3331 results for "ovarian cancer"

in 41.94 milliseconds.

• Melanoma_post_mortem_analysis

  This is a targeted pulldown validation in support of the existing whole-genome sequencing study of melanoma metastases (Canapps ID:1888). We are studying the genomic evolution of cutaneous melanoma metastases. In this pulldown analysis we are specifically sequencing the subclonal variants that we believe account for the variability between the metastases.

  Study EGAS00001003531

• Elucidating Transcription Regulation by Epigenetics in Neuroblastoma

  PURPOSE Whole-genome profiles of the epigenetic modification 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5-hmC) are robust diagnostic biomarkers in adult patients with cancer. We investigated if 5-hmC profiles would serve as novel prognostic markers in neuroblastoma, a clinically heterogeneous pediatric cancer. Because this DNA modification facilitates active gene expression, we hypothesized that 5-hmC profiles would identify transcriptomic networks driving the clinical behavior of neuroblastoma. PATIENTS AND METHODS Nano-hmC-Seal sequencing was performed on DNA from Discovery (n = 51), Validation (n = 38), and Children's Oncology Group (n = 20) cohorts of neuroblastoma tumors. RNA was isolated from 48 tumors for RNA sequencing. Genes with differential 5-hmC or expression between clusters were identified using DESeq2. A 5-hmC model predicting outcome in high-risk patients was established using linear discriminant analysis. RESULTS Comparison of low- versus high-risk tumors in the Discovery cohort revealed 577 genes with differential 5-hmC. Hierarchical clustering of tumors from the Discovery and Validation cohorts using these genes identified two main clusters highly associated with established prognostic markers, clinical risk group, and outcome. Genes with increased 5-hmC and expression in the favorable cluster were enriched for pathways of neuronal differentiation and KRAS activation, whereas genes involved in inflammation and the PRC2 complex were identified in the unfavorable cluster. The linear discriminant analysis model trained on high-risk Discovery cohort tumors was prognostic of outcome when applied to high-risk tumors from the Validation and Children's Oncology Group cohorts (hazard ratio, 3.8). CONCLUSION 5-hmC profiles may be optimal DNA-based biomarkers in neuroblastoma. Analysis of transcriptional networks regulated by these epigenomic modifications may lead to a deeper understanding of drivers of neuroblastoma phenotype. "Reprinted from Applebaum et. JCO Precision Oncology, 2019, with permission from creative commons license."

  Study phs001831

• NHLBI GO-ESP: Family Studies (Hematological Cancers)

  The NHLBI "Grand Opportunity" Exome Sequencing Project (GO-ESP), a signature project of the NHLBI Recovery Act investment, was designed to identify genetic variants in coding regions (exons) of the human genome (the "exome") that are associated with heart, lung and blood diseases. These and related diseases that are of high impact to public health and individuals from diverse racial and ethnic groups will be studied. These data may help researchers understand the causes of disease, contributing to better ways to prevent, diagnose, and treat diseases, as well as determine whether to tailor prevention and treatments to specific populations. This could lead to more effective treatments and reduce the likelihood of side effects. GO-ESP is comprised of five collaborative components: 3 cohort consortia - HeartGO, LungGO, and WHISP - and 2 sequencing centers - BroadGO and SeattleGO. Two major goals in the study of human malignancies are (i) to understand the genetic basis that underlies the predisposition of certain individuals to develop cancer and (ii) to identify the full spectrum of acquired mutations that occur in human cancers. There has been some progress in both of these areas with respect to hematologic malignancies but much remains to be discovered. As a result of recent advantages in sequencing technologies it is now feasible to sequence multiple individual whole exomes at reasonable cost. Such technologies provide a unique opportunity to transform our understanding of the biological basis of human cancer and to identify inherited genetic variants that predispose individuals to the development of hematologic malignancies. Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN), myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and acute leukemia are clonal disorders of hematopoieis. Our study involves performing whole exome sequencing of individuals with these disorders for the purpose of identifying (i) novel inherited genetic variants associated with the risk of developing of MPN/MDS/acute leukemia and (ii) novel acquired mutations associated with the development of MPN/MDS/acute leukemia.

  Study phs000632

• DNA Methylation in Prostate Tumor and Paired Benign Tissue for African and European Ancestry Men

  We recruited prostate cancer (PCa) patients undergoing robotic-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy at the University of Chicago Medical Center Urology Clinic between 2011 and 2017. Our study includes 76 African American (AA) and 75 European American (EA) men with PCa of Gleason Score (GS) ≥7, recruited by the Epidemiology Research Recruitment Core at the University of Chicago. All patients consented to the collection of questionnaire data, prostate tissue, and medical records. The study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of the University of Chicago. Following prostatectomy, prostate tissue was sent to the Human Tissue Research Center (HTRC) at the University of Chicago. Each sample underwent histological examination and Gleason scoring by University of Chicago genitourinary pathologists. The presence of adenocarcinoma was confirmed by overexpression of alpha-methylacyl-coenzyme-A racemase (AMACR) and areas for DNA extraction were marked. Tissue samples used for DNA extraction were obtained using with either a 1mm biopunch or laser microdissection of a 100 µm2 area of tissue. Genome-wide DNA methylation profiles were generated using Illumina's Infinium MethylationEPIC BeadChip array kit. Genome-wide SNP data was generated (from benign tissue DNA) using the Illumina Infinium Multi-Ethnic Global-8 v1.0 array at the University of Chicago Genomics Core Facility. We performed imputation using the Haplotype Reference Consortium (HRC, Version r1.1 2016) panel, which includes all samples from the 1,000 Genomes Project (Phase 3), using the Michigan Imputation Server. The imputed SNP data for mQTL analysis was imputed based on genotype SNP data which was all from benign tissue DNA and the methylation data was identified in both tumor and benign tissue, both AA and EA men, and identified QTLs co-occuring with prostate cancer susceptibility loci.Data including SNP genotypes, DNA methylation, tissue type, and participant characteristics will be available in dbGaP.

  Study phs003516

• Integrative analysis reveals a macrophage-predominant, immunosuppressive immune microenvironment and subtype-specific therapeutic vulnerabilities in advanced salivary gland cancer

  Background Salivary gland cancers (SGC) are rare and heterogeneous malignant tumors. Advanced SGC lack established treatment options and show poor response to immunotherapy. Here, an integrative multi-omics analysis in a large cohort of advanced SGC revealed insights into the tumor immune microenvironment (TIM) and distinct mechanisms of immune evasion. Methods A total of 104 patients with recurrent/metastatic SGC from the DKTK MASTER program were included in this study. Whole-exome or whole-genome sequencing and RNA-sequencing was performed on fresh frozen tumor tissue. The tumor immune microenvironment was analyzed using CIBERSORT deconvolution analysis and immune gene expression scores in bulk RNA-sequencing data. Single-nuclei sequencing and immunohistochemistry analyses were performed in selected samples. Results were validated in bulk RNA-sequencing data of a previously published independent dataset. Results Bulk transcriptome analysis revealed an immune-deserted TIM in the majority of advanced SGC samples. Immune exclusion was most prominent in adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) subgroup 1 exhibiting a downregulation of the antigen processing machinery. Only a small subset of advanced SGC, including few adenoid cystic carcinoma, exhibited T-cell inflammation, which was correlated with tumor mutational burden in Non-ACC samples. Subtype specific expression of immune checkpoints as well as cancer testis antigens were identified with prominent expression of VTCN1 in luminal cells within ACC. Single-cell RNA-sequencing and bulk RNA-seq deconvolution analysis validated immune cell exclusion and revealed a TIM that was dominated by M2 macrophages across SGC subtypes. Among evaluable patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors, a high T-cell to macrophage ratio was associated with clinical benefit. Conclusions These data support biomarker-based development of immune-checkpoint inhibition and the development of novel immune-checkpoint inhibitors and cellular therapies in SGC.

  Study EGAS50000000809

• Intra-tumor heterogeneity of localized lung adenocarcinomas defined by multi-region sequencing

  Background: Intra-tumor heterogeneity (ITH) may have profound impacts on biopsy strategy, characterization of actionable targets, treatment planning, and drug resistance. ITH of lung cancers has not been well studied. Methods: We performed multi-region whole exome sequencing (average sequencing depth 277x) on 48 tumor regions from 11 resected lung adenocarcinomas (8 stage I, 2 stage II and one stage III tumors) followed by deep sequencing validation (average sequencing depth 863x). Results: All tumors showed clear evidence of spatial ITH. On average, 76% of all mutations and 20/21 known cancer gene mutations were present in all regions of individual tumors (trunk mutations). Copy number analysis did not show substantial difference in large-scale chromosome aberrations. A canonical KRAS p.G12C mutation was detected in only 1 of 4 tumor regions (branch mutations) at exome depth but detected in all four tumor regions (trunk mutations) at increased sequencing depth. In addition, many heterogeneous branch mutations defined by exome sequencing were detectable in all regions of individual tumors with increasing sequencing depth. Significant differences in mutational spectrum were observed in 6 tumors indicating that specific mutational processes were likely operative at different times during development of these tumors. With a median follow up of 21 months post surgery, 3 patients have relapsed and all 3 patients presented with significantly larger fractions of subclonal mutations in their primary tumors. Conclusions: Although multi-region sampling is still required to fully assess ITH complexity, single biopsy analysis at appropriate depth might be sufficient to identify the majority of known cancer gene mutations in localized lung adenocarcinomas. Larger subclonal mutation fractions may be associated with increased likelihood of postsurgical relapse in patients with localized lung adenocarcinomas. Studies on larger cohort, ideally with comprehensive clinical annotation and repeat biopsy at relapse are needed to fully understand the clinical impact of ITH.

  Study EGAS00001000930

• NEOPREDICT-Lung: Neoadjuvant Immunotherapy for Resectable NSCLC

  Links via: DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-024-02965-0 PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38689060/ Journal: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-024-02965-0 Abstract Antibodies targeting the immune checkpoint molecules PD-1, PD-L1 and CTLA-4 administered alone or in combination with chemotherapy are standard of care in most patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancers. When given prior to curative surgery, tumor responses and improved event-free survival are achieved. New antibody combinations may be more efficacious and tolerable. In an ongoing, open-label phase II study, 60 biomarker-unselected, treatment-naïve patients with resectable non-small cell lung cancer were randomized to receive two preoperative doses of nivolumab (anti-PD-1) with or without relatlimab (anti-LAG-3) antibody therapy. The primary study endpoint was feasibility of surgery within 43 days, which was met by all patients. Curative resection was achieved in 95% of patients. Secondary endpoints included pathological and radiographic response rates, pathologically complete resection rates, disease-free and overall survival rates, and safety. Major pathological (≤10% viable tumor cells) and objective radiographic responses were achieved in 27% and 10% (nivolumab), and 30% and 27% (nivolumab and relatlimab) of patients, respectively. In 100% (nivolumab) and 90% (nivolumab and relatlimab) of patients tumors and lymph nodes were pathologically completely resected. With 12 months median duration of follow-up, disease-free survival and overall survival rates at 12 months were 89% and 93% (nivolumab), and 93% and 100% (nivolumab and relatlimab). Both treatments were safe with grade ≥ 3 treatment-emergent adverse events reported in 10% and 13% of patients per study arm. Exploratory analyses provided insights into biological processes triggered by preoperative immunotherapy. This study establishes the feasibility and safety of dual targeting of PD-1 and LAG-3 prior to lung cancer surgery.

  Study EGAS00001007753

• Dynamics of multiple resistance mechanisms in plasma DNA and their clinical implications for NSCLC patients receiving EGFR-targeted therapies

  Background:The development of resistance mechanisms to targeted therapies is complicated by underlying tumour heterogeneity. When multiple resistance mechanisms co-exist, identifying the dominant driver(s) is critical for selection of treatment. Patients and methods:We studied the relative dynamics of multiple oncogenic drivers and resistance mechanisms in 50 patients with EGFR-mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), during treatment with gefitinib and hydroxychloroquine (NCT00809237). We performed digital PCR and targeted deep sequencing of cell-free DNA from longitudinal plasma samples from all patients, and shallow whole genome sequencing of serial samples from three patients who underwent histological transformation to small-cell lung cancer (SCLC). ResultsEGFR activating mutations were assessed in tumour samples and accurately identified in plasma samples of 95% of patients (41/43). We identified additional mutations including EGFR T790M (31/50, 62%), TP53 (23/50, 46%), PIK3CA (7/50, 14%), and PTEN (4/50, 8%), and tracked their relative levels in plasma. Patients with both TP53 and EGFR mutations detected in plasma pre-treatment tended to have worse overall survival than those where only EGFR was detected. The resistance-conferring EGFR T790M mutation was identified in 62% of the patients who progressed. Changes in relative levels of T790M and activating mutations in EGFR corresponded to clinical responses in two patients who were given sequential treatments. Patients who progressed without T790M detected in plasma had worse PFS during TKI continuation, and developed alternative resistance mechanisms, that could be identified in plasma DNA, including SCLC-associated copy number changes and TP53 mutations, that tracked with progression and response to subsequent therapies. Conclusion:Longitudinal analysis of multiple oncogenic drivers in ctDNA may help identifying dominant mechanisms of resistance to EGFR-targeted therapies, and highlight the importance of monitoring genetic events that are not direct drug targets but provide non-invasive molecular information that may guide clinical management.

