3798 results for "*oma"

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• Pilot study for Illumina TST170 NGS panel on cutaneous T cell lymphoma samples

  A number of genomic studies using next generation sequencing (NGS) techniques have attempted to understand the underlying genetic basis of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma and found alterations in genes that are involved in T-cell activation, NF-kB and JAK-signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) pathways. 8 diagnostic skin biopsy samples (2xplaque, 6xtumour) on FFPE blocks were selected from 8 MF patients (stage IB:n=1, IIB:n=6, IVA2:n=1). An H&E was performed in order to assess percentage of tumor cells, viable cells, necrosis and immune infiltration, to determine the number of slides required for NGS. Freshly cut unstained slides were manually macrodissected prior to DNA and RNA extraction. Targeted deep sequencing was performed using panel of 170 genes associated with common solid tumours (Illumina TruSight Tumour 170 NGS panel). VCF files generated via the Illumina’s Basespace platform.

  Study EGAS00001002567

• The genomic landscape of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma from immunosuppressed and immunocompetent patients reveals common drivers and a novel mutational signature associated with chronic azathioprine exposure

  Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) has a high tumour mutational burden (50 mutations per megabase DNA pair). Combining whole exome analyses from 40 primary cSCC tumours, comprising 20 well differentiated and 20 moderately/poorly differentiated tumours, with accompanying clinical data from a longitudinal study of immunosuppressed and immunocompetent patients, coupled with integration of independent gene expression studies has allowed the identification of commonly mutated genes and altered pathways and processes. Mutational signature analysis revealed the presence of a novel signature (signature 32), which was found exclusively in the tumours from immunosuppressed patients who had been exposed to azathioprine. Characterisation of a panel of 15 keratinocyte cancer cell lines derived from tumours from immunocompetent and immunosuppressed patients reveals that they accurately reflect the mutational signatures and genomic alterations of primary tumours and provide a resource for the validation of tumour drivers and therapeutic targets.

  Study EGAS00001002612

• Whole-exome sequencing of ovarian clear cell carcinoma in clinical outliers

  Whole-exome sequencing dataset for the Australian Ovarian Cancer Study (AOCS) and The Jikei University School of Medicine (JIKEI) ovarian clear cell carcinoma (OCCC) clinical outliers project, representing 10 donors. Although OCCC are commonly resistant to platinum based chemotherapy, good clinical outcomes are observed in a subset of patients. Exome sequencing was performed in 10 patients who had either unusually long survival (N=5) or had a very short time to progression (N=5).

  Study EGAS00001004248

• HDAC inhibitors in synovial sarcoma cells

  Histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibition has been shown in previous studies to disrupt the synovial sarcoma oncoprotein complex, resulting in apoptosis. To understand the molecular effects of HDAC inhibition, RNA-Seq transcriptome analysis was undertaken in six human synovial sarcoma cell lines. HDAC inhibition induced pathways of cell cycle arrest, neuronal differentiation and response to oxygen-containing species, effects also observed in other cancers treated with this class of drugs. More specific to synovial sarcoma, polycomb-group targets were reactivated including tumor suppressor CDKN2A, and pro-apoptotic transcriptional patterns were induced. Functional analyses revealed that ROS-mediated FOXO activation and pro-apoptotic factors BIK, BIM and BMF were important to apoptosis induction following HDAC-inhibition in synovial sarcoma

  Study EGAS00001002637

• We performed whole-exome sequencing of 20 samples (10 actinic keratosis and 10 cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma) to investigate a potential relationship between DNA methylation-based subtypes and genetic mutation patterns (Rodriguez-Paredes et al., Nat Commun 2017)

  Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) is the second most common skin cancer type and arises from keratinocytes. Most cSCC progress from a UV-induced precancerous lesion termed actinic keratosis (AK). Despite various efforts to characterize these lesions molecularly, the etiology of AK and its progression to cSCC remain only partially understood. Here we have used Infinium MethylationEPIC BeadChips to interrogate the DNA methylation status of about 850.000 CpGs in epidermal preparations from healthy skin, AK and cSCC. Importantly, we found that the premalignant AK samples displayed classical features of cancer methylomes and were highly similar to cSCC methylomes. Further analysis identified typical features of stem cell methylomes, such as a reduced DNA methylation age, non-CpG methylation and stem cell-related keratin and enhancer methylation patterns. Interestingly, this signature was detected only in one half of the AK and cSCC samples, while the other half showed keratin and enhancer methylation patterns that were more closely related to the control epidermis. These findings suggest the existence of two distinct subclasses of AK and cSCC that originate from distinct keratinocyte differentiation stages.

  Study EGAS00001002670

• Alternative splicing isoforms in patient-derived hepatocellular carcinoma cells

  The aim of this study was to obtain a landscape of alternative splicing (AS) in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We applied hybrid sequencing by integrating Pacbio long-read and Illumina short-read RNA sequencing data from 8 patient-derived HCC cell lines, and used an immortalized hepatocyte cell line as reference. This study revealed features of annotated and novel splice variants in HCC cells, including transcript length, AS type and protein changes. We also identified novel isoforms and tumor specific isoforms, which may represent potential biomarkers and targets for therapeutic development.

  Study EGAS00001002697

• Gut microbiome modulates response to anti PD1 immunotherapy in metastatic melanoma patients

  There is a growing appreciation of the role of the microbiome in cancer, and evidence in pre-clinical models that the gut microbiome may modulate responses to immune checkpoint blockade though this has not been well-characterized in patients. We analyzed the oral (n=86)and gut (n=43) 16S microbiome in melanoma patients on PD-1 blockade. Significant differences were noted in the diversity and composition of the gut microbiome between responders and non-responders in patients with a fecal microbiome sample, with significantly higher alpha diversity and relative abundance of Ruminococcaceae bacteria) in R. Metagenomic studies (n=25) revealed functional differences in gut bacteria in R including enrichment of anabolic pathways. Immune profiling demonstrated enhanced systemic and anti-tumor immunity in patients with a favorable gut microbiome as well as in germ-free mice receiving fecal transplant from responding patients. Together, these data have important implications for treatment with immune checkpoint blockade in cancer. The fastq files associated with this dataset are stored at ENA under the following accession numbers: PRJEB22894 (Fecal 16S), PRJEB22874 (Oral 16S), PRJEB22895 (Murine 16S), PRJEB22893 (Fecal WGS).

