238 results for "site"

in 13.23 milliseconds.

• A panel of reference haplotypes for imputing complement component 4 (C4) gene structural variation

  Neuropsychiatric and autoimmune disorders have substantial epidemiological correlations (Benros et al., JAMA Psychiatry 2013, PMID: 23760347) and broad, genome-wide patterns of shared genetic risk (Pouget et al., Hum Mol Genet, PMID: 31211845; Tylee et al., Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet 2018, PMID: 30325587). Some cases of psychosis involve autoantibodies against the NMDA receptor, AMPA receptor, or other synaptic proteins (reviewed in Dalmau et al, Lancet Neurol 2011, PMID: 21163445). The related autoimmune conditions lupus and Sjogren's Syndrome also involve the development of autoantibodies. The possibility that neuropsychiatric disorders can have molecular mechanisms in common with autoimmune disorders - for example, that psychosis involves an inflammatory or autoimmune component in some patients, or that immune molecules are re-used in the brain to underlie other important biological activities (Stevens et al., Cell 2007, PMID: 18083105) - could open novel therapeutic possibilities for neuropsychiatric disorders. At a genetic level, the strongest genetic associations of schizophrenia, lupus, and Sjogren's Syndrome to common genetic variation involve associations to genetic markers in the Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) locus. Bipolar disorder in some studies also associates with variation in or near the MHC locus, though less strongly than schizophrenia does. Intriguingly, the same specific SNPs appear to associate strongly with schizophrenia, lupus, and Sjogren's; these strongly associating SNPs span a genomic segment that includes the HLA class II genes (which have an important role in antibody production) and the complement component 4 (C4) genes. The specific genes and alleles responsible for these associations need to be completely defined, and the extent to which they represent shared or distinct genetic influences in neuropsychiatric and autoimmune illnesses needs to be clarified. The complement component 4 (C4A and C4B) genes are present in the MHC locus, between the class I and class II HLA genes. C4A and C4B commonly vary in genomic copy number and encode complement proteins with distinct affinities for molecular targets. The complex genetic variation at C4 - arising from many alleles with different numbers of C4A and C4B genes - has been challenging to analyze in large cohorts. We recently developed an approach to this problem based on imputation: people share long haplotypes with the same combinations of SNP and C4 alleles, such that C4A and C4B gene copy numbers can be imputed from SNP data (Sekar et al., Nature 2016, PMID: 26814963). In the current work, to analyze C4 in large cohorts, we developed a way to identify C4 alleles from whole-genome sequence (WGS) data, then analyzed WGS data from 1,234 individuals to create a large multi-ancestry panel of 2,530 reference haplotypes of MHC SNPs and C4 alleles that can then be imputed into still-larger cohorts for which SNP data are available. With this dbGaP submission, we make this reference panel available for other studies. Protocols and software for imputing C4 alleles into genome-wide SNP data, and for performing molecular analyses on the C4 genes (such as direct measurement of copy number from genomic DNA), can be found on the McCarroll Lab web site (http://mccarrolllab.org/resources). We are also working to create additional reference panels for imputation of C4 alleles that will be based on still-larger and more diverse population samples; links to these will also be available on the McCarroll Lab web site as we create and validate them.

  Study phs001992

• Genetics of Mood Disorders: Aging and Emotion Regulation Brain Circuitry in Bipolar

  This single-site study is designed to investigate age-related changes in structure and function of a ventral prefrontal cortex (VPFC) neural system, that subserves emotion processing and regulation, during mid to later adulthood in individuals with bipolar disorder (BD), compared to healthy controls (HC). It is a 5-year study of age-related changes in mood, emotion regulation and related symptoms and behaviors using multimodality imaging measures [structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of gray matter, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) of white matter, and functional MRI measures of functional connectivity and of brain responses during implicit and explicit emotion regulation] comparing BD and HC groups ages 40-79 years, 50% female; a subgroup will be reassessed and rescanned after 2 years to study brain and associated behavioral changes over time. We will explore relationships between brain aging with risk factors implicated in progression. This will include genes, as well as adverse outcomes of progression such as suicide ideation and behavior. As there has been little study of effects of aging of the VPFC emotional circuitry in healthy individuals, findings could provide new insights into brain circuitry and emotional regulation in older adults. In addition to the importance of contributing to understanding BD, as BD is unique in having both elevated and depressive episodes, its study can provide a model for understanding progressive emotion dysregulation to both intervention and prevention that can be better targeted specifically for older individuals with BD. A de-identified blood sample will be sent to the Repository and Genomics Resource.

