16485 results for "sec+and+unspecified+malignant+neoplasm"

in 46.27 milliseconds.

• Unraveling the transcriptomic profile of utero-tubal lavage fluid of ovarian cancer patients

  The majority of ovarian cancers are diagnosed at an advanced stage and have a high mortality rate. Current screening strategies fail to improve prognosis because markers of early stage disease are lacking. This medical need justifies the search for biomarkers enabling early detection of ovarian cancer. In this study, we explore the extracellular transcriptome of utero-tubal lavage fluid obtained from 26 ovarian cancer patients and 48 controls using messenger RNA (mRNA) capture and small RNA sequencing. Because of its contact with the fallopian tube and the ovaries, collection of utero-tubal lavage might be the preferred non-invasive method to identify localized lesions compared with analyses based on peripheral blood samples. We observed an enrichment of ovarian and fallopian tube specific messenger RNAs in utero-tubal lavage fluid compared to other human biofluids. Over 300 mRNAs and 41 miRNAs were upregulated in ovarian cancer samples compared with controls. Upregulated genes were enriched for genes involved in cell cycle activation and proliferation, hinting at a tumor derived signal. In conclusion, we provide proof-of-principle that mRNA capture sequencing of utero-tubal lavage fluid is technically feasible, and that the extracellular transcriptome of utero-tubal lavage should be further explored in larger cohorts to assess the diagnostic value of the biomarkers identified in this study.

  Study EGAS00001005498

• Genetic insights into the biological mechanisms governing human ovarian ageing

  Reproductive longevity is critical for fertility and impacts healthy ageing in women, yet insights into the underlying biological mechanisms and treatments to preserve it are limited. Here, we identify 290 genetic determinants of ovarian ageing, assessed using normal variation in age at natural menopause (ANM) in ~200,000 women of European ancestry. These common alleles influence clinical extremes of ANM; women in the top 1% of genetic susceptibility have an equivalent risk of premature ovarian insufficiency to those carrying monogenic FMR1 premutations. Identified loci implicate a broad range of DNA damage response (DDR) processes and include loss-of-function variants in key DDR genes. Integration with experimental models demonstrates that these DDR processes act across the life-course to shape the ovarian reserve and its rate of depletion. Furthermore, we demonstrate that experimental manipulation of DDR pathways highlighted by human genetics increase fertility and extend reproductive life in mice. Causal inference analyses using the identified genetic variants indicates that extending reproductive life in women improves bone health and reduces risk of type 2 diabetes, but increases risks of hormone-sensitive cancers. These findings provide insight into the mechanisms governing ovarian ageing, when they act across the life-course, and how they might be targeted by therapeutic approaches to extend fertility and prevent disease.

  Study EGAS00001004947

• Control of Focal Adhesion Kinase Activation by RUNX1-regulated miRNAs in high-risk AML

  We recently described a 16-gene expression signature for improved risk stratification of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients called the AML Prognostic Score (APS). A subset of APS high-risk AML patients showed increased levels of focal adhesion kinase (FAK), encoded by the Protein Tyrosine Kinase 2 (PTK2) gene, which was correlated with RUNX1 mutations. RUNX1 mutant cells are more sensitive to PTK2 inhibitors. As we were not able to detect RUNX1 binding sites in the PTK2 promoter, we hypothesized that RUNX1 might regulate micro(mi)RNAs that repress PTK2, such that loss-of-function RUNX1 mutations would result in reduced miRNA expression and derepression of PTK2. Examination of paired RNA-seq and miRNA-seq data from 301 AML cases revealed two miRNAs that positively correlated with RUNX1 expression, contained RUNX1 binding sites in their promoters and were predicted to target PTK2. We show that the hsa-let7a-2-3p and hsa-miR-135a-5p promoters are regulated by RUNX1, and that PTK2 is a direct target of both miRNAs. Even in the absence of RUNX1 mutations, hsa-let7a-2-3p and hsa-miR-135a-5p regulate PTK2 expression, and reduced expression of these two miRNAs sensitizes AML cells to PTK2 inhibition. These data explain how RUNX1 regulates PTK2, and identify potential miRNA biomarkers for targeting AML with PTK2 inhibitors.

