Search Results - EGA European Genome-Phenome Archive

Characterisation of the genetic landscape of cutaneous leiomyoma and leiomyosarcoma - Leiomyoma WES

Cutaneous leiomyoma (cLM) and leiomyosarcoma (cLMS) are rare benign and malignant soft tissue neoplasms showing smooth muscle differentiation, respectively, that arise from mesenchymal cells in the dermis and subcutis. Through whole exome sequencing of cLM and cLMS cases, we observed distinct differences between the somatic mutational profile of these tumour types. FH was identified as a driver gene in cLM with genetic alterations of FH occurring via somatic point mutation, somatic copy number loss, biallelic inactivation and germline point mutations. TP53 and RB1 were identified as driver genes in the cLMS cohort, with genetic alterations of TP53 occurring via somatic and germline point mutations, copy number loss and biallelic inactivation. Using RNA-sequencing, we identified recurrent gene fusions, including CRTC1/3-MAML2 in cLMS and a novel MYLK-MAP3K2 fusion. Analysis of the cell types present in the tumour microenvironment revealed a significantly increased presence of macrophages and decreased presence of myeloid dendritic cells in the cLMS cohort relative to the cLM cohort. Additionally, we identified common driver genes between cLMS and LMS from other sites. Thus, we provide the first in-depth profile of the genetic landscape of cLM and cLMS.

Dataset EGAD00001014787

Characterisation of the genetic landscape of cutaneous leiomyoma and leiomyosarcoma - Leiomyosarcoma WES

Cutaneous leiomyoma (cLM) and leiomyosarcoma (cLMS) are rare benign and malignant soft tissue neoplasms showing smooth muscle differentiation, respectively, that arise from mesenchymal cells in the dermis and subcutis. Through whole exome sequencing of cLM and cLMS cases, we observed distinct differences between the somatic mutational profile of these tumour types. FH was identified as a driver gene in cLM with genetic alterations of FH occurring via somatic point mutation, somatic copy number loss, biallelic inactivation and germline point mutations. TP53 and RB1 were identified as driver genes in the cLMS cohort, with genetic alterations of TP53 occurring via somatic and germline point mutations, copy number loss and biallelic inactivation. Using RNA-sequencing, we identified recurrent gene fusions, including CRTC1/3-MAML2 in cLMS and a novel MYLK-MAP3K2 fusion. Analysis of the cell types present in the tumour microenvironment revealed a significantly increased presence of macrophages and decreased presence of myeloid dendritic cells in the cLMS cohort relative to the cLM cohort. Additionally, we identified common driver genes between cLMS and LMS from other sites. Thus, we provide the first in-depth profile of the genetic landscape of cLM and cLMS.

Dataset EGAD00001014789

Systematic Growth Factor Profiling Platform for 3D Tumor Models Reveals EstradiolResponsive Cellular Mechanisms of Immunotherapy Resistance

Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) exhibits significant molecular heterogeneity, which is thought to be influenced by the tumor microenvironment (TME). However, the specific factors driving this heterogeneity remain poorly understood. In this study, we integrated growth factoromics and genomic data to identify TME factors contributing to EOC heterogeneity and immunosuppression. Our analysis revealed distinct subgroups of EOC samples with differential responsiveness to specific growth factors, particularly estradiol and R-spondin. Notably, samples with high responsiveness to estradiol and Wnt (C1 cluster) were enriched in the Mesenchymal (MES) molecular subtype, while samples with high responsiveness to R-spondin (C2 cluster) were associated with the Differentiated (DIF) and Immunoreactive (IMR) subtypes. We discovered that the G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER), rather than the classical estrogen receptor alpha (ERα), was the key mediator of estrogen responsiveness and a determinant of molecular subtype classification. Single-cell sequencing analysis identified subsets of estrogen-responsive malignant cell (MAL.PDCD5) and cancer-associated fibroblast (FB.TNFSF10), which were associated with immunosuppressive patterns in the TCGA cohort. Importantly, the interaction between these cell populations significantly increased upon estrogen treatment, suggesting a potential mechanism by which estrogen signaling may contribute to the development of an immunosuppressive TME. Our findings highlight the critical role of estrogen signaling in shaping the molecular heterogeneity and immunosuppressive TME of EOC and provide novel insights into potential therapeutic targets for overcoming immunosuppression in this malignancy.

Study EGAS50000000422

SPECIAL: scRNA-seq

Tumour biopsies were collected from twenty-three patients (46 samples) (of which 20 were matched) with locally advanced or metastatic melanoma (stage IIIB – stage IV). Library construction was done either with the Chromium Single Cell 3ʹ GEM, Library & Gel Bead Kit v3 (n = 16; 10x genomics, Cat#1000092) or the Chromium Single Cell A Chip Kit and 5’ Library & Gel Bead Kit (10x genomics, Cat#1000014). All libraries were sequenced on Illumina NextSeq, HiSeq4000 or NovaSeq6000 until sufficient saturation was reached (60% on average). The reference genome used in this study was GRCh38.

Dataset EGAD00001009291

33 patients with Monoclonal Gammopathy of Undetermined Significance (MGUS) had whole exome sequencing performed. Cells were sorted by FACSAria using CD138, CD19 and CD56 to obtain a pure abnormal plasma cell population. Generated somatic variants were compared to a previous study of 463 multiple myeloma patients.

Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) is a premalignant precursor of multiple myeloma (MM) with a 1% risk of progression per year. Although targeted analyses have shown the presence of specific genetic abnormalities such as IGH translocations, RB1 deletion, 1q gain, hyperdiploidy or RAS genes mutations, little is known about molecular mechanism of malignant transformation. We have performed whole exome sequencing together with SNP array analysis in 33 flow-cytometry separated abnormal PC samples of MGUS patients to describe somatic gene mutations and chromosome changes at the genome-wide level. Non-synonymous mutations (NS-SNVs) and copy number alterations (CNAs) were present in 97.0% and in 63.6% of cases, respectively. Importantly, the number of somatic mutations was significantly lower in MGUS compared to MM (p<10-4) and we have identified 6 myeloma significantly mutated genes which are KRAS, NRAS, DIS3, HIST1H1E, EGR1 and LTB in the MGUS dataset. We also found a positive correlation with increasing chromosome changes and somatic mutations. IGH translocations were present in 27.3% of cases comprising t(4;14), t(11;14), t(14;16) or t(14;20) and were in a similar frequency to MM, which corresponded with primary lesion hypothesis. Data from this study showed MGUS is a genetically comprehensive disease, however overall genetic instability is significantly lower compared to MM.

Study EGAS00001001658

COVID-19 Severity First Wave of Infection for Severe Patients in Madrid

We recruited 98 hospitalised patients displaying severe COVID-19 symptoms from the first wave of infection. A stringent exclusion criteria based on non-genetic factors such as age, blood oxygen, radiologic findings and other typical COVID-19 signs was performed. Gingival or peripheral blood samples were taken for 98 individuals and whole exome sequencing performed using ExomeCapture-Seq capture KAPA HyperExome on Illumina machines.

Dataset EGAD00001008464

Ovarian Cancer Organoid Biobank

WGS of ovarian cancer organoids, tumor samples and blood references. Ovarian cancer (OC) is a heterogeneous disease usually diagnosed at a late stage. Experimental in vitro models that faithfully capture the hallmarks and tumor heterogeneity of OC are limited and hard to establish. We present a novel protocol that enables efficient derivation and long-term expansion of OC organoids. Utilizing this protocol, we have established 56 organoid lines from 32 patients, representing the spectrum of ovarian neoplasms, including non-malignant borderline tumors, as well as mucinous, clear-cell, endometrioid, low- and high-grade serous carcinomas. OC organoids recapitulate histological and genomic features of the pertinent lesion from which they were derived, illustrating intra- and inter-patient heterogeneity, and can be genetically modified. We show that OC organoids can be used for drug screening assays and capture different tumor subtype responses to the gold standard platinum-based chemotherapy, including acquisition of chemoresistance in recurrent disease. Finally, OC organoids can be xenografted, enabling in vivo drug sensitivity assays. Taken together, this demonstrates their potential application for research and personalized medicine.

