Search Results - EGA European Genome-Phenome Archive

WGS BAM files fromxa0Genomic Features and Classification of Homologous Recombination Deficient Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma

Background and Aims: Homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), remains poorly defined beyond germline(g) alterations in BRCA1, BRCA2 and PALB2. Methods: We interrogated whole genome sequencing (WGS) data on 391 patients including 49 carriers of pathogenic variants (PVs) in g_BRCA_ and PALB2. HRD classifiers were applied to the dataset and included: 1) the genomic instability score (GIS) used by Myriad MyChoice HRD assay; 2) substitution base signature 3 (SBS3); 3) HRDetect; and, 4) Structural Variant (SV) burden. Clinical outcomes and responses to chemotherapy were correlated with HRD status. Results: Biallelic tumour inactivation of g_BRCA_ or PALB2 was evident in 43/49 germline carriers identifying HRD-PDAC. HRDetect (score ?0.7) predicted gBRCA1/PALB2 deficiency with highest sensitivity (98%) and specificity (100%). HRD genomic tumour classifiers suggested that 7-10% of PDAC that do not harbor g_BRCA/PALB2_ have features of HRD. Of the somatic HRDetect cases, 69% were attributed to alterations in BRCA1/2, PALB2, RAD51C/D and XRCC2, and a tandem duplicator phenotype. TP53 loss was more common in BRCA1- compared to BRCA2-associated HRD-PDAC. HRD status was not prognostic in resected PDAC. However in advanced disease the GIS (p=0.02), SBS3 (p=0.03) and HRDetect score (p=0.005) were predictive of platinum response and superior survival. PVs in g_ATM_ (n=6) or g_CHEK2_ (n=2) did not result in HRD-PDAC by any of the classifiers. In four patients, BRCA2 reversion mutations associated with platinum resistance. Conclusions: Germline and parallel somatic profiling of PDAC outperforms germline testing alone in identifying HRD-PDAC. An additional 7-10% of patients without gBRCA/PALB2 mutations may benefit from DNA damage response agents.

Dataset EGAD00001007571

Somatic mutation and selection at epidemiological scale - Sanger_NanoSeq_RandD

Bottleneck sequencing of human tissue including neurons, cord blood, sperm 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/. As we age, many tissues become colonised by microscopic clones carrying somatic driver mutations. Some of these clones represent a first step towards cancer whereas others may contribute to ageing and other diseases. However, our understanding of the clonal landscapes of human tissues, and their impact on cancer risk, ageing and disease, remains limited due to the challenge of detecting somatic mutations present in small numbers of cells. Here, we introduce a new version of nanorate sequencing (NanoSeq), a duplex sequencing method with error rates of less than 5 per billion base pairs, which is compatible with whole-exome and targeted gene sequencing. Deep sequencing of polyclonal samples with single-molecule sensitivity enables the simultaneous detection of mutations in large numbers of clones, yielding accurate somatic mutation rates, mutational signatures and driver mutation frequencies in any tissue. Applying targeted NanoSeq to 1,042 non-invasive samples of oral epithelium and 371 samples of blood from a twin cohort, we found an unprecedentedly rich landscape of selection, with 46 genes under positive selection driving clonal expansions in the oral epithelium, over 62,000 driver mutations, and evidence of negative selection in some genes. The high number of positively selected mutations in multiple genes provides high-resolution maps of selection across coding and non-coding sites, a form of in vivo saturation mutagenesis. Multivariate regression models enable mutational epidemiology studies on how carcinogenic exposures and cancer risk factors, such as age, tobacco or alcohol, alter the acquisition and selection of somatic mutations. Accurate single-molecule sequencing has the potential to unveil the polyclonal landscape of any tissue, providing a powerful tool to study early carcinogenesis, cancer prevention and the role of somatic mutations in ageing and disease.

Dataset EGAD00001015624

Walter and Eliza Hall - Aix-Marseille Université

Data Access Committee for the Liao et al. 2025 study, D4Z4End2End: complete genetic and epigenetic architecture of D4Z4 macrosatellites in FSHD, BAMS and reference cohorts.