  Study EGAS00001006491

• Loss of LGR4/GPR48 causes severe neonatal salt-wasting due to disrupted WNT signaling altering adrenal zonation

  Disorders of isolated mineralocorticoid deficiency causing potentially life-threatening salt-wasting crisis early in life have been associated with gene variants of aldosterone biosynthesis or resistance, but in some patients no such variants are found. WNT/β-catenin signaling is crucial for differentiation and maintenance of the aldosterone producing adrenal zona glomerulosa (zG). We describe a highly consanguineous family with multiple perinatal deaths or infants presenting at birth with failure to thrive, severe salt-wasting crises associated with isolated hypoaldosteronism, nail anomalies, short stature, and deafness. Whole exome sequencing revealed a homozygous splice variant in the R-SPONDIN receptor LGR4 gene (c.618-1G>C) regulating WNT signaling. The resulting transcripts affected protein function and stability, and resulted in loss of Wnt/β-catenin signaling in vitro. The impact of LGR4 inactivation was analyzed by adrenal cortex specific ablation of Lgr4, using Lgr4Flox/Flox mated with Sf1:Cre mice. Inactivation of Lgr4 within the adrenal cortex in the mouse model caused decreased WNT signaling, aberrant zonation with deficient zG and reduced aldosterone production. Thus, human LGR4 mutations establish a direct link between LGR4 inactivation and decreased canonical WNT signaling with abnormal zG differentiation and endocrine function. Therefore, variants in WNT signaling and its regulators should systematically be considered in familial hyperreninemic hypoaldosteronism.

  Study EGAS00001006808

• This study generated Oxford Nanopore long read sequencing data of cancer cell line mixtures for validating long-read variant calls in cancer genomics

  Long-read sequencing (LRS) improves genome alignment and facilitates resolving variants in complex genomic regions, making it a promising approach for cancer variant detection and biomarker discovery. Here, we evaluate the performance of LRS to detect somatic variants across different tumour purities and sequencing depths by comparing to somatic variants from short-read sequencing. We generated experimental mixtures of cancer cell lines and matched normal cell lines to simulate 10 tumour purities (ranging from 0 to 100% tumour content). This resulted in 22 samples which were sequenced using whole genome LRS to a targeted depth of 60x and somatic variants were identified. We downsampled sequencing data to explore the optimal read depth for somatic variant detection. Our results show that long-read variant calling tools achieve recall rates comparable to short-read gold standards. While a tumour sequencing depth of 30x to 60× is generally sufficient for detecting common variants, particularly structural variants (SVs), sequencing the matched normal sample at adequate depth is crucial for accuracy. Notably, we found variants unique to LRS that may represent real and previously undetected events. This study highlights key factors for optimising cancer genome sequencing with LRS and provides a comprehensive dataset of cell line mixtures for future research and tool development.

  Study EGAS00001008107

• Whole Genome Sequencing of clonal expansions of single healthy somatic cells (human, female)

  HSC73_clone: Bone marrow mononuclear cells from the healthy 73 years old female were thawed and labeled with Alexa-Fluor 488-conjugated anti-CD34 (581, Biolegend), Alexa-Fluor 700-conjugated anti-CD38 (HIT2, eBioscience), a cocktail of APC-conjugated lineage antibodies consisting of anti-CD4 (RPA-T4), anti-CD8 (RPA-T8), anti-CD11b (ICRF44), anti-CD20 (2H7), anti-CD56 (B159, all BD Biosciences), anti-CD14 (61D3), anti-CD19 (HIB19) and anti-CD235a (HIR2, all eBiocience) and 1 micro-gram/ml propidium iodide (Sigma). Using a BD FACSAria cell sorter, single Lin-CD34+CD38-PI- cells were individually sorted into low-adhesion 96-well tissue culture plates (Corning) containing 100micro-litre of StemSpan Serum-Free Expansion Medium (Stemcell technologies) supplemented with 100ng/ml of human SCF and FLT-3L, 50ng/ml of human TPO, 20ng/ml of human IL-3, IL-6 and G-CSF (all cytokines from Peprotech) and 50U/ml of penicillin and 50μg/ml of streptomycin (Sigma). Cells were incubated at 37 degrees C in a humidified atmosphere with 5% CO2 in air. After 5 days in culture, another 100micro litres of cytokine-containing medium were added. 13 days after seeding, clones B6 and G2 had expanded to approx. 105 cells and were selected for whole genome sequencing (2x101bp, paired-end, Illumina HiSeq2500) after tagmentation-based library preparation (see Extended Experimental Procedures) for clone B6 and standard library preparation for clone G2. For germline-control ~106 unsorted bone marrow mononuclear cells from the same donor were used for sequencing. An average of 30-fold sequence coverage for each the clones and the matching control were obtained.L4clone: A progenitor cell clone was raised from a peripheral blood sample of the 39 year old healthy female. Frozen peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated from 2 ml heparinised peripheral blood via Ficoll Paque density centrifugation. A methylcellulose assay was performed as described earlier (Weisse et al., 2012). In brief, non-adherent mononuclear cells were incubated in the presence of the recombinant human cytokines IL-3, IL-5 and GM-CSF (R&D systems) over 14 days to induce colony formation. Colonies were detected under an inverted light microscope, and plucked by a pipette when colonies had approximately 10,000 cells/CFU. Each colony was washed three times in PBS and finally frozen as a cell pellet in -80 degrees C. Genomic DNA was isolated using the QIAamp DNA micro kit according to the instructions of the manufacturer (Qiagen, Hilden, Germany). Whole genome sequencing (2x101bp, paired-end, Illumina HiSeq2500) was performed for colony 4 after tagmentation-based library preparation and resulted in 15-fold sequence coverage for each the colony and the matching whole blood.

