3312 results for "*geneti*"

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• Human adipose tissue immune cells

  We describe a novel and conserved Trem2+ lipid-associated macrophage (LAM) subset and identify markers, spatial localization, origin, and functional pathways associated with these cells. Genetic ablation of Trem2 in mice globally inhibits the downstream molecular LAM program, leading to adipocyte hypertrophy as well as systemic hypercholesterolemia, body fat accumulation, and glucose intolerance. These findings identify Trem2 signaling as a major pathway by which macrophages respond to loss of tissue-level lipid homeostasis, highlighting Trem2 as a key sensor of metabolic pathologies across multiple tissues and a potential therapeutic target in metabolic diseases.

  Study EGAS00001003725

• From matrimonial practices to genetic diversity in Southeast Asian populations: the signature of the matrilineal puzzle

  This project aims at revisiting the "matrilineal puzzle" from a population genetics' point of view. The dataset consists of 719 individuals from 12 populations sampled in continental Southeast Asia and genotyped at 598764 loci. This dataset can only be accessed and used for non-commercial research purposes with a finality complying with the informed consent provided by donors. For accessing the data, please provide: 1. An explicit title for the project you wish to use the data for. 2. A detailed institutional affiliation of all recipients and users of the data. 3. A summary (500 words) of the research project, with emphasis on its scientific and societal finality, and predicted outputs. If access is granted by the DAC, data cannot be shared with a third party not initially involved in the project, without the third party officially applying for accessing the data.

  Study EGAS00001003727

• DNA Methylation loss coupled with mitotic cell division promotes immune evasion of tumours with high mutation load

  Mitotic cell division increases tumour mutation burden and copy number load with a positive and inverse correlation, respectively, with the clinical benefit of immunotherapy. Markers of cell division correlate also with genomic demethylation involving methylation loss in late-replicating partial methylation domains. Here we find that immunomodulatory pathway genes are concentrated in these domains and transcriptionally repressed in demethylated tumours with CpG island promoter hypermethylation. Global methylation loss correlated with immune evasion signatures independently of mutation burden and aneuploidy. Methylome data of our cohort (n = 60) and a published cohort (n = 81) in lung cancer and a melanoma cohort (n = 40) consistently demonstrated that genomic methylation alterations counteract the contribution of high mutation burden and increase immunotherapeutic resistance. Higher predictive power was observed for methylation loss than mutation burden. We also found that genomic hypomethylation correlates with the immune escape signatures of aneuploid tumours. Hence, DNA methylation alterations implicate epigenetic modulation as a combination regimens for precision immunotherapy.

  Study EGAS00001003731

• A targeted gene panel that covers coding, noncoding, and short tandem repeat regions improves the diagnosis of patients with neurodegenerative diseases

  Genetic testing for diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) is highly challenging because of genotype heterogeneity and overlapping clinical manifestations. Targeted-gene panels (TGPs), coupled with next-generation sequencing (NGS), can facilitate the profiling of a large repertoire of ND-related genes and help with differential diagnosis. Due to the technical limitations inherent in NGS and TGPs, short tandem repeat (STR) variations are often ignored. However, STR expansions are known to cause such NDs as Huntington’s disease and several types of spinocerebellar ataxias, such as SCA type 3 (SCA3).Here, we studied the clinical utility of a custom-made TGP that targets 199 NDs and 311 ND-associated genes on 118 undiagnosed patients. At least one known pathogenic or likely pathogenic variation was found in 54 (45.8%) patients; 27 (22.9%) of the 118 patients demonstrated clinical profiles that matched the variants. Based on the findings from the TGP, we refined the original diagnosis of 16 patients. A high concordance of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (99.9%) and small insertions and deletions (93.2%) were observed when comparing the results from TGP and whole-exome sequencing of four patients. We tested an in-house STR detection algorithm, and it reached a specificity of 0.88 and a sensitivity of 0.82 in our SCA3 cohort. This study also uncovered a trove of novel and recurrent variants that may enrich the repertoire of ND-related genetic markers. We propose that a combination of comprehensive TGPs and the bioinformatics analysis pipeline can improve the clinical diagnosis and accelerate the diagnosis of NDs.

  Study EGAS00001003737

• Glioblastoma initiating cells are sensitive to histone demethylase inhibition due to epigenetic deregulation

  Tumor-initiating cells are a subpopulation of cells that have self-renewal capacity to regenerate a tumor. Here, we identify stem cell-like chromatin features in human glioblastoma initiating cells (GICs) and link them to a loss of the repressive histone H3 lysine 9 trimethylation (H3K9me3) mark. Increasing H3K9me3 levels by histone demethylase inhibition led to cell death in GICs but not in their differentiated counterparts. The induction of apoptosis was accompanied by a loss of the activating H3 lysine 9 acetylation (H3K9ac) modification and accumulation of DNA damage and downregulation of DDR genes. Upon knockdown of histone demethylases KDM4C and KDM7A both differentiation and DNA damage was induced. Thus, the H3K9me3-H3K9ac equilibrium is crucial for GIC viability and represents a chromatin feature that can be exploited to specifically target this tumor subpopulation.

  Study EGAS00001003750

• Genetics and transcriptomes of pediatric B cell precursor leukemia with gain of chromosome 21

  Down syndrome (DS, constitutive trisomy 21) children have a 27-fold increased risk of developing B-ALL (DS-ALL), face a worse outcome due to treatment-related morbidities, and an increased rate of relapses compared to other children. This highlights the need to better understand the mechanisms of DS-associated leukemogenesis to develop more adapted treatment. In this study, we characterized the genetic and transcriptomic landscapes of DS-ALL and found a high incidence of somatic mutations leading to RAS/MAPK pathway activation in DS-ALL, as seen in other pediatric B-ALL presenting somatic gains of the chromosome 21 (B-ALL+21).

