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• RNA sequencing data of 142 samples from 142 patients with HER2+ breast cancer treated with letrozole or tamoxifen (SOLTI PAMELA trial)

  PAMELA (NCT01973660) is a non-randomized, open-label, multicentric, prospective translational research study in stage I-IIIA HER2+ breast cancer designed to evaluate the ability of the PAM50 intrinsic subtypes to predict pCR in the breast (pCRB) following 18 weeks of neoadjuvant lapatinib and trastuzumab (+/- hormonal therapy if hormone receptor [HR] positive). Patients with HR+ disease received letrozole (if postmenopausal) or tamoxifen (if pre-menopausal). The primary objective was to compare the pCRB rates of the HER2-E versus the non-HER2-E subtypes in the intent-to-treat population.

  Study EGAS00001006410

• 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

• Global Microbiome Conservancy Sequence Data

  The human body is a complex ecosystem, hosting tens of billions of bacteria, primarily in the gut. This community, known as the 'gut microbiome', is vital to human health, affecting functions ranging from metabolism, immunity, and development, to behavior. Conversely, reduced microbiome diversity and other imbalances of the gut community (dysbiosis) are associated with many diseases of the industrialized world, such as metabolic syndrome, asthma, and inflammatory bowel diseases among others. Microbiome-based interventions thus hold the potential to revolutionize our understanding of, and therapeutic approaches to, many aspects of human health and disease. Despite many advances, current understanding of the human microbiome is largely limited to majority ethnic groups in industrialized nations, and does not reflect the full diversity of human commensal microbiota. In addition to the scientific ramifications of minority underrepresentation, there are significant translational and ethical implications as well: first, failing to capture the full diversity of healthy human microbiota may limit our ability to understand and generate effective therapeutics for many microbiome-associated diseases. Second, underrepresented groups are less likely to benefit from microbiome-based medical advances tailored to well-studied populations, propagating healthcare inequities.  Human gut microbial diversity is diminishing around the globe, due to the spread of industrialized diets and lifestyles, which are associated with reduced microbiome biodiversity. The Global Microbiome Conservancy (GMbC) is a non-profit collaboration between scientists and communities around the world that aims to 1) preserve the full biodiversity of the human gut microbiome, 2) characterize its evolution across populations and host lifestyles and 3) investigate its interactions with the human host. We are collecting gut microbiome and human DNA samples from diverse populations around the world, from isolated groups to urbanized populations, to culture and study this essential biodiversity and to preserve it in a living "seed bank" of bacterial isolates as a long-term safeguard against future extinctions. Human genetic data for the samples sequenced in this study can be found in phs002205.

  Study phs002235

• RNAseq_of_Human_Organoid_Lines

  The study will use RNAseq to aid in benchmarking different culture conditions in a set of genetically annotated human organoid lines. The data will be used to assess whether there is any clonal differences introduced when culturing these lines in different conditions.

  Study EGAS00001003888

• Whole_Genome_Sequencing_of_Human_Organoid_Lines

  The study will use WGS to aid in benchmarking different culture conditions in a set of genetically annotated human organoid lines. The data will be used to assess whether there is any clonal differences introduced when culturing these lines in different conditions.

  Study EGAS00001003538

• Subtype specific studies of breast cancer progression. Milan cohort.

  The aim of this study is to compare DCIS and IBC in a subtype stratified manner in several genomic levels (gene expression, copy number, methylation).The data in this archive is supplementary to previously published data.

  Study EGAS00001004390

• Star2xml: metadata converter into XML

  Star2xml: metadata converter into XML Welcome to the landing page for star2xml - a tool developed by the European Genome-phenome Archive (EGA) that enables users to convert metadata into XML format that is compliant with EGA's programmatic submission system. For starters, if you are not sure what metadata is in this context, you may want to explore our brief metadata introduction. . Star2xml is useful for users who have already submitted their data to the EGA and want to also submit their metadata programmatically without having to create the XML files manually. The need for these XMLs containing metadata is explained in the EGA's metadata schemas and programmatic submission guidelines. In summary, star2xml allows for users to deposit metadata in a tabular format (e.g. excel spreadsheet) and transform it into a compliant XML format. This saves time in large submissions, where the sheer size of metadata makes it difficult to manage. For smaller submissions, it is recommended to use EGA's Submitter Portal (SP) instead. The installation of the tool is straightforward, and it contains detailed documentation on how to use it in its GitHub repository . While star2xml can help users convert metadata formats, it does not validate the resulting metadata against EGA's schemas. Therefore, after creating your XMLs, you should still validate your metadata before submitting it to EGA, as described in the documentation for programmatic metadata validation.

  Documentation tools/star2xml

• Identification of drug resistance genes in melanoma by small RNAs expression analysis

  We aim to sequence the small RNAs of 22 human melanoma cell lines in biological triplicate in order to define the microRNAs expression profile of each cell line. The data will be correlated to the mutation status and the sensitivity to a panel of drugs in order to identify genes whose deregulation is associated to drug resistance 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/

  Dataset EGAD00001003245

• Identification of drug resistance genes in melanoma by mRNA gene expression

  We aim to sequence the mRNA transcriptome of 22 human melanoma cell lines in biological triplicate in order to define the gene expression profile of each cell line. The data will be correlated to the mutation status and the sensitivity to a panel of drugs in order to identify genes whose deregulation is associated to drug resistance 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/

  Dataset EGAD00001003244

• Longitudinal study of whole blood gene expression in Kenyan children exposed to malaria

  We have collected RNA samples from whole blood of Kenyan children exposed to malaria in the Kilifi region of Kenya. Collections were performed each year from 2015 until 2018. This is a follow-up study to that described in Bediako et al. (in preparation). The SIMS consortium is seeking to identifying the underlying reasons why some children are more susceptible to malaria than others. In this study we hope to track changes in children’s immune systems over time which relate to the number of malaria episodes they experience. 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/

  Dataset EGAD00001015405

• Polymorphisms in the mitochondrial genome are associated with bullous pemphigoid in Germans

  Bullous pemphigoid (BP) is the most prevalent autoimmune skin blistering disease and is characterized by the generation of autoantibodies against the hemidesmosomal proteins BP180 (type XVII collagen) and BP230. Most intriguingly, BP is distinct from other autoimmune diseases because it predominantly affects elderly individuals above the age of 75 years, raising the question why autoantibodies and the clinical lesions of BP emerges mostly in this later stage of life, even in individuals harboring known putative BP-associated germline gene variants. The mitochondrial genome (mtDNA) is a potential candidate to provide additional insights into the BP etiology; however, the mtDNA has not been extensively explored to date. Therefore, we sequenced the whole mtDNA of German BP patients (n=180) and age- and sex-matched healthy controls (n=188) using next generation sequencing (NGS) technology, followed by the replication study using Sanger sequencing of an additional independent BP (n=89) and control cohort (n=104). While the BP and control groups showed comparable mitochondrial haplogroup distributions, the haplogroup T exhibited a tendency of higher frequency in BP patients suffering from neurodegenerative diseases (ND) compared to BP patients without ND (p= 0.1448, Fisher’s exact test). A total of four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the mtDNA, namely, m.16263T>C, m.11914G>A, m.16051A>G, and m.16162A>G, were found to be significantly associated with BP based on the meta-analysis of our NGS data and the Sanger sequencing data (p=0.0017, p=0.0132, p=0.0129, and p=0.0076, respectively, Peto’s test). In summary, our study is the first to interrogate the whole mtDNA in BP patients and controls and to implicate multiple novel mtDNA variants in disease susceptibility. Studies using larger cohorts and more diverse populations are warranted to explore the functional consequences of the mtDNA variants identified in this study on immune and skin cells to understand their contributions to BP pathology.

  Study EGAS00001003932

• Xenodiagnosis of Lyme Disease

  Ixodes scapularis ticks are an important vector for at least six tick-borne human pathogens, including the predominant North American Lyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi. The ability for these ticks to survive in nature is credited, in part, to their ability to feed on a variety of hosts without excessive activation of the proinflammatory branch of the vertebrate immune system. While the ability for nymphal ticks to feed on a variety of hosts has been well-documented, the host-parasite interactions between larval I. scapularis and different vertebrate hosts is relatively unexplored. In our clinical trial, patients with prior Lyme disease who had completed antibiotic therapy were exposed to 25-30 laboratory-reared larval ticks. Skin biopsies were taken before tick placement and/or after ticks were allowed to feed to repletion and we examined the effects on the transcriptional profile of human skin after the larval tick bites. We note pronounced evidence of inflammation in humans.

  Study phs003314

• Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG ATCC (LGG) as an immune adjuvant for influenza vaccination in the elderly

  Double blind Randomized Controlled trial to evaluate the safety of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG ATCC 53103 (LGG) vs placebo in elderly receiving Trivalent Inactivated Influenza Vaccine (TIV) (study 1) or Double blind Randomized Controlled trial to evaluate the safety of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG ATCC 53103 (LGG) vs. placebo in elderly subjects receiving Live Attenuated Influenza vaccine (LAIV) (study 2). Healthy elderly volunteers, ages 65-80 were enrolled as outpatients in two clinical studies in which they received the TIV vaccine (study 1, n=28) or the LAIV vaccine (study 2, n=30). In each of the 2 studies, subjects were randomized to receive either LGG capsules containing 1 x 1010 CFU, twice daily for 28 days, or matching placebo capsules twice daily for the same period of time. The study subjects completed a daily diary, telephone calls, and study visits at the Massachusetts General Hospital Clinical Research Centers at baseline, days 21, 28 and 56 and month 5 for the TIV study and baseline, days 21, 28, and 56 for the LAIV study. During each visit, the subject diary, interim history, potential adverse effects and concomitant medications were reviewed and vital signs and a physical examination were performed. Routine blood tests were obtained to monitor for safety during visits and nasopharyngeal and stool samples were collected for microbiome analysis. Volunteers in both studies who were interested in participating in the effect of LGG probiotic on the Human whole Blood Transcriptome substudy also had blood drawn for DNA and RNA extraction, after signing the substudy consent form. The main objectives of the TIV and LAIV studies were to assess the safety and tolerability of 2 x 1010 CFU LGG administered orally to elderly subjects for 28 days after administration of TIV (study 1) or LAIV (study 2). Secondary objectives were to evaluate the richness and microbial diversity in nasopharyngeal and stool specimens using pyrosequencing, and to compare cytokine production in response to bacterial stimulation by following the kinetics of mRNA expression of pro and anti-inflammatory genes and different signaling pathways, in relation to changes in stool Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus spp. The studies were reviewed and approved by the Partners Human Research Committee (TIV study IRB # 2010p001694 and LAIV study IRB # 2011p002849) and were registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT01368029 and NCT01545349, respectively).

  Study phs000981

• Development and Validation of a Disability Severity Index for Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease (CMT)

  In Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease (CMT) or inherited neuropathy research studies, it is the researcher who has selected what they believe to be important markers of impairment in function in patients. For example, it has been inferred that the wearing of ankle-foot-orthosis (AFOs), the use of walking aids such as canes, or the use of wheelchairs, are appropriate markers for “mild”, “moderate” or “severe” disability, respectively. Whether patients agree with this classification is unknown. By understanding what patients classify as mild, moderate and severe disability in CMT, we will know what our treatments need to target, to have a meaningful impact on the patients' functional status. Primary objective: The purpose of this study is to compare patient and healthcare provider impressions of what constitutes mild, moderate and severe disability in CMT. Target population: 200 patients who have self-registered at the Inherited Neuropathy Consortium Contact Registry, a web-based contact registry developed and supported by the Data Management and Coordinating Center (DMCC) for the Rare Diseases Clinical Research Consortium (RDCRN), located at the University of South Florida, and 200 health care professionals attending conferences about CMT, such as the 4th International CMT Consortium to be held in Potomac, Maryland, June 29-July 1, 2011 and the MDA Clinic Directors meeting in Las Vegas, NV March 4-7, 2012. Methods: A brief, anonymous, 20-item survey, in which we measure what the physician and the patient think are important indicators of disability in CMT, will be distributed by paper to 200 health care professionals, and via an online link to 200 patients self-registered with the RDCRN contact registry. Out of the 200 patients, approximately 25 patients will be requested to take the survey twice in a 2 to 4 week period. Analysis: We will measure the agreement between items in the physician and patient groups, and use items with high agreement in a Disability Severity Index.

  Study phs001295

• Exome_sequencing_of_a_Novel_Primary_T_Cell_Immunodeficiency_Kindred

  Primary T cell immunodeficiency disorders are genetically heterogenous. Mutations in genes required for specific stages of T cell development within the thymus can lead to reduced numbers of circulating T cells. On the hand, T cells may not egress from the thymus normally leading to profound T cell lymphopenia. As a result, patients with these disorders succumb to a range of severe opportunisitic infections unless allogeneic transplantation is performed. We wish to whole exome sequence a Caucasian family in which the index case shows features of impaired T cell egress from the thymus. Importantly, known genes implicated in T cell immunodeficiency including CORO1A have been seqeuenced and found to normal in this individual.

  Study EGAS00001000099

• Transcriptomic insights into IPMN-associated PDAC progression

  This study investigates the transcriptomic heterogeneity and evolutionary progression of intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMNs) and their associated pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDAC). Multi-region tumour sampling was performed to characterise spatial variation in gene expression and to identify transcriptional changes associated with malignant transformation. The project aims to improve understanding of tumour evolution in pancreatic cancer and to identify molecular pathways involved in IPMN-to-PDAC progression.

  Study EGAS50000001540

• NHLBI GO-ESP: Family Studies (Mendelian Lipid Disorders)

  The NHLBI "Grand Opportunity" Exome Sequencing Project (GO-ESP), a signature project of the NHLBI Recovery Act investment, was designed to identify genetic variants in coding regions (exons) of the human genome (the "exome") that are associated with heart, lung and blood diseases. These and related diseases that are of high impact to public health and individuals from diverse racial and ethnic groups will be studied. These data may help researchers understand the causes of disease, contributing to better ways to prevent, diagnose, and treat diseases, as well as determine whether to tailor prevention and treatments to specific populations. This could lead to more effective treatments and reduce the likelihood of side effects. GO-ESP is comprised of five collaborative components: 3 cohort consortia - HeartGO, LungGO, and WHISP - and 2 sequencing centers - BroadGO and SeattleGO. In this study, we seek to identify the genetic cause of two monogenic lipid disorders-severe hypercholesterolemia and familial hypoalphalipoproteinemia. Monogenic severe hypercholesterolemia is clinically characterized by elevated total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels in plasma. Elevated LDL-cholesterol levels lead to excessive deposition of cholesterol in arterial walls, which eventually results in accelerated atherosclerosis and premature cardiovascular disease (CVD). Monogenic hypercholesterolemia has a prevalence of approximately one in 500 individuals, making it one of the most common inherited disorders. To date, mutations in the LDL receptor (LDLR) ligand-binding domains of APOB and PCSK9 have been shown to cause hypercholesterolemia. While mutations in these genes can explain a large percentage of clinically diagnosed patients, the underlying molecular determinant in a substantial fraction of patients remains unknown. Familial hypoalphalipoproteinemia (low HDL-C) is defined by an HDL-C below the age- and sex- specific 10th percentile. ABCA1, LCAT, and APOA1 are known to cause familial hypoalphalipoproteinemia. We hypothesize that: (1) additional novel genes responsible for Mendelian forms of low HDL-C exist; and (2) the causal gene and mutation(s) in each family may be discovered with exome analysis of just a few affected individuals in each pedigree.