  Dataset EGAD00001000666

• A prognostic human brain network for diffuse midline glioma

  Diffuse midline glioma (DMG) are near-universally lethal tumours of the paediatric central nervous system. In animal models, DMG form brain-wide, integrated networks through neuron-to-glioma synapses and glioma-to-glioma gap junctional coupling. This extensive connectivity robustly promotes the growth and invasion of DMG and other glial malignancies through paracrine mechanisms and direct neuron-to-glioma synapses. The organisation and clinical implications of these connections in the living human brain, however, remain to be elucidated. Here, we develop tumour network mapping to compute the brain-wide connectivity profile of DMG: defining a conserved brain network across pontine and thalamic DMG associated with patient short-term survival (DMG network). Tumour functional connectivity with the DMG network was independently predictive of patient overall survival across two external validation cohorts. Tumour growth mapped to DMG network-specific trajectories and peak, in-network neurometabolic changes across development spatiotemporally aligned with the peak age incidence of DMG. Single-nucleus RNA-sequencing confirmed diverse synaptic gene enrichment in high-connectivity DMG. Strikingly, incidental surgical resection of high-connectivity thalamic DMG tissue conferred a significant survival advantage. Collectively, these data define a conserved and prognostically important brain network in children with DMG, consistent with the hypothesis that DMG exploit otherwise healthy brain circuits to promote tumour growth.

  Study EGAS50000001752

• 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

• RNA-Sequencing of B-Lymphoblastic Leukemia with Glucocorticoids and PI3K Delta Inhibition

  Mononuclear cells were isolated from bone marrow or peripheral blood of 7 pediatric subjects with B-lymphoblastic leukemia at the time of diagnosis. To determine the effect of PI3K delta inhibition on glucocorticoid-induced gene regulation, B-lymphoblastic leukemia cells were treated with glucocorticoids +/- the PI3K delta inhibitor, idelalisib, for 24 hours prior to RNA extraction and sequencing. Biological replicates were performed for 4 of the 7 subjects; 2 of these subjects had specimens demonstrating an additive response to the combination of glucocorticoids and idelalisib in viability testing in vitro, and 2 subjects' specimens demonstrated a synergistic response. All 7 subjects were analyzed together and the 4 specimens with biological replicates were also evaluated in an additional analysis. An average of 40 million reads per specimen and treatment condition were obtained. We compared gene expression in each treatment condition to vehicle-treated cells and expression in glucocorticoid or idelalisib only treated cells to combination treated cells. Using a high dose of dexamethasone (25 or 50 nM) and an equivalent dose of prednisolone, we found that the addition of idelalisib (500 nM) enhanced prednisolone-induced gene regulation but not dexamethasone-induced gene regulation. Surprisingly, the specimens with additive response to combination therapy demonstrated enhancement of prednisolone-induced gene regulation with the addition of idelalisib, while the specimens with synergistic responses did not. Raw sequencing data (FASTQ) and count tables will be available through dbGaP.

  Study phs003085

• Genome and Transcriptome Assembly Reveals SVA-Mediated Aberrant Splicing in X-Linked Dystonia Parkinsonism

  X-linked Dystonia-Parkinsonism (XDP, DYT3) is a long-standing quandary in human disease genetics. XDP is predominantly observed on Panay island in the Philippines. This study is one of the first of its kind to interrogate an unsolved Mendelian disorder by integrating genome and transcriptome assembly methods using Illumina, 10X Genomics, Pacific Biosciences, and Agilent genome targeting technologies. These data provide strong evidence for a pathogenic link between a noncoding SVA retrotransposon and XDP. We demonstrate that this Mendelian disorder is associated with a sine-VNTR-Alu (SVA) retrotransposon that inserted into the TAF1 gene and is shared by all XDP probands, yet never observed in controls from worldwide populations. Transcriptome assembly in iPSC-derived neural stem cells (NSCs) and neurons revealed that this SVA caused aberrant splicing and significant intron retention, which was negatively correlated with TAF1 expression. Remarkably, CRISPR/Cas9 excision of the SVA rescued the aberrant transcriptional signature and normalized expression of TAF1 in patient-derived NSCs. We have also interrogated iPSC-derived microglia to investigate the contribution of glial components to the cellular and molecular deficit, effect of TNF treatment on XDP transcriptional signatures. To further understand what XDP may have in common with other hereditary dystonias (such as DYT6), we are further comparing these signatures to ones associated with dystonia-specific variants in proteins that, like TAF1, are also involved in regulating transcription, i.e. THAP1. 