  Study EGAS00001003760

• Extreme phenotypes define epigenetic and metabolic signatures in cardiovascular diseases.

  Improving the understanding of cardiometabolic syndrome pathophysiology and its relationship with thrombosis are ongoing healthcare challenges. Using plasma biomarkers analysis coupled with the transcriptional and epigenetic characterisation of cell types involved in thrombosis, obtained from two extreme phenotype groups (obese and lipodystrophy) and comparing these to lean individuals and blood donors, the present study identifies the molecular mechanisms at play, highlighting patterns of abnormal activation in innate immune phagocytic cells and shows that extreme phenotype groups could be distinguished from lean individuals, and from each other, across all data layers. The characterisation of the same obese group, six months after bariatric surgery shows the loss of the patterns of abnormal activation of innate immune cells previously observed. However, rather than reverting to the gene expression landscape of lean individuals, this occurs via the establishment of novel gene expression landscapes. Netosis and its control mechanisms emerge amongst the pathways that show an improvement after surgical intervention. Taken together, by integrating across data layers, the observed molecular and metabolic differences form a disease signature that is able to discriminate, amongst the blood donors, those individuals with a higher likelihood of having cardiometabolic syndrome, even when not presenting with the classic features.

  Study EGAS00001003780

• Patient-Derived Lung Cancer Organoid

  Lung cancer shows substantial genetic and phenotypic heterogeneity across individuals, driving a need for personalized medicine. Here we report lung cancer organoids and normal bronchial organoids established from patients tissues comprising five histological subtypes of lung cancer and non-neoplastic bronchial mucosa as in vitro models representing individual patient. The lung cancer organoids recapitulate the tissue architecture of the primary lung tumours and maintain the genomic alterations of the original tumours during long-term expansion in vitro. The normal bronchial organoids maintain cellular components of normal bronchial mucosa. Lung cancer organoids respond to drugs based on their genomic alterations: a BRCA2 mutant organoid to olaparib, an EGFR mutant organoid to erlotinib, and an EGFR mutant/MET amplified organoid to crizotinib. Considering the short length of time from organoid establishment to drug testing, our newly developed model may prove useful for predicting patient-specific drug responses through in vitro patient-specific drug trials.

  Study EGAS00001003786

• Methylation CYLD cutaneous syndrome

  Patients with CYLD cutaneous syndrome (CCS; syn. Brooke-Spiegler syndrome) carry germline mutations in the tumor suppressor CYLD and develop multiple skin tumors with diverse histophenotypes. We comprehensively profiled the genomic landscape of 42 benign and malignant tumors across 13 individuals from four multigenerational families. Novel recurrent mutations were found in epigenetic modifiers DNMT3A and BCOR in 29% of benign tumors. Multi-level and microdissected sampling strikingly reveal that many clones with different DNMT3A mutations exist in these benign tumors, suggesting that intra-tumor heterogeneity is common. Integrated genomic, methylation and transcriptomic profiling in selected tumours suggest that isoform specific DNMT3A2 mutations are associated with dysregulated Wnt/ß-catenin pathway signaling. Phylogenetic and mutational signature analyses confirm cylindroma pulmonary metastases from primary skin tumours. These findings add novel dimensions to existing paradigms of cutaneous tumorigenesis and metastasis.

  Study EGAS00001003800

• UPF - Evolutionary Population Genetics lab Data Access Committee

  Dac EGAC00001000244

• Whole-exome sequencing of Fanconi anemia-like inherited bone marrow failure syndrome

  We identified three fibroblast cultures derived from aplastic anemia patients in the Japanese Cancer Research Resources Bank (JCRB) Cell Bank that showed high levels of sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs) in PHA-stimulated lymphoblasts. To elucidate the genetic basis of the high SCE, we carried out whole exome sequencing of these samples. Subsequently, germline variants were analysed for these patients.

  Study EGAS00001003809

• Epigenetic and metabolomic data from type 2 diabetes adolescents

  Objective: Rates of type 2 diabetes (T2D) among adolescents are on the rise. Epigenetic changes could be associated with the metabolic alterations in adolescents with T2D. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional integrated analysis of DNA methylation data from peripheral blood mononuclear cells with serum metabolomic data from First Nation adolescents with T2D and controls participating in the Improving Renal Complications in Adolescents with type 2 diabetes through REsearch (iCARE) cohort study, to explore the molecular changes in adolescents with T2D. Results: Our analysis showed that 43 serum metabolites and 36 differentially methylated regions (DMR) were associated with T2D. Several DMRs were located near the transcriptional start site of genes with established roles in metabolic disease and associated with altered serum metabolites (e.g. glucose, leucine, and gamma-glutamylisoleucine). These included the free fatty acid receptor-1 (FFAR1), upstream transcription factor-2 (USF2), and tumor necrosis factor-related protein-9 (C1QTNF9), among others. Conclusions: We identified DMRs and metabolites that merit further investigation to determine their significance in controlling gene expression and metabolism which could define T2D risk in adolescents.

  Study EGAS00001003816

• Whole exome sequencing CYLD cutaneous syndrome

  Patients with CYLD cutaneous syndrome (CCS; syn. Brooke-Spiegler syndrome) carry germline mutations in the tumor suppressor CYLD and develop multiple skin tumors with diverse histophenotypes. We comprehensively profiled the genomic landscape of 42 benign and malignant tumors across 13 individuals from four multigenerational families. Novel recurrent mutations were found in epigenetic modifiers DNMT3A and BCOR in 29% of benign tumors. Multi-level and microdissected sampling strikingly reveal that many clones with different DNMT3A mutations exist in these benign tumors, suggesting that intra-tumor heterogeneity is common. Integrated genomic, methylation and transcriptomic profiling in selected tumours suggest that isoform specific DNMT3A2 mutations are associated with dysregulated Wnt/ß-catenin pathway signaling. Phylogenetic and mutational signature analyses confirm cylindroma pulmonary metastases from primary skin tumours. These findings add novel dimensions to existing paradigms of cutaneous tumorigenesis and metastasis.