Dataset EGAD00001004387

Genomic Profiling of Peripheral T-cell Lymphoma

Peripheral T-cell lymphomas (PTCLs) are malignant and highly aggressive hematologic tumors arising from mature post-thymic T cells. The diagnosis of PTCL includes diverse lymphoma subgroups, altogether accounting for about 15% of all non-Hodgkin lymphomas. Despite recent advances in uncovering the mutational landscape of PTCLs, the prognoses of most PTCLs remain poor. To overcome the limits of exome sequencing and identify new genomic abnormalities in PTCL, we performed RNAseq and whole genome sequencing. From our analyses, we identified a recurrent in-frame deletion (VAV1 Δ778-786) generated by a focal deletion-driven alternative splicing mechanism as well as novel VAV1 gene fusions (VAV1-THAP4, VAV1-MYO1F, and VAV1-S100A7). These genetic lesions result in increased activation of VAV1 catalytic-dependent (MAPK, JNK) and non-catalytic-dependent (nuclear factor of activated T cells, NFAT) VAV1 effector pathways. These results support an oncogenic role for VAV1 signaling in the pathogenesis of PTCL (Abate et al., 2017). Recently, we have also identified a novel chimeric oncogene, FYN-TRAF3IP2, in the RNA-seq and whole genome sequencing analyses. FYN-TRAF3IP2 leads to aberrant NF-κβ activity downstream of T-cell receptor signaling and induces NF-κβ-driven T-cell transformation when expressed in hematopoietic progenitors in mice. This novel gene fusion supports the oncogenic driver role of NF-κβ signaling in the pathogenesis of PTCL (Kim et al., in review).

Study phs001962

Copy number profiling of putative cancer stem from pleural effusion aspirates from breast cancer patients

A common symptom during late stage breast cancer disease is pleural effusion, which is related to poor prognosis. In pleural effusions malignant cells can be detected, which indicates a metastatic spread from the primary tumor site. Beside the usefulness for investigation of the metastatic process, it has been a source to isolate cells with putative cancer stem cell (CSC) properties. For this study, pleural effusion aspirate from 25 metastatic breast cancer patients were processed to establish in vitro culture. Patient-derived aspirates were cultured under sphere forming conditions and isolated primary cultures were sorted for cancer stem cell populations ALDH1+ and CD44+CD24-/low and sphere forming efficiency of CSC and non-CSC subpopulation was determined. Unsorted cells had a higher potential to form spheres compared to CSC subpopulations. Subsequently, DNA was isolated from pleural effusions before and after cell sorting, to compare their copy number profiles generated by low-coverage whole genome sequencing to DNA from FFPE primary tumors or bone metastasis. Unbalanced profiles could be detected in four pleural samples before sorting, in two ALDH1+ sorted samples, in one CD44+CD24-/low and in all control samples. Additionally, spheroid culture from one pleural sample could be passaged on and was characterized. Therefore, pleural effusions are an appropriate media for enrichment of putative CSC. However, low-coverage sequencing is difficult due to low quantities of abnormal cells compared to normal cells.

Study EGAS00001002343

Probabilistic cell type assignment of single-cell transcriptomic data reveals spatiotemporal microenvironment dynamics in human cancers

Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) has transformed biomedical research, enabling decomposition of complex tissues into disaggregated, functionally distinct cell types. For many applications, investigators wish to identify cell types with known marker genes. Typically, such cell type assignments are performed through unsupervised clustering followed by manual annotation based on these marker genes, or via "mapping" procedures to existing data. However, the manual interpretation required in the former case scales poorly to large datasets, which are also often prone to batch effects, while existing data for purified cell types must be available for the latter. Furthermore, unsupervised clustering can be error-prone, leading to under- and over- clustering of the cell types of interest. To overcome these issues we present CellAssign, a probabilistic model that leverages prior knowledge of cell type marker genes to annotate scRNA-seq data into pre-defined and de novo cell types. CellAssign automates the process of assigning cells in a highly scalable manner across large datasets while simultaneously controlling for batch and patient effects. We demonstrate the analytical advantages of CellAssign through extensive simulations and exemplify real-world utility to profile the spatial dynamics of high-grade serous ovarian cancer and the temporal dynamics of follicular lymphoma. Our analysis reveals subclonal malignant phenotypes and points towards an evolutionary interplay between immune and cancer cell populations with cancer cells escaping immune recognition.

Study EGAS00001003452

Myeloid-specific KDM6B inhibition sensitizes Glioblastoma to PD1 blockade

This data set include FASTQ files for five experiments: Human scRNA-Seq data (6 samples), Human Visium spatial transcriptomic data (3 samples), Mouse scRNA-seq data (4 samples), Mouse scATAC-seq data (2 samples), Mouse ChIP-seq data (8 samples). For the mouse scATAC-seq data (2 samples), there are originally three FASTQ files, R1, R2 and R3 files. The R1 and R2 FASTQ files were merged into one larger file ("R1R2") per sample for submission as paired-end sequencing setting to follow the EGA guidelines. They can be split into individual R1 and R2 files in order to be processed by Cell Ranger software. The files with IC1 suffix are CHIP-seq Input control for anti-KDM6B antibody pull down experiments and the files with IC2 suffix are CHIP-seq Input control for anti-H3K27ME3 antibody pull down experiments in murine model.

Dataset EGAD00001010073

Whole Exome Sequencing of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

The somatic genetic basis of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), a common and clinically heterogenous adult leukemia, remains poorly understood. Massively parallel sequencing technology now provides a method for systematic discovery of genetic alterations that underlie disease, and for uncovering new therapeutic targets and biomarkers. In study version 2 we presented a dataset consisting of DNA sequencing from 169 CLL samples (with matched germline controls). Samples were collected from patients displaying a wide range of characteristics representing the broad clinical spectrum of CLL. Understanding the mutational landscape of CLL provides a starting point for systematic analyses to address fundamental questions in CLL, including how mutated genes alter cellular networks and phenotypes, and thereby contribute to disease heterogeneity. Intratumoral heterogeneity plays a critical role in tumor evolution. To define the contribution of DNA methylation to heterogeneity within tumors, we performed genome-scale bisulfite sequencing of >100 primary chronic lymphocytic leukemias (CLLs; data presented in study version 3). Compared with 26 normal B cell samples, CLLs consistently displayed higher intrasample variability of DNA methylation patterns across the genome, which appears to arise from stochastically disordered methylation in malignant cells. Transcriptome analysis of bulk and single CLL cells revealed that methylationdisorder was linked to low-level expression. Disordered methylation was further associated with adverse clinical outcome. We therefore propose that disordered methylation plays a similar role to that of genetic instability, enhancing the ability of cancer cells to search for superior evolutionary trajectories.

