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• Baylor College of Medicine Advancing Sequencing in Childhood Cancer Care (BASIC3) Clinical Exome Sequencing Study - Clinical Sequencing Exploratory Research Consortium

  The BASIC3 (Baylor College of Medicine Advancing Sequencing in Childhood Cancer Care) study is a National Genome Human Research Institute (NHGRI) and National Cancer Institute-funded Clinical Sequencing Exploratory Research (CSER) consortium project that focuses on prospective implementation of clinical whole exome sequencing in the pediatric oncology clinic. The primary study objective are to integrate information from CLIA-certified germline and tumor exome sequencing into the care of newly diagnosed solid tumor patients at Texas Children's Cancer Center, and to perform parallel evaluation of the impact of tumor and germline exomes on families and physicians. Blood and frozen tumor (if available) samples are collected from children undergoing surgery or biopsy of newly diagnosed solid tumors and subjected to exome sequencing in a CLIA-certified laboratory. Germline and tumor (if applicable) exome sequencing reports are generated and submitted into the electronic health record and returned to each patient/family by their primary oncologist. If specific (optional) consent is obtained, research sequencing studies (including transcriptome sequencing) are performed in addition to the clinical exome sequencing.

  Study phs001026

• Small-molecule inhibitors in melanoma - Kenski / Kong - WES (2019-04-11)

  Small-molecule inhibitors targeting the most commonly activated pathway in melanoma, MAPK pathway (either alone or in combination) are already given to melanoma patients for few years, and initially reduce tumour burden dramatically, eventually melanomas become resistant and tumours progress while on treatment. Resistance to this treatment occurs by acquisition of additional mutations or other alterations that affect the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway by either direct or indirect signalling. Many resistance mechanisms somehow lead to reactivation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), thereby restoring signalling of the oncogenic BRAF/MEK/ERK pathway. In addition, PI3K pathway activation contributes to resistance to BRAF inhibition. Less frequent but equally important to the phenomenon of targeted drug resistance is the observation that B15-20% of BRAF mutant melanoma patients fail to respond to BRAF inhibition already early on treatment, owing to intrinsic resistance. These patients have little therapeutic options, unless immunotherapy can be given. To better understand the resistance mechanisms in MAPK inhibitor-treated melanoma patients and melanoma biology, our lab generated a big panel of MAPK inhibitor resistant melanoma cell lines by continuous drug exposure. The understanding of the genetic landscape and gene expression as well as cross resistance to other treatment regimens, and other aspects of melanoma biology such as phenotype switch, will allow us to better exploit new therapeutic strategies for melanoma patients. . This dataset contains all the data available for this study on 2019-04-11.

  Dataset EGAD00001004952

• Characterization of Autosomal CNV Among the Negrito from Peninsular Malaysia

  Copy number variation (CNV) has been recognized as a major contributor to human genome diversity. It plays an important role in determining phenotypes and has been associated with a number of common and complex diseases. However the CNV data from diverse populations is rather limited. Here we report the first investigation of copy number variation (CNV) in the indigenous populations from Peninsular Malaysia. We genotyped 34 Negrito genomes from Peninsular Malaysia using the Affymetrix SNP 6.0 microarray and identified 62 putative novel CNVs, consisting of 25 gains and 37 losses. These CNVs appear unique to the Negrito population and were absent in the DGV, HapMap3 and Singapore Genome Variation Project (SGVP) datasets. Analysis of gene ontology revealed that genes within these CNVs were enriched in the immune system (GO:0002376), response to stimulus mechanisms (GO:0050896), as well as the metabolic pathways (GO:0001852). Copy number gains in CNVRs enriched with genes were significantly higher than the losses (P value <0.001). Therefore, in view of the small population size, relative isolation and semi-normadic lifestyles of this community, we speculate that these CNVs may be attributed to recent local adaptation of Negritos from Peninsular Malaysia.