  Study phs001631

• Single Cell and Spatial Transcriptomic Profiling of Haemophilus ducreyi Infection

  We investigated the immune response in end-point pustules formed by Haemophilus ducreyi in volunteers using an experimental infection model. Six volunteers were infected in the skin of the upper arm at three sites with 41-85 CFU of H. ducreyi loaded on an allergy testing device; a sham-inoculated (e.g., wound) site was also performed. Five volunteers (4 men and 1 woman; 2 Asians and 3 Whites; aged 27-46 years) formed pustules 6-8 days post infection; 1 volunteer spontaneously resolved all sites. If a volunteer formed pustules, biopsies were performed to collect their pustule and wound sites. Biopsy pairs for all 5 pustule formers were subjected to single cell (sc) RNA-seq. Sequencing libraries were prepared using the 10X Genomics Single-cell 3' RNA-seq kit. Spatial transcriptomics was performed on biopsy pairs from 4 of the 5 pustule formers. Ten micron sections were placed on 10X Genomics Visium slides for fresh-frozen tissue, and libraries were prepared with the 10X Genomics Visium spatial 3' gene expression kit. All samples were sequenced on an Illumina NovaSeq 6000. Count tables were produced with CellRanger and SpaceRanger, respectively, and Seurat was used to analyze the data. We identified 13 major cell types by scRNA-seq; the proportion of some immune cell subsets was increased in pustules compared to wound sites. We also localized the major cell types within the tissue by using the scRNA-seq data to deconvolve the spatial transcriptomic data. The FASTQ files and count tables from CellRanger and SpaceRanger are provided.

  Study phs003754

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

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

  Study phs000887

• Frequent post-treatment monitoring of colorectal cancer using individualized ctDNA validated by multi-regional molecular profiling

  Purpose: Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) analysis has been proposed as an approach for prediction of post-treatment patient outcomes. However, whether a single platform will provide optimal information in all patients or alternatively a patient-specific monitoring approach based on assessment of mutations in the primary tumor from that patient remains an urgent question. Experimental Design: We conducted multiregional sequencing of 42 specimens of 14 colorectal tumors (Stage III and more) from 12 patients, including two double cancer cases, to identify the full spectrum of mutational heterogeneity and identify aberrations that could be used to develop personalized ctDNA assays. Results: ?Founder? mutations that occur in all regions of the sample were identified in 12/14 (85.7%) tumors. Subsequent phylogenetic analysis of each tumor showed that 12/14 tumors (85.7%) carried at least one ?truncal? mutation. Most founder and truncal mutations exhibited higher variant allele frequency (VAF) than ?non-founder? and ?branch? mutations. In addition, both founder and truncal mutations were more likely to be detected as ctDNA than non-founder and branch mutations. Synchronized ctDNA dynamics of multiple mutations suggested those mutations from the same clonal origin. For 10/12 patients (83.3%) with nearly 1,000 days of post-operative observation, the validity of frequent personalized ctDNA monitoring was confirmed in terms of early relapse prediction, treatment efficacy, and non-relapse corroboration. Conclusions: Personalized ctDNA monitoring based on aberrations with a high VAF in the primary tumor site should be explored in larger prospective clinical trials to determine the full clinical validity.

  Study JGAS000243

• Analysis of recent shared ancestry in a familial cohort identifies coding and noncoding autism spectrum disorder variants

  Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a collection of neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by deficits in social communication and restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior or interests. ASD is highly heritable, but genetically and phenotypically heterogeneous, reducing the power to identify causative genes. We performed whole genome sequencing (WGS) in an ASD cohort of 68 individuals from 22 families enriched for recent shared ancestry. We identified an average of 3.07 million variants per genome, of which an average of 112,512 were rare. We mapped runs of homozygosity (ROHs) in affected individuals and found an average genomic homozygosity of 9.65%, consistent with expectations for multiple generations of consanguineous unions. We identified potentially pathogenic rare exonic or splice site variants in 12 known (including KMT2C, SCN1A, SPTBN1, SYNE1, ZNF292) and 12 candidate (including CHD5, GRB10, PPP1R13B) ASD genes. Furthermore, we annotated noncoding variants in ROHs with brain-specific regulatory elements and identified putative disease-causing variants within brain-specific promoters and enhancers for 5 known ASD and neurodevelopmental disease genes (ACTG1, AUTS2, CTNND2, CNTNAP4, SPTBN4). We also identified copy number variants in two known ASD and neurodevelopmental disease loci in two affected individuals. In total we identified potentially etiological variants in known ASD or neurodevelopmental disease genes for ~61% (14/23) of affected individuals. We combined WGS with homozygosity mapping and regulatory element annotations to identify candidate ASD variants. Our analyses add to the growing number of ASD genes and variants and emphasize the importance of leveraging recent shared ancestry to map disease variants in complex neurodevelopmental disorders.