Study phs000435

Genetic Basis for Clinical Response to CTLA-4 Blockade in Melanoma

Immune checkpoint inhibitors are effective cancer treatments, but molecular determinants of clinical benefit are unknown. Ipilimumab and tremelimumab are antibodies against cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA-4). Anti-CTLA-4 treatment prolongs overall survival in patients with melanoma. CTLA-4 blockade activates T cells and enables them to destroy tumor cells. We obtained tumor tissue from patients with melanoma who were treated with ipilimumab or tremelimumab. Whole-exome sequencing was performed on tumors and matched blood samples. Somatic mutations and candidate neoantigens generated from these mutations were characterized. Neoantigen peptides were tested for the ability to activate lymphocytes from ipilimumab-treated patients. Malignant melanoma exomes from 64 patients treated with CTLA-4 blockade were characterized with the use of massively parallel sequencing. A discovery set consisted of 11 patients who derived a long-term clinical benefit and 14 patients who derived a minimal benefit or no benefit. Mutational load was associated with the degree of clinical benefit (P = 0.01) but alone was not sufficient to predict benefit. Using genomewide somatic neoepitope analysis and patient-specific HLA typing, we identified candidate tumor neoantigens for each patient. We elucidated a neo-antigen landscape that is specifically present in tumors with a strong response to CTLA-4 blockade. We validated this signature in a second set of 39 patients with melanoma who were treated with anti-CTLA-4 antibodies. Predicted neoantigens activated T cells from the patients treated with ipilimumab.

Study phs001041

The spatio-temporal evolution of lymph node spread in early breast cancer

Purpose: The most significant prognostic factor in early breast cancer is lymph node involvement. This stage between localised and systemic disease is key to understanding breast cancer progression, however our knowledge of the evolution of lymph node malignant invasion remains limited, as most currently available data derive from primary tumours. Experimental design: In 11 treatment-naïve node positive early breast cancer patients without clinical evidence of distant metastasis, we investigated lymph node evolution using spatial multi-region sequencing (n=78 samples) of primary and lymph node deposits and genomic profiling of matched longitudinal circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA). Results: Linear evolution from primary to lymph node was rare (1/11) whereas the majority of cases displayed either early divergence between primary and nodes (4/11), or no detectable divergence (6/11) where both primary and nodal cells belonged to a single recent expansion of a metastatic clone. Divergence of metastatic subclones was driven in part by APOBEC. Longitudinal ctDNA samples from 2 subjects taken peri-operatively reflected the two major evolutionary patterns and demonstrate that private mutations can be detected even from early metastatic nodal deposits. Moreover, node removal resulted in disappearance of private lymph node mutations in ctDNA.Conclusions: This study sheds new light on a crucial evolutionary step in the natural history of breast cancer, demonstrating early establishment of axillary lymph node metastasis in a substantial proportion of patients.

Study EGAS00001002947

MYO5B mutations in Pheochromocytoma/Paraganglioma promote cancer progression

Identification of additional cancer-associated genes and secondary mutations driving the metastatic progression in pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma (PPGL) is important. We recently reported novel recurrent nonsynonymous mutations in the MYO5B gene in metastatic PPGL. Here, we explored the functional impact of these MYO5B mutations, and analyzed MYO5B expression in primary PPGL tumor cases in relation to mutation status.Immunohistochemistry and mRNA expression analysis in 30 primary PPGL tumors revealed an increased MYO5B expression in metastatic compared to non-metastatic tumor cases. In addition, subcellular localization of MYO5B protein was altered from cytoplasmatic to membranous in some metastatic tumors, and the strongest and most abnormal expression pattern was observed in a PGL case harboring a MYO5B:p.G1611S mutation. Mutation analysis of additional PPGL tumors revealed additional, and hence recurrent, mutations in the paralog MYO5A. Three missense mutations in MYO5B were functionally studied using site directed mutagenesis and stable transfection into human neuroblastoma cells (SK-N-AS) and embryonic kidney cells (HEK293 cell line). Functional analysis of the mutants verified a significant increased proliferation rate in all MYO5B mutated clones (p.L587P, p.G1611S, and p.R1641C). The two somatically derived mutations p.L587P and p.G1611S were also found to increase the migration rate, and all three mutants affected intracellular transport by increased transferrin uptake. Downstream expression analysis of MYO5B mutants demonstrated a transcriptional activation of genes involved in glucose metabolism, proliferation, homeostasis, and migration. Our study validates the functional role of novel MYO5B mutations in proliferation and migration, and suggest the MYO5-pathway to be involved the malignant progression of PPGL tumors.

Study EGAS00001003991

bulk RNA sequencing, single cell RNA sequencing and nanopore sequencing of T-ALL patients with TCF7-SI1 fusion

This dataset contains all sequencing data of the publication "Oncogenic cooperation between the TCF7-SPI1 fusion and NRAS(G12D) requires β-catenin activity to drive T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia." This is bulk RNA sequencing of 4 T-ALL patients (X09, XB37, XB41 and XB47) of which X09 has a TCF7-SPI1 fusion, single cell RNA sequencing of these 4 patients toghether with a PDX model of the X09 patient and two patients from another cohort (SJTALL030263 and SJTALL031201) which also have a TCF7-SPI1 fusion, and nanopore sequencing of all patients with the TCF7-SPI1 fusion. Moreover these patient samples with the fusion where treated with PKF 118-310, and bulk RNA sequencing was performed in triplicate to determine the differentially expressed genes.

Dataset EGAD00001007010

Pulmonary atypical carcinoid multi-omic dataset on up to 42 tumours from same patient

Pulmonary atypical carcinoid. DNA WES and RNA-Seq on 42 tumour samples collected at autopsy, 10x Chromium linked read whole genome sequencing on four tumours plus one normal sample, and targeted DNA sequencing on two clinical biopsies and one blood plasma sample. Note – RNA-Seq dataset features complex batch effect attributable to tissue processing artefacts, as described in "Complex patterns of genomic heterogeneity identified in 42 tumor samples and ctDNA of a pulmonary atypical carcinoid patient" - Robb et al., 2022 and detailed in Supplementary Table S3. Note – RNA-Seq dataset features complex batch effect attributable to tissue processing artefacts, as described in "Complex patterns of genomic heterogeneity identified in 42 tumor samples and ctDNA of a pulmonary atypical carcinoid patient" - Robb et al., 2022 and detailed in Supplementary Table S3.

Dataset EGAD00001009296

Shallow Whole Genome Sequencing of Patient Derived Xenografts

Chemotherapy is the standard-of-care treatment for metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) and benefits some patients, but what distinguishes responders from non-responders is unclear. In this study, we leveraged a comprehensive collection of 27 molecularly annotated patient-derived xenografts to uncover functional predictors of response to 5-FU and irinotecan combination therapy (FOLFIRI) in mCRC. Genetic analyses revealed that treatment sensitivity was marked by genomic scars indicative of BRCAness, suggesting homologous recombination (HR) deficiency as a key determinant. Accordingly, we surveyed a manually curated panel of 44 genes with a documented role in HR for the potential presence of pathogenic mutations. We did not observe a specific enrichment of HR gene mutations based on response to FOLFIRI. This result, combined with the absence of widespread biallelic inactivation of the analyzed genes and the predominance of mutations categorized as variants of unknown significance, suggests that FOLFIRI sensitivity is not primarily governed by underlying mutations in HR genes responsible for mitigating the genotoxic effects of this therapeutic regimen.

Dataset EGAD50000000277

CCMA-WGSraw

This dataset has the mapped bam files from WGS for the cancer models in CCMA.

Dataset EGAD00001010035

Development, maturation and maintenance of human prostate inferred from somatic mutations

Stem cells within prostate epithelium frequently undergo malignant transformation, but there is limited information on their clonal dynamics and mutation burden in healthy human prostates. We sequenced whole genomes from 409 microdissections of prostate epithelium across 8 donors, using phylogenetic reconstruction with spatial mapping in a 59-year-old man’s prostate to provide high-resolution reconstruction of tissue dynamics across the lifespan. Somatic mutation burden increases linearly with age, at ~16 mutations/year/clone, and is higher in peripheral than peri-urethral regions. The 24-30 independent glandular subunits are established as rudimentary ductal structures during fetal development by 5-10 embryonic cells each. Puberty induces formation of further side branches and terminal acini by local stem cells disseminated through the rudimentary ducts during development. During adult tissue maintenance, clonal expansions are small, with limited geographic scope and minimal migration. Driver mutations are rare in normal ageing prostate epithelium, but the one canonical driver we did observe generated a sizable intraepithelial clonal expansion. By resolving unbiased, continuously occurring lineage-marking mutations, we define stem cell dynamics through embryogenesis, puberty and ageing, with relevance for prostate cancer.