  Study phs000664

• Mega-GWAS ALS I

  Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disorder clinically characterized by rapidly progressive paralysis and death due to respiratory failure, typically within two to three years of symptom onset. The number of ALS cases across the globe will increase to nearly 400,000 in 2040, predominantly due to aging of the population. Unraveling the genetics underlying ALS provides insights into the cellular mechanism leading to motor neuron death and provides targets for therapeutic intervention. We performed a genome-wide association study involving a meta-analysis of 20,806 ALS cases and 59,804 controls. The current study release makes available genotype data of the 15,480 subjects assayed in the Laboratory of Neurogenetics for this effort.

  Study phs000101

• Human liver cholangiocyte organoids capture the heterogeneity of in vivo human liver ductal epithelium

  Human liver ductal epithelium is morphologically, functionally and transcriptionally heterogeneous. However, understanding the dynamics within human biliary/ductal epithelium has been hampered by the absence of an in vitro system that fully mimics its complex cellular heterogeneity. Here, we found that the human liver cholangiocyte (ductal-cell) organoids we previously published (Huch et al., 2015) are fairly homogenous and do not retain the cellular heterogeneity of the in vivo human biliary/ductal epithelium. Inspired by the knowledge of the in vivo niche, we refined our previous organoid culture medium to fully capture the cellular heterogeneity of the human ductal epithelium. We employed this refined system to analyse the interactions and relationships between the different human biliary epithelial cell states and discovered that acquiring a bipotent ductal cell state is necessary for differentiating the human ductal epithelium into functional hepatocyte-like cells. Our improved cholangiocyte organoid model represents a new platform to investigate cell plasticity and duct-to-hepatocyte differentiation in human liver.

  Study EGAS50000001000

• Multiple Myeloma Genomic Study (MMGS)

  Multiple Myeloma (MM) is a plasma cell dyscrasia characterized by bone marrow (BM) infiltration and lytic bone lesions. Recent studies of massive parallel sequencing of tumor cells obtained from the BM of patients with MM have demonstrated significant clonal heterogeneity in MM. Despite this remarkable clonal heterogeneity, it could be envisioned that such clonal diversity may be even higher since single BM samples only represent a small fraction of the whole BM compartment, and the pattern of BM infiltration in MM is typically patchy. In addition, BM biopsies are painful and cannot be repeated multiple times during the course of therapy, indicating a need for less invasive methods to molecularly characterize MM patients and monitor disease progression during the therapy. Thus, optimal characterization of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) may represent a non-invasive method to capture relevant mutations present in PC clones. In addition, MM almost always progresses from precursor states of monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS)/smoldering multiple myeloma (SMM) to overt MM. However, some patients rapidly progress from MGUS/SMM to overt MM (progressors) with a rate of progression of up to 70% over 5 years, while others remain indolent with minimal progression over the same time period (non-progressors). Although many patients are diagnosed with earlier phases of disease, most patients do not receive treatment until their disease progresses, at which time they have overt end-organ damage. This concept of initiating therapy at the time of symptomatic disease is analogous to initiating therapy in patients with solid tumors only after the development of measurable metastatic disease. It is therefore not surprising that cure is not achieved for most patients with MM. Interestingly, studies have demonstrated that MGUS/SMM clones may already harbor chromosomal alterations (Ig loci or hyperdiploidy) and that progression to MM is mainly due to expansion of clones that were already present in the early stages of MGUS/SMM. However, the biological factors that discriminate progressors from non-progressors in MGUS/SMM are not well known. Therefore, our overarching hypothesis is that an effective therapeutic intervention will result from defining genomic and transcriptomic markers that are associated with disease progression. We believe, therefore, that focused research studies that define molecular mechanisms of clonal evolution in MGUS/SMM/MM will identify novel biomarkers of disease progression and help develop therapeutic agents that prevent or delay progression from MGUS to overt MM. Indeed, by eradicating the disease at the precursor stages, MM may become a preventable disease. Recently, a new term called Clonal Hematopoiesis of Indeterminate Potential (CHIP) has been proposed to describe asymptomatic individuals with hematologic malignancy-associated somatic mutations. Those individuals do not fulfill any diagnostic criteria for any hematological malignancy yet they have a tendency to progress into myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) or myeloid or lymphoid neoplasia at a rate of around 0.5-1% per year, similar to MGUS. The frequency of CHIP and role of HSCs mutations in enhancing acquisition of somatic mutations in MM plasma cells, allowing progression following treatment, has not been studied. Investigating the dysregulated pathways in early progenitor cells would allow us to understand the reasons of progression and establish novel therapeutic and potentially preventive strategies. This study dissects genomic and transcriptomic characteristics of clonal evolution from MGUS/SMM to MM as well as the characteristics of the tumor microenvironment/immune cells/peripheral blood. Our hypothesis is that molecular biomarkers will be strong predictors of progression from MGUS/SMM to MM and will allow for the development of novel therapeutic agents that prevent or delay this progression. We aim to define genomic and transcriptomic markers that lead to progression from MGUS/SMM to MM in tumor cells, blood biopsies (cell free DNA and circulating tumor cells), and the tumor microenvironment.

