235 results for "study_type:"exome sequencing" AND repository:ega"

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• Tracing the molecular route to progression in miRNA biogenesis-defective thyroid lesions

  Alterations in the DICER1 and DGCR8 microprocessor genes confer risk to the development of benign and malignant thyroid lesions. The involvement of 2 miRNA biogenesis genes in benign and malignant thyroid tumors highlights the key role of miRNAs in the thyroid gland. We traced the progression from benignity to malignancy in DICER1- and DGCR8-mutated thyroid lesions by performing a multiomic characterization of these lesions aiming to uncover unique features characterizing either form for potential use as biomarkers. This multiomic characterization included whole exome sequencing (WES) (N=18), miRNA profiling (N=38), spatial transcriptomics (N=2) and/or methylome (N=281).

  Study EGAS50000001577

• Osteosarcoma 3D patient derived cultures to test genome-informed personalized treatment options; a feasibility study

  Background: Improving osteosarcoma treatment beyond conventional (neo)adjuvant chemotherapy and resection remains challenging. An urgent need for novel therapeutic options, particularly personalized and targeted approaches, has emerged due to high inter-patient molecular heterogeneity. A lack of representative in vitro and in vivo models impedes therapeutic development, therefore we aimed to create 3D in vitro long term culture models directly from patient material. Methods: Tumour cells from seven osteosarcoma patients were propagated in monolayer or collagen hydrogels, while whole-exome sequencing of corresponding primary tumour tissue was performed to identify potential drug targets. Established cultures were subsequently used to assess efficacy of the identified personalized treatment options. Results: Three out of seven hydrogel cultures harboured the same genetic alterations as the corresponding primary tumours. Among these, the L6565 patient line exhibited homozygous CDKN2A loss with retained Rb expression, rendering tumour cells sensitive to CDK4/CDK6 inhibition via palbociclib. This patient line was used to evaluate genome-informed therapy and to compare cell culture models of increasing complexity. Our findings demonstrate feasibility of establishing long-term patient-derived osteosarcoma cultures with a success rate of 14%. Tumour heterogeneity was reflected in advanced culture methods producing more variability in treatment response. Conclusion: These results highlight the potential of genome-informed therapies in osteosarcoma and the importance of refining culture techniques to enhance translational research and therapeutic outcomes.

  Study EGAS50000001583

• Exome sequencing in HIV+ Viremic Non-Progressors (VNPs) and HIV+ Progressors

  Viremic Non-Progressors (VNPs) maintain normal CD4+ T-cell counts despite uncontrolled HIV-1 replication, but mechanisms leading to CD4+ T-cell preservation are incompletely characterized. We aim to generate a comprehensive understanding of this infrequent phenotype by comparing rates of cellular infection, immunophenotype, genomics, single-cell transcriptomics, metabolomics, and levels of plasma biomarkers in 16 VNPs and 29 HIV+ Progressors. During chronic infection VNPs show lower frequency of HIV-1-infected cells in periphery, which is associated with reduced CCR5 expression and higher prevalence of CCR5Δ32 heterozygosity. The CD8+ T-cell compartment displays a less cytotoxic and less activated phenotype in VNPs. Moreover, despite similar viremia, we found lower bystander CD4+ T-cell death in the VNPs, together with weaker IFN responses, reduced plasma levels of zonulin (a biomarker of intestinal permeability), altered tryptophan catabolism, and preserved LPS responsiveness in vitro. Overall, a complex multifactorial mechanism, suggesting gut-associated lymphoid tissue preservation, underlies resistance to HIV pathogenesis in VNPs.

  Study EGAS50000000079

• Discordant_Monozygotic_Twins_ALS(Genetics)

  Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease. Regarding genetic factors, pathogenetic mutations in more than 35 genes have been identified as playing a role in disease pathogenesis. However, a substantial portion of ALS heritability remains unaccounted for, pointing to the potential involvement of additional genetic and epigenetic factors. For this reason, we conducted a multi-omics study on a monozygotic twin pair discordant for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, performing whole exome sequencing, transcriptomic and epigenetic analyses to gain crucial insights into underlying pathogenetic disease mechanisms. Here, we share genetic data.