  Study phs001525

• Cellular Indexing of Transcriptomes and Epitopes Sequencing (CITE-Seq) Analysis to Investigate the Impact of Granulocyte-Colony Stimulating Factor on CRISPR/Cas9 Gene Edited Human Hematopoietic Stem Cell Function

  Our research using in-vivo preclinical xenograft mouse models demonstrated that G-CSF impedes engraftment of CRISPR-Cas9 gene edited human hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). In this CITE-seq study, we sought to investigate the mechanisms by which G-CSF negatively impacts long-term repopulating functions of CRISPR-Cas9 gene edited human HSCs. Accordingly, human CD34+ cells were obtained from a healthy volunteer and edited with Cas9 alone (Cas9 group), Cas9+AAVS1-targeting gRNA (RNP group), or Cas9+AAVS1-targeting gRNA+GSE56 (RNP/GSE56 group). Then, these edited cells were transplanted into busulfan-conditioned NSG mice, and these mice subsequently received 3 days of phosphate buffered saline (PBS) or G-CSF. Each mouse was subsequently euthanized and harvested for bone marrow cells and human CD34+cells were isolated using immunomagnetic beads. Isolated CD34+ cells from a total of 6 mice were individually stained with Total seq B CITE-seq antibodies (CD38, CD45RA, CD90, CD49f) + hashtag oligo antibodies 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. Fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS) was used to purify ~2,500 cells from each group that were subsequently pooled for CITE-seq library preparation and sequencing. Seurat was used to demultiplex data into 6 individual groups and differential gene expression analysis was performed to evaluate the impact of G-CSF within Cas9, RNP and RNP/GSE56 groups.

  Study phs003277

• MP2PRT: Comprehensive Genomic Profiling to Identify Alterations Associated with Relapse for NCI Standard Risk (SR) B-Lineage ALL and NCI High Risk (HR) B-Lineage ALL with Favorable Genetic Features

  The Molecular Profiling to Predict Response to Treatment (MP2PRT) program is part of the NCI's Cancer Moonshot Initiative. The aim of this program is the retrospective characterization and analysis of biospecimens collected from completed NCI-sponsored trials of the National Clinical Trials Network and the NCI Community Oncology Research Program. This study, titled "Comprehensive Genomic Profiling to Identify Alterations Associated with Relapse for NCI Standard Risk (SR) B-Lineage ALL and NCI High Risk (HR) B-Lineage ALL with Favorable Genetic Features," is one of the selected studies under this program. For this study, genomic characterization (WGS 30X, WXS, Total RNAseq) was performed on NCI Standard Risk B-lineage ALL patients who relapse and subsets of NCI High Risk B-lineage ALL patients who relapse as well as two non-relapse control cases for each relapse case. It was hypothesized that the comprehensive characterization of these sample sets will allow the identification of somatic genetic features that will facilitate early intervention to improve cure rates for those enrolled on future trials. Data were generated and genetic subtype was integrated with clinical variables, including age, presenting white blood cell count, sex, race, and levels of minimal residual disease at the end of induction. Additional secondary alterations were identified and included if they occurred in more than 10 patients. The study has been completed and a manuscript has been prepared.

  Study phs002005

• Expression of Activation Induced Cytidine Deaminase and Risk of Transformation in Follicular Lymphoma

  It is currently unclear how to identify follicular lymphoma (FL) patients with low disease burden but high risk for early progression. Building on a prior study demonstrating early transformation in FLs with high variant allele frequency (VAF) BCL2 mutations at activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AICDA) sites, we examined 11 AICDA mutational targets, including BCL2, BCL6, PAX5, PIM1, RHOH, SOCS1, and MYC, in a more contemporary cohort of 199 newly diagnosed grade 1 and grade 2 FLs using targeted capture and massively parallel sequencing. BCL2 mutations with VAF >20% occurred in 52% of cases. Among 97 FLs that did not initially receive rituximab-containing therapy, nonsynonymous BCL2 mutations at VAF >20% were associated with shorter, event-free survival (EFS, median 1.4 years with these mutations versus 4.5 years without, p = 0.048), and increased risk of transformation (HR 3.01, 95% CI 1.03-8.77, p = 0.04). Other sequenced genes were less frequently mutated and did not significantly increase the prognostic value of the panel. Across the entire population, BCL2 mutations at VAF >20% were associated with decreased EFS (HR 1.58, 95% CI 1.03-2.40, p = 0.034 after correction for FLIPI and treatment) and decreased overall survival after median 14-year follow-up (HR 1.86, 95% CI 1.07-3.23, p = 0.029). Thus, high VAF BCL2 mutations remain a prognostic factor for FL even in the chemoimmunotherapy era and might need to be considered in future study design.