Dac EGAC50000000655

BLUEPRINT Bisulfite-seq and Whole Genome Sequencing of mantle cell lymphoma

Bisulfite-seq and Whole Genome Sequencing of mantle cell lymphoma

Study EGAS00001001638

Resuscitation Outcomes Consortium (ROC) Amiodarone, Lidocaine or Neither for Out-Of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Due to Ventricular Fibrillation or Ventricular Tachycardia (ALPS)(ROC-ALPS-BioLINCC)

Accessing Data Please refer to “Authorized Access” below regarding accessing data through the BioData Catalyst ecosystem. The data from this accession is not available for download through dbGaP. Objective To compare the effects of amiodarone, lidocaine, and placebo on survival to hospital discharge after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest due to shock-refractory ventricular fibrillation or pulseless ventricular tachycardia. Background Ventricular fibrillation (VF) or pulseless ventricular tachycardia (VT) are common causes of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, but are considered the most responsive to shock and therefore the most treatable. Nonetheless, most defibrillation attempts do not result in sustained return of spontaneous circulation, and VF or VT may persist or recur after shock. There is also evidence that longer durations of VF or VT are associated with decreases in the likelihood of resuscitation. Amiodarone and lidocaine are commonly used to promote successful defibrillation of shock-refractory VF or VT and prevent recurrences. Previous trials have shown amiodarone to be more effective than placebo or lidocaine for return of spontaneous circulation and survival at hospital admittance. This study sought to further extend the research and examine whether amiodarone would improve survival to hospital discharge and neurologic outcomes, as compared to placebo or lidocaine. Participants 3,026 eligible participants were enrolled, with 974 assigned to amiodarone, 993 assigned to lidocaine, and 1,059 assigned to placebo. An additional 1,627 participants that received a study intervention, but did not meet eligibility criteria, were included in analysis of the intention-to-treat population. Design The study interventions (amiodarone, lidocaine, and saline) were packaged in indistinguishable sealed kits and randomly distributed in to Emergency Medical Services (EMS) providers in a 1:1:1 ratio, stratified by participating site and agency. Each kit contained three syringes, and each syringe held 3 ml of colorless fluid containing 150 mg of amiodarone, 60 mg of lidocaine, or normal saline. Participants with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest were treated in accordance with local EMS protocols, in compliance with American Heart Association (AHA) guidelines. If VF or VT persisted or recurred after one or more shocks, eligible participants received a vasopressor and the masked kit containing amiodarone, lidocaine, or placebo. Approximating current clinical practice, the initial dose consisted of two syringes administered by rapid bolus. If the estimated body weight of the patient was less than 100 lbs., then one syringe was used. If VF or VT persisted, standard resuscitation measures, additional shocks, and an additional syringe of the study drug were administered. At that point the trial interventions were completed and standard interventions for advanced life support were employed. Upon arrival at the hospital, providers were notified of the patient's enrollment in the trial and encouraged to provide usual care in accordance with AHA guidelines, including open-label amiodarone or lidocaine if necessary. Components of hospital care were monitored but not standardized by the trial protocol. Participants, providers, and trial personnel were blinded to the trial drug assignments, with the exception of treating physicians if emergency un-blinding was required for care. Data from pre-hospital patient care records, CPR process measures, and hospital medical records were collected. The primary outcome of the trial was survival to hospital discharge, and the secondary outcome was survival with favorable neurologic status at discharge, defined as a score on the modified Rankin scale of 3 or less. Conclusions Neither amiodarone nor lidocaine resulted in a significantly higher rate of survival to hospital discharge or favorable neurologic outcome, as compared to placebo, among participants with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest due to initial shock-refractory ventricular fibrillation or pulseless ventricular tachycardia.