  Study EGAS00001003839

• Targeted sequencing CYLD cutaneous syndrome

  Patients with CYLD cutaneous syndrome (CCS; syn. Brooke-Spiegler syndrome) carry germline mutations in the tumor suppressor CYLD and develop multiple skin tumors with diverse histophenotypes. We comprehensively profiled the genomic landscape of 42 benign and malignant tumors across 13 individuals from four multigenerational families. Novel recurrent mutations were found in epigenetic modifiers DNMT3A and BCOR in 29% of benign tumors. Multi-level and microdissected sampling strikingly reveal that many clones with different DNMT3A mutations exist in these benign tumors, suggesting that intra-tumor heterogeneity is common. Integrated genomic, methylation and transcriptomic profiling in selected tumours suggest that isoform specific DNMT3A2 mutations are associated with dysregulated Wnt/ß-catenin pathway signaling. Phylogenetic and mutational signature analyses confirm cylindroma pulmonary metastases from primary skin tumours. These findings add novel dimensions to existing paradigms of cutaneous tumorigenesis and metastasis.

  Study EGAS00001003840

• RNA sequencing CYLD cutaneous syndrome

  Patients with CYLD cutaneous syndrome (CCS; syn. Brooke-Spiegler syndrome) carry germline mutations in the tumor suppressor CYLD and develop multiple skin tumors with diverse histophenotypes. We comprehensively profiled the genomic landscape of 42 benign and malignant tumors across 13 individuals from four multigenerational families. Novel recurrent mutations were found in epigenetic modifiers DNMT3A and BCOR in 29% of benign tumors. Multi-level and microdissected sampling strikingly reveal that many clones with different DNMT3A mutations exist in these benign tumors, suggesting that intra-tumor heterogeneity is common. Integrated genomic, methylation and transcriptomic profiling in selected tumours suggest that isoform specific DNMT3A2 mutations are associated with dysregulated Wnt/ß-catenin pathway signaling. Phylogenetic and mutational signature analyses confirm cylindroma pulmonary metastases from primary skin tumours. These findings add novel dimensions to existing paradigms of cutaneous tumorigenesis and metastasis.

  Study EGAS00001003841

• English Longitudinal Study for Ageing (ELSA) Genetic Data Access

  Dac EGAC00001000270

• Discovering genetic causes of optic atrophy syndromes through whole exome sequencing

  The genetic defects leading to optic atrophy range from mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) point mutations in Leber’s hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON), to dominant and recessive mutations affecting a cluster of nuclear genes implicated in mitochondrial dynamics. We performed WES in patients with an optic atrophy spectrum disorder, including retinal macular dystrophy and kidney insufficiency leading to transplantation, associated with mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) depletion without accumulation of multiple deletions, to identify the genetic causes of this syndrome.

  Study EGAS00001003850

• IDENTIFICATION AND TARGETED MANAGEMENT OF A PATIENT WITH A NEURODEGENERATIVE DISORDER CAUSED BY BIALLELIC MUTATIONS IN SLC5A6

  We describe a sibling pair displaying an early infantile-onset, progressive neurodegenerative phenotype, with symptoms of developmental delay and epileptic encephalopathy developing from 12 to 14 months of age. Using whole exome sequencing, compound heterozygous variants were identified in SLC5A6, which encodes the sodium-dependent multivitamin transporter (SMVT) protein. SMVT is an important transporter of the B-group vitamins biotin, pantothenate and lipoate. The protein is ubiquitously expressed and has major roles in vitamin uptake in the digestive system, as well as transport of these vitamins across the blood-brain barrier. Pathogenicity of the identified variants was demonstrated by impaired biotin uptake of mutant SMVT. Identification of this vitamin transporter as the genetic basis of this disorder guided targeted therapeutic intervention, resulting clinically in improvement of the patient’s neurocognitive and neuromotor function. This is the second report of biallelic mutations in SLC5A6 leading to a neurodegenerative disorder due to impaired biotin, pantothenate and lipoate uptake. The genetic and phenotypic overlap of these cases confirms mutations in SLC5A6 as the genetic cause of this disease phenotype. Recognition of the genetic disorder caused by SLC5A6 mutations is essential for early diagnosis and to facilitate timely intervention by triple vitamin (biotin, pantothenate and lipoate) replacement therapy.

  Study EGAS00001003861

• Bioscientia Molecular Genetics DAC

  Dac EGAC00001000271

• Systematic comparative analysis of single-nucleotide variants detection methods from single-cell RNA sequencing data

  Systematic interrogation of single nucleotide variations (SNVs) is one of the most promising approaches to delineate the cellular heterogeneity and phylogenetic relationships at the single cell level. While SNV detection from abundant single cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data is applicable and cost-effective in identifying expressed variants, inferring sub-clones, and deciphering genotype-phenotype linkages, there is a lack of computational methods specifically developed for SNV calling in scRNA-seq. Although variant callers for bulk RNA-seq have been sporadically used in scRNA-seq, the performances of different tools have not been assessed. Here, we performed a systematic comparison of seven tools including SAMtools, the GATK pipeline, CTAT, FreeBayes, MuTect2, Strelka2 and VarScan2, using both simulation and scRNA-seq datasets, and identified multiple elements influencing their performance. Our study provided the first benchmarking to evaluate the performances of different SNV detection tools for scRNA-seq data.

