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• ICGC PCAWG Dataset: RECA-EU_PCAWG_WGS_BWA

  ICGC PCAWG Dataset for WGS BAM aligned using BWA MEM. Project: RECA-EU.

  Dataset EGAD00001002131

• ICGC PCAWG Dataset: PACA-AU_PCAWG_WGS_BWA

  ICGC PCAWG Dataset for WGS BAM aligned using BWA MEM. Project: PACA-AU.

  Dataset EGAD00001002132

• ICGC PCAWG Dataset: PAEN-IT_PCAWG_WGS_BWA

  ICGC PCAWG Dataset for WGS BAM aligned using BWA MEM. Project: PAEN-IT.

  Dataset EGAD00001002153

• ICGC PCAWG Dataset: PAEN-AU_PCAWG_WGS_BWA

  ICGC PCAWG Dataset for WGS BAM aligned using BWA MEM. Project: PAEN-AU.

  Dataset EGAD00001002154

• ICGC PCAWG Dataset: LIRI-JP_PCAWG_WGS_BWA

  ICGC PCAWG Dataset for WGS BAM aligned using BWA MEM. Project: LIRI-JP.

  Dataset EGAD00001002155

• ICGC PCAWG Dataset: ESAD-UK_PCAWG_WGS_BWA

  ICGC PCAWG Dataset for WGS BAM aligned using BWA MEM. Project: ESAD-UK.

  Dataset EGAD00001002156

• ICGC PCAWG Dataset: MELA-AU_PCAWG_WGS_BWA

  ICGC PCAWG Dataset for WGS BAM aligned using BWA MEM. Project: MELA-AU.

  Dataset EGAD00001002157

• Lung cancer organoids addition

  Organoids are self-organizing 3D structures grown from stem cells that recapitulate essential aspects of organ structure and function. Here we describe a method to establish long-term culture conditions of human airway epithelial organoids that contain all major cell populations and allow personalized human disease modelling. We collected macroscopically inconspicuous lung tissue from non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients undergoing medically indicated surgery and isolated epithelial cells to engineer 3D organoids. We exploit the potential to derive sub-clones from AOs to demonstrate the feasibility of CRISPR gene editing. Finally, we show that AOs readily allow modelling of viral infections such as RSV and for the first time demonstrate the possibility to study neutrophil-epithelium interaction in an organoid model. Taken together, we anticipate that human AOs will find broad applications in the study of adult human airway epithelium in health and disease.

  Dataset EGAD00001004943

• RNA-seq BAM files from newborn screening dried blood spot samples

  Paired-end RNA-seq BAM files from 21 newborn screening dried blood spot (DBS) samples. These DBS samples were obtained from extremely low gestional age newborns, where 10 of them were affected by a fetal inflammatory response (FIR) before birth, and 11 were unaffected. Total RNA was sequenced using an Illumina NextSeq-500 instrument. The sample preparation protocol included the depletion of rRNA and globin mRNA using the Globin Zero Gold rRNA Removal Kit from Illumina. Libraries were prepared using the NebNext Ultra TM II Directionl RNA LIbrary Prep Kit (New England Biolabs). There is one BAM file per sample and there is an additional BAM file, corresponding to sample BS13, which was downsampled to 1/4 of its original depth (see BS13_README file for details).

  Dataset EGAD00001005009

• Impact of mutational profiles on response of primary oestrogen receptor-positive breast cancers to oestrogen deprivation

  Presurgical studies allow study of the relationship between mutations and response of estrogen receptor positive (ER+) breast cancer to aromatase inhibitors (AIs) but have been limited to small biopsies. Here in Phase I of this study, we perform exome sequencing on baseline, surgical core-cuts and blood from 60 patients (40 AI treated, 20 Controls). In poor responders (based on Ki67 change) we find significantly more somatic mutations than good responders. Subclones exclusive to baseline or surgical cores   occur in approximately 30% of tumours. In Phase II we combine targeted sequencing on another 28 treated patients with Phase I. We find six genes frequently mutated: PIK3CA, TP53, CDH1, MLL3, ABCA13 and FLG with 71% concordance between paired cores. TP53 mutations are associated with poor response. We conclude that multiple biopsies are essential for confident mutational profiling of ER+ breast cancer and TP53 mutations are associated with resistance to oestrogen deprivation therapy.

  Dataset EGAD00001002651

• Pseudotime ordering of cell cycle state (2020-01-29)

  We will be using G&T method to sequence single cell genome and transcriptome derived from FS13B iPSCs cell line. The cell cycle state of each of the single cells is known. Hence, we will be analysing the genome and transcriptome of single cells from each of the cell cycle state to generate a copy number profile and transcriptome profile per given cell cycle stage: G1, S, G2, S. . This dataset contains all the data available for this study on 2020-01-29.

  Dataset EGAD00001005919

• Guardians of the genome: protecting DNA from endogenous sources of damage

  Mutational signatures are imprints of cell-intrinsic and extrinsic pathophysiological processes that have occurred through tumorigenesis. Experimental efforts to explore signature etiologies have produced a compendium of signatures of exogenous mutagens previously. Here, we unearth major sources of endogenous DNA damage and the genes that are critical to mitigating this innate stream of DNA damage under normal, physiological circumstances. We performed whole genome sequencing of 173 subclones of CRISPR-Cas9 knockouts of 43 genes in a human induced pluripotent stem cell system, in the absence of any added DNA damage. We reveal substitution and indel signatures that arise from those genes which are essential guardians of the genome. By detailed dissection and comparisons to cancer-derived signatures, we demonstrate interminable sources of constitutive DNA damage, and some mechanistic knowledge into how guardian genes preserve the genome. Based on these experimental insights, we develop and benchmark a tool for clinical classification of tumor samples.

  Dataset EGAD00001006055

• Methylation and nucleosome occupancy studies on cell-free DNA using enzymatic cytosine conversion

  Raw sequencing data (PE, fastq.gz) from NovaSeq 6000 sequencing runs of: 1. Blood-derived cell-free DNA from six healthy controls, enzymatic cytosine conversion (between 1 and 3 replicates each) 2. Urine-derived cell-free DNA from three healthy controls, enzymatic cytosine conversion (between 1 and 3 replicates each) 3. Blood-derived cell-free DNA from six patients with acute or chronic kidney disease with/without other relevant organ dysfunction, enzymatic cytosine conversion (between 1 and 3 replicates each) 4. Urine-derived cell-free DNA from three patients with acute kidney disease, enzymatic cytosine conversion (between 1 and 3 replicates each) 5. Blood-derived cell-free DNA from three healthy controls, bisulfite cytosine conversion (single datasets) 6. Conventional whole-genome sequencing on genomic DNA of two healthy kidney donors for two of the studied patients (single datasets).

  Dataset EGAD00001006072

• Whole genome sequencing in prime-edited human organoids

  We performed whole genome sequencing to detect possible off-target mutations induced by prime editing. Liver organoids, derived from a healthy control, were transfected with either control (GFP) plasmids or prime editing plasmids (GFP+PE2+pegRNA+nickRNA) to induce a 6-bp deletion in CTNNB1. One control and two prime-edited organoid lines were clonally expanded from single cells. High-throughput sequencing was performed on the complete genomic DNA isolated from these clonal lines, as well as the starting culture (bulk). After correction for germline mutations in the starting culture, new mutations in the control and prime-edited lines were compared. The same approach was followed in small intestinal organoids, derived from a patient with disease-causing 3-bp deletion in DGAT1. In these small intestinal organoids, prime editing was used to insert the 3 missing nucleotides. Two corrected clones were compared to one control clone.

  Dataset EGAD00001006352

• Combinatorial CRISPR screen identifies fitness effects of paralogues FAM50A and FAM50B

  Genetic redundancy has evolved as a way for human cells to survive the loss of genes that are single copy and essential in other organisms, but also allows tumours to survive despite having highly rearranged genomes. In this study we CRISPR screen 1,191 gene pairs, including paralogues and known and predicted synthetic lethal interactions to identify 105 gene combinations whose co-disruption results in a loss of cellular fitness. 27 pairs influence fitness across multiple cell lines including the paralogues FAM50A/FAM50B, two genes of unknown function. Silencing of FAM50B occurs across a range of tumour types and in this context disruption of FAM50A reduces cellular fitness whilst promoting micronucleus formation and extensive perturbation of transcriptional programmes. This dataset includes CRISPR screening of cancer cell lines, RNA sequencing studies of cancer cell lines and also data from the sequencing of tumour xenografts collected from mice.

  Dataset EGAD00001006649

• MutWP5: CRUK Mutographs of Cancer: Lung: PD38233 (WG) (2021-02-02)

  Sequencing of LCM-derived microbiopsies from explanted lung from COPD patient. Goal to assess the mutational burden, spectrum, and clonal dynamics within the tissue. Deep sampling throughout multiple regions of the lung will determine whether there are differences in smoking-related mutation burden in different portions of the lung. Whole-genome sequencing will be conducted on samples identified as promising from the initial targeted data. Results from this portion of the study will be compared to other individuals with smoking-related diseases (COPD, pulmonary fibrosis, lung cancer), and normal, non-smoking lungs. . This dataset contains all the data available for this study on 2021-02-02.

  Dataset EGAD00001006930

• MutWP5: CRUK Mutographs of Cancer: Lung: PD43291_Novaseq (Exome) (2021-02-02)

  Sequencing of LCM-derived microbiopsies from explanted lung from COPD patient. Goal to assess the mutational burden, spectrum, and clonal dynamics within the tissue. Deep sampling throughout multiple regions of the lung will determine whether there are differences in smoking-related mutaiton burden in different portions of the lung. Whole-genome sequencing will be conducted on samples identified as promising from the initial targeted data. Results from this poriton of the study will be compared to other individuals with smoking-related diseases (COPD, pulmonary fibrosis, lung cancer), and normal, non-smoking lungs. . This dataset contains all the data available for this study on 2021-02-02.

  Dataset EGAD00001006932

• Leiomyosarcoma Whole Genome Sequencing

  DNA was extracted from fresh frozen LMS material for 29 untreated tumors (24 primary tumors, 5 metastatic 13 relapses) and 13 tumors treated with radiation (7 primaries, 6 metastatic relapses). DNA from matched blood was used as a normal reference. Whole-genome sequencing was performed using established protocols on Illumina instruments.

  Dataset EGAD00001007722

• Prediction of HLA genotypes using NGS data

  High-precision human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genotyping is crucial for anti-cancer immunotherapy, but existing tools predicting HLA genotypes using next-generation sequencing (NGS) data are insufficiently accurate. We compared the availability and accuracy of eight HLA genotyping tools (OptiType, HLA-HD, PHLAT, seq2HLA, arcasHLA, HLAscan, HLA*LA, and Kourami) using 1,275 cases from the 1000 Genomes Project data and created a new HLA-genotyping algorithm combining tools. Then, we assessed the new algorithm’s performance in 39 in-house samples with normal whole-exome sequencing (WES) data and polymerase chain reaction–sequencing-based typing (PCR-SBT) results.

  Dataset EGAD00001007733

• OSTEOMICS_RNA

  RNA sequencing of 79 libraries were prepared, from sample of Osteosarcoma tumors biopsied at diagnosis, with TruSeq Stranded mRNA kit following recommendations: the key steps consist of PolyA mRNA capture with oligo dT beads using 1µg total RNA, fragmentation to approximately 400pb, DNA double strand synthesis, and ligation of Illumina adaptors amplification of the library by PCR for sequencing. Libraries sequencing was performed using Illumina sequencers (NextSeq 500 or Hiseq 2000/2500/4000) in 75 bp paired-end mode.

  Dataset EGAD00001008213

• DNA methylation sequencing profiles of 1538 breast tumors and 244 normal breast tissues

  DNA methylation sequencing profiles of 1538 breast tumors and 244 normal breast tissues. Libraries were prepared using a custom Reduced Representation Bisulfite Sequencing pipeline. Sequencing was performed on the Illumina HiSeq 2500 (v4 chemistry), with single-end reads of 125 bp length. Multiplexing was conducted at the level of 8 samples per lane. FASTQ files are provided for 1538 breast tumors and 244 normal breast tissues. Reference: Batra et al. (2021). DNA methylation landscapes of 1538 breast cancers reveal a replication-linked clock, epigenomic instability and cis-regulation.

  Dataset EGAD00001007976

• Garvan/St Vincent’s Prostate Cancer Tissue and Data

  The cohort (n=53) consists of prostate cancer patients from Australia. For each patient, a pair of blood and tumour samples were collected. The sequencing data was mapped to hg38 reference. Blood BAMs are named with “-B” as suffix and tumour BAMs are named with “-T” as suffix.