  Study phs002845

• Uncovering Inversion Formation in the Human Genome and its Impact to Disease

  The relevance of inversions for disease causation, speciation and adaptation is broadly recognized, although the prevalence of inversions is unknown. In humans, de novo inversions are associated with congenital anomalies in approximately 9.6% of patients. Yet, despite the biological relevance of inversions, their molecular features, formation mechanism, impact to the genomic structure of carriers, as well as their contribution to clinical phenotypes, have not been further explored. Inversions are typically classified as balanced reciprocal events generated by ectopic recombination, although recent studies reveal a distinct picture whereby inversions originate from mechanisms that concomitantly generate copy number variants (CNVs). Surprisingly, those complex inversions underlie as much as 30% of neurodevelopmental-associated CNVs. The hypothesis of this project are: inversions are often generated de novo by mechanisms other than ectopic recombination a relevant fraction of inversions are associated with complex genomic rearrangements (CGRs), often overlooked in sporadic diseases, and inversions are a "hidden" type of structural variation for which contribution to a clinical phenotypes has been under assessed due to the lack of appropriate detection tools. A combined strategy using multiple genomic tools will be applied to characterize inversions and associated genomic alterations in individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders and controls: whole genome sequencing (WGS) with short-and long-reads; genome mapping; classical cytogenetics; and array CGH. This project will establish common ground to bridge studies of rare and common diseases, human evolution, and population genetics.

  Study phs002999

• Transcriptomic profiles of chronic lymphocytic leukemia before and after frontline therapy: 5-year results from the randomized CLL14 study

  CLL14 (NCT02242942) is a multinational, open-label Phase III study designed to compare venetoclax-obinutuzumab (Ven-Obi) versus chlorambucil-obinutuzumab (Clb-Obi) in previously untreated patients with CLL and co-existing conditions. Between Aug 7, 2015, and Aug 4, 2016, 432 patients were enrolled and randomly assigned to receive either venetoclax plus obinutuzumab (Ven-Obi, n=216) or chlorambucil plus obinutuzumab (Clb-Obi, n=216). In both study arms, patients received fixed-duration treatment of overall 12 cycles, each cycle 28 days long, and entered subsequent post-treatment surveillance. Peripheral blood samples were collected before the start of therapy, as well as every 3-6 months during and after therapy, including at the time of disease progression. The primary endpoint of the study was progression-free survival, secondary endpoints included overall response rate, minimal residual disease response, and overall survival. The primary read-out was conducted after a median follow-up of 28.1 months, when the primary endpoint was met with 30 primary end-point events (disease progression or death) in the Ven-Obi arm and 77 in the Clb-Obi arm (hazard ratio, 0.35; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.23 to 0.53;P<0.001). Follow-up is ongoing until 9 years after the last patient enrollment. In an exploratory analysis, bulk RNAseq was conducted with CD19-enriched blood from patients before start of therapy (418 patients) and at first relapse (44 patients).

  Study EGAS00001006596

• RRBS sequencing of 7 tumour regions and a normal sample from a single TRACERx patient.

  Background: Epigenetic heterogeneity within a tumour can play an important role in tumour evolution and the emergence of resistance to treatment. It is increasingly recognised that the study of DNA methylation (DNAm) patterns along the genome - so-called `epialleles' - offers greater insight into epigenetic dynamics than conventional analyses which examine DNAm marks individually. Results: We have developed a Bayesian model to infer which epialleles are present in multiple regions of the same tumour. We apply our method to reduced representation bisulfite sequencing (RRBS) data from multiple regions of one lung cancer tumour and a matched normal sample. The model borrows information from all tumour regions to leverage greater statistical power. The total number of epialleles, the epiallele DNAm patterns, and a noise hyperparameter are all automatically inferred from the data. Uncertainty as to which epiallele an observed sequencing read originated from is explicitly incorporated by marginalising over the appropriate posterior densities. The degree to which tumour samples are contaminated with normal tissue can be estimated and corrected for. By tracing the distribution of epialleles throughout the tumour we can infer the phylogenetic history of the tumour, identify epialleles that differ between normal and cancer tissue, and define a measure of global epigenetic disorder. Conclusions: Detection and comparison of epialleles within multiple tumour regions enables phylogenetic analyses, identification of differentially expressed epialleles, and provides a measure of epigenetic heterogeneity.

