Search Results - EGA European Genome-Phenome Archive

Within the framework of the NCI-sponsored Cohort Consortium, investigators from 12 prospective epidemiologic cohorts formed the Pancreatic Cancer Cohort Consortium in 2006. This study, also known as "PanScan", is funded by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and involves conducting a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of common genetic variants to identify markers of susceptibility to pancreatic cancer. In 2007, the study was expanded to include 8 case-control studies. The study team includes scientists from the cohorts comprising the Consortium, the NCI and the Pancreatic Cancer Case Control Consortium (PanC4). PanScan I and II were conducted in 12 cohort studies and 8 case-control studies, leading to the discovery of four novel regions in the genome associated with risk for pancreatic adenocarcinoma. The third phase of PanScan (PanScan III) was conducted using recently identified incident pancreatic cancer cases drawn from fourteen cohorts from the cohort consortium, including nine prospective cohorts who participated in PanScan I, and five newly joined cohorts. The nine cohort studies that participated in PanScan I and had new genotyping of cases in PanScan III include ATBC, CPS-II, EPIC, HPFS, NHS, PHS, PLCO, SMWHS, and WHI; the five newly joined cohort studies include the Agricultural Health Study (AHS), the Multiethnic Cohort Study (MEC), the Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study (MCCS), the Vitamins and Lifestyle Study (VITAL), and Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial (SELECT). In addition to the cases from cohorts, we also included cases from the Gastrointestinal Cancer Clinic of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Study (DFCI-GCC); from the University Hospital in Heidelberg, Germany, which is part of a larger European clinical case-control study (PANDoRA); and from clinic-based cases from eastern Spain (PANKRAS-II). The dbGaP datasets available include all subjects previously made available from PanScan I and II, plus 1,582 new incident pancreatic cancer cases of European descent from prospective cohorts, case-control studies or case series (genotyped as part of PanScan III). Also included are 61 pancreatic cancer cases and 67 control subjects from PanScan I as well as 173 pancreatic cancer cases from PanScan III of Asian ancestry from the Shanghai Men's and Women's Health Study (Supplemental Table 10, Wolpin et al. (Nat Genet, 2014)). The control population used in the analysis for the Wolpin et al. manuscript included cancer-free individuals from the prospective cohorts that contributed pancreatic cancer cases to PanScan III and controls from the Spanish Bladder Cancer SBC/EPICURO study that were previously genotyped using the OmniExpress, Omni 1M or Omni 2.5M SNP arrays. The data from these control subjects were posted to dbGaP under the GWAS in which they were initially genotyped and will not be made available in duplicate under this dbGaP study.The summary statistics for PanScan I-III were generated as detailed in Wolpin BM. et al., Genome-wide association study identifies multiple susceptibility loci for pancreatic cancer, Nature Genetics 2014; 46(9):994-1000 (https://www.nature.com/articles/ng.3052), and Klein, A. et al., Genome-wide meta-analysis identifies five new susceptibility loci for pancreatic cancer, Nature Communications, 2018;9(1):556 (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-018-02942-5). The dataset includes results from an association study of 5,117 individuals diagnosed with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and 8,845 control individuals, or a total of 13,962 subjects of European ancestry (as compared to the genotype and phenotype information under this project that includes 9,437 individuals (PanScan I and II PDAC case and control individuals and PanScan III PDAC cases only). This is due to the fact that PanScan III “borrowed” GWAS data from control individuals genotyped separately from the PanScan GWAS project and are therefore not included as raw genotypes in phs000206.v5.p3. Association analysis was performed separately for PanScan I-II and PanScan III, followed by a meta-analysis of the two datasets. Results were filtered based on a minor allele frequency (MAF) < 0.01, an imputation INFO score < 0.3 and a heterogeneity P-value < 1x10-10 leaving a total of 9,758,390 variants. Columns in the summary statistics dataset are as follows: ID: variant rsIDChr: chromosome numberPosition: position in the chromosome, genome build GRCh37/hg19MarkerName: variant identifierAllele1: reference alleleAllele2: alternative alleleFreq1: allele frequency for allele2FreqSE: standard error of the allele frequencyMinFreq: the minimal allele frequency across studiesMaxFreq: the max allele frequency across studiesEffect: effect size for allele2StdErr: standard errorP-value: meta-analysis p-valueDirection: summary of effect direction for each studyHetISq: I^2 statistic which measures heterogeneity on scale of 0-100%HetChiSq: chi-squared statistic in simple test of heterogeneityHetDf: degrees of freedom for heterogeneity statisticHetPVal: P-value for heterogeneity statistic

Study phs000206

Center for Common Disease Genomics [CCDG] - Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) - Global Microbiome Conservancy Host Exomes

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. The window of opportunity to characterize human microbiome diversity is closing rapidly. Human gut microbial diversity is diminishing around the globe, due to the spread of Westernized 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" as a long-term safeguard against future extinctions. The National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) has funded a collaborative large-scale genome sequencing effort to comprehensively identify rare risk and protective variants contributing to multiple common disease phenotypes. Called the Centers for Common Disease Genomics (CCDG), this initiative will explore a range of diseases with the ultimate goal of: Undertaking variant discovery for enough different examples of disease architectures and study designs to better understand the general principles of the genomic architecture underlying common, complex inherited diseases. Understanding how best to design rare variant studies for common disease. Developing resources, informatics tools, and innovative approaches and technologies for multiple disease research communities and the wider biomedical research community. The initial focus of the CCDGs will be in cardiovascular disease (early-onset coronary artery disease, atrial fibrillation, hemorrhagic stroke), neuropsychiatric disease (epilepsy, autism), and autoimmune/inflammatory disease (type 1 diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease). The Broad Institute is one of four selected CCDG project centers. Both exome and genotyping information of GMbC participants will help understanding how recruited human populations are structured and genetically related. This human genetic structure will be analyzed in light of gut microbiome compositional and genomic differences to illuminate associations between specific microbiome traits and human groups and the evolutionary processes involved in the co-evolution of human hosts and their gut microbiome. It will also provide variant information for critical genes shaping the composition of microbiomes, such as genes involved in innate and adaptive immunity (e.g. antimicrobial peptides) or in the regulation of the immune response (e.g. Nod2). Association studies between specific variants in these genes and microbiome features will be performed, which will then be validated with in vitro and in vivo experiments. Human data from GMbC cohorts will also increase the genetic diversity of human populations, providing additional variant information for many susceptible loci that were found to be associated with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. The whole genome sequencing data generated is comprised of samples from diverse and indigenous populations. Raw sequencing data, metadata, vcf and phenotype data at the individual level for a subset of the cohort's samples are available at https://anvilproject.org/data. For questions about availability, contact help@lists.anvilproject.org. Microbiome data for the samples sequenced in this study can be found in phs002235 Global Microbiome Conservancy Sequence Data.

Study phs002205

Trial of Late Surfactant for Prevention of Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia: A Study in Ventilated Preterm Infants Receiving Inhaled Nitric Oxide (TOLSURF-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: To assess whether late surfactant treatment in extremely low gestational age newborn (ELGAN, ≤28 week gestation) infants requiring ventilation at 7-14 days safely improves survival without bronchopulmonary dysplasia.Background: Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is the most common form of chronic lung disease in children with an estimated 15,000 new cases annually in the United States. BPD affects infants born prematurely, is a major contributor to the cost of prematurity each year, and is associated with long-term pulmonary disability, neurodevelopmental abnormalities and death.Increases in the survival of ELGAN infants have resulted in another form of BPD, which is characterized by impaired alveolar and microvascular development with excess tone and reactivity of airway smooth muscle. Despite treatments to enhance lung maturation, premature infants often need prolonged intubation and mechanical ventilation and/or oxygen support. When mechanical ventilation is required longer than 7 days, BPD results in 70% of surviving ELGAN infants. Most of these infants experience clinical episodes of increased requirement for ventilatory support that are associated with dysfunctional surfactant, which is primarily due to low surfactant protein B (SP-B). In pilot studies of late surfactant treatment in premature infants, there was short-term improvement in SP-B content. These prior studies provided the rationale for a larger clinical trial for later doses of surfactant treatment to prevent episodes of respiratory decompensation and BPD. Participants: 511 infants were eligible for randomization of the 2693 infants screened. Of the 511 infants eligible for randomization, there were 252 infants allocated to the treatment arm and 259 infants allocated to the placebo arm.Design: The study was designed to assess the effect of late doses of surfactant on survival without BPD at 36 weeks post menstrual age (PMA) in ELGAN infants who required intubation and mechanical ventilation between 7 and 14 days of age and were receiving Inhaled nitric oxide (iNO). Infants were stratified within clinical centers and gestational age groups and randomized to treatment with calfactant, a natural surfactant extracted from bovine lung lavage fluid, or a sham procedure.All infants received iNO according to the protocol used in the Nitric Oxide Chronic Lung Disease (NOCLD) trial. A masked syringe containing either a standard dose of calfactant for the treatment group, or air for the placebo group, was administered to the infant behind a screen by staff not involved in providing the infant's clinical care. Monitor and ventilator alarms were turned off during dosing to avoid unblinding of clinical staff. To accommodate research staff availability and infant instability, the dosing interval was not strictly set but could be repeated every 24 – 72 hours up to 5 doses if the infant still required intubation. Dosing could be discontinued by physician request or parental withdrawal from the study. Due to parental preference, the first infant in a multiple birth was randomized according to the randomization schedule and subsequent infants were assigned to the same treatment group. Follow-up to assess pulmonary and neurologic development continued until 2 years of age, with treatment group blinding maintained. The primary outcome was survival without BPD at 36 weeks PMA. Secondary outcomes included BPD at 40 weeks PMA, pulmonary outcome at 12–24 months of age, and neurodevelopmental outcome at 2 years of age. Conclusions: There were no significant differences observed between the treatment group and the control group for survival without BPD at 36 weeks or 40 weeks.

Study phs003899

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

Federated EGA

Federated EGA Federated EGA Index Overview Map of FEGA status across the world Current status of the FEGA Network Documentation Overview Federated EGA is a global network of repositories enabling secure discovery and access to sensitive human data. Our vision is to accelerate scientific discovery and healthcare breakthroughs by creating the go-to worldwide sensitive human data resource. Our values are: Privacy & Trust: Ensuring privacy of data subjects, security of services and acting with integrity to build community trust.FAIRness: Driving reuse of data through standardisation of metadata and clear access policies.Diversity: Expanding our network and representing global diversity in the data we host to bring benefits worldwide. Federated EGA - European by name, global by nature Federated EGA collaborates with European and global initiatives (GA4GH, ELIXIR, 1+ Million Genomes Framework, GDI), demonstrating that a network for transnational discovery of and access to human data is possible. By providing a solution to emerging challenges around secure and efficient management of human omics and associated data, the FEGA Network fosters data reuse, enables reproducibility, and accelerates biomedical research. For general enquiries or to request more information about Federated EGA, please send an email to fega-info [at] lists [dot] ega-archive [dot] org. Read more about the Federated EGA in our commentary in Nature Genetics! Learn more about joining the Federated EGA Network in our onboarding documentation. Map of FEGA status across the world Current status of the FEGA Network Node Description Joined CEGA Central EGA is managed by the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG) and EMBL-EBI. The EGA has been a trusted repository for sensitive data since 2008. CEGA coordinates the FEGA network, hosts central services and the EGA catalogue. 2022 Finland FEGA Finland is hosted by CSC - IT Center for Science Ltd., which is the national ELIXIR Node in Finland. CSC is a state-owned company specialising in providing high-quality IT infrastructure and services for Finnish higher education and research. 2022 Germany The German Human Genome-Phenome archive (GHGA) is part of the German National Research Data Infrastructure (NFDI). It is coordinated by the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and includes over 20 academic partners. 2022 Norway FEGA Norway is a service by ELIXIR Norway, the Norwegian node of the European organisation ELIXIR. University of Oslo as a partner institution in ELIXIR Norway is hosting the service relying on the TSD infrastructure for sensitive data. ELIXIR Norway is a consortium of 5 Norwegian universities and is coordinated by University of Bergen. 2022 Spain FEGA Spain is co-hosted by the Barcelona Supercomputer Center (BSC) and the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), both part of ELIXIR Spain and the Spanish National Infrastructure for Personalised Medicine associated with Science and Technology (IMPaCT). 2022 Sweden FEGA Sweden is hosted by the National Bioinformatics Infrastructure Sweden (NBIS), which legally is part of Uppsala University. NBIS forms the bioinformatics platform at SciLifeLab and constitutes the Swedish node of the European organisation ELIXIR. 2022 Poland FEGA Poland is hosted by Biobank Lodz, which is part of University of Lodz. Biobank Lodz is an element of the infrastructure of the Regional Digital Medicine Centers established by the Medical Research Agency. 2022 Portugal FEGA Portugal is managed by BioData.pt, the distributed infrastructure for Life and Health data for Portugal. This entity is a non-profit association of 15 life sciences R&I organisations spread across the country, and the home of ELIXIR Node in Portugal. 2023 Canada Canadian Genome-phenome Archive is part of the Pan Canadian Genome Library, with the mandate to allow the secure and responsible sharing and analysis of Canadian genomic information. 2024 Switzerland Swiss FEGA is hosted by SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, which is the national ELIXIR Node in Switzerland, on behalf of the Swiss FEGA Partnership which includes 4 other key partners (ETH Zurich, Health 2030 Genome Center, Swiss Data Science Center and Switch). 2025 Documentation Title Version Description Mission, vision, values Federated EGA Mission, vision, values 1.0 The official Mission-Vision-Values statement for FEGA, produced and formally approved by the FEGA Strategic Committee in September 2025. Structure and Organisation Federated EGA Structure and Organisation 2.0 The structure of the FEGA network and service expectations, responsibilities and commitments. FEGA is organised into three tiers: Central EGA, FEGA Nodes and FEGA Affiliates. Strategic Committee Federated EGA Strategic Committee 1.1 Terms of reference for the FEGA Strategic Committee describe the purpose and objectives of the committee, which is to provide direction and strategic planning for the FEGA network. The committee receives input from, and provides feedback for the EGA Strategic Committee. Operations Committee Federated EGA Operations Committee 1.1 Terms of reference for the FEGA Operations Committee describe the purpose and objectives of the committee, which is to review operational performance and coordinate technical roadmaps of FEGA Nodes and Central EGA. The committee receives advice from, and provides operational reporting to the FEGA Strategic Committee. Guidelines Federated EGA Node Operations Guidelines 2.1 An overview of the operational areas which require resources in order to create a FEGA Node. The document is based on more than 15 years' experience of EMBL-EBI and CRG operating the EGA and initial expericences of the inaugural FEGA Nodes. The operational areas of responsability are in line with the FEGA Maturity Model, which guides establishment and operation of FEGA Nodes. Collaboration Federated EGA Node Collaboration Agreement 1.3 Nodes are welcome to make a copy of this current version of the CA to start its review with their legal teams and understand the responsibilities of joining FEGA. Nevertheless, this version (the one with a watermark) shall not be signed: the official version needs to be obtained from FEGA prior to signing through its official channels. Federated EGA Affiliate Collaboration Agreement 1.0 Affiliates are welcome to make a copy of this current version of the CA to start its review with their legal teams and understand the responsibilities of joining FEGA. Nevertheless, this version (the one with a watermark) shall not be signed: the official version needs to be obtained from FEGA prior to signing through its official channels.