  Study EGAS00001006058

• Aging and genome-wide patterns of DNA methylation in an African rainforest hunter-gathering population

  Aging is associated with widespread changes in genome-wide patterns of DNA methylation. Thousands of CpG sites whose tissue-specific methylation levels are strongly correlated with chronological age have been previously identified. However, the majority of these studies have focused primarily on cosmopolitan populations living in the developed world; it is not known if age-related patterns of DNA methylation at these loci are similar across a broad range of human genetic and ecological diversity. We investigated genome-wide methylation patterns using saliva derived DNA from a traditionally hunting and gathering African populations: the Baka of the western Central African rainforest, together with the ≠Khomani San of the South African Kalahari Desert. We identify hundreds of CpG sites whose methylation levels are significantly associated with age, thousands that are significant in a meta-analysis, and replicate trends previously reported in populations of non-African descent. We confirm that an age associated site in the gene ELOVL2 shows a remarkably congruent relationship with aging in humans, despite extensive genetic and environmental variation across populations. We also demonstrate that genotype state at methylation quantitative trait loci (meQTLs) can affect methylation trends at some known age-associated CpG sites. Our study explores the relationship between CpG methylation and chronological age in populations of African hunter-gatherers, who rely on different diets across diverse ecologies. While many age-related CpG sites replicate across populations, we show that considering common genetic variation at meQTLs further improves our ability to detect previously identified age associations.

  Study EGAS00001002226

• MYO5B mutations in Pheochromocytoma/Paraganglioma promote cancer progression

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

  Study EGAS00001003991

• Genomic Analyses of Germline and Somatic Variation in High-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer

  The goal of this study was to identify and characterize germline and somatic genetic variation in women with high grade serous ovarian cancers treated at a single cancer center and their associations with relapse-free and overall survival. We conducted paired tumor/normal targeted next-generation sequencing of 577 genes in pathways of DNA repair, response to DNA damage, cell-cycle regulation, programmed cell death, MAPK, and P13K/AKT/MTOR signaling in 114 tumors from 71 women. In addition, we investigated single copy number alterations (SCNAs) and loss of heterozygosity in a subset of 61 tumors. We validated our results with data from ovarian tumors in TCGA. Our results were similar to other studies of high-grade serous carcinomas. As an example, we found that approximately one third of the tumors harbored loss of function variants in homologous recombination genes and that >90% had TP53 somatic mutations. Through GISTIC analysis of the OncoScan data on tumor DNA from 61 cases, we identified several regions of high copy number alterations including including NOTCH3 and PIK3R2 that were significantly associated with an increase in cancer recurrence and a reduction in overall survival. We identified few changes in mutation profiles where we had multiple tissues, either from multiple surgeries or from the primary site to metastatic sites within the same surgery. However, we did not investigate copy number alterations in multiple tissues from the same individuals, and so it may be that copy number alterations are more important. Data available through dbGAP will be the BAM files and the phenotypic data on the tumor samples, the age, race, ethnicity of the participants and their outcomes, and the Oncoscan OSCHP files.

  Study phs003198

• Modifier Genes in 21-hydroxylase Deficiency

  CAH is a genetic steroidogenesis disorder. The most common form, 21OHD, leads to cortisol deficiency and, in turn, an excess of androgen, a hormone that promotes the development and maintenance of male sex characteristics. As a result of this androgen excess, prepubescent males and newborn, prepubescent, and grown females exhibit mature masculine characteristics. The symptoms and severity of 21OHD vary among individuals with the disease and in adults versus children. The reasons for these differences are not yet known. Current therapy for 21OHD consists of administration of glucocorticoids to replace cortisol and suppress excessive pituitary function. With more information about what genes or factors contribute to the severity of 21OHD, researchers may be able to better treat children and adults with the disease. This study will examine participants' DNA to determine what other genes may affect the severity of 21OHD and may make the disease milder in adults than in children This is a 3-day inpatient study. Once eligibility is confirmed through physical exam and blood analysis, eligible participants are admitted to the study site in the morning on the first study day. A blood sample is taken and participants receive one 10-mg pill of hydrocortisone. Heart rates and blood pressures are taken every 4 hours throughout the day. In the morning of Day 2, a blood sample will be obtained and a 24 hour urine collection will begin. On the morning of Day 3, another blood sample is obtained. Participants then receive intravenous cosyntropin, a synthetic form of a hormone that the body makes. About 1 hour after this, participants provide a final blood sample. Participants receive a pill of hydrocortisone prior to the end of the study.