  Study phs001323

• Myeloid-specific KDM6B inhibition sensitizes Glioblastoma to PD1 blockade

  Glioblastoma (GBM) tumors are enriched in immune-suppressive myeloid cells and are refractory to immune checkpoint therapy (ICT). Targeting epigenetic pathways to reprogram the functional phenotype of immune-suppressive myeloid cells to overcome resistance to ICT remains unexplored. Single-cell and spatial transcriptomic analyses of human GBM tumors demonstrated high expression of an epigenetic enzyme - histone 3 lysine 27 demethylase (KDM6B) in intra-tumoral immune-suppressive myeloid cell subsets. Importantly, myeloid-cell specific Kdm6b deletion enhanced pro-inflammatory pathways and improved survival in GBM tumor-bearing mice. Mechanistic studies elucidated that the absence of Kdm6b enhances antigen-presentation, interferon response and phagocytosis in myeloid cells by inhibiting mediators of immune suppression including Mafb, Socs3 and Sirpa. Further, pharmacological inhibition of KDM6B mirrored the functional phenotype of Kdm6b deleted myeloid cells and enhanced anti-PD1 efficacy. Thus, this study identified KDM6B as an epigenetic regulator of the functional phenotype of myeloid cell subsets and a potential therapeutic target to improve response to ICT.

  Study EGAS00001007002

• TRACERx 100: RNAseq data from the first 100 TRACERx tumours

  TRACERx (TRAcking Cancer Evolution through therapy (Rx)) is a prospective cohort study designed to investigate intratumor heterogeneity (ITH) in relation to clinical outcome, and to determine the clonal nature of driver events and evolutionary processes in early stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This study looks at the multi-region RNAseq data from the TRACERx100 cohort with high enough quality RNA available. There is RNAseq data from 164 regions (64 patients).

  Study EGAS00001003458

• The evolution of hematopoietic cells under cancer therapy

  Chemotherapies may increase mutagenesis of healthy cells and change the selective pressures in tissues thus influencing their evolution. However, their contributions to the mutation burden and clonal expansions of healthy somatic tissues are not clear. Here, exploiting the mutational footprint of some chemotherapies, we explore their influence on the evolution of hematopoietic cells. Cells of Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) secondary to treatment with platinum-based drugs showed the mutational footprint of these drugs, indicating that non-malignant blood cells received chemotherapy mutations. No trace of 5-fluorouracil (5FU) mutational signature was found in AML secondary to exposure to 5FU, suggesting that cells establishing the AML were quiescent during treatment. Using the platinum-based mutational signature as a barcode, we determined that secondary AMLs began their clonal expansion after the start of the cytotoxic treatment. Its absence in clonal hematopoiesis cases is consistent with a clonal expansion that predates the exposure to the cytotoxic agent.