Documentation about/projects-and-funders/federated-ega

Brain Arteriovenous Malformation Genetics Study

The Predictors of Spontaneous Cerebral AVM Hemorrhage study was designed to identify genetic markers that predict adverse outcomes in brain arteriovenous malformation (BAVM) patients, examine race-ethnicity influences on BAVM hemorrhage risk, and use genome-wide association analysis to identify novel genetic predictors of AVM and hemorrhage using the Affymetrix GeneChip. We performed the first genome-wide association study (GWAS) (PMID: 26818729) of sporadic BAVM to investigate association of common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with risk of sporadic BAVM in the international, multicenter Genetics of Arteriovenous Malformation (GEN-AVM) consortium. The study included a Caucasian discovery cohort of 515 BAVM cases and 1,191 controls genotyped using Affymetrix genome-wide SNP arrays. The Phase 1 discovery cohort comprised of 338 BAVM cases (154 male) and 504 controls genotyped using the Affymetrix Genome-Wide Human SNP Array 6.0. The molecular data (individual genetic data) for the Phase 1 discovery cohort 338 BAVM cases (self-reported Caucasian) recruited at University of California, San Francisco, or Kaiser Permanente of Northern California (KPNC) are included in the dbGaP Study Report: Brain Arteriovenous Malformation Genetics Study, with the additional BAVM case phenotypic and sample attribute characteristics: sex, race, age at BAVM diagnosis, hemorrhagic presentation, BAVM size. Written informed consent was obtained from all participants and the study was approved by the respective Institutional Review Boards. The molecular dataset for this study in dbGaP is based on the genotypes obtained for the initial set of 906,600 SNPs for cases and controls called together using Birdseed v2 algorithm in Affymetrix Genotyping Console Software. The final QC'd dataset includes 717,335 markers as SNPs with MAF<0.01 or deviating from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (P<0.00001) in controls were excluded. After QC, the average genotyping call rate was 99%. The discovery phase GWAS identified 57 top BAVM-associated SNPs which were tested in a replication cohort including 608 BAVM cases and 744 controls. The molecular dataset for these 338 BAVM cases was also included in a report investigating common and rare genome-wide copy number variation for association with BAVM (PMID: 24098321), which included a total sample size of 371 sporadic Caucasian BAVM cases and 563 Caucasian controls. This study identified a CNV region on 1p36.13 (NBPF1 locus) that was significantly enriched with duplications in BAVM cases compared to controls, although this association did not replicate in an independent cohort of 184 sporadic BAVM cases and 182 controls. This resource will help researchers to better understand the genetic risk factors for BAVM and/or hemorrhage. These data may be applied to examine the genetic contributions to arteriovenous malformation, stroke, and related vascular disorders and may help generate hypotheses regarding the genetics of cerebrovascular disease.

Study phs002069

Kids First: Genomic Etiologies of CHARGE Syndrome, Related Conditions and Structural Anomalies

Developmental disorders with structural birth defects account for the majority of morbidity and mortality in children's hospitals, and the genetic bases of many clinical phenotypes remain unknown. Genetic testing for individuals with structural malformations has uncovered the basis of many such birth defects; however, many more cases remain unsolved, posing challenges for diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. Multiple anomaly conditions are particularly challenging to diagnose, since they often present with unique combinations of clinical features that vary widely between affected individuals, even in the same family. CHARGE Syndrome (Coloboma of the eye, Heart Defects, Atresia of the choanae, Retardation of growth and development, Genital abnormalities including pubertal delay and infertility, Ear abnormalities with deafness and vestibular disorders) is a multiple anomaly condition that affects a wide variety of organ systems. CHARGE Syndrome is caused in most cases by monoallelic pathogenic variants in CHD7, the gene encoding ATP-dependent helicase chromodomain DNA binding protein 7. Both de novo and inherited variants in CHD7 have been reported in CHARGE, and a growing number of families present with individuals who test positive for a pathogenic CHD7 variant yet exhibit only mild features. Similarly, individuals with CHARGE Syndrome often exhibit broad variability and reduced penetrance of clinical features, consistent with pleiotropic roles for CHD7 during development and/or additional genetic contributors or modifying alleles. Recent work has also implicated RERE, KMT2D, EP300, and PUF60 in having a role in CHARGE Syndrome.We hypothesize that (1) some cases of CHARGE are due to other genetic etiologies including oligogenicity, and (2) genetic modifiers contribute to the broad clinical variability and reduced penetrance of CHARGE features. To address these hypotheses, we have generated a cohort of 223 deeply clinically phenotyped individuals with CHARGE Syndrome and related disorders and structural anomalies who tested negative by chromosomal microarray, single gene sequencing, next generation panel sequencing, or exome sequencing. These individuals exhibit clinical CHARGE-like features including structural birth defects affecting craniofacial, ocular, neurosensory, brain, heart, mediastinal, renal, genitourinary, and skeletal organs. Our cohort includes these 223 individuals as well as affected and unaffected family members who consented to clinical and research genetic testing and donated blood samples for DNA and RNA isolation and sequencing. Building on this valuable cohort, we propose to use exome and genome sequencing to identify novel genetic etiologies of CHARGE and related developmental disorders for which alternative genetic tests have been inconclusive. Identification of novel pathogenic genetic variants and contributing modifier alleles within the coding and non-coding portion of the genome of these individuals will improve genetic diagnosis and provide important insights toward understanding the developmental mechanisms of structural birth defects.

Study phs002592

National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) Sjögren's International Collaborative Clinical Alliance (SICCA): Center for Inherited Disease Research (CIDR) Genome-Wide Genotyping

The Sjögren's International Collaborative Clinical Alliance (SICCA) is a multisite observational cohort study that recruited a large cohort of geographically diverse participants. Enrollment of participants began in late 2004 at five (one domestic and four international) sites, in which all groups used the same protocol-directed methods to provide uniform evaluations; collect oral, ocular, and rheumatologic data; and collect specimens. The sites were located at the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina; Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China; Rigshopitalet (formerly at Glostrup Hospital), Copenhagen, Denmark; Kanazawa Medical University, Ishikawa, Japan; King's College, London, UK (joined in 2007); and the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). In 2009, Aravind Eye Hospital, Madurai, India; Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD; and University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA were added as additional SICCA sites. UCSF is the coordinating center for SICCA. All specimens and data collected for SICCA are housed at UCSF. To facilitate the research focused on understanding the genetics of Sjögren'sSjögren's syndrome, high-density SNP genotype data and SICCA clinical information are being made available to the research community. This includes participants recruited from all SICCA research groups (RG). These participants (3,382), blood relatives (439), and unrelated healthy controls (25) had their whole blood or saliva sample (Oragene) extracted for DNA for the GWAS at the UCSF DNA Bank. Eighty eight percent of the participants are women, most are of European or Asian ancestry and the median age is 55. To assess potential batch effects when doing case-control comparisons using planned external controls, 30 DNA samples from each of three studies were genotyped with SICCA DNA samples: The Genetic Architecture of Smoking and Smoking Cessation - Collaborative Genetic Study of Nicotine Dependence (COGEND) - PI: Laura Bierut. NEI-Age-related disease study (AREDS) - Genetic Variation in Refractive Error Substudy - PI: Dwight Stambolian. Controls from the National Institute of Mental Health's (NIMH's) Human Genetics Initiative. Genome-Wide Association Study of Schizophrenia - PI: Pablo V. Gejman. Molecular Genetics of Schizophrenia - nonGAIN Sample (MGS_nonGAIN) - PI: Pablo V. Gejman. Genotyping was performed at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Inherited Disease Research (CIDR). Data quality control, dbGaP preparation and posting, and imputation to 1000 Genomes to increase SNP density was performed by the Center for Biomedical Statistics at the University of Washington. Data analysis was performed at UCSF using software PLINK, EIGENSOFT, and SNPTEST.

Study phs000672

Center for Oral Health Research in Appalachia (COHRA) Genomic Studies of Oral Health and Disease

The purpose of this project is to identify the genetic factors contributing to dental caries in children and adults. The datasets come from the Center for Oral Health Research in Appalachia (COHRA), which has the long-term goal of determining the sources of oral health disparities in a high risk, Northern Appalachian population so that effective preventive interventions can be designed and targeted. The Specific Aims of this project are to perform genome-wide association scans of dental caries of the (1) primary dentition in children, and (2) permanent dentition in adults, to identify novel risk variants and to replicate previously nominated risk variants. This project brings together samples from three cohorts: COHRA1 is a cross-sectional cohort comprising members of 862 northern Appalachian families; approximately 80% of the cohort has been previously genotyped by the Center for Inherited Disease Research with support from NIDCR using the Illumina Quad W array (see dbGaP Study Accession: phs000095.v3.p1). Dental SCORE is a cross-sectional cohort comprising approximately 550 unrelated individuals who underwent the same data collection protocol as COHRA1. COHRA2 is an ongoing longitudinal cohort that recruited approximately 1100 northern Appalachian women during pregnancy, and followed them and their children through their children's early childhood; the current project period will continue data collect though age 6 of the child. Phenotypes for this project were derived from intra-oral examinations performed by trained and calibrated research hygienists. In brief, each tooth was recorded as present or absent, and each surface of each present tooth was scored for evidence of decay. From these data, dental caries indices were generated. This project contains two phases of genotyping: (1) collection of exome SNP Chip data for the previously genotyped COHRA1 samples, and (2) collection of whole-genome SNP Chip data for the remaining COHRA1 samples and all Dental SCORE and COHRA2 samples. These data will support efforts to test hypotheses regarding the causal relationships of risk factors contributing to the unusually high rates of caries formation in the Appalachian population. Ultimately, these data may inform the development of an integrated model of caries risk, in which the effects of genetics, oral ecology, diet, and other environmental/psychosocial factors and behaviors are modeled in concert to explain the disparities, including the high rate of caries onset before age 6. The gene-mapping Aims of this project, which seek to identify the genetic factors that contribute to caries risk, are a requisite step in realizing this integrated model.