Study phs003784

Evaluation of Nuclear DNA from Rootless Hairs for Forensic Purposes

The study aims to overcome current limitations in the recovery of DNA from small, difficult forensic samples. Particularly, our goal is to produce a robust laboratory protocol and the accompanying software to accelerate adoption, as well as to evaluate the reliability and robustness of both the laboratory and computational aspects of generating genotype files from minute and/or degraded DNA samples, such as single, rootless hairs.The data accompanying this study includes raw, paired-end reads from high-throughput sequencing of two panels of saliva, head hair, and pubic hair samples collected from anonymous volunteers at the University of California, Santa Cruz. The smaller set (Hair1.0) comprises 8 individuals, while the larger (Hair2.0) comprises 50 individuals, with 3 overlapping individuals between the two panels identified in post-collection analysis. We did not collect phenotype data or personally identifying information from the participants. For the Hair2.0 panel, only a subset of volunteers provided pubic hairs for DNA extraction and sequencing. Also included are saliva-derived genotype array data for all 8 individuals in the Hair1.0 panel and 44 of 50 individuals in the Hair2.0 panel.

Study phs002979

Genomic Data Archive From the Network for Pancreatic Organ Donors With Diabetes

The Network for Pancreatic Organ Donors with Diabetes (nPOD) is the largest biorepository of human pancreata from organ donors with type 1 diabetes (T1D), maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY), cystic fibrosis-related diabetes (CFRD), type 2 diabetes (T2D), gestational diabetes, and islet autoantibody positive (AAb+)/pre-T1D. The mission of the nPOD is to distribute biospecimens and associated de-identified data/metadata to an international researcher network, and to promote the development of new treatments for these diabetes conditions. Here, we describe the release of high-parameter genotyping data for the nPOD cohort. Specifically, 372 subjects were genotyped using a customized precision medicine single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) microarray (UFDIchip). These data were technically validated using published algorithms to evaluate donor relatedness, ancestry, imputed HLA, and T1D genetic risk score. Additionally, 207 subjects were queried for rare known and novel coding region variants via whole exome sequencing (WES). These data are now publicly available, enabling genotype-selected sample requests and the study of novel genotype : phenotype associations, ultimately to explain diabetes heterogeneity and inform precision medicine strategies to interrupt diabetes pathogenesis.

Study phs002861

Genetics of Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma

Mycosis fungoides (MF) is a common extranodal T-cell lymphoma primarily arising in the skin. In early disease stages, MF presents as skin patches and plaques that in some cases may progress to tumor and disperse to lymph nodes and other internal organs. The 10-year overall survival is 50% in advanced stages. Early diagnosis is difficult as the histology overlaps with features of inflammatory skin diseases. Even when the diagnosis is established, there are no prognostic markers that predict whether the disease will be aggressive or indolent. Lastly, there are no curative treatments and MF will invariably relapse, even after aggressive chemotherapy. The disease is a diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic challenge. The main objective of this study is to address the question of tumor heterogeneity in MF. To date, MF is considered to be monoclonal, derived from a transformed, mature memory T-cell. However, clinical observations and preliminary data suggest that MF comprises multiple subclones, which may be of importance for understanding disease evolution and resistance to therapy. We plan to address this objective using Whole Exome Sequencing (WES) of MF tissue prepared by laser microdissection (LMD).

Study phs001877

Transcriptomic Characterization of Human Innate T Cells

We performed low input RNA-seq and single-cell RNA-seq on 7 lymphocyte populations with the objective of finding the common transcriptional programs shared among innate T cells. In brief, we drew blood from healthy donors and isolated CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, Natural Killer cells, invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells, mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells, and two γδ T cell populations: Vδ1 and Vδ2. We performed low input RNA-seq on samples with 1000 cells each, for 6 healthy individuals, in duplicate. We performed single-cell RNA-seq with DNA-barcoded hashing antibodies to identify the cell type of origin for each cell. We found a common transcriptional program across lymphocytes that is gradually turned on as lymphocytes have a more "innateness" state, promoting effector functions and sacrificing proliferative capacity. Additionally, we performed low input RNA-seq for Vδ3-expressing γδ T cells and δ/αβ T cells for one healthy individual in duplicate (1000 cells per sample). This revealed δ/αβ T cells are transcriptionally more adaptive-like and Vδ3 more innate-like.

