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• RNAseq - Discovery of resistance mechanisms to the BRAF inhibitor vemurafenib in metastatic BRAF mutant melanoma

  We propose to biopsy 20 consented BRAF mutant melanoma patients at Addenbrooke's Hospital pre-treatment with vemurafenib and also upon the development of resistant disease, with the aim of using exome sequence and SNP6 data to identify novel sequence variants and copy number alterations that can be used to validate observed resistance mechanisms in our cell line models and also to use these models to inform as to likely candidate small molecule inhibitors to overcome resistance and that could be tested in the clinical trial setting.

  Dataset EGAD00001001050

• Identification of Modifiers of 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome in Whole Genome Sequence - CIDR

  This project aims to identify genetic modifiers of congenital heart disease (CHD), which occurs among 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2DS; also known as DiGeorge syndrome/velo-cardio-facial syndrome) patients. In contrast to the prevalence of ~0.8% in the general population, about 60%-70% of 22q11.2DS patients have CHD, of which most are conotruncal heart defects, making 22q11.2DS a very ideal model to study the genetic underpins of CHD. The chromosome 22q11.2 region is susceptible to meiotic chromosome rearrangements leading to hemizygous deletions, because there are large blocks of low copy repeats, termed LCR22s, that are dispersed in the region. Non-allelic homologous recombination during meiosis can lead to specific-sized deletions. Approximately 90% have a typical hemizygous 3 million base pair (Mb) deletion between LCR22-A and -D, while some have nested deletions between LCR22-A and B or LCR22-A and C. Our goal is to perform a case-control association study, in which cases have CHD, while controls have normal heart structures, all with 22q11.2DS. All individuals are unrelated and have been collected from collaborators in the US, Canada and Europe. All subjects received a clinical diagnosis of 22q11.2DS and signed informed consent to allow a blood sample to be collected for research. The DNA samples were de-identified in 2 steps to protect their privacy. We then determined deletion type using multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA). This information is provided for the great majority of subjects. We also obtained cardiac phenotype information from echocardiogram reports as well as reported race and ethnicity (Hispanic vs. non-Hispanic information), which is required for the analysis. We will obtain 30X whole-genome sequence data from NIH CIDR. We will first annotate the sequence variants identified to uncover rare ( For genotype data, we will provide the raw fastq data from whole-genome sequencing as well as the called variants file in a VCF file. For phenotype data, we will provide the sample relationship files (ped files), CHD affection status, deletion type, and race.

  Study phs002514

• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) Hepatocellular Carcinoma Study by Exome Sequencing (HCCSES)

  Genetic alterations in specific driver genes lead to disruption of cellular pathways and are critical events in the instigation and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma. As a prerequisite for individualized cancer treatment, we sought to characterize the landscape of recurrent somatic mutations in hepatocellular carcinoma. We performed whole exome sequencing on 87 hepatocellular carcinomas and matched normal adjacent tissues to an average coverage of 59x. The overall mutation rate was roughly 2 mutations per Mb, with a median of 45 non-synonymous mutations that altered the amino acid sequence (range 2 to 381). We found recurrent mutations in several genes with high transcript levels: TP53 (18%), CTNNB1 (10%), KEAP1 (8%), C16orf62 (8%), MLL4 (7%) and RAC2 (5%). Significantly affected gene families include the nucleotide-binding domain and leucine rich repeat containing family, calcium channel subunits, and histone methyltransferases. In particular, the MLL family methyltransferases for histone H3 lysine 4 were mutated in 20% of tumors. Conclusion: The NFE2L2-KEAP1 and MLL pathways are recurrently mutated in multiple cohorts of hepatocellular carcinoma.

  Study phs000627

• Identification_of_the_underlying_causal_variant_in_a_multi_generational_family_with_autosomal_dominant_common_variable_immunodeficiency

  Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is the most common form of primary immunodeficiency with an estimated incidence of 1:10,000. It has been apparent for many years that CVID has a genetic component, occurs frequently in families and can have both a recessive or dominant mode of inheritance. In recent years, 4 genes underlying CVID have been identified; however, mutations within in them are estimated to account for no more than 10% of all cases of CVID.We have identified a multi-generational family with autosomal dominant CVID. Genome-wide linkage analysis has mapped the locus underlying CVID in this family to an approximately 9.2 Mb interval on chromosome 3q27.3-q29, between the markers D3S3570 and D3S1265. This locus is distinct from any of the previously mapped susceptibility loci suggesting a novel genetic variant is responsible for disease in this family. The aim of this study is to use exome sequencing of affected (n = 4) and unaffected (n = 4) individuals, in tandem with the available genetic mapping data, to identify the causal variant underlying CVID in this family.