Dataset EGAD00001006591

Oncogenic fate conversion by PRDM16s causes acute myeloid leukemia

Oncogenic mutations confer aberrant replicative capacity to cells with little or no replicative capacity, generating cancer stem cells that perpetuate the tumor through extensive self-replication and differentiation blockade. However, whether oncogenes disrupt the cellular identity ofcancer stem cell by altering the developmental potential is unknown. Fate conversion has been demonstrated by ectopic expression of master transcriptional regulators, such as PU.1 and C/EBP alpha that confers myeloid cell fate to other cell types, and PRDM16 that confers brown adipose fate to white adipocytes or myoblasts. Here we show that a transcriptional regulator overexpressed in human myeloid malignancies, PRDM16s, causes oncogenic fate conversion, by transforming cells fated to form platelets and erythrocytes into myeloid leukemia-initiating cells (LICs). Prdm16s expression in hematopoietic progenitor cells caused a myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS)-like disease that progressed to acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). The myeloid diseases caused by Prdm16s exhibited expansion of megakaryocyte-erythroid progenitors (MEPs) but not granulocyte-macrophage progenitors. MEPs from Prdm16s-induced leukemia possessed LIC potential, and expression of Prdm16s in normal MEPs was sufficient to convert them to myeloid LICs and blocked megakaryocytic/erythroid potential. Prdm16s induced the expression of myeloid master regulators, including PU.1 and C/EBP alpha, by interacting with their super enhancers. Ablation of myeloid master regulators attenuated the myeloid potential and reinstalled the megakaryocytic/erythroid potential of leukemic-MEPs in mouse models and in human AML with PRDM16 rearrangement. Our study demonstrates that oncogenic Prdm16 expression converts the fate of MEPs to a malignant myeloid fate by activating myeloid master transcription factors.

Study EGAS00001003235

Mutation-specific non-canonical pathway of PTEN as a distinct therapeutic target for glioblastoma

PTEN is one of most frequently altered tumor suppressor genes in malignant tumors. The dominant negative effect of PTEN alteration suggests that aberrant function of PTEN mutation might be more disastrous than deletion, the most frequent genomic event in glioblastoma (GBM). This study aimed to understand the functional properties of various PTEN missense mutations and to investigate their clinical relevance. The genomic landscape of PTEN alteration was analyzed using the Samsung Medical Center GBM cohort and validated via The Cancer Genome Atlas dataset. Several hot-spot mutations were identified, and their subcellular distributions and phenotypes were evaluated. We established a library of cancer cell lines that over-express these mutant proteins using the U87MG and patient-derived cell models lacking functional PTEN. PTEN mutations were categorized into two major subsets: missense mutations in the phosphatase domain and truncal mutations in the C2 domain. We determined the subcellular compartmentalization of four mutant proteins (H93Y, C124S, R130Q, and R173C) from the former group and found that they had distinct localizations; those associated with invasive phenotypes (‘edge mutations’) localized to the cell periphery, while the R173C mutant localized to the nucleus. Invasive phenotypes derived from edge substitutions were unaffected by an anti-PI3K/Akt agent but were disrupted by microtubule inhibitors. PTEN mutations exhibit distinct functional properties with regard to their subcellular localization. Further, some missense mutations (‘edge mutations’) in the phosphatase domain caused enhanced invasiveness associated with dysfunctional cytoskeletal assembly, thus suggesting it to be a potent therapeutic target.

Study EGAS00001004753

Cerebrospinal fluid cfDNA sequencing for classification of central nervous system glioma

Primary central nervous system (CNS) gliomas can be classified by characteristic genetic alterations. In addition to solid tissue obtained by surgery or biopsy, cell-free DNA (cfDNA) derived from cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is an alternative source of material for genomic analyses. Experimental design: We performed targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS) of CSF cfDNA in a representative cohort of 85 patients presenting with with suspicion of primary or recurrent glioma at two neurooncological centers. Copy-number variation (CNV) profiles, single nucleotide variants (SNVs), and small insertions/ deletions (indels) were combined into a molecular-guided tumor classification. Comparison with the solid tumor was performed for 38 cases with matching solid tissue available. Results: Cases were stratified into four groups: glioblastoma (n = 32), other glioma (n = 19), non-malignant (n = 17) and no confirmed diagnosis available (n = 17). We introduce a molecular-guided tumor classification, enabling identification of tumor entities and/ or cancer specific alterations in 75.0 % (n = 24) of glioblastoma and 52.6 % (n = 10) of other glioma cases. The overlap between CSF and matching solid tissue was highest for CNVs (26-48 %) and SNVs at pre-defined gene loci (44 %), followed by SNVs/indels identified via uninformed variant calling (8-14 %). A molecular-guided tumor classification was made 23.5 % (n = 4) of cases with no confirmed diagnosis available. Conclusions: We developed a workflow for targeted sequencing of CSF cfDNA as well as a strategy for interpretation and reporting of sequencing results based on a molecular-guided tumor classification in glioma.

Study EGAS50000000060

Whole genome sequencing

Whole genome sequencing of high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSC) tumours and matched normals from 15 patients with homologous recombination deficiencies. The dataset includes fastq files from 56 HGSC tumours (1 primary, 1 relapse, 54 end-stage) and 15 matched normals. Sequence libraries were generated from tumour and matched normal genomic DNA using the KAPA HyperPrep PCR-free library preparation kit (Roche), or the Illumina TruSeq DNA Nano kit according to manufacturer’s instructions. Sequencing was carried out by the Kinghorn Centre for Clinical Genomics Sequencing Laboratory (Sydney, Australia) on the HiSeq X Ten System (Illumina) or by the Australian Genome Research Facility (Melbourne, Australia) on an Illumina NovaSeq to a minimum base coverage of 30-fold for normal DNA and 60-fold for tumour DNA samples.

Dataset EGAD00001009746

Spatial transcriptome sequence data from cross section of cancer containing prostates

Spatial transcriptome sequence data from two tumour containing prostates. Entire cross section of organ divided into cubes to fit spatial transcriptomics arrays. The dataset contains paired-end sequences from 21 sections of 1k array sections and 9 sections of 10x Visium sections for patient 1 as well as 28 sections of 10x Visium sections for patient 2.

Dataset EGAD00001008644

Whole genome sequencing data of high-grade serous ovarian cancer samples (set 6)

Whole genome sequencing data of 31 high-grade serous carcinoma (HGSC) patients (101 samples) sequenced with HiSeq X Ten and BGISEQ-500

Dataset EGAD00001010202

Transcriptomic analysis of the NA-PHER2 clinical trial

We performed whole transcriptome RNA sequencing on serial tumour biopsies collected at baseline, Day 14, and after completion of all neoadjuvant therapy from the NA-PHER2 trial. Patients received neoadjuvant treatment with the combined regimen of trastuzumab, pertuzumab, palbociclib with or without addition of fulvestrant. Transcriptomic profiles were generated from 143 samples (Baseline n = 53, Day 14 n = 49, Surgery n = 41) corresponding to 53 of the 58 patients enrolled in NA-PHER2 trial (91.4%). RNA sequencing was performed on total RNA samples derived from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue sections. RNA-Seq libraries were produced using NEBNext® Ultra™ II Directional RNA Library Prep Kit. The capture was then performed on cDNA libraries with the Twist Human Core Exome Enrichment System according to supplier recommendations (Twist Bioscience). The obtained eluted-enriched DNA samples was then sequenced on an Illumina NovaSeq as paired-end 100bp reads. FASTQ files are provided.