  Study phs001313

• The Human Pancreas Analysis Program (HPAP)

  The past decade has seen a dramatic improvement in our ability to phenotype and molecularly profile human tissues with unprecedented resolution at the genomic, epigenomic, protein, and functional levels. The Human Pancreas Analysis Program (HPAP), part of the Human Islet Research Network and supported by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) through multiple NIH grants, is performing deep phenotyping of the human endocrine pancreas to better understand the cellular and molecular events that precede and lead to beta-cell loss and/or dysfunction in type 1 diabetes (T1D) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) as well as to accumulate, analyze, and distribute high-value data sets to the diabetes research community through the HPAP PANC-DB database (and additional details provided at that site). To this end, HPAP employs state-of-the-art technologies to perform comprehensive analyses of pancreas biology as it pertains to organ donors with T1D, autoantibody-positive donors without diabetes, donors with T2D, and control donors. Pancreas procurement and analyses take advantage of the expertise and extensive network of Organ Procurement Organizations (OPOs) and autoantibody screening centers established through the JDRF/The Lenona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust (HCT) – funded nPOD program. In contrast to nPOD, the major product provided by HPAP is not archived biomaterial subject to broad distribution, but rather, the delivery of extensive and high-quality molecular data sets to the diabetes research community in order to facilitate further discovery. Together, nPOD and HPAP are complementary programs that assist the diabetes community and afford the maximal opportunity for advancing knowledge about the pathogenesis of T1D and T2D.

  Study phs002465

• Epigenetic Profiling of Human Colorectal Cancer

  DNA methylation, together with chromatin modifications, constitute the epigenome that functions to regulate gene expression and genome integrity. DNA methylation alterations are ubiquitous in human cancers, as many genes acquire DNA methylation in a cancer-specific manner. DNA methylation at these sites in the genome of cancer cells not only serves as a marker for tumor identification, but together with gene mutation and gene expression data, can also be used to describe subsets of tumors of the same organ source. We have previously shown distinct human colorectal cancer subtypes based on DNA methylation differences. Correlating these DNA methylation differences with clinical co-variates will serve to further understand how these distinct subtypes are generated. We have collected 100 colorectal tumor tissues (for which clinical information is known) and have obtained (unprotected) genome-wide DNA methylation and chromatin modification information for each sample for the purposes of identifying and classifying unique tumor subtypes of colorectal cancers. In addition, we have determined mutations of key genes relevant to colorectal cancer as well as gene expression profiles. We will use the clinical data for each de-identified sample to correlate with the DNA methylation, mutation and gene expression information so as to understand the driving forces behind these distinct colorectal subtypes. We have selected the most promising tumors for whole-genome bisulfite sequencing using next-generation sequencing technology to obtain complete maps of colon cancer methylomes. Researchers will be unable to identify the subjects because the samples and associated information have been de-identified and anonymized by the tissue source site. In addition, upon receipt by the USC Epigenome Center, we have assigned new random identifiers for each sample. The data generated using these new codes are not traceable to the patient identity.

  Study phs000385

• A Personalized Neoantigen Vaccine Generates Anti-Tumor Immunity in High-Risk Renal Cell Carcinoma

  Personalized cancer vaccines (PCVs) can generate circulating immune responses against predicted neoantigens. However, whether such responses can target cancer driver mutations, lead to immune recognition of a patient's tumor, and result in clinical activity are largely unknown, particularly in patients with lower mutation burden tumors. We conducted a phase I trial testing a neoantigen-targeting PCV in patients with high-risk, fully resected clear cell renal cell carcinoma (RCC; stage III or IV), with or without ipilimumab administered adjacent to the vaccine. At a median follow-up of 40.2 months from surgery, none of the 9 initial participants experienced a recurrence of RCC. No dose-limiting toxicities were observed. All patients generated T cell immune responses against PCV antigens, including RCC driver mutations in VHL, PBRM1, BAP1, KDM5C, and PIK3CA. Following vaccination, there was a durable expansion of peripheral T cell clones, and T cell reactivity against autologous tumor was detected in 7 of the 9 patients. Our results demonstrate that neoantigen-targeting PCVs in high-risk RCC are highly immunogenic, capable of targeting key driver mutations, and induce anti-tumor immunity. These observations, in conjunction with the absence of recurrence in all 9 vaccinated patients, highlights the promise of PCV as effective adjuvant therapy in RCC. We are submitting WES data from whole blood samples and tumor FFPE samples, and RNA-Seq data from tumor FFPE samples. We are also submitting RNA-Seq data from purified tumor samples. scRNA-seq data will be submitted for skin samples (vaccine site biopsies at Weeks 0, 4, and 13), tumor samples (including resected metastatic tumor samples for two patients), and normal kidney samples. Bulk TCR-seq data will be submitted for blood samples.