  Study EGAS50000000908

• Targeted sequencing (paired) of HR genes in primary and metastatic patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) of colorectal cancer (CRC)

  Chemotherapy is the standard-of-care treatment for metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) and benefits some patients, but what distinguishes responders from non-responders is unclear. In this study, we leveraged a comprehensive collection of 69 molecularly annotated patient-derived xenografts to uncover functional predictors of response to 5-FU and irinotecan combination therapy (FOLFIRI) in mCRC. Genetic analyses revealed that treatment sensitivity was marked by genomic scars indicative of BRCAness, suggesting homologous recombination (HR) deficiency as a key determinant. Accordingly, we surveyed a manually curated panel of 44 genes with a documented role in HR for the potential presence of pathogenic mutations. We did not observe a specific enrichment of HR gene mutations based on response to FOLFIRI. This result, combined with the absence of widespread biallelic inactivation of the analyzed genes and the predominance of mutations categorized as variants of unknown significance, suggests that FOLFIRI sensitivity is not primarily governed by underlying mutations in HR genes responsible for mitigating the genotoxic effects of this therapeutic regimen.

  Study EGAS50000000075

• Targeted Sequencing Xenturion

  Study EGAS00001006697

• Rare Germline Variants in CDKN2A-Negative Children and Adolescents with Cutaneous Melanoma

  Cutaneous melanoma is a complex disease influenced by both environmental and genetic factors. Inherited susceptibility plays a significant role, involving a combination of high-, intermediate-, and low-penetrance genes. Melanoma in children and adolescents has been speculated to have a stronger genetic component due to the early onset. This study investigates germline variants in early-onset melanoma through exome sequencing of 154 patients in Australia diagnosed with cutaneous melanoma before the age of 20.

  Study EGAS50000001311

• Multiplexed biomarkers dynamically detect heterogeneous residual neuroblastoma cell clone activity in the bone marrow niche

  Our objective was to develop a patient-specific, genomics-informed minimal residual disease (MRD) monitoring strategy for pediatric high-risk neuroblastoma using individualized multiplexed mediator-probe PCR (MP-PCR) assays. Tumor-specific somatic mutations or structural variants were identified through hybrid-capture panel sequencing. We examined tumor material from 8 patients, including 11 primary tumor samples, 3 of which represent spatially distinct primary tumor samples and 2 samples obtained at relapse. Provided are FASTQ data files, bam and bambai files, as well as breakpoint spanning and encompassing read (enspan) bam and bambai files. Sequencing bam data files are aligned to GRCh37.p13 reference genome (processed). Sequencing data were aligned to the GRCh37.p13 reference genome and processed using validated pipelines.

  Study EGAS50000001581

• Whole-exome sequencing (WES) analysis of untreated head and neck cancer patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) matched patient tumor tissue and normal mucosa tissue.

  WES analysis was performed on untreated patient tumor/normal mucosa tissue and matched patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models of primary head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) to investigate the preservation of tumor-specific genomic alterations in the in vivo context.

  Study EGAS50000001622

• Optimized large-scale longitudinal biorepository of gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma patient-derived organoids

  To enable translation studies we created patient derived models to assess biomarkers, target validation, and patient response. To evaluate that the PDOs retain the genomic characteristics of the primary tumours we performed (WES) sequencing of 11 matched primary tumours and their matched organoid samples (total n=22). Libraries were sequenced using Illumina NovaSeq technology. Reads were aligned with BWA alignment to hg38. Files were processed following GATK best practices (version GATK 4.2.3.0). Variants were called using Mutect2. The dataset contains the alignmnent files (.bam) and the called mutations (.vcf).

  Study EGAS50000001614

• The DIRECT study: A roadmap for ctDNA-based risk prediction, molecular profiling and MRD detection in Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma

  DIRECT was a prospective, multisite study assessing the feasibility and utility of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in 188 patients with aggressive B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma using capture panel sequencing and an open-source computational pipeline. The aims of the study were 1)baseline risk stratification, 2)genetic profiling and 3)ultrasensitive minimal residual disease (MRD) assessment. This study highlighted the considerable potential, but also the caveats and limitations, of ctDNA technology when applied to aggressive B-cell lymphoma.