Dataset EGAD50000000363

Single cell transcriptomes of childhood renal tumours

This data set contains single cell transcriptomes generated using the chromium 10X platform from both fresh cells and nuclei. The samples measured are derived from children with Wilms tumour, Clear Cell Sarcoma of the Kidney (CCSK), or Malignant Rhabdoid Tumours.

Dataset EGAD00001007572

33 patients with Monoclonal Gammopathy of Undetermined Significance (MGUS)

Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) is a premalignant precursor of multiple myeloma (MM) with a 1% risk of progression per year. Although targeted analyses have shown the presence of specific genetic abnormalities such as IGH translocations, RB1 deletion, 1q gain, hyperdiploidy or RAS genes mutations, little is known about molecular mechanism of malignant transformation. We have performed whole exome sequencing together with SNP array analysis in 33 flow-cytometry separated abnormal PC samples of MGUS patients to describe somatic gene mutations and chromosome changes at the genome-wide level. Non-synonymous mutations (NS-SNVs) and copy number alterations (CNAs) were present in 97.0% and in 63.6% of cases, respectively. Importantly, the number of somatic mutations was significantly lower in MGUS compared to MM (p<10-4) and we have identified 6 myeloma significantly mutated genes which are KRAS, NRAS, DIS3, HIST1H1E, EGR1 and LTB in the MGUS dataset. We also found a positive correlation with increasing chromosome changes and somatic mutations. IGH translocations were present in 27.3% of cases comprising t(4;14), t(11;14), t(14;16) or t(14;20) and were in a similar frequency to MM, which corresponded with primary lesion hypothesis. Data from this study showed MGUS is a genetically comprehensive disease, however overall genetic instability is significantly lower compared to MM.

Dataset EGAD00001001901

The Immune Microenvironment, Genome–Wide Copy Number Aberrations and Survival in Mesothelioma

IntroductionResults of recent clinical studies of immune checkpoint inhibitors in malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) have dampened initial enthusiasm. However, the immune environment and targets of these treatments such as program cell death protein 1 (PD-1) and its ligand PD-L1 have not been well characterised in MPM. Using a large cohort of patients, we investigated PD-L1 expression, immune infiltrates and genome-wide copy number status and correlated them to clinicopathological features.Patients and methodsTissue microarrays were constructed and stained with PD-L1(clone E1L3N, CST), CD4, CD8 and FOXP3 antibodies. PD-L1 positivity was defined as ≥5% membranous staining regardless of intensity and PD-L1+hi as ≥50%. Genomic DNA from a representative subset of 113 patients was used for genome-wide copy number analysis. The percent genome alteration (PGA) was computed as a proxy for genomic instability, and statistical analyses were used to relate copy number aberrations (CNA) to other variables.ResultsAmongst 329 patients evaluated, PD-L1+ was detected in 130/311 (41.7%), but PD-L1+hi was only seen in 30/311 (9.6%). PD-L1+ correlated with non–epithelioid histology and increased infiltration with CD4+, CD8+ and FOXP3+ lymphocytes. PD-L1+hi expression correlated with worse prognosis (HR = 2.37; 95%CI= 1.57-3.56; P < 0.001) on univariate analysis, but not in multivariate analysis. Higher PGA was associated with epithelioid histology and poorer survival (HR = 1.59; 95%CI= 1.01-2.5; P = 0.04), but not PD-L1 expression.ConclusionPD-L1 expression was associated with non-epithelioid MPM, poor clinical outcome and increased immunological infiltrates. Increased genomic instability did not correlate with PD-L1 expression, but was associated with poorer survival.

Study EGAS00001002323

Exome sequencing from cfDNA blood samples. 159 samples at 2x101bp Illumina reads in Fastq format.

Differential presence of exons (DPE) by next generation sequencing (NGS) is a method of interpretation of whole exome sequencing. This method has been proposed to design a predictive and diagnostic algorithm with clinical value in plasma from patients bearing colorectal cancer (CRC). The aim of the present study was to determine a common exonic signature to discriminate between different clinical pictures, such as non-metastatic, metastatic and non-disease (healthy), using a sustainable and novel technology in liquid biopsy. Through DPE analysis, we determined the differences in DNA exon levels circulating in plasma between patients bearing CRC vs. healthy, patients bearing CRC metastasis vs. non-metastatic and patients bearing CRC metastasis vs. healthy comparisons. We identified a set of 510 exons (469 up and 41 down) whose differential presence in plasma allowed us to group and classify between the three cohorts. Random forest classification (machine learning) was performed and an estimated out-of-bag (OOB) error rate of 35.9% was obtained and the predictive model had an accuracy of 75% with a confidence interval (CI) of 56.6-88.5. In conclusion, the DPE analysis allowed us to discriminate between different patho-physiological status such as metastatic, non-metastatic and healthy donors. In addition, this analysis allowed us to obtain very significant values with respect to previous published results, since we increased the number of samples in our study. These results suggest that circulating DNA in patient’s plasma may be actively released by cells and may be involved in intercellular communication and, therefore, may play a pivotal role in malignant transformation (genometastasis).

Study EGAS00001006656

Regenerative effects of MSC treatment on busulfan-induced small intestine damaged organoids.

Allogenic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is a curative treatment for leukemia and a range of non-malignant disorders. The success of the therapy is hampered by occurrence of acute graft-versus-host disease (aGvHD); an inflammatory response damaging recipient organs, with gut, liver, and skin being the most susceptible. Intestinal GvHD injury is often a life-threatening complication in patients unresponsive to steroid treatment. Second-line available therapies are immunosuppressants or mesenchymal stromal/stem cell (MSC) infusions. Data from our institution and others demonstrate rescue of approximately 40-50% of patients suffering from aGvHD with mesenchymal stromal/stem cells (MSCs) and minor side effects. Although promising, the better understanding of MSC mode of action and patient response to MSC-based therapy is essential to improve this lifesaving treatment. Here, we developed a novel 3D co-culture model of human small intestinal organoids and MSCs, which allows to study the regenerative effects of MSCs on intestinal epithelium in a more physiologically relevant setting than existing in vitro systems. Using this model we mimicked chemotherapy-mediated damage of the intestinal epithelium. The treatment with busulfan, the chemotherapeutic commonly used as conditioning regiment before the HSCT, affected pathways regulating EMT, proliferation, and apoptosis in small intestinal organoids, as shown by transcriptomic and proteomic analysis. The co-culture of busulfan treated intestinal organoids with MSCs reversed the effects of busulfan on the transcriptome and proteome of intestinal epithelium, which we also confirmed by functional evaluation of proliferation and apoptosis. Collectively, we demonstrate that our novel in vitro co-culture system is a new valuable tool to facilitate the investigation of the molecular mechanisms behind the therapeutic effects of MSCs on damaged intestinal epithelium.

Study EGAS00001007432

Longitudinal analysis of bone marrow heterogeneity reveals the co-evolution of malignant B cells and their T-cell niche supporting follicular lymphoma persistence

Follicular Lymphoma (FL) is an indolent lymphoid malignancy characterized by cycles of remission and relapse, reflecting the inability of current therapies to fully eradicate tumor cells. Our hypothesis is that rare cancer precursor/persister cells (CPCs) evade treatment by homing to a protective tumor microenvironment, particularly within the bone marrow (BM), and/or by adopting specific cellular states, and form a rare reservoir of residual cells seeding lymphoma recurrence. To adress this, we collected paired BM samples at diagnosis and one year post-therapy from a clinical trial (FLIRT trial, NCT02303119) and applied multi-modal single-cell analysis to dissect the transcriptomics determinants of rare drug-tolerant persister cells and their surrounding T-cell niche.