  Study EGAS00001003883

• Sequencing data of multiple sarcoma samples for personalized medicine and endotype identification

  Sequencing data derived from multiple patient samples was used to guide multiple patient-specific experiments and identify potential therapeutic options. These diseases are rare and high-risk (undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma, rhabdomyosarcoma) and thus have few available validated clinical options. This leaves the population of patients with few options if, and when, standard therapy fails to cure or control disease. An aspect of the personalize therapy design included the identification of broader disease endotypes (a combination of genetic and clinical data describing patient status) to identify subgroups of the individual disease that could better define treatments and could segment patient populations for deeper preclinical research.

  Study EGAS00001003981

• Lindsey E. Jones et al. Patient-derived cells from recurrent tumors that model the evolution of IDH-mutant glioma. Neuro-Oncology Advances, 2020. We established robust, versatile, and well-characterized Patient Derived Cells (PDC) of an IDH1-mutant astrocytoma and an IDH1-mutant oligodendroglioma that represents defined evolutionary stages of chemotherapy-induced hypermutation. The PDCs retain tumor subtype defining features over time as well as classic hallmarks of cancer, including anchorage independent growth and cell immortality. The integrated phylogenies composed of PDCs,single-cell-derived PDCs, patient-derived xenografts, and corresponding spatiotemporal tumor tissue samples also provide new insight into the clonality, evolutionary pattern, and immense mutational load of hypermutated IDH mutant gliomas.

  IDH-mutant lower-grade gliomas can undergo malignant progression via temozolomide-driven hypermutation. Patient-derived cells (PDC) that model the genetically distinct hypermutated (HM) tumor subgroup are generally lacking, and few if any human brain tumor cell models are from defined evolutionary time points. Here, we characterize multiple PDC derived from independent surgical specimens of IDH1-mutant recurrences, including an ATRX and TP53-mutant astrocytoma and a 1p/19q co-deleted and TERT promoter-mutant oligodendroglioma. We determined the evolutionary time points represented by each PDC using exome sequencing and phylogenetic reconstruction, comparing the PDC and single cell clones of the PDC (scPDC) to multiple spatiotemporal tumor tissue samples, PDC-derived xenografts (PDX) and patient-matched blood. The tumor samples exhibited TMZ-induced mutagenesis and a branching pattern of evolution. We found clear evidence of two fully independent founder HM clones in the tumor tissue that are faithfully represented by independent PDC. The PDC, scPDC and PDX also shared the mutagenesis signature and represent the mid and later evolutionary time points of their corresponding tumors. The PDC maintained the tumor subtype-defining features over many passages, including heterozygosity of the IDH1 R132H mutation, production of 2-hydroxyglutarate (2-HG), and subtype-specific telomere maintenance mechanisms. The PDC from both tumors exhibited anchorage-independent growth in soft agar. The oligodendroglioma PDC formed infiltrative intracranial tumors with characteristic oligodendroglioma histology, initially with a long period to tumor formation. We conclude that the PDC, scPDC and PDX faithfully model the heterogeneous clonal origins of the corresponding tumor tissue. The multilevel analysis also provides new insight into the intratumoral heterogeneity and vast mutational load of HM glioma. The PDC from multiple evolutionary time points presented in the context of full clinical timelines may be useful to model evolution and intratumoral heterogeneity, important sources of therapeutic failure.

  Study EGAS00001003992

• Mapping the breast cancer metastatic cascade onto circulating tumour DNA using genetic and epigenetic clonal tracking

  Circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) allows tracking the evolution of human cancers at high resolution, overcoming many limitations of tissue biopsies. However, exploiting ctDNA to determine how a patient’s cancer is evolving in order to aid clinical decisions remains difficult. This is because ctDNA is a mix of fragmented alleles, and the contribution of different cancer cell subpopulations from distinct lesions to ctDNA remains largely unknown. Profiling of ctDNA almost invariably requires prior knowledge of what genomic alterations to track. Here we leverage on a rapid autopsy programme to demonstrate that unbiased genomic characterisation of several metastatic sites and concomitant ctDNA profiling at whole-genome resolution reveals the extent to which ctDNA is representative of widespread disease. We also present a ctDNA methylation profiling method that allows tracking evolutionary changes in the cancer cell population at single-molecule resolution without prior knowledge. These results have critical implications for the use of liquid biopsies to monitor cancer evolution in humans and potentially guide treatment.

  Study EGAS00001004014

• Uncovering tumor intrinsic and extrinsic factors that regulate hepatocellular carcinoma growth using patient derived xenograft assays

  Several major factors limit our understanding of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). First, human HCCs are infrequently biopsied for diagnosis and thus are not often biologically interrogated. Second, HCC initiation and progression are strongly influenced by the cirrhotic microenvironment, and the exact contributions of intrinsic and extrinsic tumor factors are unclear. A powerful approach to examine the personalized biology of liver cancers and the influence of host tissues is with patient derived xenograft (PDX) models. In Asia, HCCs from hepatitis B virus patients have been efficiently converted into PDXs, but few parallel efforts from the west have been reported. In a large-scale analysis, we implanted 93 HCCs and 8 cholangiocarcinomas (CCAs) to systematically analyze host factors and to define an optimized platform for PDX development from both surgical and biopsy samples. NSG mice that had undergone partial hepatectomy (PHx) represented the best combination of engraftability, growth, and passageability, but overall rates were low and indicative of a unique intrinsic biology for HCCs in the US. PDX models preserved the histology and genetic features of parental tumors, and ultimately, 9 new models were usable for pre-clinical studies. Intriguingly, HCC PDXs were differentially sensitive to regorafenib and sorafenib and CCA PDXs were also highly sensitive to regorafenib. PDX models functionalize early and advanced stage HCCs and revealed unique biological features of liver cancers from the US.

  Study EGAS00001004020

• Exome Sequencing of Spanish Patients with rare genetic diseases.

  Whole exome sequencing of Spanish patients suffering from a rare genetic disease. The study was carried out in 2013 as a part of a public call from CNAG (Centro Nacional de Análisis Genómico), where data of eight spanish families were sent to analyse. The study concluded with three solved cases: two of aniridia and one syndromic RP.