  Dataset EGAD00001009066

• RNAseq data

  Bulk RNAseq of sigmoid colon biopsies from healthy volunteers and ulcerative colitis patients. Subjects were treated with Placebo or IL-22Fc at different doses, and biopsies were collected at day 0 and day 30 post treatment and prepared for RNA sequencing.

  Dataset EGAD00001008816

• Fecal 16S UC sequencing data

  Fecal 16S-V4 rRNA gene sequence data from NCT02749630 ulcerative colitis patients. Stool samples were collected at screening as well as on days 29, 43, 64, 85, and 134 processed for 16SV4 rRNA gene sequencing

  Dataset EGAD00001008818

• Fecal 16S HV sequencing data

  Fecal 16S-V4 rRNA gene sequence data from NCT02749630 healthy volunteers. Stool samples were collected at screening as well as on days 29, 43, 64, 85, and 134 processed for 16SV4 rRNA gene sequencing

  Dataset EGAD00001008840

• Fecal WMS HV sequencing data

  Fecal WMS data from NCT02749630 healthy volunteers. Stool samples were collected at screening as well as on days 29, 43, and 64 and prepared for whole metagenomic sequencing.

  Dataset EGAD00001008841

• Dataset for bone_cancer-RNA

  Rare cancer sequencing data of 55 runs in tumor/control pairs, which were uploaded to umbrella studies. The sequencing was always paired

  Dataset EGAD00001008848

• Dataset for breast_cancer-RNA

  Rare cancer sequencing data of 59 runs in tumor/control pairs, which were uploaded to umbrella studies. The sequencing was always paired

  Dataset EGAD00001008850

• Dataset for cancer_of_unknown_primary-RNA

  Rare cancer sequencing data of 58 runs in tumor/control pairs, which were uploaded to umbrella studies. The sequencing was always paired

  Dataset EGAD00001008857

• Dataset for bone_cancer-WHOLE_GENOME

  Rare cancer sequencing data of 48 runs in tumor/control pairs, which were uploaded to umbrella studies. The sequencing was always paired

  Dataset EGAD00001008866

• Dataset for breast_cancer-EXON

  Rare cancer sequencing data of 94 runs in tumor/control pairs, which were uploaded to umbrella studies. The sequencing was always paired

  Dataset EGAD00001008868

• Dataset for cancer_of_unknown_primary-EXON

  Rare cancer sequencing data of 62 runs in tumor/control pairs, which were uploaded to umbrella studies. The sequencing was always paired

  Dataset EGAD00001008870

• Dataset for colorectal_cancer-EXON

  Rare cancer sequencing data of 119 runs in tumor/control pairs, which were uploaded to umbrella studies. The sequencing was always paired

  Dataset EGAD00001008871

• Dataset for GIST-EXON

  Rare cancer sequencing data of 64 runs in tumor/control pairs, which were uploaded to umbrella studies. The sequencing was always paired

  Dataset EGAD00001008875

• Dataset for GIST-WHOLE_GENOME

  Rare cancer sequencing data of 18 runs in tumor/control pairs, which were uploaded to umbrella studies. The sequencing was always paired

  Dataset EGAD00001008876

• Dataset for gynecologic_cancer-WHOLE_GENOME

  Rare cancer sequencing data of 38 runs in tumor/control pairs, which were uploaded to umbrella studies. The sequencing was always paired

  Dataset EGAD00001008878

• Dataset for head_and_neck_cancer-WHOLE_GENOME

  Rare cancer sequencing data of 56 runs in tumor/control pairs, which were uploaded to umbrella studies. The sequencing was always paired

  Dataset EGAD00001008879

• Dataset for liposarcoma-WHOLE_GENOME

  Rare cancer sequencing data of 48 runs in tumor/control pairs, which were uploaded to umbrella studies. The sequencing was always paired

  Dataset EGAD00001008888

• Dataset for melanoma-WHOLE_GENOME

  Rare cancer sequencing data of 22 runs in tumor/control pairs, which were uploaded to umbrella studies. The sequencing was always paired

  Dataset EGAD00001008889

• Dataset for melanoma-EXON

  Rare cancer sequencing data of 76 runs in tumor/control pairs, which were uploaded to umbrella studies. The sequencing was always paired

  Dataset EGAD00001008890

• Dataset for NSCLC-WHOLE_GENOME

  Rare cancer sequencing data of 34 runs in tumor/control pairs, which were uploaded to umbrella studies. The sequencing was always paired

  Dataset EGAD00001008894

• Spatial multi-omic map of human myocardial infarction

  We applied an integrative single-cell genomics strategy with single nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq) and single nucleus Assay for Transposase-Accessible Chromatin sequencing (snATAC-seq) together with spatial transcriptomics from the same tissue mapping human cardiac cells in homeostasis and after myocardial infarction (MI) at unprecedented spatial and molecular resolution. We profiled in total 31 samples from 23 patients including four non-transplanted donor hearts as controls and samples from tissues with necrotic tissue areas (ischemic zone, IZ), border zone (BZ), and the non-affected left ventricular myocardium (remote zone, RZ) of patients with acute MI.

  Dataset EGAD00001008952

• cfMethyl-Seq

  cfMethyl-Seq libraries were generated for 479 cfDNA samples and were sequenced with 150 bp paired-end reads.

  Dataset EGAD00001009003

• High-Risk Breast Cancer GWAS

  The GWAS includes High Risk Women from the following epidemiological studies of breast cancer, comprising a total of 3,719 cases and 3,642 controls (cases/controls: MEC, 0/200; ABCFR, 326/418; FCCC, 56/3; BCFR-UT, 66/32; CNIO-BC, 87/92; GESBC, 65/0; LIFE, 164/0; MARIE, 41/105; MAYO, 208/210; MNYR, 293/409; MSKCC, 310/0; NC-BCFR, 234/233; OFBCR, 553/560; POSH, 377/0; HBOC, 47/47; BBCS, 612/1333; UPENN, 280/0 This study was funded by a grant CA165038 to Christopher Haiman (University of Southern California) and John Hopper (University of Melbourne) from the National Cancer Institute, National Institute of Health. The contributing studies: Multiethnic Cohort (MEC). This study was supported by grant UM1 CA164973 from the National Cancer Institute, National Institute of Health. Ontario Familial Breast Cancer Registry, the Ontario site of the Breast Cancer Family Registry Cohort (OFBCR). This study was supported by grant UM1 CA164920 from the National Cancer Institute. Utah Breast Cancer Family Registry (BCFR-UT). This study was supported by grant UM1 CA164920 from the National Cancer Institute. New York site of the Breast Cancer Family Registry (MNYR). This study was supported by grant UM1 CA164920 from the National Cancer Institute. Northern California site of the Breast Cancer Family Registry (NC-BCFR). This study was supported by grant UM1 CA164920 from the National Cancer Institute. Australian Breast Cancer Family Registry (ABCFR). This study was supported by grant UM1 CA164920 from the National Cancer Institute. Breast Cancer Study (CNIO-BC). This study has been partially funded by The Spanish Network on Rare Diseases (CIBERER) and the Spanish National Genotyping Center (CEGEN). Genetic Epidemiologic Study of Breast Cancer (GESBC). The GESBC was supported by the Deutsche Krebshilfe e. V. [70492] and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ). Mammary Carcinoma Risk Factor Study (MARIE). This study was supported by the Deutsche Krebshilfe e.V. [70-2892-BR I, 106332, 108253, 108419], the Hamburg Cancer Society, the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) Germany [01KH0402]. Prospective study of Outcomes in Sporadic versus Hereditary breast cancer (POSH). Funding for the POSH study was provided by Cancer Research UK (grant refs A7572, A11699, C22524), the Breast Cancer Campaign (grant number: 2013MayPR044) and from 2003-2006 by a grant from The Wessex Cancer Trust. Prospective study of Outcomes in Sporadic versus Hereditary breast cancer (POSH). Funding for the POSH study was provided by Cancer Research UK (grant refs A7572, A11699, C22524), the Breast Cancer Campaign (grant number: 2013MayPR044) and from 2003-2006 by a grant from The Wessex Cancer Trust. Hereditary Breast and ovarian Cancer: Genetic and Molecular Studies (HBOC). This study was supported by National Cancer Institute grant CA58860 and The Lon V Smith Foundation: LVSF-44528. Mayo Clinic inherited breast and ovarian cancer study (MAYO). This study was supported by the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, NIH grants CA192393, CA176785, and an NIH CA116201 Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) in Breast Cancer. British Breast Cancer Study (BBCS); Mammographic oestrogens and growth factor study (MOG). The BBCS and the MOG study are funded by Cancer Research UK and Breakthrough Breast Cancer and acknowledge NHS funding to the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, and the National Cancer Research Network (NCRN). Genotyping of non-BRCA1/2 mutation carriers (UPENN). The study is supported by the Basser Research Center at the University of Pennsylvania, Rooney Family Foundation, NIH grants CA176785 and CA192393, the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, the Susan G. Komen Foundation for the Cure and Macdonald Family Foundation. Clinical Significance of Germline BRCA Mutations (MSKCC). The study is supported by the Robert and Kate Niehaus Clinical Cancer Genetics Research Initiative, The Breast Cancer Research Foundation, and the Cancer Center Support Grant from the National Institute of Health, National Cancer Institute 5P30 CA08748-40. Women's Learning the Influence of Family and Environment (LIFE). This study was supported by grants CA17054 and CA74847 from the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, No. 4PB-0092 from the California Breast Cancer Research Program of the University of California. Philadelphia site of the Breast Cancer Family Registry at Fox Chase Cancer Center (FCCC). This study is supported by NIH grant CA164920.

  Study phs000929

• A Prospective Natural History Study of Diagnosis, Treatment and Outcomes of Children with SCID Disorders

  Individuals with a recent or new diagnosis of severe combined immune deficiency (including infants who were identified by newborn screening) may be eligible to be enrolled on the PIDTC research study 6901. Speak to your doctor to determine if you or your child may be eligible. Protocol 6901 follows patients with SCID prospectively, meaning the 6901 study enrolls participants where there is a plan to receive a blood and marrow transplant, enzyme therapy, or gene therapy in the future. Patients are then followed according to a schedule set out by the study protocol after the procedure. The times the study requests follow up will be the same as when your doctor would want to be seeing you or your child as part of their regular ongoing medical care. Patients with "leaky SCID", reticular dysgenesis, and Omenn syndrome may also be eligible to participate in 6901. The 6901 research study does NOT dictate how your or your child's doctors should treat you or your child, as the PIDTC recognizes that there are many complex factors that go into this decision. The decision about how you or your child with SCID will be treated is made by your doctor. The 6901 study simply follows how you or your child do over time. There are no experimental therapies on this study. The 6901 study has been open since August 2010, and continues to be open and enrolling patients to the present day. The study plans to enroll approximately 250 patients with SCID. By studying new patients undergoing treatment for SCID, the goal is to learn more about: (1) outcomes from the treatment of SCID in the modern era of medicine, (2) what factors lead to the best long-term outcomes, such as best donor, conditioning regimen, timing of transplant, etc. and (3) what impact newborn screening and the early diagnosis of SCID has had on the long-term outcomes following BMT or gene therapy. A significant amount of information is also being gathered on how and when the immune system recovers after BMT, quality of life for long-term survivors, and about whether children develop normally after treatment. The 6901 study is the largest coordinated prospective study of patients with SCID ever performed. Information that we will learn, both now and in the future, will help doctors and other health professionals to better treat children with SCID. All hospitals within the PIDTC are enrolling patients with SCID on 6901, ensuring that the outcomes are reflective of what happens in the "real world" as opposed to at just one or two large centers.