  Study EGAS00001002908

• Deep single-cell RNA sequencing data for 11138 T cells from tumour, adjacent normal tissue and peripheral blood of treatment-naive CRC patients. The DATA ACCESS AGREEMENT is provided at https://github.com/zhangyybio/single-T-cell-data-access. Applicants can request access to the data by directly downloading it or by sending an email to cancerpku@pku.edu.cn. The process that is used to approve an application includes verifying the institution, participants and research purposes of the application. In general this process will take about two weeks. In principal, any scientific research program complying with the laws and bioethic regulation policies of China will be approved.

  T cells are central players in cancer immunotherapy1, yet some of their fundamental properties such as development and migration within tumours remain elusive. The enormous T cell receptor (TCR) repertoire, required for recognising foreign and self-antigens2,3, could serve as lineage tags to track these T cells in tumours4. Here, we obtained transcriptomes of 11,138 single T cells from 12 colorectal cancer (CRC) patients and developed STARTRAC (Single T-cell Analysis by Rna-seq and Tcr TRACking) indices to quantitatively analyse dynamic relationships among 20 identified T cell subsets with distinct functions and clonalities. While both CD8+ effector and “exhausted” T cells exhibited high clonal expansion, they were independently connected with tumour-resident CD8+ effector memory cells, implicating a TCR-based fate decision. Of the CD4+ T cells, the majority of tumour-infiltrating Tregs showed clonal exclusivity, whereas certain Treg clones were developmentally linked to multiple TH clones. Notably, we identified two IFNG+ TH1-like clusters in tumours, the GZMK+ TEM and CXCL13+ TH1-like clusters, which were associated with distinct IFN-γ-regulating transcription factors, EOMES/RUNX3 and BHLHE40, respectively. Only CXCL13+BHLHE40+ TH1-like cells were preferentially enriched in tumours of microsatellite-instable (MSI) patients, which might explain their favourable response rates to immune-checkpoint blockade. Furthermore, we found IGFLR1 to be highly expressed in both CXCL13+BHLHE40+ TH1-like and CD8+ exhausted T cells and possessed co-stimulatory functions. Our integrated STARTRAC analyses provides a powerful avenue to comprehensively dissect the T cell properties in CRC, which could shed new insights into the dynamic relationships of T cells in other cancers

  Study EGAS00001002791

• Foregut Microbiome and Risk of Gastric Intestinal Metaplasia, and Gastric Cancer Risk

  The study is composed of two sub-studies. The first study, conducted by NYU Grossman School of Medicine, is a case-control study of 89 cases with gastric intestinal metaplasia (IM) and 89 matched controls who underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy at three sites affiliated with NYU Langone Health. Shotgun metagenomic sequencing using oral wash samples from the 89 case-control pairs and antral mucosal brushing samples from 55 case-control pairs were conducted. The other study, conducted by Vanderbilt University Medical Center, is a prospective case-control study on the oral microbiome and gastric cancer risk, utilizing shotgun metagenomic sequencing data of pre-diagnostic buccal samples from 319 Asians, 118 African Americans and 51 European Americans. This study includes data from three population-based studies: the Southern Community Cohort Study (SCCS), the Shanghai Women's Health Study (SWHS), and the Shanghai Men's Health Study (SMHS). The SWHS and SMHS include 74,941 women aged 40-70 years and 61,480 men aged 40-74 years, respectively, who were permanent residents of Shanghai and recruited to the cohorts between 1997 and 2006. The SCCS is an ongoing prospective cohort study, including ~86,000 participants recruited during 2002 and 2009 from 12 Southeastern states. Nearly 67% of study participants are African Americans (AAs) and the remaining are European American (EA) subjects.

  Study phs002566

• The Haplotype-Resolved Genome and Epigenome of the Aneuploid HeLa Cancer Cell Line

  The genomic architecture of HeLa remains largely unexplored beyond its karyotype, partly because like many cancers, its extensive aneuploidy renders such analyses challenging. We carried out haplotype-resolved whole-genome sequencing of the HeLa CCL-2 strain, examined point- and indel-mutation variations, mapped copy-number variations and loss of heterozygosity regions, and phased variants across full chromosome arms. We also investigated variation and copy-number profiles for HeLa S3 and eight additional strains. We find that HeLa is relatively stable in terms of point variation, with few new mutations accumulating after early passaging. Haplotype resolution facilitated reconstruction of an amplified, highly rearranged region of chromosome 8q24.21 at which integration of the human papilloma virus type 18 (HPV-18) genome occurred and that is likely to be the event that initiated tumorigenesis. We combined these maps with RNA-seq and ENCODE Project data sets to phase the HeLa epigenome. This revealed strong, haplotype specific activation of the proto-oncogene MYC by the integrated HPV-18 genome approximately 500 kilobases upstream, and enabled global analyses of the relationship between gene dosage and expression. These data provide an extensively phased, high-quality reference genome for past and future experiments relying on HeLa, and demonstrate the value of haplotype resolution for characterizing cancer genomes and epigenomes. Reprinted from Adey et. al. 2013, Nature, with permission from Nature Publishing Group.

  Study phs000642

• Immune heterogeneity in small cell lung cancer and vulnerability to immune checkpoint blockade

  Following the pivotal Phase III IMpower133 study, atezolizumab (anti–PD-L1), combined with carboplatin and etoposide (CE), was the first immune checkpoint inhibitor approved for first-line treatment of extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC) and is now a standard of care. A clearer understanding of therapeutically relevant SCLC subsets is needed to improve outcomes and to identify rational combination strategies. Transcriptomic analyses and nonnegative matrix factorization were conducted on 271 pre-treatment patient tumor samples from IMpower133 and four subsets with general concordance to previously reported SCLC subtypes were identified. Deeper investigation into the immune heterogeneity relevant to clinical outcomes uncover two subsets with differing neuroendocrine (NE) versus non-neuroendocrine (non-NE) phenotypes that demonstrated hallmarks of immune cell infiltration. The balance of tumor-associated macrophage (TAM) to T-effector signals distinguished these inflamed subsets. Tumors with low TAM but high T-effector signals had a NE phenotype and demonstrated longer overall survival with PD-L1 blockade and CE versus CE alone than did tumors with high TAM and high T-effector signal, which had a non-NE phenotype. The delineation of SCLC immune heterogeneity offers a clinically relevant approach to discriminate SCLC patients likely to benefit most from immunotherapeutic approaches and highlights the complex mechanisms underlying response and resistance to immune checkpoint blockade. 

  Study EGAS50000000138

• Resistance to anti-EGFR therapy in colorectal cancer

  Monoclonal antibodies targeting the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR), such as cetuximab and panitumumab, have evolved to important therapeutic options in metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC). However, almost all patients with clinical response to anti-EGFR therapies show disease progression within a few months and little is known about mechanism and timing of resistance evolution. Here we performed whole genome sequencing of plasma DNA (plasma-Seq) from patients treated with anti-EGFR therapy. We demonstrate that development of resistance to anti-EGFR therapies is frequently associated with focal amplifications of KRAS, MET, and ERBB2. However, we also show that focal KRAS amplifications can be acquired in tumor genomes of patients under cytotoxic chemotherapy. Furthermore, we provide evidence that specific chromosomal polysomies, such as overrepresentations of 12p and 7p, harboring KRAS and EGFR, respectively, determine responsiveness to anti-EGFR therapy. In contrast, employing ultra-sensitive deep sequencing of genes associated with anti-EGFR resistance, such as KRAS, BRAF, PIK3CA, and EGFR, we did not observe the occurrence of novel, acquired mutations. Overall, whole-genome plasma DNA sequencing represents a non-invasive blood-based surrogate measure of changes in tumors. As such, plasma-Seq enables the identification of novel mutant clones and may therefore facilitate early adjustments of therapies that may delay or prevent disease progression.

  Study EGAS00001000582

• Characterization_of_genomic_landscape_of_Peripheral_T_cell_Lymphomas__not_otherwise_specified__PTCL_NOS_

  Peripheral T-cell lymphomas not otherwise specified (PTCL-NOS) represent a heterogeneous group of nodal and extra-nodal mature T-cell lymphomas, with a low prevalence in Western countries. PTCL-NOSs account for about 25% of all PTCLs and are currently diagnosed based on exclusion criteria, as this lymphomas lack unifying morphological, phenotypic and genomic features. Cytogenetic and FISH analysis of PTCL-NOS samples have not revealed recurrent pathogenetic abnormalities, while gene expression profiling has shown only partial ability to segregate cases representing homogeneous clinic-pathological entities. This underscores the need to look at PTCL-NOS with innovative and high-throughput approaches to identify recurrent genetic lesions that could further our understanding of the biology of this heterogeneous group of diseases, provide better diagnostic tools and perhaps new targets for innovative treatments. Our aim is to study ~15 patients affected by PTCL-NOS. Out study will be funded by a private, non-profit Italian cancer research fund (Associazione Italiana per la Ricerca sul Cancro, www.airc.it) based on a grant owned by Anna Dodero and Cristiana Carniti, hematologists at INT. Samples will be analysed by whole genome sequencing using Illumina X10 machines, on a 150bp-PE protocol. Data will be analysed using the pipeline available in Team 78, under the supervision of Peter Campbell, the WTSI faculty who will oversee the project, and by Francesco Maura, visiting scientist at the WTSI.

  Study EGAS00001002057

• Towards standardized whole exome sequencing (WES) for cancer patients: lessons from a multicentric pilot study

  A growing number of druggable targets and national initiatives for precision oncology necessitate broader genomic profiling for many cancer patients. Whole exome sequencing (WES) offers unbiased analysis of the entire coding sequence, segmentation-based detection of copy number alterations (CNAs), and accurate determination of complex biomarkers including tumor mutational burden (TMB), homologous recombination repair deficiency (HRD), and microsatellite instability (MSI). To assess the inter-institution variability of clinical WES, we performed a comparative pilot study between German Centers of Personalized Medicine (ZPMs) from five participating institutions. Tumor and matched normal DNA from 30 patients were analyzed using custom sequencing protocols and bioinformatic pipelines. Calling of somatic variants was highly concordant with a sensitivity between 91-95% and a positive predictive value (PPV) of 82-95% compared with a three-institution consensus and full agreement for 16 of 17 druggable targets. Deviations were observed for cases with low VAF or coverage, differing annotations, and different filter protocols. CNAs showed overall agreement in 76% for the genomic sequence with high wet-lab variability. Complex biomarkers correlated strongly between institutions (HRD: 0.79-1, TMB: 0.97-0.99) and all institutions agreed on microsatellite instability. This study will contribute to the development of quality control frameworks for comprehensive genomic profiling and sheds light onto parameters that require stringent standardization.

  Study EGAS00001007363

• Dynamics of sequence and structural cell-free DNA landscapes in small-cell lung cancer

  Patients with small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) have an exceptionally poor prognosis, calling for improved real-time non-invasive biomarkers of therapeutic response. We performed targeted error-correction sequencing on 171 serial plasmas and matched white blood cell (WBC) DNA from 33 patients with metastatic SCLC who received systemic treatment with chemotherapy or immunotherapy-containing regimens. Tumor-derived sequence alterations and plasma aneuploidy were evaluated serially and combined to assess changes in total cell-free tumor load (cfTL). Longitudinal dynamic changes in cfTL were monitored to determine circulating cell-free tumor DNA (ctDNA) molecular response during therapy. Combined tiered analyses of tumor-derived sequence alterations and plasma aneuploidy allowed for assessment of ctDNA molecular response in all patients. Molecular responses captured the therapeutic effect and long-term clinical outcomes in a more accurate and rapid manner compared to radiographic imaging. Patients with sustained molecular responses had longer overall (log-rank p=0.0006) and progression-free (log-rank p<0.0001) survival, with molecular responses detected on average 4 weeks earlier than imaging. ctDNA analyses provide a rapid approach for the assessment of early on-therapy molecular responses and have important implications for the management of patients with SCLC, including the development of improved strategies for real-time tumor burden monitoring.