  Study EGAS00001000269

• 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

• Whole-Exome Sequencing of Salivary Gland Mucoepidermoid Carcinoma

  Mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) is the most common salivary gland malignancy. To explore the genetic origins of MEC, we performed systematic genomic analyses of these tumors.Experimental DesignWhole-exome sequencing and gene copy number analyses were performed for 18 primary cancers with matched normal tissue. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) was used to determine the presence or absence of the MECT1-MAML2 translocation in 17 tumors.ResultsTP53 was the most commonly mutated gene in MEC (28%), and mutations were found only in intermediate- and high-grade tumors. Tumors with TP53 mutations had more mutations overall than tumors without TP53 mutations (p=0.006). POU6F2 was the second most frequently mutated gene, found in three low-grade MECs with the same in-frame deletion. Somatic alterations in IRAK1, MAP3K9, ITGAL, ERBB4, OTOGL, KMT2C, and OBSCN were identified in at least two of the 18 tumors sequenced. FISH analysis confirmed the presence of the MECT1-MAML2 translocation in 15 of 17 tumors (88%).ConclusionsThrough these integrated genomic analyses, MECT1-MAML2 translocation and somatic TP53 and POU6F2 mutations appear to be the main drivers of mucoepidermoid carcinoma.

  Study EGAS00001002811

• Analysis of CD20 loss in patients treated with Mosunetuzumab

  CD20 is an established therapeutic target in B-cell malignancies. The CD20xCD3 bispecific antibody mosunetuzumab has significant efficacy in B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHL). Since target antigen loss is a recognized mechanism of resistance, we evaluated the contribution of CD20 expression to clinical response in patients with relapsed and/or refractory NHL in the phase 1/2 GO29781 trial (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02500407) investigating mosunetuzumab monotherapy. CD20 was studied using immunohistochemistry (IHC), RNA sequencing, and whole-exome sequencing performed centrally in biopsies collected prior to treatment, or as paired samples at pre-dose and on-treatment, or at-progression. Prior to treatment, most patients exhibited a high proportion of tumor cells expressing CD20; however, the proportion of CD20+ tumor cells in 14/293 (6%) patients was <10%. Analyses of paired biopsies from patients during treatment revealed that CD20 levels were maintained in 29/30 (97%), vs patients with samples at-progression, in which 11/32 (34%) showed CD20 loss. Reduced transcription or acquisition of truncating mutations explained most but not all cases of CD20 loss. In vitro modeling confirmed the effect of CD20 variants identified in clinical samples on reduction of CD20 expression and confirmed missense mutations in the extracellular domain that could block mosunetuzumab binding. This study expands knowledge about the occurrence of target antigen loss after anti-CD20 therapeutics to CD20-targeting bispecific antibodies and elucidates the underlying mechanisms for reduced CD20 expression at disease progression that may be generalizable to other anti-CD20 targeting agents. These results also establish the utility of readily-available IHC staining for CD20 as a tool to inform clinical decisions.

  Study EGAS50000000151

• NMR metabolic biomarkers in Biobank Japan generated by Nightingale Health Japan

  The BioBank Japan (BBJ) is a biobank established in the Institute of Medical Science, the University of Tokyo to collect clinical information and biological materials (DNA and serum samples). It collected about 200 thousand participants of 47 diseases started in 2003 (BBJ 1st cohort), and 67 thousand participants of 38 diseases started in 2013 (BBJ 2nd cohort), both in collaboration with 12 medical centers through the MEXT and AMED's "The BioBank Japan Project." This project is aiming at further utilization of the materials, and clinical and genomic information managed by BBJ to contribute to precision medicine by storing, managing, and providing the materials and data, as well as identifying biomarkers associated with disease risk, prognosis, and drug sensitivity.