  Study phs001392

• Determination of Cross-Reactive Immunological Material (CRIM) status and longitudinal follow-up of individuals with Pompe disease

  Infantile-onset Pompe disease is an inherited disorder that is normally diagnosed within the first months of life. It is caused by lack of or defect in an enzyme (a special protein that carries out normal chemical reactions within the body) called acid alpha-glucosidase (GAA). GAA normally breaks down glycogen (stored sugar) in lysosomes (the part of the cell that digests food and other chemicals). Pompe disease is one of many lysosomal storage diseases (LSDs). LSDs are diseases caused by the malfunction of the lysosome or one of their digestive enzymes. Patients with Pompe disease cannot break down lysosomal glycogen. This causes glycogen to build up and damage cells throughout the body, especially in the heart and muscles. Current treatment for Pompe disease involves enzyme replacement therapy (ERT). In this treatment, the drug alglucosidase alfa (Myozyme) is put into your blood. The drug provides a form of the GAA enzyme to replace the enzyme that is missing or not working properly in the patient's blood. This treatment has allowed babies to live longer and achieve developmental milestones. In this study, researchers will learn about the patient's ability to tolerate ERT. Cross-Reactive Immunological Material (CRIM) is a measurement of natural GAA production. A patient's CRIM status (either positive or negative) is an important factor that affects how he or she responds to ERT with Myozyme. Children who produce some natural GAA are classified as CRIM+, while children who do not produce any natural GAA are classified as CRIM-. Children who are CRIM+ generally tolerate ERT well. But, children who are CRIM-, and some children classified as CRIM+, have a poor response to ERT. Patients who have a poor response to ERT have complications because their body sees Myozyme as "foreign" and triggers an immune response to try to remove it from the body. Treatments are currently being developed to stop this immune response and prevent complications from ERT. We will enroll patients with Infantile Pompe disease in this longitudinal natural history (observational) study. The specific aims of this study are: To determine and correlate Cross-Reactive Immunological Material (CRIM) status with the GAA gene mutations found on these patients To validate an approach for determining CRIM status from whole blood sample, with the gold standard determination of CRIM status by skin fibroblasts and mutation analysis To explore the clinical treatment response and natural history of CRIM-positive and CRIM-negative Pompe disease patients with and without immune modulation To investigate the role of immune response to treatment

  Study phs001555

• Disorders/Differences of Sex Development (DSD) Study Performed at UCLA in Collaboration with the DSD-Translational Research Network (DSD-TRN), with the Support of the Gabriella Miller Kids First Pediatric Research Program

  The Gabriella Miller Kids First Pediatric Research Program (Kids First) is a trans-NIH effort initiated in response to the 2014 Gabriella Miller Kids First Research Act and supported by the NIH Common Fund. This program focuses on gene discovery in pediatric cancers and structural birth defects and the development of the Gabriella Miller Kids First Pediatric Data Resource (Kids First Data Resource). Both childhood cancers and structural birth defects are critical and costly conditions associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. Elucidating the underlying genetic etiology of these diseases has the potential to profoundly improve preventative measures, diagnostics, and therapeutic interventions. Whole Genome Sequence (WGS) and phenotypic data from this study are accessible through dbGaP and kidsfirstdrc.org, where other Kids First datasets can also be accessed. Disorders/Differences of Sex Development (DSD) are congenital conditions in which development of chromosomal, gonadal, or anatomic sex is atypical. DSD are chronic medical conditions collectively affecting ~1% of the population, frequently requiring life-long care by multiple specialists, and carrying a significant public health burden. Some are associated with life-threatening events, such as adrenal crises in Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH). DSD are also associated with increased infertility, cancer, gender dysphoria risks, psychosocial distress and pervasive challenges to health-related quality of life (HRQoL) for patients and families. DSD are broadly classified into three categories: sex chromosome DSD, 46,XY DSD and 46,XX DSD, and further classified according to the type of gonad found in the patient (ovary, testis, ovotestis). We were able to increase significantly the diagnostic success for DSD using Whole Exome Sequencing (WES), with the identification of disease-causing and likely pathogenic variants in a third of a cohort of 46,XY patients. We have therefore proposed a shift in the diagnostic approach to DSD to use next-gen sequencing as a first-line clinical test, which could lead to faster and more accurate diagnosis, and orient further clinical management, limiting unnecessary, costly, and often invasive endocrine testing and imaging. However many remain unexplained (over half of the XY cases, a significant minority of XX cases, including most ovotesticular DSD, and most syndromic cases). In addition, the very large phenotypic variability in cases with known variants in the same gene is unexplained. We here propose to use Whole-Genome Sequencing (WGS), which dramatically improves upon exome sequencing, covering both coding and non-coding parts of the genome more uniformly, as an approach to not only improve diagnostic yield, but also to identify novel genes and regulatory elements involved in DSD.

  Study phs001178

• New England-Based Case-Control Study of Ovarian Cancer

  The case-control data provided to dbGaP were collected under NCI grant number CA54419 which had 3 enrollment phases: I (1992-1997), II (1998-2002) and III (2003-2008). Altogether, CA54419 funded 15 years of data and specimen collection, resulting in one of the longest running population based case-control studies of ovarian cancer. The study goal was to examine reproductive factors, lifestyle exposures, and genetic background in relation to ovarian cancer risk. The project recruited cases from Eastern Massachusetts and New Hampshire, and became known as the New England-based Case-Control study (NECC) of ovarian cancer. 3957 ovarian cancer cases diagnosed at ages 18-80 and residing in Eastern Massachusetts and New Hampshire were identified through tumor boards and registries. Of these, 3083 (78%) were eligible and among those eligible, 2203 (71%) were enrolled. After excluding 127 non-epithelial and 35 mixed mesodermal tumors, 2041 cases with epithelial tumors of ovarian, primary peritoneal, and fallopian tube origin, including borderline malignancies were included. On average, cases were interviewed 10 months after their diagnosis. A pathologist reviewed pathology reports and recorded histologic subtype, grade, and stage. Mixed ovarian cancers described as predominantly one type were classified as that type. Undifferentiated, transitional cell tumors, or mixed serous/transitional cell tumors were counted as serous. Other mixed epithelial, malignant Brenner, and unspecified epithelial tumors were classified as other. 2100 controls were identified through random digit dialing (RDD), driver-license lists, and town-resident lists. During the first funding phase from 1992 to 1997, 420 (72%) controls identified through RDD and 102 (51%) through town-resident lists agreed to participate. From 1998 to 2008, only town-resident lists were used to identify potential controls. 4366 controls were identified, of whom 1426 (33%) were ineligible if they had died, moved, or were seriously ill or if they did not have a working telephone, speak English, or have at least one ovary. Of eligible controls, 1362 (46%) declined to participate by phone or via 'opt-out' postcard and 1578 (54%) were enrolled. Controls were frequency matched to cases by 5-year age groups and region of residence. In all phases, after written informed consent, demographic information, reproductive and medical history, and habits were assessed by in-person or telephone interview (in a few instances). All of the questions were framed with respect to a reference date defined as 1 year before the diagnosis date for women in the case group and the date of interview for those in the control group. This study was approved by institutional review boards at Dana Farber Harvard Cancer Center and Dartmouth Medical Center.

  Study phs001034

• The Role of CDX2 in Controlling ABCB1 Expression and Chemosensitivity in Human Colon Cancer

  This study reports the results of RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) experiments performed on two human colon cancer cell lines (HT-29, DLD-1) that were genetically engineered to achieve either the constitutive expression (in HT-29 cells) or the selective inactivation (in DLD-1 cells) of the transcription factor CDX2, a master regulator of embryonic gut development and a key regulator of multi-lineage differentiation in adult colon epithelial cells. Our previous studies had identified lack of CDX2 expression as a prognostic biomarker of poor prognosis and a predictive biomarker of benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy in Stage-II and Stage-III colon cancer patients (Dalerba et al., NEJM, 374:211-222, 2016; PMID: 26789870). The molecular basis of these associations, however, remained poorly understood. The present study was designed to identify which genes are under the transcriptional control of CDX2, in order to clarify their role in shaping colon cancer resistance to chemotherapy. Of the two lines included in this study, the first (HT-29) is CDX2-negative at baseline, and was infected with a lentivirus vector encoding for the cDNA of the human CDX2 gene under the control of a constitutive promoter (CMV). The second line (DLD-1) is CDX2-positive at baseline, and was infected with a series of lentivirus vectors encoding for CRISPR/Cas9 constructs designed to selectively inactivate the CDX2 gene. In both cases, infected cells were purified by fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS), based on the differential expression of a green fluorescent reporter (EGFP) that was also encoded by the lentivirus vectors, and transcribed in tandem with either the CDX2 cDNA (HT-29) or CRISPR/Cas9 gRNAs targeting CDX2 (DLD-1). The experiments were designed to include 3 experimental replicates per condition, and to compare the transcriptional profile of genetically engineered cells with that of autologous controls (i.e., HT-29 cells infected with an "empty" version of the same lentivirus vector used to over-express CDX2, DLD-1 cells engineered with a "non-targeting" CRISPR/Cas9 gRNA). In the specific case of DLD-1 cells engineered with CRIPSR-Cas9 constructs targeting CDX2, infected cells were sorted based on the differential expression of EGFP and then plated as single-cells, in order to sub-culture three isogenic clones, all of which were genetically sequenced to confirm bi-allelic knock-out of the CDX2 gene, and confirmed to lack CDX2 protein expression by Western blot. The results of our experiments demonstrate that, in human colon epithelial cells, CDX2 controls the expression of the ABCB1 efflux pump, by positively regulating the transcription of the corresponding gene.

  Study phs002903

• A Clone's Genomic Stability as a Biomarker of Its DNA-Damage Resilience

  A main problem in the treatment of advanced cancers, including gastric cancers and glioblastoma, is the incertitude at which we predict how individual patients will respond to DNA-damaging agents, especially on the long run. Knowing the mechanism behind a patient's response, or the lack thereof, will help us depart from the oversimplified “more-is-better” and “one-size-fits-all” principles according to which DNA-damaging agents are administered. This will improve clinical outcome by allowing us to pinpoint those who would respond better and longer to lower doses than to higher doses of DNA-damaging agents. Under the assumption that the success of DNA-damaging therapy increases with the proliferation rate of a relatively homogeneous tumor population, there was little reason to assume anything other than monotonic dose-response relations. With the recent paradigm shift that most cancers are in fact DNA mosaic products of ongoing evolution, comes the urgency to reconsider these fundamental principles behind DNA-damaging therapy administration. As the developers of one of the first DNA deconvolution methods and with access to technologies to profile the transcriptomes of up to 10,000 cells simultaneously, we are equipped to embark on first personalized dose-finding strategies for DNA-damaging therapies. We will test the potential of the very long-term legacy that DNA-damage entails on a cell “genomic instability” as new biomarker of DNA-damage response. Our preliminary studies showed that, for most cancer types, DNA-damaging agents change a clone's genomic instability and that clones succumb to a limit in the amount of genomic instability they can tolerate. In particular, our results showed that patients with intermediate genomic instability have a very poor outcome and that this relation is only evident among treatment-naive patients, but not among patients treated with DNA-damaging agents. Further they show that we can measure genomic instability per clone and that clones with extreme genomic instability typically don't grow large. Our hypothesis that genomic instability, rather than proliferation rate, determines how sensitive a tumor is to DNA-damaging agents on the long-term, is founded on two unexpected findings. Patients with extremely high genomic instability per tumor clone have an exceptionally good outcome. Aim 1 will integrate exome- and single cell RNA-Seq (scRNA-Seq) data to characterize clones and to measure how much genomic instability they can tolerate. Low genomic instability is associated with reduced benefit from DNA-damaging agents. Aim 2 will use comet assays and treatment history to quantify DNA damage per clone, relating it to the clones' ability to tolerate DNA damage and to changes in the genomic instability of therapy-surviving clones.

  Study phs003762

• Sanger sequencing of catalytic-domain encoding exons of tyrosine kinase genes from human endometrial tumor DNAs

  The purpose of the original study was to search for somatic mutations in the tyrosine kinome of serous and clear cell endometrial carcinomas (human). The study was conducted in two phases. Phase 1: A mutation discovery screen, in which ~577 exons encoding the catalytic domains of 86 tyrosine kinases were PCR-amplified and bidirectionally Sanger sequenced from 24 serous, 11 clear cell, and 5 mixed histology endometrial tumors. This was followed by alignment of sequence reads to the human reference sequence and subsequent nucleotide variant calling to identify potential somatic (tumor-specific) mutations. Potential somatic mutations were confirmed by re-amplification and sequencing of the relevant tumor DNA as well as matched non-tumor ("normal") DNA from the same case. Phase 2: A mutation prevalence screen, in which the non-catalytic regions two tyrosine kinase genes, TNK2 and DDR1, were PCR-amplified and sequenced from the 40 discovery screen tumors, and all coding exons of TNK2 and DDR1 were PCR-amplified and sequenced from another 10 clear cell, 21 serous, and 41 endometrioid endometrial tumors, in an effort to identify additional somatic mutations in each gene. Exons encoding the exonuclease domain of POLE were also sequenced to document somatic mutations.

