16461 results for "sec+and+unspecified+malignant+neoplasm"

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• Detection and phasing of single base de novo mutations in biopsies from human in vitro fertilized embryos by advanced whole-genome sequencing

  Current methods available for pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) of in vitro fertilized (IVF) embryos do not detect de novo. Detection of these types of mutations requires whole genome sequencing (WGS). In this study advanced massively parallel WGS was performed on three 5-10 cell biopsies from two blastocyst-stage embryos. Overall, greater than 95% of each genome was called and experimentally derived haplotypes and barcoded read data were used to detect and phase up to 82% of de novo single base mutations with a false positive rate of ~1 error per Gb. These results suggest that phased WGS using barcoded DNA could be used in the future as part of the PGD process to maximize comprehensiveness in detecting disease causing mutations and reduce the incidence of genetic diseases.

  Study phs000858

• Genomic Correlates of Response and Resistance to Immune Checkpoint Blockade in Solid Tumors

  Immune checkpoint inhibitors yield clinical benefit in many cancer types, but molecular predictors of response have not yet been robustly characterized. In this study, we pursued whole exome sequencing (WES) of pre-treatment tumors from patients treated with immune checkpoint therapies - including monoclonal antibodies targeting programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein-4 (CTLA-4). Using these data, we aim to apply computational pipelines for mutation-calling, neoantigen prediction, and other analyses to validate pre-existing hypotheses regarding response to immune checkpoint therapies and discover new relationships with greater power. Further, by pursuing genomic characterization of tumors from patients with a variety of cancer types, we hope to describe molecular features of intrinsically sensitive or resistant tumors that are both context-specific and shared across cancer types.

  Study phs001565

• Whole Genome Sequencing of Harvard University Embryonic Stem Cell Lines 63 and 64

  In this study we used next generation deep sequencing technologies to analyze the genomes of Harvard University Stem Cell lines 63 and 64. We performed 101-bp paired-end whole genome sequencing of the two cell lines using Illumina HiSeq platforms. The sequence reads obtained were analyzed for copy number and used for replication timing analysis. Our data suggests that read depth profiles can be used to map replication timing in Embryonic Stem Cells (ESCs). Further we observe that replication profiles are highly correlated across ESCs but distinct from those of other cell types such as Lymphoblastoid Cell Lines (LCLs). These results demonstrated that read depth data from whole genome sequencing can be used to study variation in replication timing within the human population and across different cell types. Whole genome sequences from HUES63 and HUES64 used for this study are being submitted.

  Study phs000825

• Genome-wide Association Study and Meta-Analysis of Ewing Sarcoma

  We combined a set of 122 French Ewing sarcoma (EWS) cases from the Institut Curie, 19 EWS cases from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Center for Cancer Research (CCR), and 29 EWS cases from the NCI Bone Disease and Injury Study. All EWS cases were confirmed by medical record review and the presence of a specific EWSR1-ETS translocation were noted when data was available. Each participant provided informed consent and each participating study was approved by the Institutional Review Boards of their study center. DNA was extracted using standard methods from blood, saliva (Oragene), or buccal cells. All de novo genotyping of EWS cases was performed at the NCI CGR on the Illumina OmniExpress-24 v1.1 array. Genotyping was performed according to manufacturer's guidelines using the Infinium HD Assay automated protocol.

  Study phs001549

• DNA and RNA sequencing of single human haploid germ cells

  Our goal was to look at allele-specific gene expression in single spermatids from two human donors. We first genotyped and phased each donor using a combination of linked-read sequencing (one sample per donor, 10X Chromium), and single haploid whole genome sequencing (53 spermatids for the first donor, and 19 for the second). We then sequenced mRNA from single spermatids (302 from the first donor, and 164 from the second), using the Smart-Seq2 protocol. We used these gene expression data, in combination with the haplotype data, to look for gene products that exhibit allele-specific bias reflecting the haploid genotype of the cell. We find a large class of human genes that show such allele-specific bias in spermatids, indicating that these gene products are not fully shared across the cytoplasmic bridges that connect spermatids. We term these genes “genoinformative markers” (GIMs).

  Study phs002279

• A Human Lymphoma Organoid Model for Evaluating and Targeting the Follicular Lymphoma Tumor Immune Microenvironment

  Heterogeneity in the tumor microenvironment (TME) of follicular lymphoma (FL) can affect clinical outcomes. We developed a new organoid culture method for cultivating patient-derived lymphoma organoids (PDLOs), which include cells from the native FL TME. We generated organoids from 12 FL patients at diagnosis, clinical progression, or relapse. These organoids were profiled with targeted DNA sequencing and mRNA sequencing. We evaluated the stability of organoids in culture at serial weekly timepoints (D0, D7, D14, D21). We treated organoids with CD19:CD3 or CD20:CD3 bispecific antibodies or unconjugated anti-CD20, anti-CD19, and anti-CD3 as a control, and profiled DNA/RNA at D11 to evaluate treatment response. This system is intended as a platform for advancing precision medicine efforts in FL through patient-specific modeling, high-throughput screening, TME signature identification, and treatment response evaluation.

  Study phs003410

• Characterization of Macrophage-Tropic HIV Infection of Central Nervous System Cells and the Influence of Inflammation

  In this study, we utilize macrophage-tropic and T cell-tropic HIV-1 Env proteins to establish accurate infection profiles for multiple CNS cells under basal and interferon alpha (IFN-α) or lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory states. We found that macrophage-tropic viruses confer entry advantages in primary myeloid cells, including monocyte-derived macrophages, microglia, and induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived microglia. Following 24-h IFN-α or LPS treatments, total RNA was harvested from 100,000 to 200,000 cells using an RNeasy RNA isolation kit (Qiagen, 74004). RNA was quantified using a NanoDrop spectrophotometer and TapeStation electrophoresis prior to library preparation. cDNA libraries were prepared using the KAPA RNA HyperPrep kit (Roche, 08098115702). Paired-end RNA sequencing was performed on a NovaSeq S4 platform at a read length of 100 bp, resulting in approximately 60 million reads per sample.

  Study phs003306

• Cholesterol homeostasis and lipid raft dynamics at the basis of tumor-induced immune dysfunction in chronic lymphocytic leukemia

  Autologous T-cell therapies show limited efficacy in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), where acquired immune dysfunction prevails. In CLL, disturbed mitochondrial metabolism has been linked to defective T-cell activation and proliferation. Recent research suggests that lipid metabolism regulates mitochondrial function and differentiation in T cells, yet its role in CLL remains unexplored. This comprehensive study compares T-cell lipid metabolism in CLL patients and healthy donors, revealing critical dependence on exogenous cholesterol for human T-cell expansion following TCR-mediated activation. Using multi-omics and functional assays, we found that T cells present in viably frozen samples of patients with CLL (CLL T cells) showed impaired adaptation to cholesterol deprivation and inadequate upregulation of key lipid metabolism transcription factors. CLL T cells exhibited altered lipid storage, with increased triacylglycerols and decreased cholesterol, and inefficient fatty acid oxidation (FAO). Functional consequences of reduced FAO in T cells were studied using samples from patients with inherent FAO disorders. Reduced FAO was associated with lower T-cell activation but did not affect proliferation. This implicates low cholesterol levels as a primary factor limiting T-cell proliferation in CLL. Consequently, CLL T cells displayed fewer and less clustered lipid rafts, potentially explaining the impaired immune synapse formation observed in these patients. Our findings highlight significant disruptions in lipid metabolism as drivers of functional deficiencies in CLL T cells, underscoring the pivotal role of cholesterol in T-cell proliferation. This study suggests that modulating cholesterol metabolism could enhance T-cell function in CLL, presenting novel immunotherapeutic approaches to improve outcome in this challenging disease.

  Dac EGAC50000000556

• Is the Gut Important in Multiple Joint Osteoarthritis? A Multimodal Investigation in Humans and Pet Dogs

  The Gut Health in Multiple Joint Osteoarthritis (MJOA) Study leverages data from parallel community-based cohorts in humans and in pet dogs to elucidate the role of altered microbiota in MJOA. One hundred Johnston County Health Study human participants were 35 to 70 years of age at enrollment (2022-2023), self-identified as Hispanic, White, or Black, and lived in Johnston County, North Carolina. Demographic, clinical information, multiple joint radiographs, and stool samples for microbiome profiling by 16S rRNA gene sequencing were obtained from all participants. Similar data were collected from an independent group of pet dogs (N=115) from the local community, at the North Carolina State University (NCSU) College of Veterinary Medicine. The central hypothesis of the study is that intestinal permeability, with or without dysbiosis, is a major driver in the development and worsening of MJOA.

  Study phs003980

• End motifs analysis of circulating DNA from the plasma of patients with stage II-III breast cancer (n=50), stage I-III non-small cell lung cancer (n=56), metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) (n=15) and healthy individuals (n=37)..

  We have developed an algorithm designed to discriminate cancer patients and healthy individuals based on cirDNA fragment end motif analysis assisted by machine learning, using data obtained from shallow whole genome sequencing (a method we call EMA). We applied EMA to cirDNA from the plasma of patients with stage II-III breast cancer, stage I-III non-small cell lung cancer, and metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). CirDNA from 158 individuals was prepared following the conventional double-stranded DNA library preparation (DSP). We also performed a single-stranded DNA library preparation (SSP) using mCRC patients and healthy control cirDNA, which allowed us to make the first ever end motif analysis in the literature which compares the use of DSP and SSP.

  Study EGAS50000001319

• ProstOmics: spatial and bulk multi-omics of prostate cancer

  In this ERC-funded ProstOmics project we have used spatial and bulk multi-omics on fresh frozen prostate cancer samples to investigate cancer biology and find for biomarkers to improve patient treatment. All tissue material were collected from prostate cancer patients undergoing radical prostatectomy who had not received any prior cancer-specific treatment.Of the 498 prostate tissue samples (114 patients) included in our project, 176 samples (N=37 patients) have been analyzed with bulk transcriptomics (RNA-seq). Some of these 176 samples were also analyzed with spatial transcriptomics (n=32, N=8, Visium 10x RNA-seq) and DNA methylomics (n=96, N=24, array). All datasets include metadata for histopathological evaluation. Patient metadata include information of age at surgery, time (months) until reported relapse, pre-surgery PSA and post-surgery T-stage.

  Study EGAS50000000413

• Sequence data to study genomic CNVs that drive apoptotic resistance and relapses on immune checkpoint inhibitors

  This project investigates the genomic mechanisms underlying acquired resistance to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) across tumor types, addressing the critical clinical problem of treatment relapses where the molecular basis remains poorly understood. Through integrative genomic analyses of longitudinal clinical melanomas, functional CRISPR-Cas9 screens, and human and murine melanoma models, the study demonstrates that copy-number variant (CNV)-driven subclonal evolution is a primary driver of clinical relapses. The research identifies resistance-driver genes targeted by CNVs, including pro-apoptotic gene deletions and anti-apoptotic gene amplifications, which collectively downregulate apoptotic priming in resistant cells. The findings establish that modulating the apoptotic threshold can prevent or reverse ICI resistance, positioning CNV evolution as a key driver of acquired resistance and identifying apoptotic regulation as a therapeutic target to combat resistance evolution.

  Study EGAS50000001055

• How mitochondrial DNA research can benefit from data reuse through EGA?

  Mitochondria are the only cellular organelles harbouring their own DNA, which encodes for proteins essentials in its respiration process. Despite its discovery in 1960, Mitochondrial DNA is often overlooked compared to nuclear DNA. Indeed, not all sequencing technologies capture a good representation of mtDNA (mitochondrial DNA). Recently, Ed Reznik's team (The Ed Reznik Lab | Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center) carried out a massive analysis and reanalysis of single cells WGS (whole genome sequencing) produced with an amplification-free protocol (Direct library prep, DLP). As they demonstrated in the paper Single-cell mtDNA dynamics in tumors is driven by coregulation of nuclear and mitochondrial genomes - PMC, DLP is more effective in catching mtDNA compared to classical single-cell sequencing. These data allowed the team to unravel mtDNA dynamics in tumoral and normal samples, highlighting how mtDNA and nuclear DNA are co-regulated and their ratio is critical for phenotype. Data reuse to achieve the greatest results For this project, Reznik's team re-used data from 3 studies stored at the European Genome-phenome Archive (EGAS00001006343, EGAS00001004448 and EGAS00001003190) that comprised a total of 602 datasets. All of them were initially produced by the teams of Sam Aparicio and Sohrab P. Shah at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre, where Ed Reznik is a promising group leader. This demonstrates, once again, that networking, collaboration and data sharing can achieve the greatest results when coupled with innovative and smart ideas. At the EGA we are proud to provide the scientific community with an infrastructure to enable all those very smart ideas out there to find the right data to be tested.