  Study JGAS000561

• Somatic IL4R Hotspot Mutations in Primary Mediastinal Large B-cell lymphoma lead to constitutive JAK-STAT activation

  Primary mediastinal large B cell lymphoma (PMBCL) is a distinct subtype of diffuse large B cell lymphoma thought to arise from thymic medullary B cells. Gene mutations underlying the molecular pathogenesis of the disease are incompletely characterized. Here, we describe novel somatic IL4R mutations in 15 out of 62 primary cases of PMBCL (24.2%) and in all PMBCL-derived cell lines tested. The majority of mutations (11/21; 52%) were hotspot single nucleotide variants in exon 8 leading to an I242N amino acid change in the transmembrane domain. Functional analyses establish this mutation as gain-of-function leading to constitutive activation of the JAK-STAT pathway and upregulation of downstream cytokine expression profiles and B cell specific antigens. Moreover, expression of I242N mutant IL4R in a mouse xenotransplantation model conferred growth advantage in vivo. The pattern of concurrent mutations within the JAK-STAT signaling pathway suggests additive/synergistic effects of these gene mutations contributing to lymphomagenesis. Our data establish IL4R mutations as novel driver alterations and provide a strong preclinical rationale for therapeutic targeting of JAK-STAT signaling in PMBCL.

  Study EGAS00001002796

• Linguistic utterance counts for The admixture histories of Cabo Verde

  Datasets used in the article "The genetic and linguistic admixture histories of the islands of Cabo Verde" by Laurent R et al. eLife 2023 (DOI: https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.79827 - URL: https://elifesciences.org/articles/79827) File name "eGAdeposit_225CaboVerde_FreeSpeech_Utterance_counts_FINAL_01062022.txt" Column 1 corresponds to individual alphanumeric codes as in the "eGAdeposit_233CaboVerde_GenotypeFile_FINAL_01062022.vcf" genotype file. Note that only 225 unrelated Cabo Verdean-born individuals are considered here, out of the 233 individuals in the genotype file. See Material and Methods in Romain Laurent et al. 2022 - doi pending Each 4831 other column correspond to the respective individual's utterance count in the free speech transcribed in ALUPEC and provided as column header. See See Material and Methods in Romain Laurent et al. 2022 - doi pendingColumn 1 corresponds to individual alphanumeric codes as in the "eGAdeposit_233CaboVerde_GenotypeFile_FINAL_01062022.vcf" genotype file. Note that only 225 unrelated Cabo Verdean-born individuals are considered here, out of the 233 individuals in the genotype file. See Material and Methods in Romain Laurent et al. 2022 - doi pending Each 4831 other column correspond to the respective individual's utterance count in the free speech transcribed in ALUPEC and provided as column header. See Material and Methods in Laurent R et al. eLife 2023

  Dataset EGAD00001008978

• Epigenetics of Cocaine and Nicotine Addiction

  This project characterizes DNA methylation and gene expression changes that occur in the human brain, specifically in neurons from the rostral striatum. Major advances from NIDA funded initiatives for noninvasive neuroimaging studies have made it possible to study neuroanatomical, neurochemical and functional changes in the human brain that contribute to the vulnerability to abuse drugs, together with the neurotoxic consequences of years of drug misuse. Animal models have been developed to explain the fundamental behavioral and biological mechanisms of addiction, including reward, tolerance and dependence. From these studies, we learned that cocaine abuse not only alters the epigenetic status of genes, but also induces particular epigenetic modifications depending on the frequency of the drug's administration. Certain genes are switched on by infrequent (short-term exposure) administration, while others are switched on only after chronic administration (addiction/dependence). Animal studies have also suggested that cocaine-seeking habits modeling chronic cocaine addiction in humans depend upon dopamine-dependent serial connectivity linking the ventral (nucleus accumbens) with the dorsal striatum (caudate nucleus). The primary goal of this study is to identify DNA methylation and gene expression changes that occur in the transition from recreational cocaine use to cocaine addiction. High throughput sequencing studies were designed to investigate unique postmortem human brain specimens from individuals that met criteria for cocaine dependence, as compared to unaffected age-matched controls. Brain biospecimens were available from the University of Miami Brain Endowment BankTM, from a collection of phenotypically well-characterized postmortem tissues sampled from chronic cocaine abusers that came to autopsy. This biobank of postmortem brain specimens and annotated genomic data serve as a research resource to support NIDA's scientific mission.