Study phs001591

Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) Formalin Fixed Paraffin Embedded (FFPE) Tissue Feasibility Study

Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) technologies are being used for detection of somatic mutations in tumors and studies of germline variation. However, most NGS studies used DNA isolated either from whole blood or fresh frozen tissue specimens. Meanwhile, the tissue specimens available from most National Cancer Institute (NCI) funded cohorts and the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) registries (http://seer.cancer.gov/biospecimen) are primarily formalin fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE). There are limited data, on a small number of FFPE tissue samples, which suggest NGS is feasible. Much less is known about the feasibility of these technologies for large scale studies or using older FFPE specimens (e.g. 5-30 years old). The SEER cancer registries cover approximately 28% of the United States population, providing high quality demographic, clinical, pathologic, and survival data. The SEER Residual Tissue Repository (RTR) program was established in 2003. The RTR maintains biospecimens obtained from three of SEER' population-based cancer registries: Iowa, Hawaii, and Los Angeles. Investigators at government, academic, and nonprofit institutions may apply to the program to obtain annotated FFPE tumor tissue specimens to study biomarkers, etiology, and other aspects with a population-based sample of cancer cases. The main objective of this project was to conduct a pilot study to determine whether the DNA obtained from archival FFPE tissue from 3 SEER Registries is of sufficient quality and quantity to conduct NGS. For Exome sequencing, sixty high-grade serous ovarian adenocarcinomas from FFPE tissues which were between 7 and 31 years old were obtained from three SEER registries. DNA was extracted, quantified, quality assessed, and subjected to whole exome sequencing. DNA extraction (yields and quality) and whole exome sequencing (depths of coverage and exome coverage obtained) results from this study will be presented. For RNA-sequencing, sixty-seven high-grade serous ovarian adenocarcinomas from FFPE tissues which were between 7 and 31 years old were obtained from three SEER registries. Total RNA was extracted, quantified, quality assessed, and subjected to whole transcriptome sequencing. Ultimately data derived from this analysis could serve as the basis for determining the utility of archival FFPE biospecimens for characterization and discovery projects utilizing NGS technologies instead of relying on frozen biospecimens.

Study phs000950

Genomics of Opioid Pharmacogenomics and Acute/Chronic Postsurgical Pain after Major Surgery in Children

Pain management after surgery is not optimal, partly due to great interindividual variability in pain perception and coping. This can lead to persistent pain beyond the healing period and disability. Up to two-thirds of the inter-individual variability results from genetic variations in pain perception as well as response to the pain medicine. The investigators aim to identify genomic (genetic/epigenetic), psychological and drug profiles contributing to this variability. Opioids are the mainstay for treatment of postoperative pain in children. Experience dictates that opioids have narrow therapeutic indices and large inter-patient variability in response. This leads to serious side effects like respiratory depression in up to 50% of children undergoing invasive surgery, which can be fatal. It is evident that there are particular children who are more susceptible to suffering side effects and having inadequate pain relief from opioids.It is hypothesized that much of the genetic variability can be explained by gene function which is modulated by a) Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) in genes that encode proteins involved in pain perception, opioid transport/metabolism (pharmacokinetics), and opioid receptor signaling (pharmacodynamics); b) epigenetics which modify gene expression without structural changes to the DNA, and c) genes that influence psychological factors.The purpose of this research study is to identify factors and genes that may be associated with acute and chronic post-surgical pain, and to develop pharmacometric models for response to opioids, like morphine and hydromorphone. While children undergoing different surgeries will be recruited for acute outcomes, children undergoing spine fusion will be followed for 10-12 months for evaluation of psychological and genomic factors affecting chronic post-surgical pain, with a goal of identifying genetic and epigenetic risk models for prediction of acute and chronic post-surgical pain. Although opioids are used every day, some children have bad reactions from their use, like breathing problems, sedation, etc. The investigators want to study factors that may be associated with pain sensitivity, opioid requirements after surgery, their metabolism, efficacy and their side-effects. The investigators expect that the information obtained in this research study will help to develop effective, safer, and tailored treatment options in the future.

Study phs002105

GEI Studies - Psoriasis

The GEI Studies Project was started as an NIH consortium involving 5 disease groups with funding provided through the Genes, Environment, and Health Initiative (GEI). The objective of the project was to optimize strategies for identifying rare variants as a follow up to genome-wide association studies (GWAS) using next-generation sequencing technology. One of the five targeted diseases, Psoriasis, is a multifactorial skin disease characterized by epidermal hyperproliferation and chronic inflammation that affects approximately 2% of Americans. Because only about one-third of all patients with psoriasis have a relative who is also affected with the disorder, psoriasis is not widely recognized as a genetic disease. However, previous research on families and identical twins has shown psoriasis has a strong genetic component, although environmental factors (such as infections, stress, and injuries) are also important. Although no definite psoriasis gene has yet been identified, research during the last ten years has revealed over forty potential gene locations that may contribute to the disease. Large amounts of data generated using next-generation sequencing technology would provide a more detailed characterization of sequence variation which would in turn increase the likelihood of detecting causative loci. With the presumption that rare variants are frequently the cause of a large portion of phenotypic variation, it was necessary to use large sample sets. In the main body of this study, we sequenced 4,966 samples (812 dermatologist-diagnosed cases of purely cutaneous psoriasis (PsC), 1,497 cases of rheumatologist-diagnosed psoriatic arthritis, 665 cases of cutaneous psoriasis with uncertain psoriatic arthritis status (PsV) and 1,992 controls) across 5.7 Mb of sequence containing 100 psoriasis candidate loci and 769 genes. For each candidate locus, we considered sequences within 250 kb of the strongest association signal. Within this window, three strategies were employed. For ten of the strongest psoriasis signals, we used a whole-region approach which included non-coding intergenic and intronic sequence. For four established loci of lesser significance, we targeted all full transcription units within the +/- 250 kb interval. For the remaining signals, we targeted the exons of all transcription units within the +/- 250 kb interval. Due to complexities of high-efficiency targeting of HLA genes we selected 5 specific candidate genes for sequencing near the HLA-C gene.

Study phs000766

Pharmacogenomic Evaluation of Antihypertensive Responses (PEAR and PEAR-2)

The primary aim of the Pharmacogenomic Evaluation of Antihypertensive Responses grant (funded by NIH Pharmacogenomic Research Network grant U01 GM074492) was to identify genetic determinants of blood pressure response and adverse events after antihypertensive treatments. Two different clinical trials with genomic information available were included: PEAR-1 and PEAR-2 studies. The PEAR-1 study (clinicaltrials.gov identifier NCT00246519) was a randomized controlled clinical trial evaluating genetic determinants of BP responses and adverse metabolic responses to atenolol and hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) monotherapy and in combination (PMID: 19249413). Briefly, PEAR-1 recruited 768 hypertension individuals with uncomplicated hypertension who were randomized to either monotherapy of atenolol 50 mg daily or HCTZ 12.5 mg daily for 3 weeks, followed by dose titration to 100 mg and 25 mg daily, then the combination therapy. BP and metabolic responses to monotherapy and combination therapy were assessed after an average of 9 weeks of antihypertensive treatment. BP was measured using three different methods: home, office and ambulatory. For the BP analysis, a composite weighted average of the office, home, ambulatory daytime and nighttime BP responses was calculated based on the row sums of the inverse of the inter-method covariance matrices. Genomic DNA from PEAR-1 participants was genotyped using the Illumina Human Omni1MQuad BeadChip (Illumina, San Diego, CA, USA). The PEAR-2 study was a multicenter sequential monotherapy clinical trial (clinicaltrials.gov identifier NCT01203852) evaluating genetic determinants of BP response to metoprolol monotherapy and chlorthalidone monotherapy. After a washout period (if necessary), eligible hypertensive patients with uncomplicated hypertension received metoprolol tartrate 50 mg twice daily for 3 weeks and the dose was increased to 100 mg twice daily for an additional six weeks if an inadequate response was observed (>120/70 mm Hg and heart rate >55 beats/min). After second washout period, patients received chlorthalidone monotherapy. Home and office BP measurements were collected in PEAR-2 study. We have previously demonstrated that home BP is the more informative single BP measurement compared to the office BP measurement. Therefore, home BP is the phenotype used for the genome-wide association analysis for PEAR-2. PEAR-2 samples were genotyped using the Illumina Human Omni2.5S Beadchip (Illumina, San Diego, CA, USA).

Study phs000649

DNA Methylation Analysis of Prostate Cancer Cell Lines and Tissues Using Next Generation Sequencing

Aberrant DNA methylation changes are known to occur during prostate cancer progression beginning with precursor lesions. Utilizing fifty nanograms of genomic DNA in Methylplex-Next Generation Sequencing (M-NGS) we mapped the global DNA methylation patterns in prostate tissues (n=17) and cells (n=2). Peaks were located from mapped reads obtained in each sequencing run using a Hidden Markov Model (HMM)-based algorithm previously used for Chip-Seq data analysis(http://www.sph.umich.edu/csg/qin/HPeak). The total methylation events in intergenic/intronic regions between benign adjacent and cancer tissues were comparable. Promoter CGI methylation gradually increased from -12.6% in benign samples to 19.3% and 21.8% in localized and metastatic cancer tissues and approximately 20% of all CpG islands (CGIs) (68,508) were methylated in tissues. We observed distinct patterns in promoter methylation around transcription start sites, where methylation occurred directly on the CGIs, flanking regions and on CGI sparse promoters. Among the 6,691 methylated promoters in prostate tissues, 2481 differentially methylated regions (DMRs) are cancer specific and several previously studied targets were among them. A novel cancer specific DMR in WFDC2 promoter showed 77% methylation in cancer (17/22), 100% methylation in transformed prostate cell lines (6/6), none in the benign tissues (0/10) and normal PrEC cells. Integration of LNCaP DNA methylation and H3K4me3 data suggested a role for DNA methylation in alternate transcription start site utilization. While methylated promoters containing CGIs had mutually exclusive H3K4me3 modification, the histone mark was absent in CGI sparse promoters. Finally, we observed difference in methylation of LINE-1 elements between transcription factor ERG positive and negative cancers. The comprehensive methylome map presented here will further our understanding of epigenetic regulation of the prostate cancer genome. Overall Design: We mapped the global DNA methylation patterns in prostate tissues (n=17) and cells (n=2) from fifty nanograms of genomic DNA using Methylplex-Next Generation Sequencing (M-NGS). For replicate analysis in cell lines, a total of 4 runs were completed for PrEC prostate normal cell line, and 5 runs were completed for LNCaP prostate cancer cell line. For tissue samples, 2 benign prostate samples were sequenced twice on Illumina next generation sequencing platform to access overall repeatability of M-NGS.

Study phs000597

Kids First: Congenital Heart Defects and Laterality Birth Defects

Laterality defects occur in approximately 1:10,000 newborns and are associated with a range of structural birth defects and abnormalities of organ positioning. Gut malrotation, biliary atresia, asplenia or polysplenia, complex cardiovascular malformations, and midline defects such as neural tube defects, vertebral anomalies and rib fusions are found in various combinations in patients with laterality defects. In addition, a subset of laterality defects caused by abnormalities of cilia position or function are associated with additional medical problems such as chronic sinusitis and bronchiectasis that require specific preventive care; however these patients frequently are undiagnosed until late in disease course. The goal of this project is to elucidate the genetic architecture of laterality disorders in order to inform medical management and risk stratification and to prevent complications. Laterality disorders are genetically heterogeneous and we and others have previously identified single nucleotide variants inherited in an X-linked or autosomal recessive manner as explanations for a minority of cases. In addition, we have demonstrated copy number variants (CNVs) as a mechanism of disease that requires additional investigation. We hypothesize that the majority of cases result from complex genetic inheritance. We propose to investigate this hypothesis using a multifaceted analysis approach in our extremely well phenotyped cohort of 538 probands with laterality disorders. Nested within this cohort are 105 trios who have not had previous sequencing, probands who have had exome sequencing and are excellent candidates for gene discovery via whole genome sequencing (WGS), and families with multiple affected family members for family-based analysis. All trios will be analyzed by transmission disequilibrium test (TDT) including rare variant TDT. De novo mutations will also be identified from trios for potential gene discovery. Using all probands, we will identify the prevalence of pathogenic CNVs. In addition, we will perform burden analyses to identify genes, gene interactions, and pathways important for susceptibility to laterality disorders. Finally, our rare families with multiple affected members will be studied using family based segregation analysis. This comprehensive genetic analysis in patients with laterality disorders is necessary to identify the appropriate clinical diagnostic testing for risk stratification, to elucidate underlying genetic architecture and facilitate novel gene discovery, and to provide essential knowledge about genes and pathways impacting the development of laterality disorders.