  Blog mitochondrial-dna-research

• Single cell multi-omic study of H3-K27M mutant diffuse midline glioma across age and location

  Histone 3 lysine27-to-methionine (H3-K27M) mutations most frequently occur in childhood diffuse midline gliomas (DMGs) of the pons, but are also increasingly recognized in adult DMGs. Their potential heterogeneity at different ages and midline locations are vastly understudied. Here, through dissecting the single-cell transcriptomic, epigenomic and spatial architectures of a comprehensive cohort of patient H3-K27M DMGs, we delineate how age and anatomical location shape glioma cell-intrinsic and -extrinsic features in light of the shared driver mutation. We conducted multi-omic profiling of 50 H3-K27M mutant patient tumors. We performed deep full-length Smart-seq2 fresh single-cell (n=18) or frozen single-nucleus (n=25) RNA-sequencing (sc/snRNA-seq) of 43 tumors). We additionally analyzed the open chromatin profiles of 8 tumors utilizing the single-cell/nucleus assay for transposase-accessible chromatin using sequencing (snATAC-seq)

  Study EGAS00001006994

• A Unifying Paradigm for Transcriptional Heterogeneity and Squamous Features in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma

  Pancreatic cancer expression profiles largely reflect a classical or basal-like phenotype. The extent to which these profiles vary within a patient is unknown. We integrated evolutionary analysis and expression profiling in multiregion sampled metastatic pancreatic cancers, finding that squamous features are the histologic correlate of an RNA-seq defined basal-like subtype. In patients with coexisting basal/squamous and classical/glandular morphology, phylogenetic studies revealed that squamous morphology represented a subclonal population in an otherwise classical/glandular tumor. Cancers with squamous features were significantly more likely to have clonal mutations in chromatin modifiers, intercellular heterogeneity for MYC amplification, and entosis. These data provide a unifying paradigm for integrating basal-type expression profiles, squamous histology, and somatic mutations in chromatin modifier genes in the context of clonal evolution of pancreatic cancer.  

  Study EGAS00001003974

• RNA-seq, WGS and WES of Hepatocellular carcinomas, enriched in fibrolamellar carcinomas

  DNAJB1-PRKACA fusion is a specific driver event in fibrolamellar carcinoma (FLC), a rare subtype of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) occurring in adolescents and young adults. In older patients, molecular determinants of HCC with mixed histological features of HCC and FLC (mixed-FLC/HCC) remain to be discovered.This study aims to molecularly caracterize mixed fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma (mixed FLC/HCC) within the molecular liver tumors diversity, in respect of pure FLC and different HCC subtypes. This study reunites WGS data (n=3, Tumoral/Non-Tumoral pairs), WES data (n=43, Tumoral/Non-Tumoral pairs) and RNAseq data (n=66, Tumoral only). On a trascriptomic level, most of the mixed-FLC/HCC RNAseq clustered in a robust subgroup of tumors all showing mutation or translocation inactivating BAP1 that codes for the BRCA1 associated protein-1.

  Study EGAS00001003837

• Identification of four new susceptibility loci for testicular germ cell tumour, including variants near GAB2, GSPT1 and ZFPM1

  Genome wide association studies (GWAS) have identified multiple risk loci for testicular germ cell tumour (TGCT), revealing a polygenic model of disease susceptibility strongly influenced by common variation. To identify further SNPs associated with TGCT we conducted a multistage GWAS with a combined dataset of >25,000 individuals (6,059 cases and 19,094 controls). We identified new risk loci for TGCT at 3q23 (rs11705932, TFDP2, P = 1.5 x 10-9), 11q14.1 (rs7107174, GAB2, P = 9.7 x 10-11), 16p13.13 (rs4561483, GSPT1, P = 1.6 x 10-8) and 16q24.2 (rs55637647, ZFPM1, P = 3.4 x 10-9). We additionally present detailed functional analysis of these loci, identifying a statistically significant relationship between rs4561483 risk genotype and increased GSPT1 expression in TGCT patient samples. These findings provide additional support for a polygenic model of TGCT risk and further insight into the biological basis of disease development.

  Study EGAS00001001302

• Whole-genome sequencing in 14 cases and whole-exome sequencing in 90 cases of Chinese ESCC

  Esophageal cancer is one of the most aggressive cancers and the sixth leading cause of cancer death worldwide1. Approximately 70% of the global esophageal cancers occur in China and over 90% histopathological forms of this disease are esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC)2-3. Currently, there are limited clinical approaches for early diagnosis and treatment for ESCC, resulting in a 10% 5-year survival rate for the patients. Meanwhile, the full repertoire of genomic events leading to the pathogenesis of ESCC remains unclear. Here we show a comprehensive genomic analysis in 158 ESCC cases, as part of the International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) Research Projects (http://icgc.org/icgc/cgp/72/371/1001734). We conducted whole-genome sequencing in 14 ESCC cases and whole-exome sequencing in 90 cases.

  Study EGAS00001001487

• H3K27ac ChIP-seq in TMPRSS2:ERG positive and negative prostate cancer tissue samples

  The TMPRSS2:ERG (T2E) structural rearrangements typifies ~50% of prostate tumors and results in overexpression of the ERG transcription factor. Using chromatin data collected in T2E and non-T2E primary prostate tumors, we show a distinct cis-regulatory landscape between T2E and non-T2E, inclusive of Cluster Of Regulatory Elements (COREs). This is mediated by ERG co-option of HOXB13 and FOXA1 implementing a T2E-specific transcriptional profile. We also report a T2E-specific CORE on the structurally rearranged ERG locus arising from spreading of the TMPRSS2 locus pre-existing CORE, assisting in its overexpression. Finally, we show that the T2E-specific cis-regulatory landscape reveals a vulnerability against the NOTCH pathway. Taken together, our work shows that overexpressed ERG co-opts master transcription factors to deploy a unique cis-regulatory landscape inducing a druggable dependency on NOTCH signaling in T2E prostate tumors.

  Study EGAS00001002496

• High coverage target resequencing of coding and regulatory regions of 38 Parkinson disease genes associated either to the Mendelian or the sporadic forms of the disease

  Coding sequences and putative regulatory sequences (retrieved from Ensembl and including up to 2500 bp of promoter sequence upstream the transcription start site) were re-sequenced to a mean depth of 49X on 38 genes associated to Parkinson's disease (RAB25, NUCKS1, RAB7L1, GBA, SYT11, ACMSD, STK39, MCCC1, STBD1, GAK, DGKQ, BST1, SCARB2, HLA-DRB5, GPNMB, FGF20, ITGA8, HIP1R, STX1B, SETD1A, SREBF1, MED13, RAI1, MAPT, RIT2, GIGYF2, HTRA2, EIF4G1, SNCA, LRRK2, VPS35, PINK1, DJ1, ATP13A2, UCHL1, PARK2, FBXO7, and PLA2G6). Sequencing was performed on 249 Parkinson's idiopathic cases and 145 unrelated controls of Spanish origin. All sequencing data was generated with an Illumina Hiseq2000 instrument after enrichment with a custom NimbleGen array. Raw reads were mapped to human reference genome hg19/GRCh37 using BWA aligner.

  Study EGAS00001000973

• Analysis of IDHwt-glioblastoma samples from paired primary and recurrent tumor samples

  IDHwt-glioblastomas rapidly recur after initial treatment. To study genetic evolution in glioblastoma, we analyzed whole genomes of 21 pairs of primary and recurrent tumor samples using next generation sequencing. In addition we sequenced RNA from 16 tumor pairs and a panel of 50 glioma-associated genes in tumor pairs from 43 patients (including 14 of the 21 patients included in the WGS discovery set). Glioblastoma subtypes were determined using 450k/EPIC methylation arrays. This study was supported within the e:med program of the German Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) by the collaborative research project ‘SYS-GLIO - Systems-based prediction of the biological and clinical behavior of gliomas’ (https://www.sys-med.de/de/demonstratoren/sys-glio/) This study is part of the Heidelberg Center for Personalized Oncology - HIPO-043

  Study EGAS00001003184

• Conserved interferon-gamma signaling and decreased immune exclusion programs in responses to immune checkpoint blockade therapy

  We analyzed baseline and on-therapy tumor biopsies from 101 patients with advanced melanoma treated with nivolumab (anti-PD-1) alone or combined with ipilimumab (anti-CTLA-4). Analysis of whole transcriptome data showed that T cell infiltration and interferon-gamma signaling signatures corresponded most highly with clinical response to therapy, with a reciprocal decrease in cell cycle and WNT signaling pathways in responding biopsies. Clinical outcome differences were likely not due to differential melanoma cell responses to interferon-gamma, as 57 human melanoma cell lines exposed in vitro to this cytokine showed a conserved interferon-gamma transcriptome response unless they had mutations that precluded signaling from the interferon-gamma receptor. Therefore, the magnitude of the antitumor T cell response and the corresponding downstream interferon-gamma signaling are the main drivers of clinical response or resistance to immune checkpoint blockade therapy.

  Study EGAS00001004545

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

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

  Study EGAS00001006293

• Identification of neoantigen from MSI-CRC patient derived organoids and its application for targeting by autologous T cells

  Targeting neoantigens expressed only by tumor cells enable tumor destruction without unexpected damages to healthy tissues. Here, we identified neoantigens from microsatellite instable (MSI) colorectal cancer (CRC) patient-derived organoids by genomics and immunopeptidomics approches. The neoantigens in this study were predicted from frame-shift mutation by whole-genome sequencing and confirmed its presentation on organoids surface class I HLA molecules by mass spectrometry. We utilized these neoantigens to isolate neoantigen-specific CD8 T cells from autologous PBMC, and proved tumor organoids killing ability of the CD8 T cells, whereas it did not attack normal organoids. This study provides a platform to identify neoantigen from patient-derived cancer organoids and a model to validate T cell recognition, which could be useful for adoptive CD8 T cell transfer treatment for MSI-CRC patient.

  Study EGAS00001006633

• ctDNA monitoring using patient-specific sequencing and integration of variant reads - Breast cohort

  Circulating tumor-derived DNA (ctDNA) can be used to monitor cancer dynamics noninvasively. Detection of ctDNA can be challenging in patients with low-volume or residual disease, where plasma contains very few tumor-derived DNA fragments. We show that sensitivity for ctDNA detection in plasma can be improved by analyzing hundreds to thousands of mutations that are first identified by tumor genotyping. We describe the INtegration of VAriant Reads (INVAR) pipeline, which combines custom error-suppression methods and signal-enrichment approaches based on biological features of ctDNA. With this approach, the detection limit in each sample can be estimated independently based on the number of informative reads sequenced across multiple patient-specific loci. We applied INVAR to custom hybrid-capture sequencing data from 176 plasma samples from 105 patients with melanoma, lung, renal, glioma, and breast cancer across both early and advanced disease. By integrating signal across a median of >105 informative reads, ctDNA was routinely quantified to 1 mutant molecule per 100,000, and in some cases with high tumor mutation burden and/or plasma input material, to individual parts per million. This resulted in median Area Under the Curve (AUC) values of 0.98 in advanced cancers, and 0.80 in early stage and challenging settings for ctDNA detection. We generalized this method to whole-exome and whole-genome sequencing, showing that the INVAR may be applied without requiring personalized sequencing panels, so long as a tumor mutation list is available. As tumor sequencing becomes increasingly performed, such methods for personalized cancer monitoring may enhance the sensitivity of cancer liquid biopsies.

  Dataset EGAD00001006293

• Cancer of Low survival and UnMet Need – Pathologist Initiated

  Despite significant advances in diagnostic cancer histopathology, a subset of tumors remain unable to be classified using WHO criteria. The resulting diagnostic uncertainty can result in inappropriate clinical management and negative patient outcomes. We investigated whether combining histopathology with whole genome and transcriptome sequencing (WGTS) could improve the classification of tumors that posed diagnostic dilemmas despite extensive histopathology and standard molecular work-up at a quaternary oncology center. We successfully sequenced 45 tumors from an initial set of 54 unclassified tumors (83% success rate). A confident diagnosis was made for 38/45 tumors (84%). Additionally, potential treatment targets were identified in 21/45 tumors (47%). Theoretical comparison with alternative assays demonstrated that WGTS was uniquely capable of detecting critical diagnostic findings in 15/38 tumors (39%). This work supports augmenting histopathology and standard molecular pathology with WGTS in the classification of difficult-to-diagnose tumors.