  Study phs001377

• Karyotype Evolution in Response to Chemoradiotherapy and Upon Recurrence of Esophageal Adenocarcinomas

  The genome of esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) is highly unstable and might evolve over time. Here, we track karyotype evolution in EACs in response to treatment and upon recurrence through multi-region and longitudinal analysis. To this end, we introduce L-PAC, a bio-informatics technique that allows inference of absolute copy number aberrations (CNA) of low-purity samples by leveraging information of high-purity samples from the same cancer. Quantitative analysis of matched absolute CNAs reveals that the amount of karyotype evolution induced by chemoradiotherapy (CRT) is predictive for early recurrence and depends on the initial level of karyotype intra-tumor heterogeneity. We observe that CNAs acquired in response to CRT are partially reversed back to the initial state upon recurrence. CRT hence alters the fitness landscape to which tumors can adjust by adapting their karyotype. Together, our results indicate that karyotype plasticity contributes to therapy resistance of EACs.

  Study EGAS00001007711

• Characterizing the Role of the Immune Microenvironment in Multiple Myeloma Progression at a Single Cell Level

  The plasma cell disease multiple myeloma (MM) is highly dependent on its bone marrow microenvironment (BMME). Early alterations within the bone marrow microenvironment that contribute to the progression of multiple myeloma (MM) from its precursor stages could hold the key to identifying novel therapeutic approaches, yet the intrinsic variability in cellular populations between patients together with differences in sample processing and analysis methods have made it difficult to identify consistent changes between datasets. Here, we used single-cell RNA sequencing of BM cells from precursor stages, monoclonal gammopathy of unknown significance (MGUS), smoldering MM (SMM) and newly diagnosed MM and analyzed our data in combination with a previously published dataset that used a similar patient population and sample processing. Despite vast interpatient heterogeneity, some alterations were seen consistently in both datasets. We identified changes in immune cell populations as disease progressed that were characterized by a substantial decrease in memory and naïve CD4 T cells and an increase in CD8+ effector T cells and T-regulatory cells. These alterations were further accompanied by an enrichment of non-clonal memory B cells and an increase of CD14 and CD16 monocytes in MM compared to its precursor stages. These results provide crucial information of the immune changes associated with the progression to clinical MM and can help to develop immune based strategies for patient stratification and early therapeutic intervention. 

  Study phs002756

• Immune Profiling in Patients with High-Risk Smoldering Myeloma

  Single-cell RNA-sequencing identifies immune biomarkers of response to immunotherapy in patients with high-risk Smoldering Multiple Myeloma (SMM). We conducted a Phase II trial of the immunotherapeutic anti-SLAMF7 antibody, Elotuzumab, in combination with Lenalidomide and Dexamethasone (E-PRISM study), to determine the utility and safety of early immunotherapy in patients with high-risk SMM and develop biomarkers for optimal patient selection and monitoring of response to treatment.There is an overlap in subjects between this study and dbGaP accession phs001323.

  Study phs002476

• Tumorigenic role of Musashi-2 in aggressive mantle cell lymphoma

  SOX11 is overexpressed in the highly aggressive conventional mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) but rarely in the indolent non-nodal MCL subtype. We performed RNA-seq of SOX11+ and SOX11- MCLs to search for SOX11-regulated genes that contributed to MCL clinical evolution, identifying Musashi-2 (MSI2) stem cell-related gene. By performing RNA-seq upon MSI2 knockdown or inhibition in MCL, we identified MSI2 as a potential target to inhibit drug resistance in aggressive MCLs.

  Study EGAS00001006613

• Y chromosome variability in Polish population

  The aim of the present study was to define the Y chromosome variability in Polish male population. For the first time, the study of Polish population was conducted on such a large number of individuals (n=2705) representing administrative units of both levels of local administration in Poland (voivodeships and counties). Furthermore, the clusters were used as an additional form of population subdivision, corresponding to geographic regions of Poland.

  Study EGAS00001004111

• GDAP - Genome Diversity in Africa Project (2021-02-12)