  Study EGAS00001006831

• Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH)/Broad Hurthle cell carcinoma whole exome sequencing study

  In this study, we performed whole-exome sequencing of 41 patients with Hurthle cell carcinoma, a thyroid cancer variant with abundant mitochondria. We were able to identify recurrent somatic mutations in both the nuclear and mitochondrial genomes of Hurthle cell carcinoma. Our study identifies mutations in DAXX (GeneID: 1616), TP53 ( GeneID:7157), NF1(GeneID:4763) , NRAS (GeneID:4893), CDKN1A (GeneID:1026), ARHGAP35 (GeneID:2909), the TERT (GeneID:7015) promoter, and mitochondrial-encoded complex I genes to be candidate driver events in Hurthle cell carcinoma. Furthermore, copy number analysis revealed widespread chromosomal losses, resulting in loss-of-heterozygosity and a near-haploid state, to be a defining feature of these tumors. Finally, by analyzing locoregional recurrences and metastases, we were able to identify that widespread chromosomal losses and mitochondrial complex I mutations appear to be early driver events that are selected during clonal evolution.

  Study phs001580

• Identification of 22 Novel Loci Associated with Susceptibility to Testicular Germ Cell Tumors

  Testicular germ cell tumors (TGCT) are the most common cancers in young men of European ancestry aged 20 to 39 years. The Testicular Cancer Consortium (TECAC) has brought together the largest genome-wise association study (GWAS) study of TGCT to date. We conducted a GWAS of 5,602 cases and 5,006 controls aggregated from 12 locations in the US and Europe. Logistic regression models adjusted for study center and genomic ancestry. Genotypes were imputed against the Human Haplotype Reference Consortium. Meta-analysis was performed to combine GWAS results with summary statistics from five previously published TGCT studies, UK Biobank, deCODE Genetics, and an independent set of cases and controls, for a total of 10,156 cases and 179,683 controls. 22 novel and 45 previously reported loci associated with TGCT surpassed genome-wide significance (p < 5e-08).

  Study phs001349

• Genomic Predictors of Response to Immune Checkpoint Therapy

  Immune checkpoint therapies, including monoclonal antibodies to programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) and cytotoxic % lymphocyte associated protein-4 (CTLA-4), yield durable clinical responses across many tumor types, including metastatic melanoma, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and renal cell carcinoma (RCC). However, predictors of response to these therapies in RCC are still unknown. Genomic characterization of large clinical cohorts of patients treated with anti-CTLA-4 and anti-PD-1 agents in melanoma and NSCLC have suggested that high mutational burden, high neoantigen burden, and high expression of certain genes in pre-treatment tumors may be associated with patient response to these therapies. In this study, we sought to investigate genomic predictors of response to anti-PD1 therapy in metastatic RCC in two independent clinical cohorts using whole exome and whole transcriptome sequencing.

  Study phs001493

• MP2PRT: Identification of Genetic Changes Associated with Relapse and/or Adaptive Resistance in Patients Registered as Favorable Histology Wilms Tumor on AREN03B2

  The Molecular Profiling to Predict Response to Treatment (MP2PRT) program is part of the NCI's Cancer Moonshot Initiative. The aim of this program is the retrospective characterization and analysis of biospecimens collected from completed NCI-sponsored trials of the National Clinical Trials Network and the NCI Community Oncology Research Program. This study, titled "Identification of Genetic Changes Associated with Relapse and/or Adaptive Resistance in Patients Registered as Favorable Histology Wilms Tumor on AREN03B2", performs genomic characterization (WGS 30X, Total RNAseq, miRNAseq) on a discovery set of 70 trio cases (normal tissue, tumor tissue at time of diagnosis, tumor tissue at time of relapse) from patients who relapsed with Favorable Histology Wilms Tumor. Prioritized findings from the discovery set will be validated using Targeted Sequencing in an independent validation set of 47 relapse samples.

  Study phs001965

• The Ultrasound Study of Tamoxifen

  The Ultrasound Study of Tamoxifen is a 12-month longitudinal study to describe volumetric breast density change over time among women with and without tamoxifen exposure. Women were enrolled at the Karmanos Cancer Institute and Henry Ford Health Systems in Detroit, Michigan between 2011-2014. Enrollment included women prescribed tamoxifen for clinical indication (n=82) and a comparison group of women frequency matched on age, race, and menopausal status (n=165). Whole breast ultrasound tomography (UST) scans were used to measure volume averaged sound speed (m/s) as a surrogate of volumetric breast density. Ultrasound tomography (UST) scans were completed at baseline prior to tamoxifen initiation and were repeated at 1-3 months, 4-6 months, and 12 months after tamoxifen initiation. For the comparison group, UST scans were completed at baseline and 12 months. Questionnaires were completed at each scan.

  Study phs003183

• National Institutes of Health H3Africa African Collaborative Center for Microbiome and Genomics Research (ACCME)

  The African Collaborative Center for Microbiome and Genomics Research is a multi-institutional collaborative research project. The objectives of the project are to collaborate and implement high impact integrative epidemiology and genomics research into discovery of biomarkers associated with cervical carcinogenesis. Specifically ACCME links and leverages existing funded research and program activities at the collaborating institutions to study the interaction between vaginal microbiome, host genetic factors and molecular variants of Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) to determine correlates of viral persistence in the causal pathway of cervical cancer, a major cause of preventable mortality in Nigeria and other parts of sub-Saharan Africa. This research offers several opportunities to advance understanding of cervical carcinogenesis, viral oncogenesis, new biomarker discovery and risk stratification by genotype in a cohort of African women. Sponsorship: This project is sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH)

  Study phs001945

• NHLBI TOPMed: Genetic Study of Atherosclerosis Risk (GeneSTAR)

  GeneSTAR began in 1982 as the Johns Hopkins Sibling and Family Heart Study, a prospective longitudinal family-based study conducted originally in healthy adult siblings of people with documented early onset coronary disease under 60 years of age. Commencing in 2003, the siblings, their offspring, and the coparent of the offspring participated in a 2 week trial of aspirin 81 mg/day with pre and post ex vivo platelet function assessed using multiple agonists in whole blood and platelet rich plasma. Extensive additional cardiovascular testing and risk assessment was done at baseline and serially. Follow-up was carried out to determine incident cardiovascular disease, stroke, peripheral arterial disease, diabetes, cancer, and related comorbidities, from 5 to 30 years after study entry. The goal of several additional phenotyping and interventional substudies has been to discover and amplify understanding of the mechanisms of atherogenic vascular diseases and attendant comorbidities.

  Study phs001218

• Functionally-defined Therapeutic Targets in Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG)

  Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG) is a universally fatal childhood cancer. Here, we performed a chemical screen in patient-derived DIPG cell cultures along with RNAseq expression analysis and integrated computational modeling to identify potentially effective therapeutic strategies. Panobinostat, among the more promising agents identified, demonstrated efficacy in pontine orthotopic xenograft models of both H3K27M and histone WT DIPG. These data suggest the potential utility of specific drug combinations and provides evidence of in vivo treatment efficacy of the multi-histone deacetylase inhibitor panobinostat. We are depositing to dbGaP deep sequencing whole exome data for 22 patient tumor samples and 13 matched normals, along with RNAseq data for 12 patient tumor samples and 6 normal pediatric brain tissue samples. In addition, we are depositing 22 RNAseq samples from DIPG cell lines before and after panobinostat treatment.

  Study phs000900

• Xeroderma Pigmentosum, Complementation Group C, (XPC) and Non-XPC Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma (cSCC) Mutation Rate Study

  Base mutations occur at higher frequencies within heterochromatin and late-replicating DNA. In this study, we show that regional differences in mutation frequency are absent in portions of the genome that are not transcribed within cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas (cSCCs) with an XPC-\- genetic background. The XPC-\- genetic background predicates a loss of global genome nucleotide excision repair (GG-NER), thus our data shows that regional differences in mutation frequency are a result of differential access of DNA repair protein. Unexpectedly, we also note that greater transcription reduces mutations on both strands of genes in heterochromatin, and only to those levels observed in euchromatin, in a XPC-dependent fashion. Therefore, transcription likely reduces mutation prevalence by increasing access to DNA repair proteins. This tripartite relationship between DNA repair, transcription, and chromatin state shows a new cancer risk factor in human populations.

  Study phs000830

• NHLBI TOPMed - NHGRI CCDG: Malmo Preventive Project (MPP)

  The Malmö Preventive Project (MPP) was a community-based disease prevention program including 33,346 inhabitants from the city of Malmö in Southern Sweden. Complete birth cohorts between 1921-1949 were invited, and the participation rate was 71%. Participants underwent screening between 1974 to 1992 for cardiovascular risk factors, alcohol abuse, and breast cancer. Between 2002-2006, surviving participants were invited to a reexamination which included blood sampling from which DNA has been extracted. Subjects with prevalent or incident AF were identified from national registers as previously described, and cases with DNA were then matched in a 1:1 fashion to controls with DNA from the same cohort by sex, age (±1 year), and date of baseline exam (±1 year). Also, controls required a follow-up exceeding that of the corresponding AF case.

  Study phs001544

• Evolutionary Analysis of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Cells During Relapse After Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant

  We investigated the molecular dynamics driving relapse of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (allo-HSCT) through an integrated analysis of whole exome, bulk transcriptome, bulk methylome and single cell transcriptional data from paired leukemic samples representing 19 patients. We found that their clinical kinetics corresponded to distinct genetic and epigenetic evolutionary trajectories and suggest that the selection pressures of the post-transplant, immunologic bottleneck are distinct from those imposed by chemotherapy.In order to discover cancer antigens derived from annotated and unannotated protein-coding regions of the genome, we carried out ribosome profiling (Ribo-seq) and RNA-sequencing on CLL samples and isolated primary B cells from healthy donors. We discovered novel or unannotated open reading frames (nuORFs), their expression levels, as well as somatic mutations within them to predict potential neoantigens.

  Study phs001998

• Genetic Analysis of Skin Cells

  Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) is a form of skin cancer originating from keratinocytes in the skin. They have high mutation burdens, primarily driven by UV-radiation-induced DNA damage. The order in which mutations undergo selection during the evolution of cSCC is not known. A subset of cSCCs grow out of benign neoplasms called actinic keratoses. To better understand the evolution of cSCC, we identified cases of cSCCs adjacent to actinic keratoses. From these cases, we separately microdissected the surrounding normal skin, the actinic keratosis, and the cSCC, and we performed targeted DNA-sequencing on the tissue from each area. We reconstructed tumor phylogenies and performed spatial transcriptomics on the 10X FFPE Visium platform on a subset of cases. Collectively, these studies revealed the mutational and gene expression changes that arise during the evolution of cSCC.

  Study phs003282

• Genomic Sequencing of Ewing Sarcoma

  Pediatric Ewing sarcoma is a pediatric cancer that primarily arises from the bone. It is characterized by chimeric fusions of the EWS gene and an ETS family transcription factor. In this study, we performed massively parallel sequencing of a larger collection of Ewing sarcoma tumors to define the genomic landscape of this disease. We found that these tumors are among of the most genetically normal cancers currently characterized. There was also a marked absence of recurrent mutations in immediately targetable signaling transduction pathway genes. In this study we answer outstanding questions about ETS transcription factor expression, effects of treatment on mutational burden in Ewing sarcoma tumors, and describe patterns of tumor evolution. We also found that loss-of-function mutations in STAG2 were present in approximately 15% of Ewing sarcoma tumors and loss of STAG2 expression was associated with disease metastasis in this patient cohort.

  Study phs000804

• RNA sequencing of surgically removed lung adenocarcinoma afterwards treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors

  Patients with lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database were enrolled in the training cohort to establish a prognostic signature based on the expression of tumor-specific amino acid metabolism related genes. The established signature was further investigated against an original cohort, KCC-ICI, of chemotherapy combined with immune checkpoint inhibitors. The signature consisting of nine genes, KYNU, PSPH, PPAT, MIF, GCLC, ACAD8, TYRP1, ALDH2, and HDC, could effectively stratify the OS in LUAD patients. The KCC-ICI cohort confirmed the predictive ability of the established signature in the clinical response to immune checkpoint blockade therapy, which correlated with the infiltration of immune cells (e.g., T lymphocytes and nature killer cells). We discovered that the high signature risk score patients showed a significantly lower concentration of plasma-free ??-aminobutyric acid (AABA).

  Study JGAS000675

• The Formation and Propagation of Human Robertsonian Chromosomes

  Robertsonian chromosomes are a type of variant chromosome found commonly in nature. Present in one in 800 humans, these chromosomes can underlie infertility, trisomies, and increased cancer incidence. Recognized cytogenetically for more than a century, their origins have remained mysterious. Recent advances in genomics have allowed us to assemble three human Robertsonian chromosomes completely. We identify a common breakpoint and epigenetic changes in centromeres that provide insight into the formation and propagation of common Robertsonian translocations. Further investigation of the assembled genomes of chimpanzee and bonobo highlights the structural features of the human genome that uniquely enable the specific crossover event that creates these chromosomes. Resolving the structure and epigenetic features of human Robertsonian chromosomes at a molecular level will pave the way to understanding how chromosomal structural variation occurs more generally, and how chromosomes evolve.