Study phs002007

Development of CMT Peds Scale for Children with CMT

Information about how different forms of CMT affect children is not readily available because there are not good methods to measure impairment of children with CMT. The purpose of this project is to develop and test such a method and to then test this scale to ensure that it is an effective measurement of impairment of CMT in children, that the children tolerate it well, that different investigators using this method obtain similar results and that changes over time with the scale allow measurement of progression of CMT in the children. Primary Objective: To develop and test the CMT Peds scale (CMTPedS) in children with CMT in order to refine the scoring for future natural history and therapeutic trials. Secondary Objective: We propose to test the sensitivity of the CMT Peds Scale in a longitudinal study and compare the CMT Peds Scale with the Children's Quality of Life scale CHQ-PF50. 2000 patients <21 years of age with various forms of CMT will be evaluated at baseline and at subsequent annual follow up visits when possible. This first study release makes available data of n=208 study participants.

Study phs001553

Characterization of Autosomal CNV Among the Negrito from Peninsular Malaysia

Copy number variation (CNV) has been recognized as a major contributor to human genome diversity. It plays an important role in determining phenotypes and has been associated with a number of common and complex diseases. However the CNV data from diverse populations is rather limited. Here we report the first investigation of copy number variation (CNV) in the indigenous populations from Peninsular Malaysia. We genotyped 34 Negrito genomes from Peninsular Malaysia using the Affymetrix SNP 6.0 microarray and identified 62 putative novel CNVs, consisting of 25 gains and 37 losses. These CNVs appear unique to the Negrito population and were absent in the DGV, HapMap3 and Singapore Genome Variation Project (SGVP) datasets. Analysis of gene ontology revealed that genes within these CNVs were enriched in the immune system (GO:0002376), response to stimulus mechanisms (GO:0050896), as well as the metabolic pathways (GO:0001852). Copy number gains in CNVRs enriched with genes were significantly higher than the losses (P value <0.001). Therefore, in view of the small population size, relative isolation and semi-normadic lifestyles of this community, we speculate that these CNVs may be attributed to recent local adaptation of Negritos from Peninsular Malaysia.

Study phs000664

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center - Whole-Exome Sequencing of Hereditary Prostate Cancer Families

The specific aim of this study is to identify hereditary prostate cancer (HPC) susceptibility genes using a novel study design, whereby whole-exome sequencing will be undertaken on multiple affected relatives from 19 HPC families, in which ≥ 3 affected relatives were diagnosed with clinically aggressive and/or early onset prostate cancer (PC). While whole-exome sequencing of unrelated affected individuals would result in hundreds of candidate disease variants, this family-based, aggressive/early onset phenotype approach will provide an enriched genetic background for discovery and significantly reduce the number of candidate mutations that will require follow-up. Findings from this pilot study will immediately be followed-up to confirm whether candidate mutations found in each family segregate with disease in the remaining unscreened relatives. As part of this pilot study, we aim to: Perform whole-exome sequencing on 80 affected and 11 unaffected relatives from 19 HPC families that have multiple men diagnosed with an aggressive and/or early onset disease phenotype using the Illumina HiSeq platform; and, Analyze sequencing data using BWA, SAMtools and SeattleSeq to prioritize candidate HPC mutations that segregate with aggressive and/or early onset disease in affected relatives.