  Study EGAS50000000968

• Genetic and Microenvironmental Analysis of Peripheral T-cell Lymphoma

  This study enrolled 129 patients diagnosed with PTCL, comprising 94 cases of nTFHL and 35 cases of PTCL-NOS. Whole exome sequencing (WES) and RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) were performed using DNA and RNA of sufficient quality extracted from their tumor specimens. WES was conducted for all 129 cases, while RNA-seq was performed on 57 tumor samples.

  Study EGAS50000001258

• WES Analysis of precancerous lesions in Lynch Syndrome

  The project focuses on identifying the genetic alterations involved in the early stages of tumor development in individuals with Lynch Syndrome. Using Whole Exome Sequencing (WES), the study aims to characterize somatic mutations and molecular pathways that drive the transformation from normal tissue to precancerous lesions. This research contributes to a better understanding of tumorigenesis in hereditary colorectal cancer syndromes.

  Study EGAS50000001546

• HaJo Cell Line WES Data

  This study includes whole-exome sequencing data of the HaJo cell line and the corresponding patient and PDX samples.

  Study EGAS50000001432

• Pancreatic Cancer Sequencing Initiative

  Pancreatic Cancer Sequencing Initiative for the International Cancer Genome Consortium at the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research.

  Study EGAS00001000343

• Mutational analysis reveals the origin and therapy-driven evolution of recurrent glioma

  Tumor recurrence is a leading cause of cancer mortality. Therapies for recurrent disease may fail, at least in part, because the genomic alterations driving the growth of recurrences are distinct from those in the initial tumor. To explore this hypothesis, we sequenced the exomes of 23 initial low-grade gliomas and recurrent tumors resected from the same patients. In 43% of cases, at least half of the mutations in the initial tumor were undetected at recurrence, including driver mutations inTP53, ATRX, SMARCA4, and BRAF; this suggests that recurrent tumors are often seeded by cells derived from the initial tumor at a very early stage of their evolution. Notably, tumors from 6 of 10 patients treated with the chemotherapeutic drug temozolomide (TMZ) followed an alternative evolutionary path to high-grade glioma. At recurrence, these tumors were hypermutated and harbored driver mutations in the RB (retinoblastoma) and Akt-mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin) pathways that bore the signature of TMZ-induced mutagenesis.

  Study EGAS00001000579

• Ashkenazi Jewish Leukoencephalopathy

  Genetic leukoencephalopathies (gLEs) are a group of heterogeneous disorders with white matter abnormalities in the central nervous system (CNS). Patients affected with gLEs have brain white matter defects that can be seen in MRI and exhibit variable neurologic phenotypes including motor impairment, hypotonia, pyramidal dysfunction, dystonia and/or dyskinesias, ataxia, seizures, cortical blindness, optic atrophy, and impaired cognitive development. The exact causes in half of gLEs are unknown. We studied three unrelated families affected with an undiagnosed gLE and discovered a homozygous germline mutation c.2536T>G in VPS11 by whole exome sequencing, a gene involved in membrane trafficking and fusion of the lysosomes and endosomes, as a novel cause of a new gLE syndrome.

  Study EGAS00001001767

• Whole-exome Sequencing Combined with Functional Genomics Reveals Novel Candidate Driver Cancer Genes in Endometrial Cancer