  Study phs000841

• Analysis of the Whole Transcriptomes of Human Testis with Complete Spermatogenesis and of Human Testes with Sertoli Cell-Only Syndrome

  Sertoli cell-only syndrome is severe form of human male infertility in which most seminiferous tubules appear to lack all spermatogenic cells, including spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs). However, a few small tubule segments of some patients have active spermatogenesis and, thus, functional stem cell niches and SSCs. Normally SSCs replicate, migrate and refill adjacent empty niches, but this does not appear to occur in SCO syndrome. We hypothesized that this failure occurs because most niches are dysfunctional. As Sertoli cells are essential to formation of these niches, we used RNAseq to compare the transcriptomes of human testes with qualitatively normal (complete) spermatogenesis (n=4) with the transcriptomes of human testes with SCO syndrome (n=7). We then focused our analysis on the expression of transcripts that bioinformatic analyses identified as Sertoli cell signature transcripts. Results show that Sertoli cells in SCO testes express abnormally low levels of GDNF, FGF8 and BMP4, all of which are important regulators of mouse SSCs and/or progenitor spermatogonia. Sertoli cells in SCO testes express significantly reduced levels of transcripts for proteins that polarize the Sertoli cell plasma membrane and regulate the trafficking of cell adhesion and gap junction proteins in and out of that plasma membrane.

  Study phs001777

• Relationship between low LDL cholesterol concentrations not due to statin therapy and risk of type 2 diabetes: a US-based cross-sectional observational study using electronic medical records

  Lipid lowering therapy using HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins) is associated with an approximately 9-12% increase in the risk of new-onset type 2 diabetes (T2DM). The risk of diabetes could be increased by statins directly; however, genetic approaches have also implicated low LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) concentrations as a risk factor for T2DM. Mendelian randomization studies using functional variants in both HMGCR (GeneID:3156) and PCSK9 (GeneID:255738) genes found a higher risk of T2DM in individuals with variants associated with lower LDL-C concentrations. Since PCSK9 and HMGCR are involved in lipid metabolism through distinct molecular pathways, the altered glycemic effect associated with variants in both genes is likely to be the result of their common effect on LDL-C concentrations. Despite the findings from statin clinical trials and genetic studies, there is little direct evidence implicating low LDL-C concentrations with increased risk of T2DM. Individuals who have very low LDL-C concentrations not due to lipid lowering therapy can provide insights into the relationship between low LDL-C concentrations and T2DM. Here, we used de-identified electronic health records (EHRs) to test the hypothesis that low LDL-C concentrations are associated with T2DM.

  Study phs001588

• Predicting the Prevalence of Complex Genetic Diseases from Individual Genotype Profiles Using Capsule Networks

  Diseases with a complex genetic architecture, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) as a most prominent example, are hard to disentangle. "Human mind-friendly" methods, such as linear approaches used in genome wide association studies (GWAS), remain blind to many genetic variants that matter. On the other hand, methods that are sufficiently sophisticated to entirely capture the characteristic interplay of genetic variants remain black boxes for the human mind. Here, we give this a decided, and as we argue, a very promising try. We present DiseaseCapsule, a capsule network-based approach that enables us to predict prevalence/occurrence of a genetically complex disease from individual genotype profiles. Importantly, capsule networks are considerably easier to decompose into their components than ordinary deep neural networks, which promotes the interpretability of their results. The data we used are from Project MinE, a large-scale study that aims to reveal the genetic and epigenetic mechanisms that underlie ALS in the framework of a globally concerted collaboration. Specifically, we used data from the Dutch cohort of the project, which contains 7213 healthy ('control') individuals and 3192 individuals affected with ALS. The cohort includes 5208 females and 5197 males. All participants of the study were genotyped using an Illumina 2.5M SNP array.

  Study phs003146

• Genome-Wide Assessment of DNA Methylation in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus-Related Autoantibodies

  Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease that can have debilitating effects on multiple organ systems. In SLE, the pivotal immunologic disturbance is the formation of autoantibodies directed against nuclear and cellular antigens. These autoantibodies are associated with specific organ manifestations. Our previous work has shown that certain single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are associated with the production of SLE-related autoantibodies. However, these genetic associations do not completely explain autoantibody development in SLE. Therefore, we examined whether epigenetic factors such as DNA methylation may be associated with the development of SLE-related autoantibodies. In this study, we examined whether differential DNA methylation is associated with anti-dsDNA, anti-SSA/Ro, anti-Smith, and anti-RNP autoantibodies. Using the Illumina HumanMethylation450 Beadchip, over 450,000 DNA methylation sites were characterized in 325 female SLE cases of European descent. Using a multivariable regression analyses, the methylation status of 16 CpG sites in 11 genes was found to be associated with the SLE-related autoantibodies under study. This study shows that epigenetic factors are associated with autoimmune disease phenotypes, and epigenetic studies are a complementary method to genetic association studies for understanding the biologic mechanisms contributing to autoimmune disease.

  Study phs000947

• Identification and Targeting of Inflammatory Macrophage-Fibroblast Crosstalk in Rheumatoid Arthritis

  Macrophages tailor their function according to the signals found in tissue microenvironments, assuming a wide spectrum of phenotypes. A detailed understanding of macrophage phenotypes in human tissues is limited. Using single-cell RNA sequencing, we defined distinct macrophage subsets in the joints of patients with the autoimmune disease rheumatoid arthritis (RA), which affects ~1% of the population. The subset we refer to as HBEGF+ inflammatory macrophages is enriched in RA tissues and is shaped by resident fibroblasts and the cytokine tumor necrosis factor (TNF). These macrophages promoted fibroblast invasiveness in an epidermal growth factor receptor-dependent manner, indicating that intercellular cross-talk in this inflamed setting reshapes both cell types and contributes to fibroblast-mediated joint destruction. In an ex vivo synovial tissue assay, most medications used to treat RA patients targeted HBEGF+ inflammatory macrophages; however, in some cases, redirecting them into a state is not expected to resolve inflammation. These data highlight how advances in our understanding of chronically inflamed human tissues and the effects of medications therein can be achieved by studies on local macrophage phenotypes and intercellular interactions. Reprinted from Kuo, Ding et al., Science Translational Medicine 2019, PMID: 31068444, with permission from American Association for the Advancement of Science.

  Study phs001340

• Genomic Sequencing of Cervical Cancers

  Cervical cancer is responsible for 10-15% of cancer related deaths in women worldwide. The etiological role of infection with high-risk human papilloma viruses (HPV) in carcinomas of the cervix is well established. In general, the development of cervical carcinomas follows a progression from persistent HPV infection through precancerous lesions to invasive cancer. Previous studies have implicated somatic mutations in PIK3CA, PTEN, TP53, STK11 and KRAS as well as chromosome-arm level copy number alterations in the pathogenesis of cervical carcinomas. Here, we report whole exome sequencing analysis of 118 cervical carcinoma-normal paired samples from patients in Norway and Mexico, as well as transcriptome sequencing of 80 cases and whole genome sequencing of 13 tumor-normal pairs. Novel somatic mutations include recurrent E322K substitutions in the MAPK1 gene encoding the ERK2 kinase and inactivating mutations in the HLA-B gene. In addition, recurrent somatic mutations in FBXW7, EP300, and NFE2L2 are novel in the context of primary cervical carcinomas. Analysis of HPV integration sites revealed recurrent integration into the RAD51B locus as well as co-occurrence of HPV genome integration and copy number gains within several genomic loci. These findings shed new light on the pathogenesis of cervical carcinomas and suggest potential novel therapeutic targets.

  Study phs000600

• Identification of Targetable FGFR Gene Fusions in Diverse Cancers

  In this study, patients with advanced cancer across all histologies were enrolled in our IRB approved clinical sequencing program, called MI-ONCOSEQ, to go through an integrative sequencing which includes whole exome sequencing of the tumor and matched normal, and transcriptome sequencing. Four index cases were identified which harbor gene rearrangements of FGFR2 including two cholangiocarcinoma cases, a metastatic breast cancer case, and a metastatic prostate cancer case. After extending our assessment of FGFR rearrangements across multiple tumor cohorts, including TCGA, we identified FGFR gene fusions with intact kinase domains of FGFR1, FGFR2, or FGFR3 in cholangiocarcinoma, breast cancer, prostate cancer, lung squamous cell cancer, bladder cancer, thyroid cancer, oral cancer, glioblastoma, and head and neck squamous cell cancer. All FGFR fusion partners tested exhibit oligomerization capability, suggesting a shared mode of kinase activation. Overexpression of FGFR fusion proteins in vitro induced cell proliferation, and bladder cancer cell lines that harbors FGFR3 fusion proteins exhibited enhanced susceptibility to pharmacologic inhibition in vitro and in vivo. Due to the combinatorial possibilities of FGFR family fusion to a variety of oligomerization partners, clinical sequencing efforts which incorporate transcriptome analysis for gene fusions are poised to identify rare, targetable FGFR fusions across diverse cancer types.

  Study phs000602

• International Multi-Center ADHD Genetics Project

  The goal of the project is to complete a 600,000 tag SNP genome-wide association scan of 958 parent-child trios from the International Multisite ADHD Genetics (IMAGE) project, in order to assess the association of SNP markers with ADHD, analyze quantitative ADHD phenotypes, complete copy number analyses, assess parent of origin effects and season of birth effects, and test for epistasis among apparently uncorrelated genes. Acquiring DNA Samples All consent forms stipulate that the samples can only be used by researchers who have been approved by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), National Institutes of Health. All consent forms, except those used at the Zürich site (N=141 subjects), explicitly indicate that the samples may be used by researchers from commercial enterprises seeking to benefit financially from the analysis of the samples. The Zürich consent does not prohibit such use. The Zürich consent form also included an "opt out" that allowed the subjects to indicate that they did not want their samples stored at the NIMH repository or used by researchers external to the project. No subjects enrolled in the project opted out. Consent groups and participant set ADHD (ADHD): 2758 (924 trios)

  Study phs000016

• Autism Post-Mortem Brain RNA-Sequencing: SRRM4 Splicing Study

  Purpose: The goal of this study was to assess the status of splicing changes in microexons in the cortex of individuals with autism. Methods: We performed RiboZero Gold (rRNA depleted) 50bp PE RNA-seq in a larger set of case and control samples to define 12 autism and 12 control samples showing the greatest global differential gene expression change. These samples, which show differential expression of the splicing regulator SRRM4, were used to evaluate global splicing changes. Results: Within these samples, 126 of 504 (30%) detected alternative microexons display, a mean ΔPSI > 10 between ASD and control subjects of which 113 (90%) also display neural-differential regulation. By contrast, only 825 of 15,405 (5.4%) longer (i.e. > 27 nt) exons show such misregulation, of which 285 (35%) correspond to neural-regulated exons. Notably, we also observe significantly higher correlations between microexon inclusion and nSR100 mRNA expression levels across the stratified ASD samples and controls, for those microexons regulated by nSR100 relative to those microexons that are not regulated by this factor (p=1.4x10-7, Wilcoxon Sum Rank test). Conclusions: These data suggest microexon regulation is a potentially important mechanism underlying ASD and likely other neurodevelopmental disorders.

  Study phs000872

• Sporadic Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS): Parent-Offspring and Twin Sequencing Study

  Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease that affects the nerves in the brain and spinal cord, leading to muscle weakening and eventual paralysis and death. Ten percent of ALS cases are thought to be familial while the majority of cases are sporadic and the causative factors unknown. Dr. Roger Pamphlett of the University of Sydney has collected a unique cohort of consented trios where the child has ALS but the parents are unaffected. Since the age of onset is so late, it is very difficult to obtain this kind of trio. We have performed whole exome sequencing on these trios to identify de novo and recessive germline variants associated with sporadic ALS. In addition, Dr. Pamphlett has assembled a collection of consented discordant monozygotic twins, where one twin has ALS and the other is unaffected. We performed whole genome sequencing on these twin pairs to identify postzygotic variants that may contribute to sporadic ALS susceptibility. Finally, we have the opportunity to compare the sequence and gene expression in affected and unaffected tissues from blood, brain and/or spinal cord samples from consented ALS patients to look for somatic mutations or gene expression changes that may further our understanding of the disease.