  Study phs000587

• Varieties of Impulsivity in Opiate and Stimulant Users

  The study was conducted in Bulgaria as a collaboration between Virginia Commonwealth University (Richmond, VA, USA), the Bulgarian Addictions Institute (Sofia, Bulgaria), the Molecular Medicine Center/Medical University (Sofia, Bulgaria), and Indiana University (Bloomington, IN, USA). The overall aim of this study is to investigate the role of impulsivity as an endophenotype for drug addiction. Although impulsivity is considered one of the strongest candidate endophenotypes for addiction, progress in the field is hampered by the heterogeneity of impulsivity, characterized by multiple personality, psychiatric, and neurocognitive dimensions, rarely examined concurrently in the same population; and the heterogeneity of addiction phenotypes, due in part to the high rates of polysubstance dependence among substance users. To address these challenges, we have developed a program of addiction research in Bulgaria, a key transit country for heroin trafficking due to its strategic geographical location on the "Balkan Drug Route" and a major European center for production of synthetic amphetamine-type stimulants. This has allowed us to access rare populations of predominantly mono-substance dependent heroin and amphetamine users, many in protracted abstinence. Our preliminary results reveal a complex relationship between trait and neurocognitive (state) dimensions of impulsivity, often manifested in opposite directions in heroin and amphetamine dependent individuals. Pilot computational modeling analyses of decision-making, a central neurocognitive aspect of impulsivity, have proved particularly informative by indicating that different mechanisms may underlie the impaired decision-making of opiate and stimulant users. A different modeling approach, i.e. phenotypic modeling, holds significant promise to address the pervasive "missing heritability" problem in genetic studies. While genetic heterogeneity is often invoked as an explanation, the manner in which complex phenotypic traits are measured and modeled is equally important contributor to the missing heritability problem but has received much less attention in the literature. Despite the multidimensionality of traits measured by psychometric, diagnostic, and neurocognitive instruments, most GWAS studies typically use aggregate sum scores that do not reflect the underlying phenotypic multidimensionality. Therefore, at least part of the missing heritability problem may originate in misspecification of the phenotypic models. Consequently, sample sizes requirements may increase from ~800 subjects in correctly specified models to 6,000-16,000 subjects in incorrectly specified models. The current study aims to increase our understanding of the complex relationship between multiple putative impulsivity endophenotypes to help redefine endophenotypes as multi-level combination of measures that could inform multivariate multilevel models of complex phenotypes. The specific aims of the study are to: (1) Assess the utility of various personality, psychiatric, and neurocognitive indices of impulsivity (either individually or in combination) as candidate endophenotype(s) for drug addiction in general and for opiate and stimulant addictions in particular; (2) Evaluate the viability of computational model parameters modeling various neurocognitive dimensions of impulsivity as novel endophenotype(s) for addiction; and (3) Test the external validity of the optimal endophenotype(s) by evaluating their associations with HIV and other risk behaviors in opiate and stimulant users in protracted abstinence, a question of critical importance for prevention and intervention efforts in this much less-well understood stage of the addiction cycle.

  Study phs001647

• CSER: Incorporating Genomics into the Clinical Care of Diverse NYC Children (NYCKidSeq)

  The NYCKidSeq program will significantly advance the implementation of genomic medicine, particularly for children, young adults and their families in Harlem and the Bronx. The study will assess the clinical utility of genomic medicine in three broad areas of pediatric disorders, while engaging a range of providers and community advisors to overcome the well-documented barriers to inclusion of underserved and underrepresented populations in genomic research. The study will also include testing, analyzing, and implementing a novel communication tool, Genomic Understanding, Information and Awareness (GUÍA), to facilitate the return of genomic test results. The use of GUÍA will enhance the understanding of these genomic testing results by families, patients, and care providers at all levels of expertise, in two health systems. Healthcare system leadership will be engaged to provide insights into their readiness for genomic implementation. Overall, the NYCKidSeq program will inform the genomics and clinical communities about how to implement genomic medicine in a diverse population in a clinically useful, technologically savvy, culturally sensitive, and ethically sound manner.

  Study phs002337

• SINGLE CELL ANALYSIS OF IN VITRO ERYTHROPOIESIS

  We are developing a protocol to differentiate mouse and human induced pluripotent stem (IPS) and embryonic stem (ES) cells towards the haematopoietic pathway to generate erythrocytes in vitro. This system has many applications such as the study of the role of specific genes and human polymorphisms in infectious diseases such as malaria, as well as haematological diseases such as myelodysplastic syndrome. The nature of the in vitro differentiation process means that a heterogeneous population of cells is generated. In order to understand the types of cells produced with our protocol, we have performed a single cell analysis, which has the power to reveal the different populations of cells and their characteristics. For this, a cDNA library has been made that needs to be sequenced to obtain the gene expression profiles of the different cells. With this information we will be able to assess the quality of the differentiation protocol and improve it in order to produce better cells for the downstream applications.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/

  Dataset EGAD00001000979

• Single-cell RNA-seq of human kidney tumors

  The aim of this study is to analyze the transcriptomic information of fresh single cells originating from human clear cell renal cell carcinomas (ccRCC). Samples have been experimentally enriched in malignant cells in order to address specific questions regarding heterogeneity and clonality in ccRCC. Samples include one set of long-term frozen and thawed single cells in order to explore the impact of liquid nitrogen freezing on ccRCC single cells.

  Study EGAS00001006534

• Guardians_of_the_genome__protecting_DNA_from_endogenous_sources_of_damage_

  Analysis of mutational signatures caused by DNA repair defects in human induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells. A reference human iPS cell line will be used for genetic manipulation to introduce homozygous knockouts of 100 genes known to be involved in or connected to DNA repair or DNA editing. Following a defined period of growth after homozygous knockout of each gene, sub clones will be generated and sequenced. The progenitor “parental” IPS cell line will be used to generate reference sequence data, in order to determine the mutational signature acquired due to the gene knockout.

  Study EGAS00001000800

• DNA Methylation Markers and Pancreatic Cancer Risk in 3 Cohort Studies (NHS, PHS, HPFS)

  Pancreatic cancer is the 4th leading cause of cancer deaths in the US. Due to the lack of early symptoms, pancreatic cancer is difficult to identify at early stages and no screening is available for the general population. Identifying pancreatic cancer at earlier stages could significantly improve survival with increased opportunities for surgery. New high-dimensional arrays designed to measure DNA methylation levels at hundreds of thousands of CpG sites throughout the genome have opened opportunities to examine the role of DNA methylation in cancer risk using blood samples. Using this method, archived samples from prospective studies can be used to examine early changes in the DNA methylation levels in individuals who develop cancer months or years later, providing new opportunities to better understand biological mechanisms and, perhaps, identify biomarkers for early detection. Pancreatic cancer cases and matched controls were obtained from 3 large cohort studies, the Nurses' Health Study (NHS), the Physician's Health Study (PHS), and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (HPFS), to measure DNA methylation in stored buffy coats using a nested case-control study design.

  Study phs001917

• Gene Variants in Pheochromocytoma and Paraganglioma

  Pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma (PPGL) are rare neuroendocrine tumors that arise from chromaffin cells in the adrenal medulla and in extra-adrenal locations, respectively. PPGL has the strongest hereditary risk of all endocrine neoplasms with about 40% of cases harboring germline mutations and another 25-30% of cases arising from somatic mutations. To date, over 20 susceptibility genes have been suggested to play a role in PPGL pathogenesis, with more genes still being researched. This project will seek to identify new candidate genes in apparently sporadic PPGLs to reveal a possible genetic background in cases without variants in known susceptibility genes. Knowledge of the genetic background and the genes involved in the pathogenesis of PPGL allows for clustering and/or development of targeted therapies for the tumors that cannot be surgically resected or tumors that have metastasized.

  Study phs002405

• Patient-derived organoids model treatment response of metastatic gastrointestinal cancers (targeted and whole-genome sequencing)

  Patient-derived organoids (PDOs) have recently emerged as robust pre-clinical models, however, their potential to predict patient clinical outcomes remain unclear. We report a living biobank of PDOs from metastatic, heavily-pretreated colorectal and gastroesophageal cancer patients recruited in phase I/II clinical trials. Phenotypic and genotypic profiling of PDOs showed a high-degree of similarity to the original patient tumor. Molecular profiling of tumor organoids was matched to drug screening results, suggesting PDOs could complement existing approaches in defining cancer vulnerabilities and improving treatment responses. We compared ex vivo organoid responses to anticancer agents, and PDO-based orthotopic mouse tumor xenograft models to the response of the patient in clinical trials. Our data suggest that PDOs can recapitulate patient responses in the clinic, and have the potential to be implemented in personalized medicine programs.

  Study EGAS00001002784

• Integrating Genomic and Transcriptomic Data to Identify Breast Cancer Susceptibility Genes

  Genetic factors play an important role in the etiology of both sporadic and familial breast cancer. Since 2007, common genetic variants in ~200 loci have been identified in genome-wide association studies (GWAS) in relation to breast cancer risk. However, it is often difficult to translate GWAS findings to disease prevention and treatment since causal genes in the large majority of GWAS-identified loci are unknown. Furthermore, a large fraction of breast cancer heritability remains unexplained. Recent studies suggest that nearly 80% of disease heritability can be explained by genetic variants regulating gene expression. Herein, we propose three well-powered transcriptome-wide association studies (TWAS) to systematically investigate the association of breast cancer risk with gene expression across the transcriptome of African, Asian and European descendants. In Aim 1, we will perform RNA sequencing and high-density genotyping assays using normal breast tissue samples, and build race-specific gene expression prediction models using data from 1000 women of African, Asian and European descent. These models will be applied to the GWAS data generated from approximately 320,000 breast cancer patients and controls to impute gene expression for association analyses of predicted gene expression with risk of breast cancer overall, and by estrogen receptor and HER2 status. In Aim 2, we will select the top 50 genes identified in Aim 1 for in vitro functional assays to assess their influence on major cell functions related to cancer biology. In Aim 3, we will evaluate whether TWAS-identified genes may express differently in normal breast tissues and breast cancer tissues collected from African, Asian, and European descendants to assess whether these genes may contribute to racial differences in breast cancer risk by molecular subtypes. With strong methodology and a large sample size, we believe that this proposed study should be able to identify and characterize a large number of novel genes related to breast cancer risk. Uncovering breast cancer susceptibility genes will greatly improve the understanding of the genetic and biological basis for breast cancer and accelerate the translation of genetic findings to disease prevention and patient care.

  Study phs003535

• A Pilot Study Using Next Generation Sequencing in Advanced Cancers: Feasibility and Challenges

  In this study, we used NGS to identify somatic events in advanced stage cancer patients to demonstrate the feasibility for using this approach to improve patient treatment.

  Study phs000657

• Intraductal transplantation models of human pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma reveal progressive transition of molecular subtypes

  Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the most lethal common malignancy, with little improvement in patient outcomes over the past few decades. Recently, subtypes of pancreatic cancer with different prognoses have been elaborated. However, the inability to model these subtypes has precluded mechanistic investigation of their origins. Here, we present an orthotopic xenotransplantation model of human patient-derived PDAC organoids in which organoids are grafted via direct injection into the pancreatic duct of immunocompromised (NSG) mice. Tumors that arise from these intraductally grafted organoids (IGOs) enable the distinction of the two main PDAC subtypes: intraepithelial neoplasms from this model progress in an indolent or invasive manner representing the classical or basal-like subtypes of PDAC, respectively, depending on which organoid they originate from. RNA-sequencing was used to characterize the tumors that resulted from IGO xenografts, and to compare the fast- and slow-progressing IGO tumors. Tumors generated using a traditional orthotopic xenograft model, in which organoids are injected into the parenchyma of the pancreas (i.e. orthotopically grafted organoids, or OGOs), were also sequenced for comparison with the IGO tumors. To further characterize the model, laser-capture microdissection followed by RNA-sequencing was used to compare intraductal to invasive lesions resulting from IGOs. To better understand the connection between KRAS signaling and the fast-progressing phenotype, RNA-sequencing was used to compare cultured organoids in which oncogenic KRAS (GeneID: 3845) was hyperactivated to control organoids, and to compare laser-capture microdissected lesions derived from IGOs of KRAS-hyperactivated organoids to lesions derived from control organoids. To ascertain copy number, low-coverage, whole genome DNA-sequencing was performed on organoids cultured in vitro, and on laser-capture microdissected lesions derived from IGO tumors.

  Study phs002045

• Response and Resistance to ER-Directed Therapy in Metastatic Breast Cancer

  Despite the reduction in cancer recurrence and mortality provided by hormonal therapy, estrogen receptor positive (ER+) metastatic breast cancer (MBC) remains the most common cause of breast cancer death, resulting in more than 20,000 deaths in the U.S each year. Although several therapeutic options exist to target the estrogen receptor, resistance to these therapies invariably occurs. Genetic mechanisms of acquired resistance to targeted therapies in ER+ MBC are not well understood. To address this, we developed a prospective biopsy protocol where multiple research biopsies are collected from metastatic samples and used for pathology, ER/PR/HER2, OncoPanel (a CLIA 300 gene sequencing panel), whole exome sequencing (WES), transcriptome sequencing (RNA-Seq), and single-cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq). In some cases, tissue is used for cell line and xenograft generation. Archival primary biopsies are also obtained when possible for parallel genomic studies. Patients are followed and serial metastatic biopsies are obtained. This data will be used to determine the landscape of genomic alterations in treatment-resistant ER+ MBC, and compared to data generated by TCGA for treatment-naive ER+ primary breast cancer. Comparison of genomic studies from resistant, metastatic specimens with corresponding pre-treatment primary samples will allow us to identify genomic association with resistance to specific therapies. Analysis of the serial metastatic biopsies collected over the course of multiple treatments will also shed light on tumor evolution under selective therapeutic pressure.NoteA subset of the MBC blood biopsies that are included in our study can be accessed and downloaded from the phs001977 accession.Another subset of patients in this study participated in a clinical trial (NCT02871791) and have their data deposited in the current study as well.

  Study phs001285

• The study on genomic profiling using clinical specimens (tissue, blood, etc.) form patients with lung and thymic tumors

  The objective is to generate a comprehensive immunogenomic profiling in thymoma using RNA sequencing and TCR repertoire analysis and to evaluate the potential of immunotherapy in thymoma from multiple perspectives.