  Endometrial cancer is the most common gynecological malignancy, with more than 280,000 cases occurring annually worldwide. Although previous studies have identified important common somatic mutations in endometrial cancer, they have primarily focused on a small set of known cancer genes and have thus provided a limited view of the molecular basis underlying this disease. Here we developed an integrated systems biology approach to identifying novel cancer genes contributing to endometrial tumorigenesis. We first performed whole-exome sequencing on 13 endometrial cancers and matched normal samples, systematically identifying somatic alterations with high precision and sensitivity. We then combined bioinformatics prioritization with high-throughput screening (including both shRNA-mediated knockdown and expression of wild type and mutant constructs) in a highly sensitive cell viability assay. Our results revealed 12 potential driver cancer genes including 10 tumor suppressor candidates (ARID1A, INHBA, KMO, TTLL5, GRM8, IGFBP3, AKTIP, PHKA2, TRPS1 and WNT11) and two oncogene candidates (ERBB3 and RPS6KC1). The results in the “sensor” cell line were recapitulated by siRNA-mediated knockdown in endometrial cancer cell lines. Focusing on ARID1A, we integrated mutation profiles with functional proteomics in 222 endometrial cancer samples, demonstrating that ARID1A mutations frequently co-occur with mutations in the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway and are associated with PI3K pathway activation. siRNA knockdown in endometrial cancer cell lines increased AKT phosphorylation supporting ARID1A as a novel regulator of PI3K pathway activity. Our study presents the first unbiased view of somatic coding mutations in endometrial cancer and provides functional evidence for diverse driver genes and mutations in this disease.

  Study EGAS00001000318

• UK10K_RARE_HYPERCHOL

  In the UK10K project we propose a series of complementary genetic approaches to find new low frequency/rare variants contributing to disease phenotypes. These will be based on obtaining the genome wide sequence of 4000 samples from the TwinsUK and ALSPAC cohorts (at 6x sequence coverage), and the exome sequence (protein coding regions and related conserved sequence) of 6000 samples selected for extreme phenotypes. Our studies will focus primarily on cardiovascular-related quantitative traits, obesity and related metabolic traits, neurodevelopmental disorders and a limited number of extreme clinical phenotypes that will provide proof-of-concept for future familial trait sequencing. We will analyse directly quantitative traits in the cohorts and the selected traits in the extreme samples, and also use imputation down to 0.1% allele frequency to extend the analyses to further sample sets with genome wide genotype data. In each case we will investigate indels and larger structural variants as well as SNPs, and use statistical methods that combine rare variants in a locus or pathway as well as single-variant approaches.Familial Hypercholesterolemia is a condition where the affected person has a consistently high level of LDL which can lead to early clogging of the coronary arteries. All patients selected for this study will have been found not to carry the common APOB and PCSK9 mutations, and to have no detectable LDLR mutations by testing for 18 common mutations. For further information with regard to this cohort please contact Steve Humphries(steve.humphries@ucl.ac.uk).

  Study EGAS00001000129

• UK10K NEURO ASD GALLAGHER

  In the UK10K project we propose a series of complementary genetic approaches to find new low frequency/rare variants contributing to disease phenotypes. These will be based on obtaining the genome wide sequence of 4000 samples from the TwinsUK and ALSPAC cohorts (at 6x sequence coverage), and the exome sequence (protein coding regions and related conserved sequence) of 6000 samples selected for extreme phenotypes. Our studies will focus primarily on cardiovascular-related quantitative traits, obesity and related metabolic traits, neurodevelopmental disorders and a limited number of extreme clinical phenotypes that will provide proof-of-concept for future familial trait sequencing. We will analyse directly quantitative traits in the cohorts and the selected traits in the extreme samples, and also use imputation down to 0.1% allele frequency to extend the analyses to further sample sets with genome wide genotype data. In each case we will investigate indels and larger structural variants as well as SNPs, and use statistical methods that combine rare variants in a locus or pathway as well as single-variant approaches. This is an Irish sample set of individuals with ASD (approximately 50% with comorbid intellectual disability). Individuals have been diagnosed with ADI/ ADOS, measures of cognition/ adaptive function. They represent a more severe, narrowly defined cohort of ASD subjects. Family histories are available for some with measures of broader phenotype. For further information on this cohort please contact Nadia Bolshakova (bolshakn@tcd.ie).