  Study EGAS00001002698

• Whole exome sequencing of cell-free DNA reveals temporo-spatial heterogeneity and identifies treatment-resistant clones in neuroblastoma

  Background: Neuroblastoma (NB) displays important clinical and genetic heterogeneity, with emergence of new mutations at tumor progression. Patients and Methods: To study clonal evolution during treatment and follow-up, an innovative method based on circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) analysis by whole exome sequencing (WES) paired with target sequencing was realized in sequential liquid biopsy samples of 19 NB patients. Results: WES of the primary tumor and cfDNA at diagnosis showed overlap of Single Nucleotide Variants (SNVs) and Copy Number Alterations (CNAs), with 41% and 93% of all detected alterations common to the primary NB and cfDNA. CfDNA WES at a second time point indicated a mean of 22 new SNVs for patients with progressive disease. Relapse-specific alterations included genes of the MAPK pathway and targeted the protein kinase A signaling pathway. Deep coverage target sequencing of intermediate timepoints during treatment and follow-up identified distinct subclones. For 17 seemingly relapse-specific SNVs detected by sequencing detected these alterations in minor subclones, with relapse-emerging SNVs targeting genes of neuritogenesis and cell cycle. Furthermore a persisting, resistant clone with concomitant disappearance of other clones was identified by a mutation in the ubiquitin protein ligase HERC2. Conclusion: Modelisation of mutated allele fractions in cfDNA indicated distinct patterns of clonal evolution, with either a minor, treatment-resistant clone expanding to a major clone at relapse, or minor clones collaborating towards tumor progression. Identification of treatment-resistant clones will enable development of more efficient treatment strategies.cfDNA WES at relapse but not tumor or cfDNA WES at diagnosis, deep coverage target.

  Study EGAS00001002705

• Sequencing-based counting and size profiling of plasma Epstein-Barr virus DNA enhance population screening of nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

  Circulating tumor-derived DNA testing for cancer screening has recently been demonstrated in a prospective study on identification of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) among 20,174 asymptomatic individuals. Plasma EBV DNA, a marker for NPC, was detected using real-time PCR. While plasma EBV DNA was persistently detectable in 97.1% of the NPCs identified, ∼5% of the general population had transiently detectable plasma EBV DNA. We hypothesized that EBV DNA in plasma of subjects with or without NPC may have different molecular characteristics. We performed target-capture sequencing of plasma EBV DNA and identified differences in the abundance and size profiles of EBV DNA molecules within plasma of NPC and non-NPC subjects. NPC patients had significantly higher amounts of plasma EBV DNA, which showed longer fragment lengths. Cutoff values were established from an exploratory dataset and tested in a validation sample set. Adopting an algorithm that required a sample to concurrently pass cutoffs for EBV DNA counting and size measurements, NPCs were detected at a positive predictive value (PPV) of 19.6%. This represented superior performance compared with the PPV of 11.0% in the prospective screening study, which required participants with an initially detectable plasma EBV DNA result to be retested within 4 weeks. The observed differences in the molecular nature of EBV DNA molecules in plasma of subjects with or without NPC were successfully translated into a sequencing-based test that had a high PPV for NPC screening and achievable through single time-point testing.

  Study EGAS00001002707

• Aggressive genomic features in clinicallyindolent primary HHV8-negative effusion-based lymphoma

  Human herpesvirus 8-negative effusion-based lymphoma (HHV8-negative EBL) is a distinct lymphoma entity related to fluid overload states caused by underlying medical conditions. Due to a phenotypical resemblance with secondary effusion of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), HHV8-negative EBL is easily misdiagnosed. However, in contrast to DLBCL, HHV8-negative EBL follows a mild clinical course, underpinning the importance to differentiate between the two entities. Only limited molecular data of HHV8-negative EBL has been reported and characteristic genomic patterns are lacking. We performed extensive genomic profiling on 8 HHV8-negative EBL cases. A mean number of 33.6 copy number gains and losses per case were found, with recurrent focal deletions of chromosome 3p14.2 and 6q21 in 6/8 cases, encompassing tumor supressor genes FHIT and PRDM1, respectively. We observed a high rate of mutations across genes frequently involved in DLBCL, including patterns of somatic hypermutation. The most abundant hotspot mutation was found in MYD88L265P (3/8 cases). In addition, 5/8 cases had one or more translocations, involving MYC, BCL2, BCL6, TP63, EXOC2 and KMT2D, with Ig and non-Ig partners. We conclude that HHV8-negative EBL is characterized by genomic features that are commonly found in more aggressive B-cell lymphomas, but despite this follow an indolent clinical course.

  Study EGAS00001002743

• Defective T-cell expansion in RASGRP1 deficiency

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

  Study EGAS00001002753

• Aberrant ERBB4-SRC Signaling as a Hallmark of Group 4 Medulloblastoma Revealed by Integrative Phosphoproteomic Profiling

  The four main medulloblastoma subgroups are characterized by distinct biology, clinicopathological features and clinical outcomes. While the WNT and SHH subgroups are characterized by clearly defined aberrant signaling of developmental pathways, the underlying biology of Group 3 and 4 remains poorly understood. Here, we delineate distinct post-translational regulation orchestrating active oncogenic signaling networks in Groups 3 and 4. Specifically, aberrant ERBB4-SRC signaling constitutes a novel hallmark feature of Group 4, with great promise as a novel oncogenic mechanism and potential vulnerability for therapeutic intervention in the most common subgroup. Altogether, this novel integrative proteogenomic landscape demonstrates the added value of proteomics and phosphoproteomics analysis to discover and exploit unexpected oncogenic mechanisms in medulloblastoma and beyond.

  Study EGAS00001002757

• Colorectal adenomas and carcinomas NKI-AvL TGO series Gut2009

  Colorectal cancer (CRC) develops from normal epithelium, through a benign precursor lesion called adenoma, by accumulation of genetic alterations affecting oncogenes and tumour suppressor genes. These CRC-related genomic alterations often result in specific RNA-expression patterns. RNA isolated from fresh frozen specimen of 32 adenomas and 29 CRCs was obtained from the previously published study (Carvalho et al. 2009) and RNA-sequencing was performed with the aim to examine RNA expression changes in colorectal adenoma-to-carcinoma progression.

