding cells from the tumor's tissue of origin. Instead, 80% of the cfDNA was derived from neutrophils, B cells or T cells, with neutrophils accounting for ~2/3. B cells contributed more than T cells despite the great excess of T cells over B cells in the blood. To see if this result was generalizable to other clinical situations in which elevated cfDNA concentrations have been described, we evaluated nine patients before and one day following surgery. After surgical resection, cfDNA concentration increased by an average of 16.1-fold, as expected. The majority of this increase (55%) was contributed by leukocytes, though damaged hepatocytes contributed a substantial minority (31% of increase). These data suggest that the elevated concentrations of cfDNA in cancer patients, as with patients after surgery, arises largely from dying leukocytes—not from the neoplastic cells or the tissue of origin of the cancer.

  Study EGAS00001005400

• The circulating cell-free DNA landscape in sepsis is dominated by impaired liver clearance

  Circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) is a promising molecular biomarker. However, its utility in severe infection remains poorly understood. Here, we isolated cfDNA from sepsis patients and controls, demonstrating a 41-fold increase in the amount of cfDNA in circulation during disease. We used sequencing to reconstruct cfDNA methylomes, fragmentation profiles, and nucleosome footprints across 58 samples. We observed no difference in cfDNA composition between patients and controls, challenging the idea that cfDNA increases due to higher immune cell death during sepsis. Instead, we suggest that liver dysfunction prevents efficient clearance of cfDNA during disease. This was supported by fragmentation and end-motif patterns, both of which showed evidence of cfDNA being exposed to circulating nucleases for a prolonged period, proportionally to the extent of liver dysfunction. Variation in cfDNA of megakaryocyte-erythroid progenitor origin was also a significant contributor in sepsis, increasing over time. Moreover, we showed that cfDNA retains nucleosome footprints with cell type-specific gene activity information. We developed a novel approach to study nucleosome phasing that successfully recovers tissue-specific signatures. By combining this with single-cell data, we demonstrated that sepsis patients with liver dysfunction have higher amounts of cfDNA derived from Kupffer cells and the liver parenchyma. In conclusion, we present the first high-throughput multi-modal study of cfDNA during sepsis, which will serve as a reference point for future studies on the role of this biomarker in critical illness.

  Study EGAS50000001033

• Genome-wide cell-free DNA termini in patients with cancer

  The structure, fragmentation pattern, length and terminal sequence of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) is under the influence of nucleases present in the blood. We hypothesized that differences in the diversity of bases at the end of cfDNA fragments can be leveraged on a genome-wide scale to enhance the sensitivity for detecting the presence of tumor signals in plasma. We surveyed the cfDNA termini in 72 plasma samples from 319 patients with 18 different cancer types using low-coverage whole genome sequencing. The fragment-end sequence and diversity were altered in all cancer types in comparison to 76 healthy controls. We converted the fragment end sequences into a quantitative metric and observed that this correlates with circulating tumor DNA tumor fraction (R = 0.58, p < 0.001, Spearman). Using these metrics, we were able to classify cancer samples from control at a low tumor content (AUROC of 91% at 1% tumor fraction) and shallow sequencing coverage (mean AUROC = 0.99 at >1M fragments). Combining fragment-end sequences and diversity using machine learning, we classified cancer from healthy controls (mean AUROC = 0.99, SD = 0.01). Using unsupervised clustering we showed that early-stage lung cancer can be classified from control or later stages based on fragment-end sequences. We observed that fragment-end sequences can be used for prognostication (hazard ratio: 0.49) and residual disease detection inresectable esophageal adenocarcinoma patients, moving fragmentomics toward a greater clinical implementation.

  Study EGAS00001005738