  Study EGAS00001005234

• Childhood Cancer Data Initiative (CCDI): Genomic Analysis in Pediatric Malignancies

  Pediatric solid tumors are highly heterogeneous, encompassing a large number of histotypes. The genomic landscape of these diseases is characterized by few single-nucleotide variants (SNVs) compared to adult cancers. In contrast, many exhibit a high prevalence of structural or epigenetic changes that alter gene expression, underlining the need for comprehensive genomic approaches such as whole-genome sequencing (WGS). Several studies have specifically addressed the clinical utility of genomic analysis in the pediatric and AYA cancer setting. Review of these studies point to key challenges that must be addressed in order to advance the routine use of genomics in this population. We have established a large collection of solid tumor tissue samples through our biobanking efforts. Where possible, we obtain longitudinal samples from the same patient. These primary patient samples and their corresponding germline have been analyzed using whole genome and whole transcriptome sequencing methods and have been linked to clinical metadata using both manual curation and robust methods for automatic extraction from the electronic health record (EHR). Importantly, research-grade genomic analysis is performed in parallel to our CLIA-grade sequencing (“UCSF500”) efforts for some of the patients in this study cohort and have been submitted as part of the American Association for Cancer Research's project GENIE and/or the National Childhood Cancer Registry. For our sequenced tumor samples, we have retrospective clinical data and ongoing efforts to prospectively record key events throughout the patient's cancer journey. In our solid tumor program, we have developed many patient-derived xenograft models and a number of PDX-derived cell lines. These unique models have been evaluated using genomic and functional approaches including (in some cases) treatment with conventional chemotherapy or investigational agents. Lastly, these samples were collected from a population that is among the most diverse in the nation and includes significant numbers of Asian, Latino, Indigenous and African-American patients, groups that are traditionally underrepresented in many banking efforts.

  Study phs002430

• Whole genome sequencing of tumor samples from advanced pre-treated NSCLC patients recruited in a phase I/II single-arm trial utilising CVA21, an oncolytic coxsackie virus, in combination with pembrolizumab.

  Acquired or de novo resistance to immune checkpoint inhibitors occurs in the majority of advanced non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC). There is an unmet need to improve outcomes for patients with this condition. Oncolytic viruses represent an attractive treatment approach due to their dual activity in inducing tumor cell lysis directly and potentially augmenting anti-tumor immunity. Here, we present the safety, efficacy and translational findings from a phase I/II single-arm trial utilising CVA21, an oncolytic coxsackie virus, in combination with pembrolizumab in patients with advanced pre-treated NSCLC. We performed paired biopsies pre- and post-treatment in 10 patients who received intravenous CVA21 and pembrolizumab, 8 of whom had prior treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy. Whole genome sequencing and spatial proteomics were performed to comprehensively characterise the response to CVA21. Combination CVA21/pembrolizumab (anti PD-1) therapy was well tolerated with no serious treatment-related adverse events. Partial responses were seen in two patients with prior acquired anti-PD-1 resistance and disease stabilisation in 6 patients, giving a clinical benefit rate of 80%. High baseline tumor mutational burden and PD-L1 expression were observed in patients with better response to treatment. Interestingly, an increase in antigen presentation and CD8+ T cell infiltration was observed on treatment compared with baseline in patients with better progression-free survival. This study demonstrates the potential of CVA21 to modulate the immunogenicity of tumor cells and remodelling the tumor microenvironment, providing novel insights for patient selection for trials involving novel immunotherapeutic approaches.

  Study EGAS00001008258

• The Intestinal Bacterial Metagenome in Pediatric Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD)

  Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common cause of chronic liver disease in children in the United States. NAFLD is associated with obesity and metabolic syndrome; however, there is limited understanding of the development and progression of NAFLD. There is evidence of abnormalities of bacterial colonization, and intestinal bacterial product-induced inflammation associated with NAFLD and disease progression. The goal of this study was to characterize the intestinal microbiome in pediatric participants with NAFLD and in both obese and normal weight controls to determine the relationship between alterations in the intestinal microbiome, inflammation, and the development of NAFLD. We hypothesized that alterations in the intestinal microbiome are associated with increased systemic inflammation and the development and severity of NAFLD.

  Study phs001837

• Diversity of the immune microenvironment and response to checkpoint inhibitor immunotherapy in mucosal melanoma

  Mucosal melanoma (MucM) is a rare cancer with a poor prognosis and low response rate to immune checkpoint inhibition (ICI) compared to cutaneous melanoma (CM). To explore the immune microenvironment and potential drivers of MucM’s relative resistance to ICI drugs, we characterized 101 MucM tumors (43 head and neck, 31 female urogenital, 13 male urogenital, 11 anorectal, and 3 other gastro-intestinal) using bulk RNA-sequencing (RNAseq). The original publication is written by JL Vos, JJH Traets, et al. and published in JCI Insight in 2024.