  Study EGAS00001000112

• UK10K_NEURO_ASD_FI

  In the UK10K project we propose a series of complementary genetic approaches to find new low frequency/rare variants contributing to disease phenotypes. These will be based on obtaining the genome wide sequence of 4000 samples from the TwinsUK and ALSPAC cohorts (at 6x sequence coverage), and the exome sequence (protein coding regions and related conserved sequence) of 6000 samples selected for extreme phenotypes. Our studies will focus primarily on cardiovascular-related quantitative traits, obesity and related metabolic traits, neurodevelopmental disorders and a limited number of extreme clinical phenotypes that will provide proof-of-concept for future familial trait sequencing. We will analyse directly quantitative traits in the cohorts and the selected traits in the extreme samples, and also use imputation down to 0.1% allele frequency to extend the analyses to further sample sets with genome wide genotype data. In each case we will investigate indels and larger structural variants as well as SNPs, and use statistical methods that combine rare variants in a locus or pathway as well as single-variant approaches.These samples are a subset of a nationwide collection of Finnish autism spectrum disorder (ASD) samples. The samples have been collected from Central Hospitals across Finland in collaboration with the University of Helsinki. The samples consist of 93 individuals with a diagnosis of autistic disorder or Asperger syndrome from 36 families with at least two affected individuals. Of these individuals, 16 can be genealogically connected to form two large pedigrees originating from Central Finland, suggesting possible genetic risk factors shared identical by descent within the pedigrees. All diagnoses are based on ICD-10 and DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for ASDs. Additional phenotypic data is available for a subset of the individuals.For further information with regard to this cohort please contact Aarno Palotie (Aarno.palotie@helsinki.fi).

  Study EGAS00001000110

• UK10K_NEURO_MUIR

  In the UK10K project we propose a series of complementary genetic approaches to find new low frequency/rare variants contributing to disease phenotypes. These will be based on obtaining the genome wide sequence of 4000 samples from the TwinsUK and ALSPAC cohorts (at 6x sequence coverage), and the exome sequence (protein coding regions and related conserved sequence) of 6000 samples selected for extreme phenotypes. Our studies will focus primarily on cardiovascular-related quantitative traits, obesity and related metabolic traits, neurodevelopmental disorders and a limited number of extreme clinical phenotypes that will provide proof-of-concept for future familial trait sequencing. We will analyse directly quantitative traits in the cohorts and the selected traits in the extreme samples, and also use imputation down to 0.1% allele frequency to extend the analyses to further sample sets with genome wide genotype data. In each case we will investigate indels and larger structural variants as well as SNPs, and use statistical methods that combine rare variants in a locus or pathway as well as single-variant approaches.The sample selection consists of subjects with schizophrenia (SZ), autism, or other psychoses all with mental retardation (learning disability). The samples were initially collected under the leadership of Walter J Muir (deceased), now with Prof. Blackwood, Dr McKechanie and Prof McIntosh as custodians. These subjects represent the intersection of severe forms of neurodevelopmental disorders, appear to have a higher rate of familiality of SZ than typical, and are likely to have more serious and penetrant forms of mutations.For further information on this cohort please contact Andrew McIntosh (andrew.mcintosh@ed.ac.uk).

  Study EGAS00001000122

• UK10K_OBESITY_SCOOP

  In the UK10K project we propose a series of complementary genetic approaches to find new low frequency/rare variants contributing to disease phenotypes. These will be based on obtaining the genome wide sequence of 4000 samples from the TwinsUK and ALSPAC cohorts (at 6x sequence coverage), and the exome sequence (protein coding regions and related conserved sequence) of 6000 samples selected for extreme phenotypes. Our studies will focus primarily on cardiovascular-related quantitative traits, obesity and related metabolic traits, neurodevelopmental disorders and a limited number of extreme clinical phenotypes that will provide proof-of-concept for future familial trait sequencing. We will analyse directly quantitative traits in the cohorts and the selected traits in the extreme samples, and also use imputation down to 0.1% allele frequency to extend the analyses to further sample sets with genome wide genotype data. In each case we will investigate indels and larger structural variants as well as SNPs, and use statistical methods that combine rare variants in a locus or pathway as well as single-variant approaches.The SCOOP samples are part of the Obesity group and will undergo exome sequencing. Severe Childhood Onset Obesity Project (SCOOP) is a sub-cohort of the Genetics Of Obesity Study (GOOS) cohort established by Sadaf Farooqi and Steve O’Rahilly at the University of Cambridge over the last 12 years. The GOOS cohort contains >4,000 patients of diverse geographic origin, many of whom have monogenic and syndromic forms of obesity, and includes patients that are offspring of consanguineous union. SCOOP is a subset of >1500 UK Caucasian patients with severe, early onset obesity (all patients have a BMI Standard Deviation Score (SDS) > 3 and obesity onset before the age of 10 years), in whom all known monogenic causes of obesity have been excluded. GWAS data on the SCOOP cohort will be available (WTCCC2 independent study) at the time of the start of this study. Data from this cohort has demonstrated that the prevalence of the common obesity risk alleles in FTO, MC4R and NEGR1 are amongst the highest within SCOOP, demonstrating its value also in the study of genetic variants with an impact on more common obesity. For further information with regard to this cohort please contact Sadaf Farooqi (isf20@medschl.cam.ac.uk).