  Study EGAS00001002484

• A Dose Escalation Study of Efmarodocokin Alfa (UTTR1147A) in Healthy Volunteers and Patients with Ulcerative Colitis

  Background: The interleukin-22 cytokine (IL-22) has demonstrated efficacy in nonclinical colitis models with a non-immunosuppressive mechanism-of-action. Efmarodocokin alfa (UTTR1147A) is a fusion protein agonist that links IL-22 to the crystallizable fragment (Fc) of human immunoglobulin (IgG4) for improved pharmacokinetic characteristics, but with a mutation to minimize Fc effector functions. Methods: This randomized, phase 1b study evaluated the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of repeat intravenous dosing of efmarodocokin alfa in healthy volunteers (HVs; n=32) and patients with ulcerative colitis (UC; n=24) at 30–90 µg/kg doses given biweekly (Q2W) or monthly (Q4W) (6:2 active:placebo per cohort). Results: The most common adverse events (AEs) were on-target dermatological effects (dry skin, erythema, and pruritus) that were reversible. Dose-limiting non-serious dermatological AEs (severe dry skin, erythema, exfoliation, and discomfort) were seen in two HVs and one patient at 90 ug/kg Q2W. Pharmacokinetics were generally dose-proportional across the dose levels tested, but patients demonstrated lower drug exposures relative to HVs at the same dose. IL-22 serum biomarkers and IL-22 responsive genes in colon biopsies were induced with active treatment. Patients demonstrated changes in microbiota composition following active treatment, thereby reversing baseline dysbiosis. Clinical response was observed in 7/18 active- and 1/6 placebo-treated patients; clinical remission was observed in 5/18 active- and 0/6 placebo-treated patients.

  Study EGAS00001006172

• A Single Cell Transcriptomic Analysis of Human Neocortical Development

  Defining the number, proportion, or lineage of distinct cell types in the developing human brain is an important goal of modern brain research. We produced single cell transcriptomic profiles for 40,000 cells at mid-gestation to define deep expression profiles corresponding to all known major cell types at this developmental period and compare this with bulk tissue profiles. We identified multiple transcription factors (TFs) and co-factors expressed in specific cell types, including multiple new cell-type-specific relationships, providing an unprecedented resource for understanding human neocortical development and evolution. This includes the first single-cell characterization of human subplate neurons and subtypes of developing glutamatergic and GABAergic neurons. We also used these data to deconvolute single cell regulatory networks that connect regulatory elements and transcriptional drivers to single cell gene expression programs in the developing CNS. We characterized major developmental trajectories that tie cell cycle progression with early cell fate decisions during early neurogenesis. Remarkably, we found that differentiation occurs on a transcriptomic continuum, so that differentiating cells not only express the few key TFs that drive cell fates, but express broad, mixed cell-type transcriptomes prior to telophase. Finally, we mapped neuropsychiatric disease genes to specific cell types, implicating dysregulation of specific cell types in ASD, ID, and epilepsy, as the mechanistic underpinnings of several neurodevelopmental disorders. Together these results provide an extensive catalog of cell types in human neocortex and extend our understanding of early cortical development, human brain evolution and the cellular basis of neuropsychiatric disease.

  Study phs001836

• International Verapamil SR/Trandolapril [INVEST] Genes Study

  INternational VErapamil SR-Trandolapril STudy (INVEST) was a prospective, multicenter, randomized, open-label, parallel-clinical trial that evaluated blood pressure response and adverse outcomes in patients randomized to either an atenolol-based or a verapamil SR-based hypertension treatment strategy in 22,576 patients with documented coronary artery disease and hypertension (PMID: 9809930,14657064). Hydrochlorothiazide and trandolapril were added as needed to achieve BP control or end organ protection in a protocol-defined manner. Briefly, the protocol required patients to be followed up at bassline, 6, 12, 18 and 24 weeks and then every 6 months thereafter until 2 years after the last patient was enrolled. At each visit, patients had BP and heart rate measured, clinical assessment performed, and additional antihypertensive medications added as needed to meet JNC VI blood pressure goals. The primary outcome was the first occurrence of all-cause death, nonfatal myocardial infarction (MI), or nonfatal stroke (clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT00133692). The genetic substudy of INVEST, INVEST-GENES, collected genomic DNA samples from 5,979 INVEST study participants. INVEST-GENES samples were genotyped on the Illumina OmniExpressExome GWAS chip. This data release includes 1529 samples that passed quality control including 657 whites, 537 Hispanics and 155 blacks. Two case-control subsets were created: one for the primary outcome of all-cause death, nonfatal MI or nonfatal stroke; the other one is for new-onset diabetes. Resistant hypertension was also evaluated in 1349 participants based on the medication use and blood pressure measurements at the visit prior to experiencing study outcomes or censoring (PMID:30237584).