Study phs000350

Genomics of Circulating Tumor Cells

Comprehensive analyses of cancer genomes in clinical settings promise to inform prognoses and guide the deployment of precise cancer treatments. A major barrier, however, is the inaccessibility of adequate metastatic tissue for accurate genomic analysis in prostate and other cancers. A potential solution is to characterize circulating tumor cells (CTCs), but this requires overcoming multiple technical hurdles. Here, we report an integrated process to isolate, qualify, and sequence whole exomes of CTCs with high fidelity, using a census-based sequencing strategy. Power calculations suggest that mapping of over 99.995% of the territory accessible in bulk exome sequencing is possible in CTCs. We validated our sequencing process in two prostate cancer patients including one for whom we compared CTC-derived mutations to mutations found in a lymph node metastasis and nine cores of the primary tumor. 51 of 73 CTC mutations (70%) were observed in matched tissue. Moreover, we identified 10 early trunk mutations and 56 metastatic trunk mutations in the non-CTC tumor samples and found 90% and 73% of these, respectively, in CTC exomes. This study establishes a foundation for CTC genomics in the clinic.

Study phs000717

Mapping Genes for Mammographic Density

We recruited 1,521 women from the Old Order Amish (OOA) population of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, with the primary goal of identifying genetic factors that influence mammographic density. All women were between the ages of 40 and 88 years, with a mean of 54 years. Additional study design details, including eligibility criteria, are described elsewhere (Douglas et al., 2008). The present-day OOA of Lancaster County are the descendants of approximately 550 individuals from central Western Europe who immigrated to the U.S. in the early eighteenth century. All living individuals derive from a single, 14-generation pedigree (Lee et al., 2010). Although the OOA are a genetically closed founder population, allele frequencies and LD profiles are remarkably similar between the OOA and U.S. participants in the International HapMap project (HapMap CEU) for common SNPs (MAF>/=5%) (Van Hout et al., 2010). We recently completed genome-wide linkage and association analyses of mammographic density, including dense and non-dense areas of the breast and the ratio of dense to total area of the breast. Summary-level data from our GWAS are available here and through the Marker of DEnsity (MODE) Consortium.

Study phs000604

KRT17High/CXCL8+ Tumor Cells Display Both Classical and Basal Features and Regulate Myeloid Infiltration in the Pancreatic Cancer Microenvironment

Recent studies have uncovered the co-existence of basal and classical subtypes within pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). We sought to characterize these intermediary cells using single-cell RNA sequencing of PDAC. We performed subtyping on 18 single-cell RNA sequencing human PDAC samples to identify multiple intermediary subtypes. We compared single-cell profiling of patient-matched blood and tumor samples to measure changes in the local and systemic immune microenvironments in CXCL8-high tumors vs. CXCL8-low tumors. Finally, we leveraged longitudinally patient-matched blood over the course of chemotherapy. In our studies we identified a cluster of KRT17high intermediary cancer cells that uniquely express high levels of CXCL8 and other cytokines which in turn influence the myeloid compartment both locally and systemically. We utilized sequencing data from dbGaP study accession phs002070. In addition to that, we included sequencing from new specimens which are deposited to this submission, consisting of one additional tumor specimen and 5 PBMC samples, sequenced after chemotherapy (longitudinally matched to PBMC samples in phs002071.v1.p1). FASTQ files of these sequencing runs are available through this dbGaP submission.

Study phs003436

Regulation of T Cell CXCL13 Production

This study evaluated the signals that regulate production of the B cell chemoattractant CXCL13 by human CD4 T cells. Single-cell and bulk RNA-seq datasets evaluated the gene expression changes induced by TGF-beta and the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR), two signals that regulate CXCL13 production. Bulk ATAC-seq data evaluated the epigenetic changes in T cell stimulated with an AHR agonist or antagonist. Ex vivo bulk RNA-seq data of sorted T cell subsets from blood of patients with lupus and control donors interrogated the gene expression differences in sorted T cell subsets. Ex vivo ATAC-seq data allowed comparison of epigenetic profiles of PD-1hi Tph cells from rheumatoid arthritis synovial fluid and PD-1hi T follicular helper (Tfh) cells from tonsil to PD-1low CD4 T cells from the same samples. Single-cell RNA-seq data of T cells from lupus patients before and after treatment with anifrolumab (anti-IFNAR) allowed interrogation of T cell populations that change with anifrolumab treatment. These datasets allowed for genomic interrogation of changes induced by AHR, TGF-beta, and interferon and their relationship to CXCL13 production.