  Study EGAS00001000124

• Exome Sequencing of Gastric Cancer

  GASTRIC cancer (GC) is a heterogeneous disease with multiple environmental etiologies and alternative pathways of carcinogenesis. Beyond mutations in TP53, alterations in other genes or pathways account only for small subsets of the disease. We performed exome sequencing of 22 GCs and identified mutated genes and pathway alterations previously unreported: genes involved in chromatin modification were commonly mutated. A downstream validation study confirmed frequent inactivating mutations and/or protein deficiency of the SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex gene ARID1A in 83% of GCs with microsatellite instability, 73% of GCs with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection, and 11% of non-EBV microsatellite stable GCs. The mutation spectrum of ARID1A differs between molecular subtypes and the mutation prevalence is negatively associated with mutations in TP53. Clinically, ARID1A alterations were associated with better prognosis in a stage-independent manner. These results revealed the genomic landscape and highlighted the importance of chromatin remodeling in the molecular taxonomy of GCs.

  Study EGAS00001000153

• Exome-sequencing identifies new oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes recurrently altered in hepatocellular carcinoma

  Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver malignancy. High-resolution copy number analysis of 125 tumors of which 24 were subjected to whole-exome sequencing identified 135 homozygous deletions and 994 somatic gene mutations with predicted functional consequences. We identified new recurrent alterations in 4 genes (ARID1A, RPS6KA3, NFE2L2 and IRF2) not previously described in HCC. Functional analyses demonstrated tumor suppressor properties for IRF2 whose inactivation, exclusively found in hepatitis B virus related tumors, leads to impaired TP53 function. Alternatively, inactivation of proteins involved in chromatin remodeling was frequent and predominant in alcohol related tumors. Moreover, activation of the oxidative stress metabolism and inactivation of RPS6KA3 were new pathways associated with WNT/beta-catenin activation, thereby suggesting a cooperative effect in tumorigenesis. This study shows the dramatic somatic genetic diversity in HCC, it reveals interactions between oncogene and tumor suppressor gene mutations markedly related to specific risk factors.

  Study EGAS00001000217

• UK10K NEURO UKSCZ

  In the UK10K project we propose a series of complementary genetic approaches to find new low frequency/rare variants contributing to disease phenotypes. These will be based on obtaining the genome wide sequence of 4000 samples from the TwinsUK and ALSPAC cohorts (at 6x sequence coverage), and the exome sequence (protein coding regions and related conserved sequence) of 6000 samples selected for extreme phenotypes. Our studies will focus primarily on cardiovascular-related quantitative traits, obesity and related metabolic traits, neurodevelopmental disorders and a limited number of extreme clinical phenotypes that will provide proof-of-concept for future familial trait sequencing. We will analyse directly quantitative traits in the cohorts and the selected traits in the extreme samples, and also use imputation down to 0.1% allele frequency to extend the analyses to further sample sets with genome wide genotype data. In each case we will investigate indels and larger structural variants as well as SNPs, and use statistical methods that combine rare variants in a locus or pathway as well as single-variant approaches. These samples have been collected from throughout the UK and Ireland. The samples fall into two main categories, approximately 500 have a full diagnostic work up. A proportion of these are cases with a positive family history of schizophrenia, either collected as sib-pairs or from multiplex kindred's. The second group consist mainly of >300 samples that have been systematically collected within South Wales and in addition to full diagnostic work up have undergone detailed cognitive testing. All samples have obtained a DSM IV diagnosis of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder.For further information on this cohort please contact Michael Owen (OwenMJ@cardiff.ac.uk).