  Study JGAS000552

• The Lung Genomics Research Consortium (LGRC)

  Chronic lung diseases represent a broad spectrum of chronic fibrosing/inflammatory lung conditions that are for the most part poorly responsive to treatment and often fatal. COPD/emphysema is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States and the incidence and rate of death from pulmonary fibrosis is increasing each year. Although progress has been made in interpretation of the clinical, radiological, and pathological features of chronic lung disorders, and progress in determining the pathobiology continues, the causes, biologic mechanisms, and therapeutic options remain obscure. Moreover, predicting individuals or populations at risk for developing any of these complex diseases, at present, is not possible. To address this challenge, we plan to create a genetic, molecular, and quantitative clinical phenotyping data warehouse with bioinformatic tools that will empower investigators to make fundamental discoveries in disease pathogenesis, refine diagnostic criteria, and lead to real gains in personalized medicine. The composite genetic, genomic, and epigenetic signature combined with quantitative clinical phenotypes has the potential to characterize the dynamic biological state of a complex disease and complement existing diagnostic approaches that are reliant on traditional clinical measures of disease. In the proposed project, we plan to extend the scope and impact of the NHLBI Lung Tissue Research Consortium (LTRC) biorepository by creating the Lung Genomics Research Consortium (LGRC), a comprehensive genetic, molecular, and quantitative clinical phenotyping warehouse. Our overall hypothesis is that a genetic, molecular, and quantitative clinical phenotyping warehouse combined with a rich clinical database will enable the lung research community to make fundamental discoveries in disease pathogenesis, refine diagnostic criteria, and lead to real gains in personalized medicine. We plan to pursue this hypothesis through the following aims. Specific Aim 1: Establish a genetic, genomic, and epigenetic molecular library to complement the existing clinical database in the LTRC. Specific Aim 2: Develop a quantitative clinical phenotyping platform using existing LTRC data, as well as an enhanced data set including novel quantitative CT and histology imaging analyses. Specific Aim 3: Establish a publicly-accessible database that would integrate the genetic, molecular, and quantitative phenotyping data with the existing clinical data in the LTRC and provide query and data exploration tools that are easily accessible to the lung research community. These discoveries will enable clinicians to Identify individuals at risk of developing chronic lung diseases; Diagnose these conditions earlier; Identify novel mechanisms that cause these diseases; Reclassify disease entities into categories more representative of molecular and cellular pathogenic mechanisms regardless of traditional disease categories; develop personalized approaches to treatment.

  Study phs000624

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

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

  Study phs001991

• Genetic measurement of memory B-cell recall using antibody repertoire sequencing

  We developed an improved high throughput sequencing approach to measure the quantities and sequences of the repertoire of antibody heavy chain RNA in a blood sample. Using this approach we analyzed the antibody repertoire in response to yearly vaccinations with influenza vaccines TIV and LAIV in healthy adults in two subsequent years. We determined vaccine response patterns specific to LAIV and TIV and found antibody sequences that were shared between two samples of the same individuals following influenza vaccination in subsequent years, thereby providing a genetic measurement of B-cell memory recall.

  Study phs000656

• TMM whole genome analysis of 4566 Japanese individuals

  Tohoku University Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization (ToMMo) and Iwate Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization (IMM) were founded to establish an advanced medical system to foster the reconstruction from the Great East Japan Earthquake. These organizations are developing a biobank that includes medical and genome information for supporting health and welfare in the Tohoku area. In the first stage, the part of our mission was to sequence the 4,000 individuals to construct Japanese whole-genome reference panel.

  Study JGAS000239

• Resuscitation Outcomes Consortium (ROC) Prehospital Resuscitation Using an Impedance Valve and Early Versus Delayed Analysis (PRIMED) (ROC-PRIMED-BioLINCC)

  Accessing Data: Please refer to “Authorized Access” below regarding accessing data through the BioData Catalyst ecosystem. The data from this accession is not available for download through dbGaP.Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine two different treatments during a cardiac arrest that occurs outside of the hospital and whether either or both treatments would increase the number of people who lived to hospital discharge with satisfactory functional status. The first treatment involved using a device called the Impedance Threshold Device (ITD). The other treatment involved the amount of CPR given before the emergency medical services (EMS) providers first looked at the heart rhythm to determine if a shock is needed.Background: Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest is a common and lethal problem with a low survival rate, leading to an estimated 330,000 deaths each year in the United States and Canada. The traditional approach to out-of-hospital cardiac arrest has been to emphasize early analysis of cardiac rhythm, with delivery of defibrillatory shocks, if indicated, as quickly as possible. It has been suggested, however, that many participants may benefit from a period of CPR before the first analysis of rhythm.The impedance threshold device (ITD) is designed to enhance venous return and cardiac output during CPR by increasing the degree of negative intrathoracic pressure. Previous studies have suggested that the use of an ITD during CPR may improve survival rates after cardiac arrest. This effect is achieved by preventing the passive inflow of air into the chest during chest recoil between chest compressions without impeding active ventilation. The ITD has been found to improve hemodynamics, the perfusion of vital organs, and neurologically intact survival in studies in animals. The results of small, short-term clinical trials have suggested that the ITD can increase systolic blood pressure during resuscitation and improve short-term survival rates. Participants: In the ITD study, 4,345 participants were assigned to sham ITD and 4,373 to active ITD, while in the early versus later rhythm analysis, 5,290 participants were assigned to early cardiac rhythm analysis, and 4,643 were assigned to later cardiac rhythm analysis. This study qualified for exception from informed consent required for emergency research.Design: Most participants were enrolled simultaneously in both the early analysis versus later analysis component and the active ITD versus sham ITD component of the trial.The use of an active ITD was compared with that of a sham ITD in participants at 10 ROC sites in the United States and Canada. Participants, investigators, study coordinators, and all care providers were unaware of the treatment assignments. EMS personnel were trained in ITD function, proper use of the ITD, and all aspects of protocol implementation, with an emphasis on the optimal performance of CPR according to local guidelines. The first EMS responders to arrive at the scene of the arrest who were equipped with a randomly assigned ITD (active or sham) attached the device between the ventilation bag and face mask or between the bag and an advanced airway. Responders were encouraged to implement use of the device within 5 minutes after their arrival or as soon as clinically possible. Each of the 10 participating ROC centers was also divided into approximately 20 clusters. All episodes of cardiac arrest in a cluster were randomly assigned to one CPR strategy; after a set period of time, ranging from 3 to 12 months, all episodes in that cluster were then assigned to the other strategy. Participants in the early-analysis group were assigned to receive 30 to 60 seconds of chest compressions and ventilations (sufficient time to place defibrillator electrodes) before electrocardiographic (ECG) analysis, and those in the late-analysis group were assigned to receive 3 minutes of chest compressions and ventilations before ECG analysis. The start and stop times for CPR were recorded by the responders, and the information was supplemented by the recording of defibrillator time. Conclusions: All 10 sites halted enrollment in November 2009 when the data and safety monitoring board recommended termination because interim analysis showed that the findings were not likely to change with continuation of the study. Neither use of the ITD nor the amount of CPR given before cardiac rhythm analysis significantly improved survival with satisfactory function (i.e., a score of ≤3 on the modified Rankin scale) among participants with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest receiving standard CPR. There were also no significant differences in the secondary outcomes, including rates of return of spontaneous circulation on arrival at the emergency department, survival to hospital admission, and survival to hospital discharge.

  Study phs003825

• Vento_Placental_Cell_Atlas

  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. This specific project will assess human development. We aim to interrogate the cellular composition and molecular regulators underpinning development and maturation through single cell RNA-sequencing/spatial transcriptomics and computational algorithms to predict cellular developmental trajectories and cell-cell interactions. We will subsequent validate these findings in situ using allied imaging technologies e.g. immunohistochemistry and RNAscope and in vitro culture of human intestinal organoids (HIOs).

  Study EGAS00001004187

• Cistrome-partitioning reveals convergence of somatic mutations and risk-variants on master transcription regulators in primary prostate tumors

  Thousands of noncoding somatic Single Nucleotide Variants (SNVs) of unknown function are reported in tumors. Partitioning the genome according to cistromes, reveals the enrichment of somatic SNVs in prostate tumors as opposed to adjacent normal tissue cistromes of master transcription regulators, including AR, FOXA1 and HOXB13. This parallels enrichment of prostate cancer genetic predispositions over these transcription regulators’ tumor cistromes, exemplified at the 8q24 locus harboring both risk-variants and somatic SNVs in cis-regulatory elements, upregulating MYC expression and altering the binding of transcription regulators to DNA. However, Massively-Parallel Reporter Assays reveal that few SNVs can alter the transactivation potential of individual CREs. Instead, SNVs accumulate, similarly to inherited riskvariants, in cistromes of master transcription regulators required for prostate cancer development. Difficulties in inferring the biological significance of noncoding mutations have limited their inclusion in precision genomics medicine pipelines. Most attempts to delineate a role for noncoding mutations relied on detecting evidence for positive selection within individual CREs, such as reported for the TERT gene promoter. By considering the enrichment of noncoding mutations in cistromes as opposed to individual CREs, we reveal their specificity towards master transcription regulators that promote prostate cancer development, a feature shared with inherited risk-variants. Overall, our work provides a blueprint for the functional interpretation of noncoding mutations in genomic tests relying on defining cis-regulatory units according to cistrome-partitioning to identify cancer driver transcription regulators.

  Study EGAS00001003928

• NHLBI TOPMed: MWCCS: Sex Differences in the Role of Multi-Omics in HIV-Associated Carotid Artery Atherosclerosis

  The MACS-WIHS Combined Cohort Study (MWCCS) is a multicenter prospective cohort study of men and women in the U.S. that aims to understand and reduce the impact of chronic health conditions, including heart, lung, blood, and sleep (HLBS) disorders that affect people living with HIV. MWCCS, which currently has over 5000 active study participants, is designed to investigate a spectrum of questions relating to the basic science, clinical science, and epidemiology of HIV infection in the U.S., with a focus on comorbidities among men and women living with HIV. The current substudy, nested within the MWCCS, integrates detailed metabolomics and proteomics data, among other "omics" measures, to improve the understanding of the etiology of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease in women and men with HIV, guide mechanistic studies, and provide insights to more efficient intervention strategies. Data on 374 men are included in the current substudy.

  Study phs003651

• Single cell transcriptomic analysis of the immune cell compartment in the human small intestine and in Celiac disease

  Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder in which ingestion of dietary gluten triggers an immune reaction in the small intestine leading to destruction of the lining epithelium. Current treatment focusses on lifelong adherence to a gluten-free diet. Gluten-specific CD4+ T cells and cytotoxic intraepithelial CD8+ T cells have been proposed to be central in disease pathogenesis. Here we use unbiased single-cell RNA-sequencing and explore the heterogeneity of CD45+ immune cells in the human small intestine. We show altered myeloid cell transcriptomes present in active celiac lesions. CD4+ and CD8+ T cells transcriptomes show extensive changes and we define a natural intraepithelial lymphocyte population that is reduced in celiac disease. We show that the immune landscape in Celiac patients on a gluten-free diet is only partially restored compared to control samples. Altogether, we provide a single cell transcriptome resource that can inform the immune landscape of the small intestine during Celiac disease.

  Study EGAS00001003751

• Targeted sequencing of brain expressed miRNA genes

  As regulators of gene expression, microRNAs (miRNAs) are likely to play an important role in the development of disease. In this study we present a large-scale strategy to identify miRNAs with a role in the regulation of neuronal processes by screening 289 brain expressed miRNAs. Thereby we found variant rs7861254 located near the MIR204 gene to be significantly associated with schizophrenia. This variant resulted in reduced expression of miR-204 in neuronal-like SH-SY5Y cells.

  Study EGAS00001001607

• The Genomic Landscape of Endocrine Resistant Advanced Breast Cancers: Paired Pre- and Post-endocrine Therapy Samples.

  The genomic evolution of breast cancers exposed to systemic therapy and its effects on clinical outcome have not been broadly characterized. We integrated the genomic sequencing of 1918 breast cancers, including 1501 hormone receptor-positive tumors, with detailed clinical information and treatment outcomes. Functional mutations in ERBB2 and loss-of-function mutations in NF1 were more than twice as common in post-endocrine therapy tumors compared to treatment-naive tumors. Additional alterations in the MAPK pathway (EGFR, KRAS among others) and in estrogen receptor transcriptional regulators (MYC, CTCF, FOXA1 and TBX3) were also more common compared to hormonal therapy-naive tumors. To determine whether candidate genomic lesions in the MAPK pathway and estrogen receptor transcriptional regulators were present prior to therapy or whether such lesions arose under the selective pressure of therapy, we performed whole-exome sequencing in select patients who had adequate samples acquired prior to and after progression on endocrine therapy. In total, 95 specimens corresponding to 30 treatment-naive primary tumors, 35 post-treatment tumors, and 30 normal samples were sequenced from 30 patients with endocrine-resistant metastatic breast cancer.

  Study phs001674

• Sanger sequencing analysis data using cfRNA from plasma samples in 6 cases, 10 samples, all from sarcoma.

  We examined the levels of cfRNA in the blood of patients with malignant bone and soft tissue tumours harbouring specific fusion genes, to explore the relationship between fusion gene expression in the blood and therapeutic response and disease status, and to validate the clinical utility of liquid biopsy.

  Study JGAS000787

• T-cell reconstitution after reduced dose ATLG induction in kidney transplant recipients

  Pre-sensitized kidney transplant recipients have a higher risk for rejection following kidney transplantation and therefore receive a lymphodepletional induction therapy with anti human T-lymphocyte globulin (ATLG). The time course of lymphocyte reconstitution with regards to overall and donor-reactive T-cell receptor (TCR) specificity remains elusive. In this study we aimed to describe the TCR repertoire in a reduced dose ATLG regimen making it possible to evaluate shifts in the shape of the immune repertoire and to detect the reappearance of donor-reactive T-cells following reduced lymphodepletional induction therapy.

  Study EGAS00001005941

• Demographic History and Local Adaptation in Asian Population

  Due to harboring high genetic and cultural diversity of populations, Central Asia is one key area for understanding the recent evolutionary history of humans. In this project, our aims include: (1) to resequence genome sequences with high sequencing depth for Central Asian populations Balti; (2) to discern the genomic diversity, populations structure and demographic history of Balti; (3) to investigate the genetic mechanisms for local adaptations in Balti.

  Study JGAS000238

• The MALT1 Locus and Peanut Avoidance in the Risk for Peanut Allergy

  The LEAP study was a randomized controlled clinical trial in children at increased risk for peanut allergy, in which intervention using dietary introduction of peanut protein beginning in the first 4 to 11 months of life, continued until age 5 years, significantly decreased the frequency of peanut allergy later in childhood and modulated the immune response to peanuts. All subject phenotype data will be hosted on ITN Trial Share under the LEAP study.