  Study EGAS00001008112

• DNA methylation and Panel sequencing for pancreatic neuroendocrine carcinomas (PanNECs) and pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PanNETs)

  Study EGAS00001005731

• Establishment and characterization of a new Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection model using 2D airway organoids and dual RNA sequencing

  Study EGAS00001007463

• Methylation data for Genomic landscapes of endometrioid and mucinous ovarian cancers and morphologically similar tumor types

  Study EGAS00001008175

• Genomic Profiling Reveals Spatial Intra-tumour Heterogeneity in Follicular Lymphoma

  Follicular lymphoma (FL) is an incurable indolent non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) that behaves heterogeneously and is synonymous with the reciprocal translocation t(14;18)(q32;q21), leading to aberrant constitutive over-expression of BCL2 [ref]. High risk groups with poor overall survival include patients that transform to a high grade lymphoma, most commonly diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) or progress early (within 2 years) of receiving treatment. Recently several studies have shed light on the diverse genomic landscape of FL, with frequently mutated genes including those involved in chromatin remodelling, (CREBBP, KMT2D, EZH2, EP300), immune modulation (TNFRSF14), JAK-STAT (STAT6, SOCS1), NF-ĸB (CARD11, MYD88, TNFAIP3) and mTORC1 signalling (RRAGC) [ref]. To date, the majority of these studies have either focussed on inter-patient genetic heterogeneity or established the extent of clonal heterogeneity as a patient’s tumour evolves over time. Furthermore, these temporal studies have alluded to the existence of a tumour-repopulating population (referred to as the common progenitor cell (CPC)) that evades treatment and acts as a reservoir, seeding each subsequent relapse and transformation event. Although these previous studies have illuminated the longitudinal clonal dynamics that occur in FL, our understanding of the degree of spatial or intra-tumour heterogeneity (ITH) that exists within an individual patient thus far remains limited. Earlier studies have predominantly focused on differences in cytological grade and immunophenotype between spatially separated lymph nodes and bone marrow, the most common site of extra-nodal involvement in FL, with genomic profiling restricted to examining somatic hypermutation patterns in IgVH genes [ref]. In contrast next generation sequencing has been increasingly utilised in solid organ malignancies to derive comprehensive genomic profiles from spatially separated sites. The seminal study by Gerlinger et al revealed profound differences in the genetic make-up between individual primary and metastatic sites of renal cell carcinoma [ref]. Significant heterogeneity has since been demonstrated both between and within lesions in the same patient in lung, pancreas and breast cancer with presumed driver mutations distributed within the “branches” of the evolutionary phylogenetic tree, suggesting that a single biopsy is incapable of capturing the full genomic heterogeneity of an individual’s malignancy [ref]. This geographical heterogeneity not only adds to the diverse pool of tumour subclones that may contribute to drug resistance mechanisms but importantly, presents a major obstacle for precision-based approaches focussed on targeting specific lesions within a single biopsy. In FL, the exponential increase in clinical trials using novel agents such as EZH2, PI3K and BTK inhibitors reflects this shift in cancer care and along with the development of molecular prognostic scores such as the m7-FLIPI highlights the clinical need to accurately define genomic alterations with clinical relevance. As the majority of FL patients manifest disseminated tumour involvement, we sought to uncover the extent and clinical importance of spatial heterogeneity in FL by comprehensively genetically profiling 22 synchronously removed spatially separated biopsies from 9 patients. Using a combination of whole exome and targeted deep sequencing, our results inferred the complex subclonal architecture within these tumours and the mutational differences between anatomical sites, demonstrating cases with significant intrinsic genetic diversity.

  Study EGAS00001002492

• Privacy Notice for Data Access Committee Account

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Insofar as the second joint controller may be subject to GDPR, data transfer to and from the first joint controller (EMBL-EBI), is necessary for important reasons of public interest embedded in the aims of EMBL and justified in the Article 9(4) of IP 68 (equivalent to Article 49(1)(d) of GDPR) read in conjunction with EMBL`s 1973 establishing agreement and Article 179(2) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union 6. How long do we keep your personal data? Any personal data directly obtained from you will be retained as long as the service is live. Such duration serves the purpose of enabling scientific research and ensures legal compliance and facilitates internal and external audits if they arise. By contrast, the log files for the data categories related to anonymous usage statistics (raw web service logs) are processed only for 30 days and thereafter erased. 7. 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For other processing based on the grounds of important public interest you cannot exercise your rights to object, rectify or erase your personal data according to the Article 13(2)(a)(b) of IP 68 (equivalent to Article 17(3)(b)(d) and Article 21(6) of the GDPR). 8. Supervisory authority If you wish to complain against the processing of your personal data, you may do so by post at: EMBL Heidelberg, Data Protection Committee, Meyerhofstraße 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany, or Autoritat Catalana de Protecció de Dades (Catalan Data Protection Authority), C/Rosselló 214, Esc A, 1r 1a, Barcelona 08008, Spain. Published at: February 6, 2019

  Documentation data-protection/privacy-notice/ega-dac

• WNT-signaling and Dupuytren's Disease

  The EGA hosts the summary genotype results of the GWAS in 856 patients with Dupuytren's disease and 2,836 population based controls from 'LifeLines' cohort study

  Study EGAS00000000043

• Phenome-wide scanning identifies multiple diseases and disease severity phenotypes associated with HLA variants

  We discover numerous associations between human leukocyte antigen (HLA) variation and a comprehensive set of phenotypes derived from electronic health records.

  Study phs001949

• Whole Exome Sequencing of Bipolar cases and controls on a cohort from Umea, Sweden

  Whole Exome Sequencing of 924 Bipolar cases and matched controls performed at the Broad Institute on a cohort from Umea, Sweden. The exome used Twist capture and samples were sequenced on Illumina HiSeqX machines producing cram files

  Dataset EGAD50000000470

• scRNA-seq and scTCR-seq from 7 MF patients

  Dataset containing scRNA and scTCR sequencing of 7 patients with cutaneous T cell lymphoma. Sequencing was performed on Illumina NextSeq 550, HiSeq 4000 and NovaSeq 6000. The sequencing was always paired.

  Dataset EGAD50000000332

• FMT metagenomics triads and plasma metabolomics

  These are the metagenomic datasets of 29 FMT traids with corresponding plasma metabolomics. Data for each triad consists of metagenomics for baseline, post FMT and corresponding donor. Clinical data concerning the glucose rate of disappearance and blood pressure are available as phenotypes.

  Dataset EGAD50000000599

• Reconstitution of Human Brain Cell Diversity in Organoids via Four Protocols

  This dataset contains single-cell RNA sequencing and time-course bulk RNA sequencing data of brain organoids grown from multiple cell lines using four different protocols recapitulating dorsal and ventral forebrain, midbrain, and striatum.

  Dataset EGAD50000000938

• Comparison of the single-cell and single-nucleus hepatic myeloid landscape within decompensated cirrhosis patients

  In-patient comparison of single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) and single-nucleus (snRNA-seq) technologies and accompanying tissue processing protocols on transjugular liver biopsy from decompensated cirrhosis patients (n = 3).

  Dataset EGAD50000000105

• Single-cell sequencing of PBMC & CSF in neuroinflammatory disorders

  Single-cell sequencing and genotyping for Cambridge samples analyzed as part of a project evaluating single-cell gene expression & lymphocyte receptor sequences in CSF and PBMC of MS and other neuroinflammatory disorders.

  Dataset EGAD50000001023

• BipEx_Ophoff_Amsterdam

  "BipEx_EGAS00001005853_Ophoff_Amsterdam Bipolar Disorder Exomes. This research project was a collaboration between UCLA and the Stanley Center at the Broad Institute. In this project we sequenced and analyzed the whole exomes of 1,026 Bipolar case/control samples from collaborators in the Netherlands and UCLA. Genomic DNA from each sample was sequenced to a mean depth of 20x."

  Dac EGAC50000000137

• Patient-derived xenograft models of head and neck cancers

  Establishment and characterization of two patient-derived xenograft models from HNSCC patients , initiatlly treatment-naive, and for which cetuximab-acquired resistant model couterparts have been generated. All models have been characterized at genomic level. HNSCC tissues were obtained from surgical resections at Cliniques universitaires St Luc in Brussels (Belgium).

  Dac EGAC50000000502

• MethylBERT enables read-level DNA methylation pattern identification and tumour deconvolution using a Transformer-based model

  This is the DAC for the study "MethylBERT enables read-level DNA methylation pattern identification and tumour deconvolution using a Transformer-based model" of Pavlo Lutsik (DKFZ B370/KU Leuven, pavlo.lutsik@kuleuven.be) and Clarissa Gerhauser (DKFZ B370, c.gernauser@dkfz.de)

  Dac EGAC50000000497

• MicroC in KMS11 and TKO cells

  MicroC to show high resolution chromatin interactions in t(4;14) Myeloma cell line KMS11 and KMS11 cells with knock-out of translocated NSD2 allele (KMS11 TKO).

  Study EGAS50000000078

• Small RNA sequencing of human oocytes and early embryos

  This dataset contains single-end fastq files for human oocytes (n=12), zygotes (n=5), and early embryos (n=10) sequenced with Illumina NextSeq500. The sequencing libraries were prepared from single oocytes, zygotes, and embryos in two batches.

  Dataset EGAD50000000227

• Nanopore whole-genome sequencing of human bone and soft-tissue sarcomas

  We performed single and multi-region nanopore whole-genome sequencing on human bone and soft-tissue sarcoma samples. We also performed nanopore whole-genome sequencing on matched whole blood samples.

  Dataset EGAD50000001392

• DAC Magna Græcia University of Catanzaro - WGS of Healthy and PSP Donors

  This DAC manages access to whole-genome sequencing (WGS) data from patients with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) and healthy controls (HC), generated at the Magna Græcia University of Catanzaro. Data access will be granted in compliance with participant consent and applicable ethical regulations.

  Dac EGAC50000000709

• Nanopore sequencing of FSHD, BAMS and healthy control fibroblast cell lines

  The goal was to resolve the complex genetic and epigenetic structures of D4Z4 alleles, a macrosatellite whose desilencing results in FSHD.

  Study EGAS50000001065

• Ultra-long whole-genome and Cas9-targeted nanopore sequencing of fibroblasts: FSHD, BAMS, healthy controls

  Data from the D4Z4End2End study (Xiao et al. 2025), for genetic and epigenetic analysis of the D4Z4 macrosatellite in health and disease.

  Dataset EGAD50000001551

• WES Analysis of CRC and UC samples from a cohort of Lynch Syndrome carriers

  Whole-exome sequencing (WES) was performed on 73 tumors, including 58 colorectal cancers (CRC) and 15 urothelial cancers (UC), derived from 58 individuals with Lynch syndrome (LS). The cohort comprised both primary and metachronous tumors.

  Dataset EGAD50000001915

• Single-cell RNA-sequencing for peripheral blood mononuclear cells from COVID-19 patients and healthy controls of Japanese

  We performed single-cell RNA-sequencing of peripheral blood mononuclear cells obtained from COVID-19 patients and healthy controls.

  Study JGAS000593

• Whole genome, whole exome and transcriptome sequencing of 10 ccRCC with Von Hippel-Lindau disease

  The aim of this study is to investigate genetic and transcriptomic profiles of inherited ccRCC with Von Hippel-Lindau disease.

  Study JGAS000544

• Single-cell RNA-sequencing for peripheral blood mononuclear cells from COVID-19 patients and healthy controls of Japanese

  We performed single-cell RNA-sequencing of peripheral blood mononuclear cells obtained from COVID-19 patients and healthy controls.

  Study JGAS000543

• Genetic analysis of non-small cell lung cancer patients and PDX tumor harboring driver gene alteration

  Genetic analysis of non-small cell lung cancer patients and PDX tumors with EGFR mutation, ALK fusion, ROS1 fusion, etc.

  Study JGAS000413

• Gene expression by RNAseq in bronchial biopsies of asthmatics, asthma in remission and healthy subjects

  The study focus was differential expression in bronchial biopsies between persistent asthma, asthma in remission and healthy controls using RNAseq.

  Study EGAS00001003735

• Second generation noninvasive fetal genome analysis reveals de novo mutations, single-base parental inheritance, and preferred DNA ends

  Second generation noninvasive fetal genome analysis reveals de novo mutations, single-base parental inheritance, and preferred DNA ends

  Study EGAS00001001882

• Single cell RNA-sequencing of GSCs and GBM tumours

  Characterization of glioblastoma tumors and glioblastoma stem cell (GSCs) lines with single cell or single nuclei RNA-sequencing.

  Study EGAS00001004656

• DNA methylation in bronchial biopsies of asthmatics, asthma in remission and healthy subjects

  The study focus was differential methylation in bronchial biopsies between persistent asthma, asthma in remission and healthy controls using Illumina 450k arrays.

  Study EGAS00001003739

• RNA sequencing of AD, MCI and control OM cells

  Total RNA sequencing of cultured OM cells derived from patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and cognitively healthy controls.