  Study phs000831

• NextGen Consortium: GENESiPS Study: Identifying the Gene Networks of Insulin Resistance

  Variability in induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) lines remains a roadblock for disease modeling and regenerative medicine. Through linear mixed models we have described different sources of gene expression variability from RNA sequencing data in 317 human iPSC lines from 101 individuals. We found that ~50% of genome-wide expression variability is explained by variation across individuals and identified a set of expression quantitative trait loci that contribute to this variation. These analyses coupled with allele specific expression show that iPSCs retain a subject-specific gene expression pattern. Pathway enrichment and key driver analyses, based on predictive causal gene networks, found that Polycomb targets explain a significant part of the non-genetic variability present in iPSCs within and across individuals. These publically available iPSC lines and genetic datasets will be a resource to the scientific community and will open new avenues to reduce variability in iPSCs and improve their utility in disease modeling. SNP array data from individuals included in RNA-seq transcriptome profiling study of human induced pluripotent stem cells to characterize gene expression variation across individuals and within multiple iPSC lines from the same individual. Genotyping was performed on patient blood. Data availability: SNP-genotyping: dbGaP - current study RNA-seq counts: GEO - GSE79636 FASTQ files: SRA - SRP072417

  Study phs001139

• Host Genetic Determinants of the Outcome of Staphylococcus Aureus Bacteremia by Whole Exome Sequencing

  In this case-control study, Complicated Staphylococcus aureus (case) is defined as bacteremia plus endocarditis or bone/joint infection, and Uncomplicated Staphylococcus aureus (control) has no such complications and was cured at follow-up. We used whole exome sequencing to examine the cumulative effect of coding variants in each gene on risk of complicated SAB in a discovery sample of 168 SAB cases (84 Complicated SAB and 84 Uncomplicated SAB, frequency matched by age, sex and bacterial clonal complex). Then we evaluated the 334 most significantly associated genes and 8 biological candidate genes in a replication sample of 240 SAB cases (122 complicated and 118 uncomplicated, frequency matched by age, sex and bacterial clonal complex). All participants were white, non-Hispanic of European descent. In the discovery sample, gene-based analysis using SKAT-O identified 334 genes associated with complicated SAB at p<3.5 x 10-3;. Gene-based analysis of the 342 genes in the replication sample using SKATO identified one gene, GLS2 (GeneID: 27165), significantly associated with complicated SAB (p=1.2 x10-4;) after Bonferroni correction. GLS2 is an interesting candidate gene for complicated SAB due to its role in regulating glutamine metabolism, a key factor in white blood cell proliferation and activation.

  Study phs001505

• Discovery of Non-ETS Gene Fusions in Human Prostate Cancer using Next Generation RNA Sequencing

  Half of prostate cancers harbor gene fusions between TMPRSS2 and members of the ETS transcription factor family. To date little is known about the presence of non-ETS fusion events in prostate cancer. We employed next-generation transcriptome sequencing (RNA-Seq) in order to explore the whole transcriptome of 25 human prostate cancer samples for the presence of chimeric fusion transcripts. We generated more than 1 billion sequence reads and used a novel computational approach (FusionSeq) in order to identify novel gene fusion candidates with high confidence. In total, we discovered and characterized seven new cancer-specific gene fusions, two involving the ETS genes ETV1 and ERG, and five involving non-ETS genes such as CDKN1A (p21), CD9 and IKBKB (IKK-beta), genes known to exhibit key biological roles in cellular homeostasis or assumed to be critical in tumorigenesis of other tumor entities, as well as the oncogene PIGU and the tumor suppressor gene RSRC2. The novel gene fusions are found to be of low frequency but interestingly, the non-ETS fusions were all present in prostate cancer harboring the TMPRSS2-ERG gene fusion. Future work will focus on determining if the ETS rearrangements in prostate cancer are associated or directly predispose to a rearrangement prone phenotype.

  Study phs000310

• Somatic Mutation Profile by Next Generation Sequencing in HER2+ Breast Cancer

  The HER pathway is the driving force behind 30% of human breast cancers. It is important to understand how targeted therapies block different cellular pathways, and mechanisms of escape from this blockage. Therapies directed at HER2 establish a successful treatment paradigm, but de novo and acquired resistance exist. The HER signaling system is a complex network with four receptors and eleven ligands, a phosphorylation signaling cascade, and many transcription factors, all complicated by both positive and negative feedback circuits. Analysis of genomes, exomes and transcriptomes by next generation sequencing is aimed at uncovering the genetic factors responsible for patient responses to HER2-directed therapies. We are sequencing HER2-overexpressing cancers, in order to identify potential somatic changes that may better select patients who will benefit from therapy, to determine new targets that may overcome resistance, and to improve outcomes with known current HER2-targeted therapies. Whole exome capture sequencing will determine somatic mutation profiles in HER2-overexpressing tumors, to comprehensively characterize the somatic alterations, with the goal of identifying those patients most likely to respond, as well as discovering new targets that may overcome resistance to HER2-directed therapy. We augment the whole exome data with RNA-seq data to determine expression levels of somatic mutations we discover.

  Study phs000770

• Rapid Evolution of a Skin Lightening Allele in Southern African KhoeSan

  The genetic architecture and polygenicity of skin pigmentation is explored in KhoeSan communities, including Nama individuals whose phenotype and genotype data are provided in this dataset. By pairing genotypes and quantitative spectrophotometric skin pigmentation phenotypes, we show that skin pigmentation is highly heritable in KhoeSan, yet known pigmentation loci only explains a small fraction of the phenotypic variance. Using genome-wide association analyses, we identified both canonical and non-canonical skin pigmentation loci. We show that this phenotype is more polygenic and complex than previously characterized. (Martin et al., Cell 2017. PMID: 29195075) Following up on the top associated signal with large effect size in the gene SLC24A5, we demonstrate that the canonical Eurasian nonsynonymous allele was introduced into KhoeSan via a recent migration ~2 kya and was under extremely strong selection. The derived allele was present at high frequency despite controlling for gene flow. With high-throughput sequences in the captured SLC24A5 region, we show that the most common derived haplotype is identical amongst Europeans, eastern African and KhoeSan. Using 4-population demographic simulations with selection, we show that the allele was introduced into the KhoeSan only 2,000 ya via a back-to-Africa migration and then experienced a selective sweep.

  Study phs001753

• Experimental and Clinical Studies of Presbycusis

  This study aimed to investigate genes and variants associated with adult-onset progressive hearing loss, a common and complex disease with a strong genetic component.Participants enrolled in an ongoing longitudinal study of age-related hearing loss at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), dating from 1987. Pure tone thresholds at 0.25, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, 6.0 and 8.0 kHz were obtained for each ear of each person, along with questionnaire responses concerning noise exposure history. Based on the audiometry, participants were classified into 5 groups as "Older-Normal", "Metabolic", "Sensory", "Unclassified" and "Unselected" by their hearing loss.Exome sequencing was carried out using the Agilent SureSelect X2 Target Enrichment System (version 5) and the Agilent SureSelect Human All Exon V5 kit, which included 5' and 3' UTRs. DNA was sheared using the Covaris S220 focused ultrasonicator. Libraries were sequenced on the Illumina HiSeq 2500. Variant loads per gene were calculated and compared between groups. Individual variants affecting hearing thresholds were also identified. Analyses were followed up in a second cohort. Several genes and variants were identified as novel candidates associated with both better and worse hearing. Data available through dbGaP include whole exome sequencing (WES) files and audiometric phenotyping.

  Study phs003327

• Early Detection of Malignant and Pre-Malignant Peripheral Nerve Tumors Using Cell-Free DNA Fragmentomics

  Early detection of neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) associated peripheral nerve sheath tumors (PNST) informs clinical decision-making, potentially averting deadly outcomes. Here, we describe a cell-free DNA (cfDNA) fragmentomic approach which distinguishes non-malignant, pre-malignant and malignant forms of NF1 PNST. Using plasma samples from a novel cohort of 101 NF1 patients and 21 healthy controls, we validated that our previous cfDNA copy number alteration (CNA)-based approach identifies malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor (MPNST) but cannot distinguish among benign and premalignant states. We therefore investigated the ability of fragment-based cfDNA features to differentiate NF1-associated tumors including binned genome-wide fragment length ratios, end motif analysis, and non-negative matrix factorization deconvolution of fragment lengths. Fragmentomic methods were able to differentiate pre-malignant states including atypical neurofibromas (AN). Fragmentomics also adjudicated AN cases suspicious for MPNST, correctly diagnosing samples noninvasively, which could have informed clinical management. Overall, this study pioneers the early detection of malignant and premalignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors in NF1 patients using plasma cfDNA fragmentomics. In addition to screening applications, this novel approach distinguishes atypical neurofibromas from benign plexiform neurofibromas and malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors, enabling more precise clinical diagnosis and management.

  Study phs003712

• Transcriptome sequencing of human colon organoid after co-cultivation with Bifidobacterium longum

  The large intestine has a dense milieu of indigenous bacteria, generating a complex ecosystem with crosstalk between individual bacteria and host cells. In vitro host cell modeling and bacterial interactions at the anaerobic interphase have elucidated the crosstalk molecular basis. Although classical cell lines derived from patients with colorectal cancer including Caco-2 cells are used, whether they adequately mimic normal colonic epithelial physiology is unclear. To address this, we performed transcriptome profiling of Caco-2 and Monolayer cells derived from healthy Human Colonic Organoid (MHCO) cultured hemi-anaerobically. Coculture with the anaerobic gut bacteria, Bifidobacterium longum subsp. longum differentiated the probiotic effects of test cells from those of physiologically normal intestinal and colorectal cancer cells. We cataloged non- or overlapping gene signatures where gene profiles of Caco-2 cells represented absorptive cells in the small intestinal epithelium, and MHCO cells showed complete colonic epithelium signature, including stem/progenitor, goblet, and enteroendocrine cells colonocytes. Characteristic gene expression changes related to lipid metabolism, inflammation, and cell-cell adhesion were observed in cocultured live Bifidobacterium longum and Caco-2 or MHCO cells. B. longum-stimulated MHCO cells exhibited barrier-enhancing characteristics, as demonstrated in clinical trials. Our data represent a valuable resource for understanding gut microbe and host cell communication.

  Study JGAS000740

• Genome-Wide Association Study of the Taste and Hedonic Ratings of the Low-Calorie Sweetener Acesulfame Potassium

  Acesulfame potassium (Ace-K) is a low-calorie sweetener (LCS) widely used as an additive in foods and beverages and an excipient in pediatric medicines. Because genetic variants play a role in individual variation in the taste of Ace-K, we sought to identify genetic contributions to its taste using a genome-wide association study (GWAS). 141 adult panelists rated the taste of an aqueous solution of Ace-K using the general labelled magnitude scale (gLMS) and its palatability using the hedonic gLMS. Genotypes were assayed on the Infinium Global Screening Array. Imputation of genotypes was performed on the Michigan Imputation Server with 1000 Genomes Project phase 3 genotype data as reference. Linear regression was performed to test genetic associations between genotyped and imputed variants with three gLMS ratings (bitterness (square-root-transformed), hedonic, sweetness) of Ace-K using PLINK2, adjusting for standardized age, sex, and the first 10 principal components of genetic ancestry. We identified that a locus spanning several TAS2R (Taste receptor 2) genes was associated with bitterness ratings of Ace-K and a locus within the gene ELMO1 (Engulfment and Cell Motility Protein 1) was associated with hedonic ratings of Ace-K (p-values 40594245).

  Study phs004031

• Bruno et al.: Interferon gamma rebalances immunopathological signatures in Chronic Granulomatous Disease through metabolic rewiring

  Chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) is a primary immunodeficiency characterized by recurrent life-threatening infections and hyperinflammatory complications. It is caused by mutations in the NADPH oxidase complex and the consequent loss of reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Recombinant human interferon gamma (rIFN-γ) prophylaxis reduces the risk of severe infections, but the mechanisms behind its efficacy in CGD are still an open question, as it does not restore NADPH oxidase-dependent ROS production. Here, we show that myeloid innate immune cells of CGD patients are transcriptionally and functionally reprogrammed to a hyperactive inflammatory status, displaying an impaired in vitro induction of trained immunity. CGD monocytes have reduced intracellular amino acids concentrations and profound functional metabolic defects, both at the level of glycolysis and mitochondrial respiration. Ex vivo and in vivo treatment with IFN-γ restored these metabolic defects and reduced excessive IL-1β and IL-6 production in response to fungal stimuli in CGD monocytes. These data suggest that prophylactic rIFNγ modulates the metabolic status of innate immune cells in CGD. These data shed light on the effects of NADPH-derived ROS deficiency to the metabolic programs of immune cells and pose the basis for targeting this immunometabolic axis, potentially beyond CGD, with IFN-γ immunotherapy.