  Study EGAS00001004028

• Human Pancreatic Islet RNAseq - Lund

  Most signals detected by genome-wide association studies map to non-coding sequence and their tissue-specific effects influence transcriptional regulation. However, many key tissues and cell-types required for appropriate functional inference are absent from large-scale resources such as ENCODE and GTEx. We explored the relationship between genetic variants influencing predisposition to type 2 diabetes (T2D) and related glycemic traits, and human pancreatic islet transcription using RNA-Seq and genotyping data from 420 islet donors. We find: (a) eQTLs have a variable replication rate across the 44 GTEx tissues (<73%), indicating that our study captured islet-specific cis-eQTL signals; (b) islet eQTL signals show marked overlap with islet epigenome annotation, though eQTL effect size is reduced in the stretch enhancers most strongly implicated in GWAS signal location; (c) selective enrichment of islet eQTL overlap with the subset of T2D variants implicated in islet dysfunction; and (d) colocalization between islet eQTLs and variants influencing T2D or related glycemic traits, delivering candidate effector transcripts at 23 loci, including DGKB and TCF7L2. Our findings illustrate the advantages of performing functional and regulatory studies in tissues of greatest disease-relevance while expanding our mechanistic insights into complex traits association loci activity with an expanded list of putative transcripts implicated in T2D development.

  Study EGAS00001004042

• GWAS data on human pancreatic islets from 191 donors - Lund

  Most signals detected by genome-wide association studies map to non-coding sequence and their tissue-specific effects influence transcriptional regulation. However, many key tissues and cell-types required for appropriate functional inference are absent from large-scale resources such as ENCODE and GTEx. We explored the relationship between genetic variants influencing predisposition to type 2 diabetes (T2D) and related glycemic traits, and human pancreatic islet transcription using RNA-Seq and genotyping data from 420 islet donors. We find: (a) eQTLs have a variable replication rate across the 44 GTEx tissues (<73%), indicating that our study captured islet-specific cis-eQTL signals; (b) islet eQTL signals show marked overlap with islet epigenome annotation, though eQTL effect size is reduced in the stretch enhancers most strongly implicated in GWAS signal location; (c) selective enrichment of islet eQTL overlap with the subset of T2D variants implicated in islet dysfunction; and (d) colocalization between islet eQTLs and variants influencing T2D or related glycemic traits, delivering candidate effector transcripts at 23 loci, including DGKB and TCF7L2. Our findings illustrate the advantages of performing functional and regulatory studies in tissues of greatest disease-relevance while expanding our mechanistic insights into complex traits association loci activity with an expanded list of putative transcripts implicated in T2D development.

  Study EGAS00001004044

• Phenotyping data on human pancreatic islets from 191 donors - Lund

  Most signals detected by genome-wide association studies map to non-coding sequence and their tissue-specific effects influence transcriptional regulation. However, many key tissues and cell-types required for appropriate functional inference are absent from large-scale resources such as ENCODE and GTEx. We explored the relationship between genetic variants influencing predisposition to type 2 diabetes (T2D) and related glycemic traits, and human pancreatic islet transcription using RNA-Seq and genotyping data from 420 islet donors. We find: (a) eQTLs have a variable replication rate across the 44 GTEx tissues (<73%), indicating that our study captured islet-specific cis-eQTL signals; (b) islet eQTL signals show marked overlap with islet epigenome annotation, though eQTL effect size is reduced in the stretch enhancers most strongly implicated in GWAS signal location; (c) selective enrichment of islet eQTL overlap with the subset of T2D variants implicated in islet dysfunction; and (d) colocalization between islet eQTLs and variants influencing T2D or related glycemic traits, delivering candidate effector transcripts at 23 loci, including DGKB and TCF7L2. Our findings illustrate the advantages of performing functional and regulatory studies in tissues of greatest disease-relevance while expanding our mechanistic insights into complex traits association loci activity with an expanded list of putative transcripts implicated in T2D development.

  Study EGAS00001004056

• Expression profiles and genetic makeup of metastases of a cancer of unknown primary.

  Study EGAS00001004059

• Organoid cultures of early-onset colorectal cancers reveal distinct and rare genetic profiles

  Sporadic early-onset colorectal cancer (EOCRC) has bad prognosis, yet is poorly represented by cell line models. We examine the key mutational and transcriptomic alterations in an organoid biobank enriched in EOCRCs. We established paired cancer (n=32) and normal organoids (n=18) from 20 patients enriched in microsatellite-stable EOCRC. Exome and transcriptome analysis was performed. We observed a striking diversity of molecular phenotypes, including PTPRK-RSPO3 fusions. Transcriptionally, RSPO fusion organoids resembled normal colon organoids and were distinct from APC mutant organoids, with high BMP2 and low PTK7 expression. Single cell transcriptome analysis confirmed the similarity between RSPO fusion organoids and normal organoids, with a propensity for maturation on Wnt withdrawal, whereas the APC mutant organoids were locked in progenitor stages. CRISPR/Cas9 engineered mutation of APC in normal human colon organoids led to upregulation of PTK7 protein and suppression of BMP2, but less so with an engineered RNF43 mutation. The frequent co-occurrence of RSPO fusions with SMAD4 or BMPR1A mutation was confirmed in TCGA database searches. RNF43 mutation was found in organoid from a leukaemia survivor with a novel mutational signature; and organoids with POLE proofreading mutation displayed ultramutation. The cancer organoid genomes were stable over long culture periods, while normal human colon organoids tended to be subject to clonal dominance over time. These organoid models enriched in EOCRCs with linked genomic data fill a gap in existing CRC models and reveal distinct genetic profiles and novel pathway cooperativity.