  Study EGAS00001006195

• Single-cell paired sequences from intraepithalial CD8+ αβ T-cells from celiac disease patients and controls

  Paired T-cell receptor sequences sequenced from single cells, from intraepithalial CD8+ αβ T-cells. Sequences are from from untreated and treated (on a gluten-free diet) celiac disease patients and controls.

  Dataset EGAD00001006900

• PSC-IBD-CRC

  Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded samples from 19 PSC-IBD-CRCs, 15 adjacent (non-tumour) mucosa samples and 18 non-mucosal DNA samples were collected via the nationwide network and registry of histo- and cytopathology in the Netherlands (PALGA). DNA was extracted for molecular analysis.

  Dataset EGAD00001006226

• 3_eCLIP_TDP-43

  eCLIP of TDP-43 from iPSC-derived motor neurons in 2 control lines. Per line input and IP samples and analysis including bigWig files and peak files.

  Dataset EGAD00001008426

• Clinical data

  Clinical data from GO30140 group A and group F and IMBrave150 biomarker populations including gender, confirmed RECIST response by independent review forum (IRF), overall survival (OS), progression survival by IRF, treatment group and treatment

  Dataset EGAD00001008130

• cell-free methylated DNA immunoprecipitation and high-throughput sequencing data for samples from liver transplant recpients with graft pathologies

  Bam and indexed bam files after removal of duplicates and trimming of the unique molecular identifiers. Sequencing was performed on NovaSeq 6000 platform.

  Dataset EGAD00001010305

• Expression data

  This dataset contains the RPKM and raw read counts of expression for all the individuals. This dataset was generated as part of the following study: Panousis et al (2019). Combined genetic and transcriptome analysis of patients with SLE: Distinct, targetable signatures for susceptibility and severity.

  Dataset EGAD00001005039

• Familial adult myoclonic epilepsy type 1 in Sri Lankan and Indian families

  Whole genome sequencing data from four affected and one unaffected individuals from two families with familial adult myoclonic epilepsy, one of Sri Lankan origin and one of Indian origin. BAM files aligned to hg19 reference genome.

  Dataset EGAD00001005777

• Dataset for RNA and Exome sequencing of Glioblastoma samples

  This dataset contains RNA Seq, 10x scRNA Seq and Exome sequencing of glioblastoma samples. Sequencing was performed on a Illumina NovaSeq 6000 and Illumina HiSeq 4000. The sequencing was always paired.

  Dataset EGAD00001012235

• WGS of T-cell and NK-cell lymphoma for ICGC (NKTL-SG)

  WGS of T-cell and NK-cell lymphoma The tumor samples were sequenced with Illumina HiSeq 2500 platform and the resulting FASTq files have been uploaded.

  Dataset EGAD00001003271

• Uveal melanoma whole genome sequencing, SNP arrays and RNA-seq

  We conducted whole genome sequencing and DNA SNP array of 12 uveal melanoma genomes and their matched DNA from blood. We also conducted RNA-seq of the 12 tumour samples.

  Dataset EGAD00001000372

• Sequencing-based counting and size profiling of plasma Epstein-Barr virus DNA enhance population screening of nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

  We used targeted sequencing to capture and measure the abundance as well as the size profiles of EBV DNA in plasma of subjects with and without NPC

  Dataset EGAD00001004204

• WGBS data for ependymomas and normal controls (fetal and adult)

  Whole genome bisulfite sequencing data for 6 ependymomas plus 3 fetal controls (f1, f2, f4) and 3 adult controls (a2, a3, a4). See Mack, Witt et al. Nature 506(7489):445-50, 2014 (PMID: 24553142).

  Dataset EGAD00001000966

• Exome sequencing data for 40 cases of alopecia areata and vitiligo

  Sequencing of independent unrelated cases of alopecia areata (total/ universal) and vitiligo (>10%, affected family member). DNA obtained from blood

  Study EGAS00001003831

• Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Serum Stimulation of Human Intestinal Organoids Induces Barrier Leakiness and Changes in Goblet Cell Differentiation

  Human intestinal epithelial cells are the interface between potentially harmful luminal content and basally residing immune cells. Their role is not only nutrient absorption but also the formation of a tight monolayer that constantly secretes mucus creating a multi-layered protective barrier. Alterations in this barrier can lead to increased gut permeability which is frequently seen in individuals with chronic extraintestinal autoimmune diseases, such as Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE). Despite recent advances in identifying alterations in gut microbiota composition in SLE patients, not much attention has been given to the epithelial barrier itself. To date, it remains largely unexplored which role and function intestinal epithelial cells have in SLE pathology. Here, we present a unique near-physiologic in vitro model specifically designed to examine the effects of SLE on the epithelial cells. We utilize human colon organoids that are stimulated with serum obtained from SLE patients. Combining bulk and single-cell RNA transcriptomic analysis with functional assays revealed that SLE serum stimulation induced a unique expression profile marked by a reduction of goblet cell marker expression and mucus composition. Additionally, organoids exhibited imbalanced cellulat composition along with enhanced paracellular permeability,mitochondrial function, and a type I interferon gene signature. Similarly, transcriptomic analysis of SLE human colon biopsies revealed a downregulation of epithelial secretory markers. Our work uncovers a crucial connection between SLE and intestinal homeostasis that might be promoted in vivo through the blood, offering insights into the causal connection of barrier dysfunction and autoimmune diseases.

  Study EGAS50000000012

• Liquid Biopsy Versus Tissue Biopsy to Assess Acquired Resistance and Tumor Heterogeneity in Gastrointestinal Cancers

  Tumor heterogeneity can drive the evolution of multiple tumor subclones harboring unique molecular resistance alterations in different metastatic lesions in an individual patient, under the selective pressure of therapy1-3. Studies have suggested that liquid biopsy may better capture the heterogeneity of acquired resistance, but systematic, direct comparisons of post-progression liquid vs. standard single-lesion tumor biopsies are lacking. In a prospective cohort of 44 patients with molecularly-defined gastrointestinal cancers and acquired resistance to targeted therapy, direct comparison of post-progression liquid vs. tumor biopsy revealed that liquid biopsy more frequently identified clinically-relevant resistance alterations and multiple resistance mechanisms, detecting resistance alterations not detected in matched tumor biopsy in 78% of cases. Whole-exome sequencing of serial cell-free DNA, tumor biopsies and rapid autopsy specimens elucidated geographic and evolutionary characteristics of heterogeneity. Our data suggest that acquired resistance is frequently characterized by profound tumor heterogeneity and highlight the potential clinical utility of liquid biopsy. Burrell, R. A. & Swanton, C. Tumour heterogeneity and the evolution of polyclonal drug resistance. Molecular oncology 8, 1095-1111, doi:10.1016/j.molonc.2014.06.005 (2014). Misale, S. et al. Emergence of KRAS mutations and acquired resistance to anti-EGFR therapy in colorectal cancer. Nature 486, 532-536, doi:10.1038/nature11156 (2012). Ahronian, L. G. et al. Clinical Acquired Resistance to RAF Inhibitor Combinations in BRAF-Mutant Colorectal Cancer through MAPK Pathway Alterations. Cancer Disco 5, 358-367, doi:10.1158/2159-8290.Cd-14-1518 (2015).

  Study phs001853

• NHLBI TOPMed: Defining the Time-Dependent Genetic and Transcriptomic Responses to Cardiac Injury Among Patients with Arrhythmias

  The UMMS miRhythm Study is an ongoing study of adult patients undergoing an elective electrophysiology study or arrhythmia ablation procedure for a supraventricular or ventricular arrhythmia, including atrial fibrillation (AF). Atrial fibrillation is a major clinical and public health problem that is related to atrial pathologic remodeling. Few tools are available to quantify the activity or extent of this remodeling, rendering it difficult to identify individuals at risk for AF. Previous studies have suggested an important role for miRNA in cardiovascular disease through gene expression regulation, making this a promising avenue for studying AF mechanisms. The aim of the study is to determine the time-dependent changes to key circulating miRNAs in a model of planned atrial injury and remodeling via ablation. Such knowledge might provide additional insight into the biology and activity of the acute atrial injury response, and furthermore, inform new targets for development of preventative interventions or allow for better AF risk stratification. To assess pathways regulating atrial pathological remodeling, patient blood samples are collected prior to their ablation procedures and also at a regularly scheduled 1-month follow-up appointment. Plasma expression of miRNA is measured using high-throughput quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), providing novel insights into the regulatory processes underlying AF, as well as acute atrial injury in vivo. Additionally, data collected from whole-genome sequencing (WGS) is used to supplement miRNA analyses and further explore new relations between genes and abnormal heart rhythm.

  Study phs001434

• Center for Craniofacial and Dental Genetics: Exome Sequencing of Orofacial Cleft Families

  Orofacial Clefts (OFCs) are genetically complex structural birth defects caused by genetic factors, environmental exposures, and their interactions. OFCs are the most common craniofacial anomalies in humans. Affect about 1 in 800 newborns, OFCs are also one of the most common structural birth defects worldwide. OFCs can impose a substantial personal cost resulting from the associated emotional and financial burden. On average a child undergoes 6 surgeries, spends 30 days in hospital, receives 5 years of orthodontic treatment, and participates in ongoing speech therapy, leading to an estimated total lifetime treatment cost of about $200,000. Individuals born with an OFC have higher infant mortality (especially in developing countries with limited access to care), higher mortality rates at all other stages of life, increased incidence of mental health problems, and higher risk for other disorders (notably including breast, brain, and colon cancers). Prior genetic studies have focused on the contribution of common genetic variants through genome-wide linkage and association studies. These studies have revealed a significant etiologic heterogeneity. One promising approach to dissect the etiology of OFCs into focus on subclinical phenotypic features present in the non-cleft family members of affected individuals. These subclinical features are subtle phenotypic features that may represent mild manifestations of the same risk genes; thus, their inclusion in family-based studies may clarify the inheritance patterns in OFC families. In this project, we conducted whole exome sequencing in multiplex families with both overt OFCs and subclinical phenotypes to identify high-impact genes causing OFCs.

  Study phs001675

• PCPT and SELECT Cohorts: Core Infrastructure Support for Cancer Research

  SELECT study: SELECT was a phase III, double-blind, placebo-controlled 4-arm study of selenium, vitamin E, selenium and vitamin E together, and placebo designed to assess the effect of these supplements on the incidence of prostate cancer. Funded by the National Cancer Institute and conducted by SWOG, the study opened in August 2001 and quickly exceeded its accrual goal of 35,533 men.In the fall of 2008, the trial's Data Safety and Monitoring Committee recommended that participants discontinue taking study supplements due to convincing evidence (planned interim futility analysis) that neither vitamin E nor selenium supplements were associated with the prevention of prostate cancer. A subsequent analysis in 2011 showed a significant 17% increase in prostate cancer incidence in participants who were on the vitamin E only arm. Approximately 17,000 participants from the original trial recently completed an additional four years of centralized follow-up. This follow-up ended on May 31, 2014 and SELECT is now closed. PCPT study: The Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial (PCPT) was a SWOG Cancer Research Network-coordinated study designed to test whether the drug finasteride (Proscar®) would prevent prostate cancer in men ages 55 and older. This study was closed on June 24, 2003 because the study objective had been reached. The results of the study, which did find a preventive benefit for the drug, were published as "The Influence of Finasteride on the Development of Prostate Cancer," in the New England Journal of Medicine on July 17, 2003.

  Study phs003382

• Sequencing and analysis of a South Asian-Indian personal genome

  India with over 1.3 billion people is estimated to carry three times more genetic diversity compared to Europe. Next-generation sequencing technologies have facilitated the understanding of diversity by enabling whole genome sequencing at greater speed and lower cost. While multiple genomes from people of European and a few of Asian descent have been sequenced, only recently a single male genome from the Indian subcontinent at sufficient depth and coverage was published. We have in this study sequenced and analyzed the genome of a South Asian Indian female (SAIF) from the Indian state of Kerala. We identified over 3.4 million SNPs in this genome including over 89,873 private variations. Comparison of the SAIF genome with several published personal genomes revealed that this individual shared ~50% of the SNPs with each of these genomes. Analysis of the SAIF mitochondrial genome showed that it is closely related to the U1a3 haplogroup which has been previously observed in Kerala. We assessed the SAIF genome for SNPs with health and disease consequences and found that the individual was at a higher risk for multiple sclerosis and a few other diseases. In assessing SNPs that modulate drug response we found a variation that predicts a favorable response to metformin used for treating diabetes. SNPs predictive of adverse reaction to warfarin indicated that the SAIF individual is not at risk for bleeding if treated with typical doses of warfarin. In addition to these, we report the presence of several other SNPs of medical relevance.