Study phs002589

Characterization of Structural Variants in Acute Myeloid Leukemia Patients

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is the most common form of acute leukemia in adults and is expected to increase in frequency as the population ages. Most subtypes of AML are difficult to treat, in part due to a lack of understanding of possible molecular targets. Furthermore, the peak incidence of AML is in the sixth decade, and patients over the age of 65 do not tolerate chemotherapeutic regimens well. Moreover, AML has been highly studied as a model for other cancers. An RNA Biology Program is established aiming to develop comprehensive datasets through the profiling of all different classes of RNA expression, RNA editing, alternative splicing, and non-coding RNAs in CD34+ normal hematopoietic stem cells (HSC), their differentiated progeny, and AML clinical samples that could be utilized to understand leukemia. These datasets will allow us to computationally identify and characterize various RNA species and processes to enable the development of effective therapeutics to AML, leukemia and other types of cancers. Epigenetic factors such as methylation and histone modifications will also be characterized from these clinical samples allowing for integrated dataset analysis to look at the cross-talk between RNA and DNA/epigenomics in leukemia. The following is a subsidiary study of the above study description where whole genome sequencing was performed on two collected AML patients' samples using Illumina and Oxford Nanopore sequencing technologies. The aim is to characterize the roles of structural variants (SV) in RNA biology which are potentially important for AML development using our own established long-read SV characterization tool, NanoVar. The advent of Oxford Nanopore sequencing technologies has opened a new avenue for better SV characterization by having longer sequencing reads. NanoVar is an accurate and rapid SV characterization tool that utilizes low-depth Nanopore sequencing data. NanoVar makes use of split-reads and hard-clipped reads for SV discovery and employs a simulation-trained neural network classifier for true positive enrichment. NanoVar exhibited higher accuracy and faster computational speed amongst other long-read SV detection tools in simulated data. In AML patient data, NanoVar displayed excellent accuracy in SV characterization (16/16 SVs validated in two patients) by using only 4x depth sequencing data. In summary, NanoVar improves the accuracy and speed of SV characterization at a lower sequencing cost, an approach compatible with clinical studies.

Study phs001847

Discovery of Colorectal Cancer Susceptibility Genes in High-Risk Families

Colorectal cancer remains one of the most common cancers in the US with 146,970 new diagnoses and 49,920 deaths estimated for 2009. Colon cancer is also one of the most familial of cancers. Individuals with a first-degree relative with colon cancer have a 2- to 3-fold increased risk, and those with more than one first-degree relative with colon cancer, or a single first-degree relative affected at age 50 years, have a 3- to 6-fold greater risk than those with no family history. The most prominent high-risk colorectal cancer susceptibility genes, APC, MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, and PTEN, were all discovered more than a decade ago. Currently, mutation screening of these genes, plus a short list of additional genes that are responsible for a very small fraction of colorectal cancer, plays an important role in the clinical management of individuals with a strong family history of the disease or syndromic evidence for the presence of a gene mutation. At the other end of the risk spectrum, genome-wide association studies have identified a number of common alleles with very modest effects on colorectal cancer risk; their clinical utility has yet to be established. However, taken together, the known spectrum of genetic effects only explain about one quarter of the overall familial excess of colorectal cancer. It should be emphasized that, at present, the vast majority of individuals seen at familial cancer clinics are counseled on the basis of their family history alone because they do not have mutations in the known susceptibility genes. Accordingly, the long-term objective of this project is to identify the majority of genes responsible for the unexplained component of inherited colorectal cancer risk. Nextgen DNA sequencing is well suited for application to research questions in genetic susceptibility for which linkage analysis is confounded by extensive genetic heterogeneity. Taking advantage of unparalleled familial cancer genetics resources available through the Utah Population Database, candidate genes have been identified by sequencing all of the gene exons in the human genome from a series of colorectal cancer cases with a very strong family history of colorectal cancer not explained by one of the currently known high-risk susceptibility genes.

Study phs001787

Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis Network (IPFnet) Prednisone, Azathioprine, and N-Acetylcysteine: A Study That Evaluates Response in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPFNet-Panther-IPF-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 initial objective of the PANTHER-IPF study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a drug combination of prednisone, azathioprine, and N-acetylcysteine in the treatment of mild-to-moderate idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) compared to N-acetylcysteine alone or placebo. After interim analysis presented safety concerns regarding the three drug regimen, the protocol was modified to evaluate only N-acetylcysteine effectiveness. Background: IPF is a chronic, progressive lung disease of unknown cause that is characterized by the histopathological or radiologic patterns of usual interstitial pneumonia in a typical clinical setting. The median survival of participants with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis after diagnosis is 2 to 5 years. To date, no pharmacologic therapies have been shown to improve survival. Acetylcysteine has been suggested as a beneficial treatment for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, although data from placebo-controlled studies are lacking.Design: Patients with mild-to-moderate impairment in pulmonary function were randomly assigned to receive a three-drug regimen (prednisone, azathioprine, and acetylcysteine), acetylcysteine alone (plus matched placebos for prednisone and azathioprine), or matched placebos for each of the active therapies. After the planned midpoint interim analysis, the data and safety monitoring board recommended discontinuation of the three-drug regimen because of an excess in the number of deaths, hospitalizations, and serious adverse events among patients in the combination-therapy group, as compared with the placebo group. After NHLBI accepted this recommendation on October 14, 2011, the three-drug regimen was discontinued and patients were recruited for only the acetylcysteine group and the placebo group. Patients were seen at the clinical centers for screening, at baseline, and at 4, 15, 30, 45, and 60 weeks. The primary outcome measure was change in FVC over 60 weeks.Conclusions: As compared with placebo, acetylcysteine offered no significant benefit with respect to the preservation of FVC in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis with mild-to-moderate impairment in lung function. In addition, there were no significant differences between the acetylcysteine group and the placebo group in the rates of death or acute exacerbation.

Study phs004071

A Case Controlled Etiologic Study of Sarcoidosis (ACCESS-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. Access to Biospecimens is through the NHLBI Biologic Specimen and Data Repository Information Coordinating Center (BioLINCC). Biospecimens from (ACCESS) include Bronchial Lavage, DNA, Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells, and Plasma. Please note that use of biospecimens in genetic research is subject to a tiered consent. Objectives: To determine the etiology of sarcoidosis by establishing a case control, multi-center study. In addition to etiology, this study also sought to examine socioeconomic variables and the clinical course of patients with sarcoidosis, including quality of life.Background: Sarcoidosis is a chronic granulomatous disorder of unknown cause that is characterized by activation of T-lymphocytes and macrophages. For many years, sarcoidosis was presumed to be an atypical manifestation of tuberculosis because of the similarity between the inflammatory responses of the two diseases. However, as culture techniques became more widely employed to diagnose tuberculosis and it became less common, it became clear that sarcoidosis was not simply a variation of tuberculosis. Data on the etiology of sarcoidosis have come from diverse sources: in clinical investigations, alveolitis has been found to precede granulomatous inflammation; in case control studies, familial aggregation has been identified; and in case reports, recurrence of granulomatous inflammation has been observed after lung transplantation. The cause may not prove to be a single, known exposure. Interactions of exposures with genetic dispositions could have important implications for our understanding of immune responses as well as the pathogenesis of sarcoidosis.Participants: 736 participants with sarcoidosis enrolled within 6 months of diagnosis from 10 clinical centers in the U.S. Using the ACCESS sarcoidosis assessment system, organ involvement was determined for the whole group and for subgroups differentiated by sex, race, and age (Conclusions: The initial presentation of sarcoidosis is related to sex, race and age, and it tends to remain stable over two years in the majority of patients. The etiology is probably multifactoral with both genetic and environmental factors contributing.Specimen Details: The PBMC for this study are pelleted and suspended in guanidinium-based solution and are nonviable.

Study phs004276

All you need to know about the new Submitter Portal

In September we launched new services for all EGA users, including a new version of the former Submitter Portal. Our main objective with this Portal is to transform the metadata submission in a simplified and user-friendly method. Although it is possible to find documentation about the Submitter Portal on our website, we wanted to highlight the new features in this article. Enjoy! Credentials: who needs to create a new user to access the Submitter Portal and who doesn't? Users with an old submission account (ega-box) can already access the new Submitter Portal. If it is the first time that you want to access, it is time to request a submitter role linked to the EGA User. In the form, it is mandatory to explain which type of data you want to deposit, the size of your submission, add any comment you’d like us to read, and manage the EGA Data Processing Agreement (DPA) document. This document should be checked by the legal department of your institution and signed by a person with authority to sign contracts on behalf of the institution. Note that we provide a DPA template for new Users; it can be found and downloaded in the Submitter Request section. With the DPA signed and the Submitter Request sent, it is time to wait for our Helpdesk team to validate the request. Metadata submission now can be collaborative It is possible to add collaborator(s) to your submissions. Only registered EGA Users will appear on the search bar. When adding a collaborator, it is mandatory to define the permission granted: Read only: collaborators with this permission can check if the information of the submission is correct but cannot modify anything. Read & write: collaborators with this label can register new objects and modify the registered ones. We wanted to save time for submitters that usually rely on the same collaborators. For that, we have implemented the possibility of adding the same collaborators from previous submissions; all you need to do is to search the submission, and the exact set of EGA users will have access to your submission. You can check the collaborators and their permissions at any point of the submission by going to the collaborators section. Even adding more people to complete the submission is allowed by following the same steps: looking for the EGA User and defining the permission granted (please, note that during the submission it is not possible to add collaborators from previous submissions). Use external links to complement the study information When filling the information about the study we recommend users to enrich the submission with complementary fields such as PubMeds IDs, custom tags and external links. External links are used to connect a study to an external repository. We have implemented an external link to Euro-Bioimaging for a European Project (EuCanImage). Now, we are looking forward to keeping increasing the list of external repositories! Choose the expected release date for your metadata to be searchable on our website Once all the metadata objects are registered it is time to finalise the submission so that the Helpdesk team can approve it. In the new version of the Submitter Portal users can choose the expected release date for the metadata to be searchable on the EGA website. Please, note that the selected date will have a minimum of one week margin from the day of finalisation. This time is necessary for your files to be archived and for the submission to be validated by the Helpdesk Team. Are you looking for the Array submission within the Submitter Portal? Our Submitter Portal does not support array submissions. The submission of Array-based metadata must be done using the EGA programmatic submission. You will find our Array-based format template and all the necessary information on our website, and you can find all the steps in our submission quickguide! More information about the submission process at the EGA Our Team has developed an extended documentation related to metadata submission. A good first step is to take a closer look at the Submission FAQ. To have a general overview of all the metadata submission process we recommend taking a glimpse of our take-the-tour or watching the tutorial available on our YouTube Channel. Don't miss our section on EGA Schemas, to learn more about how the EGA is built. It can be useful to fully ensure that your submissions comply with the EGA's standards and contribute to a valuable and accessible genomic resource.

Blog new-submitter-portal

Discrepancies in Tumour Mutation Burden (TMB) reporting from sequential Endobronchial ultrasound trans bronchial needle aspiration (EBUS TBNA) samples within single lymph node stations

Introduction: Tumour Mutation Burden (TMB) is a potential biomarker for immune therapies. Identifying factors that may affect TMB prediction is key to its utility as biomarker for treatment options. Here we investigated parameters that might affect TMB using cytology smears obtained from endobronchial ultrasound transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS TBNA)-sampled malignant lymph nodes, which are often the only diagnostic samples collected in patients with advanced lung cancer. Methods: Individual Diff-Quik cytology smears were prepared for each needle pass from the same enlarged malignant mediastinal lymph nodes. DNA extracted from smears of each pass underwent sequencing using a large gene panel sequencing (TSO500, Illumina). TMB was estimated for each individual needle pass using the TSO500 Local App v. 2.0 (Illumina). Results: Twenty patients had two or more Diff-Quik smears (total 45 smears) which passed sequencing quality control. Average TMB for all smears was 8.7 ± 5.0 mutations per megabase (Mb). Sixteen of the 20 patients had paired samples with minimal differences in TMB score (average difference 1.3 ± 0.85). Paired samples from 13 patients had concordant TMB in terms of scores being below or above a threshold of 10 mutations/Mb. Samples from seven patients had discrepant TMB, with four cases in particular exhibiting an average difference of 11.3 ± 2.7 mutations/Mb. Factors affecting TMB calling involved tumour content of the samples, the amount of DNA used in sequencing as well as bone fide intra tumour heterogeneity between paired samples. Conclusions: TMB assessment is feasible from EBUS-TBNA derived Diff-Quik slides from a single needle pass. Repeated samples of one or more lymph nodes have minimal variation in TMB in most cases (80%), suggesting accuracy of the test overall. To enhance accuracy of the result, care should be taken in relation to the tumour content of the cytology smear. Further, clinicians should be aware that even slight differences in lymph node site selection could give rise to variable genomics and discrepant TMB due to tumour heterogeneity. Therefore, it would be reasonable for multi-lymph node site analysis of TMB to be performed using EBUS TBNA aspirates from different easily accessible lymph nodes. Further investigations need to determine whether these samples should be combined as one sample or tested separately.