  Study EGAS00001004063

• Evolutionary Origins of Recurrent Pancreatic Cancer

  Surgery is the only curative option for patients with Stage I/II pancreatic cancer, nonetheless most patients will recur after surgery and die of their disease. To identify novel opportunities for management of recurrent pancreatic cancer we performed whole exome or targeted sequencing of 10 resected primary cancers and their matched intrapancreatic recurrences or distant metastases. We identified that recurrent disease develops from a monophyletic or polyphyletic origin, and this distinction has potential clinical relevance. In all patients, treatment induced genetic bottlenecks led to a modified genetic landscape and subclonal heterogeneity for driver gene alterations in part due to intermetastatic seeding. In one patient what was believed to be recurrent disease was an independent (second) primary tumor. These findings strongly advocate for routine post-treatment sampling in the management of recurrent pancreatic cancer.

  Study EGAS00001004097

• Comprehensive pharmacogenomic characterization of gastric cancer

  Gastric cancer is among the most lethal human malignancies. Previous studies have identified molecular aberrations that constitute dynamic biological networks and genomic complexities of gastric tumors. However, the clinical translation of molecular-guided targeted therapy is hampered by challenges. Notably, solid tumors often harbor multiple genetic alterations, complicating the development of effective treatments. To address such challenges, we established a comprehensive dataset of molecularly annotated patient derivatives coupled with pharmacological profiles for 60 targeted agents to explore dynamic pharmacogenomic interactions in gastric cancers. We identified lineage-specific drug sensitivities based on histopathological and molecular subclassification, including substantial sensitivities toward VEGFR and EGFR inhibition therapies in diffuse- and signet ring-type gastric tumors, respectively. We identified potential therapeutic opportunities for WNT pathway inhibitors in ALK-mutant tumors, a significant association between PIK3CA-E542K mutation and AZD5363 response, and transcriptome expression of RNF11 as a potential predictor of response to gefitinib. Collectively, our results demonstrate the feasibility of drug screening combined with tumor molecular characterization to facilitate personalized therapeutic regimens for gastric tumors.

  Study EGAS00001004106

• Reference Exome Data for a Northern Brazilian population

  Whole exome sequencing (WES) is a popular technology widely used in the diagnosis of rare genetic diseases and provides useful variant data for analysis of complex diseases. However, there is not always adequate population-specific reference data available to assist clinical geneticists in assigning a diagnostic variant to a specific clinical condition. Here we provide a catalogue of variants called after sequencing the exomes of 45 babies from the State of Rio Grande do Nord in Brazil. Sequence data were processed using an ‘intersect-then-combine’ (ITC) approach, using GATK and SAMtools to call variants. A total of 612,761 variants were identified in at least one individual in this Brazilian Cohort, including 559,448 single nucleotide variants (SNVs) and 53,313 insertion/deletions. Of these, 58,111 overlapped with nonsynonymous (nsSNVs) or splice site (ssSNVs) SNVs in dbNSFP. As an aid to clinical diagnosis of rare diseases, we used the American College of Medicine Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) guidelines to assign pathogenic/likely pathogenic status to 439 (0.755%) of the 58,111 nsSNVs and ssSNVs. Our data set provides a useful reference point for diagnosis of rare diseases in Brazil.

  Study EGAS00001004112

• CD8+ T-cell exhaustion induced by leukemic cells drives progression in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

  In order to shed light on mechanisms that lead to CLL progression, we investigated longitudinal changes in both the genetic and immunological landscapes. For that, we analyzed paired samples obtained from CLL patients at diagnosis and progression before front-line treatment or at diagnosis and long-term asymptomatic follow-up. By whole-exome sequencing (WES), we found that CLL cells displayed limited genetic evolution at progression. Conversely, T cells from progressing patients showed significant immunophenotypical and transcriptional changes over time not observed in patients that did not progress. Specifically, we found that CD8+ T cells at progression were characterized by an increasing terminally exhausted effector phenotype (T-betdim/- Eomeshi PD1hi) with high co-expression of inhibitory receptors (PD1, CD244 and CD160). This exhausted status in CD8+ T cells was induced by progressing leukemic cells mainly through a mechanism dependent on soluble factors, including IL-10. Thus, we demonstrate that immunological changes are of paramount importance for CLL clinical progression, thereby providing a rationale for the use of early immunotherapeutic intervention in this disease.

  Study EGAS00001004116

• Genomic landscape of inflammatory breast cancer by whole-genome sequencing

  Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is the most aggressive form of breast cancer, characterized by a highly invasive and metastatic phenotype, but little is known about its genetic drivers. Here we report whole-genome sequencing (WGS) of 20 newly diagnosed IBC biopsies to characterize for the first time the entire genomic landscape of this disease.

  Study EGAS00001004117

• Pseudodiastrophic dysplasia expands the known phenotypic spectrum of defects in proteoglycan biosynthesis

  Pseudodiastrophic dysplasia (PDD) is a severe skeletal dysplasia associated with prenatal manifestation and early lethality. Clinically, PDD is classified as a ‘dysplasia with multiple joint dislocations’ however, the molecular aetiology of the disorder is currently unknown. In order to identify the genetic defects underlying PDD, we performed whole exome sequencing (WES) on 3 patients from 2 unrelated families, clinically diagnosed with PDD. WES resulted in the identification of bi-allelic variants in the established skeletal dysplasia genes, B3GAT3 (Family 1) and CANT1 (Family 2). Mutations in these genes have previously been reported to cause ‘multiple joint dislocations, short stature, and craniofacial dysmorphism with or without congenital heart defects’ (B3GAT3) and Desbuquois dysplasia 1 (CANT1); disorders in the same nosological group as PDD. Follow-up of the B3GAT3 variants demonstrated significantly reduced B3GAT3/GlcAT-I expression. Downstream in vitro functional analysis revealed abolished biosynthesis of glycosaminoglycan side chains on proteoglycans. Functional evaluation of the CANT1 variant showed impaired nucleotidase activity, which results in inhibition of glycosaminoglycan synthesis through accumulation of uridine diphosphate. For the families described in this study, the PDD phenotype was caused by mutations in the known skeletal dysplasia genes B3GAT3 and CANT1, demonstrating the advantage of genomic analyses in delineating the molecular diagnosis of skeletal dysplasias. This finding expands the phenotypic spectrum of B3GAT3- and CANT1- related skeletal dysplasias to include PDD, and highlights the significant phenotypic overlap of conditions within the proteoglycan biosynthesis pathway.