  Study phs003920

• Frequent mutations in chromatin-remodelling genes in pulmonary carcinoids

  Pulmonary carcinoids are rare neuroendocrine tumours of the lung. The molecular alterations underlying the pathogenesis of these tumours have not been systematically studied so far. Here we perform gene copy number analysis (n¼54), genome/exome (n¼44) and transcriptome (n¼69) sequencing of pulmonary carcinoids and observe frequent mutations in chromatin-remodelling genes. Covalent histone modifiers and subunits of the SWI/SNF complex are mutated in 40 and 22.2% of the cases, respectively, with MEN1, PSIP1 and ARID1A being recurrently affected. In contrast to small-cell lung cancer and large-cell neuroendocrine tumours, TP53 and RB1 mutations are rare events, suggesting that pulmonary carcinoids are not early progenitor lesions of the highly aggressive lung neuroendocrine tumors but arise through independent cellular mechanisms. These data also suggest that inactivation of chromatinremodelling genes is sufficient to drive transformation in pulmonary carcinoids.

  Study EGAS00001000650

• An oncogenic enhancer-rearrangement causes concomitant deregulation of EVI1 and GATA2 in leukemia. Targeted resequencing of chromosomal regions centered on 3q21 and 3q26 in conjunction with RNA-Seq from Acute Myeloid Leukemia patients.

  Chromosomal rearrangements without gene-fusions have been implicated in leukemogenesis by causing deregulation of proto-oncogenes via relocation of cryptic regulatory DNA elements. AML with inv(3)/t(3;3) is associated with aberrant expression of the stem-cell regulator EVI1. Applying functional genomics and genome-engineering, we demonstrate that both 3q-rearrangements reposition a distal GATA2 enhancer to ectopically activate EVI1 and simultaneously confer GATA2 functional haploinsufficiency, previously identified as the cause of sporadic familial AML/MDS and MonoMac/Emberger syndromes. Genomic excision of the ectopic enhancer restored EVI1 silencing and led to growth inhibition and differentiation of AML cells, which could be replicated by pharmacologic BET-inhibition. Our data show that structural rearrangements involving chromosomal repositioning of enhancers can cause deregulation of two unrelated distal genes, with cancer as the outcome.

  Study EGAS00001000669

• RNA-sequencing data from 195 B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemias and mate pair whole genome sequencing data from 15 B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemias

  Fusion genes are potent driver mutations in cancer. In this study, we delineate the fusion gene landscape in a consecutive series of 195 pediatric B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (BCP ALL). Using RNA-sequencing, we find in-frame fusion genes in 127 (65%) cases, including 27 novel fusions. We describe a new subtype characterized by recurrent IGH-DUX4 or ERG-DUX4 fusions, representing 4% of cases, leading to overexpression of DUX4 and frequently co-occurring with intragenic ERG deletions. Furthermore, we identify a subtype characterized by an ETV6-RUNX1-like gene expression profile and coexisting ETV6 and IKZF1 alterations. Taken together, this study provides a detailed overview of fusion genes in pediatric BCP ALL and adds new pathogenetic insights, which may improve risk stratification and provide novel therapeutic options in this disease.

  Study EGAS00001001795

• Whole exome sequencing reveals the mutational spectrum of testicular germ cell tumours

  Testicular germ cell tumours (TGCTs) are the most common cancer in young men. Here we perform whole exome sequencing of 42 TGCTs to comprehensively study the mutational profile of TGCT. The mutation rate is uniformly low in all of the tumours (mean 0.5 mutations per megabase [Mb]) as compared to the common cancers, consistent with the embryological origin of TGCT. In addition to expected copy number gain of chromosome 12p and mutation of KIT we identify recurrent mutations in the tumour suppressor gene CDC27 (11.9%). Copy number analysis reveals recurring amplification of the spermatocyte development gene FSIP2 (15.3%) and a 0.4Mb region at Xq28 (15.3%). Two treatment-refractory patients are shown to harbour XRCC2 mutations, a gene strongly implicated in defining cisplatin resistance. Our findings provide further insights into genes involved in the development and progression of TGCT.

  Study EGAS00001001084

• Whole exome sequencing data of germline and two independent primary leukemias of five patients

  The contribution of genetic predisposing factors to the development of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), the most frequently diagnosed cancer in childhood, has not been fully elucidated. Children presenting with multiple de novo leukemias are more likely to suffer from genetic predisposition. Here, we selected five of these patients and analyzed the mutational spectrum of normal and malignant tissues. In two patients, we identified germline mutations in TYK2, a member of the JAK tyrosine kinase family. These mutations were located in two adjacent codons of the pseudokinase domain (p.Pro760Leu and p.Gly761Val). In silico modeling revealed that both mutations affect the conformation of this auto-regulatory domain. Consistent with this notion, both germline mutations promote TYK2 autophosphorylation and activate downstream STAT family members, which could be blocked with the JAK kinase inhibitor I. These data indicate that germline activating TYK2 mutations predispose to the development of ALL.

  Study EGAS00001001889

• Establishment and characterization of an Epstein-Barr virus-positive cell line from a non-keratinizing differentiated primary nasopharyngeal carcinoma

  Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), a cancer that is etiologically associated with the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), is endemic in Southern China and Southeast Asia. The scarcity of representative NPC cell lines owing to the frequent loss of EBV episomes following prolonged propagation and compromised authenticity of previous models underscores the critical need for new EBV-positive NPC models. Herein, we describe the establishment of a new EBV-positive NPC cell line, designated NPC268 from a primary non-keratinizing, differentiated NPC tissue. NPC268 can undergo productive lytic reactivation of EBV and is highly tumorigenic in immunodeficient mice. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) revealed close similarities with the tissue of origin, including large chromosomal rearrangements, while whole-genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS) and RNA sequencing demonstrated a hypomethylated genome and enrichment in immune-related pathways, respectively.

  Study EGAS00001007172

• Transcriptional_Consequences_of_Copy_Number_Changes_MY_HDBR_200531

  Every normal human cell has two copies of each non-sex chromosome. The gain or loss of an extra copy underlies many health conditions, including developmental syndromes and cancer. Ultimately, it is the patterns of genes that are turned on and off that determines which proteins a cell produces and its biological function. Despite the importance of changes in chromosome number (known as aneuploidy or copy number changes), little is known about how these changes impact patterns of gene expression. This project will aim to fill this gap by creating an atlas of patterns of gene expression in cells from developmental tissues with aberrant numbers of chromosomes. These gene expression profiles will then be compared to the patterns of expression in the same cells with two copies of each chromosome, directly measuring the precise, cell specific, consequences of copy number change on gene expression.

  Study EGAS00001005100

• RNAseq_of_healthy_mesothelial_cells_and_primary_mesothelioma_cell_lines

  Mesothelioma is a rare and aggressive cancer associated with previous exposure to asbestos. Currently there are no effective treatments for mesothelioma and majority of patients will die within a year after diagnosis. Although a large number of preclinical and clinical trials assessed the efficacy of various therapuetic modes, including anti-angiogenic therapies, immunotherapy, antibody-drug conjugates and oncolytic viruses, none of the tested molecules entered the clinic. Thus, to better understand what drives mesothelioma carcinogenesis and to identify novel targets for therapy, in this project we aim at performing a comprehensive transcriptomic analysis of heathy mesothelial cells and a panel of mesothelioma cells lines. Primary mesothelial cell lines were established in prof. Marciniak lab from human pleural specimens, while primary mesothelioma cell lines were obtained from MesobanK. Both models constitute low passage cell lines and therefore should closely represent genetics of the original tissue.

  Study EGAS00001005728

• Therapeutic Targeting of Ependymoma as Informed by Oncogenic Enhancer Profiling

  Genomic sequencing has driven precision-based oncology therapy; however, genetic drivers remain unknown or non-targetable for many malignancies, demanding alternative approaches to identify therapeutic leads. Ependymomas are chemotherapy-resistant brain tumours, which, despite genomic sequencing, lack effective molecular targets. Here, we mapped active chromatin landscapes in 42 primary ependymomas in two non-overlapping primary ependymoma cohorts. Enhancer regions revealed novel oncogenes, molecular targets, and pathways, which when subjected to small molecule inhibitor or shRNA treatment, increased survival and slowed proliferation in mouse and neurosphere patient-derived models of ependymomas. This study represents one of the largest enhancer mapping study of any cancer type to date, and provides a framework for target and drug discovery for other cancers recalcitrant to therapeutic development because of their lack of known genetic drivers.

  Study EGAS00001002696

• Genomic Heterogeneity and the Small Renal Mass

  Tumor heterogeneity is believed to represent a barrier to pre-operative genomic characterization in kidney cancer. Previous studies of heterogeneity in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) evaluated only large and metastatic tumors. In small renal tumors in which multiple biopsies are not feasible, the extent of heterogeneity remains unknown. In this study, we evaluated how the extent of genomic heterogeneity in small and large ccRCC. A total of 23 small (<4cm ) and 24 large (>7cm ) ccRCC had 3 regions sampled for evaluation of copy number, clear-cell A/clear-cell B (ccA/ccB) classification, and cell cycle progression (CCP) score. Small tumors have less genomic complexity and significantly fewer subclonal events. Pre-treatment genomic characterization based on a single biopsy in small ccRCC can provide insight into biologic potential to make clinical decisions.

  Study EGAS00001002919

• multi-OMICs study of a pair of infant monozygotic twins with concordant B-cell ALL

  B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-cell ALL) is the most common cancer in childhood. Studying identical twins with B-cell ALL provides a unique and tractable model for deciphering the developmental timing of pre- and post-natal mutations contributing to clonal evolution. To date, this has mainly focused on major cytogenetic subgroups of childhood B-cell ALL, including MLL fusions, ETV6-RUNX1, hyperdiploidy, and BCR-ABL1. However, formal demonstration of the prenatal origin and “backtracking” the natural history of the leukemia remains understudied in “B-other”/Normal Karyotype (NK) B-cell ALL. To characterize the genetic and the epigenetic landscape of this particular leukemia subtype, we performed whole genome DNA-, B-cell receptor (BCR)-, and DNA bisulfite-sequencing on a pair of 8-month-old monozygotic twins diagnosed with concordant “B-other”/NK B-cell ALL.

  Study EGAS00001003651

• Accurate mapping of mitochondrial DNA deletions and duplications using deep sequencing

  Deletions and duplications in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) cause mitochondrial disease and accumulate in conditions such as cancer and age-related disorders, but validated high-throughput methodology that can readily detect and discriminate between these two types of events is lacking. Here we present MitoSAlt, a computational method for accurate identification, quantification and visualization of mtDNA deletions and duplications from whole genome, whole exome or transcriptome sequencing data. MitoSAlt was tested on simulated sequencing reads and human patient samples with single deletions and duplications to verify its accuracy. Application to mouse models of mtDNA maintenance disease further demonstrated the ability to detect deletions and duplications even at low levels of heteroplasmy. MitoSAlt paves the way for simple and reliable determination of mtDNA deletions and duplications across a wide range of relevant conditions and available sequencing datasets.  

  Study EGAS00001004380

• Colorectal advanced adenomas NKI-AvL TGO COCOS series

  Colorectal cancer (CRC) develops from normal epithelium, through a benign precursor lesion called adenoma, by accumulation of genetic alterations affecting oncogenes and tumour suppressor genes. About 5% of colorectal adenomas are estimated to progress to CRC. However, it is important to identify which adenomas actually carry a high-risk of progression, because these serve as intermediate endpoints for e.g. screening programs. In clinical practice, adenomas with a size of ≥10 mm, villous component and/or high-grade dysplasia, called advanced adenomas, are considered high-risk, although solid evidence for this classification is lacking. Specific DNA copy number changes are associated with adenoma-to-carcinoma progression.For this tissue dataset, we applied low-pass whole genome sequencing to 96 advanced adenomas. Advanced adenomas were classified as lesions with low-risk or high-risk of progression, according to the presence of specific DNA copy number changes (Carvalho et al, CancerPrevRes, 2018).

  Study EGAS00001002952

• Novel mutations in TOP2A in gliomas

  High grade gliomas (HGGs) are aggressive, primary brain tumors with poor clinical outcomes. To better understand glioma pathobiology and find potential therapeutic susceptibilities, we designed a custom- panel 664 cancer- and epigenetics-related genes and employed targeted next generation sequencing to study the genomic landscape of somatic and germline variants in 182 glioma samples of different malignancy grades. Besides known alterations in TP53, IDH1, ATRX, EGFR genes, we found several novel variants that can be potential drivers in gliomas. In four patients from the Polish glioma cohort, we identified a novel recurrent mutation in the TOP2A gene coding for Topoisomerase 2A in glioblastomas (GBM, WHO grade IV gliomas). The mutation results in a substitution of glutamic acid (E) 948 to glutamine (Q) of TOP2 A and we predicted this E948Q substitution may affect DNA binding and a TOP2A enzymatic activity.