  Study EGAS00001002758

• Germline HAVCR2 mutations altering TIM-3 characterize subcutaneous panniculitis-like T-cell lymphomas with hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytic syndrome

  Sub-cutaneous panniculitis-like T-cell lymphomas (SPTCL), a non-Hodgkin lymphoma, can be associated with hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), a life-threatening immune activation which adversely impacts survival1,2. T-cell-immunoglobulin mucin-3 (TIM-3) is a modulator of immune responses expressed on subgroups of T- and innate immune cells. We identify in ~60% of SPTCL cases germline, loss-of-function, missense variants in highly conserved residues of TIM-3, c.245A>G(p.Y82C) and c.291A>G(p.I97M), each with specific geographic distribution. Y82C-TIM-3 occurs on a potential founder chromosome in patients with East Asian and Polynesian ancestry, while I97M-TIM-3 occurs in Caucasians. Both variants induce protein misfolding and abrogate TIM-3’s plasma-membrane expression leading to persistent immune activation, increased production of inflammatory cytokines, including TNF-α and IL-1β, promoting HLH and SPTCL. Our findings highlight HLH/SPTCL as a new genetic entity and showcase TIM-3 mutations as the first causative genetic defect in SPTCL. While TIM-3-mutant HLH/SPTCL benefit from immunomodulation, therapeutic repression of the TIM-3 checkpoint may have adverse consequences.

  Study EGAS00001002765

• Mutational spectrum of highly differentiated, fusion-negative rhabdomyosarcoma (set 2).

  Pediatric PAX-FOXO1 fusion-negative rhabdomyosarcoma represents a diverse spectrum of tumors. In this study, the mutational spectrum of 22 fusion-negative rhabdomyosarcomas with high, rhabdomyoma-like levels of differentiation was evaluated using OncoPanel v.2 (OPv2), an Agilent SureSelect custom designed bait set consisting of the coding regions of 504 cancer-relevant genes. Corresponding normal tissue was not available. Discarded normal human skeletal muscle, obtained from 7 donors without tumor history, were also included in the sequencing run.

  Study EGAS00001002771

• An Empirical Approach Leveraging Tumorgrafts to Dissect the Tumor Microenvironment in Renal Cell Carcinoma Identifies Missing Link to Prognostic Inflammatory Factors

  We undertook an empirical approach to dissect the tumor microenvironment by developing a bulk tumor dissection algorithm, DisHet, and leveraging RNA-Seq data of tumorgrafts (patient-derived tumors implanted in mice), in which only the tumor cell component expands. We found that approximately 65% of previously defined immune signature genes are not abundantly expressed in the Renal Cell Carcinoma (RCC) microenvironment, and we identified more than two times as many novel immune/stromal transcripts. By using refined immune/stroma-specific genes and genomics, electronic medical record data and imaging data of 1084 RCC patients, we discovered a highly-inflamed pan-RCC subtype enriched for Treg cells, NK cells, Th1 cells, neutrophils, macrophages, B cells, and CD8+ T cells. This inflamed subtype (IS) is enriched for aggressive RCCs, including BAP1-deficient clear-cell and type 2 papillary tumors. Interestingly, IS is correlated with systemic manifestations of inflammation in patients such as thrombocytosis and anemia, whose pathogenesis were poorly defined and have been predictors of poor prognosis in RCC. Indeed, we discovered that IS is a strong predictor of poor survival. Lastly, our analyses show that tumor cells may drive stromal immune response. Overall, these data provide a missing link between the tumor cells, the tumor microenvironment, and systemic factors.

  Study EGAS00001002786

• Preferential infiltration of distinct Vγ9δ2 T cells into Glioblastoma multiforme

  Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), the most fatal CNS cancer, is highly infiltrative as a result of phenotypic alteration of cancer cells mainly driven by a mutual interaction among cancer cells, tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) and other stromal cells. This work aims at characterizing GBM-infiltrating γδ T cells that may regulate the GBM tumor microenvironment and cancer cell gene expression. V(D)J repertoires of tumor-infiltrating and blood circulating γδ T cells from 4 patients were analyzed by NGS-based TCR sequencing. RNA gene expression profiling and immunostaining of cancer tissues were performed as well.

  Study EGAS00001002790

• TRACERx Renal 100

  Evolutionary dynamics of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) have not been studied prospectively or across all disease stages. Through the multi-centre prospective cohort study, Renal TRACERx Renal, we analysed 1209 primary tumour regions from 101 patients with ccRCC. We detect up to 30 driver events in a single tumour, and show that subclonal diversification is associated with known clinical parameters. Defining driver event co-occurrence, mutual exclusivity and timing at clone level, we reveal deterministic patterns of clonal evolution and disease progression. We find that ccRCC can be grouped into seven distinct evolutionary subtypes, ranging from tumours characterised by early fixation of multiple mutational and copy number driver events that can disseminate widely and rapidly; to highly branched tumours with >10 subclonal drivers and extensive parallel evolution presenting with oligometastatic disease. We identify either heterogeneity or chromosome instability, or both, as determinants of patient outcome. Our insights reconcile the variable clinical behaviour of ccRCC and the benefit of surgical intervention in early and late-stage disease; and offer potential biomarker opportunities to maximise the benefit of both surgery and active surveillance.

  Study EGAS00001002793

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

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

  Study EGAS00001002796

• Whole-Genome Sequencing of Salivary Gland Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma

  Adenoid cystic carcinomas (ACCs) of the salivary glands are challenging to understand, treat, and cure. To better understand the genetic alterations underlying the pathogenesis of these tumors, we performed comprehensive genome analyses of 25 fresh-frozen tumors, including whole genome sequencing, expression and pathway analyses. In addition to the well-described MYB-NFIB fusion which was found in 11 tumors (44%), we observed five different rearrangements involving the NFIB transcription factor gene in seven tumors (28%). Taken together, NFIB translocations occurred in 15 of 25 samples (60%, 95%CI=41–77%). In addition, mRNA expression analysis of 17 tumors revealed overexpression of NFIB in ACC tumors compared with normal tissues (p=0.002). There was no difference in NFIB mRNA expression in tumors with NFIB fusions compared to those without. We also report somatic mutations of genes involved in the axonal guidance and Rho family signaling pathways. Finally, we confirm previously described alterations in genes related to chromatin regulation and Notch signaling. Our findings suggest a separate role for NFIB in ACC oncogenesis and highlight important signaling pathways for future functional characterization and potential therapeutic targeting.

  Study EGAS00001002812

• Molecular subtypes of malignant peritoneal mesothelioma

  Malignant Peritoneal Mesothelioma (PeM) is a rare but frequently fatal cancer that originates from the peritoneal lining of the abdomen. Standard treatment of PeM is limited to cytoreductive surgery and/or chemotherapy, and no targeted therapies for PeM yet exist. This study performs comprehensive integrative analysis of genome, transcriptome, and proteome of treatment-naive PeM tumors with the aim of identifying mesothelioma-related molecular alterations and potentially identifying novel treatment strategies.

  Study EGAS00001002820

• Whole exome sequencing of longitudinal samples from a melanoma patient receiving MEK plus CDK4/6 inhibitor therapy.