  Study EGAS50000000631

• Mitochondrial DNA mutations contribute to autism and also to the characteristics of mitochondrial disorders present in patients with autism spectrum disorders

  Intellectual disability (ID) is common among autism spectrum disorder (ASD) patients. Also, evidence from many fields of medicine has documented multiple non-CNS physiological abnormalities associated with ASD, suggesting that, in some individuals, ASD arises from systemic, rather than organ-specific abnormalities. Oxidative phosphorylation and mitochondrial dysfunction are frequently reported in ASD and ID and can be due to mitochondrial DNA mutations. Therefore, the objective of the study was to analyze the mitochondrial DNA of ID subjects with ASD (N=98) and without ASD (N=95) to identify putative pathogenic variants that could be associated with ID or ASD. The genome of reference used in this is study is NC_012920.1 (rCRS) (Homo sapiens mitochondrion).

  Study EGAS00001002750

• Spatial_transcriptome_analysis_of_Paediatric_Thymus

  Cell atlas of Paediatric Thymus Cell atlas of Paediatric Thymus - The Human Cell Atlas initiative is an ambitious global research effort which aims to describe every cell in the human body across all developmental stages to generate a reference map to accelerate progress in science and medicine particularly relating to human development and disease. The initiative is led by investigators based at the Wellcome Sanger Institute and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard and funding support from the Wellcome and NIH. We aim to interrogate the cellular composition and molecular regulators underpinning a cells identity through; genetic and genomic analysis, expression analysis, non-identifiable video imaging and cell line and organoid production, as well as, computational algorithms to predict cellular developmental trajectories and cell-cell interactions. We will subsequently validate these findings in situ using spatial genomic and imaging technologies e.g. immunohistochemistry, RNAscope, in situ sequencing and spatial transcriptomic analyses. 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/

  Study EGAS00001004281

• Exome_sequencing_in_patients_with_Calcific_Aortic_Valve_Stenosis

  The objective is to identify new genes involved in calcific aortic valve stenosis (CAVS) by screening the exome of at least 20 patients with familial CAVS. The recruitment of patients with CAVS has been achieved by l’institut du thorax (Nantes, France). DNA from the selected patients has been analysed by exome capture (Agilent SureSelect) and massively parallel sequencing (Illumina). The data generated by this project will lead to the identification of candidate genes involved in CAVS, which can be further screened for mutation in additional patients with CAVS.

  Study EGAS00001000049

• Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) - PATHWAYS - Global Alliance to Prevent Prematurity and Stillbirth (GAPPS)