  Study EGAS00001000123

• UK10K_RARE_THYROID

  In the UK10K project we propose a series of complementary genetic approaches to find new low frequency/rare variants contributing to disease phenotypes. These will be based on obtaining the genome wide sequence of 4000 samples from the TwinsUK and ALSPAC cohorts (at 6x sequence coverage), and the exome sequence (protein coding regions and related conserved sequence) of 6000 samples selected for extreme phenotypes. Our studies will focus primarily on cardiovascular-related quantitative traits, obesity and related metabolic traits, neurodevelopmental disorders and a limited number of extreme clinical phenotypes that will provide proof-of-concept for future familial trait sequencing. We will analyse directly quantitative traits in the cohorts and the selected traits in the extreme samples, and also use imputation down to 0.1% allele frequency to extend the analyses to further sample sets with genome wide genotype data. In each case we will investigate indels and larger structural variants as well as SNPs, and use statistical methods that combine rare variants in a locus or pathway as well as single-variant approaches.Two cohorts of subjects are being analysed: Individuals with Congenital Hypothyroidism (CH) due either to dysgenesis or dyshormonogenesis; Patients with Resistance to Thyroid hormone (RTH), a disorder characterized by elevated thyroid hormones and variable tissue refractoriness to hormone action. The CH cohort has been enriched for genetic aetiologies by recruiting cases that are familial, on a consanguineous background or syndromic. The RTH cohort consists of cases in which candidate gene analyses have been negative.For further information with regard to this cohort please contact Krishna Chatterjee (kkc1@medschl.cam.ac.uk).

  Study EGAS00001000131

• The clonal and mutational evolution spectrum of primary triple negative breast cancers

  Primary triple negative breast cancers (TNBC) represent approximately 16% of all breast cancers and are a tumour type defined by exclusion,for which comprehensive landscapes of somatic mutation have not been determined. Here we show in 104 early TNBC cases, that at the time of diagnosis these cancers exhibit a wide and continuous spectrum of genomic evolution, with some exhibiting only a handful of somatic aberrations in a few pathways, whereas others contain hundreds of somatic events and multiple pathways implicated. Integration with matched whole transcriptome sequence data revealed that only 36% of mutations are expressed. By examining single nucleotide variant (SNV) allelic abundance derived from deep re-sequencing (median > 20,000 fold) measurements in 2414 somatic mutations, we determine for the first time in an epithelial tumour, the relative abundance of clonal genotypes among cases in the population. We show that TNBC vary widely and continuously in their clonal frequencies at the time of diagnosis, with basal subtype TNBC exhibiting more variation than non-basal TNBC. Although p53 and somatic mutations appear clonally dominant compared with other pathways, in some tumours their clonal frequencies are incompatible with founder status. Mutations in cytoskeletal and cell shape/motility proteins occurred at lower clonal frequencies, suggesting they occurred later during tumour progression. Taken together our results show that future attempts to dissect the biology and therapeutic responses of TNBC will require the determination of individual tumour clonal genotypes.

  Study EGAS00001000132

• Whole-exome sequencing of human pancreatic cancers and characterization of genomic instability caused by MLH1 haploinsufficiency and complete deficiency

  Whole-exome sequencing (Exome-Seq) has been successfully applied in several recent studies. We here performed Exome-Seq of 15 pancreatic tumor-normal pairs. We captured 162,073 exons of 16,954 genes and sequenced the targeted regions to a mean coverage of 56 folds. This study identified a total of 1,517 somatic mutations and validated 934 of them by transcriptome sequencing. We detected recurrent mutations in 56 genes. Among them, 41 have not been described. The mutation rates varied widely among tumors. The diversity of mutation rates was significantly correlated with the distinct MLH1 copy-number status. Exome-Seq revealed intensive genomic instability in a tumor with MLH1 homozygous deletion, indicated by a dramatically elevated mutation rate of somatic substitutions, small insertions/deletions (indels), as well as indels presented at microsatellites. Notably, we detected MLH1 allelic loss in 4 tumors. MLH1 expression was decreased by nearly half in these cases. While they were negative in the conventional microsatellite instability assay, they showed a 10.5-fold increase in the mutation rate of somatic indels, e.g. truncating indels in TP53 and TGFBR2, indicating MLH1 haploinsufficiency in correction of DNA indel errors. We further analyzed the exomes of 15 renal cell carcinomas (RCCs) and confirmed MLH1 haploinsufficiency. We observed a significant increase in the mutation rate of somatic indels in affected cases and identified recurrent truncating indels in several cancer genes such as VHL, PBRM1 and JARID1C. Together, our data suggest that MLH1 hemizygous deletion, through increasing the mutation rate of somatic indels, could drive the development and progression of sporadic cancers.