  Combined MEK and CDK4/6 inhibition (MEKi+CDK4i) has shown promising clinical outcomes in NRAS mutant melanoma patients. Here, we interrogated longitudinal biopsies from a patient who initially responded to MEKi+CDK4i therapy but subsequently developed resistance. Whole exome sequencing and functional validation identified an acquired PIK3CAE545K mutation as conferring drug resistance. We demonstrate that PIK3CAE545K pre-existed in a rare subpopulation that was missed by both clinical and research testing, but was revealed upon multi-region sampling due to PIK3CAE545K being non-uniformly distributed. This resistant population rapidly expanded after the initiation of MEKi+CDK4i therapy and persisted in all successive samples even after immune checkpoint therapy and distant metastasis. Functional studies identified activated S6K1 as both a key marker and specific therapeutic vulnerability downstream of PIK3CAE545K-induced resistance. These results demonstrate that comprehensive analysis of pre-treatment samples can reveal rare pre-existing resistant subpopulations and also posit S6K1 as a common downstream therapeutic nexus for the MAPK, CDK4/6, and PI3K pathways.

  Study EGAS00001002846

• Targeted panel data for newly diagnosed myeloma patients.

  Genomic abnormalities in MM are common and can affect a patients outcome. Here we have performed targeted sequencing on xx patient tumor samples and matched control DNA. The targeted panel consists of ~160 genes and copy number regions, as well as key regions of chromosomal translocation including IGH, IGK, IGL and MYC. Using mutation, copy number, and translocation information we have been able to identify abnormalities that affect prognosis including bi-allelic inactivation of TP53 and rearrangements involving MYC.

  Study EGAS00001002859

• Whole-genome and transcriptome sequencing of tumor-stage mycosis fungoides

  Mycosis fungoides (MF) is the most common cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL), a group of malignancies derived from skin-homing malignant T cells. We subjected tumor biopsies from MF patients to whole-genome sequencing and RNA-sequencing to investigate genomic alterations and deregulated gene expression in the disease.

  Study EGAS00001002860

• Identification of recurrent mutations in Cushing’s disease

  The overall goal of the Identification of recurrent mutations in Cushing’s disease project is to study the impact of whole-exome sequencing (WES) on the clinical care of cancer patients and oncology provider practices. The aims of Project are to implement and establish the feasibility of WES in patients with USP8 wild-type corticotroph adenomas; to develop a framework for understanding of the molecular mechanism of the pathogenesis of corticotroph adenoma.

  Study EGAS00001003029

• Targeted exome sequencing of pleomorphic invasive lobular carcinoma (PILC).

  Pleomorphic invasive lobular carcinoma (PILC) is an aggressive variant of invasive lobular breast cancer that is associated with poor clinical outcomes. Limited molecular data are available to explain the mechanistic basis for PILC behavior. To address this issue, we performed targeted sequencing using the Beijing Genomics Institute (BGI) TumorCare™ gene panel that includes 1053 genes that were selected based upon their association with cancer. This sequencing analysis identified genes that distinguish PILC from classic ILC (CILC) and invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) by the incidence of their genomic changes.

  Study EGAS00001002871

• Foundation Medicine Genomic Data Used to Identify Prognostic Markers and Fusion Genes in Multiple Myeloma

  The purpose of this study is to identify prognostic markers and treatment targets using a clinically certified sequencing panel in multiple myeloma. Mutational burden was associated with maf and proliferation gene expression groups, and a high-mutational burden was associated with a poor prognosis. We identified homozygous deletions that were present in multiple myeloma within key genes, including CDKN2C, RB1, TRAF3, BIRC3 and TP53, and that bi-allelic inactivation was significantly enriched at relapse. Alterations in CDKN2C, TP53, RB1 and the t(4;14) were associated with poor prognosis. Alterations in RB1 were predominantly homozygous deletions and were associated with relapse and a poor prognosis which was independent of other genetic markers, including t(4;14), after multivariate analysis. Bi-allelic inactivation of key tumor suppressor genes in myeloma was enriched at relapse, especially in RB1, CDKN2C and TP53 where they have prognostic significance. In addition, chromosomal rearrangements that result in oncogenic kinase activation are present in many solid and hematological malignancies, but none have been reported in multiple myeloma (MM). Here we detected fusion genes in 1.5% of patients. These fusion genes were in-frame and the majority of them contained kinase domains from either receptor tyrosine kinases (ALK, ROS1, NTRK3, and FGFR1) or cytoplasmic kinases (BRAF, MAP3K14, and MAPK14) which would result in the activation of MEK/ERK, NF-κB or inflammatory signaling pathways. Fusion genes were present in smoldering MM, newly diagnosed MM and relapse patient samples indicating they are not solely late events. Most fusion genes were subclonal in nature, but one EML4-ALK fusion was clonal indicating it is a driver of disease pathogenesis. Samples with fusions of receptor tyrosine kinases were not found in conjunction with clonal Ras/Raf mutations indicating a parallel mechanism of MEK/ERK pathway activation. Fusion genes involving MAP3K14 (NIK), which regulates the NF-κB pathway, were detected as were t(14;17) rearrangements involving NIK in 2% of MM samples. Activation of kinases in myeloma through rearrangements presents an opportunity to use treatments existing in other cancers.

  Study EGAS00001002874

• SS18-SSX-mediated hijacking of BAF complexes drives synovial sarcoma

  Synovial sarcoma (SS) is defined by a recurrent t(x;18) chromosomal translocation, which produces the hallmark SS18-SSX oncogenic fusion. Incorporation of SS18-SSX into BAF complexes renders BAF complexes aberrant in two distinct manners: the addition of 78aa of SSX onto SS18, and concomitant loss of BAF47 assembly. However, the importance and functional contributions of each of these perturbations on BAF complex targeting and gene expression regulation remain unclear. Here we use an integrative set of genomic approaches in human cancer cell lines and primary tumor samples to define the mechanistic consequences of the SS18-SSX fusion oncoprotein. We find that SS18-SSX hijacks BAF complexes to broad polycomb domains to activate bivalent genes, driving a unique gene expression program distinct from other loss-of-function BAF complex malignancies. Importantly, restoration of BAF47 rescues enhancer activation but is dispensable for proliferative arrest in cell lines. These results demonstrate that gain-of-function SS18-SSX-mediated BAF complex targeting and gene activation is the driving event in SS, and present a mechanism by which distinct functions of BAF complexes can be co-opted to drive oncogenesis.