  Study phs001851

• Consortium on Asthma among African-ancestry Populations in the Americas (CAAPA)

  Asthma is a complex disease where the interplay between genetic factors and environmental exposures influences susceptibility and disease prognosis. Asthmatics of African descent tend to have more severe asthma and more severe clinical symptoms than individuals of European ancestry. Advances in genetic and genomic technologies have revolutionized gene discovery for several complex diseases, but going to the next step in gene discovery for asthma among populations of African descent requires considering unique characteristics of this ethnic group, including adequate sample sizes and population stratification due to (European and African) admixture. Thus far, coverage of common genetic markers both in public databases and commercially available SNP chips has been inadequate to detect and measure genetic associations among African admixed populations. The aim of this study was therefore to catalog genetic diversity in populations of African descent, especially those whose ancestry reflects the African Diaspora in the Americas.

  Study phs001123

• Pilot_experiment_on_functional_genomics_in_osteoarthritis

  The aim of this work is to apply an integrated systems approach to understand the biological underpinnings of large joint (hip and knee) osteoarthritis which culminates in the need for total joint replacement (TJR). In this pilot we will assess the feasibility of the approach in the relevant tissue. We will obtain diseased and non-diseased tissue (cartilage and endochondral bone) following TJR, coupled with a blood sample, from 12 patients. We will generate genotype data on the HumanCoreExome array and will characterise the 12 pairs of diseased and non-diseased tissue samples in terms of methylation (Illumina 450k array), transcription (RNASeq) and expression (quantitative proteomics). The pilot will help assess the feasibility of isolating sufficient levels of starting material for the different approaches, and will instigate the development of analytical approaches to synthesising the resulting data. If successful, it is envisaged that we will proceed with expanding the work to 500 patients in the first year, with a target total sample size of 3,000 in the longer term. The key collaborators in this work are Mark Wilkinson (Sheffield) and Jyoti Choudhary

  Study EGAS00001001212

• Pilot_experiment_on_functional_genomics_in_osteoarthritis

  The aim of this work is to apply an integrated systems approach to understand the biological underpinnings of large joint (hip and knee) osteoarthritis which culminates in the need for total joint replacement (TJR). In this pilot we will assess the feasibility of the approach in the relevant tissue. We will obtain diseased and non-diseased tissue (cartilage and endochondral bone) following TJR, coupled with a blood sample, from 12 patients. We will generate genotype data on the HumanCoreExome array and will characterise the 12 pairs of diseased and non-diseased tissue samples in terms of methylation (Illumina 450k array), transcription (RNASeq) and expression (quantitative proteomics). The pilot will help assess the feasibility of isolating sufficient levels of starting material for the different approaches, and will instigate the development of analytical approaches to synthesising the resulting data. If successful, it is envisaged that we will proceed with expanding the work to 500 patients in the first year, with a target total sample size of 3,000 in the longer term. The key collaborators in this work are Mark Wilkinson (Sheffield) and Jyoti Choudhary

  Study EGAS00001001213

• Amplicon sequencing of duodenal adenoma

  The aim of this study is to analyze the methylation and mutation status of non-ampullary duodenal lesions in order to detect the genetic changes for predicting the progression to adenocarcinomas.

  Study JGAS000352

• Health and Retirement Study (HRS)

  Introduction to V2: This data release comprises data from the V1 release combined with approximately 3,000 additional samples, collected during the HRS 2010 field period. The 2010 data include samples from a random half of the new cohort enrolled in 2010 along with a significant expansion of the minority sample. Description: The University of Michigan Health and Retirement Study (HRS) is a longitudinal panel study that surveys a representative sample of approximately 20,000 people in America over the age of 50 every two years. Supported by the National Institute on Aging (NIA U01AG009740) and the Social Security Administration, the HRS explores the changes in labor force participation and the health transitions that individuals undergo toward the end of their work lives and in the years that follow. The study collects information about income, work, assets, pension plans, health insurance, disability, physical health and functioning, cognitive functioning, and health care expenditures. Through its unique and in-depth interviews, the HRS provides an invaluable and growing body of multidisciplinary data that researchers can use to address important questions about the challenges and opportunities of aging. Because of its innovation and importance, the HRS has become the model and hub for a growing network of harmonized longitudinal aging studies around the world. Origins of the HRS. As the population ages it is increasingly important to obtain reliable data about aging and topics that are relevant to a range of policy issues in aging. To address this need, the National Institutes on Aging (NIA) established a cooperative agreement with the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research to collect such data. The HRS launched data collection in 1992 and has re-interviewed the original sample of respondents every two years since then. By adding new cohorts and refreshing the sample, the HRS has grown to become the largest, most representative longitudinal panel study of Americans 50 years and older. HRS Study Design. The target population for the original HRS cohort includes all adults in the contiguous United States born during the years 1931-1941 who reside in households, with a 2:1 oversample of African-American and Hispanic populations. The original sample is refreshed with new birth cohorts (51-56 years of age) every six years. The sample has been expanded over the years to include a broader range of birth cohorts as well. The target population for the AHEAD survey consists of United States household residents who were born in 1923 or earlier. Children of the Depression (CODA) recruits households born 1924-1930, War Babies 1942-47, Early Boomers 1948-53, and Mid-Boomers 1954-59. Data collection includes a mixed mode design combining in-person, telephone, mail, and Internet. For consenting respondents, HRS data are linked at the individual level to administrative records from Social Security and Medicare claims. Genetic Research in the HRS. The HRS has genotyped 2.5 million single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on respondents using Illumina's Human Omni2.5-Quad (Omni2.5) BeadChip. The genotyping was performed by the NIH Center for Inherited Disease Research (CIDR). Saliva was collected on half of the HRS sample each wave starting in 2006. In 2006, saliva was collected using a mouthwash collection method. From 2008 onward, the data collection method switched to the Oragene kit. Saliva completion rates were 83% in 2006, 84% in 2008, and 80% in 2010 among new cohort enrollees. HRS Phenotypic data. Phenotypic data are available on a variety of dimensions. Health measures include physical/psychological self-report, various health conditions, disabilities, cognitive performance, health behaviors (smoking, drinking, exercise), physical performance and anthropomorphic measures, and biomarkers (HbA1c, Total Cholesterol, HDL, CRP, Cystatin-C). Data are also available on health services including utilization, insurance and out-of-pocket spending with linkage to Medicare records. Economic measures include employment status/history, earnings, disability, retirement, type of work, income by source, wealth by asset type, capital gains/debt, consumption, linkage to pensions, Social Security earnings/benefit histories. There is also extensive information on family structure, proximity, transfers to/from of money, time, social and psychological characteristics, as well as a wide range of demographics. Performance on a cognitive test combining immediate and delayed word recall was selected as an example trait for the dbGaP data release. In the immediate word recall task the interviewer reads a list of 10 nouns to the respondent and asks the respondent to recall as many words as possible from the list in any order. After approximately five minutes of asking other survey questions, the respondent is asked to recall the nouns previously presented as part of the immediate recall task. The total recall score is the sum of the correct answers to these two tasks, with a range of 0 to 20. Researchers who wish to link to other HRS measures not in dbGaP will be able to apply for access from HRS. A separate Data Use Agreement (DUA) will be required for linkage to the HRS data. See the HRS website (http://hrsonline.isr.umich.edu/gwas) for details.

  Study phs000428

• HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology Clinical Sequencing Exploratory Research (CSER): Genomic Diagnosis in Children with Developmental Delay

  The overarching goal of this project is to explore the ability for whole exome and genome sequencing technologies to identify the genetic causes of unexplained developmental delay, intellectual disability (DD/ID), and related congenital anomalies in children. Such information may be useful as an endpoint to the otherwise fruitless "diagnostic odyssey" that many DD/ID affected families undergo and in some cases, identification of these genetic variants may point to better therapeutic or educational options by precisely defining the root cause(s) of the child's condition. We seek to identify causal, diagnostically relevant, genetic variants in children with developmental delay and/or intellectual disability (DD/ID). In addition, because our analytical approach includes sequencing probands and their parents (parent-offspring trios and duos; parents are sequenced when available), secondary findings will be returned to adults (parents) at their request. The aims of this research project include: 1) Use exome and whole genome sequencing to identify genetic variation that results in DD/ID. 2) Return primary genetic results (DD/ID causative) as well as secondary findings to probands and their parents, respectively. 3) Understand how the return of genomic test results affects the health and well-being of study participants. The children participating in this study are patients at, or referrals to, North Alabama Children's Specialist (NACS) in Huntsville, Alabama. All blood samples from probands and their parents will be collected at NACS (project 1). Sequencing will be completed at the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, with validation (via Sanger sequencing) conducted at Emory University for all returned variants (project 2). The University of Louisville will oversee questionnaires, surveys and interviews aimed at understanding study participants' perception of, and response to, genetic test results, in addition to assessment of secondary findings preferences (project 3).A subset of variants, largely those determined to be diagnostic or variants of uncertain significance for study participants at the time of disclosure, have been submitted to ClinVar. These variants are listed as part of the "CSER-HudsonAlpha" study within the database.

  Study phs001089

• Assessment_of_genetic_and_epigenetic_variation_in_human_IPS_cells_RNA

  In order to progress human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) towards the clinic, several outstanding questions must be addressed. It is possible to reprogram different somatic cell types into hiPSCs and from studies in the mouse, it appears that an epigenetic memory of the starting cell type is carried over to hiPSCs. However a comprehensive comparative study of the characteristics of these hiPSCs has been missing from the literature. Importantly studies which aimed to address these aspects of hiPSCs have used cells from different patients. In order to avoid this important confounding variable and to keep the genetic background constant, tissue samples were procured from the patients and reprogrammed to iPS cells. The transcriptomes of these iPS cells will be compared. Protocol: primary cultures of cells were reprogrammed to iPS cells. RNA was extracted using a standard column extraction kit.

  Study EGAS00001000367

• Epidemiological study comparing rates and risk factors for dementia in African Americans in Indianapolis and Yoruba living in Ibadan, Nigeria

  In 1991 collaboration between researchers at Indiana University School of Medicine and the University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria established the Indianapolis-Ibadan Dementia Project. It is a longitudinal, prospective population-based comparative epidemiological study of the prevalence and incidence rates and risk factors of Alzheimer's disease and other age associated dementias. The project compares samples of community-dwelling elderly (age > 70 years) African Americans living in Indianapolis to Yoruba living in Ibadan, Nigeria, employing the same research design, methods, and investigators. It initially reported significantly lower prevalence rates of disorders in the Yoruba compared to the African Americans. In subsequent waves of the study (1994-1995, 1997-1998) incidence rates, rates of newly diagnosed cases, were also found to be significantly lower in the Yoruba. In genetic studies, the frequency of the APOE 4 allele was about the same in the two groups. APOE 4 was a significant risk factor for Alzheimer's disease and dementia in the Americans, while no association was found for the Yoruba. The APOE 2 allele appears to be protective in the Americans, but not the Yoruba. A constellation of factors often associated with vascular risk including a history of hypertension, diabetes, and high cholesterol levels is less common in the Yoruba than in the American group. An interaction was observed between cholesterol, APOE genotype and Alzheimer's disease in both study groups. In 2001-2002 survivors of the original cohort were once again evaluated (N~800 in each site) and 2,000 additional individuals age 70 years and older were enrolled in each site. Blood samples were collected from approximately 1,500 study participants in each site for genetic studies and analysis of biochemical risk factors for vascular disease. Subsequent waves of field work were conducted in 2004, 2007, 2009, and 2011. This fieldwork followed the classic two-stage study design. The study design involves an in-home screening interview with the study participant, which includes a cognitive assessment, medical history and current medications, brief neurological examination, height and weight, blood pressure measurement and assessment of social involvement. There is also a screening interview with a close relative of the study participant to assess activities of daily living, personality change, and medical history of the study participant. On the basis of the screening interview a sample of study participants (N~500 in each site) is selected for a full clinical diagnostic dementia work up which includes a neurological test battery, extensive interview with a family member and examination by a clinician. Diagnoses are made in a consensus diagnosis conference using the criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Revised Third Edition (DSM-III R) and International Classification of Diseases 10th Revision (ICD-10) for dementia. The criteria of the National Institute for Neurological and Communicative Disease and Stroke-Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Association were used to diagnose possible and probable Alzheimer's disease. The focus of the study is risk factors for dementia and Alzheimer's disease, but also of particular importance is the question of mild cognitive impairment. This refers to the condition of having some decline in cognition but the decline is not sufficient to meet the criteria for dementia. We have studied this over the course of this project. In follow up studies of individuals who have this diagnosis about one third of them are better at follow up, about a third are about the same, and about a third decline more to meet the criteria for dementia. This is a very important issue for researchers because the ultimate goal of the research is to figure out how to identify the individuals who will definitely progress to dementia. If there are clear identifiers, it would be possible to make interventions, while individuals still function well, and possibly prevent the development of dementia altogether or delay the onset significantly. This is crucial because at the moment individuals usually do not enter into the medical care system until the dementia symptoms are quite severe, and the pathological damage to the brain cannot be undone.

  Study phs000378

• Contribution of Genetic Polymorphisms to the Abuse Liability of Oxycodone

  The proposed study examined the prevalence of various genetic polymorphisms thought to be involved in opioid abuse among current heroin users. In addition to providing blood samples for genetics analysis, participants completed a number of questionnaires that allowed us to learn detailed information about their current and history of opioid drug use.

  Study phs001559

• Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics - Underserved Populations (RADx-UP) Collection of General Research Use Datasets

  This individual-level collection of datasets contains all the RADx Underserved Populations (RADx-UP) studies in dbGaP for General Research Use (GRU) and have no further limitations beyond those outlined in the model RADx Data Use Certification Agreement. Access to this study collection will include additional authorized individual-level GRU datasets that become available. Renewal of this study collection is required annually. Access to studies in this collection is on the RADx® Data Hub. To request access to this study collection, select phs003832 in the dbGaP when submitting a data access request.

  Study phs003832

• Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics - Tech Program (RADx-Tech) Collection of General Research Use Datasets

  This individual-level collection of datasets contains all the RADx® Tech Programs (RADx-Tech) studies in dbGaP for General Research Use (GRU) and have no further limitations beyond those outlined in the model RADx Data Use Certification Agreement. Access to this study collection will include additional authorized individual-level GRU datasets that become available. Renewal of this study collection is required annually. Access to studies in this collection is on the RADx® Data Hub. To request access to this study collection, select phs003831 in the dbGaP when submitting a data access request.

  Study phs003831

• Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics - Radical (RADx-rad) Collection of General Research Use Datasets

  This individual-level collection of datasets contains all the RADx® Radical (RADx-rad) studies in dbGaP for General Research Use (GRU) and have no further limitations beyond those outlined in the model RADx Data Use Certification Agreement. Access to this study collection will include additional authorized individual-level GRU datasets that become available. Renewal of this study collection is required annually. Access to studies in this collection is on the RADx® Data Hub. To request access to this study collection, select phs003834 in the dbGaP when submitting a data access request.

  Study phs003834

• The genetic analysis of circulating tumor DNA in blood of the digestive cancer patients to investigate the prognostic factors of metastasis and reccurence.