  Study EGAS00001004556

• Oncogenic chimeric transcription factors drive tumor-specific transcription, processing, and translation of silent genomic regions

  Many cancers are characterized by gene fusions encoding oncogenic chimeric transcription factors (TFs) such as EWS::FLI1 in Ewing sarcoma (EwS). Here, we find that EWS::FLI1 induces the robust expression of a specific set of novel spliced and polyadenylated transcripts within otherwise transcriptionally silent regions of the genome. These neogenes (NGs) are virtually undetectable in large collections of normal tissues or non-EwS tumors and can be silenced by CRISPR interference at regulatory EWS::FLI1-bound microsatellites. Ribosome profiling and proteomics further show that some NGs are translated into highly EwS-specific peptides. More generally, we show that hundreds of NGs can be detected in diverse cancers characterized by chimeric TFs. Altogether, this study identifies the transcription, processing, and translation of novel, specific, highly expressed multi-exonic transcripts from otherwise silent regions of the genome as a new activity of aberrant TFs in cancer.

  Study EGAS00001006293

• single-stranded DNA study

  A ssDNA library protocol was applied to cfDNA from plasma samples obtained from different DNA extraction methods and revealed significant differences in DNA fragmentation patterns in comparison to dsDNA-based protocols. In particular, a specific combination of methods revealed a population of ultrashort fragments, organized at ~50 bp. We observed significant differences in the relative abundance of these ultrashort DNA fragments in plasma from healthy individuals and cancer patients. Through shallow whole genome sequencing (sWGS, <0.5-fold coverage) and the analysis of somatic copy number aberrations (SCNA), we determined the landscape of genetic alterations in this newly identified population of cfDNA fragments. In addition, we studied their potential link with regulatory regions by investigating the genome-wide coverage patterns at transcription start sites (TSS). Furthermore, we demonstrated that the ultrashort cfDNA fragments map to regions associated with secondary DNA structures, G-quadruplexes (G4s).

  Study EGAS00001005093

• Effects of busulfan, fludarabine and clofarabine treatment on human small intestinal organoids generated from healthy donors

  The intestine is vulnerable to chemotherapy-induced toxicity due to its high epithelial proliferative rate, making gut toxicity an off-target effect in several cancer treatments, including conditioning regimens for allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HSCT). In HSCT, intestinal damage is an important factor in the development of Graft-versus-Host Disease (GVHD), an immune complication in which donor immune cells attack the recipient's tissues. Here, we developed a novel human intestinal organoid-based 3D model system to study the effects of chemotherapy-induced intestinal epithelial damage at the RNA level. We show that chemotherapy conditioning specifically reprograms the intestinal epithelial transcriptome after treatment with either busulfan (3.5μM), fludarabine (15μM) or clofarabine (0.5μM) for 24h. This knowledge can potentially enable us to understand which changes undergo in healthy tissues upon conditioning and how those are related with immune activation typical in GVHD.

  Study EGAS00001007550

• Palindromic Amplification of The ERBB2 Oncogene in HER2-Positive Breast Cancer

  DNA Inverted Repeats as an At-risk Motif for Palindromic Gene Amplificatio defines oncogene amplification that is configured as a series of inverted duplications (palindromic gene amplification). There are several, recurrently amplified oncogenes throughout the human genome. However, it remains unclear whether this recurrent amplification is solely a manifestation of increased fitness resulting from random amplification mechanisms, or if genomic locus-specific amplification mechanism plays a role. In this study, we show that the ERBB2 oncogene at 17q12 is susceptible to palindromic gene amplification in HER2-positive breast tumors. We investigated eight tumors in this study, of which five tumors were HER2-positive, and three tumors were HER2-negative. HER2-status was determined by clinical FISH tests. We applied three genomic approaches to investigate the amplification mechanism: (1) copy number analysis by array-CGH on the Affymetrix SNP6.0 platform (8 files), (2) sequencing of DNA libraries enriched with tumor-derived palindromic DNA (Genome-wide Analysis of Palindrome Formation, GAPF-seq) (8 files) and (3) unbiased whole genome sequencing (WGS) (1 file). These molecular data is made available in the dbGaP. Genomic studies using tumor DNA was approved under the Internal Institutional Review Board at the Cleveland Clinic (IRB07-136: EXEMPT: Chromosome Breakage and DNA Palindrome Formation). Specimens were obtained and methods were carried out under the auspices of IRB 7881 (Evaluation of Genetic and Molecular Markers in Patients with Breast Cancer). All patients consented to allow their cancer specimens to be used by researchers in an anonymized fashion. The consent form indicates that publication will take place without identifiers to protect the identity of any specific individual. We observed significant and enrichment of palindromic DNA within amplified ERBB2 genomic segments in four out of five HER2-positive tumors. None of three HER2-negative tumors showed such enrichment. Palindromic DNA was particularly enriched at amplification peaks and boundaries between amplified and normal copy-number regions. Thus, palindromic gene amplification shaped the amplified ERBB2 locus. The moderate enrichment of palindromic DNA throughout the amplified segments leads us to propose that the ERBB2 locus is amplified through a mechanism that repeatedly generates palindromic DNA, such as Breakage-Fusion-Bridge cycles. Our results reveal a potential interaction between local genomic environments and gene amplification mechanisms. This study is published under the title "Palindromic amplification of the ERBB2 oncogene in primary HER2-positive breast tumors" (PMID:28211519).

  Study phs001261

• Immunoreactive_p53_areas_in_human_skin_2

  Previous work has suggested that in mice there may be a difference in mutational burden between areas expressing stabilised p53 protein and others. We wish to see if this observation holds true in human sun-exposed epidermis. We will take 0.25mm punch biopsies from peeled human skin epidermis which will be submitted to the low input pipeline prior to sequencing.

  Study EGAS00001004463

• Clonal Evolution of PPM1D Mutations in the Spectrum of Myeloid Disorders

  PPM1D, a central regulator of the DNA damage response, is commonly mutated in therapy-related clonal hematopoiesis (CH), acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). PPM1D mutations have been shown to expand under selective pressure of DNA-damaging chemotherapy. However, whether PPM1D mutations promote the development of hematologic malignancies remains unclear.

  Study EGAS50000000840

• PD1-targeted delivery of an IL-2 variant induces a multifaceted anti-tumoral T cell response in human lung cancer

  To explore PD1-IL2v-specific effects on CD8 and CD4 T cells at a transcriptomic level, we performed single-cell RNA sequencing of patient-derived tumor fragments (PDTFs) which were treated with either Isotype (DP47), Isotype-IL2v (DP47-IL2v), anti-PD1 (PembroPGLALA) or PD1-IL2v (PembroPGLALA-IL2v) for 48 hours.

  Study EGAS50000000396

• Chordoma_Targeted_Sequencing_Study

  This Study uses a focused bespoke bait pull down library method to target findings of Chordoma whole genome and whole exome sequencing studies in order to validate findings. This method will also be used on a larger set of tumour only samples in order to find precedence of these findings in a larger set of patient samples.

  Study EGAS00001000280

• Osteosarcoma_Targeted_Sequencing_Study

  This Study uses a focused bespoke bait pull down library method to target findings of Osteosarcoma whole genome and whole exome sequencing studies in order to validate findings. This method will also be used on a larger set of tumour only samples in order to find precedence of these findings in a larger set of patient samples.

  Study EGAS00001000278

• Meningioma_Targeted_Sequencing_Study

  This Study uses a focused bespoke bait pull down library method to target findings of Meningioma whole genome and whole exome sequencing studies in order to validate findings. This method will also be used on a larger set of tumour only samples in order to find precedence of these findings in a larger set of patient samples.

  Study EGAS00001000282

• Long-read and short-read isoform sequencing in breast cancer

  The goal of this project was to perform long-read RNA sequencing (LR-seq, PacBio) in combination with short-read RNA-seq for systematic characterization of the isoform diversity in primary breast tumor samples. We sequenced the full-length transcriptomes of 26 breast tumors and 4 normal breast samples.

  Study EGAS00001004819

• Longitudinal profiling of circulating tumour DNA for tracking tumour dynamics in pancreatic cancer

  The utility of circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) for longitudinal tumour monitoring in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has not been explored beyond mutations in the KRAS proto-oncogene. We aim to characterise and track patient-specific somatic ctDNA variants, to assess longitudinal changes in disease burden and explore the landscape of actionable alterations.

  Study EGAS00001005981

• Molecular heterogeneity and commonalities in pancreatic cancer precursors with gastric and intestinal phenotype

  Due to the limited number of modifiable risk factors, secondary prevention strategies based on early diagnosis represent the preferred route to improve the prognosis of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Here, we provide a comparative morphogenetic analysis of PDAC precursors aiming at dissecting the process of carcinogenesis and tackling the heterogeneity of preinvasive lesions.

  Study EGAS00001006793

• Bone marrow single cell genomics from blood cancer samples

  The overall goal of this study was to characterize bone marrow cells based on their transcriptome, surface protein expression and BCR- and TCR VDJ-profile for accurate identification of clinically relevant cell states. This project has received funding from the European Union Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 824110 (EASI-Genomics)

  Study EGAS00001007332

• Clinical Sequencing Exploratory Research (CSER): Clinical sequencing in cancer: Clinical, ethical, and technological studies

  The Clinical Sequencing Exploratory Research (CSER) program supports multi-disciplinary projects that bring together clinicians, bioinformaticians, and ethicists to research the challenges of utilizing genomic sequence data in the clinic in the routine practice of medicine. The challenges are many and not disease-specific. Important aims of the research include: development of technical specifications and standards for sequencing in a clinical setting, investigation of methods to transmit genome-scale data to physicians in a fashion and timescale that fits the normal clinical workflow, exploration of regulatory requirements for applying genomic sequence data to patient care, study of physician and patient preferences regarding presentation of genomic information, and study of the ethical implications of returning unanticipated findings. More information about CSER and the investigators and institutions who comprise the CSER consortium can be found at http://www.genome.gov/27546194. The NEXT (New Exome Technology) Medicine Study utilizes a randomized controlled trial (RCT) structure to compare usual care (UC) practice in Medical Genetics Clinics with the introduction of a powerful research tool of whole exome sequencing plus UC practices for Colorectal Cancer and Polyposis (CRCP) in adults. In doing so, the study aims to explore the practical, economic, and ethical implications of identifying and returning incidental findings ("extra" whole exome genetic risk results not associated with CRCP that includes pharmacogenetic variants) to patients. The study will also attempt to identify novel causal genes for CRCP by studying relatives of selected research subjects.

  Study phs000999

• Single Cell RNA-Seq Reveals Malignant and Stromal Programs Associated with Metastasis in Head and Neck Cancer

  This study of head and neck cancer aimed to profile individual malignant, stromal, and immune cells in treatment-naive oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma, with or without matched metastatic cervical lymph nodes. Clinical and pathologic information was collected on all patients, in addition to a fresh biopsy sample from the primary tumor and/or metastatic lymph node at the time of initial surgery. Biopsy specimens were processed for single cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq) and/or whole exome sequencing (WES). A total of ~6,000 single cells from 18 participants were included in the final dataset. Stromal and immune cells had consistent expression programs across patients. Conversely, malignant cells varied within and between tumors in their expression of signatures related to cell cycle, stress, hypoxia, epithelial differentiation, and partial epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (p-EMT). One of the top scoring genes in this program was TGFβ-induced (TGFBI), implicating the classic EMT regulator TGFβ. Cells expressing the p-EMT program spatially localized to the leading edge of primary tumors. By integrating single-cell transcriptomes with bulk expression profiles for hundreds of tumors, we refined Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC) subtypes by their malignant and stromal composition, and established p-EMT as an independent predictor of nodal metastasis, grade, and adverse pathologic features. Our results provide insight into the HNSCC ecosystem and define stromal interactions and a p-EMT program associated with metastasis.

  Study phs001474

• Collagen XVII Promotes Pancreatic Cancer Through Regulation of PIK3R5

  Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) contains a desmoplastic stroma that promotes the aggressive biology of this disease. While the varied mechanisms by which fibrillar collagens contribute to PDAC have been defined, little is known about the contribution of transmembrane collagens. Among this class of collagens, Collagen XVII uniquely contains an extensive intracellular domain that connects intracellular cytoplasmic components with the extracellular matrix. Collagen XVII is best characterized as the defining component of the type I hemidesmosome, an anchoring complex that attaches epithelial cells to the underlying basement membrane. In this study, we characterize the expression of collagen XVII in PDAC and the mechanisms by which it contributes to PDAC biology. We demonstrate that crosstalk between PDAC cells and cancer associated fibroblasts drive collagen XVII expression in vitro and xenograft tumor models in vivo. Genetic depletion of collagen XVII in low-passage patient derived cell lines diminishes their metastatic potential and ability to form tumors in mice. Whole transcriptome sequencing of tumors formed by cells with diminished collagen XVII levels revealed dramatically lower levels of PIK3R5, a regulatory subunit of class IB phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K) that interacts with G protein-coupled receptors. Consistent with this, collagen XVII-deficient tumors exhibited lower levels of phosphorylated AKT, a downstream effector of PI3K. The studies highlight the importance of collagen XVII signaling in PDAC and define a novel mechanism by which collagen XVII mediates activation of PI3K.