Study EGAS00001007484

CTN - 0051: Extended-Release Naltrexone vs. Buprenorphine for Opioid Treatment (X:BOT)

The overarching goal of CTN-0051 is to foster adoption of new relapse-prevention pharmacotherapies in community-based treatment programs (CTPs) where these could have a substantial public health impact. To this end CTN-0051 will assess the comparative effectiveness of extended-release injectable naltrexone (XR-NTX, Vivitrol®), an opioid antagonist recently approved and indicated for the prevention of relapse to opioid dependence, versus buprenorphine-naloxone (BUP-NX, Suboxone®), a high affinity partial agonist indicated for maintenance treatment of opioid dependence, as pharmacotherapeutic aids to recovery. The study is conducted in 8 CTN-affiliated CTPs that provide or partner with detoxification services (inpatient/residential) which have the capacity to maintain participants opioid-free for approximately 3-7 days, have the capacity to provide medication-assisted therapy, and can provide a minimum of one group or individual counseling session per week during the 24-week treatment period. Up to 600 eligible participants will be randomized to treatment with XR-NTX or BUP-NX for 24 weeks (sufficient to include 350 participants who are randomized more than 72 hours after their last opioid). To maximize generalizability, the point of randomization is flexible, from shortly after program admission until just prior to program discharge. The primary goal of the study is to estimate the difference, if one exists, between XR-NTX and BUP-NX in the distribution of the time to relapse (i.e., loss of persistent abstinence) during the 6-month trial. The primary outcome measure is the time to the event, with the event called relapse. Secondary objectives are to: (1) compare outcome on XR-NTX versus BUP-NX across a range of clinical safety and secondary efficacy domains, (2) explore demographic, clinical, and genetic predictors of successful treatment and moderators of differential effectiveness (i.e., what variables may help clinicians choose which of these treatments is best for a given patient), and (3) collect a limited dataset to permit analyses of economic costs and benefits of the two treatments.

Study phs002876

Childhood Cancer Data Initiative (CCDI): Molecular Characterization across Pediatric Brain Tumors and Other Solid and Hematologic Malignancies for Research, Diagnostic, and Precision Medicine

This study contains tumor and germline WGS, RNA-Seq, Clinical Panel Sequencing, and other omics and molecular data for patients with pediatric brain tumors and other solid and hematologic malignancies. This data has been collected from multiple organizations including the multi-institute Children's Brain Tumor Network (CBTN), the Pacific Pediatric Neuro-Oncology Consortium (PNOC), and the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Division for Genomic Diagnostics (CHOP DGD). In addition to being available pre-publication and without embargo via dbGaP and the NCI Cancer Research Data Commons, this data is made available via Cavatica, PedcBioPortal and the Kids First Data Resource Portal. Collectively, this availability strives to accelerate the research process and enable members of the scientific and patient communities to partner and make discoveries faster than ever before.In 2019, the CBTN launched the Pediatric Brain Tumor Atlas, which now comprises the largest collection of childhood brain tumor data in the world. This resource is helping accelerate not only brain tumor research, but is also empowering discovery for other rare childhood conditions. Brain tumors are the most common form of cancer in children aged 0-19 in the United States, and are the largest cause of cancer-related deaths. The estimated number of new cases in 2019 is nearly 3,800, and thus brain tumors are a rare disease. Despite their relative rarity, the years of potential life lost due to brain tumors in 2009 was estimated at 47,631 years for children and adolescents aged 0-19 in the United States; this is a disproportionate amount of life lost compared to adult cancers and represents an unrecognized societal threat. There is an urgent need to improve therapies for these children. This sequencing cohort defines the largest, clinically annotated pediatric brain tumor cohort study to date and seeks to define the intersection of germline and somatic underpinnings of pediatric brain tumors across a shared developmental context of cancer and structural birth defects.

Study phs002517

Genome-Wide Association Study of Genetic Susceptibility for Graft-vs-Host Disease Cohort 1

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (Allo-HSCT) is the only curative therapy for many advanced hematologic malignancies. Allo-HSCT is associated with significant morbidities and mortality, mainly because of the graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) caused by donor T cells recognizing antigens present in recipient tissues, and initiating an alloimmune response resulting in damage to many organs including the skin, gastrointestinal (GI) tract, and liver in recipient. More than half of all Allo-HSCT recipients develop different degrees of GVHD (grades I-IV). About 20% of recipients develop severe GVHD (grades III-IV) that is associated with a very high morbidity and mortality. The most important factor determining the severity of GVHD is the genetic disparities between donors and recipients, as is reflected in human leukocyte antigen (HLA) haplotypes that are routinely checked for donor selection. Even when donors and recipients are HLA-identical, many recipients develop severe GVHD. As a result, non-HLA antigens are important determinants of acute GVHD. An interesting and unique aspect of GVHD is that it is the consequence of an interaction between antigens present in one individual with the immune system of another individual. As a result, genotypes of both donor and recipient, and their interactions affect the pathogenesis of GVHD. To determine the genetic risk factors for GVHD, in the first aim (discovery phase), we will conduct Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS) in 3,000 patients who underwent Allo-HSCT and in their respective donors (6000 DNA samples) that are provided to us by the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR), a research collaboration between the NMDP and Medical College of Wisconsin. In the second aim, we will validate the association between high risk genotypes detected in the first aim and severe GVHD in 1,750 donors and 1,750 recipients of Allo-HSCT, and perform the joint analysis with the discovery samples. In the third aim, we will investigate the functional effect of SNPs detected and validated to be significantly correlated with the severity of acute GVHD in mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR), as an ex vivo surrogate for an alloimmune response.

Study phs002185

Personalized Medicine Strategy for MPNSTs: Using Precision Oncology on PDOX Models to Inform Tumor Boards

Background: Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNSTs) are a heterogeneous group of aggressive soft tissue sarcomas with poor prognosis. Currently there is a lack of effective treatments for MPNSTs. Here, we propose a personalized medicine approach that integrates a precision oncology strategy guided by MPNST genomic analysis, with a functional validation of treatment response in an orthotopic xenograft model (PDOX) derived from the same MPNST. Methods: Comprehensive whole genome sequencing analysis was performed in primary MPNSTs, relapses and (in one case) metastases, following disease progression in two independent individuals. Matched MPNST PDOX models were generated by orthotopically implanting tumor fragments near the sciatic nerve of immunodeficient mice. Candidate targeted combination therapies were prioritized based on genomic alterations and tested in vivo in the PDOX models. Results: The feasibility of the developed strategy is illustrated for two MPNST patients, one Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) individual that developed two independent MPNSTs and another sporadic MPNST case with multiple metastatic relapses. Genomic analysis revealed a remarkable degree of genomic stability across primary MPNSTs and their successive relapses in each patient, and even metastases in one individual. While based on a small number of cases requiringing additional analyses, this finding aligns with previous evidence suggesting a fair genomic conservation throughout tumor evolution. This stability supports the identification of consistent therapeutic vulnerabilities throughout disease progression. Among the therapies tested, co-treatment of MEK inhibitor (MEKi) plus bromodomain inhibitor (BETi) elicited the highest antitumor activity, resulting in approximately 60% tumor volume reduction in the sporadic MPNST PDOX model, whose patient has been receiving this therapy for eight months with sustained remission. Conclusions: This study demonstrates the feasibility and clinical utility of integrating genomic-driven precision oncology with PDOX-based functional testing for MPNSTs. This strategy may support molecular tumor boards (MTBs) in their treatment decisions. The observed genomic stability supports the use of longitudinal tumor profiling to guide treatment, and the success of MEKi+BETi highlights its potential as a combination therapy for MPNSTs.

Study EGAS50000001502

Genetic Studies of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)

The Genetic Studies of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is an ongoing genetic research and biobanking protocol which aims to elucidate the genetic basis CKD. The study recruits patients seen at the Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) Nephrology Division for the evaluation and care of CKD. All patients clinically diagnosed with CKD are eligible to participate; there are no inclusion or exclusion criteria related to age, sex/gender, and/or race/ethnicity. In addition to office visits, patients are recruited in contexts including perinatal care and nonprofit events for patients with various forms of CKD; recruitment tools include bilingual informational brochures, flyers, and consent forms. All individuals provide informed consent; for minors, signature of the parent/guardian is required. Consent includes: use of biosamples given for genetic studies, and the request to be re-contacted if medically actionable genetic findings are identified. In the case of the latter, such research-level findings are first validated in a clinically certified (CLIA) laboratory environment, using a second sample given by the individual at the time of re-contact; following CLIA validation, the individual is once again re-contacted, and, assuming he or she still desires return of these results, they can then be returned. Following the above consent process to participate in the study, individuals provide a single biosample (generally, a venous blood sample), from which DNA is extracted using standard protocols and used for genetic studies, such as exome sequencing. Basic clinical and demographic data, including sex/gender, age, and race/ethnicity are also collected. All data collected is stored in a secure computerized database, with patient samples anonymized using numerical identifiers; the relation of this identifier to patients' names is kept in a locked computer file in a centralized database. Electronic data complies with all HIPAA and other privacy and security regulations, and resides on a firewall server maintained by the CUMC IT department.

Study phs001828

Women's Health Study Accelerometry Dataset

Background The Women's Health Study (WHS) was a randomized trial testing low-dose aspirin and vitamin E for preventing cancer and CVD among 39,876 women aged ≥45 years throughout the US from 1992-2004. When the trial ended as planned, women who were willing to participate continued in an observational follow-up study. Participants in Accelerometer Study From 2011-2015, an ancillary study collected data on physical activity and sedentary behavior using accelerometers. Women were mailed a triaxial accelerometer (ActiGraph GT3X+, ActiGraph Corp) with a wear log, and asked to wear this on their hip for seven consecutive days, removing it only during sleep and water-based activities. Further details have previously been published (PMID: 30666321). A total of 17,708 women wore and returned their devices, and data were downloaded from the devices of 17,466 women; no data were available from the other 242 (device failure). By convention, a "valid day" of wear has data on at least 10 hours (PMID: 22698174). Among these 17,466 women, 17,062 had at least one valid day of wear. The data are provided for all 17,062 women. Additionally, "compliant wear" is conventionally defined for participants wearing the device for at least 10 hours, on at least 4 days (PMID: 22698174). Of the 17,062 women, 16,741 had compliant wear (PMID: 29109088). Self-reported Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior After we received the accelerometer from a WHS participant, she was sent a questionnaire asking her to report the time she spent in different physical activities during the week that the accelerometer was worn (see questionnaire below). A total of 15,514 women (91% of participants in the Accelerometer Study) returned their physical activity questionnaires. In addition, beginning in October 2012, we included questions on sedentary behavior; a total of 9,430 women returned questionnaires that included questions on both physical activity and sedentary behavior.

Study phs001964

Wistar PDX Development and Trial Center

Overall the outcomes of patients with metastatic melanoma have improved dramatically over the last decade due to an improved understanding of the molecular drivers of this disease. In particular, multiple targeted therapy regimens have been approved for patients with a BRAFV600E/K mutation, which are present in ~50% of cutaneous melanomas. These treatments achieve clinical responses in ~80% of patients with a BRAFV600E/K mutation, thus providing proof-of-concept of the therapeutic potential for personalized therapeutic strategies. However, most of the patients will progress within 2 years of starting those therapies. Further, currently there are no targeted therapies that have been shown to be effective in patients with a wild-type BRAF. Thus, there are unmet clinical needs to develop treatments that prevent or overcome resistance to existing therapies for patients with a BRAFV600E/K mutation, and that are effective in patients without a BRAF mutation. In order to facilitate the development of new therapeutic strategies, over the last 5 years we have led a major effort to develop a broad collection of PDX models to reflect the clinical, histological, and genetic heterogeneity of this disease. Our collection of PDX models represents one of the largest collections for any human malignancy, and our initial testing demonstrates that the collection accurately recapitulates the oncogenic drivers and molecular heterogeneity that is observed in patients. This collection also includes a subset of PDX established from patients with acquired resistance to targeted therapies that have been maintained on those agents in vivo to sustain their resistant phenotype. Together these efforts have generated a robust resource to develop, refine, and prioritize new personalized combinatorial therapies for patients. Thus, we propose to establish a multi-disciplinary and multi-institutional PDTC Program focused on the use and continued expansion of our robust melanoma PDX collection to identify new therapeutic approaches that fill important clinical gaps in this disease.

Study phs002432

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) Genetics

PCOS is a complex genetic disease reflecting the interplay of susceptibility genes and environmental factors. The cardinal reproductive feature of the syndrome, hyperandrogenemia, appears to play a direct role in the pathogenesis of the associated metabolic abnormalities. Male as well as female first-degree relatives have reproductive and metabolic phenotypes including increased prevalence rates of type 2 diabetes (T2D), metabolic syndrome (MBS) and other risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Northwestern University (NU) investigators lead a team that has extensive experience in phenotyping PCOS and in the genetic analysis of complex diseases including genome-wide association study (GWAS). Together with an expert group of collaborators from the Hershey Medical Center, and The University of Chicago, we have conducted a GWAS to identify PCOS susceptibility alleles using a large cohort of extensively and consistently phenotyped PCOS cases. Population controls for this study come from the NUgene project described below. NUgene project: In 2002, Northwestern committed to the development of a DNA repository to serve as a platform for the identification and validation of genotype-phenotype associations that will impact healthcare. The NUgene Project is a repository with longitudinal medical information from participating patients at affiliated hospitals and outpatient clinics from the Northwestern University Medical Center. Participants' DNA samples are coupled with data from a questionnaire (2 versions were used, 1 before and 1 after February 2006, both are included) and continuously updated data from our Electronic Medical Record (EMR) representing actual clinical care events. Northwestern has a state-of-the art, comprehensive inpatient and outpatient EMR system of over 2 million patients. NUgene has broad access to participant data for all outpatient visits as well as inpatient data via a consolidated data warehouse. NUgene participants consent to distribution and use of their coded DNA samples and data for a broad range of genetic research by third-party investigators.