  The Genomic Diversity in Africa Project (GDAP) started with the plan to develop a genomic resource from African populations, characterise genomic diversity and population history, and facilitate clinical studies in Africa. Currently, 25 individuals from 24 ethnolinguistic groups have been whole-genome sequenced at high depth totalling 585 individuals. An additional 41 individuals have been sequenced with 10X Genomics libraries. At this stage, the initial curation of this dataset has been finished and we are performing the analysis in coordination with our collaborators. The current state of the GDAP represents a very diverse panel of African populations that maximizes geographical and ethnic variation and represents a great starting point to achieve the aforementioned goals. However, southern sub-Saharan countries, Bantu speakers and hunter gatherer groups are currently underrepresented, despite being crucial to understand the evolutionary history of the continent. After extensive effort to collate studies documentation, we finally have the opportunity to sequence 600 new individuals from these groups, including countries as Gabon, Rwanda and Zambia, and address these deficiencies. We aim to proceed with the same strategy: to sequence at high depth 25 individuals with standard PCR free libraries, with 2 additional individuals with 10X Genomics Chromium libraries per ethnolinguistic group. The former allows a good representation of variants down to low frequency in any given population, and the latter allows accurate phasing and the analysis of structural variation. By including these new populations, we want to investigate three crucial questions in African history in addition to the initial objectives: the Bantu expansion, the evolutionary history of hunter gatherers and the transatlantic slave trade. Additionally, the expanded dataset will help us better discover the genetic variation present in Africa and characterize the African pangenome. This data is part of a pre-publication release. For information on the proper use of pre-publication data shared by the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute (including details of any publication moratoria), please see http://www.sanger.ac.uk/datasharing/ . This dataset contains all the data available for this study on 2021-02-12.

  Dataset EGAD00001006965

• Whole Genome Sequencing for Metastatic Mutational Burden in Extraskeletal Myxoid Chondrosarcoma

  Extraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcoma (EMC) is an ultra-rare cancer. Though it has a favorable prognosis and an indolent course, it has high rates of local recurrence and metastasis to the lungs. EMC is most often characterized by a translocation involving the NR4A3 gene most often fusing with EWSR1, leading to constitutive expression of NR4A3, the biological significance of which is unknown. Our study presents a case of EMC with case-matched lung and advanced pelvic metastases. We conducted Whole Genome Sequencing to examine differences in the mutational landscape at two different stages of metastasis. This is the first study to our knowledge to analyze mega-base scale structural variants (SVs) in EMC. Our data validates copy number variants (CNVs) found in previous studies. While the primary tumor and lung metastasis had similar somatic variations and CNVs, the pelvic metastasis had more SVs with especially increased mutational burden of SVs in chromosome 2. This suggests that different molecular drivers appear in more advanced, relapsing EMC compared with the primary tumor and early lung metastasis. The sequencing data is available through dbGaP.

  Study phs003305

• Genomic Profiling of Thyroid Cancer Reveals a Role for Thyroglobulin in Metastasis

  Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) has a wide geographic variation in incidence, being highest in Saudi Arabia where it is only second to breast cancer as the most common cancer among females. Genomic profiling of PTC from Saudi Arabia has not been attempted previously. We performed whole-exome sequencing of 101 PTC samples and the corresponding genomic DNA to identify genes with recurrent somatic mutations, followed by sequencing of these genes using a next-generation gene panel approach in further 785 samples. In addition to BRAF, N-RAS and H-RAS, which have previously been shown to be recurrently mutated in PTC, our analysis highlights additional genes, including thyroglobulin (TG), which harbored somatic mutations in 3% of the entire cohort. Surprisingly, although TG mutations were not exclusive to mutations in the RAS-MAP kinase pathway, their presence was associated with a significantly worse clinical outcome, which suggests a pathogenic role beyond driving initial oncogenesis. Analysis of metastatic PTC tissue revealed significant enrichment for TG mutations (p<0.001), including events of apparent clonal expansion. Our results suggest a previously unknown role of TG somatic mutations in the pathogenesis of PTC and its malignant evolution.

  Study EGAS00001001788

• Genomic Profiling of Thyroid Cancer Reveals a Role for Thyroglobulin in Metastasis -Part II

  Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) has a wide geographic variation in incidence, being highest in Saudi Arabia where it is only second to breast cancer as the most common cancer among females. Genomic profiling of PTC from Saudi Arabia has not been attempted previously. We performed whole-exome sequencing of 101 PTC samples and the corresponding genomic DNA to identify genes with recurrent somatic mutations, followed by sequencing of these genes using a next-generation gene panel approach in further 785 samples. In addition to BRAF, N-RAS and H-RAS, which have previously been shown to be recurrently mutated in PTC, our analysis highlights additional genes, including thyroglobulin (TG), which harbored somatic mutations in 3% of the entire cohort. Surprisingly, although TG mutations were not exclusive to mutations in the RAS-MAP kinase pathway, their presence was associated with a significantly worse clinical outcome, which suggests a pathogenic role beyond driving initial oncogenesis. Analysis of metastatic PTC tissue revealed significant enrichment for TG mutations (p<0.001), including events of apparent clonal expansion. Our results suggest a previously unknown role of TG somatic mutations in the pathogenesis of PTC and its malignant evolution.