  Pregnant women are exposed daily to multiple chemical and non-chemical stressors, including air pollutants, phthalates, and psychosocial stress. The Developmental Origins of Health and Disease model (DOHaD) states that exposure to these stressors in pregnancy affects fetal development in a manner that impacts offspring health across the life course. Yet epidemiologic data in these areas is limited, particularly with U.S. samples. It is also poorly understood whether these exposures prenatally affect childhood neurodevelopment and airway health in an independent or combined manner, and likely moderators of effects, such as the sex of the child, are infrequently addressed. We propose to unify three diverse extant pregnancy cohorts: TIDES (N=717, 2010-12), GAPPS (N=1133, 2012-16), and CANDLE (N=1385, 2007-11), for a combined sample size of 3235 mother-child dyads in the PATHWAYS study. PATHWAYS will investigate how chemical (air pollutants and phthalates) and non-chemical (psychosocial stress) exposures during pregnancy are related to placental gene expression (transcriptome) and childhood neurodevelopment and airway health (at ages 4-6, 8-9, and 10-11 years). Each cohort has rich resources of prenatal data and banked specimens (urine, blood, and placenta) that will be harmonized for the PATHWAYS study and will contribute to the ECHO consortium. We will develop a national model with high spatiotemporal resolution of key air pollutants and assess urinary markers of maternal exposure. A composite measure will capture multilevel maternal psychosocial stress across pregnancy, and urinary phthalate and blood stress hormone [Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone (CRH)] levels in the second and third trimesters will provide individual assessment of those exposures in potential critical periods. We will characterize the placental transcriptome using RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) and will assess neurodevelopment and airway health prospectively into middle childhood. PATHWAYS will examine how these prenatal exposures are related to the placental transcriptome and child health outcomes in main effect and interactive models, with emphasis on sex-specific associations. For both neurodevelopment and airway health, we propose to measure both phenotypic precursors of health outcomes (i.e., fluid cognition, lung function growth), which yield dimensional tests of proposed associations, as well as clinically meaningful and policy relevant outcomes (i.e., asthma, mental health). Our study is powered to assess interactive effects of chemical and non-chemical stressors and will be the first study to characterize how prenatal environmental exposures relate to placental transcriptome pathways in relation to childhood health outcomes. This represents a significant scientific advance in testing DOHaD hypotheses. Major contributions to the ECHO Consortium include: 1) the development of a state of the art national model of air pollution, 2) a large, diverse pregnancy cohort with extensive biorepositories and extant prenatal and postnatal biomarkers, placental transcriptome, psychosocial and environmental data, and 3) an experienced, interdisciplinary team that will contribute meaningfully to the ECHO program of work.The sequencing data in this submission pertain only to the 408 subjects from the GAPPS study for whom placental tissue transcriptomics was performed.

  Study phs003620

• Genomic sequencing of Pediatric Rhabdomyosarcoma

  Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is the most common soft tissue sarcoma of childhood accounting for approximately 350 newly diagnosed cases yearly in the United States. With the development of multimodal chemotherapy regimens, relapse-free survival rates have improved to 70-80% in patients with localized disease albeit with significant toxicity. Unfortunately, despite aggressive treatment, patients with metastatic or recurrent disease continue to suffer from high mortality. Further characterization of the genetic events underlying this tumor type is critical for the development of more effective diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic strategies. In a collaborative effort between the National Cancer Institute, the Children's Oncology Group, and the Broad Institute, we use a combination of whole-genome and whole-exome sequencing to characterize the landscape of somatic alterations in 147 tumor/normal pairs.

  Study phs000720

• Prebiotic inulin-type fructans induce specific changes in the human gut microbiota

  ObjectiveContrary to the long-standing prerequisite of inducing selective (i.e. bifidogenic) effects, recent findings suggest that prebiotic interventions lead to ecosystem-wide microbiota shifts. Yet, a comprehensive characterization of this process is still lacking. Here, we apply 16S rDNA microbiota profiling and matching (GC-MS) metabolomics to assess the consequences of inulin fermentation both on the composition of the colon bacterial ecosystem and fecal metabolites profiles.DesignFecal samples collected during a double blind, randomized, cross-over intervention study (NCT02548247) set up to assess the effect of inulin consumption on stool frequency in healthy adults with mild constipation were analyzed. Fecal microbiota composition and metabolite profiles were linked to the study’s clinical outcome as well as to quality-of-life measurements recorded.ResultsWhile fecal metabolite profiles were not significantly altered by inulin consumption, our analyses did detect a modest effect on global microbiota composition. At the same time, specific inulin-induced changes in relative abundances of Anaerostipes, Bilophila, and Bifidobacterium were identified. The observed decrease in Bilophila abundances following inulin consumption was associated with both softer stools and a favorable change in constipation-specific quality of life measures.ConclusionsEcosystem-wide analysis of the effect of a dietary intervention with prebiotic inulin-type fructans on the colon microbiota revealed that this effect is specifically associated to three genera, one of which (Bilophila) representing a promising novel target for mechanistic research.