Study phs000368

Bone Microarchitecture

Osteoporosis affects more than 28 million people in the United States and the lifetime risk for osteoporosis-related morbidity is higher than a woman's combined risk for breast cancer, endometrial cancer and ovarian cancer. Health care expenditures for osteoporotic patients in this country are currently nearly 13 billion dollars per annum and are predicted to increase markedly in the next decades due the aging of the population; therefore, it is important to understand the factors that contribute to bone strength and fracture risk. With the advent of skeletal imaging modalities such as high resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT), it is now possible to study the genetics of more highly refined peripheral skeletal microarchitecture phenotypes. Because these refined phenotypes have not been measured in many cohort studies, this project was a collaborative effort to include almost all the existing data on HR-pQCT of the radius and tibia, and genetics from around the world. Cohorts involved in the discovery included: 1) Framingham Osteoporosis Study, 2) Mayo Clinic cohort; 3) Geneva Retirees cohort; 4) OFELY cohort from Lyon France; 5) STRAMBO cohort from Lyon France; 6) Swedish Male cohorts. Replication cohorts undergoing de novo genotyping include: 1) QUALYOR cohort from Lyon France; 2) CaMOS cohort from Canada. Other than the Framingham cohort and the Swedish male cohorts, all discovery cohorts underwent genome wide genotyping with the Affymetrix Axiom Biobank array that had common variants along with exome content based on the early findings from the Exome Sequencing Project. All genotype data from the discovery cohorts were then imputed using the Haplotype Reference Consortium reference panel. Variants for replication genotyping using the Kasp technology were selected based on novelty compared with previously identified loci using DXA phenotypes, minor allele frequency, underlying LD structure within a locus, and likelihood of a variant being functional as assessed using various algorithms for coding and non-coding variants.    

Study phs002102

Foundation Medicine Adult Cancer Clinical Dataset (FM-AD)

The Foundation Medicine adult cancer clinical dataset consists of 18,004 unique solid tumor samples that underwent genomic profiling on a single uniform platform as part of standard clinical care. The dataset is derived from the FoundationOne® genomic profiling assay version 2 that interrogates exonic regions of 287 cancer-related genes and selected introns from 19 genes known to undergo rearrangements in human cancer. Genomic DNA samples were sequenced to over 500x median coverage, and custom computational analyses identified all classes of genomic alterations (base substitutions, insertions and deletions, copy number alterations, and rearrangements). Since matched normal tissue was unavailable for analysis, these data underwent additional filtering to enrich for cancer-related events. The reported data includes genomic alterations that are known and suspected tumor drivers, as well as variants of unknown significance. To preserve patient anonymity, all known or suspected germline variants were removed from the data unless known to be associated with cancer development. The dataset contains genomic alteration profiles generated by FoundationOne version 2 testing for adult cancer patients (over 18 y.o.), and represents a vast diversity of tumor subtypes, including many rare diseases not profiled as part of large-scale profiling efforts. Cases are grouped into 16 broad disease categories containing tumors from 162 unique disease subtypes. Since specimens were profiled as part of clinical care, limited clinical parameters were available, including age, gender, tissue of origin, % of tumor nuclei, and diagnosis. Publication of this dataset is intended to allow the broad scientific community access to this unique cohort for use in scientific research projects of common and rare types of cancer, both for generating leads regarding causal mechanisms as well as cross-testing and confirming existing hypotheses. A pediatric cancer clinical dataset consisting of data from 1,215 patients under 18 y.o. is available separately at: FOUNDATION MEDICINE

Study phs001179

Small RNA Contents of Extracellular Vesicles from Patients with Cognitive Decline

In this proposal, we examined samples from living neurologically normal individuals (n=72), cognitively normal Parkinson's disease (PD; n=21), PD with mild cognitive impairment (PD-MCI; n=18), PD with dementia (PDD; n=23), and dementia with Lewy-bodies (DLB; n=18), Alzheimer’s disease (AD; n=33) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI, n=38). The main goal for this study was to assess the diagnostic utility of small RNA contents from extracellular vesicles (EVs) for the prediction of cognitive decline. Plasma samples were collected and the RNA from extracellular vesicles (EVs) was isolated using the Qiagen exoRNeasy kit, and the small RNA contents were sequenced using the PerkinElmer NextFlex kit (v2). While PD is typically thought of as a motor disorder, there are significant non-motor symptoms that can be devastating. One of the most common non-motor symptoms of PD is dementia (PDD). While PD subjects that develop dementia all have Lewy bodies, there is often co-pathology with tau and β-amyloid found at autopsy or by PET amyloid imaging; thus, subjects diagnosed with AD were also included in the study. The development of the category, mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in AD, and in PD, provides an opportunity to identify and examine a transitional state between normal aging and dementia; this is a patient population ideally suited for therapeutic intervention. Progress in the detection, validation, and standardization of molecular biomarkers from biofluids, such as extracellular RNAs (exRNAs), would be efficient and cost-effective aids in the assessment of disease progression, cognitive decline, and response to therapeutics. We have provided the raw fastq files for the sequencing data from each sample. We are also providing demographic information, as complete as we have for each person; including age, diagnosis, sex, and cognitive assessments.

Study phs003300

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

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

Study phs002430

Gene expression signatures associated with chronic endometritis revealed by RNA sequencing

Chronic endometritis (CE) is a persistent inflammatory condition of the endometrium characterized by the infiltration of plasma cells. CD138 immunohistochemistry is considered to improve the CE diagnosis rate. Using the number of CD138-positive cells equal or greater than five as a diagnostic criterion for CE, we identified 24 CE and 33 non-CE cases among women with infertility. We conducted RNA-sequencing analysis for these 57 cases in total as an attempt to elucidate the molecular pathogenesis of CE and to search for new biomarkers for CE. By comparing CE and non-CE groups, we identified 20 genes upregulated in the endometria of CE patients, including 12 immunoglobulin-related genes and eight non-immunoglobulin genes as differentially expressed genes. The eight genes were MUC5AC, LTF, CAPN9, MESP1, ACSM1, TVP23A, ALOX15, and MZB1. By analyzing samples in the proliferative and secretory phases of the menstrual cycle separately, we also identified four additional non-immunoglobulin genes upregulated in CE endometria: CCDC13 by comparing the samples in the proliferative phase, and OVGP1, MTUS2, and CLIC6 by comparing the samples in the secretory phase. Although the genes upregulated in CE may serve as novel diagnostic markers of CE, many of them were upregulated only in a limited number of CE cases showing an extremely high number of CD138-positive cells near or over one hundred. Exceptionally, TVP23A was upregulated in the majority of CE cases regardless of the number of CD138-positive cells. The upregulation of TVP23A in the endometria of CE cases may reflect the pathophysiology of a cell-type or cell-types intrinsic to the endometrium rather than the accumulation of plasma cells. Our data, consisting of clinical and transcriptomic information for CE and non-CE cases, helped us identify gene expression signatures associated with CE.

Study JGAS000621

Single-Gene vs. Panel Sequencing in Advanced HR+/HER2− Breast Cancer

Background: Hormone receptor-positive (HR+)/HER2-negative (HER2−) breast cancer is the most common subtype of breast cancer, with biomarker-driven therapies improving outcomes. Liquid biopsies, which analyze circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), are increasingly essential in clinical management, offering a minimally invasive approach to assess somatic alterations and guide therapy decisions. However, the choice of assay directly affects clinical utility and global access to validated testing platforms remains inconsistent. To address these challenges, this study aimed to compare the performance of single-gene and panel-based sequencing for detecting PIK3CA mutations in HR+/HER2− breast cancer and evaluate the added value of broader genomic profiling in guiding treatment decisions. Patients and methods: We conducted a prospective, multicenter study comparing our previously established SiMSen-Seq (SSS) assay, a single-gene method targeting PIK3CA hotspot mutations, with the AVENIO ctDNA Expanded assay, enriching for 77 clinically relevant cancer genes. Additionally, tumor fractions were estimated with mFAST-SeqS by assessing chromosomal aneuploidy. We analyzed 161 plasma samples collected from 146 patients with HR+/HER2− advanced breast cancer before starting a new line of palliative therapy. Results: High concordance (92.6%) was observed between SSS and AVENIO for PIK3CA mutation detection, with accurate variant allele frequency (VAF) quantification confirmed by Bland-Altman analysis and linear mixed-effects modeling. AVENIO identified additional PIK3CA mutations in 19% of samples as well as other actionable alterations, including ESR1 mutations (17.5%) and PI3K pathway alterations (40.6%). Panel sequencing improved the interpretation of negative liquid biopsy results by integrating tumor fraction and VAF metrics. Conclusions: Panel sequencing assays such as AVENIO provide broader genomic coverage, enhance the detection of actionable mutations and refine the interpretation of negative liquid biopsy findings. These findings support the integration of comprehensive ctDNA profiling into routine clinical practice for HR+/HER2− advanced breast cancer while highlighting the need for improved assay accessibility and expanded genomic targets.

Study EGAS00001008200

Genomic Profiling of Pediatric Tumors by Cell Free DNA Sequencing

BACKGROUND Analysis of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) from peripheral blood has been studied extensively for detection and monitoring therapy response in adult cancers, but utility in pediatric tumors is unclear. METHODS We studied 233 children with hematologic, solid and brain tumors. cfDNA was extracted from 1 mL of plasma collected at diagnosis. Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in cfDNA was quantified and diverse classes of somatic genomic variants were detected using PeCan-Seq. PeCan-Seq findings were compared with matched tumor whole-genome and whole-exome sequencing data. Minimal residual disease (MRD) status was evaluated by cfDNA PeCan-Seq in 14 patients with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. RESULTS Plasma cfDNA yields at diagnosis were higher for hematologic malignancies than for solid and brain tumors. Patients with hematologic malignancy were 100% ctDNA-positive, the median ctDNA fraction in cfDNA was 0.77. We detected 97% variants that were present in tumors and covered by the capture panel, and 50 subclonal variants that were present in cfDNA only. Our approach enabled detection of sequence and structural variants in B-ALL ctDNA at varying levels of MRD. Nineteen of 38 patients with solid tumors were ctDNA-positive, with high prevalence in Ewing Sarcoma, liver tumors and osteosarcoma. One of 19 brain tumor patients was ct-DNA positive, indicating lack of utility for plasma-derived cfDNA in this disease. Notably, cfDNA analysis of a single plasma sample identified genomic features in ctDNA derived from B-ALL, concurrent primary neuroblastoma, and a later neuroblastoma relapse, indicating that genomic variations from multiple tumors could be detected simultaneously. CONCLUSIONS Pediatric patients with hematologic malignancy had an abundance of plasma ctDNA at diagnosis. Plasma ctDNA levels varied between different solid tumor types, more studies are needed to determine utility. Panel-based cfDNA sequencing could serve as a non-invasive approach for pediatric cancer diagnosis and disease monitoring.

Study EGAS50000000072

Identification of intronic sequences promoting natural skipping of ABCA4 exon 15 using long-read transcriptomics and midigene assays

Stargardt disease is an inherited retinal disease that leads to progressive loss of vision, and is caused by biallelic variants in the ABCA4 gene. A significant proportion of ABCA4 variants of variable penetrance affect pre-mRNA splicing. Previously, we observed the exclusion of certain ABCA4 exons into the final transcript in the absence of any disease-causing variants. In this study, we explored this phenomenon that we coined natural exon skipping (NES) for the entire ABCA4 transcript, using targeted RT-PCR analysis as well as long-read transcriptome sequencing of control retina samples. For the most abundant NES event, which is skipping of ABCA4 exon 15, overlapping ABCA4 deletion constructs were employed to identify responsible cis-regulatory sequence motifs. Subsequently, antisense oligonucleotides (AONs) were designed and tested to reverse NES and restore fully-spliced ABCA4 mRNA. We identified intronic regions on each side of exon 15 that, when deleted, increased the inclusion of exon 15 in the final transcripts. Interestingly, these motifs appear to work in a synergistic manner. Further fine-mapping of these regions revealed several cis-regulatory motifs that may be responsible for inducing NES, on each side of the exon. AONs targeting these motifs unfortunately did not decrease the skipping of exon 15. In conclusion, we discovered an intriguing phenomenon that, in the absence of disease-causing variants, results in the skipping of one or more exons in the ABCA4 transcript. These NES events appear to be regulated by cis-regulatory motifs within the flanking introns. This work captured the extend of NES throughout ABCA4 transcript and the role of cis-regulatory motifs in pre-mRNA splicing.. The use of AONs targeting cis-regulatory motifs is an innovative strategy for splicing modulation, suitable for complementing future variant-specific splicing modulation therapies in ABCA4 retinopathies.