  Study EGAS00001002920

• Leeds Melanoma Cohort (LMC) gene expression study

  Array-based profiling (whole genome DASL HT12.4, Illumina Inc) in over 700 FFPE tumour blocks from the population-based Leeds Melanoma cohort recruited in the North of England, with a long follow up. Data used in tumour immune micro-environment investigation (Nsengimana et al 2018, J Clin Invest doi: 10.1172/JCI95351).

  Study EGAS00001002922

• Colorectal advanced adenomas NKI-AvL TGO COCOS series

  Colorectal cancer (CRC) develops from normal epithelium, through a benign precursor lesion called adenoma, by accumulation of genetic alterations affecting oncogenes and tumour suppressor genes. About 5% of colorectal adenomas are estimated to progress to CRC. However, it is important to identify which adenomas actually carry a high-risk of progression, because these serve as intermediate endpoints for e.g. screening programs. In clinical practice, adenomas with a size of ≥10 mm, villous component and/or high-grade dysplasia, called advanced adenomas, are considered high-risk, although solid evidence for this classification is lacking. Specific DNA copy number changes are associated with adenoma-to-carcinoma progression.For this tissue dataset, we applied low-pass whole genome sequencing to 96 advanced adenomas. Advanced adenomas were classified as lesions with low-risk or high-risk of progression, according to the presence of specific DNA copy number changes (Carvalho et al, CancerPrevRes, 2018).

  Study EGAS00001002952

• Colorectal adenomas, NKI-AvL TGO series Stool-Proteomics

  Colorectal cancer (CRC) develops from normal epithelium, through a benign precursor lesion called adenoma, by accumulation of genetic alterations affecting oncogenes and tumour suppressor genes. About 5% of colorectal adenomas are estimated to progress to CRC. However, it is important to identify which adenomas actually are at high-risk of progression, because these should serve as intermediate endpoints for e.g. CRC screening programs. In clinical practice, adenomas with a size of ≥10 mm, villous component and/or high-grade dysplasia, called advanced adenomas, are considered high-risk, although this classification lacks solid evidence. Specific DNA copy number changes are associated with adenoma-to-carcinoma progression.For this tissue dataset, we applied low-pass whole genome sequencing to 98 non-advanced and advanced adenomas. These adenomas were classified as lesions with low-risk or high-risk of progression, according to the presence of specific DNA copy number changes (Carvalho et al, CancerPrevRes, 2018).

  Study EGAS00001002953

• Single cell exome sequencing of lung adenocarcinoma

  Single cell exome sequencing was performed on 200 single cells isolated from a lung adenocarcinoma, female, non-smoker patient. The cells were derived from two distant tumour sectors and a far normal sector. The single cells were amplified on the Fluidigm C1 machine using the GE Healthcare illustra GenomiPhi V2 DNA Amplification Kit prior to sequencing library preparation. In addition, bulk exome sequencing was also conducted for each tumour sectors. For this study, somatic variations were detected from the single cells and phylogenetic clustering was conducted to elucidate the evolutionary trajectory of lung cancer.

  Study EGAS00001002972

• RNAseq of Follicular Lymphoma

  RNAseq analysis of 28 Follicular Lymphoma (FL) criopreserved samples was performed using ribosomal-depleted total RNA to analyze long non-coding RNA and coding transcript expression profiles comparing two different histological groups of FL tumors (FL1-3A versus FL3B/DLBCL). These comparisons were performed either in a subset of tumor purified cell samples (N=12) as in unpurified tumor samples including normal cells for the lymph node microenvironment (N=16).

  Study EGAS00001002980

• Host whole genome variations are associated with neurocognitive outcome in survivors of pediatric medulloblastoma

  Host whole genome analysis is a promising source of predictive information for long-term morbidity in cancer survivors. However, studies on genetic predictors of long-term outcome, particularly neurocognitive function following chemoradiation in pediatric oncology are limited. In the present study, we evaluated variations in host whole genome single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and their association with cognitive outcome. Whole-genome SNP analysis of host peripheral blood was conducted on 22 medulloblastoma long-term survivors, of whom 18 completed neuropsychological testing. First, unsupervised consensus clustering of the most variable SNPs within 409 genes involved in DNA repair was performed. Discrete variant groups were identified, although they were not associated with cognitive outcome, suggesting that variations in genes corresponding to a single functional group may be insufficient to predict long-term outcome alone. In support of this interpretation, unsupervised hierarchical clustering analysis using disease-associated gene variants by cognitive impairment status yielded two distinct variant clusters comprised of 36 variants, 34 of which were in noncoding regions. These findings illustrate for the first time that cognitively impaired survivors have a distinct variant profile compared to other medulloblastoma survivors. Future research in larger cohorts is needed to validate host genome predictors of cognitive impairment that may impact clinical management.

  Study EGAS00001002996

• Integrated Genomic, Epigenetic, and Expression Analyses of Ovarian Cancer Cell Lines

  Epithelial ovarian carcinoma of all subtypes has one of the worst outcomes of any human cancer. To improve our understanding of underlying biology and therapeutic possibilities in this disease, we performed whole genome sequencing, methylation, and expression analyses of a comprehensive set of 47 ovarian cancer cell lines representing different histologic tumor subtypes. Given the challenges of genomic analyses in tumors without matched normal samples, we developed novel approaches for detection of somatic alterations and used these to identify sequence, copy number, and rearrangement changes and integrated these with genome-wide epigenetic and expression alterations. Ovarian cancer cell lines had molecular changes in genes involved in cell cycle, PI3K, RAS, BRCA, chromatin regulating, and p53 pathways, and displayed global mutation and methylation changes similar to primary ovarian carcinoma. We identified alterations not previously implicated in ovarian cancer including amplification or overexpression of ASXL1 and H3F3B, deletion or underexpression of CDC73 and members of the TGF beta receptor pathway, including TGFBR2, SMAD3 and SMAD4, in-frame rearrangements of YAP1-MAML2 and IKZF2-ERBB4, and fusions involving MET, NF1, FBXW7 and CCND1. Integrating cell line alterations with dose-response data using three targeted therapies revealed novel molecular dependencies, including increased sensitivity of tumors with PIK3CA and PPP2R1A alterations to PI3K inhibitor GNE-493, those with MYC amplifications to PARP inhibitor BMN673, and SMAD4 alterations to MEK inhibitor MEK162. Genome-wide analyses revealed intrachromosomal rearrangements as an improved measure of sensitivity to PARP inhibition compared to the homologous recombination defect (HRD) score. This study provides a comprehensive resource of molecular information for ovarian cancer cell line models and a pharmacogenomic platform for developing rational cancer therapeutic strategies.