  Study EGAS00001004145

• Cancer immune control needs senescence induction by Stat1 dependent cell cycle regulator pathways in tumours

  Immune checkpoint bloackade (ICB)-based or natural cancer immune responses largely eliminate tumours. Yet, they require additional mechanisms to arrest those cancer cells that are not rejected. Cytokine-induced senescence (CIS) can stably arrest cancer cells, suggesting that interferon-dependent induction of senescence-inducing cell cycle regulators is needed to control those cancer cells that escape from killing. Here we report in two different cancers sensitive to T cell-mediated rejection, we show that deletion of the senescence-inducing cell cycle regulators p16Ink4a/p19Arf (Cdkn2a) or p21Cip1 (Cdkn1a) in the tumour cells abrogated both, the natural and the ICB-induced cancer immune control. Also in humans, melanoma metastases that progressed rapidly during ICB have losses of senescence-inducing genes and amplifications of senescence inhibitors. Metastatic cells also resist CIS. Such genetic and functional alterations are infrequent in metastatic melanomas regressing during ICB. Thus, activation of tumour-intrinsic, senescence-inducing cell cycle regulators is required to stably arrest those cancer cells that escape from eradication.

  Study EGAS00001004151

• Native American gene flow into Polynesia predating Easter Island settlement

  The possibility of voyaging contact between prehistoric Polynesian and Native American populations has long intrigued researchers. Proponents have pointed to the existence of New World crops, such as the sweet potato and bottle gourd, in the Polynesian archaeological record, but nowhere else outside the pre-Columbian Americas while critics have argued that these botanical dispersals need not have been human mediated. The Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl controversially suggested that prehistoric South American populations had an important role in the settlement of east Polynesia and particularly of Easter Island (Rapa Nui). Several limited molecular genetic studies have reached opposing conclusions, and the possibility continues to be as hotly contested today as it was when first suggested. Here we analyse genome-wide variation in individuals from islands across Polynesia for signs of Native American admixture, analysing 807 individuals from 17 island populations and 15 Pacific coast Native American groups. We find conclusive evidence for prehistoric contact of Polynesian individuals with Native American individuals (around AD 1200) contemporaneous with the settlement of remote Oceania. Our analyses suggest strongly that a single contact event occurred in eastern Polynesia, before the settlement of Rapa Nui, between Polynesian individuals and a Native American group most closely related to the indigenous inhabitants of present-day Colombia.

  Study EGAS00001004209

• Association of DNA-methylation profiles with immune responses in breast cancer patients

  Study EGAS00001004211

• single-stranded DNA study

  A ssDNA library protocol was applied to cfDNA from plasma samples obtained from different DNA extraction methods and revealed significant differences in DNA fragmentation patterns in comparison to dsDNA-based protocols. In particular, a specific combination of methods revealed a population of ultrashort fragments, organized at ~50 bp. We observed significant differences in the relative abundance of these ultrashort DNA fragments in plasma from healthy individuals and cancer patients. Through shallow whole genome sequencing (sWGS, <0.5-fold coverage) and the analysis of somatic copy number aberrations (SCNA), we determined the landscape of genetic alterations in this newly identified population of cfDNA fragments. In addition, we studied their potential link with regulatory regions by investigating the genome-wide coverage patterns at transcription start sites (TSS). Furthermore, we demonstrated that the ultrashort cfDNA fragments map to regions associated with secondary DNA structures, G-quadruplexes (G4s).

  Study EGAS00001005093

• Analysis of exonic somatic variants in light-chain amyloidosis (ALA) and ALA concomitant with multiple myeloma

  We aim to provide the very first insight into ALA+MM molecular profiles and compare the results with ALA and with MM. Our detailed study of ALA and ALA+MM represents an important step towards improved understanding of their genetic and transcriptomic background, which is a prerequisite for development of optimal treatment strategies in the future.

  Study EGAS00001004214

• Resequencing (MIPS) of candidate genes for Keratoconus (2020)

  In this study, we selected 34 candidate genes for KC based on previous Whole Exome Sequencing (WES) and the literature, and resequenced them in 745 KC patients and 810 ethnically matched controls. Data analysis was performed using the single variant association test as well as gene-based mutation burden and variance components tests. In our study, we detected enrichment of genetic variation across multiple gene-based tests for the genes COL2A1, COL5A1, TNXB, ZEB1 and ZNF469. The top hit in the Fisher’s exact test was obtained for a common variant in the COL12A1 gene. Interestingly, COL5A1, TNXB, ZNF469 and COL12A1 are all known Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) genes. Though the co-occurrence of KC and EDS has been reported previously, this study is the first to demonstrate a consistent role of genetic variants in EDS genes in the etiology of KC. In conclusion, our data show a shared genetic etiology between KC and EDS, and clearly confirm the currently disputed role of ZNF469 in disease susceptibility for KC. Besides the role for EDS genes, we also confirm the previously reported involvement of genetic variation in ZEB1 in KC.