Study phs003582

Harnessing Epigenetic Regulators to improve HSC-based lentiviral gene therapy

Curative benefits of autologous and allogeneic transplantation of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) have been proven for various diseases. However, the low number of true HSCs that can be collected from patients and subsequently in vitro maintenance and expansion of true HSCs for genetic correction remain challenging. Addressing this issue, we here focused on optimizing culture conditions to improve the ex vivo expansion of true HSCs for gene therapy purposes. In particular, we explore the use of epigenetic regulators to enhance the effectiveness of HSC-based lentiviral (LV) gene therapy. The HDAC inhibitor Quisinostat and the bromodomain inhibitor CPI203 each promote ex vivo expansion of functional HSCs, as validated by xenotransplantation assays and single cell RNA-sequencing analysis. We confirmed the stealth effect of LV transduction on the loss of HSC numbers in commonly used culture protocols, while addition of Quisinostat or CPI203 improved expansion of HSCs in transduction protocols. Of note, we demonstrated that addition of Quisinostat improved LV transduction efficiency of HSCs and early progenitors. Our suggested culture conditions highlight the potential therapeutic effect of epigenetic regulators in hematopoietic stem cell biology and their clinical applications to advance HSC-based gene correction.

Study EGAS50000000175

Temporal Evolution Reveals Bifurcated Lineages in Aggressive Neuroendocrine Small Cell Prostate Cancer Trans-Differentiation

Trans-differentiation from adenocarcinoma to small cell neuroendocrine (SCN) cancer is an adverse consequence of treatment escape in various cancers, including prostate, lung, and bladder cancers (Balanis and Sheu et al., PMID 31287989). Expression of dominant negative p53 (TP53DN), myrAkt1, RB1-shRNA, c-Myc, and Bcl2(PARCB forward transformation) using human naïve prostate basal epithelial cells recapitulated both transcriptional and histological characteristics of small cell neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC) (Park et al., PMID 30287662). To study the temporal transcriptional landscape during this trans-differentiation process, we conducted a time course study using a PARCB model by integrating multi-omics sequencing, including bulk RNA-sequencing and ATAC-sequencing on samples taken at different time point, as well as single cell RNA sequencing on serial xenograft tumors. We found a common SCN pathway that resulted in two distinct end states defined by mutually exclusive expression of ASCL1 and ASCL2. Further investigation using CUT&RUN sequencing identified TFAP4 as a potential epigenetic regulator of both proteins. Our study reveals temporal and transcriptional changes from prostate adenocarcinoma to NEPC trans-differentiation.

Study phs003230

Federated discovery and sharing of genomic data using Beacons

The Beacon Project is a Global Alliance for Genomics & Health (GA4GH) initiative that enables genomic and clinical data sharing across federated networks. The project is working toward developing regulatory, ethics and security guidance to ensure proportionate safeguards for distribution of data according to the GA4GH-developed “Framework for Responsible Sharing of Genomic and Health-Related Data”. Within this Nature Biotechnology Correspondence a description of the Beacon protocol and how it can be used as a model for the federated discovery and sharing of genomic data is offered to the community. A Beacon is defined as a web-accessible service that can be queried for information about a specific allele. A user of a Beacon can pose queries of the form “Have you observed this nucleotide (e.g., C) at this genomic location (e.g., position 32,936,732 on chromosome 13)?” to which the Beacon responds with either “yes” or “no.” In this way, a Beacon allows allelic information of interest to be discovered by a remote searcher with no reference to a specific sample or patient, thereby mitigating privacy risks. The Beacon API (represented as a RESTful web application) provides a technical specification that a Beacon server must implement. The specification is open source and available online here. To simplify the process of lighting a Beacon, a free, open-source reference implementation of the latest specification has been developed. GA4GH is promoting different levels of data access (open, registered, and controlled) for convenience and for compatibility across its projects. Each so-called access tier has distinct visibility and requirements for authorization. For example, ‘open access’ Beacons are accessible to anonymous users of the internet, whereas ‘registered access’ Beacons are accessible to registered users (for example, bona fide researchers and clinicians) who have agreed to a set of conditions of data use. Many of the largest genomic archives, such as dbGaP, the European Genome-phenome Archive and the European Variation Archive, have provided access to variation data through Beacons for some or all of their datasets. Beacons can be interconnected through the Beacon Network, a directory and search engine for Beacons. Although individual Beacons answer the question “Have you observed this allele?”, the Beacon Network answers the question “Who has observed this allele?”. Beacons can be freely registered to the Beacon Network and can be searched independently or in aggregate with other connected Beacons.