  Study EGAS00001002173

• The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) Genetics of Genetic Epidemiology of Metabolic Syndrome in an Island Population

  The major objective of this study was to conduct a systematic genetic study of metabolic traits involved in metabolic syndrome through collection and analysis of epidemiological, demographic, environmental, and relevant biological and clinical data from a relatively isolated island population of the eastern Adriatic coast of Croatia. The population was chosen for the following reasons: 1) in spite of practicing a largely traditional life style and dietary habits, high rates of obesity, arterial hypertension, dyslipidemia and related metabolic abnormalities were found in previous studies; 2) the population was established by a relatively small number of founders, predominantly of Slavic descent from the mainland during 15th to 18th century AD, a genetically homogeneous population living in a homogeneous environment; 3) sharing a common European ancestry, a relevant population for study in the context of the general US population; 4) Croatian collaborators have been conducting anthropological and genetic studies in these communities for over three decades. There were two major aims of the study: 1) to recruit ~1200 adult participants and collect blood samples together with demographic, anthropometric, environmental and clinical data from the island of Hvar; to perform biochemical tests to measure glucose, insulin, uric acid and lipid levels; 2) conduct a genome-wide association analysis of metabolic traits and phenotypes using genome-wide SNP arrays (Affymetrix Genome-Wide Human SNP Array 5.0).

  Study phs000737

• Aspirin and Inflammation: Mutations, Genes, Pathways and Prevention in Barrett's Esophagus

  Background: Use of aspirin and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) has been shown to protect against tetraploidy, aneuploidy, and chromosomal alterations in the metaplastic condition Barrett's esophagus (BE) and to lower the incidence and mortality of esophageal adenocarcinoma (EA). The esophagus is exposed to both intrinsic and extrinsic mutagens resulting from gastric reflux, chronic inflammation and exposure to environmental carcinogens such as those found in cigarettes. Here we test the hypothesis that NSAID use inhibits accumulation of point mutations/indels during somatic genomic evolution in BE. Methods: Whole exome sequences were generated from 82 purified epithelial biopsies and paired blood samples from a cross-sectional study of 41 NSAID users and 41 nonusers matched by sex, age, smoking, and continuous time using or not using NSAIDs. Results: NSAID use reduced overall frequency of point mutations across the spectrum of mutation types, lowered the frequency of mutations even when adjusted for both TP53 mutation and smoking status, and decreased the prevalence of clones with high variant allele frequency. Never smokers who consistently used NSAIDs had fewer point mutations in signature 17, which is commonly found in EA. NSAID users had on average a 50% reduction in functional gene mutations in nine cancer-associated pathways and also had less diversity in pathway mutational burden compared to nonusers. Conclusions: These results indicate NSAID use functions to limit overall mutations on which selection can act and supports a model in which specific mutant cell populations survive or expand better in the absence of NSAIDs. Galipeau PC, et al. Genome Med. 2018 Feb 27;10(1):17. PMID: 29486792.

  Study phs001654

• CIRdb: Array genotype data

  The current inhabitants of the Canary Islands have a unique genetic makeup in the European diversity landscape due to the existence of African footprints from recent admixture events, especially of North African components (>20%). The underrepresentation of non-Europeans in genetic studies and the sizable North African ancestry, which is nearly absent from all existing catalogs of worldwide genetic diversity, justify the need to develop CIRdb, a population-specific reference catalog of natural genetic variation in the Canary Islanders. Based on array genotyping of the selected unrelated donors and comparisons against available datasets from European, sub-Saharan, and North African populations, we illustrate the intermediate genetic differentiation of Canary Islanders between Europeans and North Africans and the existence of within-population differences that are likely driven by genetic isolation. In addition, here we describe the overall design and the methods that are being implemented to develop CIRdb.

  Study EGAS00001006050

• Genetic makeup of agnospheres

  Agnospheres are cultures of cancer stem cells isolated from tissue biopsies from patients with Cancer of Unknown Primary (CUPs). The latter is a lethal malignancy (median survival <1 year), representing approximately the 3% of all cancers, and characterized by metastatic dissemination in the absence of a primary tumor recognizable by a standardized protocol including thorough body imaging and histopathological analysis. Agnospheres are long-term propagated in culture and, after subcutaneous injection into immunocompromised mice, they display high tumorigenicity and quickly reproduce the clinical presentation of the original tumor, featuring a multi-organ metastatic pattern and poorly differentiated histology. The goal of the project is to analyse the mutational profile of agnospheres in detail, as to verify its correspondance with that of the original tumors. Genetic information will be exploited to investigate the genetic drivers of the CUP phenotype, in particular the hypermetastatic ability and the differentiative block.