  A Darwinian evolutionary shift occurred early in the neutral evolution of advanced colorectal carcinoma (CRC) and copy number aberrations (CNA) were essential in the transition from adenoma to carcinoma. Subsequent to the primary evolution, we now focus on the evolutionary principle of the genome to foster postoperative recurrence of CRC. SO, We compared CNA, single nucleotide variance (SNV), RNA sequences between 8 primary and 11 metastatic sites from 10 CRCR cases.

  Study JGAS000221

• Hi-C Profiling of Solid Tumor Samples

  Structural variants, such as translocations, inversions, duplications, and deletions, have long been recognized as mutations that can contribute to the initiation and progression of cancer. This can occur through a variety of mechanisms, including changes in gene dosage and the generation of fusion genes. In recent years, it is becoming increasingly clear that these events also can alter how genomes are organized in 3D space in the nucleus and contribute to changes in enhancer-promoter regulation. However, it remains poorly understand how often 3D genome structural changes occur in cancers, what genes are affected by these events, and in which tumor types. This study is part of ongoing work to better characterize 3D genome structural changes across a variety of tumor types to better understand where and when 3D genome structure changes as the result of structural variation in cancer genomes and to characterize the genes and tumor types affected.

  Study phs003227

• Proteomic predictors of individualized nutrient-specific insulin secretion in health and disease

  Population level variation and molecular mechanisms behind insulin secretion in response to carbohydrate, protein, and fat remain uncharacterized despite ramifications for personalized nutrition. We now define prototypical insulin secretion dynamics in response to the three macronutrients in islets from 140 cadaveric donors, including those diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. We leverage the insulin response heterogeneity and use transcriptomics and proteomics to identify molecular pathways of specific nutrient responsiveness. Surprisingly, we find robust insulin secretion to fatty acid stimulus in ~8% of donors, challenging the idea that fat has negligible effects on insulin release. Distinct islet proteomes with differences in metabolic signalling networks convey this hyper-responsiveness to fat relative to carbohydrate. By comparing human islets to human embryonic stem cell-derived islet clusters, we show that, unlike glucose-responsiveness, fat hyper-responsiveness is equivalent and may be a hallmark of functionally immature cells. Our study represents the first comparison of dynamic responses to nutrients and multi-omics analysis in human insulin secreting cells. Responses of different people’s islets to carbohydrate, protein, and fat lay the groundwork for personalized nutrition.

  Study EGAS00001007241

• Multiple Myeloma Clinical Targeted Sequencing of Patient Samples

  Purpose: Molecular diagnostics for the risk stratification of patients with multiple myeloma (MM) have languished in the area of cytogenetics and fluorescence in situ hybidization (FISH). However, here we present the case for next generation sequencing of MM patient samples to not only identify high-risk markers, but also mutations and deletions relating to immunomodulatory drugs (IMiDs), and more importantly to guide the sequencing of immunotherapy regimens in response to intrinsic antigen escape as a means of treatment resistance and relapse. Experimental design: CD138+ cell selected samples (n=134) from bone marrow aspirates from patients with multiple myeloma were sequenced using a targeted panel in a clinical diagnostics laboratory. Data were analyzed for high-risk markers, treatment-related resistance mechanisms, and precision medicine targets to guide the future treatment of patients in the clinic. Results: High-risk markers including t(4;14), t(14;16), t(14;20), gain or amplification 1q, deletion of CDKN2C, and deletion or mutation of TP53 were identified in 15% of newly diagnosed myeloma patient samples. At relapse, alterations in the cereblon degradation pathway were found in 24.3% of IMiD treated patients. Deletions of 4p (CD38) were also enriched in patients who received anti-CD38 treatment (P=0.03) which were mostly monoallelic. Deletions and mutations were detected in TNFRSF17 encoding BCMA in patients treated with anti-BCMA regimens, and the information was used to change the treatment of the patients. Conclusions: Targeted sequencing of multiple myeloma patient diagnostic samples can be used for risk stratification, and also to monitor and adjust treatments as resistance mechanisms evolve.

  Study phs003908

• Whole exome sequencing in RVOT patients

  In a patient with right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) tachycardia we identified a heterozygous point mutation in the selectivity filter of the stretch-activated K2P potassium channel TREK-1 (KCNK2 or K2P2.1). This mutation introduces abnormal sodium permeability to TREK-1 In addition, mutant channels exhibit a hypersensitivity to stretch-activation, suggesting that the selectivity filter is directly involved in stretch-induced activation and desensitization. Increased sodium permeability and stretch-sensitivity of mutant TREK-1 channels may trigger arrhythmias in areas of the heart with high physical strain such as the RVOT. We present a pharmacological strategy to rescue the selectivity defect of the TREK-1 pore. Our findings provide important insights for future studies of K2P channel stretch-activation and the role of TREK-1 in mechano-electrical feedback in the heart.

  Study EGAS00001002319

• MYCN Amplification and ATRX Mutations are Incompatible in Neuroblastoma

  Age and stage of disease at diagnosis is associated with outcome in neuroblastoma. A previous study identified ATRX point mutations and in-frame deletions in older patients with stage 4 disease. To validate the frequency of ATRX mutations and assess the relation of mutations and known prognostic variables, we collaborated with the Children’s Oncology Group and sequenced the entire ATRX genomic locus in 475 neuroblastoma tumor samples to validate the frequency of ATRX mutations and assess the relation of mutations and known prognostic variables. Older age at diagnosis, stage 4 disease, and unfavorable histology were significantly associated with mutations in the ATRX gene; MYCN amplification was mutually exclusive from ATRX mutations. To directly test if ATRX mutations and MYCN amplification are incompatible in neuroblastoma, we mutated the ATRX gene in MYCN amplified neuroblastoma cell lines and ectopically expressed MYCN in ATRX mutant neuroblastoma cell lines. Both approaches showed that ATRX and MYCN amplification are incompatible in neuroblastoma in culture and in vivo. To gain a better understanding of the underlying molecular and cellular mechanisms of this incompatibility, we performed a series of experiments including telomere analysis, epigenetic profiling, electron microscopic analysis and metabolic profiling. We discovered that induction of MYCN expression in ATRX mutant neuroblastomas cells leads to metabolic reprogramming, mitochondrial dysfunction, increased reactive oxygen species and replicative stress. We propose that this leads to synthetic lethality in ATRX mutant neuroblastomas because of the underlying replicative stress in those cells as a result of dysfunction of this essential histone chaperone.

  Study EGAS00001003257

• Transcriptome and epigenomic landscape of cytotrophoblasts from normal and HDP placentas

  Hypertensive isorders of pregnancy (HDP) is a severe pregnancy-related disorder that poses significant risks to both maternal and fetal health. Dysfunctional placental development is one of the major contributors to the onset of HDP. In this study, we investigated the gene expression and epigenomic modifications in cytotrophoblasts from normal and HDP placentas. The information obtained in this study contributes to the growing body of knowledge aimed at improving the diagnosis, management, and treatment of HDP.

  Study JGAS000667

• Multi-Site Collaborative Study for Genotype-Phenotype Associations in Alzheimer's disease and Longitudinal follow-up of Genotype-Phenotype Associations in Alzheimer's disease and Neuroimaging component of Genotype-Phenotype Associations in Alzheimer's disease

  GenADA is a multi-site collaborative study, involving GlaxoSmithKline Inc and nine medical centres in Canada, to develop a dataset containing 1000 Alzheimer's disease patients and 1000 ethnically-matched controls in order to associate DNA sequence (allelic) variations in candidate genes with Alzheimer's disease phenotypes. The study consists of both retrospective and prospective components, that is, patients with an existing diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease as well as newly diagnosed patients were enrolled in the study. Thus, clinical data was retrospectively or prospectively obtained on Day 1 of entry into GenADA. Where possible, biological relatives with Alzheimer's (up to third degree relationship such as cousins) and unaffected siblings of AD cases were also recruited. Note that recruitment numbers for biological relatives were lower than expected and genotypic data has not been submitted to dbGap for these subjects. The purpose of this study is: To identify DNA sequence variations (genotype) in candidate genes that are associated with the clinical symptoms and behavioural features of Alzheimer's disease (phenotype), which differ between study participants with and without the disease. To identify other genotype-phenotype associations in cognitively impaired study participants such as age of onset, family history, rate of cognitive decline, patterns of behavioural/psychiatric non-cognitive symptoms factors, response to treatment co-morbid conditions, and risks/exposure. The final subject recruitment for this study included 875 Alzheimer's disease patients, 850 ethnically-matched controls, and 37 family members. GenADA LONG is a longitudinal assessment to the original GenADA study. Eligible subjects were recruited from five of the nine memory clinics that participated in the GenADA study. Mild to moderate AD participants, a matched subset of controls, and biological related siblings (both affected and unaffected) or other blood relatives affected with AD, were initially examined a minimum of 12 months from recruitment into the original GenADA study, then at two further intervals of 12 and 18 months after time of entry into GenADA LONG. This enables an evaluation of the disease progression in AD patients and a determination of whether controls show evidence of cognitive decline. The overall goal of this extension study is to identify genetic differences and environmental influences that modulate the age of onset of the disease, the course of the disease, and/or biomarkers for neurodegenerative processes. Three of the five memory clinics that participated in the GenADA LONG study recruited eligible patients into GenADA Imaging. A concurrent neuroimaging sub-study was conducted at three of the five memory clinics participating in GenADA LONG. Eligible AD cases with mild to moderate AD, who were recruited into the original GenADA study and participated in the GenADA LONG extension study, were enrolled. Additionally, controls that showed signs of cognitive decline, as part of the assessment in GenADA LONG, were imaged at baseline, 12 and 18 month scanning intervals. The objective of this study is to find genes that: affect changes in AD brain volume measure by magnetic resonance in order to investigate how well change in brain volume predicts other key clinical measures in AD, such as neurodegenerative scales; that correlate changes in brain volume for other genotype-phenotype associations in cognitively impaired study participants; and that correlate with other clinically applicable magnetic resonance measures of pathology that can be conducted at the same time as structural volume measures, and are complementary to the volume measures. The ultimate aim of this research is to obtain a better understanding and definition of Alzheimer's Disease in order to develop new improved medicines.

  Study phs000219

• Multimodal Analysis for Human Ex Vivo Studies Shows Extensive Molecular Changes from Delays in Blood Processing

  Multi-omic profiling of human peripheral blood is increasingly utilized to identify biomarkers and pathophysiologic mechanisms of disease. The importance of these platforms in clinical and translational studies led us to investigate the impact of delayed blood processing on the numbers and state of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and on the plasma proteome. Similar to previous studies, we show minimal effects of delayed processing on the numbers and general phenotype of PBMCs up to 18 hours. In contrast, profound changes in the single-cell transcriptome and composition of the plasma proteome become evident as early as 6 hours after blood draw. These reflect patterns of cellular activation across diverse cell types that lead to progressive distancing of the gene expression state and plasma proteome from native in vivo biology. Differences accumulating during an overnight rest (18 hours) could confound relevant biologic variance related to many underlying disease states.

  Study phs002280

• Genome-Wide Association Study of Celiac Disease

  Celiac disease (gluten-sensitive enteropathy, celiac sprue) is a common disease with significant morbidity and mortality. It is caused by sensitivity to the dietary protein gluten, resulting in a chronic enteropathy in the small intestine. Celiac disease is now recognized to be a common disease, with reports that the disease frequency is 1:133 in the United States, similar to European estimates. There is recent evidence to suggest that the incidence of the disease is rising. Occult disease is frequently present with minimal classic symptoms or signs. The ratio of symptomatic to asymptomatic celiac disease is estimated to be 1:7. Some complications of celiac disease include lymphoma, osteoporosis, anemia, miscarriages, seizures, vitamin deficiencies, and co-occurrence of other autoimmune diseases. The only treatment is a gluten-free diet, so that recurrence of symptoms and complications may occur after minor dietary indiscretions. Identifying the underlying genetic causes of celiac disease may allow us to identify susceptible individuals, as well as advance new ways to prevent the disease and to treat it once it occurs. Several genome-wide linkage studies and one genome-wide association study of celiac disease have been conducted. Other than the common locus at HLA, few putative celiac disease loci have been replicated between studies, suggesting that the disease is heterogeneous and complex. A portion of the genetic predisposition can be attributed to HLA, but the etiology is likely due to a number of rare, high penetrant genes (as would be identified in linkage analysis) and to more common, low penetrant genes (as would be identified in association studies). The objective of this study is to identify new loci that increase risk to develop celiac disease. We will capitalize on existing North American resources, including three large collections of celiac cases and controls (Aim 1) and an independent set of celiac cases and their families (Aim 3). We propose a comprehensive multi-stage approach, with the following specific aims. In Aim 1, we will conduct a genome-wide association (GWA) study of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and copy number variants (CNVs). The GWA will include1900 disease cases and 3400 matched controls, genotyped using the Illumina Human 610-quad chip. Statistical analyses will be performed to test for associations with celiac disease. In Aim 2, we will conduct a combined analysis of our GWA dataset from Aim 1 and a previous GWA dataset to identify additional low-penetrance loci. In Aim 3, we will attempt to replicate significant findings from the GWA study in two independent sample sets. At the conclusion of this study, we expect to have validated a number of SNPs and CNPs from regions in the genome that alter the risk of developing celiac disease. These SNPs may prove useful at both the clinical and research level. The data from the study will be shared with the scientific community.