Study EGAS50000001295

Luminal breast epithelial cells from wildtype and BRCA mutation carriers harbor copy number alterations commonly associated with breast cancer

Cancer-associated mutations have been documented in normal tissues, but the prevalence and nature of somatic copy number alterations and their role in tumor initiation and evolution is not well understood. Here, using single cell DNA sequencing, we describe the landscape of CNA variants in >48,000 breast epithelial cells from women with normal or high risk of developing breast cancer. Individual cells with one or two of a specific subset of CNAs (e.g. 1q gain and 16q, 22q, 7q, and 10q loss) are detectable in almost all breast tissues and, in those from BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations carriers, occurs prior to loss of heterozygosity (LOH) of the wildtype alleles. These CNAs, which are among the most common associated with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) and malignant breast tumors, are enriched almost exclusively in luminal cells and are generally absent from basal myoepithelial cells. Allele-specific analysis of the enriched CNAs reveals that each allele was independently altered, demonstrating convergent evolution of these CNAs in an individual breast. Tissues from BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation carriers contained a small percentage of cells with extreme aneuploidy, featuring loss of TP53, LOH of BRCA1 or BRCA2, and multiple breast cancer-associated CNAs in addition to one or more of the common CNAs in 1q, 10q or 16q. Notably, cells with intermediate levels of CNAs were not detected, arguing against a stepwise gradual accumulation of CNAs. Overall, our findings demonstrate that chromosomal alterations in normal breast epithelium including from high risk women, link early stage CNAs to clonally expanded tumor genomes .

Study EGAS00001007716

Epigenome maps of time-resolved monocyte to macrophage differentiation and innate immune memory

Innate immune memory is the phenomenon whereby innate immune cells such as monocytes or macrophages undergo functional reprogramming after exposure to microbial components such as LPS. We apply an integrated epigenomic approach to characterize the molecular events involved in LPS-induced tolerance in a time dependent manner. ChIP-seq, RNA-seq, WGBS and ATAC-seq data were generated. This analysis identified epigenetic programs in tolerance and trained macrophages, and the potential transcription factors involved. Experimental set-up Time-course in vitro culture of human monocytes. Two innate immune memory states can be induced in culture through an initial exposure of primary human monocytes to either LPS or BG for 24 hours, followed by removal of stimulus and differentiation to macrophages for an additional 5 days. Cells were collected at baseline (day 0), 1 hour, 4 hour, 24 hour and 6 days.

Dataset EGAD00001002693

Combining a Universal Telomerase Based Cancer Vaccine with Ipilimumab in Patients with Metastatic Melanoma - Five-year Follow up of a Phase I/IIa Trial

Background Ipilimumab improves survival for patients with metastatic malignant melanoma. Combining a therapeutic cancer vaccine with ipilimumab may increase efficacy by providing enhanced anti-tumor immune responses. UV1 consists of three synthetic long peptides from human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT). These peptides comprise epitopes recognized by T cells from cancer patients experiencing long-term survival following treatment with a first-generation hTERT vaccine, and generate long-lasting immune responses in cancer patients when used as monotherapy. The objective of this trial was to investigate the safety and efficacy of combining UV1 with ipilimumab in metastatic melanoma. Patients and methods In this phase I/IIa, single center trial [NCT02275416], patients with metastatic melanoma received repeated UV1 vaccinations, with GM-CSF as an adjuvant, in combination with ipilimumab. Patients were evaluated for safety, efficacy and immune response. Immune responses against vaccine peptides were monitored in peripheral blood by measuring antigen-specific proliferation and IFN-γ production. Results Twelve patients were recruited. Adverse events were mainly diarrhea, injection site reaction, pruritus, rash, nausea and fatigue. Ten patients showed a Th1 immune response to UV1 peptides, occurring early and after few vaccinations. Three patients obtained a partial response and one patient a complete response. Overall survival was 50% at 5 years. Conclusion Treatment was well tolerated. The rapid expansion of UV1-specific Th1 cells in the majority of patients indicates synergy between UV1 vaccine and CTLA-4 blockade. This may have translated into clinical benefit, encouraging the combination of UV1 vaccination with standard of care treatment regimes containing ipilimumab/CTLA-4 blocking antibodies.

Study EGAS00001005253

DNA methylation-based prognostic subtypes of chordoma tumors in tissue

Chordomas are rare malignant bone cancers of the skull-base and spine. Patient survival is variable and not reliably predicted using clinical factors or molecular features. This study identifies prognostic epigenetic chordoma subtypes that are detected noninvasively using plasma methylomes. Methylation profiles of 68 chordoma surgical samples were obtained between 1996 and 2018 across three international centers along with matched plasma methylomes where available. Consensus clustering identified two stable tissue clusters with a disease-specific survival difference that was independent of clinical factors in a multivariate Cox analysis (HR = 14.2, 95%CI: 2.1–94.8, P = 0.0063). Immune-related pathways with genes hypomethylated at promoters and increased immune cell abundance were observed in the poorperforming “Immune-infiltrated” subtype. Cell-to-cell interaction plus extracellular matrix pathway hypomethylation and higher tumor purity were observed in the better-performing “Cellular” subtype. The findings were validated in additional DNA methylation and RNA sequencing datasets as well as with immunohistochemical staining. Plasma methylomes distinguished chordomas from other clinical differential diagnoses by applying fifty chordoma-versusother binomial generalized linear models in random 20% testing sets (mean AUROC = 0.84, 95%CI: 0.52–1.00). Tissue-based and plasma-based methylation signals were highly correlated in both prognostic clusters. Additionally, leave-one-out models accurately classified all tumors into their correct cluster based on plasma methylation data. Here, we show the first identification of prognostic epigenetic chordoma subtypes and first use of plasma methylome based biomarkers to noninvasively diagnose and subtype chordomas. These results may transform patient management by allowing treatment aggressiveness to be balanced with patient risk according to prognosis.

Study EGAS00001006406

DAC for Early detection of ovarian cancer using cell-free DNA fragmentomes and protein biomarkers

Ovarian cancer is a leading cause of death from gynecological malignancies worldwide. No effective screening methods exist resulting in tumor detection at advanced stages where treatment is less effective. In this study, we used whole-genome cell-free DNA (cfDNA) fragmentome and protein biomarker (CA-125 and HE4) analyses to evaluate 591 women, mostly post-menopausal, from the European Union or the United States with ovarian cancer, benign adnexal masses, or without ovarian lesions. Using a machine learning model that incorporated multi-analyte fragmentome data and protein measurements, we evaluated the detection of ovarian cancer in two clinical settings, detection of ovarian cancers among a healthy population, and classification of adnexal masses as benign or malignant. The combined approach detected ovarian cancer with specificity >99% and sensitivity of 72%, 69%, 87%, and 100% for stages I–IV, respectively (AUC=0.96, 95% CI: 0.94-0.99), including 90% of high grade serous ovarian cancers. At the same specificity, CA-125 alone detected 34%, 62%, 63%, and 100% of ovarian cancers for stages I–IV (p=0.001, two-sided test of equal proportions). Additionally, our approach differentiated benign masses from ovarian cancers with high accuracy (AUC of 0.88, 95% CI=0.83-0.92). These results were validated in an independent population. These findings show that integrated cfDNA fragmentome and protein analyses detect ovarian cancers with high performance, enabling a new accessible approach for noninvasive ovarian cancer screening and diagnostic evaluation.

Dac EGAC50000000332

Functional dissection of inherited non-coding variation influencing multiple myeloma risk

This dataset contains ATAC sequencing of plasma cells from multiple myeloma (MM) patients. The data was used to investigate genotype-specific chromatin accessibility quantitative trait locus (caQTL) using caQTLseg (https://github.com/abhisheknrl/caQTLseg). This dataset contains 161 bam files.