Study EGAS50000000071

Copy number profiling of primary samples and cell lines of retinoblastoma

While RB1 loss initiates retinoblastoma development, additional somatic copy number alterations (SCNAs) can drive tumor progression. Although SCNAs have been identified with good concordance between studies at a cytoband resolution, accurate identification of single genes for all recurrent SCNAs is still challenging. This study presents a comprehensive meta-analysis of genome-wide SCNAs integrated with gene expression profiling data, narrowing down the list of plausible retinoblastoma driver genes. We performed SCNA profiling of 45 primary retinoblastoma samples and 8 retinoblastoma cell lines by high-resolution microarrays. We combined our data with genomic, clinical and histopathological data of ten published genome-wide SCNA studies, which strongly enhanced the power of our analyses (N=310). Comprehensive recurrence analysis of SCNAs in all studies integrated with gene expression data allowed us to reduce candidate gene lists for 1q, 2p, 6p, 7q and 13q to a limited gene set. Besides the well-established driver genes RB1 (13q-loss) and MYCN (2p-gain) we identified CRB1 and NEK7 (1q-gain), SOX4 (6p-gain) and NUP205 (7q-gain) as novel retinoblastoma driver candidates. Depending on the sample subset and algorithms used, alternative candidates were identified including MIR181 (1q-gain) and DEK (6p gain). Remarkably, our study showed that copy number gains rarely exceeded change of one copy, even in pure tumor samples with 100% homozygosity at the RB1 locus (N=34), which is indicative for intra-tumor heterogeneity. In addition, profound between-tumor variability was observed that was associated with age at diagnosis and differentiation grades. Since focal alterations at commonly altered chromosome regions were rare except for 2p24.3 (MYCN), further functional validation of the oncogenic potential of the described candidate genes is now required. For further investigations, our study provides a refined and revised set of candidate retinoblastoma driver genes.

Study EGAS00001001715

Exploration of CNV’s and SNV’s in cancers with well-known genetic rearrangements: Identification of additional genetic changes in rearrangements-driven cancer

Specific cancers are well known to have specific gene rearrangements. Representative cancer is chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) which is famous for BCR/ABL gene rearrangements. By the way, also genetic rearrangements are not infrequently found in acute leukemia, and those include CBFB/MYH11 rearrangements, PML/RARA rearrangements, AML/ETO rearrangements, and BCR/ABL rearrangements. The situation is same is for lung adenocarcinoma of non-smokers and prostate cancers, and ALK and RET gene rearrangements are recently found. However, not all these rearrangements are sufficient to develop cancer, and it is suggested that some genetic aberrations are required for the development and progression of cancer in addition to these genetic rearrangements. In this study, we have a plan to explore the existence of additional genetic changes including single nucleotide variants (SNV’s) and copy number variations (CNV’s) in cancers with specific genetic rearrangements so as to define additional genetic changes that confer full oncogenic potential to cancer cells. So as to look at SNV’s and small indels, we are going to use whole exome sequencing (WES) data. And as for CNV’s, we are going to use array-CGH data. Also, to check the functionality of these genetic changes, we are going to use whole transcriptome data (WTS). In addition, in samples with whole genome sequencing (WGS ) data, we are going to explore genetic changes in intronic regions also. In fact, we sequenced 10 AML samples which are known to have specific genetic rearrangements. Analysis of these WGS, WES and WTS data are under the way. If we have a chance to access WES, array-CGH and WTS data of other cancer samples with specific genetic rearrangements, we would be able to compare additional genetic changes required for oncogenesis in cancer cells with various genetic rearrangements. We hope this result will enlighten our understanding of cancer genetics further.

Study EGAS00001000673

In this study, blood-brain barrier (BBB)-forming brain endothelial-like cells were generated from apolipoprotein E gene allele E4 (APOE4, high AD risk) and allele E3 (APOE3, lower AD risk) carrying patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Cells were subsequently exposed to focused ultrasound and microbubbles (FUS+MB) to induce BBB opening and their transcriptome analysed. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) results demonstrated minimal changes in the gene expression following FUS+MB suggesting safety of FUS+MB application in the clinical setting.

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a major impediment to therapeutic intracranial drug delivery for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Focused ultrasound applied together with microbubbles (FUS+MB) is a novel technique to transiently open the BBB and increase drug delivery. Evidence suggests that FUS+MB is safe, however the effects of FUS+MB on human BBB cells, especially in relation to AD, remain sparsely investigated. Here we developed a human sporadic AD BBB cell platform to investigate the effects of FUS+MB on BBB cells and screen for the delivery of two potentially therapeutic AD antibodies. We generated BBB cells from apolipoprotein E gene allele E4 (APOE4, high AD risk) and allele E3 (APOE3, lower AD risk) carrying patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). We utilized this robust and reproducible platform to demonstrate increased delivery of potentially therapeutic antibodies across the BBB, including an analogue of Aducanumab (AduhelmTM) following FUS+MB treatment. Our results also demonstrate the safety of FUS+MB indicated by minimal changes in the cell transcriptome as well as little or no changes in cell viability and inflammatory responses within first 24 h post FUS+MB, with potentially important implications in a clinical setting. Finally, we report a more physiologically relevant hydrogel-based 2.5D BBB model as a key development for FUS+MB-mediated drug delivery screening, with potentially higher translational utility. Our results provide an important advancement for identifying FUS+MB-deliverable drugs and screening for cell- and patient-specific effects of FUS+MB, accelerating its use as a therapy in AD.

Study EGAS00001005944

ctDNA quantification in Ewing sarcoma patients

Background. Treatment stratification and response assessment in pediatric sarcomas has relied on imaging studies and surgical/histopathological evidence of vital tumor cells. Such studies and evidence collection processes often involve radiation and/or general anesthesia in children. Cell-free circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) detection in blood plasma is one available method of so-called liquid biopsies that has been shown to correlate qualitatively and quantitatively to some extent with the existence of vital tumor cells in the body. Our clinical observational study focused on the utility and feasibility of ctDNA detection in pediatric Ewing sarcoma (EWS) as a marker of minimal residual disease (MRD). Patients and Methods. We performed whole genome sequencing to identify the exact breakpoints in tumors known to carry the EWS-FLI1 fusion gene. Patient-specific fusion breakpoints were tracked in peripheral blood plasma using digital droplet PCR (ddPCR) before, during, and after therapy in six consecutive children and young adults with EWS. Presence and levels of fusion breakpoints were correlated with clinical disease courses. The genetic changes in the tumors were defined, and inter- and intra-individual changes in the tumor DNA copy loads were observed over time. Results. We show that the detection of ctDNA in the peripheral blood of EWS patients i) is feasible in the clinical routine and ii) allows for the longitudinal real-time monitoring of MRD activity in children and young adults. Although changing ctDNA levels correlated well with clinical outcome within patients, between patients, a high variability was observed (inter-individually) for the six patients described here. Conclusions. ctDNA detection by ddPCR is a highly sensitive, specific, feasible, and highly accurate method that can be applied in EWS for follow-up assessments as an additional surrogate parameter for clinical MRD monitoring and, potentially, also for treatment stratification in the near future.

Study EGAS00001006433

One-step generation of tumor models by base editor multiplexing in adult stem cell-derived organoids

Recent optimization of CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome engineering has resulted in the development of base editors that can efficiently mediate C>T and A>G transitions. Combining these genome engineering tools with human adult stem cell (ASC)-derived organoid technology holds promise for disease modeling. Here, we demonstrate the application of base editors for the generation of complex tumor models in human ASC-derived hepatocyte, endometrial and intestinal organoids. First, using conventional and evolved Cas9-variants, we show efficacy of both cytosine and adenine base editors and use them to model four hot-spot point mutations in CTNNB1 in hepatocyte organoids. Next, we apply C>T base editors in endometrial organoids to insert nonsense mutations in PTEN and demonstrate tumorigenicity even in the heterozygous state. Furthermore, we use cytosine base editors for simultaneous oncogene activation (PIK3CA) and tumor-suppressor inactivation (APC and TP53). To increase the flexibility of base editor multiplexing, we then combine SpCas9 and SaCas9 base editors for simultaneous C>T and A>G editing at individual target sites. Finally, we show the power of base editor multiplexing by modeling colorectal tumorigenesis in a single step by simultaneously transfecting sgRNA’s targeting four cancer genes. Seven clonal organoid lines and one bulk wild-type control sample were paired-end whole-genome sequenced using the Illumina Novaseq 6000 system. We sequenced four clonal intestinal organoid lines harbouring engineered TP53 and FBXW7 mutations as well as three lines targeted for oncogenic APC/TP53/PIK3CA/SMAD4 mutations. This WGS showed, as previously reported, a genome-wide increase in C>T mutations due to C>T base editor off-target activity, which is not enriched in predicted off-target regions based on the sgRNA sequences. Furthermore, we confirmed the absence of editing-induced driver mutations and lack of off-target mutational hotspots created by the genomic engineering.

Study EGAS00001006886

Separation of chronic myeloid leukemia stem cells from normal hematopoietic stem cells at single-cell resolution

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a clonal disease, initiated and sustained by a subpopulation of CML stem cells (CML-SC) containing the BCR::ABL1 oncogene. Genetic markers that enrich for CML-SC have been identified, including CD26 being most specific. Genome sequencing analysis remain yet to be performed at single cell level in order to determine differences and heterogeneity in the genetic profile of CML-SC versus normal hematopoietic stem cells (HSC). Here we show that CD26 and CD33 separate CML-SC from normal HSC in freshly isolated bone marrow samples from newly diagnosed CML patients. DNA sequencing confirms that single CML-SC derived colonies are positive for BCR::ABL1 and harbor a recurrent set of patient-specific clonal somatic mutations across different CML-SC derived colonies. In contrast, marker-negative (CD26-CD33-) HSC from the same patients are negative for the BCR::ABL1 oncogene and do not carry recurrent, clonal mutation across different colonies. These results support the concept that CD26/CD33 expression separates genetically defined, clonal mutant CML-SC from normal HSC that carry individual sets of random mutations in CML patients. We provide whole exome DNA sequencing data for 23 clinical samples of CML-SC plus two buccal swipes derived normal samples. CML samples are comprised of 4 to 8 replicates from two patients, at diagnosis and after treatment. Single CML stem cells before treatment and single non-transformed HSC at remission were selected from bone marrow samples by FACS, according to genetic markers CD33+CD26+ at diagnosis and CD33+CD26-/CD33-CD26- at remission. WES libraries of colony forming assays derived CML-SC and HSC populations were prepared using Agilent SureSelect Human All Exon V6 kit and sequenced running 150 cycles (2x 75bp paired-end) on an Illumina NextSeq 500 platform. Following GATK best practices for somatic mutation calling, novel CML variants and random mutation events during remission phase were obtained.

Study EGAS00001006904

A Polygenic Score for Acute Vaso-Occlusive Pain in Pediatric Sickle Cell Disease

Recurrent acute pain, or vaso-occlusive pain crisis (VOP), is the most common complication of sickle cell disease and correlates strongly with increased hospital visits and early mortality (PMID: 1710777). While the genetics of VOP in sickle cell patients has been studied (PMID: 29205277, 27883292, 25102390, 30079801, 22925497, 29531649, 29620434, 19468207, 20172753, 22576309, 30031848, 24136375, 27603703, 29559808), it is not fully understood.Using whole genome sequencing, we interrogated the α-thalassemia deletion -α3.7 and 133 candidate single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) across 66 genes for associations with VOP in 327 SCCRIP participants followed longitudinally over 6 years. Twenty-one SNPs in 9 loci were associated with VOP, including 3 (BCL11A, MYB, and the β-like globin gene cluster) that regulate erythrocyte fetal hemoglobin (HbF) levels and 6 (COMT, TBC1D1, KCNJ6, FAAH, NR3C1, and IL1A) that were associated previously with various pain syndromes. An unweighted PGS integrating all 21 SNPs was associated with the VOP event rate (estimate, 0.35; standard error, 0.04; P = 5.9 × 10−14) and VOP event occurrence (estimate, 0.42; standard error, 0.06; P = 4.1 × 10−13). These associations were stronger than those of any single locus. Our findings provide insights into the genetic modulation of VOP in children with SCD. More generally, we demonstrate the utility of WGS for investigating genetic contributions to the variable expression of SCD-associated morbidities.For publications, written, and/or oral presentations resulting from use of this data, please cite the following information: "The original data description for A Polygenic Score for Acute Vaso-Occlusive Pain in Pediatric Sickle Cell Disease can be found here: (Journal Citation Blood Adv. 2021 Jul 27;5(14):2839-2851) (PMID: 34283174)."