  Study phs000274

• Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics - Digital Health Technologies (RADx-DHT): Large Scale Flu Surveillance Study (LSFS)

  The purpose of this study was to better understand behavioral and physiological functioning in relation to recent self-reported influenza and influenza-like-illness (ILI), including coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Over 65,000 Achievement members responded to a weekly one-click survey asking if they had experienced ILI within the previous 7-day period. If they responded no, they were given the option to complete a survey about their risk factors and behavior. If they responded yes, they were given the option to complete a survey asking about the specifics of the incident. Participants were also asked to sync their wearable activity trackers and health apps in order for researchers to better understand changes in behavioral and physiological outcomes related to self-reported ILI experiences.DOI: https://rapids.ll.mit.edu/10.57895/fkth-d352

  Study phs002539

• Treatment of Pulmonary Hypertension and Sickle Cell Disease with Sildenafil Therapy (Walk-PHaSST)

  Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a progressive condition characterized by narrowing or stiffening pulmonary arterioles resulting in increased pulmonary blood pressure and reduced delivery of oxygenated blood to the body. It is a common complication of sickle cell disease and initially presents with the symptom of shortness of breath (dyspnea) on exertion. As the condition worsens, other symptoms such as dizziness, lower extremity edema, and chest pain can develop. The drug, sildenafil, works by relaxing blood vessels in the lungs which reduces pulmonary blood pressure and allows more oxygenated blood to circulate. Increased levels of oxygenated blood allows individuals with PAH to tolerate more activity, but guidelines for using sildenafil in patients with PAH and sickle cell disease were unavailable at the time of the Walk-PHaSST trial.Participants were screened for the existence of pulmonary hypertension with a six minute walk test and a Doppler echocardiogram that assessed TRV, diastolic function, and valvular and systolic function. Subjects with TRV ≥ 2.7 m/s received further clinical evaluation for possible causes of pulmonary hypertension. Other screening data included medical history, a physical exam, and standard laboratory testing. For individuals with moderate to severe pulmonary hypertension (TRV ≥ 3.0), a cardiac catheterization was done at the baseline and week 16 data collection periods.Subjects eligible for the main intervention trial based on screening results were randomized in a 1:1 double blind fashion to receive sildenafil or placebo for 16 weeks. Subjects received 20 mg of oral sildenafil or matching placebo 3 times daily for 6 weeks, followed by 40 mg 3 times daily for 4 weeks, followed by 80 mg 3 times daily for 6 weeks, as tolerated. Participants could also receive other therapies as needed to manage sickle cell and related complications. The primary outcome measure of the trial was change in the six minute walk test, a standard indicator of a person's heart and lung function and exercise capacity, from baseline to week 16. After completing the study treatment (or placebo), participants could choose to be part of the open-label follow-up phase of the study and continue to be assessed for up to one year.The study was intended to screen about 1000 subjects and randomize 132 subjects, however it was terminated early due to the unforeseen increase in adverse events in participants treated with sildenafil as compared to placebo. When the study was stopped, 33 participants had completed the trial. Subjects continued to be monitored, but were instructed to taper sildenafil treatment over three to seven days.There was no evidence that treatment with sildenafil impacted the six minute walk distance from baseline to week 16. In addition, treatment with sildenafil appeared to increase rates of hospitalization due to sickle cell disease pain.Due to in part to the early termination of the trial, the majority of subject data was collected from the screening phase of the study (n=720), as opposed to the main intervention trial (n=74).Instructions for requesting individual-level data are available on BioData Catalyst at https://biodatacatalyst.nhlbi.nih.gov/resources/data/. Apply for data access in dbGaP. Upon approval, users may begin accessing requested data in BioData Catalyst. For questions about availability, you may contact the BioData Catalyst team at https://biodatacatalyst.nhlbi.nih.gov/contact.

  Study phs002383

• The Human Gut Microbiome and Recurrent Abdominal Pain in Children

  This project explores the nature of the human intestinal microbiome in healthy children and children with recurrent abdominal pain. The overall goal is to obtain a robust knowledge-base of the intestinal microbiome in children without evidence of pain or gastrointestinal disease, children with functional abdominal pain, and children with abdominal pain and changes in bowel habits (irritable bowel syndrome). Multiple strategies have been deployed to navigate and understand the nature of the intestinal microbiome in childhood. These strategies include 454 pyrosequencing-based strategies to sequence 16S rRNA genes and understand the detailed composition of microbes in healthy and disease groups. Microarray-based hybridization with the PhyloChip and quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) probes are being applied as complementary strategies to gain an understanding of the intestinal microbiome from various perspectives. Data collected and analyzed during the HMP UH2 and UH3 Demo project, from a set of healthy and IBS children may enable the identification of core microbiomes in children in addition to variable components that may distinguish healthy from diseased pediatric states. We are currently analyzing the dataset for the presence of disease-specific signatures in the human microbiome, and correlating these microbial signatures with pediatric health or IBS disease status. This study explores the nature of core and variable human microbiomes in pre-adolescent healthy children and children with recurrent abdominal pain.

  Study phs000265

• Chromosome X Mosaicism Methylation Study

  This study investigates methylation patterns in promoter regions on the X chromosomes of females with X chromosome mosaicism in an effort to phase mosaic events to either the active or inactive X chromosome.

  Study phs001112

• Processing of tissue and cfDNA samples of CRC patients using Active-seq

  In this study, we have developed a novel technology called Active-Seq (Azide Click Tagging for In Vitro Epigenomic sequencing), a base conversion-free technology used to profile the DNA methylation status of a sample, based on the isolation of DNA containing unmodified CpG sites using a mutated bacterial methyltransferase enzyme and a synthetically prepared cofactor analogue. We procured samples from colorectal cancer (CRC) patients including tumour tissue as well as normal adjacent tissues. The data enabled us to identify CRC-specific markers that could then be used to track and monitor the presence of tumour DNA in cell-free DNA plasma (cfDNA) samples procured in the same patients. The FASTQ files of all the colorectal cancer tissues, normal adjacent tissues as wells as the cfDNA samples are available in this submission. The data made available in this study have been used to outline an approach for tumour-informed disease profiling in colorectal cancer cfDNA samples using Active-Seq.

  Study EGAS50000001226

• Circulating tumor cell copy-number heterogeneity in ALK-rearranged non-small-cell lung cancer resistant to ALK inhibitors

  Gatekeeper mutations are identified in only 50% of the cases at resistance to Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase (ALK)-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are relevant tools to identify additional resistance mechanisms and can be sequenced at the single-cell level. Here, we provide in-depth investigation of copy number alteration (CNA) heterogeneity in phenotypically characterized CTCs at resistance to ALK-TKIs in ALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer.

  Study EGAS00001005301

• Columbia-Yale-Bilkent Study: Genetics Study of Essential Tremor

  This is a research development/planning grant application to initiate collaborative studies with investigators at Bilkent University in Turkey to study the genetics of Essential Tremor (ET). ET is one of the most common neurological diseases, with an estimated 7 million affected individuals in the United States. The most characteristic clinical feature of ET is a kinetic tremor in the hands or arms, which is mild early in the disease process. As the disease progresses, tremor becomes more severe and more anatomically widespread (e.g., head, trunk). Aside from tremor, patients with ET may also present with other motor features including gait ataxia. Non-motor features can include psychiatric manifestations, cognitive decline and dementia. Despite its extraordinarily high prevalence, the genetic causes of ET are largely unknown. We propose to develop a genetic study of ET focusing on consanguineous families in Turkey. Turkey with a population of about 70 million has a high rate of consanguineous marriages. The rate of consanguinity is estimated to be as much as 20-25% with approximately 70% of all consanguineous marriages involving first cousins. Studying the genetics of ET in the Turkish population, particularly in large consanguineous families, may identify novel genetic causes of ET that are also relevant to ET populations in the United States and worldwide. The proposed research has a high probability of success with our collaborators Drs Ozcelik and Tekinay's expertise in human genetics and functional studies together with an established resource of large consanguineous ET families. The specific aims of this planning grant are to: (1) further develop and solidify collaborations with the team in Bilkent and define the scope of the research that will be the focus of an R01 application, (2) assess the Bilkent team's resources and needs in order to successfully conduct the research, (3) implement cross-training between the United States and Turkish groups in the areas of human genetics, genetic epidemiology and risk factor assessment, genomics, clinical diagnosis, functional studies and personalized genomic medicine, and (4) conduct pilot studies to generate preliminary data necessary for an R01 application.

  Study phs001507

• National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) Heart Healthy Lenoir (HHL) Genomics Study

  The HHL genomics study uses a systems approach to develop models integrating clinical and genomic data. Previously we developed and tested an approach known as the SAMARA (Supporting A Multidisciplinary Approach to Research in Atherosclerosis) project that applied recent advances in biomedical and computational sciences at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to develop a deeper understanding of human cardiovascular disease (CVD). The Heart-Healthy Lenoir Project expands these studies into the community, using this methodology to: 1) determine the prevalence of genomic risk signatures in high-risk community populations using genome-wide Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) analysis; 2) develop novel genomic models incorporating high-risk features in this population; and 3) determine whether genomic signatures can be used to predict responsiveness to interventions that underlie CVD disparities. DNA was obtained from participants enrolled in two of the HHL clinical trials, 1) Improving Care for Patients With High Blood Pressure (NCT01425515) or 2) Heart-Healthy Lenoir Lifestyle Study (NCT01433484). Participants could enroll in both trials concurrently.

  Study phs001471

• Genomic Profiling of Sequentially Acquired Metastatic Sites from an "Exceptional Responder" Lung Adenocarcinoma Patient Reveals Extensive Genomic Heterogeneity and Novel Somatic Variants

  We employed next-generation sequencing to identify somatic alterations in multiple metastatic sites from an "exceptional responder" lung adenocarcinoma patient during his seven year course of ERBB2-directed therapies. The degree of heterogeneity was unprecedented, with ~1% similarity between somatic alterations of the lung and lymph nodes. One novel translocation, PLAG1-ACTA2, present in both sites, up-regulated ACTA2 expression. ERBB2, the predominant driver oncogene, was amplified in both sites, more pronounced in the lung, and harbored an L869R mutation in the lymph node. Functional studies demonstrated increased proliferation, migration, metastasis, and resistance to ERBB2-directed therapy due to L869R mutation and increased migration due to ACTA2 overexpression. Within the lung, a nonfunctional CDK12, due to a novel G879V mutation, correlated with down-regulation of DNA damage response genes, causing genomic instability, and sensitivity to chemotherapy. We propose a model whereby a sub-clone metastasized early from the primary site and evolved independently in lymph nodes.

  Study phs001159

• Integrated Personal omics Processing (iPoP) Longitudinal multi-omics profiling of prediabetes

  Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) is a significant health problem. Close to 20 million individuals in the United States have T2D, and 79 million aged 20 years or older are clinically pre-diabetic, with a 5-year conversion rate of 10% to 23% from prediabetes to T2D. In a collaborative effort to systematically understand diabetes and its etiology, the team is comprised of leading experts in research on both the human host as well as the microbiome, as properties of both are likely relevant in T2D development. For a better elucidation of mechanisms of onset and progression of T2D disease, the group is performing a detailed analysis of the biological processes that occur in the microbiome and human host by longitudinal profiling of patients at risk for T2D. Both microbiome and host profiles are being analyzed by state-of-the-art omics platforms, and these large-scale and diverse data sets will be integrated to determine the dynamic pathways that change during the onset and progression of T2D, especially during viral infections and other stresses. This longitudinal study is expected to reveal changes in the microbiome and host at an unprecedented level of detail, and identify molecules and pathways that play important roles in diabetes onset and progression.

  Study phs001719

• Targeted_sequencing_of_genes_recurrently_mutated_in_AML

  Background Massively parallel sequencing technology has transformed cancer genomics. It is now feasible, in a clinically relevant time-frame, for a clinically manageable cost, to screen DNA from patient tumours for mutations essentially genome-wide. The challenge for personalised medicine will be to increase the sample size to thousands or tens of thousands of well-characterised cases in order to attain sufficient statistical power to stratify patients accurately across the complexity and genomic heterogeneity expected for most of the common tumour types. Currently, whole genome sequencing on this scale is not feasible, and targeted sequencing of relevant portions of the genome will be required. Pilot data We have developed protocols for large-scale, multiplexed sequencing of 100-200 genes in thousands of samples. Essentially, using robotic technology, genomic DNA from the cancer specimen is processed into sequencing libraries with unique DNA barcodes, thereby allowing sequencing reads to be attributed to the sample they derive from. Currently, these sequencing libraries can be generated in a 96-well format using fully automated protocols, and we are exploring methods to expand this to a 384-well format. The sequencing libraries are pooled and hybridized to custom sets of RNA baits representing the genomic regions of interest. Sequencing of the pulled-down libraries is done in pools of 48-96 samples per lane of an Illumina Hi-Seq. This protocol is already implemented at the Sanger Institute. We have published proof that somatic mutations in novel cancer genes can be identified from exome-wide sequencing. In unpublished pilot data, we have established the feasibility of robotic library production, custom pull-down, and multiplexed sequencing of barcoded libraries for 100 known myeloid cancer genes across 760 myelodysplasia samples. Highlights of the data thus far analysed reveal that the coverage is remarkably even between samples; when 96 samples are run, average coverage per lane of sequencing is ~250, with 90-95% of targeted exons covered by >25 reads; known mutations can be discovered in the data set; and the protocol is amenable to whole genome amplified DNA. The bioinformatic algorithms for identification of substitutions and indels in pull-down data are well-established; we have pilot data proving that copy number changes, LOH and genomic rearrangements in specific regions of interest can also be identified by tiling of baits across the relevant loci. Proposal We propose to apply this methodology to 10000 samples from patients with AML enrolled in clinical trials over the last 10-20 years. Oncogenic point mutations and potentially genomic rearrangements will be identified, and linked to clinical outcome data, with a view to undertaking the following sorts of analyses: • Identification of co-occurrence, mutual exclusivity and clusters of driver mutations. • Correlation of prognosis with driver mutations and potentially gene-gene interactions • Exploration of genomic markers of drug response Ultimately, we would like to be in a position to release the mutation data together with matched clinical outcome data to genuine medical researchers via a controlled access approach, possibly within the COSMIC framework (www.sanger.ac.uk/genetics/CGP/cosmic/). The vision here is to generate a portal whereby a clinician faced with an AML patient and his / her mutational profile can obtain a ‘personalised’ prediction of outcome, together with a fair assessment of the uncertainty of the estimate. With a sufficient sample size, there would also be the potential to develop decision support algorithms for therapeutic choices based on such data.

  Study EGAS00001000408

• Machine learning guided signal enrichment for ultrasensitive plasma tumor burden monitoring

  In solid tumor oncology, circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) is poised to transform care through accurate assessment of minimal residual disease (MRD) and therapeutic response monitoring. To overcome the sparsity of ctDNA fragments in low tumor fraction (TF) settings and increase MRD sensitivity, we previously leveraged genome-wide mutational integration through plasma whole genome sequencing (WGS). We now introduce MRD-EDGE, a composite machine learning-guided WGS ctDNA single nucleotide variant (SNV) and copy number variant (CNV) detection platform designed to increase signal enrichment. MRD-EDGESNV uses deep learning and a ctDNA-specific feature space to increase SNV signal-to-noise enrichment in WGS by 300X compared to previous WGS error suppression. MRD-EDGECNV also reduces the degree of aneuploidy needed for ultrasensitive CNV detection through WGS from 1 Gb to 200 Mb, thereby expanding its applicability to a wider range of solid tumors. We harness the improved performance to identify MRD following surgery in multiple cancer types, track changes in tumor burden in response to neoadjuvant immunotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and demonstrate ctDNA shedding in precancerous colorectal adenomas. Finally, the radical signal-to-noise enrichment in MRD-EDGESNV enables de novo mutation calling in melanoma and small cell lung cancer (SCLC) without matched tumor, yielding clinically informative TF monitoring for patients on immune checkpoint inhibition (ICI).