Dataset EGAD00001007814

Aberrant Activation of Wound Healing Programs within the Metastatic Niche Facilitates Lung Colonization by Osteosarcoma Cells

Lung metastasis is responsible for nearly all deaths caused by osteosarcoma, the most common pediatric bone tumor. How malignant bone cells coerce the lung microenvironment to support metastatic growth is unclear. This study delineates how osteosarcoma cells educate the lung microenvironment during metastatic progression.Using single-cell transcriptomics (scRNA-seq), we characterized genome– and tissue-wide molecular changes induced within lung tissues by disseminated osteosarcoma cells in both immunocompetent murine models of metastasis and patient samples. We confirmed transcriptomic findings at the protein level and determined spatial relationships with multi-parameter immunofluorescence. We evaluated the ability of nintedanib to impair metastatic colonization and prevent osteosarcoma-induced education of the lung microenvironment in both immunocompetent murine osteosarcoma and immunodeficient human xenograft models.Osteosarcoma cells induced acute alveolar epithelial injury upon lung dissemination. scRNA-seq demonstrated that the surrounding lung stroma adopts a chronic, non-resolving wound-healing phenotype similar to that seen in other models of lung injury. Accordingly, metastasis-associated lung demonstrated marked fibrosis, likely due to the accumulation of pathogenic, pro-fibrotic, partially-differentiated epithelial intermediates. Inhibition of fibrotic pathways with nintedanib prevented metastatic progression in multiple murine and human xenograft models. Our work demonstrates that osteosarcoma cells co-opt fibrosis to promote metastatic outgrowth. When harmonized with data from adult epithelial cancers, our results support a generalized model wherein aberrant mesenchymal-epithelial interactions are critical for promoting lung metastasis. Adult epithelial carcinomas induce fibrotic pathways in normal lung fibroblasts, whereas osteosarcoma, a pediatric mesenchymal tumor, exhibits fibrotic reprogramming in response to the aberrant wound-healing behaviors of an otherwise normal lung epithelium, which are induced by tumor cell interactions.

Study phs003569

Telomerase activation by genomic rearrangements in high-risk neuroblastoma

Neuroblastoma is a malignant pediatric tumor of the sympathetic nervous system1. Roughly half of these tumors regress spontaneously or are cured by limited therapy. By contrast, high-risk neuroblastomas have an unfavorable clinical course despite intensive multimodal treatment, and their molecular basis has remained largely elusive2-4. We have performed whole-genome sequencing of 56 neuroblastomas (high-risk, n=39; low-risk, n=17) and discovered recurrent genomic rearrangements affecting a chromosomal region (5p15.22) proximal of the telomerase reverse transcriptase gene (TERT). These rearrangements occurred only in high-risk neuroblastomas (12/39, 31%) in mutually exclusive fashion with MYCN amplifications and ATRX mutations, which are known genetic events in this tumor type1,2,5. In an extended case series (n=217), TERT rearrangements defined a subgroup of high-risk tumors with particularly poor outcome. Despite the large diversity of these rearrangements, they all induced massive transcriptional upregulation of TERT. In the remaining high-risk tumors, TERT expression was also elevated in MYCN-amplified tumors, whereas alternative lengthening of telomeres was present in neuroblastomas without TERT or MYCN alterations, suggesting that telomere lengthening represents a central mechanism defining this subtype. The 5p15.22 rearrangements juxtapose the TERT coding sequence to strong enhancer elements, resulting in massive chromatin remodeling and DNA methylation of the affected region. Supporting a functional role of TERT, neuroblastoma cells bearing rearrangements or amplified MYCN exhibited both upregulated TERT expression and enzymatic telomerase activity. In summary, our findings show that remodeling of the genomic context abrogates transcriptional silencing of TERT in high-risk neuroblastoma and places telomerase activation in the center of transformation in a large fraction of these tumors.

Study EGAS00001001308

Activation of Wnt/β-catenin signalling by mutually exclusive FBXW11 and CTNNB1 hotspot mutations drives salivary gland basal cell adenoma - RNA

Wnt signalling must be 'just right' to promote tumour growth. Basal cell adenoma (BCA) and basal cell adenocarcinoma (BCAC) of the salivary gland are rare tumours that can be difficult to distinguish from each other and other salivary gland tumour subtypes. Due to their rarity, the genomic profiles of BCA and BCAC have not been explored. Using whole-exome and transcriptome sequencing of BCA and BCAC cohorts, we identify a novel recurrent FBXW11 missense mutation (p.F517S) in BCA, that was mutually exclusive with the previously reported CTNNB1 p.I35T gain-of-functon (GoF) mutation. These driver events collectively accounted for 94% of BCAs. In vitro, mutant FBXW11 had a dominant negative affect, characterised by defective binding to β-catenin and the accumulation of β-catenin in cells. This was consistent with the nuclear expression of β-catenin observed in BCA cases harbouring the FBXW11 p.F517S mutation and activation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway and defines a novel mechanism of Wnt pathway control. The genomic profiles of BCAC were distinct from BCA, with hotspot DICER1 and HRAS mutations and putative driver mutations affecting PI3K/AKT and NF-κB signalling pathway genes. A single BCAC, which may represent a malignant transformation of BCA, harboured the recurrent FBXW11 mutation. These findings have important implications for the diagnosis and treatment of BCA and BCAC, which, despite histopathologic overlap, may be unrelated entities.

Dataset EGAD00001015366

Activation of Wnt/β-catenin signalling by mutually exclusive FBXW11 and CTNNB1 hotspot mutations drives salivary gland basal cell adenoma - WES

Wnt signalling must be 'just right' to promote tumour growth. Basal cell adenoma (BCA) and basal cell adenocarcinoma (BCAC) of the salivary gland are rare tumours that can be difficult to distinguish from each other and other salivary gland tumour subtypes. Due to their rarity, the genomic profiles of BCA and BCAC have not been explored. Using whole-exome and transcriptome sequencing of BCA and BCAC cohorts, we identify a novel recurrent FBXW11 missense mutation (p.F517S) in BCA, that was mutually exclusive with the previously reported CTNNB1 p.I35T gain-of-functon (GoF) mutation. These driver events collectively accounted for 94% of BCAs. In vitro, mutant FBXW11 had a dominant negative affect, characterised by defective binding to β-catenin and the accumulation of β-catenin in cells. This was consistent with the nuclear expression of β-catenin observed in BCA cases harbouring the FBXW11 p.F517S mutation and activation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway and defines a novel mechanism of Wnt pathway control. The genomic profiles of BCAC were distinct from BCA, with hotspot DICER1 and HRAS mutations and putative driver mutations affecting PI3K/AKT and NF-κB signalling pathway genes. A single BCAC, which may represent a malignant transformation of BCA, harboured the recurrent FBXW11 mutation. These findings have important implications for the diagnosis and treatment of BCA and BCAC, which, despite histopathologic overlap, may be unrelated entities.