  Study EGAS00001004868

• Coagulation and Fibrinolysis in a Pediatric Insulin Titration Trial

  Summary of the Design and Aims: The Coagulation and Fibrinolysis in a Pediatric Insulin Titration Trial (CAF-PINT) is an ancillary study to the HALF PINT (NCT01565941) randomized, controlled trial that was originally designed to study changes in inflammatory and thrombosis pathways in the setting of an interventional trial. The parent HALF PINT study was designed to study the impact of tight glycemic control (TGC) using an explicit insulin titration algorithm to safely achieve a normal glucose in target range of 80-110 mg/dL versus 150-180mg/dL on clinical outcomes among critically ill hyperglycemic children with Heart and Lung Failure. The CAF PINT study collected blood samples pre randomization and at 2 and 4 days after randomization. Blood samples collected in EDTA tubes were centrifuged at local sites to separate the plasma from cell pellets and frozen prior to shipment. In addition, 0.5 mL of whole blood collected in PAXgene tubes modified for use in pediatrics frozen 24 hours after collection prior to shipment.Population Information: Setting: Twenty-one academic children's hospitals (HALF-PINT) and 1 academic children's hospital (IIT-SBPP). Participants: Critically ill hyperglycemic children requiring mechanical ventilation/vasoactive support (n=293).Interventions and Exposures: Patients in HALF PINT were randomized to achieve a low target glucose (80-110 mg/dL) vs. a higher target (150-180 mg/dL). The primary trial was stopped early due to low likelihood of achieving a statistically significant difference in the primary outcomes. Molecular Technologies Employed: Plasma biomarkers were assayed on thawed plasma using a Luminex panel. RNA was extracted from PAXgene Blood RNA Kits modified for pediatric use. Extracted RNA was sequenced with the Novaseq S4 system (Illumina) to generate 2 x 150 base paired end reads to a target depth of 50 million read-pairs per sample.Principal Findings of the Study: We tested for heterogeneity of treatment effects according to baseline blood inflammatory proteins using logistic regression with individual biomarkers as interaction terms and Cox regression analysis using biomarker-derived latent classes. Children with higher inflammatory proteins including TNFR-1, IL-6, IL-8, and IL-10 had lower mortality when treated with insulin to a target glucose of 80-110 mg/dL as compared to 150-180 mg/dL (interaction p<0.05). Causal forest estimates ranged from a 40% mortality reduction to a 15% mortality increase with TGC, depending on each patient’s individual biomarker profile. Latent class categorization strongly interacted with TGC with respect to mortality (Cox regression interaction p=0.005). Specifically, patients with higher inflammation benefited from TGC (6% mortality with TGC vs. 48% mortality, p=0.004) whereas hypoinflamed patients showed a trend towards harm (14% mortality with TGC vs. 7% mortality, p=0.055).Data available through dbGaP: Transcriptomic (Gene Counts) and phenotype data

  Study phs003016

• Exome sequencing of synchronous colorectal cancers

  Approximately 4% of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients have at least two simultaneous cancers in the colon. Due to the shared environment, these synchronous CRCs (SCRCs) provide a unique setting to study colorectal carcinogenesis. Understanding whether these tumors are genetically similar or distinct is essential when designing therapeutic approaches. We performed exome sequencing of 47 primary cancers and corresponding normal samples from 23 patients. Additionally, we carried out a comprehensive mutational signature analysis to assess whether tumors had undergone similar mutational processes and the first immune cell score analysis (IS) of SCRC to analyze the interplay between immune cell invasion and mutation profile in both lesions of an individual. The tumor pairs shared only few mutations, favoring different mutations in known CRC genes and signaling pathways, and displayed variation in their signature content. Two tumor pairs had discordant mismatch repair statuses. In majority of the pairs, IS varied between primaries. Differences were not explained by any clinicopathological variable or mutation burden.

  Study EGAS00001003474