  Study EGAS00001005463

• Finding the way towards the eradication of therapy-related myeloid neoplasms

  Therapy-related neoplasms are directly caused by the drugs used to eradicate a previous cancer. It is well known that a subset of drugs designed to kill cancer cells through DNA-damage-induced apoptosis can intrinsically, as secondary effect, cause DNA-damage in other cells, thus inducing a neoplasm. Those neoplasms have especially bad prognosis. Why are these drugs still in use? Because for many diseases we do not have anything better, at the moment. Approximately 0.5-1% of the kids treated for various types of cancers develop a therapy-related myeloid neoplasm (tMN) as a result of the treatment. Despite having the same origin, their prognostic and molecular features are different from the adult ones, and a complete understanding of the pathogenesis of tMN in children is still missing. A total of 84 paediatrics neoplasms have been profiled by either Whole Genome or Whole Exome sequencing by Jason R. Schwartz and his colleagues, in a collaborative effort guided at the St. Jude Children's hospital, in Memphis. They identified a mean of 28 somatic mutations per patient, a number which is significantly bigger than the number of mutations found in paediatrics primary neoplasms, as depicted in the original paper's figure 1b, shown here. Their sequencing data identified that Ras/MAPK pathway mutations, alterations in RUNX1 or TP53, and KMT2A rearrangements as the most frequent drivers of the disease. Clonal evolution analysis (the comparative study of the behaviour of cells harbouring different mutations) highlighted that, unlike in adults’ tMN, there were not pre-existing leukemic clones, and virtually all mutated cells were found arising as a direct consequence of cytotoxic therapy. This represents yet another important difference between adult and paediatric tMN. This important study have been published in Nature communications in February 2021. The sequencing data have been deposited at EGA under the study number EGAS00001004850. Thanks to this, other researchers around the world could re-use it to uncover more information, integrate and validate their studies. Revealing the molecular features underlying the development of cancers is the only way towards the development of new generation targeted therapies, which will allow us to finally drop the cytotoxic drugs eliciting such unwanted and catastrophic secondary effects as tMN. It is not an overstatement to say that, while improving the treatment of primary tumours, we could entirely eradicate therapy-related neoplasms right from their origin. Looking forward.

  Blog eradication-of-therapy-related-myeloid-neoplasms

• Efficacy of two different FGFR-inhibitors in a patient with extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma harboring an FGFR2 mutation

  Cholangiocarcinomas (CCAs) is a type of cancer with few effective systemic therapies. Elucidation of the molecular landscape of the disease from genomic studies based on next generation sequencing (NGS) has contributed to the introduction of new targeted therapies. One of these treatments consists of a class of small molecules that target members of the FGFR family of receptor tyrosine kinases. These drugs are effective and have been approved for cholangiocarcinomas with fusions or rearrangements of FGFR genes. In contrast, the role of these inhibitors in cholangiocarcinomas with mutations in FGFR genes is less well defined. We report here a patient with a cholangiocarcinoma bearing a FGFR2 p.Ser252Trp mutation. The patient was treated with two different FGFR inhibitors, as the first caused ocular toxicity. She obtained clinical benefit from both. This case illustrates the efficacy of FGFR inhibitors on cholangiocarcinoma with specific point mutations. This is the first case to report the clinical benefit of these drugs in FGFR2 p.Ser252Trp mutation. Clinical benefit can be sustained, as seen in our patient. Our case also shows that FGFR inhibitors-induced adverse effects, such as ocular toxicities, may not recur after re-challenge with an alternative drug of the same class.

  Study EGAS50000000015

• Drug Development against Tumor Microtube Networks in Glioblastoma

  Glioblastomas are aggressive brain tumors that resist current therapies by hijacking neurodevelopmental programs to invade the brain and form resilient multicellular networks. Tumor Microtubes (TMs), neurite-like processes extended by cancer cells, drive this pathobiology, but TM-inhibiting drugs are lacking. Here we developed a comprehensive, combined in vitro and in vivo drug screening approach, including novel AI-based analysis tools of TM parameters. Two Protein Kinase C (PKC) activators, TPPB and PMA, exhibited robust inhibition of TM formation in cell-based assays. Since unconnected glioblastoma cells exhibit increased sensitivity to cytotoxic therapy in vivo, brain tumor-bearing mice received TPPB, the most consistent TM-inhibiting compound, in combination with radiotherapy. Long-term intravital 2-photon microscopy confirmed anti-TM and anti-tumor effects of the co-treatment. Mechanistically, TPPB treatment inhibited several key molecular and functional components of TM-related glioblastoma cell network communication and decreased the expression of TTYH1, a key driver of invasive TMs. By establishing a novel screening pipeline for anti-TM drug development, our study identifies a druggable TM master regulator pathway and a small molecule with robust anti-TM effects. It provides a proof-of-principle that disrupting TMs and disconnecting tumor networks is a pharmacologically feasible strategy to make therapies against glioblastoma more effective.

  Study EGAS50000000477

• Reconstructing oral cavity tumor evolution through brush biopsy

  Oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs) with genomic alterations have a heightened risk of evolving into oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Currently, genomic data are typically obtained through invasive tissue biopsy. However, brush biopsy is a non-invasive method that has been utilized for identifying dysplastic cells in OPMD but its effectiveness in reflecting the genomic landscape of OPMDs remains uncertain. This pilot study investigates the potential of brush biopsy samples in accurately reconstructing the genomic profile and tumor evolution in a patient with both OPMD and OSCC. We analyzed single nucleotide variants (SNVs), copy number aberrations (CNAs), and subclonal architectures in paired tissue and brush biopsy samples. The results showed that brush biopsy effectively captured 90% of SNVs and had similar CNA profiles as those seen in its paired tissue biopsies in all lesions. It was specific, as normal buccal mucosa did not share these genomic alterations. Interestingly, brush biopsy revealed shared SNVs and CNAs between the distinct OPMD and OSCC lesions from the same patient, indicating a common ancestral origin. Subclonal reconstruction confirmed this shared ancestry, followed by divergent evolution of the lesions. These findings highlight the potential of brush biopsies in accurately representing the genomic profile of OPL and OSCC, proving insight into reconstructing tumor evolution.

  Study EGAS50000000602

• The Genomic Landscape of Childhood and Adolescent Melanoma

  Despite remarkable advances in the genomic characterization of adult melanoma, the molecular pathogenesis of pediatric melanoma remains largely unknown. We analyzed 15 conventional melanomas (CM), 3 melanomas arising in congenital nevi (CNM), and 5 spitzoid melanomas (SM), using various platforms, including whole genome or exome sequencing, molecular inversion probe assay, and/or targeted sequencing. CM demonstrated a high burden of somatic single nucleotide variations (SNV), with each case containing a TERT promoter (TERT-p) mutation, 13/15 containing an activating BRAF V600 mutation, and >80% of the identified SNV consistent with UV damage. By contrast, the 3 CNM contained an activating NRAS Q61 mutation and no TERT-p mutations. SM were characterized by chromosomal rearrangements resulting in activated kinase signaling in 40%, and an absence of TERT-p mutations except for the one SM that succumbed to hematogenous metastasis. We conclude that pediatric CM has a very similar UV-induced mutational spectrum to that found in the adult counterpart, emphasizing the need to promote sun protection practices in early life and to improve access to therapeutic agents being explored in adults in young patients. By contrast, the pathogenesis of CNM appears to be distinct. TERT-p mutations may identify the rare subset of spitzoid melanocytic lesions prone to disseminate.

  Study EGAS00001000901

• IDENTIFICATION AND TARGETED MANAGEMENT OF A PATIENT WITH A NEURODEGENERATIVE DISORDER CAUSED BY BIALLELIC MUTATIONS IN SLC5A6

  We describe a sibling pair displaying an early infantile-onset, progressive neurodegenerative phenotype, with symptoms of developmental delay and epileptic encephalopathy developing from 12 to 14 months of age. Using whole exome sequencing, compound heterozygous variants were identified in SLC5A6, which encodes the sodium-dependent multivitamin transporter (SMVT) protein. SMVT is an important transporter of the B-group vitamins biotin, pantothenate and lipoate. The protein is ubiquitously expressed and has major roles in vitamin uptake in the digestive system, as well as transport of these vitamins across the blood-brain barrier. Pathogenicity of the identified variants was demonstrated by impaired biotin uptake of mutant SMVT. Identification of this vitamin transporter as the genetic basis of this disorder guided targeted therapeutic intervention, resulting clinically in improvement of the patient’s neurocognitive and neuromotor function. This is the second report of biallelic mutations in SLC5A6 leading to a neurodegenerative disorder due to impaired biotin, pantothenate and lipoate uptake. The genetic and phenotypic overlap of these cases confirms mutations in SLC5A6 as the genetic cause of this disease phenotype. Recognition of the genetic disorder caused by SLC5A6 mutations is essential for early diagnosis and to facilitate timely intervention by triple vitamin (biotin, pantothenate and lipoate) replacement therapy.

  Study EGAS00001003861

• Exome_trios_in_patients_with_gastroschisis

  Gastroschisis (MIM 230750) is a herniation of the intestines through a defect of the abdominal wall lateral to the umbilicus (usually on the right side), and it is not covered by a membrane [Ledbetter, 2012]. Gastroschisis is a congenital anomaly with increasing incidence, easy prenatal diagnosis and extremely variable postnatal outcomes. On the basis of clinical manifestations, epidemiologic charateristics, and the presence and type of additional malformations, gastroschisis could be considered a heterogeneous condition with no gene/s discovered yet. This congenital anomaly affects approximately 1-3 infancts per 10,000 live births [Calzolari et al.1995;Parker et al.,2010] Current knowledge about causative mutations/variants. To date, no single gene has been linked to gastroschisis. Some publications have tried to link this malformation to variants in genes (such as AEBP1 (adipocyte enhancer binding protein) gene [Feldkamp et al,. 2012] or the VEGF-NOS3 pathway [Lammer et al., 2008]. Previously, a Scribble mutant mouse model (circletail) was reported to exhibit gastroschisis, however recent studies demonstrated that the Scribble knockout fetus exhibits exomphalos phenotype of gastroschisis [Carnagham et al., 2013]. This data is part of a pre-publication release. For information on the proper use of pre-publication data shared by the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute (including details of any publication moratoria), please see http://www.sanger.ac.uk/datasharing/

  Study EGAS00001002664

• MutWP1__CRUK_Grand_Challenge_Mutographs_of_Cancer__Colorectal

  he Mutographs project aims to advance our understanding of the causes of cancer through studies of mutational signatures. Led by Mike Stratton, together with Paul Brennan, Ludmil Alexandrov, Allan Balmain, David Phillips and Peter Campbell, this large-scale international research endeavour was awarded a Cancer Research UK Grand Challenge. Different patterns of somatic mutation are generated by the different environmental, lifestyle and genetic factors that cause cancer, many of them are still unknown. Within Mutographs, the International Agency for Research on Cancer is coordinating the recruitment of 5000 individuals with cancer (colorectal, renal, pancreatic, oesophageal adenocarcinoma or oesophageal squamous cancers) across 5 continents to explore whether different mutational signatures explain marked variation in incidence. In brief, through an international network of collaborators around the world, biological materials are collected, along with demographic, histological, clinical and questionnaire data. Whole genome sequences of tumour-germline DNA pairs are generated at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute. Somatic mutational signatures are subsequently extracted by non-negative matrix factorisation methods and correlated with risk factors data. Through an enhanced understanding of cancer aetiology, Mutographs unprecedented effort is anticipated to outline modifiable risk factors, lead to new approaches to prevent cancer, and provide opportunities to empower early detection, refine high-risk groups and contribute to further therapeutic development.

  Study EGAS00001003774

• Genomics of enteropathy associated T cell lymphoma (EATL)

  Enteropathy-associated T cell lymphoma (EATL) is a lethal and the most common neoplastic complication of celiac disease. In this study, we applied whole exome sequencing in 69 EATL tumors to define the genetic landscape of EATLs. The most frequently mutated gene in EATL was SETD2 (32% of cases), with loss of function mutations comprising a large proportion (41%) of those mutations. The JAK-STAT pathway was the most frequently mutated signaling pathway, with mutations in STAT5B being the most common, followed by JAK1, JAK3, STAT3, and the negative regulator of the pathway, SOCS1. We also identified mutations in NRAS and KRAS, as well as TP53 and TERT. Interestingly, the two types of EATL had highly overlapping genetic alterations indicating shared mechanisms underlying their pathogenesis. Gene expression analysis of the two types of EATL identify robust differences in transcriptional profiles. We further modeled the effects of SETD2 loss in vivo by developing a T cell specific knockout mouse model. These mice manifested an expansion of γδ T cells that identify novel roles for SETD2 in T cell development and lymphomagenesis. Together, our data render the most comprehensive genetic portrait yet of this uncommon but lethal disease, and may inform future classification schemes.