Dataset EGAD00001015365

Molecular analysis of diffuse cerebellar gliomas

Among diffuse gliomas, oligodendrogliomas show relatively better prognosis, respond well to radiotherapy and chemotherapy, and seldom progress to very aggressive tumors. To elucidate the genetic and epigenetic background for such behavior and tumor evolution during tumor relapse, we comparatively analyzed 12 pairs of primary and recurrent oligodendrogliomas with 1p/19q-codeletion. Initial treatment for these patients was mostly chemotherapy alone. Temozolomide was used for 3, and procarbazine, nimustine and vincristine (PAV chemotherapy) were used for 7 patients. World Health Organization histological grade at recurrence was mostly stable; it was increased in 2, the same in 9, and decreased in 1 cases. Whole-exome sequencing demonstrated that the rate of shared mutation between the primary and recurrent tumors was relatively low, ranging from 3.2-57.9% (average, 33.3%), indicating a branched evolutionary pattern. The trunk alterations that existed throughout the course were restricted to IDH1 mutation, 1p/19q-codeletion, and TERT promoter mutation, and mutation of the known candidate tumor suppressor genes CIC and FUBP1 were not consistently observed between primary and recurrent tumors. Multiple sampling from different regions within a tumor showed marked intratumoral heterogeneity. Notably, in general, the number of mutations was not significantly different after recurrence, remaining under 100, and no hypermutator phenotype was observed. FUBP1 mutation, loss of chr. 9p21, and TCF12 mutation were among a few recurrent de novo alterations that were found at recurrence, indicating that these events were clonally selected at recurrence but were not enough to enhance malignancy. Genome-wide methylation status, measured by Illumina 450 K arrays, was stable between recurrence and the primary tumor. In summary, although oligodendroglioma displays marked mutational heterogeneity, histological malignant transformation accompanying events such as considerable increase in mutation number and epigenetic profile change were not observed at recurrence, indicating that noticeable temporal and spatial genetic heterogeneity in oligodendrogliomas does not result in rapid tumor progression.

Study JGAS000106

Molecular characterization of Barrett’s esophagus at single cell resolution

Backgrounds & Aims: Patient with Barrett’s esophagus (BE) have an increased risk to develop esophageal adenocarcinoma and are under periodical endoscopic surveillance for malignant transformation. Pathologists distinguish between different BE stages to identify high-risk patients, but this process remains difficult as stage-specific markers are still missing. We established BE organoid cultures, applied single cell sequencing approaches to identify differences in gene expression and genomic alterations, and validated candidate genes for their predictive value on histological sections. Methods: We collected 43 epithelial biopsies from 21 patients, established organoids for the clonal expansion of matching healthy and diseased tissue from two patients to identify genomic alterations by whole genome sequencing (WGS). We performed single cell DNA-sequencing (scDNAseq) to analyse DNA alterations within biopsies from 8 patients and single cell RNA-sequencing (scRNAseq) to identify gene expression differences between BE stages from 19 patients. Candidate marker genes were then validated by RNA in situ hybridization experiments on histological resection specimen. Results: Most BE biopsies were chromosomal stable (CS) and their single base substitution (SBS) signatures were indistinguishable from the healthy control tissues. Dysplastic BE cells contained areas of chromosomal instabilities (CIN), which differed by the presence of the SBS17 signatures from biopsy-matching CS cells or patient-matching healthy control cells. Such CIN areas affected efficient clustering of the scRNAseq data. We identified two sets of marker genes (SLC5A5, PSCA, LIPF and ANPEP, CEACAM6, REG4), which distinguish columnar BE epithelium from non-dysplastic/dysplastic stages. CLDN2 allowed the distinction between dysplastic and more advanced stages as its expression level increased and spread in dysplastic BE glands. Conclusions: Molecular characterization of BE samples identified a correlation between the presence of CIN and COSMIC signature 17, and we report seven marker genes that help in distinguishing different BE stages.

Study EGAS00001005221

Regulatory Changes in Glioblastoma Brain Tumors and Xenografts Wave 1

Non-coding elements in our genomes that play critical roles in complex disease are frequently marked by highly unstable RNA species. Sequencing nascent RNAs attached to an actively transcribing RNA polymerase complex can identify unstable RNAs, including those templated from gene-distal enhancers (eRNAs). However, nascent RNA sequencing techniques remain challenging to apply in some cell lines and especially to intact tissues, limiting broad applications in fields such as cancer genomics and personalized medicine. Here we report the development of chromatin run-on and sequencing (ChRO-seq), a novel run-on technology that maps the location of RNA polymerase using virtually any frozen tissue sample, including samples with degraded RNA that are intractable to conventional RNA-seq. We used ChRO-seq to develop the first maps of nascent transcription in 23 human glioblastoma (GBM) brain tumors and patient derived xenografts. Remarkably, >90,000 distal enhancers discovered using the signature of eRNA biogenesis within primary GBMs closely resemble those found in the normal human brain, and diverge substantially from GBM cell models. Despite extensive overall similarity, 12% of enhancers in each GBM distinguish normal and malignant brain tissue. These enhancers drive regulatory programs similar to the developing nervous system and are enriched for transcription factor binding sites that specify a stem-like cell fate. These results demonstrate that GBMs largely retain the enhancer landscape associated with their tissue of origin, but selectively adopt regulatory programs that are responsible for driving stem-like cell properties. We also identified enhancers and their associated transcription factors that regulate genes characteristic of each known GBM subtype, and discovered a core group of transcription factors that control the expression of genes associated with clinical outcomes. This study uncovers new insights into the molecular etiology of GBM and introduces ChRO-seq which can now be used to map regulatory programs contributing to a variety of complex diseases.

Study phs001646

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

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

Study EGAS50000000809

Whole genome sequencing data of high-grade serous ovarian cancer samples (set 7a)

Whole genome sequencing data of 36 high-grade serous carcinoma (HGSC) patients (89 samples) sequenced with HiSeq X Ten.

Dataset EGAD00001010845

MicroRNA expression in malignant and benign breast tissue – the Norwegian Women and Cancer study

The Norwegian Women and Cancer study (NOWAC) is a prospective study which started in 1991 and includes 172 000 Norwegian women aged 30-70 years. The study is based on questionnaires with information on variables of importance to breast cancer risk. Later, about 49 500 samples of peripheral blood have been collected (the NOWAC postgenome cohort). Participants in the NOWAC postgenome cohort with a diagnosis of breast cancer have been identified, and breast cancer cases in Northern Norway diagnosed in 2004-2008 were included in this pilot study. Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tumor tissue was retrieved from the pathology labs, tissue cores were collected and RNA extracted. As normal controls, FFPE tissue from benign breast specimens (breast reductions) was included in the study. Microarray analyses of microRNA expression were perfomed by Exiqon using the 7th generation miRCURY LNA microRNA microarray system.od- to be deleted

Study EGAS00001002671

Diverse mutational landscapes in human lymphocytes

A lymphocyte suffers many threats to its genome, including programmed mutation during differentiation, antigen-driven proliferation and residency in diverse microenvironments. After developing protocols for single-cell lymphocyte expansions, we sequenced whole genomes from 717 normal naive and memory B and T lymphocytes and hematopoietic stem cells. All lymphocyte subsets carried more point mutations and structural variants than haematopoietic stem cells – the extra mutations were mostly acquired during differentiation, with burdens higher in memory than naive lymphocytes, although T cells also had a higher rate of mutation accumulation throughout life. Off-target effects of immunological diversification accounted for most of the additional differentiation-associated mutations in lymphocytes. Memory B cells acquired, on average, 18 off-target mutations genome-wide for every one on-target IGV mutation during the germinal centre reaction. Structural variation was 16-fold higher in lymphocytes than stem cells, with ~15% of deletions being attributable to off-target RAG activity. Mutational processes associated with ultraviolet light exposure and other sporadic mutational processes generated hundreds to thousands of mutations in some memory lymphocytes. The mutation burden and signatures of normal B lymphocytes were broadly comparable to those seen in many B-cell cancers, suggesting that malignant transformation of lymphocytes arises from the same mutational processes active across normal ontogeny. The mutational landscape of normal lymphocytes chronicles the off-target effects of programmed genome engineering during immunological diversification and the consequences of differentiation, proliferation and residency in diverse microenvironments.

Dataset EGAD00001008107

16624 results for "sec+and+unspecified+malignant+neoplasm"

in 31.33 milliseconds.