Blog federated-discovery-using-beacons

Whole-genome methylation profiling of menstrual stem cells identifies novel biomarkers for endometriosis

Endometriosis is a highly prevalent condition that remains underdiagnosed and poorly managed due to the lack of clinically validated biomarkers and limited understanding of its underlying pathophysiology. Although menstrual blood–derived stem cells (MenSCs) have been implicated in disease pathogenesis, their potential as a diagnostic source has not been systematically explored. We conducted a clinical study including 42 women (19 with endometriosis and 23 controls) to evaluate whether DNA methylation profiles from freshly isolated MenSCs could identify disease-specific biomarkers. Whole-genome DNA methylation sequencing identified differentially methylated regions (DMRs) enriched in genes associated with key features of endometriosis, including inflammation, tissue remodelling, and developmental processes. These DMRs robustly discriminated cases from controls, independently of technical and clinical confounders. Machine learning models trained and validated on these regions demonstrated strong diagnostic performance (specificity 83%, sensitivity 79%). Integration with an independent single-cell RNA sequencing dataset suggested that the identified DMRs may influence gene expression, supporting their biological relevance. Collectively, these findings highlight MenSC DNA methylation profiling as a promising, non-invasive strategy for early diagnosis and personalised management of endometriosis. (PubMed IDs will be provided once the manuscript is published.)

Study EGAS50000001640

Single-cell multidimensional profiling of tumor cell heterogeneity in supratentorial ependymomas

Supratentorial ependymomas (ST-EPNs) are aggressive and treatment-resistant pediatric brain tumors that form along the human cortex, with suspected origin from radial glia cells. Although histologically similar, ST-EPNs are molecularly classified into six distinct subgroups, many of them remaining understudied. Here, we integrated molecular cell states and spatial architecture to resolve the cellular origins and aberrant differentiation trajectories of ST-EPNs at single-cell resolution. We show that, while all ST-EPNs display a unified origin from neuroepithelial cells, different subgroups harbor highly diverse cell states and differentiation potential associated with neural or ependymal differentiation. Spatial mapping uncovered a higher-order structural tumor organization driven by presence of the mesenchymal state, and refines classical histological features based on detailed molecular resolution. By benchmarking a morpho-molecular cell-state classification system in different disease models and human tumors, we identified four cellular subtypes defined by the architecture of neurite-like extensions that mediate either self-renewal or fast, saltatory invasive phenotypes reminiscent of neurons during neurodevelopment. Collectively, our study provides a comprehensive framework for the study of ST-EPN cellular states, and reveals biologically relevant tumor compartmentalization with potential clinical implication.

Study EGAS50000001513

Systematic dissection of tumor-normal single-cell ecosystems across a thousand tumors of 30 cancer types

The complexity of the tumor microenvironment poses significant challenges in cancer therapy. Here, to comprehensively investigate the tumor-normal ecosystems, we perform an integrative analysis of 4.9 million single-cell transcriptomes from 1,070 tumor and 493 normal samples in combination with pan-cancer 137 spatial transcriptomics, 8,887 TCGA, and 1,261 checkpoint inhibitor-treated bulk tumors. We define a myriad of cell states constituting the tumor-normal ecosystems and also identify hallmark gene signatures across different cell types and organs. Our atlas characterizes distinctions between inflammatory fibroblasts marked by AKR1C1 or WNT5A in terms of cellular interactions and spatial co-localization patterns. Co-occurrence analysis reveals interferon-enriched community states including tertiary lymphoid structure (TLS) components, which exhibit differential rewiring between tumor, adjacent normal, and healthy normal tissues. The favorable response of interferon-enriched community states to immunotherapy is validated using immunotherapy-treated cancers (n=1,261) including our lung cancer cohort (n=497). Deconvolution of spatial transcriptomes discriminates TLS-enriched from non-enriched cell types among immunotherapy-favorable components. Our systematic dissection of tumor-normal ecosystems provides a deeper understanding of inter- and intra-tumoral heterogeneity.