  Study EGAS00001004267

• Genetic characterization of a Unique Neuroendocrine Transdifferentiation Prostate Circulating Tumor Cell - Derived eXplant (CDX) Model

  Study EGAS00001004272

• RUNX1 mutated families show phenotype heterogeneity and a somatic mutation profile unique to germline predisposed AML

  We present the clinical phenotypes and genetic mutations detected in 10 novel RUNX1 mutated FPD-MM families. Genomic analyses on these families detected two partial gene deletions, three novel mutations and five recurrent mutations as the germline RUNX1 alterations leading to FPD-MM. On 15 individuals, across the 10 families, we performed additional whole exome or myeloid panel sequencing on blood or bone marrow to determine somatic mutations that co-exist with the germline RUNX1 mutation in tumour and pre-leukaemic states.

  Study EGAS00001004273

• Whole genome sequencing of 76 tumor and normal samples from 11 SI-NET patients

  We have sampled 11 patients with multifocal SI-NETs. The complete genome sequences of 65 tumor and tissue samples including 42 intestinal lesions, 14 adjacent lymph node metastases, 5 distant metastases, as well as of 4 normal tissue and 11 normal blood samples were determined. This allowed elucidation of phylogenetic relationships between tumors within individual patients.

  Study EGAS00001005096

• Circulating tumor cells for comprehensive and multiregional non-invasive genetic characterization of multiple myeloma (arrays set)

  Multiple myeloma (MM) patients undergo repetitive bone marrow (BM) aspirates for genetic characterization. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are detectable in peripheral blood of virtually all MM cases and are prognostic, but their applicability for non-invasive screening has been poorly investigated. Here, we used next-generation flow cytometry to isolate matched CTCs and BM tumor cells from 42 patients and compare their genetic profile. In 8 cases, tumor cells from extramedullary plasmacytomas were also sorted and whole-exome sequencing performed in the three spatially-distributed clones. Noteworthy, ≥84% mutations present in BM and extramedullary clones were detectable in CTCs. Concordance between BM tumor cells and CTCs was high for chromosome arm-level copy-number alterations (≥94%) though not for translocations (43%). All high-risk genetic abnormalities except one t(4;14) were detected in CTCs whenever present in BM tumor cells. Altogether, these results support CTCs for non-invasive risk-stratification of MM patients based on their numbers and genetic profile.

  Study EGAS00001004314

• Multiregion Whole-Exome Sequencing Uncovers the Genetic Evolution and Mutational Heterogeneity of Early-Stage Metastatic Melanoma.

  Study EGAS00001004320

• Overrepresentation of genetic variation in the AnkyrinG interactome is related to a range of neurological disorders

  Upon the discovery of numerous genes involved in the pathogenesis of neurodevelopmental disorders, several studies showed that a significant proportion of these genes converge on common pathways and protein networks. Here, we used a reversed approach, by screening the well-characterized AnkyrinG protein-protein interaction network, implicated in a variety of neurodevelopmental disorders, for genetic variation in a large cohort of 1009 cases with neurodevelopmental disorder. We identified a significant enrichment of de novo potentially disease-causing variants in this network, confirming that this protein network plays an important role in the emergence of several neurodevelopmental disorders.

  Study EGAS00001004326

• METABRIC: Data from Batra et al (2021); DNA methylation landscapes of 1538 breast cancers reveal a replication-linked clock, epigenomic instability and cis-regulation

  DNA methylation is aberrant in cancer, but the dynamics, regulatory role and clinical implications of such epigenetic changes are still poorly understood. Here, RRBS-based profiles of 1538 breast tumors and 244 normal breast tissues from the METABRIC cohort are reported, facilitating detailed analysis of DNA methylation within a rich context of genomic, transcriptional, and clinical data. Tumor methylation from immune and stromal signatures are deconvoluted leading to the discovery of a tumor replication-linked clock with genome-wide methylation loss in non-CpG island sites. Unexpectedly, methylation in most tumor CpG islands follows two replication-independent processes of gain (MG) or loss (ML) that we term epigenomic instability. Epigenomic instability is correlated with tumor grade and stage, TP53 mutations and poorer prognosis. After controlling for these global trans-acting trends, as well as for X-linked dosage compensation effects, cis-specific methylation and expression correlations are uncovered at hundreds of promoters and over a thousand distal elements. Some of these targeted known tumor suppressors and oncogenes. In conclusion, the study demonstrates that global epigenetic instability can erode cancer methylomes and expose them to localized methylation aberrations in-cis resulting in transcriptional changes seen in tumors.

  Study EGAS00001004327

• Persistent STAG2 mutation in recurrent pediatric glioblastoma

  Similar to their adult counterparts, the prognosis for pediatric patients with high-grade gliomas remains poor. At time of recurrence, treatment options are limited and remain without consensus. This report describes the genetic findings, obtained from whole exome sequencing of a pediatric patient with glioblastoma who underwent multiple surgical resections and treatment with standard chemoradiation, as well as a novel recombinant poliovirus vaccine therapy. Strikingly, despite the variety of treatments, there was persistence of a tumor clone, characterized by a deleterious STAG2 mutation, whose deficiency in pre-clinical studies can cause aneuploidy and aberrant mitotic progression, but remains understudied in the clinical setting. There was near elimination of an EGFR mutated and amplified tumor clone after gross total resection, standard chemoradiation, and poliovirus therapy, followed by the emergence of a persistently STAG2 mutated clone, with rare mutations in PTPN11 and BRAF, the latter composed of a novel deleterious mutation previously not reported in pediatric glioblastoma (p.D594G). This was accompanied by a mutation signature shift towards one characterized by increased DNA damage repair defects, consistent with the known underlying STAG2 deficiency. As such, this case represents a novel report following the clinical and genetic progression of a STAG2 mutated glioblastoma, including treatment with a novel and emerging immunotherapy. Although STAG2 deficiency comprises only a small subset of gliomas, this case adds clinical evidence to existing pre-clinical data supporting a role for STAG2 mutations in tumor formation and resistance to standard therapies.

  Study EGAS00001004340