  Study phs003641

• Ultra-sensitive tumor-informed ctDNA monitoring of treatment response in advanced esophagogastric cancer patients

  To explore whether ultra-sensitive circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) profiling enables earlier prediction of treatment response and detection of disease progression, we applied NeXT Personal, an ultra-sensitive bespoke tumor-informed liquid biopsy platform, to profile tumor samples from the KeyLargo study, a phase II trial in which metastatic esophagogastric cancer (mEGC) patients received capecitabine, oxaliplatin, and pembrolizumab. A total of 24 patients were evaluated, and all were ctDNA-positive at baseline. ctDNA levels varied from 406,067 down to 1.5 parts per million (PPM) with a median limit of detection of 2.03 PPM. ctDNA dynamics were highly correlated with changes in tumor size (ρ = 0.59, p = 7.3×10-9). Lack of early molecular response (50% or greater decrease in ctDNA levels at first available time point after 30 days, C2D1 or C4D1) was associated with worse overall survival (OS) (HR 6.6, 95% CI 1.8-24.1, p = 0.005) and progression-free survival (PFS) (HR 15.4, 95% CI 2.7-87.0, p = 0.002). Lack of molecular clearance of ctDNA was associated with worse OS (HR 6.9, 95% CI 1.5-30.8, p = 0.012) and PFS (HR 19.2, 95% CI 2.4-152.8, p = 0.005). Molecular progression (ctDNA increase) preceded imaging-derived progression by a median lead time of 65 days. These results suggest that ultra-sensitive liquid biopsy approaches could improve treatment decision-making for mEGC patients receiving chemotherapy and immunotherapy.

  Study EGAS50000001224

• Plasma-Seq of patients with metastatic prostate cancer

  Study 1 In this study we analysed patients with metastatic prostate cancer to scan their tumor genomes noninvasively in plasma DNA. We wanted to make whole-genome analysis from plasma DNA amenable to clinical routine applications and developed an approach based on a benchtop high-throughput platform, i.e. Illuminas MiSeq instrument. We performed whole-genome sequencing from plasma at a shallow sequencing depth to establish a genome-wide copy number profile of the tumor at low costs within 2 days. The genome-wide profiling in the plasma of our patients revealed multiple copy number aberrations including those previously reported in prostate tumors, such as losses in 8p and gains in 8q. High-level copy number gains in the AR locus were observed in patients with CRPC but not with CSPC disease. We identified the TMPRSS2-ERG rearrangement associated 3-Mbp deletion on chromosome 21 and found corresponding fusion plasma fragments in these cases. In an index case multiregional sequencing of the primary tumor identified different copy number changes in each sector, suggesting multifocal disease. Our plasma analyses of this index case, performed 13 years after resection of the primary tumor, revealed novel chromosomal rearrangements, which were stable in serial plasma analyses over a 9 months period, which is consistent with the presence of one metastatic clone. Our approach provides specific genomic signatures within 2 days which may therefore serve as “liquid biopsy”.

  Study EGAS00001000451

• Non-muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer Molecular Subtypes Predict Differential Response to Intravesical Bacillus Calmette-Guérin

  The recommended treatment for patients with high-risk non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (HR-NMIBC) is tumor resection followed by adjuvant Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) bladder instillations. However, only 50% of patients benefit from this therapy. In case of progression to advanced disease, patients must undergo a radical cystectomy with significant morbidity and have a poor clinical outcome. Identifying tumors least likely to respond to BCG can translate into alternative treatments, such as early radical cystectomy or novel targeted or immunotherapies. Here we present molecular profiling of 132 BCG-naive, HR-NMIBC patients, and 44 post-BCG recurrences (34 matched), which uncovered three distinct BCG Response Subtypes (BRS1-3). Patients with BRS3 tumors have reduced recurrence and progression-free survival compared to BRS1-2. BRS3 tumors expressed high EMT-basal markers and had an immunosuppresive profile, which was confirmed with spatial proteomics. Tumors which recurred post-BCG were enriched for BRS3. BRS stratification was validated in a second cohort of 151 BCG-naive HR-NMIBC patients and the molecular subtypes outperformed guideline recommended risk stratification based on clinicopathological variables. For clinical application, we validated that a commercially approved assay was able to accurately predict BRS3 tumors (AUROC 0.86). Our findings provide a potential clinical tool for improved identification of HR-NMIBC patients at the highest risk of progression, which can be used to select patients for early radical cystectomy or novel subtype-directed therapies.

  Study EGAS00001006879

• ProHealth: Kaiser Permanente Genome-wide Association Study of Prostate Cancer

  A genome-wide association study (GWAS) of prostate cancer (PCa) was conducted in Kaiser Permanente (KP) Northern California health plan members (7,783 cases, 38,595 controls; 80.3% non-Hispanic white, 4.9% African-American, 7.0% East Asian, and 7.8% Latino) [PMID: 26034056]. The data for these members were drawn from three KP cohort studies: Research Program in Genes, Environment and Health (RPGEH) ProHealth, and California Men's Health Study (CMHS) (described further under Study History). Four custom arrays were designed for genotyping, one for each of the four major race-ethnicity groups in the RPGEH cohort: African Americans, East Asians, Latinos, and Non-Hispanic Whites. The number of SNPs and SNP content varied by array, with SNP content designed to maximize the genome-wide coverage of low frequency and more common variants specific to the different race-ethnicity groups, including newly identified SNPs from sequencing projects, and SNPs with established associations with disease phenotypes and risk factors [PMIDs: 21565264, 21903159]. Within the total study cohort, n=34,736 completed a consent which permitted deposition of data to NIH. Genotyping followed the same general procedure described in [PMIDs: 26092718, plus additional quality control (QC) steps for the additional men, in order to control for potential batch and kit effects, described in [PMID: 26034056. Briefly, we first repeated the filters described in [PMID: 26092718] for all four arrays (EUR, LAT, EAS, AFR). Then, on an array-wise basis, we removed SNPs with MAF<0.01, with a call rate<95%, or with Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium (HWE) p-value in homogeneous groups<1x10ˆ-5. Furthermore, on the EUR array, to adjust for potential kit effect, we conducted a GWAS of kit, and removed those kit associated SNPs with p<1x10ˆ-6; we also re-genotyped each of the new samples (those not genotyped with the original GERA data) with some of the original GERA data, and removed SNPs with >13/1,268 (1%) mismatches. For the AFR array, to adjust potential plate batch issues, we conducted a GWAS of whether an individual was in the original GERA data vs. in the newly genotyped data and removed those batch-associated SNPs with p<0.05 (we used a stronger threshold than that used for the EUR array because there were fewer individuals on the AFR array); we also re-genotyped each of the new samples with the original GERA data and removed SNPs with >2/78 (2.6%). After the QC described above, imputation was performed as described in [PMID: 26034056]. Imputation was performed on an array-wise basis, pre-phasing with SHAPE-IT v2.5 [PMID: 22138821], and imputing from the 1000 Genomes Project October 2014 release as a cosmopolitan reference panel with IMPUTE2 [PMID: 22384356]. In addition to the GWAS described above, a nested exome-wide association study (EWAS) of PCa was also conducted (7,489 cases, 7,323 controls; 78% non-Hispanic white, 9% African-American, 3% East Asian, 6% Latino, 4% Other). A custom EWAS array primarily focused on rare variants was designed for genotyping that complemented the GWAS arrays [PMID: 26034056]. The EWAS array content included missense and loss-of-function mutations, and rare exonic mutations from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and dbGaP prostate cancer tumor exomes [PMID: 26544944; PMID: 26544944]. Much of the EWAS array design content overlapped with the probesets on the UK Biobank Affymetrix Axiom array [PMID: 30305743]. Genotyping and QC steps taken to filter out samples exhibiting low quality and variants with low call rates are described in Emami et al., 2020 [biorXiv]. The resulting EWAS array genotypes are provided here.

  Study phs001221

• INTEGRATIVE MOLECULAR ANALYSIS OF SKIN TUMORS FROM CYLD CUTANEOUS SYNDROME PATIENTS

  CYLD cutaneous syndrome (CCS) is a rare autosomal dominant disorder characterized by germline CYLD mutations and by multiple benign skin tumors dependent on NF-kB pathway. We assembled a large cohort of CCS rare skin tumors that was profiled with whole exome or genome sequencing, RNA sequencing and methylation arrays to better understand genetic mechanisms of CCS tumorogenesis.

  Study EGAS50000000247

• Childhood Cancer Data Initiative (CCDI): Clonal Evolution During Metastatic Spread in High-Risk Neuroblastoma

  The goal of this study is to deliver a detailed characterization of the patterns of disease dissemination at diagnosis, during progression and in response to therapy in high-risk neuroblastoma. Longitudinal and spatially distinct tumors were collected from patients. Clinical data includes diagnosis and treatment information. Biospecimen data includes whole genome sequencing (WGS) and whole transcriptome sequencing (WTS).

  Study phs003111

• National Cancer Institute (NCI) Waldenstrom Macroglobulinemia Genome-wide Association Study

  A discovery GWAS is performed, consisting of genotyping 221 Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia (WM) cases on the Illumina Omni Express 12v1.1 platform and analyzing the genotypes together with those of 3798 previously genotyped controls in a model taking into account gender, age, and principal components of ancestry (i.e., significant eigenvectors). Directly genotyped data are supplemented by imputation using the Haplotype Reference Consortium.

  Study phs001284

• Subclonal variation in patients with pediatric T-lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL)

  Variations in TP53 and KRAS genes indicate a particularly poor prognosis in relapsed pediatric T-ALL. We hypothesized that these variations might be subclonally present at disease onset and contribute to relapse risk. To test this, we examined 386 children diagnosed with T-ALL, including more than 100 patients who relapsed as well as matched non-relapsing controls.

  Study EGAS50000000794

• Clonal hematopoiesis in rheumatoid arthritis

  To evaluate the clinical impact of CHIP on RA phenotypes and outcomes, we collected DNA samples from four distinct RA patient cohorts of newly diagnosed, previously untreated, RA patients without hematologic malignancies. A total of 573 RA patients and 163 healthy controls underwent targeted NGS sequencing using a sequencing panel consisting of 65 genes recurrently mutated in myeloid malignancies.

  Study EGAS50000000890

• Melanoma_multi_site_metastases

  Despite multiple large-scale sequencing studies offering substantial insight into the genomic landscape of cutaneous melanoma, the molecular events surrounding disease progression and the resulting molecular heterogeneity between metastases have not been fully elucidated. We have been applying whole genome and transcriptome sequencing across metastases collected during post mortem as well as to multi-site metastases during treatment

  Study EGAS00001001348

• Multiple_Myeloma_Diagnosis_to_Relapse_study_samples

  The study will investigate serial samples from the same patient taken at the time of MGUS or SMM diagnosis, and later at the time of evolution towards MM. Samples will be sequenced by whole genome along with a matched normal to obtain the highest possible amount of information toinvestigate genomic changes at disease evolution.

  Study EGAS00001001299

• Somatic Inactivation of Breast Cancer Predisposition Genes in Tumours Associated with Pathogenic Germline Variants

  Breast cancers (BC) from susceptibility gene carriers, including BRCA1/2, PALB2 and RAD51C, have been shown to have bi-allelic loss in the respective genes and be associated with triple-negative (TN) BC and distinctive somatic mutational signatures. Tumour sequencing thus presents an orthogonal approach to assess the role of candidate genes in BC development.

  Study EGAS00001006532

• WGS___Mutant_clone_mapping_in_normal_oesohagus_and_skin

  We will use whole genome sequencing to examine normal appearing oesophageal epithelium and skin to determine the mutational burden. DNA will be extracted from epithelia of a defined size and we will overlay positional information from the epithelial pieces to give clone maps over a wide area. This will be done in both oesophageal epithelium and skin

  Study EGAS00001002416

• Adenoma to Carcinoma transition in Colorectal Cancer

  Although colorectal carcinoma development is well accepted as a step-wise and sequential process, it is commonly investigated using non-sequential adenoma and carcinoma samples. Here we compared molecular pathologies of the earliest carcinoma stages with those in their adenomatous precursors to unravel common and divergent genetic traits between matched neoplasms with a shared evolutionary history but different contemporary biology.

  Study EGAS00001003468

• Single-cell transcriptome sequencing of regulatory and conventional T cells in breast cancer patients and healthy individuals.

  Identification of tumor-specific effects on gene expression profile of regulatory T cells and conventional T cells in humans, investigation of the clonal origin of regulatory T cells and impact analysis of tumor-specific conversion of conventional T cells into induced regulatory T cells on the peripheral regulatory T cell repertoire in humans.