  Study EGAS00001000328

• C3 SNPs and outcome after lung transplantation

  Background: Development of chronic rejection is still a severe problem and causes high mortality rates after lung transplantation (LTx). Complement activation is important in the development of acute rejection (AR) and bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome, with C3 as a key complement factor. Methods: Since a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the C3 gene (rs2230199) is associated with long-term outcome after solid organ transplantation, we investigated this SNP in relation to LTx. In addition, we looked at local production of C3 by analyzing bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of LTx patients using isoelectric focusing (IEF). Results: We demonstrated the presence of C3 in BALF and showed that this is produced by the donor lung based on the genotype of SNP rs2230199. We also analyzed donor and patient SNP configurations and observed a significant association between the SNP configuration in patients and episodes of AR during 4-years follow-up. Survival analysis showed a lower AR-free survival in homozygous C3 slow patients (p=0.005). Furthermore, we found a significant association between the SNP configuration in donors and BOS development. Patients receiving a graft from a donor with at least one C3 fast variant for rs2230199 had an inferior BOS-free survival (p=0.044). Conclusions: In conclusion, our data indicate local C3 production by donor lung cells. In addition, a single C3 SNP present in recipients affects short-term outcome after LTx, while this SNP in donors has an opposite effect on long-term outcome after LTx. These results could contribute to an improved risk stratification after transplantation.

  Study EGAS00001003843

• Differential Presence of Exons in Cell-Free DNA Reveals Different Patterns in Colorectal Cancer Between Metastatic and Non-Metastatic Patients

  Tumor genotyping during disease follow-up is gaining an increasing interest for monitoring and clinical management in colorectal cancer (CRC). Growing evidences suggest that single biopsies are inefficient for molecular profiling, due to clonal evolution and intratumoral heterogeneity of primary tumors and/or metastasis. Circulating free DNA (cfDNA) has emerged as an alternative source of genetic material that seems to be representative of the continuously changing tumor molecular features. Thus, the so-called 'liquid biopsy' also offers the additional advantages of accessibility and non-invasiveness for the patient. Novel strategies based on next-generation sequencing (NGS) of cfDNA are being currently developed, with most studies focusing on targeted deep sequencing panels of potential clinically actionable genes. Here we describe an alternative approach, consisting of exome-sequencing in cfDNA at a relatively shallower depth to provide a more general overview of the circulating genome. In this study, two groups of colorectal cancer patients, with either disseminated (M) or localized disease (N), were compared using whole-exome sequencing and a RNA-seq bioinformatics analysis pipeline. Thus, a set of 379 exons present at different levels in cfDNA from both groups were identified, giving rise to a completely new concept in this field, termed as 'Differential Presence of Exons'. Differentially present exons (DPEs) were subsequently used for M and N patients clustering and classification, allowing for the design of a predictive algorithm with encouraging preliminary results in a small subset of patients that could not be initially classified attending to the selection criteria (U group, unassignable).

  Study EGAS00001002687

• Sporadic and endemic Burkitt lymphoma have frequent FOXO1 mutations but distinct hotspots in the AKT recognition motif

  FOXO1 has an oncogenic role in adult germinal center derived lymphomas, in which mutations, predominately within the AKT recognition motif, cause nuclear retention of FOXO1 resulting in increased cell proliferation. To determine the prevalence and distribution of FOXO1 mutations in pediatric Burkitt lymphoma (BL), we sequenced a large number of sporadic and endemic BL patient samples. We report a high frequency of FOXO1 mutations in both sporadic and endemic BL at diagnosis, occurring in 23/78 (29%) and 48/89 (54%) samples respectively, as well as 8/16 (50%) cases at relapse. Mutations of T24 were the most common in sporadic BL but were rare in endemic cases, in which mutations of residue S22, also within the AKT recognition motif, were the most frequent. FOXO1 mutations were almost always present in the major tumor cell clone but were not associated with outcome. Analysis of other recurrent mutations reported in BL revealed that FOXO1 mutations were associated with mutations of DDX3X and ARID1A, but not MYC, TCF3/ID3 or members of the phosphatidylinositol 3’ OH kinase (PI3K) signaling pathway. We further show common nuclear retention of the FOXO1 protein, irrespective of mutation status, suggesting alternative unknown mechanisms for maintaining FOXO1 transcriptional activity in BL. CRISPR/Cas9 knockout of FOXO1 in an endemic cell line produced a significant decrease in cell proliferation, supporting an oncogenic role for FOXO1 in endemic BL. Thus, FOXO1 is frequently mutated in both sporadic and endemic BL and may offer a potential therapeutic target for pediatric BL patients worldwide.

  Study EGAS00001003719

• Human genomic and phenotypic synthetic data for the study of rare diseases

  The purpose of this dataset is to facilitate development of technical implementations for rare disease data integration, analysis, discovery, and federated access. This synthetic dataset includes clinical and genomic data from 6 rare disease cases. It consists of 18 whole genomes (6 index cases with their parents) which have genetic background based on public human data sequenced in the context of the Illumina Platinum initiative (Eberle, MA et al. (2017)) and made available by the HapMap project (https://www.genome.gov/10001688/international-hapmap-project). In each of the cases, real causative variants correlating with the phenotypic data provided were spiked-in. The cases included in this synthetic dataset correspond to the following type of disorders: CASE 1- Congenital myasthenic syndrome (Autosomal Dominant -de novo variant) CASE 2- Macular dystrophy (Autosomal Dominant) CASE 3- Muscular dystrophy (Autosomal Recessive-compound heterozygous variants) CASE 4- Mitochondrial disorder (Autosomal Recessive-consanguineous case - homozygous variant) CASE 5- Breast cancer (Autosomal Dominant) CASE 6- Similar as case 1 for patient matchmaking tests: Congenital myasthenic syndrome (Autosomal Dominant-de novo variant) For each case you will be able to download the following data: clinical information (phenopackets per individual and pedigree per family), raw genomic data (FASTQ and BAMs) and processed genomic data (vcfs). When using the data, the following should be acknowledged: the RD-Connect GPAP (https://platform.rd-connect.eu/), EC H2020 project EJP-RD (grant # 825575), EC H2020 project B1MG (grant # 951724) and Generalitat de Catalunya VEIS project (grant # 001-P-001647).

  Study EGAS00001005702

• Submission FAQ

  Submission FAQ Before Submission Is the EGA the right archive for my data? The most suitable archive for your data is dependent on the type of data you are wishing to submit and whether the data require public or controlled access. Public access is defined as complete and open access to all submitted data. On the contrary, controlled access, exerted by the EGA, requires formal applications to be made to access the submitted data files and metadata. EGA only accepts human-derived data subject to controlled access. If your submission contains other types of data, please choose the appropriate repository for it (see image below): ENA, EVA, ArrayExpress, BioSD and GWAS catalog.  Should your submission be subjected to controlled access? Data access conditions are normally defined in the original informed consent agreements signed by the participants involved in your study. All data submitted to the EGA is subject to controlled access. These consents prevent the derived data files, potentially identifiable, from being dispersed by open and public access. Controlled access data often refers to human data derived from medical research and consortium projects. If in doubt, consult the informed consent agreements that apply to your study The EGA enables you to hold a submission before publication. What data types can be submitted to the EGA? Data types accepted by the EGA can be split into three categories: Sequences: both in generic and platform-specific formats. Array-based: from raw signal files to processed matrices. Phenotypes: all possible phenotype formats are accepted. All manufacturer-specific raw data formats derived from major next generation sequencing platforms are accepted. Also generic sequence formats: flat reads in a FASTQ file, aligned sequences (BAM or CRAM files) as well as sequence variation files in VCF format. All array-based technologies are accepted, including raw data, intensity and analysis files, without any restriction on data formats accepted. We also accept and distribute phenotype data (associated to the samples) in almost any format: from an image to a README file. How long does a submission take? Submissions to EGA come in a variety of formats and sizes, thus it is difficult for us to exactly predict how long a submission will take. We, therefore, advise all of our submitters to allow as much time as possible to make a submission. Based on previous records, we anticipate that the submission process may take at least one month. The submitter’s familiarity with the procedures, possible technical issues that may arise during submission and the amount of data that is being submitted are the main factors that will affect the length of the submission process. However, each step of a regular submission should be considered when estimating the time it would take: Encryption of the files Upload of the files Metadata submission Archival of the files Release of the study and datasets to EGA webpage For example, the upload of the files depends on the submission size, while metadata submission mainly relies on each submitter’s expertise. Further, some steps (e.g. answering to inquiries) depend on the EGA Helpdesk team, which may take some days to be processed during busy times Is data deposited in the EGA secure? The EGA set-up consists of a secure computing facility for data processing, a shared EBI set-up for data submissions and distribution of data via data requests made through the EGA website. Data is also copied in the Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC) infrastructure, where all stored and distributed data is encrypted Data is encrypted along the submission process and stored securely, granting its access to authorised users exclusively. During the download process, through our Python Client or Aspera, all requested data is downloaded over secure https connections. All data at the EGA is encrypted, and only accessible (for log-in and download) through secure protocols. For further information please, visit our security overview. What documentation do I need to provide? All submissions require policy’s documentation: 'Data Access Agreement (DAA)', 'Data Processing Agreement (DPA)' and 'Authorized Submitters Formulary'. The data processors (EGA) and the data owners will also sign the DPA. Will all metadata be public? Among the submitted metadata we need to make the distinction between identifiable and unidentifiable metadata: (1) the former may allow the identification of the human the sample derived from (e.g. detailed geographical providence, personal name, family ancestry…); (2) while the latter can be used to interpret the data without compromising the anonymity of the patients. The majority of the metadata submitted to the EGA corresponds to the unidentifiable category (e.g. sequencer's model). This type of metadata is publicly available on the EGA website and other EBI resources/partners’ websites. On the other hand, some parts samples’ metadata are subject to being identifiable, and thus only accessible by authorized data requesters, with the exception of: 5 submitter-defined attributes of the sample: alias, title, subject_id, gender and phenotype. It is the submitter’s responsibility not to submit sensitive metadata in these public fields. 3 anonymised fields that pinpoint the sample record in archivals: sample’s EGA stable ID (EGAN…), BioSample ID (SAMEA…) and submitter’s center name. During Submission Are there any sample specific requirements for EGA? All samples submitted to the EGA must include the attributes of biological sex, subject ID (anonymised individual identifier) and phenotype information. These are critical for data findability and its analysis, and we highly recommend using controlled ontology terms where applicable. For example: defining tumour and non-tumour samples and/or defining disease state. The EGA recommends using the Experimental Factor Ontology Database to find ontologized terms that describe your sample phenotypes. How do I get an accession number to use in my publication? You will receive your study accession number (EGAS…) upon complete your submission, either: Programmatically. As soon as the metadata is submitted and validated your study will be assigned an accession number that will be given in the submission’s response. Manually registering your study and relevant metadata using the online metadata submission tool: the EGA submitter Portal. How are files uploaded to the EGA? Data files are uploaded into private submission drop boxes (i.e. environments to which you are granted access and where you can transfer your files) using INBOX or FTP. These spaces are provided as part of the submission procedure. Before uploading any file, you must encrypt your files, . Only encrypted files shall be uploaded to the drop boxes. Why does data need to to encrypted for my submitted files? It is one of the security steps the EGA has implemented. In case of a security breach, people without the proper encryption key will not be able to read or use the information that could have been leaked. This measure is essential when working with sensitive data, such as controlled access human data. All submitters must use crypt4gh to create EGA compliant files prior to uploading them. This encryption is GPG-based, using EGA’s public key. Why are my files not available if I see them in the INBOX? There exists a time window between the data upload and the availability of such files via the Submitter Portal. For this reason, some metadata (run and analysis objects) cannot be registered until at least 24 hours after the files have been uploaded to your box. Why are MD5 sum values generated for my submitted files? We require pre- and post- encryption MD5 (message-digest) checksum values to be provided for all submitted files. These 128-bit values are computed using the content of each file, creating unique sequences that allow us to ensure that file integrity has been maintained during the transfer process. In other words, if the MD5 checksums we generate and those you generated match, we infer that the content of the transferred files is correct (i.e. files are not corrupted or truncated). MD5 checksums are computed automatically using the crypt4gh tool provided. Your submission will not be accepted and may be significantly delayed if you do not provide MD5 checksum values for all data files in the required format. How can I check if my files are correctly uploaded to the inbox? It is important to check the status pf your file so you know whether your files are in the inbox, being processed, or if there is any issue with one of them. In order to check this, you should: Look for the file locally. Drag and drop it to the file table. Then bars will appear on the table, which means that we are processing it. Green: The files checksum are correct and your file will move to “ingested files”. No further actions are needed from your end.. Red: The files checksum does not match and your file needs to be re-uploaded. Please re-upload relevant files to your inbox using the same path. After Submission How do I use my accession number in my publication? We suggest the use of the below template, using your study accession ID (EGAS…) : Data has been deposited at the European Genome-phenome Archive (EGA), which is hosted by the EBI and the CRG, under accession number EGASXXXXXXXXXXX. Further information about EGA can be found at https://ega-archive.org and "The European Genome-phenome Archive of human data consented for biomedical research" Your study ID will be the one that groups your whole submission, and thus its usage is recommended as such. Nevertheless, all metadata submitted to EGA hold a unique and persistent identifier (starting with EGA…) that can be used to identify specific records. For example, you could reference a specific dataset (EGAD…) or sample (EGAN…) in your publications (see full list of identifiers). How do I make my data searchable? Once you have finalized your submission, you can schedule the data release. Please take into account that the release process needs time for the files to be archived in our system, and for the Helpdesk team to validate your submission. Can I withdraw (meta)data from the EGA? We have methods in place for the secure removal of deposited (meta)data. Contact EGA-helpdesk for further details. EGA complies with FAIRness of (meta)data, and thus, even when the data is removed we keep an entry for their identifiers in our system. In other words, we execute a soft delete on canceled objects (e.g. a study): metadata is still stored in our systems, but it loses all links, cannot be queried and data files cannot be retrieved anymore. The reason behind this behaviour is so that queries using withdrawn data properly respond back (see example of a canceled study). What happens to the data once it has been submitted to the EGA? When the data is submitted, the submitter can choose either keep their data private or schedule the release of their data.