  Study phs002319

• Role of Tobacco Smoke in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma

  Background. Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is the most common histologically defined renal cancer. However, it is not a uniform disease and includes several genetic subtypes with different prognoses. ccRCC is also characterized by distinguished metabolic reprogramming. Tobacco smoking (TS) is an established risk factor for ccRCC with unknown effects on tumor pathobiology.Methods. We investigated the landscape of ccRCCs and paired normal kidney tissues (NKTs) using integrated transcriptomic, metabolomic and metallomic approaches in a cohort of never smokers (NS) and long-term current smokers (LTS) Caucasian males. Results. All three Omics domains consistently identified a distinct metabolic subtype of ccRCCs in LTS, characterized by activation of oxidative phosphorylation (OxPhos) coupled with reprogramming of the malate-aspartate shuttle and metabolism of aspartate, glutamate, glutamine and histidine. Cadmium, copper and inorganic arsenic accumulated in LTS tumors showing redistribution among intracellular pools, including relocation of copper into the cytochrome c oxidase complex. Gene expression signature based on the LTS metabolic subtype provided prognostic stratification of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) ccRCC tumors that was independent from genomic alterations.Conclusions. The work identified the TS related metabolic subtype of ccRCC with vulnerabilities that can be exploited for precision medicine approaches targeting metabolic pathways. The results provided rationale for the development of metabolic biomarkers with diagnostic and prognostic applications using evaluation of OxPhos status. The metallomic analysis revealed the role of disrupted metal homeostasis in ccRCC highlighting the importance of studying effects of metals from e-cigarettes and environmental exposures.

  Study phs002083

• A Genome-Wide Association Study of Fuchs' Endothelial Corneal Dystrophy (FECD)

  Fuchs' Endothelial Corneal Dystrophy (FECD) is a common disease that results in loss of vision associated with progressive corneal edema and loss of corneal transparency. In the initial stages of the disease, excrescences on Descemet's membrane with the appearance of an abnormal posterior collagenous layer, result in the clinical and pathologic appearance of guttae. Corneal edema ensues as endothelial function is compromised that may result in stromal edema, epithelial edema, and painful bullous keratopathy. Penetrating or endothelial keratoplasty is the only definitive treatment, with palliative care the only option prior to surgery. The pathophysiology underlying FECD, particularly in the common cases that affect older individuals, remains unknown, with a genetic predisposition being reported as the single best predictor of disease. Three independent groups funded by the National Eye Institute (NEI), with well-established programs in the genetics of FECD, conducted a genome-wide association study of FECD. The collaboration comprised investigators from Case Western University (CWRU), Duke University (DUEC), and Johns Hopkins University (JHU). CWRU and DUEC contributed samples that were genotyped at CIDR for the GWAS. Johns Hopkins University (JHU) provided samples for the replication phase of the study, where their data are not listed in dbGaP. Cohorts of FECD cases and controls were assembled. Synchronization of clinical and coded data was performed to unify the information across centers. The family history, clinical, demographic information, and genome-wide genotype data for samples from CWRU and DUEC were deposited in dbGaP.

  Study phs000421

• PCR-free shallow whole genome sequencing for chromosomal copy number detection from plasma of cancer patients is an efficient alternative to the conventional PCR-based approach

  Somatic copy number alterations (SCNAs) can be detected in tumor cell-free DNA (cfDNA) by shallow whole genome sequencing (sWGS). Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is typically included in library preparations, but a PCR-free method could be an effective alternative for research and diagnostics. Peripheral blood samples (n=22) were collected in EDTA-containing tubes from non-small cell lung cancer patients (n=10) and healthy donors (n=12). PCR and PCR-free library preparations underwent sWGS and the following metrics were compared: mapping quality, proportion of duplicate reads, genome coverage, sequencing read length and copy number profiles. The PCR-free method was further evaluated on archived plasma samples (n=33) of varying pre-analytical quality collected in EDTA or lithium heparin tubes. Archived samples were from acute myeloid leukaemia (n=15) and B-cell lymphoma (n=18) patients. The percentage of unique reads was significantly higher for the 22 samples analysed by PCR-free (95.7%) compared to PCR (84%). PCR-free libraries from 33 archived samples produced data of a comparable quality, with 95.4% unique reads. All other evaluated metrics were highly comparable for PCR and PCR-free library preparations. We conclude that SCNA detection can be performed by PCR-free sWGS on cfDNA from cancer patients and is feasible for diagnostic and archival plasma collected in EDTA- or lithium heparin-containing tubes. Our results pave the way for an automated cfDNA workflow for cancer plasma samples.