  Study EGAS00001002933

• Lymphoctye_colony_WGS

  We study lymphocyte somatic evolution through the sequencing of normal healthy lymphocytes. We perform whole-genome sequencing of single-cell derived T and B cell colonies to identify somatic mutations, and perform targeted deep-sequencing of these mutations. The lineages of T and B cells, and the frequencies of these mutations reveals the neutral and non-neutral evolutionary processes underlying lymphocyte growth and function.

  Study EGAS00001002948

• FAM50A_Disruption_in_TOV21G_Cells___RNAseq

  In this project we aimed to assess the transcriptional consequences of disrupting FAM50A in TOV21G cells in vivo. To do this we generated a dox inducible FAM50A gRNA allele such that we could conditionally inactivate FAM50A by feeding mice a diet containing doxycycline. Tumour masses were harvested from mice when they reached the ethical limit and RNA was extracted for RNA-Seq analysis.

  Study EGAS00001004156

• Single_cell_resolution_of_human_CNV_body_map

  12 tissues from the warm autopsy are selected for this project. Using 10X Chromium technology we will generate ~1000 single cell/nulei genomic libraries per tissue. Each tissue will be whole genome sequenced (~2 lanes per 1000 cells) on hiseq X10. per single cell we will generate CNV profile and we investigate the level of genomic heterogenity with in tissue and across different tissues.

  Study EGAS00001003162

• Exceptional Responders Initiative

  The Exceptional Responders Initiative is a pilot study to investigate the underlying molecular factors driving exceptional treatment responses of cancer patients to drug therapies. Study researchers will examine molecular profiles of tumors from patients either enrolled in a clinical trial for an investigational drug(s) and who achieved an exceptional response relative to other trial participants, or who achieved an exceptional response to a non-investigational chemotherapy. An exceptional response is defined as achievement of either a complete response or a partial response for at least 6 months duration in a trial or treatment where the overall response rate is < 10%. The hope is to discover underlying molecular features that can be further investigated and may eventually predict benefit from a given drug or class of drugs for a particular patient. This pilot project will successfully characterize approximately 100 cases of tumor tissue and, when available, case-matched germline DNA. All samples will undergo whole exome sequencing, and cases with sufficient nucleic acids will undergo additional analyses (e.g. whole genome sequencing, mRNA-sequencing, mi RNA sequencing, promoter methylation analysis, SNP etc). Each case will be annotated with demographic and clinical information, along with follow-up information minimally sufficient to correlate molecular profiles with response. Both retrospective and prospective collections will be considered. The project will also accept sequencing data and clinical data from patients who have had sequencing performed outside of this project. All data will be de-identified and placed in a controlled access database so other investigators may use them for additional insights. Clinically annotated tissue specimens meeting the criteria will be provided by groups participating in the Exceptional Cases Initiative to a Biospecimen Core Resource (BCR), which will perform quality control on the tissues, and will use a standard operating procedure to isolate nucleic acids. The nucleic acids will be shipped to a sequencing center to perform whole exome sequencing and analysis. These findings will be made available to the broader cancer research community in a controlled access database.

  Study phs001145

• Identification of Somatic Changes in Tumors from Fanconi Anemia Patients

  This study focused on the identification of genomic signatures present in tumors from Fanconi anemia patients. Fanconi anemia is a rare hereditary disease caused by defects in DNA interstrand crosslink repair. The primary patient phenotypes are bone marrow failure and cancer predisposition. We concentrated on squamous cell carcinomas and used whole genome Illumina sequencing (22 tumor samples and 12 normal samples) , whole exome sequencing (37 tumor samples and 33 normal samples), PacBio long-read whole-genome (nine tumor and four normal samples),10X linked-read whole-genome sequencing, 10x single-cell/nuclei 3’ RNA sequencing (three tumor samples), 10x Visium spatial transcriptomics (one tumor sample), EPIC 850K methylation array (six samples), and bulk RNAseq (six tumor samples) to identify somatic changes present in tumors. The study aimed to identify changes that drive tumorigenesis in Fanconi anemia, give insight into the early development and aggressive nature of these tumors, and suggest therapeutic avenues for these patients. Another goal was to compare the genomic changes identified in tumors from Fanconi anemia patients with sporadic head and neck cancers. This study demonstrated that the tumors from Fanconi anemia individuals are generally not driven by HPV. Instead, they acquire mutations in the p53 tumor suppressor. The main characteristic of the tumors is the presence of a high number of structural variants in the form of small deletions, unbalanced translocations, and fold-back inversions, which often form complex rearrangements. These rearrangements result in amplifications and deletions of a multitude of oncogenes and tumor suppressors, respectively. The study also shows that lack of the Fanconi anemia DNA repair pathway leads to an epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in a mouse model and in human samples that may influence the behavior of tumors in Fanconi anemia. Finally, comparing genomic changes in Fanconi anemia and sporadic tumors of the head and neck, we propose that the structural variants present in sporadic cancer result in a functional deficiency of the Fanconi anemia DNA repair pathway.

  Study phs002652

• Genome-Wide Pleiotropy Scan Across Multiple Cancers

  A whole-exome sequencing (WES) study was conducted in 3,233 cases diagnosed with multiple primary cancers and 3,229 matched cancer-free controls (90% non-Hispanic white, 3% African-American, 3% East Asian, and 4% Latino) selected from individuals in the Kaiser Permanente Research Bank (KPRB) who were members of the Kaiser Permanente Northern California (KPNC) health plan. Cancer-free controls were matched to cases on age at specimen collection (within 2 years), sex, genotyping array (which matched on self-reported race/ethnicity), closest distance using the first two principal components for genetic ancestry, and reagent kit. Cases and controls were drawn from two prospective KPRB cohorts: the Research Program on Genes, Environment and Health (RPGEH) and the ProHealth study. Participants were sequenced by the Regeneron Genetics Center using the Illumina NovaSeq 6000 platform, and sample preparation and quality control were performed using a high-throughput, fully-automated system [PMID: 33087929]. Reads were aligned to the GRCh38 reference genome, and variants were called using WeCall [PMID: 33087929]. Participants with sex discordance, 20x coverage at less than 80% of targeted sites, and/or contamination greater than 5% were excluded. After quality control, we retained n = 6,247 (3,111 cases, 3,136 controls) individuals for downstream analyses. Among participants selected for this WES study, n = 5,432 (2,299 cases; 3,133 controls) consented to deposition of data to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).Further quality control was applied to filter low quality variants. Genotype calls with low depth of coverage (DP) were updated to missing (DP < 7 for SNPs and DP < 10 for indels), after which sites with low allele balance (AB) - variants without at least one sample having AB ≥ 15% for SNPs or AB ≥ 20% for indels - were removed. Lastly, variants with missingness > 10% and Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium p-value < 10-15 were excluded. Further description of quality control and downstream single-variant and gene-based analyses is available in Cavazos et al, 2022 [medRxiv].

  Study phs002809

• Neoadjuvant atezolizumab plus chemotherapy in gastric and gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma: the phase 2 PANDA trial

  Gastric and gastroesophageal junction (G/GEJ) cancers carry a poor prognosis, and despite recent advancements most patients die of their disease. While immune checkpoint blockade has become part of the standard of care for patients with metastatic G/GEJ cancers, its efficacy and impact on the tumor microenvironment in the early disease setting remain largely unknown. We hypothesized a higher efficacy of neoadjuvant immunotherapy plus chemotherapy in patients with non-metastatic G/GEJ cancer. In the phase 2 PANDA trial, patients with previously untreated resectable G/GEJ tumors (n=21) received neoadjuvant treatment with one cycle of atezolizumab monotherapy followed by 4 cycles of atezolizumab plus docetaxel, oxaliplatin and capecitabine. Treatment was well-tolerated, and all patients underwent resection without treatment-related delays, meeting the primary endpoint of safety and feasibility. Tissue was obtained at multiple time points, allowing analysis of the effects of single-agent PD-L1 blockade and the subsequent combination with chemotherapy on the tumor microenvironment. A total of 21 patients were included, of whom 20 patients underwent surgery and were evaluable for the secondary pathologic response and survival endpoints, while 19 were evaluable for exploratory translational analyses. A major pathologic response (MPR, ≤10% residual viable tumor) was observed in 14/20 (70%; 95% CI 46-88%) patients, including 9 (45%; 95% CI 23-68%) pathologic complete responses. At a median follow-up of 47 months, 13/14 responders were alive and disease-free, while 5/6 nonresponders had died due to disease recurrence. Notably, baseline PD-1+CD8+ T cell infiltration was significantly higher in responders than in nonresponders, and comparison of the tumor microenvironment alterations following anti-PD-L1 monotherapy versus the subsequent combination with chemotherapy revealed that increased immune activity was achieved upon single-agent PD-1/L1 axis blockade. Based on these data, anti-PD-L1 plus chemotherapy warrants further exploration in patients with non-metastatic G/GEJ cancer, and these results call for validation in a larger cohort.

  Study EGAS50000000168

• Automated machine-learning approach for next generation profiling of sequence alterations, mutation burden, microsatellite instability, and structural variants in human cancers

  Sequence and structural alterations together with tumor mutation burden (TMB) and microsatellite instability (MSI) have been identified as biomarkers for the determination of response to targeted and immune checkpoint inhibitor therapies. However, widespread clinical adoption of these biomarkers has historically been limited due to barriers such as evidence of clinical utility and reimbursement. We have developed 2.2 Mb targeted NGS system and an automated machine-learning analysis approach (PGDx elio™ tissue complete, ETC) that has been FDA cleared for examination of 500+ cancer-related genes and 68 mononucleotide repeats for identification of sequence and structural alterations, TMB, and MSI in solid cancers in a clinical setting. We designed and trained this approach using sequence data from 4,174 cancers and >124,000 in silico alterations and evaluated the methodology in >2,550 tumor or non-cancerous normal samples. Independent analyses of ETC sequence changes in 440 formalin fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) tumor or cell line samples using MSK-IMPACT™, FoundationOne®, and ddPCR revealed a positive percent agreement (PPA) >97% with high sensitivity as low as 3% mutant allele fraction. We observed high concordance between panel-wide and whole-exome TMB for 307 pan-cancer FFPE tumors (Pearson r=0.95, p < 0.0001) using samples with ≥20% tumor cellularity. Comparison of the mutation context and repeat-based MSI approach in ETC with a multiplex MSI PCR assay in 223 samples revealed a PPA of 99% and negative predictive agreement (NPA) >99%. We confirmed the accuracy and precision of TMB and MSI measurements across three independent laboratories (CV of <5% and average PPA >99%, respectively). Finally, evaluation of amplifications and translocations against DNA and RNA-based approaches exhibited >98% NPA and PPA of 86% and 82% respectively. These results demonstrate high analytical performance for determination of sequence and structural changes, TMB, and MSI using a targeted NGS panel and provide a scalable and facile approach for evaluating these biomarkers in a clinical laboratory.

  Study EGAS00001005556

• TK-EPN862 - Patient-dervied xenograft model of Posterior Fossa A Ependymoma - RNAseq

  Ependymomas (EPN) are the third most common malignant brain cancer in children. Treatment strategies for pediatric EPN have remained unchanged over recent decades, with 10-year survival rates stagnating at just 67% for children aged 0-14 years. Moreover, patients who survive treatment for the most common subtype of pediatric EPN (posterior fossa A (PFA)), often suffer long-term neurological side effects as a result of therapy. It is evident that there is a need for safer, more effective treatments for pediatric EPN patients. There are ten distinct subgroups of EPN, each with their own molecular and prognostic features. To identify and facilitate the testing of new treatments for EPN, in vivo laboratory models representative of the diverse molecular subtypes are required. Here, we describe the establishment of a patient-derived orthotopic xenograft (PDOX) model of PFA EPN, derived from a metastatic cranial lesion. Patient and PDOX tumors were analyzed using immunohistochemistry, DNA methylation profiling, whole genome sequencing (WGS) and RNA sequencing. Both patient and PDOX tumors classified as PFA EPN by methylation profiling, and shared similar histological features consistent with this molecular subgroup. RNA sequencing revealed that gene expression patterns were maintained across the primary and metastatic tumors, as well as the PDOX. Copy number profiling revealed gains of chromosomes 7, 8 and 19, and loss of chromosomes 2q and 6q in the PDOX and matched patient tumor. No clinically significant single nucleotide variants were identified, consistent with the low mutation rates observed in PFA EPN. Overexpression of EZHIP RNA and protein, a common feature of PFA EPN, was also observed. Despite the aggressive nature of the tumor in the patient, this PDOX was unable to be maintained past two passages in vivo. Others who have successfully developed PDOX models report some of the lowest success rates for EPN compared to other pediatric brain cancer types attempted, with loss of tumorigenicity not uncommon, highlighting the challenge in propagating these tumors in the laboratory. Here, we discuss our collective experiences with PFA EPN PDOX model generation and propose potential approaches to improve future success in establishing preclinical EPN models

  Study EGAS00001006844

• Oxidative DNA damage and ubiquitin proteasome system dysfunction underpins neurodegeneration in young adults with a DNA repair disorder

  Xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) is caused by defective nucleotide excision-repair of DNA damage. This results in hypersensitivity to ultraviolet light and increased skin cancer risk, as sunlight-induced photoproducts remain unrepaired. However, many XP patients also display early-onset neurodegeneration, which leads to premature death. The mechanism of neurodegeneration is unknown. Here, we investigate XP neurodegeneration using pluripotent stem cells derived from XP patients and healthy relatives, performing functional multi-omics on samples during neuronal differentiation. We have identified substantially increased levels of 5',8-cyclopurine and 8-oxopurine in XP neuronal DNA secondary to marked oxidative stress. Furthermore, we find endoplasmic reticulum stress is upregulated, and, critically, XP neurons exhibit inappropriate downregulation of the protein clearance ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS). Chemical enhancement of UPS activity improves phenotypes, albeit inadequately, implying that early detection/prevention strategies are necessary to produce clinically impactful outcomes. Thus, we develop an early detection assay predicting neurodegeneration in at-risk patients.