  Documentation submission/metadata/submission/FAQ

• A Randomized, Double-Blind, Crossover Study of Sodium Phenylbutyrate (Buphenyl) and Low-Dose Arginine (100 mg/kg/day) Compared to High-Dose Arginine (500 mg/kg/day) Alone on Liver Function, Ureagenesis and Subsequent Nitric Oxide Production in Patients with Argininosuccinic Aciduria (ASA)

  Individuals with Urea Cycle Disorders (UCD) cannot remove ammonia, a waste product, from the blood. At present there is little information on the use of sodium phenylbutyrate (Buphenyl™) in children with argininosuccinic aciduria (ASA). It is hoped that this drug may help lower ammonia and argininosuccinic acid levels in patients with ASA. Through this study we hope to learn whether the use of sodium phenylbutyrate (Buphenyl™) in patients with ASA, in addition to diet and arginine therapy, will decrease liver damage and the number of periods during which ammonia levels are high. The primary study objective is to determine if the treatment of ASA patients with sodium phenylbutyrate (Buphenyl™) in conjunction with lowered doses of arginine improves liver function as measured by short-term assessment of synthetic activity and the use of stable isotope tracers to assess ureagenesis and nitric oxide production. Twelve patients with ASA will be studied using a randomized, cross-over design. Medical records will be reviewed to confirm the diagnosis prior to enrollment. Patients will be on the each arm of the study for one week each preceded by a three day washout period. Patients will come to the Baylor College of Medicine General Clinical Research Center in Texas Children's Hospital for an inpatient hospitalization. This hospitalization is for diet control, clinical evaluation, and stable isotope infusions for measurement of in vivo rates of ureagenesis and nitric oxide production. During the washout periods Buphenyl™ or other alternative route medications, e.g., benzoate, will be discontinued and arginine will be administered at the standard therapeutic dose of 500 mg/kg/day or 10 grams/m2. Following randomization, subjects will be maintained on either high-dose arginine (500 mg/kg/day or 10 grams/m2) alone, or the alternative of low-dose arginine (100 mg/kg/d or 2 grams/m2) along with sodium phenylbutyrate (500 mg/kg/day or 10 grams/m2). For the second week they will be crossed over to the other arm of the study preceded by another three day washout. Previous medications and dietary protein intake (0.6 g/kg/day or current metabolic diet) will be continued during both arms of the study. The two arms may be performed as separate ten-day admissions. The decision to design the study with two arms, high-dose arginine and low-dose arginine/Buphenyl™, was reached after weighing several considerations. First, the current accepted practice for treatment of ASA is high-dose arginine. Based on metabolic flux studies, we have quantified the effects of this dose of arginine as compared to standard doses of Buphenyl™/phenylacetate on ureagenesis. Since the study is not designed or intended to address the independent effects of Buphenyl™ as compared to arginine alone, Buphenyl™ was added for safety reasons to accommodate loss of clearance of nitrogen by decreasing the arginine dose. Moreover, based on our experience with recruiting for previous versions of this study, most ASA patients with liver dysfunction are on an alternative route ammonia scavenger medication in addition to arginine. We found that this has in fact become an accepted practice. Hence, when considering study design from both a safety and recruitment perspective, it was most reasonable to design the study to investigate specifically the hypothesis that the production and presence of argininosuccinic acid leads to liver dysfunction. Since both low-dose arginine with Buphenyl™ and high-dose arginine alone lead to a decreased production of argininosuccinic acid, and both are currently accepted therapies in ASA and UCDs in general, the need to address their effects distinctly is not being investigated at this time. Sodium phenylbutyrate dosage will be 500 mg/kg/day in patients weighing less than 20kg and 10 g/m2/day in larger patients. Daily dosage will be given in equally divided doses 4 times per day. In order to ensure that the study remains double-blind to investigators, study staff and subjects, the Investigational Pharmacy Service at Texas Children's Hospital will dispense both the Buphenyl™ and arginine in powder form which is compounded into capsules or will be mixed with syrpalta (up to 5 grams will dissolve in 10cc liquid) and administered orally or through nasogastric or gastrostomy tube. No nasogastric tube should be placed or gastrostomy performed solely for the purpose of inclusion in this study. Because the reported adverse effects of sodium phenylbutyrate include gastritis, participants will be started on a standard dose of ranitidine (Zantac™), or comparable drug, during both arms of the study.

  Study phs001305

• Study of Environment, Lifestyle and Fibroids SNP Data

  Uterine fibroids are hormonally-dependent benign tumors of the uterine muscle that develop in premenopausal women. Currently, the primary symptoms (pain and bleeding) are treated, but when those treatments fail, major procedures to remove or shrink the fibroids are frequently the only options for women. Fibroids are the leading indication for hysterectomy in the United States. African-American women develop fibroids an average of 10 years earlier than white women in the U.S., and they are approximately three times more likely to have a hysterectomy for fibroids. The known risk factors for fibroids do not explain this disparity.The goal of the Study of Environment, Lifestyle & Fibroids (SELF) is to identify risk factors for uterine fibroid development. It is the first study to identify incident cases based on ultrasound screening. We enrolled a cohort of 1693 women who self-identified as Black or African American, ages 23-35, from the Detroit, Michigan area. Women with a prior diagnosis of fibroids were not eligible. Participants were screened for fibroids with ultrasound at enrollment, and follow-up ultrasounds occurred approximately every 20 months to identify new fibroids. Fibroids that were detected at enrollment and those that arose during follow up were monitored at subsequent visits for fibroid growth. We collected risk factor and symptom data, physical measurements, as well as blood, urine, and vaginal swab specimens at enrollment and follow-up visits.The study was designed to test three primary hypotheses:Vitamin D deficiency is a risk factor for fibroid incidence and/or growth.Reproductive tract infections can increase risk of fibroid development.Genotypic variation in African ancestry may influence fibroid development directly, or through interaction with life-course risk factors.In addition, we collected extensive information to examine other exposures of interest, and our extra specimens can be used to test new hypotheses in the future.With this first prospective study of fibroid development, we aim to identify new preventative factors that could directly benefit women. We anticipate that the detailed data on fibroid development can be used to help design new interval treatment strategies to limit fibroid growth and thus reduce the need for the invasive treatments that remain the standard of care when first-line treatments fail.

  Study phs002513

• Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis Network (IPFnet) Prednisone, Azathioprine, and N-Acetylcysteine: A Study That Evaluates Response in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPFNet-Panther-IPF-BioLINCC)

  Data Access NOTE: Please refer to the "Authorized Access" section below for information about how access to the data from this accession differs from many other dbGaP accessions.Objectives: The initial objective of the PANTHER-IPF study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a drug combination of prednisone, azathioprine, and N-acetylcysteine in the treatment of mild-to-moderate idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) compared to N-acetylcysteine alone or placebo. After interim analysis presented safety concerns regarding the three drug regimen, the protocol was modified to evaluate only N-acetylcysteine effectiveness. Background: IPF is a chronic, progressive lung disease of unknown cause that is characterized by the histopathological or radiologic patterns of usual interstitial pneumonia in a typical clinical setting. The median survival of participants with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis after diagnosis is 2 to 5 years. To date, no pharmacologic therapies have been shown to improve survival. Acetylcysteine has been suggested as a beneficial treatment for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, although data from placebo-controlled studies are lacking.Design: Patients with mild-to-moderate impairment in pulmonary function were randomly assigned to receive a three-drug regimen (prednisone, azathioprine, and acetylcysteine), acetylcysteine alone (plus matched placebos for prednisone and azathioprine), or matched placebos for each of the active therapies. After the planned midpoint interim analysis, the data and safety monitoring board recommended discontinuation of the three-drug regimen because of an excess in the number of deaths, hospitalizations, and serious adverse events among patients in the combination-therapy group, as compared with the placebo group. After NHLBI accepted this recommendation on October 14, 2011, the three-drug regimen was discontinued and patients were recruited for only the acetylcysteine group and the placebo group. Patients were seen at the clinical centers for screening, at baseline, and at 4, 15, 30, 45, and 60 weeks. The primary outcome measure was change in FVC over 60 weeks.Conclusions: As compared with placebo, acetylcysteine offered no significant benefit with respect to the preservation of FVC in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis with mild-to-moderate impairment in lung function. In addition, there were no significant differences between the acetylcysteine group and the placebo group in the rates of death or acute exacerbation.

  Study phs004071

• Better Outcomes for Children: GWAS from Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC) - eMERGE Phase II data - (dbGaP Deposit 1)

  This submission includes genotyping data from 6 separate cohorts (named A-E here), each is described in separate paragraphs below. Cohort A) Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects 1.5 million people in the United States, at an estimated lifetime cost of $4 million. It is part of Pervasive Developmental Disorder characterized by impairments in communication, language and reciprocal social interaction, and by unusual patterns of restricted and repetitive interests or behaviors. Autism, or autistic disorder, is the most severe form of the disease which has a wide range of symptom severity encompassed by the more inclusive term, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The prevalence of Autistic Disorder is currently estimated to be 4 per 1000, affecting 4 times more boys than girls. Susceptibility to autism is clearly attributable to genetic factors but the extensive clinical and genetic heterogeneity within the disorder have hindered efforts at genetic dissection. Identifying the genetic variants that contribute to this highly heritable disease is crucial to advancing research on autism. Reported concordance rates among monozygotic twins range from 60% − 90% and heritability of autism has been estimated to be 90% or greater. Identifying genetic variants that contribute to this highly heritable disease is crucial to advancing research on autism. Cohort B) The long-term objective of this research is to determine the molecular genetic basis of Cardiovascular (CV) disease in the young; this study seeks to identify gene mutations that cause "structural heart defects". Every year in the USA, 32,000 individuals are born with CV malformations; approximately 20% die during the first year of life. Another 30,000 young people develop a disturbance of cardiac rhythm or conduction. In addition, the life expectancy of another 40,000 young people is shortened by other forms of CV disease. It is becoming more apparent that in spite of the success in diagnosis and treatment, very little is known about the causes of CV disease in the young; understanding the causes will permit insight into the pathophysiologic basis of disease and allow definition of disease risk - two critical elements for disease prevention. Disease prevention and/or risk modification promises to be the new frontier in the management of CV disease in the young. Cohort C) Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EE) is one of the manifestations of eosinophilic gastrointestinal inflammation which have profound effects on a patient's health and development. Results of epidemiologic studies performed through our center demonstrate that eosinophil-associated gastrointestinal disease is not an uncommon entity. While the epidemiology of eosinophilic esophagitis has not been thoroughly studied until recently, there appears to be a significant increase in the diagnosis of EE in the last decade. Based on our research, this mainly reflects increased disease recognition, but there is also a bona-fide increase in disease incidence which coincides with the increasing incidence of asthma and allergic diseases in the industrialized world. In addition, many patients with intractable symptoms thought in the past to represent atypical GERD or other disorders are now being recognized as having EE. Diagnosis of EE requires endoscopy and biopsies to document the characteristic histologic findings of esophageal eosinophilia. In general, this study proposed to elucidate the mechanisms underlying eosinophil growth, survival, migration, and function, and to investigate and further characterize the pathophysiology of, clinical manifestations of, and spectrum of disease severity of eosinophilic esophagitis in humans. Cohort D) Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is a debilitating complex genetic disorder characterized by inflammation of the joints and other tissues and shares histopathological features with other autoimmune diseases. It is considered a complex genetic disorder. There are more than 50,000 children with JIA in the USA, approximately 1 per 1000 births, which is about the same incidence as juvenile diabetes. It is believed that genes in the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) play a role in defining genetic risk, and it can be hypothesized that loci in other chromosomal regions are involved in conferring risk in JIA. These candidate chromosomal regions can be identified using genome wide association analyses. The long-term goal is a comprehensive understanding of the genetic basis of these disabling arthropathies for which the molecular basis is not presently understood. The results of recent GWAS for Caucasian JIA were recently published in Arthritis Rheum. 2012 Feb 21 (Published online, PMID=22354554). Cohort E) Childhood Absence Epilepsy (CAE) is characterized by very frequent (several to many per day) absence seizures in an otherwise normal child with an EEG usually demonstrating 3 Hz bilateral, synchronous, symmetrical spikewaves pattern with normal background activity. CAE occurs in 10% to 15% of all children with epilepsy with an annual incidence of 6.3 to 8/100,000 in children <15 years of age. Females are more affected than males. Epilepsy onset is typically between the ages of 4 to 8 years with a peak incidence of 6 to 7 years. CAE does not start after age 13 years. The primary objective of this study is: To identify the optimal anticonvulsant (i.e. the antiepileptic drug (AED) with highest rate of seizure control and lowest incidence of treatment limiting toxicity) used for the initial treatment of children with Childhood Absence Epilepsy (CAE). The secondary objectives are: To determine the pharmacogenetic and other non-heritable factors underlying the interindividual variation in anticonvulsant response efficacy and toxicity. To define and contrast the effects of ethosuximide, lamotrigine, and valproic acid monotherapy on cognition (attention), behavior and quality of life in children with Childhood Absence Epilepsy. Cohort F) Cincinnati Controls. These are local healthy children selected to be representative of the population of Cincinnati with respect to gender and ancestry. Cohort G) Cytogenetics cases are ascertained by the clinical request to obtain cytogenetic analysis. The platform used included genotyping data which are then available for genome wide association analysis