  Study EGAS00001004692

• dbGaP Collection: Open Translational Science in Schizophrenia (OPTICS)

  Schizophrenia is a chronic, severe, disabling brain disorder that affects approximately 1% of the population worldwide. Epidemiologic studies have clearly demonstrated that genetics play a strong role in etiology, but the inheritance is very complex. Innovative analytic approaches and creative ways of combining disparate data sets will be necessary for making breakthroughs in identifying causal pathways and ultimately new drug targets. This dbGaP Collection consists of all genetic studies of schizophrenia available in dbGaP that have been consented for general research use. The goal is to facilitate identification of datasets with related scientific content in order to expedite the application process and ascertainment of datasets of interest for increased scientific discovery. The Open Translational Science in Schizophrenia (OPTICS) Project, was launched by Janssen Research & Development, LLC, part of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, with a group of leading research organizations including the National Institutes of Health, Yale University School of Medicine, Rutgers University and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, to create a new forum for collaborative analysis of Janssen's schizophrenia clinical trial data and other publicly available data about schizophrenia with the goal of creating new models for conducting research. The OPTICS project is one part of a larger effort at Janssen and other Johnson & Johnson research companies to share clinical trials data to enhance public health and advance science and medicine. Qualified investigators and physicians may apply for access to anonymized clinical trials data from Janssen, for more information please visit https://sites.google.com/site/opticsschizophrenia/.

  Study phs000887

• Identification of driver oncogenes in scirrhous-type gastric cancer cell lines

  Scirrhous type gastric cancer (SGC) is one of the most intractable cancer subtypes in human, and its therapeutic targets have been rarely identified to date. Exploration of somatic mutations in the SGC genome with the next generation sequencers has been hampered by low tumor contents by the markedly increased fibrous tissues. Thus, SGC cell lines may be useful resources to search for novel oncogenes in. Here we have conducted whole exome sequencing and RNA sequencing on two SGC cell lines, OCUM-8 and OCUM-9. Interestingly, most of the mutations thus identified have not been reported. In OCUM-8 cells, a novel CD44-IGF1R fusion gene is discovered, the protein product of which ligates the amino-terminus of CD44 to the transmembrane and the tyrosine-kinase domains of IGF1R. Further, both of CD44 and IGF1R are markedly amplified in the OCUM-8 genome and abundantly expressed. CD44-IGF1R has a transforming ability, and the suppression of its kinase activity leads to rapid cell death of OCUM-8. On the other hand, OCUM-9 seems to possess multiple oncogenic events in its genome. The MET gene is highly amplified, and the treatment of OCUM-9 with crizotinib, a MET inhibitor, results in cell death. Further, a novel BORCS5-ETV6 fusion gene is identified in the OCUM-9 genome. BORCS5-ETV6 possesses oncogenic activity, and suppression of its message partially inhibits cell growth. Prevalence of these novel fusion genes among SGC awaits further investigation, but we validate the significance of cell lines as appropriate reagents for detailed genomic analyses of SGC.

  Study JGAS000179

• Immunodeficiency syndrome caused by LCP1 mutations

  Severe congenital neutropenia (SCN) is characterized by neutropenia, recurrent infections and an increased leukemia risk. Multiple genetic defects underlying SCN have been identified, but a genetic diagnosis is still lacking in a significant proportion of patients. Here, we report three independent pedigrees with autosomal dominant variants in LCP1. Variants c.740-1G>T and c.740-20_744del resulted in the same alternatively spliced RNA product, causing an in-frame deletion (p.A247_E254del). Variant c.509C>T in the third pedigree resulted in p.S170L. Variant carriers suffer from neutropenia, poor or complete lack of response to G-CSF treatment, and variable degrees of lymphopenia. Patients with A247_E254del presented with tetraploid cells in the bone marrow, indicative of disturbed cytokinesis. In one of these kindreds, two individuals developed acute leukemia. G-CSF non-responsiveness and defective cell cycling were repaired upon correction of the LCP1 A247_E254del variant in patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells, supporting the monogenic origin of the disease. Indicative of their gain-of-function, both A247_E254del and S170L variants increased F-actin bundling and formation of abnormal protrusions. Single-cell transcriptome analysis of A247_E254del bone marrow-derived hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) showed deregulation of signaling pathways controlling mitosis in multi-lineage and lymphoid-primed HSPC subsets. We conclude that activating LCP1 variants cause a new autosomal dominant hematopoietic disorder. Depending on the consequences of the LCP1 variants for protein structure, patients may suffer from G-CSF refractory severe neutropenia, lymphopenia, defective cytokinesis and predisposition to leukemia.

  Study EGAS00001008293