  Study EGAS00001000149

• Genomic characterization of germ-cell tumors in childhood

  Germ cell tumors (GCTs) are rare neoplasms affecting approximately 3.5% of pediatric patients, with diverse histological subtypes. Despite their low mutational burden, prevalent alterations in KIT, KRAS, and NRAS genes are observed, but molecular understanding of pediatric GCTs lags behind adult counterparts. We aimed to elucidate the genomic landscape of 16 pediatric GCT patients via whole exome sequencing (WES), which revealed somatic alterations resembling those in adult GCTs.

  Study EGAS50000000619

• WES of sorted B lineage cells from patients with plasma cell neoplasms

  Whole-exome sequencing (WES) was conducted on cell populations isolated from each patient—diagnosed with either multiple myeloma (MM) or light-chain amyloidosis (AL) —including CD34⁺ hematopoietic progenitors, B-cell precursors, mature B cells, normal plasma cells, and clonal plasma cells. In the control cohort of healthy adults, the same target cell populations were analyzed, with the exception of clonal plasma cells, which were absent.

  Study EGAS50000001498

• Characterization of a novel MEF2D-BCL9 fusion positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia cell line WXS

  Study EGAS00001006800

• Distinct genomic profiles and clinical outcomes in constitutional mismatch repair deficiency-associated high-grade gliomas: insights into mutational signatures and clonal evolution

  Constitutional mismatch repair deficiency (CMMRD) is a rare cancer-predisposition syndrome, yet the mutational processes and clonal evolution of CMMRD-associated high-grade gliomas (HGGs) remain incompletely understood. In this study, mutational signatures and tumor evolution were analyzed in 25 CMMRD-associated HGGs. Germline biallelic mutations were most frequently identified in MSH6 (56.0%), followed by PMS2 (36.0%) and MLH1 (8.0%). Affected patients showed very early disease onset (mean 5.8 years) and poor clinical outcomes, with a mean progression-free survival of 16 months. Distinct genomic and clinical differences were observed between MSH6- and PMS2-associated tumors. MSH6-deficient HGGs were enriched for SBS6, whereas PMS2-deficient tumors showed predominance of SBS21, and these mutational signatures were correlated with prognosis. Clonal evolution analyses revealed early involvement of POLE/POLD1 mutations and persistence of the founding clone at recurrence. Overall, the study highlights the importance of mutational signatures and clonal evolution in shaping tumor behavior and clinical outcomes in CMMRD-associated HGGs.

  Study EGAS50000001506

• Personalized analysis of ctDNA for detection of molecular residual disease and recurrence in a cohort of surgically treated patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

  Despite advances in multimodal treatment, survival for patients with advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) has improved only modestly. The recent advent of tumor-informed assays capable of detecting circulating cell-free tumor DNA (ctDNA) has enabled early detection of molecular residual disease (MRD) and recurrence following curative therapy. We assessed ctDNA in plasma from 76 and saliva from 54 HNSCC patients, respectively, who received primary curative-intent surgery.

  Study EGAS50000001018

• VariantMedium: Sensitive and generalizable somatic point mutation calling with 3D DenseNets trained and evaluated on experimental confirmation data

  This study contains whole-exome sequencing (WES) and results of targeted deep-sequencing data of three matched tumor and normal cell lines, with two technical WES replicates each. The calls by Mutect2, Strelka2, and VariantMedium were confirmed using targeted deep sequencing on Illumina Miseq The targeted deep sequencing was performed in three runs and the results are summarized under VCF files.

  Study EGAS50000001661