  Study EGAS50000000160

• Oxidative DNA damage and ubiquitin proteasome system dysfunction underpins neurodegeneration in young adults with a DNA repair disorder

  Xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) is caused by defective nucleotide excision-repair of DNA damage. This results in hypersensitivity to ultraviolet light and increased skin cancer risk, as sunlight-induced photoproducts remain unrepaired. However, many XP patients also display early-onset neurodegeneration, which leads to premature death. The mechanism of neurodegeneration is unknown. Here, we investigate XP neurodegeneration using pluripotent stem cells derived from XP patients and healthy relatives, performing functional multi-omics on samples during neuronal differentiation. We have identified substantially increased levels of 5',8-cyclopurine and 8-oxopurine in XP neuronal DNA secondary to marked oxidative stress. Furthermore, we find endoplasmic reticulum stress is upregulated, and, critically, XP neurons exhibit inappropriate downregulation of the protein clearance ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS). Chemical enhancement of UPS activity improves phenotypes, albeit inadequately, implying that early detection/prevention strategies are necessary to produce clinically impactful outcomes. Thus, we develop an early detection assay predicting neurodegeneration in at-risk patients.

  Study EGAS50000000162

• Oxidative DNA damage and ubiquitin proteasome system dysfunction underpins neurodegeneration in young adults with a DNA repair disorder

  Xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) is caused by defective nucleotide excision-repair of DNA damage. This results in hypersensitivity to ultraviolet light and increased skin cancer risk, as sunlight-induced photoproducts remain unrepaired. However, many XP patients also display early-onset neurodegeneration, which leads to premature death. The mechanism of neurodegeneration is unknown. Here, we investigate XP neurodegeneration using pluripotent stem cells derived from XP patients and healthy relatives, performing functional multi-omics on samples during neuronal differentiation. We have identified substantially increased levels of 5',8-cyclopurine and 8-oxopurine in XP neuronal DNA secondary to marked oxidative stress. Furthermore, we find endoplasmic reticulum stress is upregulated, and, critically, XP neurons exhibit inappropriate downregulation of the protein clearance ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS). Chemical enhancement of UPS activity improves phenotypes, albeit inadequately, implying that early detection/prevention strategies are necessary to produce clinically impactful outcomes. Thus, we develop an early detection assay predicting neurodegeneration in at-risk patients.

  Study EGAS50000000158

• Karyotype Evolution in Response to Chemoradiotherapy and Upon Recurrence of Esophageal Adenocarcinomas

  The genome of esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) is highly unstable and might evolve over time. Here, we track karyotype evolution in EACs in response to treatment and upon recurrence through multi-region and longitudinal analysis. To this end, we introduce L-PAC, a bio-informatics technique that allows inference of absolute copy number aberrations (CNA) of low-purity samples by leveraging information of high-purity samples from the same cancer. Quantitative analysis of matched absolute CNAs reveals that the amount of karyotype evolution induced by chemoradiotherapy (CRT) is predictive for early recurrence and depends on the initial level of karyotype intra-tumor heterogeneity. We observe that CNAs acquired in response to CRT are partially reversed back to the initial state upon recurrence. CRT hence alters the fitness landscape to which tumors can adjust by adapting their karyotype. Together, our results indicate that karyotype plasticity contributes to therapy resistance of EACs.

  Study EGAS00001007711

• Next generation sequencing of diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma samples to identify recurrent mutations, variations, and expression patterns to define novel therapies

  Diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) is an extremely rare (~350 cases/year) and universally fatal childhood brain cancer. Standard clinical strategies such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy show only transient improvement in patient condition and result in negligible change in survival, DIPG remains at below 1% survival after 5 years. Prioritization of panobinostat through previous cooperative work resulted in a phase 1 clinical trial. Nonetheless, new therapies for DIPG must be identified to further dramatically change the statistics for DIPG. To identify novel therapy strategies for DIPG, we performed whole exome(16 new samples, 22 previously published samples, 38 in total with 26 matched normal) and RNA deep sequencing (17 new samples, 11 previously published samples) on a cohort of new patient samples. Sequencing results aid in the identification of recurrent mutations/variations and endotypic expression profiling to identify new therapeutic and treatment strategies for DIPG.

  Study phs001526

• GeneScreen, a Population Based, Targeted Genomic Screening Study

  The GeneScreen research study was based at the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill. It brought together researchers from different disciplines, including genetics, clinical medicine, bioethics, sociology, anthropology, psychology, and public health, to study the best ways to offer targeted genetic screening to the general adult population. DNA samples were collected from people who joined GeneScreen to look at a targeted panel of 17 genes. It tested for genetic differences (called mutations) that can cause one of 11 rare, but preventable or treatable conditions, including certain types of cancer and heart disease. Each condition has specific medical advice people can follow with their doctors to prevent or treat a serious health problem. The GeneScreen study was approved by the UNC Institutional Review Board and by the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research Institutional Review Board. GeneScreen is funded by the National Human Genome Research Institute of the National Institutes of Health.

  Study phs001817

• Integrated Single-Cell Genetic and Transcriptional Analysis Suggests Novel Drivers of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

  Intratumoral genetic heterogeneity has been characterized across cancers by genome sequencing of bulk tumors, including chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). In order to more accurately identify subclones, define phylogenetic relationships, and probe genotype-phenotype relationships, we developed methods for targeted mutation detection in DNA and RNA isolated from thousands of single cells from five CLL samples. By clearly resolving phylogenic relationships, we uncovered mutated LCP1 and WNK1 as novel CLL drivers, supported by functional evidence demonstrating their impact on CLL pathways. Integrative analysis of somatic mutations with transcriptional states prompts the idea that convergent evolution generates phenotypically similar cells in distinct genetic branches, thus creating a cohesive expression profile in each CLL sample despite the presence of genetic heterogeneity. Our study highlights the potential for single-cell RNA-based targeted analysis to sensitively determine transcriptional and mutational profiles of individual cancer cells leading to increased understanding of driving events in malignancy. Reprinted from Genome Research, with permission from Publisher.

  Study phs001372

• 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

• Metastatic Colorectal Adenocarcinoma Tumor Purity Assessment from Whole Exome Sequencing Data

  As molecular medicine wields greater and greater influence on cancer patient care, including therapeutic selection, it becomes increasingly important to understand the power and deficiencies of computational tools used in decision making processes. Here we use a set of unselected metastatic colorectal tumor samples in a head-to-head comparison between the calculation of stromal content by a board certified pathologist, versus that derived from whole exome sequencing and purity assessment by a variety of common computational methods. We find that in about 1/2 of the samples the computational methods each do a poor job of assessing the percent stromal contamination, and as a result, tumor variant allele frequencies (VAFs) are low or undetected, whereas analysis of organoids derived from the same tumors yielded much higher VAFs in keeping with their lower stromal content. The whole exome sequence of our samples is available via dbGaP, accession phs003059.v1.p1.

  Study phs003059

• Integrative Age-Related Changes in Genome and Epigenome in Human Lung in Relation to Smoking

  The Integrative Age-Related Changes in Genome and Epigenome in Human Lung in Relation to Smoking study was designed to assess DNA methylation and gene expression profiles in cytologically normal bronchial progenitor "basal" cells. The cells were collected from 54 consented bronchoscopy specimen donors at standard airway locations during clinically indicated bronchoscopy, and then outgrown in primary cultures. DNA methylation profiles were assessed using Enzymatic-Methyl sequencing (EM-seq: 96% genomic coverage, 7.5x depth) in all 54 donors' samples. The gene expression profile was evaluated by bulk RNA-Seq in 39 donors' samples. The study participants were at the ages of 33 - 81 years old at enrollment. Of the 54 donors, 31 were newly diagnosed with lung cancer. As for tobacco smoke exposure, there were 19 current, 18, former, and 17 never smokers. There are 26 subjects whose specimens were used for single cell whole-genome sequencing study phs002758.

  Study phs003317

• Genomic Profiling of Melanoma

  This study reports on genomic profiling [whole-exome sequencing (WXS), bulk RNA sequencing (RNA-seq), and/or single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq)] of patient-derived melanoma samples and matched normal samples. The goal is to elucidate the genetic and cellular basis of sun-exposed and sun-shielded melanomas and to relate these findings to survival and regional metastasis. Specimens were collected by the Tissue Resource Core of the Yale SPORE in Skin Cancer with participants' informed signed consent according to Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) regulations with a Human Investigative Committee protocol. The melanomas used for sequencing were from fresh or snap-frozen tumors, or from short-term cell cultures. The cell cultures were routinely checked for mycoplasma contamination and were discarded when found positive. Matching normal DNA was from circulating lymphocytes or normal skin. We also include 77 WES-sequenced samples from the Yale Spitzoid neoplasm repository, which collects specimen and data according to a protocol approved by the Yale Human Investigative Committee.

  Study phs000933

• Structure of the Mucosal and Stool Microbiome in Lynch Syndrome

  The gut microbiota has been associated with colorectal cancer (CRC), but causal alterations preceding CRC have not been elucidated. To prospectively assess microbiome changes prior to colorectal neoplasia, we investigated samples from 100 Lynch syndrome patients using 16S rRNA gene sequencing of colon biopsies, coupled with metagenomic and metatranscriptomic sequencing of feces. Colectomy and CRC history represented the largest effects on microbiome profiles. A subset of Clostridiaceae were depleted in stool corresponding with baseline adenomas, while Desulfovibrio was enriched in both stool and mucosal biopsies. A classifier leveraging stool metatranscriptomes resulted in modest power to predict interval development of preneoplastic colonic adenoma. Predictive transcripts corresponded with a shift in flagellin contributors and oxidative metabolic microenvironment, potentially factors in local CRC pathogenesis. This suggests that the effectiveness of prospective microbiome monitoring for adenomas may be limited but supports the potential causality of these consistent, early microbial changes in colonic neoplasia.

  Study phs002343

• Ipilimumab and Decitabine in Treating Patients With Relapsed or Refractory Myelodysplastic Syndrome or Acute Myeloid Leukemia

  The NCI Experimental Therapeutics Clinical Trials Network (ETCTN)/Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program (CTEP) 10026 study (NCT02890329) tested combined ipilimumab and decitabine treatment in two cohorts: Arm A consisted of patients with relapsed acute myeloid leukemia (AML) after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Arm B consisted of patients with advanced myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) or AML that did not previously undergo stem cell transplantation. During the study, peripheral blood and bone marrow samples were obtained from study participants at study entry (screening), following the first lead-in cycle of decitabine monotherapy, during combined treatment with decitabine and ipilimumab, and at the end of treatment.This study tested the combination of the CTLA-4 blocking antibody ipilimumab and the DNA methyltransferase inhibitor decitabine in advanced myeloid disease in the transplant-naive and post-transplant context. The samples were used for bulk and single cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) as well as whole exome sequencing (WES).

  Study phs003015

• MP2PRT: Genomic and Molecular Characterization of Biomarkers Associated with Tumor Angiogenesis, DNA Repair, and Immunologic Tolerance using Samples from the NRG Oncology Phase 3 Randomized Trial, GOG-0240 (NCT00803062)

  The Molecular Profiling to Predict Response to Treatment (MP2PRT) program is part of the NCI's Cancer Moonshot Initiative. The aim of this program is the retrospective characterization and analysis of biospecimens collected from completed NCI-sponsored trials of the National Clinical Trials Network and the NCI Community Oncology Research Program. This study is one of the selected studies under this program. For this study, genomic characterization (WGS, WXS, Total RNAseq, miRNAseq) has been performed on cervical tumor tissue from patients with advanced disease (persistent, recurrent, and metastatic) and matching germline samples. It is hypothesized that the characterization of these tissues using next generation sequencing will lead to the identification of relevant novel genetic aberrations within the immunologic, DNA repair, and tumor angiogenesis domains that dichotomize the study population into exceptional responders and non-responders to systemic therapy, with a spectrum of response manifesting between the two extremes.

  Study phs002293