  Study phs003710

• CHARGE (Cohorts for Heart and Aging Research in Genomic Epidemiology) Consortium Summary Results from Genomic Studies

  GWAS have successfully identified genetic loci associated with a variety of conditions such as type 2 diabetes and coronary disease. The large number of statistical tests required in GWAS has posed a special challenge because few studies that have DNA and high-quality phenotype data are sufficiently large to provide adequate statistical power for detecting small to modest effect sizes. Even before the era of GWAS, the requirement for large sample sizes and the importance of replication have served as powerful incentives for collaboration. Meta-analyses combining summary data from multiple sources have improved the ability to detect new loci. The Cohorts for Heart and Aging Research in Genomic Epidemiology (CHARGE) Consortium was formed to facilitate GWAS meta-analyses and replication among multiple large and well-phenotyped cohort studies. The design of the CHARGE Consortium was formed initially from 5 prospective cohort studies from the United States and Europe: the Age, Gene/Environment Susceptibility (AGES) - Reykjavik Study, the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study, the Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS), the Framingham Heart Study (FHS), and the Rotterdam Study (RS). Additional studies have expanded the CHARGE consortium based upon the phenotypes and willingness to share information across the research community. In order to facilitate investigators across the world to examine relationships between phenotypes and genetic markers within CHARGE published reports, an open site is made available on dbGaP that provides the rsID and the p-value for inspection. Access to detailed summary statistics (including minor allele frequency, odds ratio/effect size) requires approval of a Data Access Request (DAR).

  Study phs000930

• CPTAC Proteogenomic Study

  Recently, significant progress has been made in characterizing and sequencing the genomic alterations in statistically robust numbers of samples from several types of cancer. For example, The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) and other similar efforts are identifying genomic alterations associated with specific cancers (e.g., copy number aberrations, rearrangements, point mutations, epigenomic changes, etc.) The availability of these multi-dimensional data to the scientific community sets the stage for the development of new molecularly targeted cancer interventions. Understanding the comprehensive functional changes in cancer proteomes arising from genomic alterations and other factors is the next logical step in the development of high-value candidate protein biomarkers. Hence, proteomics can greatly advance the understanding of molecular mechanisms of disease pathology via the analysis of changes in protein expression, their modifications and variations, as well as protein=protein interaction, signaling pathways and networks responsible for cellular functions such as apoptosis and oncogenesis. Realizing this great potential, the NCI launched the third phase of the CPTC initiative in September 2016. As the Clinical Proteomic Tumor Analysis Consortium, CPTAC continues to define cancer proteomes on genomically-characterized biospecimens. The purpose of this integrative approach was to provide the broad scientific community with knowledge that links genotype to proteotype and ultimately phenotype. In this third phase of CPTAC, the program aims to expand on CPTAC II and genomically and proteomically characterize over 2000 samples from 10 cancer types (Lung Adenocarcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma, Glioblastoma Multiforme, Acute Myeloid Leukemia, Clear cell renal Carcinoma, Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma, Cutaneous Melanoma, Sarcoma, Lung Squamous Cell Carcinoma, Uterine Corpus Endometrial Carcinoma) .Germline DNA is obtained from blood and Normal control samples for proteomics varied by organ site. All cancer samples were derived from primary and untreated tumor.

  Study phs001287

• Prenatal lead exposure is associated with decreased cord blood DNA methylation of the glycoprotein VI gene involved in platelet activation and thrombus formation

  Early-life lead exposure impairs neurodevelopment and later exposure affects the cardiovascular system. Lead has been associated with reduced global 5-methylcytosine DNA methylation, suggesting that lead toxicity acts through epigenetic mechanisms. The objective of this study is to clarify how early life lead exposure alters DNA methylation of specific genes, using an epigenomic approach. We measured lead concentrations in urine (gestational week, GW, 8) and erythrocytes (GW 14), using ICP-MS, for 127 pregnant mothers recruited in the MINIMat food and supplementation cohort in rural Bangladesh. Cord blood DNA methylation was analyzed with the Infinium HumanMethylation450K BeadChip and top sites were validated by methylation-sensitive high-resolution melt curve analysis. Maternal urinary lead concentrations (divided into quartiles) showed significant (after adjustment for FDR) inverse associations with methylation at nine CpGs. Three of these sites were in the 5’ end, including the promoter, of glycoprotein IV (GP6); cg18355337 (q=0.029, β=-0.30), cg25818583 (q=0.041, β=-0.18) and cg23796967 (q=0.047, β=-0.17). The methylation in another CpG site in GP6 was close to significant (cg05374025, q=0.057, β=-0.23). The erythrocyte lead concentrations (divided into quartiles) were also inversely associated with CpG methylation in GP6, although this was not statistically significant after FDR-adjustments. Eight CpG sites in GP6 constituted a differentially methylated region in relation to urinary lead (p=0.005, q=0.48) and erythrocyte lead (p=0.007, q=0.46). In conclusion, we found that moderate prenatal lead exposure appear to epigenetically affect GP6, a key component of platelet aggregation and thrombus formation, suggesting a novel link between early lead exposure and cardiovascular disease later in life.