  Study EGAS00001002998

• Genomic profiling of paediatric glioma cell lines

  Although paediatric gliomas resemble their adult counterparts in many ways, there appear to be distinct clinical and biological differences. One important factor hampering the development of new targeted therapies is the relative lack of cell lines derived from childhood glioma patients, as it is unclear whether the well-established adult lines commonly used are representative of the underlying molecular genetics of childhood tumours. We have carried out a detailed molecular profiling of paediatric glioma cell lines KNS42, SF188, UW479, RES259 and RES186.

  Study EGAS00001003006

• Biallelic tumor suppressor loss and DNA repair defects in de novo small cell prostate cancer

  Small cell prostatic carcinoma (SCPC) is an aggressive pathology that is managed similar to small cell lung cancer. SCPC can evolve from prostatic adenocarcinoma in response to androgen deprivation therapy but in rare cases is present at initial cancer diagnosis. The molecular etiology of de novo SCPC is incompletely understood due to the scarcity of tumor tissue and the brief life expectancy of patients. Through a retrospective search of our regional oncology pharmacy database, we identified 18 patients diagnosed with de novo SCPC between 2004 and 2017. Ten patients had pure SCPC pathology and the remainder had some admixed adenocarcinoma foci, but all were treated with first line platinum-based chemotherapy. Median overall survival was 28 months. We performed targeted DNA sequencing, whole exome sequencing and mRNA profiling on formalin-fixed paraffin embedded archival tumor tissue. We observed frequent biallelic deletion and/or mutation of tumor suppressors TP53, RB1 and PTEN, similar to treatment related SCPC. Indeed, at the RNA level pure de novo SCPC closely resembled treatment-related SCPC. However, five patients had biallelic loss of DNA repair genes including BRCA1, BRCA2, ATM and MSH2/6: potentially underlying the high genomic instability of this rare disease variant. Two patients with pure de novo SCPC harbored ETS gene rearrangements to androgen-driven promoters, consistent with evolution of de novo SCPC from an androgen-driven ancestor. Overall, our results reveal a highly aggressive molecular landscape underlies this unusual pathologic variant, and propose opportunities for targeted therapy strategies in a disease with few treatment options.

  Study EGAS00001003007

• Patient-derived neuroblastoma model system OHC-NB1

  Accurate disease modeling presents a bottleneck against effective translation of novel neuroblastoma therapies into the clinic. Recently, considerable intra-tumor genetic heterogeneity has been observed in neuroblastoma, which calls for preclinical models that reflect this feature. Flexibility in a testing platform is also desirable to support assessment of different endpoints and tumor cell characteristics. We present the novel neuroblastoma model OHC-NB1, propagated from a bone marrow metastasis from a patient with INRG stage M, MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma at first diagnosis. To model different aspects of the disease, several preclinical models were developed from the bone marrow aspirate: a tissue plastic-adherent cell line, a 3-dimensional (3D) spheroid culture, and cell line-derived xenografts that were subcutaneously passaged in mice. Typical aspects of MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma, such as MYCN amplification in double minutes, 1p deletion, 17q gain, and a diploid karyotype, are present in OHC-NB1 and persist in all culture types. Whole exome sequencing revealed intra-tumor heterogeneity in the bone marrow metastasis reflected in the culture models. The set of OHC-NB1 cultures with a genetically heterogeneous MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma background provide a flexible preclinical testing system that recapitulates important features of metastatic neuroblastoma.

  Study EGAS00001003031

• Neoadjuvant immune checkpoint blockade in high-risk resectable melanoma

  We conducted a randomized phase II study of neoadjuvant nivolumab versus combined ipilimumab with nivolumab in 23 patients with high-risk resectable melanoma (NCT02519322) and assessed clinical responses and immune correlates. Treatment with combined ipilimumab and nivolumab yielded high response rates (RECIST overall response rate 73%, pathologic complete response rate 45%) but substantial toxicity (73% grade 3 treatment related adverse events), whereas treatment with nivolumab monotherapy yielded modest responses (RECIST overall response rate 25%, pathologic complete response rate 25%) and low toxicity (8% grade 3 treatment related adverse events). Immune correlates of response were identified, demonstrating higher lymphoid infiltrates in responders to both therapies and a more clonal and diverse T cell infiltrate in responders to nivolumab monotherapy. Mutational load was also higher in responders to therapy.

  Study EGAS00001003178

• The evolutionary history of human colitis-associated colorectal cancer

  Inflammatory bowel disease confers an increased lifetime risk of developing colorectal cancer (CRC), and colitis-associated CRC (CA-CRC) is molecularly distinct from sporadic CRC (S-CRC). Here we have dissected the evolutionary history of CA-CRC using multi-region sequencing. Exome sequencing was performed on fresh-frozen multiple regions of carcinoma, adjacent non-cancerous mucosa and blood from 12 CA-CRC patients (n=55 exomes), and key variants were validated with orthogonal methods. Genome-wide copy number profiling was performed using SNP arrays and low-pass whole genome sequencing on archival non-dysplastic mucosa (n=9), low-grade dysplasia (LGD, n=30), high-grade dysplasia (HGD, n=13), mixed LGD/HGD (n=7) and CA-CRC (n=19). Phylogenetic trees were reconstructed, and evolutionary analysis used to reveal the temporal sequence of events leading to CA-CRC. 10/12 tumors were microsatellite stable with a median mutation burden of 3.0 single nucleotide alterations (SNAs) per Mb, around 20% higher than S-CRC (2.5 SNAs/Mb), and consistent with elevated aging-associated mutational processes. Non-dysplastic mucosa had considerable mutation burden (median 47 SNAs), including mutations shared with the neighboring CA-CRC, indicating a pre-cancer mutational field. CA-CRCs were often near-triploid (42%) or near-tetraploid (21%) and phylogenetic analysis revealed that copy number alterations (CNAs) began to accrue in non-dysplastic bowel, but the LGD/HGD transition often involved a punctuated catastrophic CNA increase.

  Study EGAS00001003028

• Capture Hi-C on Hodgkin lymphoma cell line L-428

  In situ promoter capture Hi-C on Hodgkin lymphoma cell line L-428 in experimental triplicates. Hi-C libraries were prepared as previously described (Orlando et al., 2018, https://currentprotocols.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/cphg.63). Promoter capture was based on 32,313 biotinylated 120-mer RNA baits (Agilent). Hi-C libraries were sequenced using Illumina HiSeq 2000 technology. The files are in FASTQ format.