Study EGAS50000000324

Prediction of homologous recombination deficiency identifies colorectal tumors sensitive to PARP inhibition

BRCAness is a well-established feature in breast, ovarian, prostate and pancreatic carcinomas, our recent findings indicate that up to 15% of colorectal cancers (CRC) also harbor defects in the HR pathway, presenting promising opportunities for innovative therapeutic strategies in CRC patients. We developed a new tool called HRDirect, which builds upon the HRDetect algorithm and is able to predict HRD from reference-free tumor samples. We validated HRDirect using matched breast cancer and CRC patient samples. Subsequently, we assessed its efficacy in predicting response to the PARP inhibitor olaparib by comparing it with two other commercial assays: AmoyDx HRD by Amoy Diagnostics and the TruSight Oncology (TSO) _500 HRD panel by Illumina NGS technology. While all three approaches successfully identified the most PARPi-sensitive CRC models, HRDirect demonstrated superior precision in distinguishing resistant models compared to AmoyDX and TSO500-HRD, which exhibited overlapping scores between sensitive and resistant cells. Furthermore, we propose integrating HRDirect scoring with ATM immunohistochemical analysis as part of our "composite biomarker approach" to enhance the identification of HRD tumors, with an immediate translational and clinical impact for CRC personalized treatment.

Study EGAS50000000426

Study on the proliferation history of colorectal adenomas

Mismatch repair (MMR) deficient colorectal adenomas are composed of transformed cells that descend from a common founder and progressively accumulate genomic alterations but their proliferation history is still largely unknown. Here we rebuilt the proliferation history of four MMR deficient colorectal adenomas from male individuals by deep sequencing the X chromosome and mapping the somatic mutations that were progressively acquired during tumor growth. We developed a novel method to call high and low frequency mutations, to cluster them according to their frequencies and rebuild the proliferation trees directly from these mutation clusters using a recursive algorithm. The trees of all four lesions were formed of a dominant subclone that coexisted with other genetically heterogeneous subpopulations of cells. Despite this similar hierarchical organization, however, the growth dynamics varied among and within tumors, likely depending on a combination of tumor-specific genetic and environmental factors. Our study provides insights into the biological properties of individual MMR deficient colorectal adenomas that may influence their growth and also the response to therapy. Extended to other solid tumors, our approach could inform on the mechanisms of cancer progression, thus providing insight into the best choice of cancer treatment methods.

Study EGAS00001000883

Dissection of the molecular complexity of colorectal cancer in pre-clinical models identifies predictive signatures of sensitivity to EGFR inhibitors

Colorectal carcinoma (CRC) is a heterogeneous tumour entity, with only a fraction of the tumours responding to currently available therapies. A detailed understanding of the biology and genetics of CRC is a prerequisite for precision medicine. To address this challenge in clinical oncology, the OncoTrack consortium recruited 106 CRC patients (stages I-IV) and developed an integrated pre-clinical platform analysing drug sensitivity in the established matched patient-derived in vivo and in vitro models, 46 three-dimensional cell cultures and 59 xenografts, recapitulating many of the molecular features of the donor tumours. We generated extensive omics information on patient tumours and their derived models used to generate a compendium of drug sensitivity data. We could distinguish tumour molecular sub-groups responding differently to therapy and identified a novel independent predictor of sensitivity to the EGFR inhibitor cetuximab. The findings reported here will advance our understanding of CRC and its response to therapy.

Study EGAS00001001752

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