  Study EGAS00001001575

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

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

  Study EGAS00001005253

• Genetic Risk for Subsequent Neoplasms among Long-term Survivors of Childhood Cancer in the St. Jude Lifetime Cohort

  While childhood cancer survivors are known to be at increased risk of subsequent neoplasms (SNs), the contribution of germline mutations in cancer predisposition genes to the risk of SN is largely unknown. Whole-genome sequencing (30X) was performed on 3,006 5+ year survivors of childhood cancer (median age, 35.8 [range: 7.1-69.8] years) from the St. Jude Lifetime Cohort. Survivors underwent a comprehensive clinical assessment. Germline mutations in 156 cancer predisposition genes (SJCPG156), including a subset of 60 (SJCPG60) autosomal dominant genes with moderate to high penetrance, were classified for their pathogenicity. Piecewise exponential regression, stratified by radiation exposure, was used to evaluate the relative rate (RR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) of SN occurrence by mutation status. Pathogenic or likely pathogenic mutations in SJCPG156 and SJCPG60 were identified in 11.7% and 5.8% of survivors, respectively. The most frequently mutated SJCPG60 genes included RB1 (n=43), NF1 (n=22), BRCA2 (n=14), BRCA1 (n=12) and TP53 (n=10). Mutations in SJCPG60 were associated with the rate of subsequent sarcoma (RR, 10.3; 95% CI, 4.2 to 25.6) and breast cancer (RR, 13.3; 95% CI, 5.8 to 30.5) among irradiated survivors, and the rate of developing any SN (RR, 4.8; 95% CI, 2.4 to 9.4) and breast cancer (RR, 7.8; 95% CI, 2.5 to 24.0) among non-irradiated survivors. The rate of developing ≥2 histologically distinct SNs was increased 17.8-fold (95% CI, 3.5 to 89.8) among SJCPG60 mutation carriers treated without radiotherapy. Similar but attenuated associations were observed for mutations in SJCPG156. Survivors who develop a SN without prior radiotherapy or who are diagnosed with a subsequent sarcoma or breast cancer within a site of prior radiotherapy should be referred to genetic counseling.

  Study EGAS00001002499

• Cross-site Concordance Evaluation of Tumor DNA and RNA Sequencing Platforms of CIMAC-CIDC Network

  The Cancer Immune Monitoring and Analysis Centers (CIMACs) and the Cancer Immunologic Data Commons (CIDC)  has engaged in efforts to harmonize Whole-exome (WES) and RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) data from three different experimental platforms (MD Anderson, NCI MoCha lab, and Broad Institute) and are using a series of developed pipelines to process the early trial samples. To evaluate the consistency of tumor WES and RNA-seq profiling platforms across different centers, the CIMACs-CIDC conducted a systematic harmonization study. DNA and RNA were centrally extracted from fresh frozen (FF) and formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) tumors and distributed to three centers for WES and RNA-seq profiling

  Study phs002295

• Test dataset: Sequence and variant data from public 1000 Genomes Project

  This is a test dataset derived from public data of the 1000 Genomes Project. Its purpose is not to allow for any inference about cohort data or results, but to aid bioinformaticians in the technical development and testing of tools, as well as data consumers in learning how to access information. This dataset consists of 2508 samples from the 1000 Genomes Project (https://www.nature.com/articles/nature15393). Samples' (e.g. NA18534) data can be accessed through the IGSR portal (e.g. https://www.internationalgenome.org/data-portal/sample/NA18534) or their corresponding folder at the 1000 Genomes' FTP site (e.g. http://ftp.1000genomes.ebi.ac.uk/vol1/ftp/data_collections/1000_genomes_project/data/CHB/NA18534/exome_alignment/). There are several different types of data this dataset encompasses: Variant Calling Format (VCF, or its binary counterparts BCF) files, both joint (e.g. ALL_chr22_20130502_2504Individuals.vcf.gz) and split (HG01775.chrY.vcf.gz); exome sequencing CRAM files (e.g. NA18534.GRCh38DH.exome.cram); whole genome sequencing CRAM/BAM files (e.g. NA19239.cram). Additionally, there are multiple files that were sliced to create shorter files, which allows for a quick download, formated as "{FILE-INFO}__{NUMBER-OF-READS}r__{CHR}.{START-COORDINATE}-{END-COORDINATE}.{FILETYPE}" (e.g. "HG01500.GRCh38DH__90r__3.10000-10500__4.10000-10500.cram"). These files can be downloaded directly through the EGA-download-client PyEGA3 (https://github.com/EGA-archive/ega-download-client).