  Study EGAS00001007545

• Machine Learning Signal Enrichment for Ultrasensitive Plasma Tumor Burden Monitoring

  In solid tumor oncology, circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) is poised to transform care through accurate assessment of minimal residual disease (MRD) and therapeutic response monitoring. To overcome the sparsity of ctDNA fragments in low tumor fraction (TF) settings and increase MRD sensitivity, we previously leveraged genome-wide mutational integration through plasma whole genome sequencing (WGS). We now introduce MRD-EDGE, a composite machine learning-guided WGS ctDNA single nucleotide variant (SNV) and copy number variant (CNV) detection platform designed to increase signal enrichment. MRD-EDGESNV uses deep learning and a ctDNA-specific feature space to increase SNV signal-to-noise enrichment in WGS by 300X compared to previous WGS error suppression. MRD-EDGECNV also reduces the degree of aneuploidy needed for ultrasensitive CNV detection through WGS from 1 Gb to 200 Mb, thereby expanding its applicability to a wider range of solid tumors. We harness the improved performance to identify MRD following surgery in multiple cancer types, track changes in tumor burden in response to neoadjuvant immunotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and demonstrate ctDNA shedding in precancerous colorectal adenomas. Finally, the radical signal-to-noise enrichment in MRD-EDGESNV enables de novo mutation calling in melanoma and small cell lung cancer (SCLC) without matched tumor, yielding clinically informative TF monitoring for patients on immune checkpoint inhibition (ICI).

  Study EGAS00001007451

• NHLBI Recipient Epidemiology Donor Evaluation Study (REDS)-III - Brazil Sickle Cell Disease Cohort (REDS-BSCDC)

  The Recipient Epidemiology and Donor Evaluation Study (REDS)-III program established a Brazilian Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) Cohort to identify molecular determinants of response to transfusions, alloimmunization and risk factors associated with HIV infection. The Brazil population presents a complex admixture of African, European, Asian and Indigenous heritage and will provide insights into genetic, demographic, social, and healthcare system determinates of SCD outcomes. The REDS-III Brazil SCD cohort began in the Fall of 2013 and aimed to: Establish a cohort of SCD patients with a comprehensive centralized electronic database of detailed clinical, laboratory and transfusion information, as well as establish a repository of blood samples to support biological studies relevant to SCD pathogenesis and transfusion complications; Characterize changes in markers of inflammation in response to transfusion by analyzing chemokine/cytokine panels in serial post transfusion specimens; Identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that contribute to the risk of red blood cell alloimmunization in SCD by performing a genome-wide association (GWA) study in transfused SCD patients; Characterize risk of HIV and HIV outcomes in the Brazilian SCD population and compare SCD outcomes among HIV sero-positive and sero-negative SCD patients.

  Study phs001972

• Discovery and capture of novel dynamic DNA methylation in human sperm with preferential links to altered folate metabolism

  The sperm DNA methylation landscape is unique and critical for offspring health. If gamete-derived DNA methylation escapes reprogramming in early embryos, epigenetic defects in sperm may be transmitted to the next generation. Current techniques to assess sperm DNA methylation show bias towards CpG dense regions and do not target areas of dynamic methylation, those predicted to be environmentally sensitive and tunable regulatory elements. Thus, this study aim to assess variation in human sperm DNA methylation and design a targeted capture panel to interrogate the human sperm methylome.

  Study EGAS00001003617

• Combination_therapies_for_personalized_cancer_medicine

  It is the ambition of the team formed by members of the Netherlands Cancer Institute (NKI) and the Cancer Genome Project at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute (WTSI) to unravel the genomic and phenotypic complexity of human cancers in order to identify optimal drug combinations for personalized cancer therapy. Our integrated approach will entail (i) deep sequencing of human tumours and cognate mouse tumours; (ii) drug screens in a 1000+ fully characterized tumour cell line panel; (iii) high-throughput in vitro and in vivo shRNA and cDNA drug resistance and enhancement screens; (iv) computational analysis of the acquired data, leading to significant response predictions; (v) rigorous validation of these predictions in genetically engineered mouse models and patient-derived xenografts. This integrated effort is expected to yield a number of combination therapies and companion-diagnostics biomarkers that will be further explored in our existing clinical trial networks.

  Study EGAS00001000655

• Base-excision repair pathway shapes 5-methylcytosine deamination signatures in pan-cancer genomes

  Transition of cytosine to thymine in CpG dinucleotides is the most frequent type of mutation in cancer. This increased mutability is commonly attributed to spontaneous deamination of 5-methylcytosine (5mC), which is normally repaired by the base-excision repair (BER) pathway. However, the contribution of 5mC deamination in the increasing diversity of cancer mutational signatures remains poorly explored. Here, we integrate mutational signatures analysis in a large series of tumor whole genomes with lineage-specific epigenomic data to draw a detailed view on 5mC deamination in cancer. We uncover tumor type-specific patterns of 5mC deamination signatures in CpG and non-CpG contexts. We demonstrate that the BER glycosylase MBD4 preferentially binds to open chromatin domains, which correlates with lower mutational burden in these domains. We validate our findings by modelling BER deficiencies in isogenic cell models. Overall, we establish MBD4 as the main actor responsible for 5mC deamination repair in humans.

  Study EGAS50000000536

• Genome-Wide Predictors of Treatment-Related Toxicities in SWOG S0221 Trial

  When undergoing treatment for breast cancer, many women experience severe side effects, some of which result in treatment-related death and some that can persist for years. Little is understood regarding factors that may predict drug toxicities. Pharmacogenetics, the investigation of variants in candidate genes in drug metabolism pathways, has been used to determine susceptibility to treatment-related toxicities, as well as to cancer recurrence. Although there have been some strong and important findings using this approach, such as identification of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that predispose to side effects associated with thiopurines and irinotecan, there has been less progress in assessment of genetic variants that predispose to toxicities resulting from the multi-drug regimen commonly used to treat breast cancer, anthracyclines (A), cyclophosphamide (C), and taxanes (T). These difficulties in identification of key gene variants may be due to the complex metabolic pathways of these drugs, the lack of rate limiting enzymes in the processes, or the limitations of single SNP analysis, rather than capturing all of the variability across the genes. In addition to drug metabolism pathways, however, there may be a number of constitutional factors or other processes that affect damage to normal tissues in the course of chemotherapy, some known or hypothesized, such as DNA repair and oxidative stress pathways, and others not yet discovered. However, there have been no clear candidate genes that account for a large part of the variation in drug or treatment response, and there are likely important genes that influence sensitivity of cells to chemotherapy through unknown pathways which have not yet been identified or hypothesized. The present technological capabilities to screen the entire genome for variants that discriminate populations allows the opportunity to identify these as yet unknown pathways, and open the doors to exciting new avenues of research into mechanisms that had not been previously considered. We conducted a genome-wide scan (GWAS) in a clinical trial (S0221), in which women with high risk breast cancer were treated with different dosing schedules of C, A and T. Blood specimens were collected and banked, and DNA extracted for genotyping on the Illumina OMNI 1M platform. The GWAS data were used to examine genetic variants significantly associated with grades 3 and 4 toxicities, including peripheral neuropathy recorded during the T segment. In S0221, toxicities were graded according to the NCI Common Toxicity Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE). The neurotoxicity is predominantly a distal sensory neuropathy, which is characterized by pain, numbness, tingling, and reduced functional capacity in the extremities. Other symptoms include parasthesias, ataxia, impaired vibration and joint position sense, and loss of tendon reflexes. By using a GWAS approach, it is likely that important pathways not previously considered can be revealed as important in susceptibility to treatment-related toxicities, identifying those at greatest risk for alternate drugs or dose reduction, and opening new areas of research for prevention of taxanes-related neuropathy among patients receiving chemotherapy for breast cancer.

  Study phs001428

• Genetics and therapeutic responses to TIL therapy of pancreatic cancer PDX models

  Pancreatic cancer is the 7th leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Checkpoint immunotherapy has not yet showed encouraging results in pancreatic cancer possibly owing to a poor immunogenicity and/or an immune suppressive microenvironment. The aim of this study was to develop patient-derived xenografts (PDX) models and to assess if autologous tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) would have anti-tumoral activity in pancreatic cancer. Tumor biopsies from 29 patients were subcutaneously transplanted into NOG mice. Tumor growths were confirmed in 11 out of 29 transplantations. The PDX tumors histologically resembled their original biopsies, but since stromal cells in the PDX model tumors were from mouse, their gene expression differed from the original biopsies. Immune checkpoint ligands other than PD-L1 were expressed in pancreatic cancers but PD-L1 was rarely expressed. One of the three tumors that did express PD-L1 was an adenosquamous cancer and another had a mismatch repair deficiency. TILs were expanded from six tumors and were injected into NOG or human interleukin-2 transgenic-NOG (hIL2-NOG) mice carrying PDX tumors. Regression of tumors could be verified in hIL2-NOG mice in 3 of the 6 PDX models treated with autologous TILs, including the adenosquamous PDX model. In conclusion, PDX models of pancreatic cancer can be used to learn more about tumor characteristics and biomarkers, and to evaluate responses to ACT and combination therapies. The major benefit of the model is that modifications of T cells can be tested in an autologous humanized mouse model to gain preclinical data to support the initiation of a clinical trial.

  Study EGAS00001005596

• Loss of SDHB promotes dysregulated iron homeostasis, oxidative stress and sensitivity to ascorbate

  Succinate dehydrogenase is a key enzyme in the tricarboxylic acid cycle and the electron transport chain. All four subunits of succinate dehydrogenase are tumor suppressor genes predisposing to paraganglioma, but only mutations in the SDHB subunit are associated with increased risk of metastasis. Here we generated an Sdhd knockout chromaffin cell line and compared it to Sdhb-deficient cells. Both cell types exhibited similar SDH loss of function, metabolic adaptation, and succinate accumulation. In contrast, Sdhb-/- cells showed hallmarks of mesenchymal transition associated with increased DNA hypermethylation and a stronger pseudo-hypoxic phenotype compared to Sdhd-/- cells. Loss of SDHB specifically led to increased oxidative stress associated with dysregulated iron and copper homeostasis in the absence of NRF2 activation. High-dose ascorbate exacerbated the increase in mitochondrial reactive oxygen species, leading to cell death in Sdhb-/- cells. These data establish a mechanism linking oxidative stress to iron homeostasis that specifically occurs in SDHB deficient cells and may promote metastasis. They also highlight high-dose ascorbate as a promising therapeutic strategy for SDHB-related cancers.

  Study EGAS00001005279

• Spit for Science

  Spit for Science™ is a university-wide research opportunity with the scientific goal of understanding how genetic and environmental factors come together to influence substance use and emotional health across the college years and beyond. To address this goal, we have comprehensively and longitudinally studied eligible incoming freshmen (18 years or older) from a diverse urban university, assessing a wide range of risk and protective factors, including both biological susceptibility and environmental risk, and a variety of outcome measures, particularly alcohol use and other substances, and difficulties with emotional health. Our goal is to assess how risk and protective factors dynamically interact to contribute to behavior health outcomes over time and plan to use findings from the project to inform prevention and intervention efforts and aid in university policy and programming in ways that can support and promote student success. Methods: In the fall of their freshman year, first-time college students over the age of 18 are invited to complete an online survey containing broad questions about personality and behavior, as well as family, friends, and experiences growing up. Students can also provide a saliva sample and participate in the DNA component of the project (participation in the DNA component is not a requirement for participation in the survey). Each subsequent spring students are asked to complete a follow-up survey, enabling researchers to study patterns of substance use and emotional health across the college years.

  Study phs001754

• Acquisition of additional mutations drives accelerated progression of NPM1 positive CMML to AML

  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/ We performed exome sequencing on serial samples from a patient with CMML who progressed to AML. The exome sequencing suggests that NPM1, TET2 and DNMT3a mutations were present in the dominant clone in the CMML sample and that NRAS is a new subclonal mutation in the AML sample. Diagnostic data shows the presence of a FLT3-ITD mutation in the AML sample, which is likely to have driven progression. Here we are performing re-sequencing of the putative driver and some passenger mutations which appear to be in the same clone to validate these mutations and to verify the relative quantification of these abnormalities .

  Dataset EGAD00001002194

• Field Studies of Human Immunity to Amebiasis in Bangladesh

  Amebiasis is a common cause of diarrhea and is associated with malnutrition in grade-school aged children in an urban slum of Dhaka, Bangladesh. Field Studies of Human Immunity to Amebiasis in Bangladesh was designed to determine the contribution of amebiasis to illness in the first 2 years of life when most deaths due to diarrhea occur, and understand the immunologic and genetic factors that protect children from amebiasis. The hypothesis underlying the study is that susceptibility to amebiasis is determined by host innate and acquired immune responses that vary between individuals in part due to: human genetic polymorphisms; environmental influences including malnutrition and concurrent geohelminth infection; and virulence differences among Entamoeba histolytica genotypes. Specific aims proposed in the design of the study were to: a) Measure the incidence of amebiasis and correlate it with human and parasite genetic polymorphisms, immune responses, and environmental factors such as geohelminth infection and malnutrition; b) Test the hypothesis that protective immunity is mediated both by innate immune responses initiated via TLR stimulation as well as by mucosal IgA against the Gal/GalNAc lectin and systemic IFN-γ; c) Test for the association of common genetic polymorphisms in host innate and acquired immune genes with incidence of amebiasis. 629 newborn babies were enrolled and followed regularly through bi-weekly surveillance for diarrheal episodes, anthropometry at 3-month interval until 60 months of age. The infants that were consented for GWAS analysis were genotyped in 3 separate batches at different times, on 3 different arrays. Quality control was performed on the 3 separate data sets and then jointly after merging. Genetic data available on 447 infants together with their phenotype data is made available in this submission.

  Study phs001476

• ADAGESIII: Contribution of genotype to glaucoma phenotype in African Americans

  Glaucoma results in vision loss due to damage of the optic nerve that is irreversible if undetected or untreated. The most common form of glaucoma is primary open angle glaucoma (POAG). While glaucoma affects all races, persons of African descent are disproportionately affected; studies show African-Americans (AAs) are about four to five times more likely than Caucasian Americans to develop the disease. Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness in Americans of African descent, and the second leading cause in all Americans. The lack of understanding about the etiology of POAG impedes our ability to identify and treat it early in its development. Evidence of genetic contribution in the pathogenesis of POAG is well established. Since POAG tends to run in families, it is critical to identify the genetic basis of the disease in order to develop effective therapies for early intervention. While genome wide association studies (GWAS) for glaucoma have been completed for Caucasian populations, evidence from other studies suggests that a GWAS of glaucoma specific genes to the African-American population will yield unique and important findings for both this population and for glaucoma in general. A better understanding of the relationship among the stage of disease, the rate of change, ancestry, and other important risk factors being tracked in the ongoing African Descent and Glaucoma Study (ADAGES) will allow us to evaluate the relationship between genetics, visual loss and structural damage in this high-risk cohort. The scientific plan for this new study focuses on glaucoma in ∼2058 African-Americans by detailed phenotyping of new subjects, acquisition of samples from both new and established previously phenotyped study subjects for a repository, establishment of a data coordinating center, and genome wide association studies. The recruitment, enrollment, and phenotyping of both established and new subjects occurs at five clinical centers, University of California (UCSD), New York Eye and Ear Infirmary (Mt Sinai) and Columbia University Medical Center, a private practice in the Atlanta area, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and the Robert Cizik Eye Clinic in Houston, TX. UCSD is also the location for the Data Coordinating Center and the Repository with Robert N. Weinreb as Principal Investigator. LA BioMed at Harbor-UCLA did the genotyping with a GWAS panel of ∼1 million single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) using the Illumina MEGA array under the direction of Jerome Rotter, Ida Chen, and Kent Taylor.