  Study phs000494

• dbGaP Collection: NHLBI Heart Failure Related dbGaP Data (No IRB requirement)

  The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) Big Data Analysis Challenge: Creating New Paradigms for Heart Failure Research has concluded. The NHLBI will continue to make this collection of data available to the research community.Past information regarding the Data Collection for the NHLBI Big Data Analysis Challenge: Creating New Paradigms for Heart Failure Research is below.The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is inviting novel Solutions for the NHLBI Big Data Analysis Challenge: Creating New Paradigms for Heart Failure Research. The goal of the challenge is to foster innovation in computational analysis and machine learning approaches utilizing large-scale NHLBI-funded datasets to identify new paradigms in heart failure research. The challenge aims to address the need for new open source disease models that can define sub-categorizations of adult heart failure to serve as a springboard for new research hypotheses and tool development in areas of heart failure research from basic to clinical settings. NHLBI has a history of making considerable investments in the creation of deep data resources including: long-standing, deeply-phenotyped epidemiological cohorts, innovative clinical trials, and large-scale precision medicine efforts that have generated whole genome sequencing and "other omics" data for more than one-hundred thousand individuals. To provide challenge participants with streamlined access to data across NHLBI's numerous studies containing heart failure data, the NHLBI has created this dbGaP study collection. Data access for this collection is controlled by NHLBI's Data Access Committee. Challenge participants are required to follow the use restrictions and acknowledgement instructions from the original dataset(s). Please note that the data in this collection are not harmonized across studies or otherwise altered from the original study. The NHLBI Big Data Analysis Challenge: Heart Failure Data Collection contains all NHLBI studies currently in dbGaP that contain data that may be relevant to research on heart failure. The studies in this collection are approved for General Research Use (GRU), Health/Medical/Biomedical Use (HMB), or Disease-Specific Use (DS) that permits research on heart failure. These studies span a variety of study designs, inclusion and exclusion criteria, sample sizes, and provide a wide breadth and depth of phenotype data on study participants. The available genomic data in these studies also varies, including genotyping arrays, sequencing (targeted, exome, whole genome), and additional -omic data (e.g., RNA or metabolite profiles). Please refer to each study's individual accession page to learn more about how study data were collected. Challenge participants are reminded that in addition to dbGaP, NHLBI's Biologic Specimen and Data Repository Information Coordinating Center (BioLINCC) contains other studies that have collected data relevant to heart failure and may wish to utilize BioLINCC data in the development of their Solution. Please refer to the individual accession page for each study in this collection to learn more about the history of each study.

  Study phs001991

• CIDR: NINDS High Throughput Genotyping Resource Access for Structural Hindbrain Disorders

  Recessive forms for many structural brain disorders (SBDs), including cerebellar hypoplasia (CBH), corpus callosum hypoplasia (CCH), cobblestone lissencephaly (COB), classical lissencephaly (LIS), microcephaly (MIC), and pontocerebellar hypoplasia (PCH), have been described. Patients usually present to the clinic with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), including autism, epilepsy, intellectual disability, and cerebral palsy. Subsequent brain MRI usually leads to the diagnosis of an SBD. While a handful of genes that cause these diseases have been identified, most patients do not have mutations in these genes, suggesting that there is still much work to be done in identifying the genetic causes of these disorders. We have recruited a cohort of families with inherited SBDs, most from families with documented parental consanguinity with more than one affected member. Current approaches utilizing exome sequencing of SBD affected members still leave most cases unsolved, in part because there are too many possible variants to consider. Linkage analysis will allow us to extract all the useful genetic information from the family, taking advantage of each genetically informative meiosis in each family. We propose to analyze up to 100 SBD families for 500 samples per year for 4 years, through the CIDR SNP Genotyping Service, in parallel with already-funded exome sequencing of affects, leveraging off an already funded Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) effort to identify new causes of SBDs. Understanding the pathogenetic mechanisms underlying recessive pediatric SBDs will lead to better diagnostic and therapeutic opportunities for patients, and may shed light on complex NDDs. Ultimately, this work will identify new genetic disease loci to provide insight into pediatric SBD, with the hope to mitigate the impact of SBD worldwide.Public Health Significance: NDDs affect approximately 4-­6% of the general population, most notably children, and are evident in disorders, such as intellectual disability, epilepsy, and autism, with estimated yearly costs of $51.2B for intellectual disability, $11.5B for cerebral palsy, and $2.5B for visual impairment, making up >5% of total health care costs. Recessive NDDs impose enormous personal, social, and economic costs because of the early onset and the lifetime of medical dependence that often ensues. Genetic testing is critical to the diagnosis and treatment of these diseases. Many of the diseases under study have no treatment or cure. Structural brain diseases (SBDs) underlie a large percentage of these diseases, and are defined loosely as any condition in which defects in the structure or volume of a key brain component. SBDs are divided into major categories based upon the anatomical brain location. The major types involve the anatomical structures of the developing neural tube, forebrain, hindbrain, cerebral cortex, and those affecting overall brain size. For the purposes of this application, we have excluded SBDs resulting from environmental causes (i.e. prematurity-­induced), those below the brainstem, or those unlikely to be due to a germline or de novo mutation (i.e. focal SBDs or simplex disease).

  Study phs002621

• A Phase I/II Study of Revlimid (lenalidomide) in Combination with Vidaza (azacitidine) in Patients with Advanced Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS)

  This single-arm study design has been selected to investigate the safety of combination therapy with Vidaza® (azacitidine) and Revlimid® (lenalidomide) in a population of 18 participants with advanced MDS for the Phase I portion, and 18 participants for the Phase II portion. The multi-center nature of the study should enhance the general applicability of the results. Participants with advanced MDS were chosen because it is expected that the combination of the two drugs will by myelosuppressive, which can be considered a necessary toxicity to effect improvements in PR and CR rates in this advanced population, akin to participants with AML. Finally, the combination was chosen to be studied because currently available therapies in this population, and their effectiveness, are limited, and single-agent Vidaza® (azacitidine), while effective at delaying transformation to AML or death, is not curative. The doses of Revlimid® (lenalidomide) in this study are similar to those that were demonstrated to have an effect and to be well-tolerated in participants with MDS. Doses for Vidaza® (azacitidine) are similar to those used in the pivotal trial, though for a 5-day treatment period instead of 7 to minimize toxicity for the first 3 blocks of participants, and then at a lower dose over a protracted period of time to explore the safety of a 10-day treatment course.

  Study phs001318

• Whole Exome Sequencing of DNA from Pre-and Post-Chemotherapy Needle Biopsies of Triple Negative and Inflammatory Breast Cancers Enrolled in the S0800 Trial

  Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the somatic mutation landscape of breast tumors before and after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. The data includes whole exome sequencing of pre- and post- tissues that were collected in the context of an already published clinical trial SWOG S0800 (ZA Nahleh et al. Breast Cancer Research and Treatment. 158:485-495, 2016). The trial compared the efficacy of sequential nab-paclitaxel followed or preceded by doxorubicin/cyclophosphamide anthracycline chemotherapy with or without bevacizumab as preoperative therapy for stage II-III breast cancer. Experimental Design: 29 pre-treatment biopsies and 9 matching post-treatment surgically resected cancer tissues were available for analysis and were subjected to whole exome sequencing to identify mutational patterns associated with response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy. The 9 paired samples with residual invasive cancer after therapy were also analyzed to assess changes in mutational patterns in response to therapy. No matching normal tissues were available for germline sequencing and therefore we used n=7 post-treatment breast tissues without residual cancer (i.e. complete eradication of cancer by therapy) as a normal cohort to facilitate somatic variant calling.Conclusion: These results suggest that genomic disturbances in BRCA-related DNA repair mechanisms, reflected by a dominant mutational signature 3, confer increased chemotherapy sensitivity. Cancers that survive neoadjuvant chemotherapy, frequently have alterations in cell cycle regulating genes but different genes are affected in different patients.

  Study phs001883

• Targeted Linked-Read DNA-seq Analysis of Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancers

  Androgen receptor (AR) inhibition is standard of care for advanced prostate cancer (PC). However, its efficacy is limited by progression to castration-resistant PC (CRPC), usually due to AR re-activation via mechanisms that include AR amplification and structural rearrangement. These two classes of AR alterations often co-occur in CRPC tumors, but it is unclear whether this reflects intercellular or intracellular heterogeneity of AR. It is important to resolve the mechanisms of AR genomic rearrangements to develop new therapies and predictive biomarkers for PC. We developed a targeted linked-read DNA sequencing assay to interrogate alterations in AR and a panel of genes known to be amplified or mutated in CRPC. Linked-read DNA-sequencing libraries were generated using the 10X Genomics Chromium platform and subjected to hybridization enrichment using a custom-designed Agilent SureSelect bait panel. Post-capture DNA-seq libraries were pooled and sequenced on an Illumina HiSeq 2500 using 2x150 bp settings. This targeted linked-read DNA-seq assay was used to interrogate a set of 6 benchmarking samples harboring known AR gene rearrangements and other alterations in AR, as well a panel of 6 patient-derived xenograft CRPC tumors and 23 clinical CRPC tumors. In this cohort, we identified a subset of samples that developed complex, multiply-rearranged AR gene structures in conjunction with very high AR copy number. The data that will be made available through dbGaP are raw FASTQ files.

  Study phs003343

• The Chromatin Landscape of Pathogenic Transcriptional Cell States in Rheumatoid Arthritis

  In this study, we characterized 24 rheumatoid arthritis (RA) synovial tissue chromatin classes (i.e., cell states defined by chromatin accessibility) across 5 cell types (T, B/plasma, myeloid, stromal, and endothelial). We also investigated the transcription factors that may regulate these chromatin classes, their connections to transcriptional cell states in a proposed superstate model, and their interplay with RA pathology through associations with histological parameters and risk variants.As part of the Accelerating Medicines Partnership (AMP) network, we obtained 18 synovial tissue samples from 14 RA and 4 osteoarthritis (OA) patients for this study. Samples were collected from 7 clinical sites. We performed a 10x single cell ATAC-seq experiment on each sample.We further collected synovial tissue samples from 11 RA patients and 1 OA patient from 2 clinical sites; each sample was used for a 10x single cell multimodal ATAC and Gene Expression experiment.For additional support of the proposed superstate model, we also collected peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 4 RA patients, sorted for 4 populations (CD4+CD127-CD25hi Tregs, CD4+CD127-CD25int Tregs, CD4+CD25-PD1+CXCR5- TPH, CD4+CD25-PD1+CXCR5+ TFH), tagged each population with a hashing antibody, and pooled populations for one multimodal sequencing run.The FASTQ files are available for controlled access via dbGaP. Additional data can be found on Synapse.The presence of pooled subjects inflates the automatically-generated subject count; the actual consented subject count for this data is 34.