  Dataset EGAD00001003338

• Whole Exome Sequencing of Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Patients and Trios

  Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) is a common and severe birth defect characterized by structural defects of the diaphragm and by pulmonary hypoplasia. Congenital diaphragmatic hernia patient may present either as an isolated phenotype or together with other congenital anomalies in a complex phenotype. Despite the clinical significance of CDH, the underlying genetic and developmental pathways are incompletely understood. In order to establish a catalog of human genetic variation for this condition, we performed whole exome sequencing (WES) on 275 carefully phenotyped individuals with CDH in the Pediatric Surgical Research Laboratories at the Massachusetts General Hospital (Boston, MA, USA) and Boston Children's Hospital (Boston, MA, USA). The exome data generated are valuable for comparison of candidate genes derived from WES of other CDH cohorts or affected kindreds, and to provide ideal candidates for further functional studies with the ultimate goal of enhancing our understanding of the heterogeneous and, possibly, oligogenic molecular etiology of CDH. While familial clustering has been reported in rare kindreds, the majority of probands with CDH have no family history of CDH leading to the hypothesis that de novo variants are an important and relatively frequent etiological mechanism. In the second version of the study, we performed WES analysis on 87 trios, to assess the contribution of de novo mutations in the etiology of diaphragmatic and pulmonary defects and to identify previously unknown candidate genes. This dbGaP submission includes WES data on: (a) 20 new probands, (b) 9 probands also reported in the previous version (dbGaP accession no. phs000783.v1.p1), (c) 174 unaffected parents, including the parents of 67 previously reported probands. Combined analysis with other available cohorts of congenital diaphragmatic hernia revealed a genome-wide enrichment of likely gene-disrupting de novo variants (i.e., nonsense, frameshift or splice site), and missense de novo variants predicted in silico to be damaging.

  Study phs000783

• National Institute on Aging (NIA) Late-Onset Alzheimer's Disease Genetics Initiative: The Multiplex Family Study

  Multiplex Family StudyThe purpose of the NIA Genetics Initiative: Multiplex Family Study is to identify families with multiple members diagnosed with late-onset Alzheimer's Disease. Families will be characterized clinically and blood samples will be collected to establish cell lines. If a blood sample is not available, autopsy samples will be collected for DNA extraction and storage. Our goal is to recruit 1,000 families over the course of the study. Clinical and demographic data from these families will be collected at the local site and coded data, without identifiers, will be sent and included in a national database of families with Alzheimer's Disease. This database, along with the biological samples, will be housed at the National Cell Repository for Alzheimer's Disease (NCRAD) at Indiana University. The Center or provider and the Cell Repository must sign a Material Transfer Agreement for shipment of biological samples and phenotypic data to NCRAD. The biological samples and data from these families will be available to qualified researchers, who must sign a Material Transfer Agreement before receiving DNA and data. An oversight committee known as the Cell Bank Advisory Committee (CBAC) will review and monitor the process of family identification and enrollment, data collection, the establishment of cell lines and access to samples. LOAD CIDR ProjectThe first 362 families of the Multiplex Family Study (including 2,105 family members) were included in a 6K SNP genome-wide scan at the NIH-supported, Center for Inherited Disease Research (CIDR). An additional 297 unrelated, healthy controls were also genotyped at CIDR. The average age of onset of AD in the genotyped sample is 74 years and 62% of the sample is women. While primarily Caucasian, 3% are African-American, and 3% are of Hispanic ancestry. 72% of the families had at least 2 affected siblings, whereas 21% had 3 or more sampled affected individuals and 7% had 4 or more genotyped, affected family members.

  Study phs000160

• Autism Sequencing Consortium (ASC)

  The ARRA Autism Sequencing Collaboration was created in 2010 bringing together expert large-scale sequencing center (at the Baylor College of Medicine, PI Richard Gibbs and the Board Institute of MIT and Harvard, PI Mark J. Daly) and a collaborative network of research labs focused on the genetics of autism (brought together by the Autism Genome Project and the Autism Consortium). These groups worked together to utilize dramatic new advances in DNA sequencing technology to reveal the genetic architecture of autism through comprehensive examination of the exotic sequence of all genes. The Autism Sequencing Consortium (ASC) was founded by Joseph D. Buxbaum and colleagues as an international group of scientists who share autism spectrum disorder (ASD) samples and genetic data. The PIs are Drs. Joseph D. Buxbaum (Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai), Mark J. Daly (Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard), Bernie Devlin (University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine), Kathryn Roeder (Carnegie Mellon University, Matthew State and Stephan Sanders (University of California, San Francisco). The rationale for the ASC is described in Buxbaum et al. 2012, and this paper should be cited when referencing the data set. All shared data and analysis is hosted at a single site, which enables joint analysis of large-scale data from many groups. The ASC was first supported by a cooperative agreement grant to four lead sites funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (U01MH100233, U01MH100209, U01MH100229, U01MH100239), with additional support from the National Human Genome Research Institute. The NIMH recently renewed their support with a second grant (U01MH111661, U01MH111660, U01MH111658 and U01MH111662) to expand the project from 29,000 genomes to more than 50,000 exomes over the next 5 years. NHGRI provides ongoing sequencing support for the ASD through the Broad Center for Common Disease Genomics (UM1HG008895, Mark Daly, PI).