Study phs002470

DAC for Central African ancient demography processes NGS dataset

Title DAC Ancient tree-topologies and gene-flow processes among human lineages in Africa Contacts: Paul Verdu +33144057317 paul.verdu@mnhn.fr CNRS-MNHN-Université de Paris UMR7206 Eco-anthropology Short description The Data Access Committee for acess to genotype and sample information used in the article "Ancient tree-topologies and gene-flow processes among human lineages in Africa" by Gwenna Breton et al. 2025 ensures that data-access requests comply with the Informed Consent provided by donors, and with ethical and deontological guidelines with respect to privacy. DNA samples from individuals were collected with the subjects’ informed consent following the Declaration of Helsinki guidelines and approved by the following Ethics committees: Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD, France); Cameroon Ministry of Scientific Research and Technology; Central African Republic Ministère de l’Enseignement Supérieur et de la Recherche Scientifique; France Ministère de l’Enseignement Supérieur, de la Recherche et de l’Innovation (Comité de Protection des Personnes DC-2016-2740); French Commission Nationale Informatique et Liberté CNIL (declaration n°1972648); Uganda National Council for Science and Technology; Institutional Review Board of the University of Chicago Biological Sciences Division and the Pritzker School of Medicine University of Chicago Hospitals (protocol number 16986A); Committee for the Protection of Human Subjects of the Trustees of Dartmouth College and the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center (protocol number 22410); Human Research Ethics Committee (Medical) at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg (Protocol Numbers: M980553, M050902, M090576, M10270, M180654); Working Group of Indigenous Minorities in Southern Africa (WIMSA); South African San Council (SASC); and the Swedish Ethical Review Authority (Dnr 2019-05174). Requests for accessing all or part of the Central African data used in the article "Ancient tree-topologies and gene-flow processes among human lineages in Africa", by Gwenna Breton et al. 2024 (doi - PENDING), should be addressed to the DAC providing: 1) Data can only be used to explore human genetic evolution, evolutionary ecology and population history 2) The research institution where data will be stored and were analyses will be conducted. 3) The detailed coordinates of the researcher responsible for data storage and analyses. 4) A description (max 20 sentences) of the scientific finality and context of the project and classes of methodological analyses that will be performed to achieve it using the requested data. 5) When applicable, mention also other previously published data sets that will be used jointly with the requested datas et For accessing any or all the Central African genetic data used in the article "Ancient tree-topologies and gene-flow processes among human lineages in Africa", by Gwenna Breton et al. 2024 (doi - PENDING), the requester hereby ensures that: 1) Individual donor privacy should be respected at all times. Data cannot be made publicly available under any circumstances. 2) Data cannot be shared nor transferred to a third party without re-applying for eGA access to the DAC. 3) No direct or indirect commercial use of the data can be made 4) No individual medical genetics or disease diagnostics can be performed with the data 5) No medical or legal forensic investigations can be conducted with the data 6) No genealogical research can be conducted with the data (e.g. no paternity nor maternity testing, no genetic identification, no search of relatives using other datasets) 7) Appropriate citation of the article and data set used for any scientific communication using the data 8) Data is destroyed after the completion of the project. Any further re-use of the data is subject to a novel application to the DAC.

Dac EGAC50000000447

Discovery and validation of an ancillary genomic test of malignancy for primary melanocytic tumors

Background:Pathological diagnosis of melanocytic tumors can be difficult and prone to error. More accurate and reliable ancillary investigations than those currently available are required to improve diagnostic accuracy. Goals: (1) to generate a genomic model for distinguishing benign (nevi) from malignant (melanoma) melanocytic skin tumors, developed from a customized gene panel evaluated on a cohort of 250 nevi and melanomas. (2) To evaluate the performance of the genomic model in melanocytic tumors of uncertain diagnosis/behavior. Details: The cohort of 250 melanomas and naevi was split into a discovery set and a validation set. Our genomic model obtained an area under the curve of 95% in the discovery cohort and 96% for the validation cohort. Based on a Youden index threshold, the resulting classifier shows high specificity (>95% in the discovery and validation cohorts), with sensitivities >80% in the discovery and validation cohorts. Evaluation of the genomic model on a cohort of 110 melanocytic tumors identifies key driver mutations in agreement with the likely pathway of origin of the tumors. The probability of melanoma (p=0.02) from the genomic model was significantly associated with pathology-based estimates of malignancy for melanocytic tumors lacking pathway-defining genomic aberrations (conventional tumors). The genomic model identified 8/36 (22%) conventional tumors with unresolved malignancy to have a high probability of melanoma, with 7/8 of these cases showing negative/non-aberrant results with either fluorescent in-situ hybridization, PRAME and/or p16 immunostains. Furthermore, no evidence of malignant behavior based on the genomic model was seen in 4 conventional borderline tumors with more than 1 year follow-up. Conclusion: This genomic model can become a clinically useful ancillary tool that is highly specific for differentiating melanomas from nevi.

Study EGAS50000000887

Enhancer profiling identifies epigenetic markers of endocrine resistance and reveals therapeutic options for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer patients (LuCaP cell line data)

Androgen Receptor (AR) signaling inhibitors, including enzalutamide, are treatment options for patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC), but resistance inevitably develops. Using metastatic samples from a prospective phase II clinical trial, we epigenetically profiled enhancer/promoter activities with H3K27ac chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by sequencing, before and after AR-targeted therapy. We identified a distinct subset of H3K27ac-differentially marked regions that associated with treatment responsiveness. These data were successfully validated in mCRPC patient-derived xenograft models (PDX). In silico analyses revealed HDAC3 as a critical factor that can drive resistance to hormonal interventions, which we validated in vitro. Critically, we identified the pan-HDAC inhibitor, vorinostat to be effective in decreasing tumor cell proliferation both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, we uncovered evidence for HDAC3 working together with Glucocorticoid Receptor (GR) as a potential mechanism for this therapeutic effect. These findings demonstrate rationale for new therapeutic strategies including HDAC inhibitors to improve patient outcome in advanced stages of mCRPC. Project Goal: We identified H3K27ac regions associated with resistance in patient samples. Extensive analysis of these regions suggested that HDAC3 may play a role in resistance. To test this, we analyzed ChIP-seq and RNA-seq from cell lines generated from PDX LuCaP samples (recapitulating resistant and non-resistant) to validate findings in patient samples. ChIP-seq samples were used to verify the signals identified from specific factors, such as H3K27ac, AR, FOXA1, GR and HDAC3, their association with resistance and possible mechanisms of action. RNA-seq samples were analyzed to determine the effect of AR signaling in these samples in specific genes in the H3K27ac resistance-associated regions.

Study EGAS50000000917

Pharmacological and genomic profiling identifies NFκB-targeted treatment strategies for mantle cell lymphoma

Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is an aggressive malignancy characterized by poor prognosis, underscoring the need for novel therapeutic strategies1. In this study, we employed large-scale pharmacological profiling of 16 pathway inhibitors across more than 100 hematological cell line models to identify novel therapeutic approaches. This screen identified a subset of MCL cell lines that were highly sensitive to the B-cell receptor (BCR) signaling inhibitors ibrutinib and sotrastaurin (STN), which are currently in clinical trials2, 3. Sensitive MCL models exhibited chronic activation of the CARD11-BCL10-MALT1 (CBM) complex and dependency on downstream classical NFκB signaling. In contrast, insensitive cell lines displayed activation of the alternative NFκB pathway. Massively parallel transcriptome sequencing identified mutations in negative regulators of the alternative NFκB pathway in ibrutinib-insensitive cell lines. Notably, sequencing of 165 MCL patient samples revealed that components of the alternative NFκB pathway, particularly TRAF2 and BIRC3, are mutated in roughly 15% of MCL patients. Functional analyses of patient-derived BIRC3 mutant alleles indicated that these are loss-of-function mutants that constitutively activate alternative NFκB signaling. While being associated with insensitivity to ibrutinib, genetic lesions in the alternative pathway conferred dependence on NIK, a kinase that mediates signaling downstream of the TRAF2/3-BIRC2/3 complex. Thus, NIK represents a novel therapeutic target for MCL treatment, particularly for tumors refractory to BCR pathway inhibitors. Collectively, these findings reveal a pattern of mutually exclusive activation of the CBM-NFκB or alternative NIK-NFκB pathways in MCL and provide critical insights into patient stratification strategies for NFκB-pathway targeted agents.

Study EGAS00001000622

Biomarker Screen for Efficacy of Oncolytic Virotherapy in Patient-derived Pancreatic Cancer Cultures

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a tumour entity with unmet medical need. To assess the therapeutic potential of oncolytic virotherapy (OVT) against PDAC, different oncolytic viruses (OVs) are currently investigated in clinical trials. However, systematic comparisons of these different OVs in terms of efficacy against PDAC and biomarkers predicting therapeutic response are lacking. We screened fourteen patient-derived PDAC cultures for their sensitivity to five clinically relevant OVs, namely serotype 5 adenovirus Ad5-hTERT, herpes virus T-VEC, measles vaccine strain MV-NIS, reovirus jin-3, and protoparvovirus H 1PV using live cell analysis, quantification of viral genome/gene expression, cell viability as well as cytotoxicity assays. Sensitivity was correlated with transcriptome profiles to identify potential predictive biomarkers for response to OVT. Patient-derived PDAC cultures showed individual response patterns to OV treatment. Twelve of fourteen cultures were responsive to at least one OV, with no single OV proving superior or inferior across all cultures. Known host factors for distinct viruses were retrieved as potential biomarkers. Compared to the basal-like molecular subtype, the quasi-mesenchymal subtype of PDAC was more sensitive to H-1PV, jin-3, and T-VEC. Expression of viral entry receptors did not correlate with sensitivity to OV treatment. Rather, cellular pathways controlling immunological, metabolic, and proliferative signalling appeared to determine outcome. For instance, high baseline expression of interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) correlated with relative resistance to oncolytic measles virus, whereas cGAS expression was associated with exceptional response. Combination treatment of MV-NIS with a cGAS inhibitor improved tumour cell killing in several PDAC cultures.

Study EGAS00001007001

Limited Association between HRR Gene Alterations and HRD in Molecular Tumor Board Cancer Samples: Who should be tested for HRD?

Alterations in Homologous Recombination Repair (HRR) Pathway genes have been found to be associated with HR-Deficiency (HRD), which is an approved biomarker for PARP Inhibitor (PARPi) treatment. The aim of a Molecular Tumor Board (MTB) is to identify molecular alterations in cancer patients with advanced tumors that may suggest off-label treatment options. So far, few studies have analyzed the presence of HRR gene mutations and their association with HRD outside of clinical studies. Currently, no data on HRD testing in the setting of a MTB have been published. For the present study, a cohort of 237 patients encompassing 24 different tumor entities was collected from the MTB of the Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen-EMN. We show that an elevated Genomic Instability Score (GIS ≥ 42) can occur in samples with and without mutations in HRR-related genes. Overall, 38.1% of cancer samples with BRCA1/2 mutations, 10.9% of tumors with alterations in HRR genes other than BRCA1/2, and 4.3% of cancer samples without HRR gene mutations harbored an elevated GIS. Notably, our data show that various inactivating BRCA1/2 mutations are not associated with an elevated GIS. Taken together, panCancer assessment of HRD in addition to BRCA1/2 and other HRR gene mutational analysis is recommended to guide decisions regarding PARPi treatment. Further studies are needed to establish thresholds for GIS in non-ovarian cancer entities. Finally, HRD can be observed in 4.3% of BRCA1/2 and other HRR gene wildtype cancer samples, and may emerge as an independent biomarker for PARPi in the future.

Study EGAS00001008063

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DAC for HSTCL study. National Cancer Centre Singapore.

DAC for MEITL study. National Cancer Centre Singapore.

DAC for Phylogenetic reconstruction of breast cancer

Center for Technology Licensing at Cornell University

Data Access Commitee for single-cell analysis

DAC for Stuttgart Breast Cancer Cohort

Data Access Committee for data from EGAS00001004619

DAC for 16 year brca case report

Data Access Committee for data from EGAS00001004666

Data Access Committee for data from EGAS00001004455

Genentech DAC for IMmotion151

Single cell multi-omics (scNOVA) group for AML

Data Access Committee for IPF Collaboration

Center for Medical Genetics Data Access Commitee

DAC for cell free DNA TAPS study

Data access committee for lung cancer

Data Access Committee for the MPNST project

DAC for single cell RNAseq in FL project

DAC-for-UniExome-EGA-upload-2021

DAC for Germline biallelic mutation

DAC for Identification of Germline Monoallelic Mutations

DAC for studying human normal breast cells

DAC for studying human normal breast cells

Annie Huang and the Hospital for Sick Children

Data Access Committee for the Berardi group

DAC for the study EGASXXX

DAC for Castleman. National Cancer Centre Singapore.

Data access committee for the HOMOCULTURGEN dataset

DAC for the study EGAS00001007247

PDiamond. DAC

DAC - Institute for Pharmacology and Toxicology

DAC_iCope

DAC for ALSPAC whole exome sequencing data

DAC for NMIBC study - UCLouvain

Data Access Committee for data from EGAS00001004454

LUMC Department Pediatrics, Laboratory for Pediatric Immunology

Data Access Committee for data from EGAS00001006662

Data Access Committee for data from EGAS00001005944

Tumor educated platelets for BrCA

RNASeq for BMI GL study

EGAD00010000606

Whole Genome Scan for Pancreatic Cancer Risk in the Pancreatic Cancer Cohort Consortium and Pancreatic Cancer Case-Control Consortium (PanScan)