  Study EGAS00001003357

• Molecular Characterization of Hemimegalencephaly

  Somatic mutations, in which a fraction of the cells in the body have a deleterious mutation, are well recognized in cancer but only recently appreciated in neurological disease. Given a somatic mutation in a population of progenitor cells, all daughter cells inherit the mutation and are able to express the resultant phenotype as a function of the differentiation program. We recently identified the first de novo somatic mutations in the developing brain in the condition hemimegalencephaly (HME), a catastrophic focal epilepsy condition associated with a malformation of cerebral cortical development (MCD). HME is one of the most severe MCD syndromes, characterized by massive hamartomatous overgrowth of either of the two cerebral hemispheres. Cerebral hemispherectomy is a frequent treatment for refractory epilepsy, allowing the sampling of diseased tissue. By comparing DNA from a diseased brain with DNA from blood/saliva, we identified de novo somatic mutations in PIK3CA, AKT3 or MTOR, part of the mTOR pathway. Mutations were present in 8-40% of sequenced alleles in various brain regions sampled during surgery and in some codons known to activate proteins.• Population informationPatient samples were collected from multiple centers. The population is Caucasian and Hispanic• Molecular technologies employedWhole-exome sequencing• Principal findings of the studyWe were the first to describe mTOR-related and non-mTOR mutations causing hemimegalencephaly, and we described two-hit mutational models to explain the genetic pathogenesis of hemimegalencephaly

  Study phs002156

• Inherited Genetic Variation and Predisposition to Testicular Germ Cell Tumor: UPenn Local TGCT Study

  Testicular germ cell tumors (TGCT) are the most common cancer in men ages 20-40. The incidence of TGCT has more than doubled over the past forty years, without clear etiology. Both genetic effects and environmental exposures, specifically during the pre-natal period, are likely to play an important role in determining TGCT susceptibility. TGCT is known to develop from primordial germ cells (PGCs). We hypothesize that variation in genes that impact upon the differentiation and maturation of PGCs will be important determinants of TGCT susceptibility and based on this hypothesis have selected three important pathways for study, i) male germ cell development, ii) androgen and estrogen biosynthesis and metabolism, and iii) IGF signaling. The proteins involved in early male germ cell development, normally only expressed in PGCs, are markers of and are overexpressed in TGCT. Markers of increased exposure to estrogen (or relatively decreased exposure to androgen) in utero and exogenous estrogen exposures, such as endocrine disruptors, have been associated with TGCT case status in multiple studies. IGF signaling is necessary for testis differentiation and maturation in mice and interacts synergistically with the estrogen signaling pathway. Additionally, we are interested in examining genetic factors predisposing to TGCT in an unbiased fashion, and thus will conduct a Genome Wide Association Study. As well disease susceptiblity, genetics are likely to play a role in disease progression, disease outcomes and response to treatement. We will also assess association of inherited genetics with these outcomes. We will analyze the contribution of genetic variants in these pathways to TGCT risk using a population-based case-control study in the Philadelphia metropolitian area. Our goal is the collection of 550 TGCT cases and 1100 age, race and cell phone use matched controls without a history of TGCT, which will yield 500 and 1000 white cases and controls, respectively, available for final analyses. All cases will be enumerated through the New Jersey and Pennsylvania state cancer registries. We will use a two-tiered approach for case recruitment: hospital clinic-based followed by registry-based. Hospital based cases will be identified within the Univeristy of Pennsylvania Health System and the University of Pennsylvania Cancer Network. All cases identified through this mechanism will be recruited irregardless of diagnosis date. The remaining cases will be identified through the New Jersey and Pennsylvania cancer registries and contacted following their protocols. Controls will be identified through random digit dialing and address based sampling. Both cases and controls will complete a questionnaire addressing known, presumed, and hypothesized risk factors for TGCT and provide a biospecimen. Pathological slides will be reviewed to cases to confirm diagnostic sub-type of TGCT. Haplotypes and functional SNPs will be typed in the genes of interest, as well as throughout the genome. Analyses will be conducted for specific variants, common haplotypes, alone and in conjunction with each other and exposure data after appropriate adjustment for potential confounders. The findings from this study will greatly contribute to our understanding of determinants of TGCT susceptibility.