  Study EGAS00001001954

• Pancreatic tropism of metastatic renal cell carcinoma

  Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is characterized by a particularly broad metastatic swath, and enigmatically, when the pancreas is a destination, the disease is associated with improved survival. Intrigued by this observation, we sought to characterize the clinical behavior, therapeutic implications, and underlying biology. While pancreatic metastases (PM) are infrequent, we identified 31 patients across two institutional cohorts and show that improved survival is independent of established prognostic variables, that these tumors are exquisitely sensitive to anti-angiogenic agents and resistant to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI), and that they are characterized by a distinctive biology. Primary tumors of patients with PM exhibited frequent PBRM1 mutations, 3p loss, and 5q amplification, along with a lower frequency of aggressive features such as BAP1 mutations and loss of 9p, 14q, and 4q. Gene expression analyses revealed constrained evolution with remarkable uniformity, reduced T-effector gene signatures and increased angiogenesis. Similar findings were observed histopathologically. Thus, RCC metastatic to the pancreas is characterized by indolent biology, heightened angiogenesis, and an uninflamed stroma, likely underlying its good prognosis, sensitivity to anti-angiogenic therapies, and refractoriness to ICI. These data suggest that metastatic organotropism may be an indicator of a particular biology with prognostic and treatment implications for patients.

  Study EGAS00001004208

• Biallelic mutations in the ubiquitin ligase RFWD3 cause Fanconi anemia

  The WD40-containing E3 ubiquitin ligase RFWD3 has been recently linked to the repair of DNA damage by Homologous Recombination (HR). Here we show that an RFWD3 mutation within the WD40 domain is connected to the genetic disease Fanconi anemia (FA). An individual revealed congenital abnormalities characteristic for FA. Cells from the patient, carrying the compound heterozygous mutations c.205_206dupCC and c.1916T>A in RFWD3, show increased sensitivity to DNA interstrand cross-linking agents in terms of increased chromosomal breakage, reduced survival and cell cycle arrest in G2 phase. The cellular phenotype is mirrored in genetically engineered human and avian cells by inactivation of RFWD3 or by introduction of the patient-derived missense mutation, and is rescued by expression of wildtype RFWD3 protein. HR is disrupted in RFWD3 mutant cells, caused by impaired relocation of mutant RFWD3 to chromatin and defective physical interaction with RPA. Rfwd3 knockout mice exhibit increased embryonic lethality, are sub-fertile, show ovarian and testicular atrophy and have a reduced life span in which they resemble other FA mouse models. Although mutation was detected in a single child with FA yet, we propose RFWD3 as a novel FA gene, FANCW, supported by cellular paradigm systems and an animal model.

  Study EGAS00001002440

• Mapping_gene_environment_interactions_in_macrophages

  Immune cells sense and respond to external stimuli such as pathogens and initiate an inflammatory response. Genetic variants altering the behaviour and responses of immune cells may inform the results of disease association studies and provide an insight into the regulation of immune response. Studies mapping quantitative trait loci (QTL) are usually performed in quiescent or naïve cells and therefore any variants with a condition-specific manner (e.g. those with an effect only detectable in a specific time-point after cell stimulation) are likely to remain undiscovered. So far, only a handful of studies have attempted to study QTL in multiple states and even on those studies the number of states has remained relatively low (<5). Only very recently Horst and colleagues published the largest study to date investigating the effect of host variable (e.g. age, sex, contraceptive use etc.) on protein levels in macrophages stimulated with 19 different conditions (Horst et al, 2016). This project aims to develop a high-throughput experimental platform to detect QTL in a large number of states using iPSC derived macrophages. This data is part of a pre-publication release. For information on the proper use of pre-publication data shared by the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute (including details of any publication moratoria), please see http://www.sanger.ac.uk/datasharing/

  Study EGAS00001002268

• Recurrent somatic JAK-STAT mutations within a novel RUNX1-mutated pedigree

  The acquisition of somatic mutations is an emerging field of investigation in familial leukemia. Currently, genetic profiles in familial MDS/AML are considered analogous to sporadic disease, although the patterns of clonal evolution within families are poorly defined. We performed whole exome profiling of tumour samples from a novel RUNX1 mutated family, to determine the stepwise evolution of MDS/AML across 4 young siblings. Three siblings developed monocytic AML/RAEB2 at 5 years of age, with hepatosplenomegaly and somatic mutations upregulating JAK-STAT signalling, the latter are typically detected in <5% of sporadic MDS/AML. Two siblings acquired the canonical JAK2 V617F mutation, while another acquired a unique missense mutation of SH2B3, a negative regulator of JAK2. Notably, 2/3 siblings demonstrated dosage amplification of these mutations due to acquired uniparental disomy of chromosomes 9p and 12q (encompassing JAK2 and SH2B3, respectively). All 4 siblings were heterozygous for the 46/1 JAK2 haplotype associated with predisposition to sporadic V617F myeloproliferative disorders, which likely influenced the acquisition of JAK2 mutations. Our findings provide further evidence that relatives with shared germline mutations may acquire somatic mutations in a non-random manner leading to convergent patterns of disease evolution.

  Study EGAS00001001862

• CancerDetector: Ultrasensitive and Non-Invasive Cancer Detection at the Resolution of Individual Reads using Cell-free DNA Methylation Sequencing Data

  The detection of tumor-derived cell-free DNA in plasma is one of the most promising directions in cancer diagnosis. The major challenge in such approach is how to identify the tiny amount of tumor DNAs out of total cell-free DNAs in blood. Here we propose an ultrasensitive cancer detection method, termed “CancerDetector”, using the DNA methylation profiles of cell-free DNAs. The key of our method is to probabilistically model the joint methylation patterns of multiple adjacent CpG sites on an individual sequencing read, in order to exploit the pervasive nature of DNA methylation for signal amplification. Therefore, CancerDetector can sensitively identify a trace amount of tumor cfDNAs in plasma, at the level of individual reads. We evaluated CancerDetector on the simulated data, and showed a high concordance of the predicted and true tumor burden. Testing CancerDetector on real plasma data demonstrated its high sensitivity and specificity in detecting tumor DNAs. In addition, the predicted tumor burden showed great consistency with tumor size and survival outcome. Note that all of those testing were performed on sequencing data at low to medium coverage (1X to 10X). Therefore, CancerDetector holds the great potential to detect cancer early and cost-effectively.

  Study EGAS00001002728

• Interplay of somatic alterations and immune infiltration modulates response to PD-1 blockade in advanced clear cell RCC -- CA209-009

  Immune checkpoint inhibitors targeting the PD-1 pathway have transformed the management of many advanced malignancies, including clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), but the drivers and resistors of PD-1 response remain incompletely elucidated. Here, we analyzed 592 tumors collected from advanced ccRCC patients enrolled in prospective clinical trials of treatment with PD-1 blockade (or mTOR inhibition as control arm) by whole-exome and RNA-sequencing, integrated with immunofluorescence analysis, to define the somatic alteration landscape of late-stage ccRCC and to uncover the immunogenomic determinants of therapeutic response. While conventional genomic markers (tumor mutation burden, neoantigen load) and degree of CD8+ T cell infiltration were not associated with clinical response, we discovered numerous chromosomal alterations in advanced ccRCC associated with response or resistance to PD-1 blockade. These advanced tumors were highly CD8+ T cell infiltrated, with only 22% and 5% with an immune desert and immune excluded phenotype, respectively. Our analysis revealed that CD8+ infiltrated tumors are depleted of favorable PBRM1 mutations and are enriched for unfavorable chromosomal losses of 9p21.3 when compared to non-infiltrated tumors. These data demonstrate how the interplay of somatic alterations and immunophenotypes impacts therapeutic efficacy.

  Study EGAS00001004290

• Inhibiton of the GABPB1L-containing GABP tetramer is sufficient to reverse replicative immortality in TERT promoter mutant glioblastoma cells.

  Over 50 types of cancer acquire TERT promoter mutations. These single point mutations reactivate telomerase, allowing for indefinite maintenance of telomere length and enabling cellular immortalization. The transcription factor binding site created by the point mutations specifically recruit the ETS factor GABP, a multimeric transcription factor composed of the GABPα and GABPβ subunits. GABP can form two functionally independent transcription factor species – a dimer or a tetramer – depending on which of the structurally distinct GABPβ isoforms is incorporated into the complex. In this study, we show that genetic disruption of GABPβ1L, a tetramer forming isoform of GABPβ that is dispensable in normal development, results in TERT silencing in a TERT promoter mutation dependent manner. Failure to activate TERT expression by GABPβ1L culminates in telomere dysfunction, DNA damage, and mitotic cell death exclusively in TERT promoter mutant cells. Furthermore, exogenous expression of TERT is sufficient to prevent telomere degradation and loss of cell viability in GABPβ1L-reduced lines bearing the mutant TERT promoter. Orthotopic injection of tetramer-deficient mutant TERT promoter GBM cells rendered lower tumor burden and prolonged the overall survival of the tumor-bearing mice. These results highlight the potentially widespread role of GABPB1L in enabling replicative immortality of TERT promoter cancers.

  Study EGAS00001002582

• Clonal_haematopoiesis_in_patients_with_AAA

  Recent advances in genomics have demonstrated that clonal haemopoiesis driven by leukaemia associated somatic mutations is a relatively common phenomenon that increases in frequency with advancing age. Whilst individuals with clonal haemopoiesis have an increased risk of developing haematological malignancies, they also have an increased mortality from other causes. Additionally, certain mutations are almost exclusively seen in individuals aged 70 years or older, whilst others are seen in individuals with non-haematological cancers including breast and ovarian. Recently, clonal haemopoiesis was found to be associated with a significantly increased risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. This association is thought to be causative with clonally-derived macrophages showing elevated expression of several chemokine and cytokine genes that contribute to atherosclerosis. Another vascular pathology, abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), increases with age and shares risk factors with atherosclerosis (including smoking, male sex, high cholesterol). However, the impact of these risk factors and the overlap between AAA and atherosclerosis is poorly understood. To investigate a possible link between clonal haemopoiesis and AAA, we will study DNA samples from 300 patients with AAA and up to 200 controls for evidence of clonal haemopoiesis. This will be done using target DNA enrichment with biotinylated RNA baits followed by high throughput sequencing.

  Study EGAS00001002873

• P647_Targeted_resequencing_project

  In collaboration with Dr Robert Semple we have identified a family harbouring an autosomal dominant variant, which leads to severe insulin resistance (SIR), short stature and facial dysmorphism. This family is unique within the SIR cohort in having normal lipid profiles, preserved adiponectin and normal INSR expression and phosphorylation. DNA is available for 7 affected and 7 unaffected family members across 3 generations. All 14 samples have been genotyped using microsatellites and the Affymetrix 6.0 SNP chip. Linkage analysis identified an 18.8Mb haplotype on chromosome 19 as a possible location of the causative variant. However, Exome sequencing of 3 affected and 1 unaffected family members has not identified the causative variant suggesting the possibility of an intronic or intergenic variant in this region or elsewhere in the genome. We propose to conduct whole genome sequencing of 5 members of the pedigree at a depth of 20X. The chosen samples are two sets of parents plus one member of an unaffected branch of the pedigree who shares the risk haplotype on chromosome 19. Sequencing of the two sets of parents will be used along with the genome-wide SNP data to impute 4 affected children giving an effect sample size of 6 affected individuals.

  Study EGAS00001000305

• MutWP1__CRUK_Grand_Challenge_Mutographs_of_Cancer__Colorectal_LCM

  The Mutographs project aims to advance our understanding of the causes of cancer through studies of mutational signatures. Led by Mike Stratton, together with Paul Brennan, Ludmil Alexandrov, Allan Balmain, David Phillips and Peter Campbell, this large-scale international research endeavour was awarded a Cancer Research UK Grand Challenge. Different patterns of somatic mutation are generated by the different environmental, lifestyle and genetic factors that cause cancer, many of them are still unknown. Within Mutographs, the International Agency for Research on Cancer is coordinating the recruitment of 5000 individuals with cancer (colorectal, renal, pancreatic, oesophageal adenocarcinoma or oesophageal squamous cancers) across 5 continents to explore whether different mutational signatures explain marked variation in incidence. In brief, through an international network of collaborators around the world, biological materials are collected, along with demographic, histological, clinical and questionnaire data. Whole genome sequences of tumour-germline DNA pairs are generated at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute. Somatic mutational signatures are subsequently extracted by non-negative matrix factorisation methods and correlated with risk factors data. Through an enhanced understanding of cancer aetiology, Mutographs unprecedented effort is anticipated to outline modifiable risk factors, lead to new approaches to prevent cancer, and provide opportunities to empower early detection, refine high-risk groups and contribute to further therapeutic development.