  Study phs003417

• Machine learning to detect the SINEs of cancer

  We previously described an approach called RealSeqS to evaluate aneuploidy in plasma cell-free DNA (cfDNA) through the amplification of ~350,000 repeated elements with a single primer. We hypothesized that an unbiased evaluation of the large amount of sequencing data obtained with RealSeqS might reveal other differences between plasma samples from patients with and without cancer. This hypothesis was tested through the development of a novel machine-learning approach called Alu Profile Learning Using Sequencing (A-PLUS) and its application to samples from 5108 individuals, 2037 with cancer and the remainder without cancer. Samples from cancer patients and controls were pre-specified into four cohorts used for: 1) model training, 2) analyte integration and threshold determination, 3) validation, and 4) reproducibility. A-PLUS alone provided a sensitivity of 40.5% across 11 different cancer types in the Validation Cohort, at a specificity of 98.5%. Combining A-PLUS with aneuploidy and 8 common protein biomarkers detected 51% of 1167 cancers at 98.9% specificity. We found that part of the power of A-PLUS could be ascribed to a single feature – the global reduction of AluS sub-family elements in the circulating DNA of cancer patients. We confirmed this reduction through the analysis of another independent dataset obtained with a very different approach (whole genome sequencing). The evaluation of Alu elements therefore has the potential to enhance the performance of several methods designed for the earlier detection of cancer.

  Study EGAS00001007169

• UCSF Database for the Advancement of JMML - Integration of Metadata with Omic Data

  Juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML) is a rare and frequently fatal myeloproliferative/myelodysplastic disorder of early childhood with an estimated incidence of 1.2 cases per million. It is associated with a spectrum of diverse outcomes ranging from spontaneous resolution in rare patients to transformation to acute myeloid leukemia in others. The overwhelming majority of JMML patients (~95%) will harbor mutations in canonical Ras pathway genes, including NF1, NRAS, KRAS, PTPN11, and CBL. As Ras proteins are mutated in more than 30% of human cancers, the information gleaned from the study of JMML has provided insights into Ras signaling in cancer as well as a group of congenital diseases with tumor predispositions known as the “Rasopathies”. While oncogenic Ras is one of the most common mutations in human cancer, it remains one of the most vexing targets for efficacious therapy. To better understand this disease, a JMML tissue bank was established at UCSF that allows for consenting of subjects, biobanking of tissue and collection of follow up data from patients both locally and at other institutions. Through the collection and analysis of specimens, knowledge about the genetic, epigenetic, and biochemical basis of JMML has been gained. This integrated database will enable future JMML research, and importantly, additional Ras/MAPK pathway research by depositing linked, processed data to well annotated anonymized patients in an easily accessible online database

  Study phs002504

• Cancer-associated fibroblasts promote drug resistance in ALK-driven lung adenocarcinoma cells by upregulating lipid biosynthesis

  Targeted therapy interventions using tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) provide encouraging treatment responses in ALK-rearranged lung adenocarcinomas, yet resistances occur almost inevitably. Apart from tumor cell-intrinsic resistance mechanisms, accumulating evidence supports a role of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in affecting the therapeutic vulnerability of lung cancer cells. Here, we aimed to investigate underlying molecular networks shaping the therapeutic susceptibility of ALK-driven lung adenocarcinoma cells via tumor microenvironmental cues using three-dimensional (3D) spheroid co-culture settings. We show that CAFs promote therapy resistance of lung tumor cells against ALK inhibition by reducing apoptotic cell death and increasing cell proliferation. Using single-cell RNA-sequencing analysis, we show that genes involved in lipogenesis constitute the major transcriptional difference between TKI-treated homo- and heterotypic lung tumor spheroids. CAF-conditioned medium and CAF-secreted factors HGF and NRG1 were both able to promote resistance of 3D-cultured ALK-rearranged lung tumor cells via AKT signaling, which was accompanied by enhanced de novo lipogenesis and supression of lipid peroxidation. Notably, simultaneous targeting of ALK and SREBP-1 was able to overcome the established CAF-driven lipid metabolic-supportive niche of TKI-resistant lung tumor spheroids. Our findings highlight a crucial role of CAFs in mediating ALK-TKI resistance via lipid metabolic reprogramming and suggest new ways to overcome resistance towards molecular directed drugs by targeting vulnerabilities downstream of oncogenic signaling.

  Study EGAS50000000135

• Pseudodiastrophic dysplasia expands the known phenotypic spectrum of defects in proteoglycan biosynthesis

  Pseudodiastrophic dysplasia (PDD) is a severe skeletal dysplasia associated with prenatal manifestation and early lethality. Clinically, PDD is classified as a ‘dysplasia with multiple joint dislocations’ however, the molecular aetiology of the disorder is currently unknown. In order to identify the genetic defects underlying PDD, we performed whole exome sequencing (WES) on 3 patients from 2 unrelated families, clinically diagnosed with PDD. WES resulted in the identification of bi-allelic variants in the established skeletal dysplasia genes, B3GAT3 (Family 1) and CANT1 (Family 2). Mutations in these genes have previously been reported to cause ‘multiple joint dislocations, short stature, and craniofacial dysmorphism with or without congenital heart defects’ (B3GAT3) and Desbuquois dysplasia 1 (CANT1); disorders in the same nosological group as PDD. Follow-up of the B3GAT3 variants demonstrated significantly reduced B3GAT3/GlcAT-I expression. Downstream in vitro functional analysis revealed abolished biosynthesis of glycosaminoglycan side chains on proteoglycans. Functional evaluation of the CANT1 variant showed impaired nucleotidase activity, which results in inhibition of glycosaminoglycan synthesis through accumulation of uridine diphosphate. For the families described in this study, the PDD phenotype was caused by mutations in the known skeletal dysplasia genes B3GAT3 and CANT1, demonstrating the advantage of genomic analyses in delineating the molecular diagnosis of skeletal dysplasias. This finding expands the phenotypic spectrum of B3GAT3- and CANT1- related skeletal dysplasias to include PDD, and highlights the significant phenotypic overlap of conditions within the proteoglycan biosynthesis pathway.

  Study EGAS00001004145

• Genome-wide analysis of genetic risk factors for rheumatic heart disease in Aboriginal Australians provides support for pathogenic molecular mimicry

  Background. Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) following Group A Streptococcus (GAS) infections is heritable and prevalent in Indigenous populations. Molecular mimicry between human and GAS proteins triggers pro-inflammatory cardiac valve-reactive T-cells. Methods. Genome-wide genetic analysis was undertaken in 1263 Aboriginal Australians (398 RHD cases; 865 controls). Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were genotyped using Illumina HumanCoreExome BeadChips. Direct typing and imputation was used to fine-map the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) region. Epitope binding affinities were mapped for human cross-reactive GAS proteins, including M5 and M6. Results. The strongest genetic association was intronic to HLA-DQA1 (rs9272622; P=1.86x10-7). Conditional analyses showed rs9272622 and/or DQA1*AA16 account for the HLA signal. HLA-DQA1*0101_DQB1*0503 (OR 1.44, 95%CI 1.09-1.90, P=9.56x10-3) and HLA-DQA1*0103_DQB1*0601 (OR 1.27, 95%CI 1.07-1.52, P=7.15x10-3) were risk haplotypes; HLA_DQA1*0301-DQB1*0402 (OR 0.30, 95%CI 0.14-0.65, P=2.36x10-3) was protective. Human myosin cross-reactive N-terminal and B repeat epitopes of GAS M5/M6 bind with higher affinity to DQA1/DQB1 alpha/beta dimers for the two risk haplotypes than the protective haplotype. Conclusions. Variation at HLA_DQA1-DQB1 is the major genetic risk factor for RHD in Aboriginal Australians studied here. Cross-reactive epitopes bind with higher affinity to alpha/beta dimers formed by risk haplotypes, supporting molecular mimicry as the key mechanism of RHD pathogenesis.

  Study EGAS00001002678

• Targeted sequencing of candidate regions on chromosome 22q predisposing to multiple schwannomas

  Constitutional LZTR1 or SMARCB1 pathogenic variants have been found in ~86% of familial and ~40% of sporadic schwannomatosis cases. Hence, we performed massively parallel sequencing of the entire LZTR1, SMARCB1 and NF2 genomic loci in 35 individuals with schwannomas negative for constitutional first-hit pathogenic variants in the LZTR1/SMARCB1/NF2 coding sequences, however with 22q deletion and/or a different NF2 pathogenic variant in each tumor, including six cases with only one tumor available. Furthermore, we verified whether any other LZTR1/SMARCB1/NF2 (likely) pathogenic variant(s) could be found in 16 cases carrying a SMARCB1 constitutional variant in the 3’ untranslated region (3’-UTR) c.*17C>T, c.*70C>T or c.*82C>T. As no additional variants were found, functional studies were performed to clarify the effect of these 3’-UTR variants on the transcript. The 3’-UTR variants c.*17C>T and c.*82C>T showed pathogenicity by negatively affecting SMARCB1 transcript level. Two novel deep intronic SMARCB1 variants, c.500+883T>G and c.500+887G>A, resulting in out-of-frame missplicing of intron 4, were identified in two unrelated individuals. Further resequencing of the entire repeat - masked genomics sequences of chromosome 22q in individuals negative for pathogenic variants in the SMARCB1/LZTR1/NF2 coding- and non-coding regions revealed five potential schwannomatosis-predisposing candidate genes, i.e. MYO18B, NEFH, SGSM1, SGSM3 and SBF1, pending further verification.

  Study EGAS00001005680

• Genetic variability in exon 1 of the glucocorticoid receptor gene NR3C1 is associated with postoperative complications

  Patients having major surgery experience inflammation post-operatively, which may contribute to post-operative morbidity. Endogenous glucocorticoids (GCs) are an essential part of the stress response, but this response varies between individuals, which may in turn affect clinical outcome in general, and post-operative inflammation, specifically. Exon 1 of the NR3C1 gene, encoding the glucocorticoid receptor, contains an established region of differential regulation. DNA methylation patterns in this region have been found to differ between individuals. We investigated the methylation status and genotype in the Cytosine-phosphate-Guanine (CpG) island in exon 1 of NR3C1 in 24 patients who underwent major abdominal surgery and correlated it with post-operative complications. DNA was extracted from peripheral blood leukocytes and underwent targeted bisulfite sequencing of the CpG island. Complications were graded according to the Clavien-Dindo classification and 14 out of 24 had post-operative complications. Multifactorial and partial least square methods were used to analyse the data. A homogenous demethylated pattern was observed in all patients and no single CpG methylation was associated with post-operative complications. Four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were significantly correlated with higher Clavien-Dindo scores. Genetic variability in the chr5:143,402,505-143,405,805 region of exon 1 of the glucocorticoid receptor gene NR3C1, but not DNA methylation, was associated with more severe post-operative complications in patients having major abdominal surgery. This indicates that the response to GCs may be of clinical importance for inflammatory conditions.

  Study EGAS00001005737

• H3.3G34R/V-transformed interneuron progenitors co-opt PDGFRA for gliomagenesis

  Histone H3.3 glycine 34 to arginine/valine (H3.3G34R/V) mutations occur in deadly hemispheric high-grade gliomas. These tumors show exquisite regional and temporal specificity, suggesting a developmental context permissive to the effects of G34R/V mutations. Here we present the molecular landscape of G34R/V gliomas (n=85) and show that 50% bear activating mutations in PDGFRA, with strong selection pressure for PDGFRAMUT clones at recurrence. We show that G34R/V tumors arise in interneuron progenitors of the foetal ventral forebrain expressing GSX2 and the DLX family of homeobox transcription factors, where terminal neuronal differentiation is impaired through aberrant G34R/V-mediated H3K27me3. Frequent co-occurrence of G34R/V & PDGFRAMUT is facilitated in this interneuron lineage-of-origin as PDGFRA forms an aberrant chromatin loop with the adjacent GSX2, hijacking its active chromatin conformation. At the single-cell level, G34R/V tumours entirely lack oligodendroglial transcriptional programs prominent in other glioma entities, and instead harbour dual neuronal and astroglial compartments. CRISPR-removal of H3.3G34R/V does not impact tumorigenicity suggesting this mutation becomes dispensable, while PDGFRAMUT are potently oncogenic regardless of G34 mutation. Collectively, our results suggest that G34R/V gliomas arise in foetal interneuron progenitors unable to undergo terminal differentiation, enabling co-option of PDGFRA through inappropriate expression and activating mutations to promote gliogenesis and oncogenicity. Reliance on PDGFRA for oncogenesis may be of therapeutic opportunity in G34R/V glioma.

  Study EGAS00001004301