  Study phs001673

• Impact of Race and Genetic Factors on Beta Blocker Effectiveness in Heart Failure

  Heart Failure (HF) continues to be an enormous public health problem, despite the many advances in its pharmacotherapy over the past 25 years. The availability of multiple therapeutic options for HF requires individualization of therapy. However, there are currently insufficient tools to guide the optimal selection of therapy. The expansion of human genomic information has led to exciting new opportunities to improve the selection of drug therapy. In order to evaluate whether genetic variation impacts outcomes and drug response in heart failure, we performed a cohort study of patients with heart failure. Our overall plan was to recruit patients who have heart failure and receive treatment through HAP-HFMG. This allowed us to collect clinical outcomes, and quantify medication adherence via electronic pharmacy claims data. We collected whole blood samples for genetic analysis. We then tested whether genetic variants can predict patient outcomes (survival) in the context of their medical therapy (drug exposure). The primary medications of interest were beta blockers. Outcomes were modeled overall, accounting for the amount of exposure to the agent, and adjusting for baseline characteristics.

  Study phs001501

• Patient Microbiome and Surgical Site Infection in Spine Surgery

  Single center, prospective cohort study on the contribution of the preoperative patient microbiome and resistome to surgical site infection (SSI) and resistance to surgical antibiotic prophylaxis in spine surgery. The samples in this entry comprise a subset of patients for whom paired preoperative microbiome samples and postoperative wound culture isolates were obtained. These samples were analyzed by Illumina-based sequencing of metagenomic libraries enriched for the SSI pathogen of interest using the GenCap-Seq methodology (PMID: 36121157) to identify instances of endogenous infection with strains present in the preoperative microbiome.

  Study phs003358

• Whole-genome Sequencing Suggests Mechanisms for 22q11.2 deletion-associated Parkinson’s disease

  Objectives: To investigate disease risk mechanisms of early-onset Parkinson’s disease (PD) associated with the recurrent 22q11.2 deletion, a genetic risk factor for early-onset PD. Methods: In a proof-of-principle study, we used whole-genome sequencing (WGS) to investigate sequence variants in nine adults with 22q11.2DS, three with neuropathologically confirmed early-onset PD and six without PD. Adopting an approach used recently to study schizophrenia in 22q11.2DS, here we tested candidate gene-sets relevant to PD. Results: No mutations common to the cases with PD were found in the intact 22q11.2 region. While all were negative for rare mutations in a gene-set comprising PD disease-causing and risk genes, another candidate gene-set of 1000 genes functionally relevant to PD presented a nominally significant (P=0.03) enrichment of rare putatively damaging missense variants in the PD cases. Polygenic score results, based on common variants associated with PD risk, were non-significantly greater in those with PD. Conclusions: The results of this first-ever pilot study of WGS in PD suggest that the cumulative burden of genome-wide sequence variants may contribute to expression of early-onset PD in the presence of threshold-lowering dosage effects of a 22q11.2 deletion. We found no evidence that expression of PD in 22q11.2DS is mediated by a recessive locus on the intact 22q11.2 chromosome or mutations in known PD genes. These findings offer initial evidence of the potential effects of multiple within-individual rare variants on the expression of PD and the utility of next generation sequencing for studying the etiology of PD.

  Study EGAS00001002275

• All you need to know about our new DAC Portal

  With the DAC Portal, it is possible to streamline the process of managing access to sensitive data, ensuring that researchers have the necessary resources to advance scientific discovery while maintaining the highest standards of data protection and privacy. We know that, as a new tool, its first use can be complex. For this reason, in this article we will try to show all the elements of interest. Enjoy! Credentials: who needs to create a new user to access the DAC Portal and who doesn't? Only new users (since September the 12th) need to create an EGA account to access the DAC Portal. The EGA team went one step ahead by creating EGA accounts for former DAC members to login to the DAC Portal. These accounts are linked to the personal email used in the DAC structure: To check the linked email, DAC members can paste the DAC ID right after this link: https://metadata.ega-archive.org/dacs/ (e.g. https://metadata.ega-archive.org/dacs/EGAC00001002543) In case of password oblivion, it is possible to set a new one. All the process is channelled through the personal email. Some DAC members may be interested in updating the DAC email. This action can be done contacting our Helpdesk team. For the correct functioning of the DAC Portal, users must add the missing information of the DAC Profile. For a deeper dive, check out our documentation. The first step: knowing your workspace on the Portal Once logged in to the platform using the EGA User credentials, note the sections available: DACs and Policies. In the first one it is possible to check all user's registered DACs by default. It provides a comprehensive overview of each DAC, including its EGA accessions (EGAC), title, status, and the number of data access requests associated with each DAC. Whereas the Policies section is where users can manage and view all their registered policies, along with their associated EGA accessions, links, and titles. A drop-down menu is available with shortcuts to the most useful pages in the top right corner. It is possible to check DACs and policies, as well as creating new ones. In this menu, users can also contact the Helpdesk team using the “Need Help?” section to make inquiries about DACs and policies. Comprehending the DACs list & making the most of all the features Colours are crucial in the DAC's section as they will indicate the user role and the status in every committee, namely: Yellow: you are the administrator of the DAC and have full control to add other contacts, modify the content, and manage data access requests. Orange: you are a member of the DAC and have the authority to manage data access requests but cannot make any changes to the content. Blue: you have been invited to join the DAC and need to either accept or decline the invitation. Grey: the DAC is currently pending validation by the EGA Helpdesk team. Red: the DAC has been declined by the EGA Helpdesk team. Discover more information on how to view the message from Helpdesk containing the declination reason or how to validate or reject a DAC invitation by taking the tour of the DAC Portal. How to create, register and edit a DAC Creating a DAC is an easy process that only requires users to complete the necessary information. After that, the EGA Helpdesk team will review the proposal and validate the proposal. Once the DAC is validated it is possible for authorised users with admin role to edit it at any time, ensuring that all information and contacts associated with the committee is accurate and up to date. Membership management is controlled by searching for the EGA user looking for their username, email, or organisation. Please, note that for a person's details to appear in this search engine, they must have registered as a EGA user. Data Access Committee administrators manage two types of permissions that apply to contacts: Main contact and Role. Both can be modified at any time: Main contact refers to the primary person we firstly contact for any inquiry about the DAC (please, note that we can contact all DAC members, and this refers to the person we will contact first). Role defines the actions that can be taken by each contact. There are two possible status, admin and member, details of which can be found in the Take the Tour. Keep in mind that, to save the modifications, it is always necessary to click on “Update”. Moreover, it is also possible to delete any contact in a DAC whenever it is needed. The data request process: how to manage access requests The data request process is now channelled through the EGA website. Once a user sends a request access, the petition will go directly to the DAC Portal profile of the DAC members liked to the requested dataset. Whenever a request is received, a sand clock symbol will be displayed next to the DAC responsible for the dataset involved. By clicking on the DAC, it is possible to discover more information about requester(s). In this section, DAC Portal users will also be able to modify the display of the data access requests. It is possible to group requests by dataset accession or username, depending on the user preferences. Additionally, it is possible to isolate specific requests by user or dataset. To accept a request, users must slide the button to the right. Once the button turns green, it signifies that the request is accepted; the requester will be granted access to the requested dataset. To make lives easier, we have implemented a “Select all” button to easily accept or revoke multiple requests at once. To decline requests, it is necessary to slide the button to the left. A red button means the requester will not be granted access to the dataset. The DAC Portal will always ask to submit the reason why the data access was denied. Please, note that any decision, grant or denial, must be confirmed clicking the "Apply" button. This will update the status of the request and notify the requester accordingly. Taking control of the activity in the DAC Portal: checking the requests history The History button is a useful feature that allows users to access a list of all the requests that have been granted. This is especially useful for auditing purposes, as it enables to keep track of who has been granted access to the data and when. To facilitate control for those users with several requests we have included a filtering option. It allows to filter requests by user, mail, dataset, EGA ID, and date (these are combinable to boost the search). Don't forget about policies: creation, management, and update Similarly to the DACs section, in the Policies one users can manage and view all their registered policies. By clicking on any policy, it is possible to view its details as well as making any necessary updates or modifications. The sheets symbol and its adjacent number indicate the quantity of objects using a policy. By clicking in the location symbol users will go directly to the DAC page on the DAC Portal to see more information about that DAC. DAC Portal users can create new policies. The first step requires to link the policy to a registered DAC. After defining the title, users can either add a link to an external URL containing terms & conditions or write the policy content directly on the DAC Portal. Keep in mind that both options can be included. Data Use Ontology (DUO) codes can be added to new policies. These codes are used to specify the permitted and prohibited uses of the data. Please, note that some of them require a modifier to provide additional specificity. Find out more by checking out this specific content on the DAC Portal Tour. Policies can be modified at any given time by clicking on one registered policy, which will display the current information.

  Blog new-dac-portal

• GDAP___Genome_Diversity_in_Africa_Project

  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/

  Study EGAS00001003602

• Healthy_ageing_thymus

  Single cell RNA sequencing of immune and non-immune cells from healthy ageing thymus Thymus is a primary lymphoid organ that creates an environment for the T lymphocyte precursors differentiation into the naive T cells, which involves TCR gene rearrangement, negative and positive selection. Despite thymus critical function for the recognition of the pathogens it starts to atrophy very early in life. Thymic Epithelial Space (TES), where thymocyte education occurs, starts to decline rapidly just after birth, while with the onset of puberty thymus is also progressively replaced with adipose tissue. This leads to a reduced naive T cell output,which decreases an organism's ability to recognize pathogens. In our lab, we have already collected and characterized cell type composition and gene regulatory networks of the fetal tand adult human thymus (Park et al, Science 2020). In the current project we plan to expand the number of paediatric and adult samples in the study with the aim to understand how the process of thymic involution happens. We will use single-cell transcriptomics to zoom on changes that occur in immune and non-immune cell types in different phases of thymic involution with the hope to understand which gene expression changes are causal for the thymic involution process and how naïve T cell production can be increased in elderly. 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 EGAS00001004311

• Public Access Defibrillation Community Trial (PAD)(PAD-BioLINCC)

  Data Access NOTE: Please refer to the “Authorized Access” section below for information about how access to the data from this accession differs from many other dbGaP accessions. Objectives The Public Access Defibrillation (PAD) Community Trial sought to evaluate broad implementation of Public Access Defibrillators (PAD) in urban community units. Survival to hospital discharge of participants with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest was the main outcome measure. Survival was compared in community units (e.g., apartment or office buildings, gated communities, sports venues, senior centers, shopping malls) served by non-medical responders trained in CPR and use of automated external defibrillators (AEDs), to units receiving the traditional optimum community standard of care (i.e., rescuers trained to recognize a cardiac emergency, call 911, and initiate CPR). Background Sudden out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OOH-CA) remains a significant cause of death, in spite of recent declines in overall mortality from cardiovascular disease. Existing methods of emergency resuscitation are inadequate due to time delays inherent in transporting trained responders with defibrillation capabilities to the side of the OOH-CA victim. Existing Emergency Medical Services (EMS) systems typically combine paramedic Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) services with some level of community involvement, such as bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training. Some communities include automated external defibrillators (AEDs) at isolated sites or in mobile police or fire vehicles. Such an approach typically varies in effectiveness, with an incremental improvement in effectiveness seen in communities that organize and integrate services with the existing EMS system. However, optimal improvement in survival from sudden OOH-CA may require a program that utilizes volunteer non-medical responders (who may not have a traditional duty to respond to an emergency) trained to use AEDs. Participants The PAD trial was a prospective, randomized community based trial. More than 19,000 volunteer responders from 993 community units in 24 North American regions participated. The two study arms had similar unit and volunteer characteristics. Participants with treated out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in the two groups were similar in age (mean: 69.8 years), proportion of men (67 perecnt), rate of cardiac arrest in a public location (70 percent), and rate of witnessed cardiac arrest (72 percent). Conclusions Community units with volunteers trained in CPR and AEDs had significantly more participants surviving to hospital discharge than units with volunteers trained to use CPR only. There were 30 survivors among 128 definite cardiac arrests in the CPR+AED units and 15 survivors among 107 definite cardiac arrests in the CPR only units (p = 0.03). Serious adverse effects were rarely reported. No volunteers received inadvertent shocks, and no participants were shocked unnecessarily. AED maintenance problems were infrequent. A few participating volunteers reported severe stress related to responding to emergency situations. Although residential complexes represented 16% of the units and 29% of the treatable cardiac arrests, only 5% of the survivors were from residential complexes. Such information should be helpful for individual facilities that are considering implementing PAD programs. (NEJM 2004; 351:637-46).

  Study phs003858

• Heritable pulmonary arterial hypertension - new genetic findings and environmental triggers

  Whole exome seqeuncing data were analysed for a total of 13 family members of five heritable pulmonary arterial hypertension (HPAH) families to identify a disease causing variant. In a first step, variants only present in affected family members and absent in healthy relatives of the respective family were selected. Subseqeuntly, due to incomplete penetrance of genes in PAH, the analysis was extended to variants present both in affected and healthy individuals. Heterozygous variants were primarily investigated followed by homozygous, compound heterozygous, and bi-allelic variants of interest. This study led to the identification of rare deleterious variants in three out of five families.

  Study EGAS50000001275

• Whole-Genome Sequencing Suggests Schizophrenia Risk Mechanisms in Humans with 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome

  Chromosome 22q11.2 microdeletions impart a high but incomplete risk for schizophrenia. Possible mechanisms include genome-wide effects of DGCR8 haploinsufficiency. In a proof-of-principle study to assess the power of this model, we used high-quality, whole-genome sequencing of nine individuals with 22q11.2 deletions and extreme phenotypes (schizophrenia, or no psychotic disorder at age >50 years). The schizophrenia group had a greater burden of rare, damaging variants impacting protein-coding neurofunctional genes, including genes involved in neuron projection (nominal P = 0.02, joint burden of three variant types). Variants in the intact 22q11.2 region were not major contributors. Restricting to genes affected by a DGCR8 mechanism tended to amplify between-group differences. Damaging variants in highly conserved long intergenic noncoding RNA genes also were enriched in the schizophrenia group (nominal P = 0.04). The findings support the 22q11.2 deletion model as a threshold-lowering first hit for schizophrenia risk. If applied to a larger and thus better-powered cohort, this appears to be a promising approach to identify genome-wide rare variants in coding and noncoding sequence that perturb gene networks relevant to idiopathic schizophrenia. Similarly designed studies exploiting genetic models may prove useful to help delineate the genetic architecture of other complex phenotypes.

  Study EGAS00001002344