  Study phs001307

• Center for Common Disease Genomics [CCDG] - Cardiovascular: TexGen

  Cardiovascular disease (CVD), especially coronary heart disease, heart failure and cerebrovascular disease remain the leading causes of death in men and women across all race groups in the United States. Substantial evidence exists for genetic factors underlying CVD risk, and their discovery offers an opportunity to enhance understanding of disease mechanisms, to provide specific diagnostic and prognostic indicators, and to identify novel therapeutic targets. The Centers for Common Disease Genomics (CCDG) are a large-scale genome sequencing effort undertaken as a collaboration to identify rare risk and protective alleles for common chronic diseases, with a current focus on early onset heart disease, hemorrhagic stroke, and autism. In this study, whole genome sequencing (WGS) was performed in 6,146 individuals with any personal or family history of CVD from the TexGen study who were recruited from several institutions in the Texas Medical Center located in Houston, Texas. The participants included patients who were admitted with a variety of diagnoses including acute coronary syndromes, strokes, and transient ischemic attacks, or who underwent percutaneous coronary interventions or coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) (Virani SS et al. Am J Cardiology 107:1504-1509, 2011). Patients in the TexGen cohort with a confirmed diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) or CABG when discharged from the hospital between 2001-2008 were eligible for a follow-up study of recurrent myocardial infarction (Virani SS et al. Circulation J 76:950-956, 2012), while those presenting with ACS beginning in 2007 were recruited for an investigation of the role of depressive symptoms in the risk of major adverse coronary events (Sanner J et al. Biol Res Nurs 20:168-176, 2018). In addition, the initial criterion for enrollment in a third TexGen sub-study undertaken between 2007 and 2013 was the occurrence of premature acute myocardial infarction in men ≤ 50 years and women ≤ 55 years in order to establish a blood sample collection resource with the intention of localizing genes that contribute to disease risk. This definition was later expanded to include individuals with a clinical history of premature coronary heart disease such as CABG or percutaneous coronary interventions.

  Study phs003010

• Defective T-cell expansion in RASGRP1 deficiency

  Inherited CTPS1- CD27- and CD70-deficiencies in humans have revealed key factors of T-lymphocyte expansion, that is a prerequisite for an efficient immunity to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection. RASGRP1 is a T-lymphocyte specific nucleotide exchange factor known to activate the MAP kinases pathway. A deleterious homozygous mutation in RASGRP1 leading to the loss RASGRP1 expression was identified in two siblings who both developed a persistent EBV infection leading to Hodgkin lymphoma. RASGRP1-deficient T cells exhibited defective MAPK activation and impaired proliferation that was restored by expression of wild-type RASGRP1. Similar defects were observed in T cells from healthy individuals when RASGRP1 was downregulated. RASGRP1-deficient T cells also exhibited decreased CD27-dependent proliferation toward CD70-expressing EBV-transformed B cells, a crucial pathway required for expansion of antigen-specific T cells in anti-EBV immunity. Furthermore, RASGRP1-deficient T cells failed to upregulate CTPS1, an important enzyme required for DNA synthesis. These results show that RASGRP1 deficiency leads to susceptibility to EBV infection, and demonstrate the key role of RASGRP1 at the crossroad of pathways required for the expansion of activated T lymphocytes.

  Study EGAS00001002753

• Identification of rare germline variants in familial multiple myeloma

  The risk of developing multiple myeloma (MM) in first-degree relatives of affected individuals is 2 to 4 fold higher than in the general population, implying the existence of inherited susceptibility. While over 20 common, low-penetrance variants have been associated with MM risk, less is known about rare, high-penetrance germline predisposition. We aimed to identify and characterize high/moderated penetrance germline variants in MM families using whole genome sequencing. For that purpose we identified families with at least two individuals diagnosed with MM or its precursors MGUS and smoldering MM. Also, patients with solitary plasmacytoma and AL amyloidosis were enrolled. We also recruited unaffected family members, and they were screened to exclude undetected MM or its precursor stages. After whole genome sequencing of blood DNA and filtering for rare variants (minor allele frequency <0.1%) and family segregation, variants are prioritized by a range of published in silico tools and literature search. The most promising variants are subjected to experimental validation to evaluate their functional relevance. Our data will provide guidance to worldwide efforts to unravel germline predisposition in MM and validation of the proposed variants and genes.

  Study EGAS00001004734