  Study EGAS00001003032

• Exome-wide analysis identifies three low-frequency missense variants associated with pancreatic cancer risk in Chinese populations

  Germline coding variants have not been systematically investigated for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Here, we report an exome-wide investigation using the Illumina Human Exome Beadchip with 943 PDAC cases and 3,908 controls in the Chinese population, followed by two independent replicate samples including 2,142 cases and 4,697 controls. We identify three low-frequency missense variants associated with the PDAC risk: rs34309238 in PKN1 (OR = 1.77, 95% CI: 1.48-2.12, P = 5.35 X 10-10), rs2242241 in DOK2 (OR = 1.85, 95% CI: 1.50-2.27, P = 4.34 X 10-9) and rs183117027 in APOB (OR = 2.34, 95% CI: 1.72-3.16, P = 4.21 X 10-8).

  Study EGAS00001003040

• Evolutionary dynamics of residual disease in human glioblastoma

  Glioblastoma is the most common and aggressive adult brain malignancy against which conventional surgery and chemoradiation provide limited benefit. Even when a good treatment response is obtained, recurrence inevitably occurs either locally (c.80%) or distally (c.20%), driven by cancer clones that are often genomically distinct from those in the primary tumour. Glioblastoma cells display a characteristic infiltrative phenotype, invading the surrounding tissue and often spreading across the whole brain. We hypothesised that cancer cells responsible for relapse reside in two compartments of residual disease that are left behind after treatment: the infiltrated normal brain parenchyma, and the sub-ventricular zone (SVZ). In this model, residual disease subclones diverge early during glioblastoma evolution, may remain dormant in the normal parenchyma and are responsible for recurrence. To test our hypothesis, we performed whole-exome sequencing of 69 multi- region samples collected using fluorescence-guided resection from 11 patients, including the infiltrating tumour margin (M) and the SVZ for each patient, as well as matched blood. We used a phylogenomic approach to dissect the spatio-temporal evolution of each tumour and unveil the relation between residual disease and the main tumour mass. We also analysed two patients with paired primary-recurrence samples with matched residual disease. Our results suggest that the infiltrative phenotype is an early evolutionary trait of glioblastoma, giving rise to the tumour mass detected at surgery. After treatment, the same infiltrative clone may seed the growth of a recurrent tumour, thus representing the ‘missing link’ between the primary tumour and recurrent disease. These results are consistent with recognised clinical phenotypic behaviour and suggest that more specific therapeutic targeting of cells in the infiltrated brain parenchyma may improve patient’s outcome.

  Study EGAS00001003043

• Ewings Sarcoma RNA-Seq

  Sarcomas are cancers of the bone and soft tissue often defined by their gene fusions. However, the timing, context, and processes by which these pathogenic fusions arise are unknown. We explored this in Ewing sarcoma, a cancer driven by EWSR1-ETS fusions, with very few cooperating mutations. Combining whole-genome sequencing with enhanced informatics, we found that the EWSR1-ETS fusion arose from striking rearrangement clusters in 42% of cases (52/124). Notably, these were organized in loops that universally contained the fusion at their center, while also weaving up to 18 genes together with it. We found the same pattern of rearrangements in three additional types of sarcoma. From these data, we define a new signature for sarcoma fusions that precedes other somatic changes, in the earliest replicating DNA of the genome. This dramatic, sudden process impinges on many genes – generating multiple coding changes that profoundly affect the transcriptome, with the disease-defining gene fusion at its core. These rearrangement loops emerge in an early ES clone from which both the primary tumor and the lethal relapse emerged, and then evolved in parallel until clinically detected.

  Study EGAS00001003062

• CCND1-negative MCL

  A subset of CCND1-negative mantle cell lymphoma MCL (CCND1- MCL) has been recognized, and around half of them harbor CCND2 translocations. To identify other potential mechanisms driving MCL pathogenesis we investigated CCND1− MCL by by whole genome/exome sequencing. We identified a cryptic insertion of IGK and IGL enhancer regions near the CCND3 gene in three cases. Specific FISH probes detected 10 additional cryptic IGK juxtapositions to CCND3 (6 cases) and CCND2 (4 cases). In conclusion, virtually all CCND1-/SOX11+ MCL carry CCND2/CCND3 rearrangement with IG genes, including cryptic IGK/L enhancer regions not detected with currently used FISH probes.

  Study EGAS00001003060

• Discriminating Th17.1 cell driven sarcoidosis-like inflammation from relapse after anti-BCMA CAR T cells in multiple myeloma

  We present a case study on sarcoidosis-like flare-up after Idecabtagen Vicleucel (Ide-cel), a BCMA targeting CAR T cell therapy, and identified a Th17.1 driven autoimmune mechanism as the biological underpinning of this phenomenon using single-cell RNA-seq analysis. Furthermore, single-cell RNA-seq allowed to discriminate between immune-mediated changes and true relapse after CAR T cell treatment.

  Study EGAS00001006133

• Genomic and transcriptomic profiling of combined hepatocellular and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma reveals distinct molecular subtypes

  We performed genomic and transcriptomic sequencing of 133 combined hepatocellular and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (cHCC-ICC) cases, including separate, combined, and mixed subtypes.

  Study EGAS00001003093

• Feasibility Study to Identify the Optimal Adjuvant Combination Scheme of Ipilimumab and Nivolumab (OpACIN) in resectable stage III melanoma patients

  OpACIN is a feasibility study including 20 patients with palpable stage III melanoma that were 1:1 randomized to receive ipilimumab 3mg/kg and nivolumab 1mg/kg, either 4 courses after surgery (adjuvant arm), or 2 courses prior to surgery and 2 courses post-surgery (neoadjuvant arm). WES and RNA-seq was performed on baseline biopsy material and correlated with outcome of the patients (relapse free survival). TCRseq from baseline tumor samples was used to analyse the top 100 tumor resident clones and analyse their change in PBMC comparing baseline versus week 6 of immunotherapy.

  Study EGAS00001003099

• Primary plasma cell leukemia (pPCL) samples were sequenced using the Nimblegen MedExome hybridization capture to detect translocations, copy number changes, and mutations in 20 pPCL samples and patient matched controls.

  Primary plasma cell leukemia (pPCL) is a rare malignancy related to multiple myeloma. Here we have assembled 20 patient samples and performed whole exome sequencing to determine the differences between multiple myeloma and pPCL. CD138+ cells were purified from bone marrow aspirates from patients with pPCL. Control cells were obtained from CD34+ stem cell harvests or CD3+ T cells. DNA was extracted and processed using the HyperPlus library prep kit (KAPA Biosystems) and sequenced using 75 bp paired end reads on an Illumina NextSeq500.