  Study phs000298

• Human Dorsal Root Ganglion RNA Landscape Profiling for Neuropathic and Chronic Pain

  Bulk and spatial RNA sequencing were performed on human Dorsal Root Ganglia (DRGs), peripheral sensory nerves and nodose ganglia and relative gene abundances were calculated. Various analyses were performed: Human DRG gene expression profiles were contrasted with a panel of gene expression profiles of relevant tissues in human and mouse (integrating, among other sources, datasets from ENCODE and GTex) in order to identify. DRG-enriched gene expression, co-expression modules of DRG-expressed genes, and key transcriptional regulators in humans. Contrasting the human and mouse DRG transcriptomes to identify DRG-enriched gene expression patterns that were conserved between human and mouse, identifying putative cell types of expression of these genes, and potential known drugs that might target the corresponding gene products. Characterization of non-coding RNA profile of human and mouse DRGs. Characterization of DRG-enriched alternative splicing and alternative transcription start site usage based transcript variants in humans and mouse, and the overlap between these two species. Contrasting of human DRG and GTex human tibial nerve samples to identify putative axonally transported mRNAs in sensory neurons. Human DRG and peripheral nerves transcriptomes from donors suffering from neuropathic and/or chronic pain were contrasted with controls to identify. Differentially expressed genes, pathways and regulators path play a potential role in neuronal plasticity, electrophysiological activity, immune signaling and response. Predictive models (Random Forests) were built to jointly predict the sex and pain state of samples based on information contained solely in autosomal gene expression profile. Gene co-expression modules were identified and gene set enrichment analysis performed.to identify sample - pathway associations, and to broadly characterize plasticity in human DRG cell types. Spatial transcriptomics was performed on human DRGs and nodose ganglia to obtain near single-neuron resolution. We identified distinct clusters of human DRG sensory neurons. We characterized the expression of different gene families (e.g., GPCRs, sodium channels, potassium channels, etc.). We investigated differences between male and female neurons.

  Study phs001158

• RNA-Seq of Whole Blood from Patients with Intracranial Aneurysms

  Rupture of intracranial aneurysms (IAs) causes intracranial hemorrhaging that leads to high rates of neurological deficits and death. Although rupture rates are low, clinicians must decide whether to treat or monitor these potentially dangerous lesions. In the current clinical practice, the most common metric to measure risk of rupture is aneurysm size. However, clinical data show that small aneurysms can also rupture. As a result, alternative clinical stratification scores have been proposed, including the PHASES (Population, Hypertension, Age, Size, Earlier subarachnoid hemorrhage, and Site) score based on patient demographics and IA characteristics to stratify ruptured and unruptured IAs, and the Rupture Resemblance Score (RRS) that stratifies ruptured and unruptured IAs based on hemodynamic and morphological properties. However, all metrics require imaging on digital subtraction angiography (DSA), which is invasive, expensive, requires the use of X-rays, and is associated with transient or permanent neurological and non-neurological complications. We hypothesize that individuals with dangerous IAs have detectable gene expression differences in their blood that could be used as biomarkers to determine rupture risk. We propose to use whole blood transcriptomes to develop a "one-stop" diagnostic test that can detect the presence of IAs and determine the risk of rupture based on circulating RNA expression biomarkers using our prototype AneuScreenTM platform. We aim to develop and validate biomarkers to predict risk, as calculated by the currently-used metric of aneurysm size, the clinical PHASES score, and the RRS. Here, we collected blood samples from consented individuals who were receiving cerebral imaging at the Gates Vascular Institute (Buffalo, NY) for intracranial aneurysm. RNA extracted from blood samples (n=43) was subjected to RNA-sequencing and added to our existing database (n=44). When combined with our previous data, we had transcriptome data from 68 aneurysms (after additional sample filtering). This dataset was stratified into low- and high-risk according to IA size, PHASES score, and RRS score. Differentially expressed genes were identified and used to construct predictive models. Fastq files and basic demographic information for the 43 newly-sequenced intracranial aneurysm samples on this project will be available through dbGaP.

  Study phs003072