  Study EGAS00001003455

• Molecular determinants of response to PD-L1 blockade across tumor types

  Immune checkpoint inhibitors targeting the PD-1/PD-L1 axis lead to durable clinical responses in subsets of cancer patients across multiple indications, including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), urothelial carcinoma (UC) and renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Herein, we complement PD-L1 immunohistochemistry (IHC) and tumor mutation burden (TMB) with RNA-seq in 366 patients to identify unifying and indication-specific molecular profiles that can predict response to checkpoint blockade across these tumor types. Multiple machine learning approaches failed to identify a baseline transcriptional signature highly predictive of response across these indications. Signatures described previously for immune checkpoint inhibitors also failed to validate. At the pathway level, significant heterogeneity was observed between indications, in particular within the PD-L1+ tumors. mUC and NSCLC were molecularly aligned, with cell cycle and DNA damage repair genes associated with response in PD-L1- tumors. At the gene level, the CDK4/6 inhibitor CDKN2A was identified as a significant transcriptional correlate of response, highlighting the association of non-immune pathways to the outcome of checkpoint blockade. This cross-indication analysis revealed molecular heterogeneity between mUC, NSCLC and RCC tumors, suggesting that indication-specific molecular approaches should be prioritized to formulate treatment strategies.

  Study EGAS00001004343

• Comprehensive genomic profiles of small cell lung cancer

  We have sequenced the genomes of 110 small cell lung cancers (SCLC), one of the deadliest human cancers. We found bi-allelic inactivation of TP53 and RB1 in nearly all the tumors analyzed, sometimes by complex genomic rearrangements. Two tumors with wild-type RB1 had evidence of chromothripsis leading to overexpression of Cyclin D1, revealing an alternative mechanism of Rb1 deregulation. Thus, loss of the tumor suppressors TP53 and RB1 is obligatory in SCLC. We further discovered somatic genomic rearrangements of TP73 that create an oncogenic version of this gene, TP73Δex2/3. In few cases, SCLC tumors exhibited kinase gene mutations, providing a possible therapeutic opportunity for individual patients. Finally, we observed inactivating mutations in NOTCH family genes in 25% of human SCLC. Accordingly, activation of Notch signaling in a pre-clinical SCLC mouse model dramatically reduced the number of tumors and extended the survival of the mutant mice. Furthermore, neuroendocrine gene expression was abrogated by Notch activity in SCLC cells. This first comprehensive study of somatic genome alterations in SCLC uncovers several key biological processes and identifies candidate therapeutic targets in this highly lethal form of cancer.

  Study EGAS00001000925

• The_Genomic_Advances_in_Sepsis__GAinS__RNA_seq

  Sepsis is defined as life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to infection. This cohort comprises a subset of patients enrolled in the Genomic Advances in Sepsis (GAinS) study, an established biobank of adult sepsis patients. Patients with sepsis due to community acquired pneumonia or faecal peritonitis were recruited from 34 hospitals across the UK from 2005-2018, with samples for functional genomics and detailed clinical information collected on the first, third and/or fifth day following ICU admission. RNA was extracted from leukocytes isolated at the bedside using LeukoLOCK kits. We have previously identified sepsis response signatures (SRSs), transcriptomic endotypes that are associated with differential early mortality (Davenport et al, Lancet Respir Med, 2016; Burnham et al, AJRCCM, 2017) and response to treatment in a clinical trial (Antcliffe et al, AJRCCM, 2018). We generated RNA sequencing data on 903 samples, including 134 samples repeated from our previously released microarray data. Libraries were prepared using NEB Ultra II Library Prep kits (Illumina) and sequenced on a NovaSeq 6000. Reads were aligned to the reference genome (GRCh38) using STAR and gene counts quantified using featureCounts (annotation Ensembl v99). Counts were TMM-normalised and log-transformed. Following QC, processed data were available on 864 samples from 667 unique patients.

  Study EGAS00001003772

• Single cell phenotypic profiling of 27 DLBCL cases reveals marked inter- and intra-tumoral heterogeneity

  Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common histologic subtype of non-Hodgkin lymphoma and is notorious for its clinical heterogeneity. Patient outcomes can be predicted by cell-of-origin (COO) classification, demonstrating that the underlying transcriptional signature of malignant B-cells informs biological behavior in the context of standard combination chemotherapy regimens. In the current study, we used mass cytometry (CyTOF) to examine tumor phenotypes at the protein level with single cell resolution in a collection of 27 diagnostic DLBCL biopsy specimens from treatment naïve patients. We found that malignant B-cells from each patient occupied unique regions in 37-dimensional phenotypic space with no apparent clustering of samples into discrete subtypes. Interestingly, variable MHC class II expression was found to be the greatest contributor to phenotypic diversity. Within individual tumors, a subset of cases showed multiple phenotypic subpopulations, and in one case we were able to demonstrate direct correspondence between protein-level phenotypic subsets and DNA mutation-defined subclones. In summary, CyTOF analysis can resolve both inter- and intra-tumoral heterogeneity among primary samples, and reveals that each case of DLBCL is unique and may be comprised of multiple, genetically distinct subclones.

  Study EGAS00001003860

• THE GENOMIC LANDSCAPE OF ACTINIC KERATOSIS

  Actinic keratoses (AK) are lesions of epidermal keratinocyte dysplasia and are pre-cursor lesions to invasive cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC). Identifying the specific genomic alterations driving the progression of normal skin to AK and invasive cSCC is challenging due to the massive, ultraviolet radiation-induced mutational burden characteristic to these lesions. Here, we present the largest whole exome sequencing study to date on AK with matched cSCC and demonstrate that AK and cSCC are almost indistinguishable at the genomic level, in terms of mutational burden, patterns of driver gene mutations and copy number alterations. We identified 44 significantly mutated AK driver genes through our established bioinformatics pipeline and demonstrate these genes are similarly mutated in cSCC. We also identified mutational signature-32 exclusively in AK from patients exposed to azathioprine, providing further, compelling evidence for this drug’s role in keratinocyte carcinogenesis, likely through its blocking of transcription coupled repair. We demonstrated that cSCC had higher levels of intra-sample heterogeneity than AK and that several signaling pathways, including immune-related signaling and TGF-beta signaling were significantly more mutated in cSCC. Integrating our findings with independent gene expression data confirms that dysregulated TGF-beta signaling may represent the critical pathway in the progression from AK to cSCC.

  Study EGAS00001004243

• Interplay of somatic alterations and immune infiltration modulates response to PD-1 blockade in advanced clear cell RCC -- CA209-010

  Immune checkpoint inhibitors targeting the PD-1 pathway have transformed the management of many advanced malignancies, including clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), but the drivers and resistors of PD-1 response remain incompletely elucidated. Here, we analyzed 592 tumors collected from advanced ccRCC patients enrolled in prospective clinical trials of treatment with PD-1 blockade (or mTOR inhibition as control arm) by whole-exome and RNA-sequencing, integrated with immunofluorescence analysis, to define the somatic alteration landscape of late-stage ccRCC and to uncover the immunogenomic determinants of therapeutic response. While conventional genomic markers (tumor mutation burden, neoantigen load) and degree of CD8+ T cell infiltration were not associated with clinical response, we discovered numerous chromosomal alterations in advanced ccRCC associated with response or resistance to PD-1 blockade. These advanced tumors were highly CD8+ T cell infiltrated, with only 22% and 5% with an immune desert and immune excluded phenotype, respectively. Our analysis revealed that CD8+ infiltrated tumors are depleted of favorable PBRM1 mutations and are enriched for unfavorable chromosomal losses of 9p21.3 when compared to non-infiltrated tumors. These data demonstrate how the interplay of somatic alterations and immunophenotypes impacts therapeutic efficacy.

  Study EGAS00001004291

• To determine the mutational impact of the in vitro culture, clonal human adult and pluripotent stem cell lines were subjected to a second clonal step after 3 months of culture. These subclones were whole genome sequenced to identify all the mutations that accumulated during the 3 month culture period.

  Genetic changes acquired during culture pose a potential risk for the successful application of stem cells. To assess the risk of in vitro expansion on mutation accumulation we have performed whole genome sequencing of clonally expanded human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) and adult stem cells (ASCs) to identify all mutations that accumulated over a fixed culture period. We find that ASCs acquire more single nucleotide variants (SNVs) and indels per population doubling than the iPS cells. When compared with ASCs, iPS cells are more vulnerable to mutations in genes and promoters. Mutational analysis revealed a clear in vitro induced mutational signature that is irrespective of stem cell type. This in vitro signature is characterized by C to G transversions that are probably caused by oxidative stress. Additionally, we observed stem cell specific mutational signatures and differences in transcriptional strand bias, indicating differential activity of DNA repair mechanisms between stem cell types in culture. In conclusion, in vitro culture induces mutation accumulation in iPS cells and ASCs. Culture under low-oxygen tension may help to reduce the number of culture-induced mutations.

  Study EGAS00001002955

• CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing of Schistosoma mansoni acetylcholinesterase

  Here we report successful gene knock-in (KI) in the eggs of Schistosoma mansoni by combining CRISPR/Cas9 with single-stranded oligodeoxynucleotides (ssODNs). We targeted the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) gene of S. mansoni using two synthetic guide RNAs (gRNAs), X5 and X7, respectively. Liver eggs of S. mansoni were exposed to CRISPR-vector containing X5 or X7 by electroporation. Simultaneously, eggs were transfected with a ssODN donor encoding a stop codon in all six frames. Next generation sequencing analysis revealed that CRISPR/Cas9-mediated editing in S. mansoni eggs resulted in Homology-Directed Repair (HDR) when template DNA ssODN provided. Furthermore, soluble egg antigen (SEA) from AChE-modified eggs exhibited markedly reduced AChE activity compared with controls, indicative that programmed Cas9 cleavage mutated the AChE gene. Following injection of modified schistosome eggs into the tail veins of mice, a significant decrease in granuloma size in the lungs of these animals. Notably, an enhanced Th2 response induced by eggs in lung, and splenocytes small intestine-draining mesenteric lymph node cells was also generated in mice injected with X5-KI eggs in different methods. These findings further demonstrate the power and utility of CRISPR/Cas9-based genome editing for undertaking functional genomics studies in schistosomes.

  Study EGAS00001004455

• Regulatory T cell transcriptomic reprogramming characterizes adverse events by checkpoint inhibitors in solid tumors

  Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI), which target immune regulatory pathways to unleash antitumor responses, have revolutionized cancer immunotherapy. Despite the remarkable success of ICI immunotherapy, a significant proportion of patients whose tumors respond to these treatments develop immune-related adverse events (irAEs) resembling autoimmune diseases. Although the clinical spectrum of irAEs is well characterized, their successful management remains empiric. This is in part because the pathogenic mechanisms involved in the break-down of peripheral tolerance and induction of irAEs remain elusive. Herein, we focused on regulatory T cells (Tregs) in individuals with irAEs because these cells are vital for maintenance of peripheral tolerance, appear expanded in the peripheral blood of individuals with cancer and abundantly express checkpoint molecules, hence representing direct targets of ICI immunotherapy. Our data demonstrate an intense transcriptomic reprogramming of CD4+CD25+CD127– Tregs in the blood of individuals with advanced metastatic melanoma who develop irAEs following ICI immunotherapy, with a characteristic inflammatory, apoptotic and metabolic signature. This inflammatory signature was shared by Tregs from individuals with different types of cancer developing irAEs and individuals with autoimmune diseases. Our findings propose an inflammatory Treg reprogramming as a feature of immunotherapy-induced irAEs, that may facilitate translational approaches aiming to induce robust antitumor immunity without disturbing peripheral tolerance.

  Study EGAS00001004694

• MutWP1__CRUK_Grand_Challenge_Mutographs_of_Cancer__clear_cell_renal_cell_carcinoma___2

  The Mutographs project aims to advance our understanding of the causes of cancer through studies of mutational signatures. Led by Mike Stratton, together with Paul Brennan, Ludmil Alexandrov, Allan Balmain, David Phillips and Peter Campbell, this large-scale international research endeavour was awarded a Cancer Research UK Grand Challenge. Different patterns of somatic mutation are generated by the different environmental, lifestyle and genetic factors that cause cancer, many of them are still unknown. Within Mutographs, the International Agency for Research on Cancer is coordinating the recruitment of 5000 individuals with cancer (colorectal, renal, pancreatic, oesophageal adenocarcinoma or oesophageal squamous cancers) across 5 continents to explore whether different mutational signatures explain marked variation in incidence. In brief, through an international network of collaborators around the world, biological materials are collected, along with demographic, histological, clinical and questionnaire data. Whole genome sequences of tumour-germline DNA pairs are generated at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute. Somatic mutational signatures are subsequently extracted by non-negative matrix factorisation methods and correlated with risk factors data. Through an enhanced understanding of cancer aetiology, Mutographs unprecedented effort is anticipated to outline modifiable risk factors, lead to new approaches to prevent cancer, and provide opportunities to empower early detection, refine high-risk groups and contribute to further therapeutic development.

  Study EGAS00001003542