  Study EGAS00001003104

• Whole-exome sequencing of extranodal NK/T cell lymphoma

  Extranodal NK/T cell lymphoma (ENKTCL) is an aggressive Epstein-Barr virus-associated T/NK neoplasm that predominantly affects Asians. To explore the causative somatic events, we conducted a comprehensive genetic analysis of 19 ENKTCL patients including whole-exome sequencing (N = 16). Commonly deregulated gene pathways in ENKTCL included epigenetic modifiers followed by human leukocyte antigen (HLA) and related genes and JAK-STAT pathway.

  Study EGAS00001004357

• Whole exome sequencing of small cell neuroendocrine cancer of the cervix

  In order to improve treatment selection for high grade neuroendocrine carcinomas of the cervix (NECC), we performed a comparative genomic analysis between this rare tumor type and other cervical cancer types, as well as extra-cervical neuroendocrine small cell carcinomas of the lung and bladder. We performed whole exome sequencing on fresh-frozen tissue from 15 NECCs and matched normal tissue. We then identified mutations and copy number variants using standard analysis pipelines. Published mutation tables from cervical cancers and extra-cervical small cell carcinomas were used for comparative analysis. Descriptive statistical methods were used and a two-sided threshold of P < .05 was used for significance. In the NECC cohort, we detected a median of 1.7 somatic mutations per megabase (range 1.0-20.9). PIK3CA p.E545K mutations were the most frequency observed oncogenic mutation (4/15 tumors, 27%). Activating MAPK pathway mutations in KRAS (p.G12D) and GNAS (p.R201C) co-occurred in two tumors (13%). In total we identified PI3-kinase or MAPK pathway activating mutations in 67% of NECC. When compared to NECC, lung and bladder small cell carcinomas exhibited a statistically significant higher rate of coding mutations (P < .001 for lung; P = .001 for bladder). Mutation of TP53 was uncommon in NECC (13%) and was more frequent in both lung (103 of 110 tumors [94%], P < .001) and bladder (18 of 19 tumors [95%], P < .001) small cell carcinoma. These comparative genomics data suggest that NECC may be genetically more similar to common cervical cancer subtypes than to extra-cervical small cell neuroendocrine carcinomas of the lung and bladder. These results may have implications for the selection of cytotoxic and targeted therapy regimens for this rare disease.

  Study EGAS00001003142

• Single cell sequencing of endoscopic biopsies from Barrett's oesophagus and proximal tissue from the normal GI tract

  Barrett’s oesophagus is a precursor of oesophageal adenocarcinoma. In this common condition, squamous epithelium in the oesophagus is replaced by columnar epithelium in response to acid reflux. Barrett’s oesophagus is highly heterogeneous and its relationships to normal tissues are unclear. We investigated the cellular complexity of Barrett’s oesophagus and the upper gastrointestinal tract using RNA-sequencing of single cells from multiple biopsies from six patients with Barrett’s oesophagus and two patients without oesophageal pathology.

  Study EGAS00001003144

• DNA Methylation-based diagnostic biomarkers for ESCC in Han Chinese population

  DNA methylation-based biomarkers were suggested to be promising for early cancer diagnosis. However, DNA methylation-based biomarkers for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), especially in Chinese Han populations have not been identified and evaluated quantitatively. To identify the candidate DNA-methylation based biomarkers for ESCC diagnosis, we performed the targeted bisulfite sequencing analysis in this study. Based on these 94 pairs of ESCC tumors and adjacent normal tissues, we found out that ADHFE1, EOMES, SALL1 and TFPI2 could be an effective methylation-based assay for ESCC diagnosis.

  Study EGAS00001003158

• The molecular landscape of glioma in patients with Neurofibromatosis 1.

  Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is a common tumor predisposition syndrome in which glioma is one of the most prominent tumor type. Gliomagenesis in NF1 results in heterogeneous spectrum of tumors, from low grade to high grade glioma, occurring during the entire patient lifespan. In this study, we present the molecular landscape of low- and high-grade glioma in children and adults affected by NF1 (NF1-glioma). 59 tumor samples from 56 NF1-glioma patients with 43 matched normal were profiled with Whole Exome Sequencing, DNA Methylation array (31 tumors) and RNA sequencing (29 tumors).

  Study EGAS00001003186

• Tumor-associated preferred end coordinates and somatic variants as signatures of circulating tumor DNA

  Cell-free DNA fragmentation is a nonrandom process. We showed that cell-free DNA fragments with ends at certain genomic coordinates had higher likelihoods of being derived from hepatocellular carcinoma. Other coordinates were associated with cell-free DNA molecules originating from the liver. Quantitative assessment of cell-free DNA molecules bearing these respective groups of end signatures correlated with the amounts of tumor-derived or liver-derived DNA in plasma. There were millions of tumor-associated plasma DNA end coordinates across the genome. Due to their high prevalence, they were more readily detectable than somatic mutations as a cancer signature in plasma. Hence, detection of tumor-associated plasma DNA ends may offer a cost-effective means of capturing evidence for the presence of cancer through liquid biopsy assessment.

  Study EGAS00001003160

• Study the differences at the trascriptome level between iNKT and T cells

  Chimeric antigen receptor anti-CD19 (CAR19)-T cell immunotherapy-induced clinical remissions in CD19+ B cell lymphomas are often short-lived. We tested whether CAR19-engineering of the CD1d-restricted invariant NKT (iNKT) cells would result in enhanced anti-lymphoma activity. CAR19-iNKT cells co-operatively activated by CD1d- and CAR19-CD19-dependent interactions are more effective than CAR19-T cells against CD1d-expressing lymphomas in vitro and in vivo. The swifter in vivo anti-lymphoma activity of CAR19-iNKT cells and their enhanced ability to eradicate brain lymphomas underpinned an improved tumor-free and overall survival. CD1d transcriptional de-repression by all-trans retinoic acid results in further enhanced cytotoxicity of CAR19-iNKT cells against CD19+ chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells. Thus, iNKT cells are a highly efficient platform for CAR-based immunotherapy of lymphomas and possibly other CD1d-expressing cancers.

  Study EGAS00001003176

• Profiling of Peritoneal Metastases from Gastric Adenocarcinoma Identified Molecular Subtypes

  Peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC) occurs frequently in gastric adenocarcinoma (GAC) patients and confers poor prognosis. Multiplex profiling of primary GACs has been insightful but the underpinnings of PC’s development/progression remain largely unknown. Here we characterized exome/transcriptome/immune landscapes of PC cells from 43 patients.

  Study EGAS00001003180

• Hyperhaploid Multiple Myeloma

  Hyperhaploid multiple myeloma is a rare numerical aberration group defined by a range of 24-34 chromosomes which is associated with a poor prognosis. Hyperhaploid samples were sequenced by either exome or targeted panel sequencing. Samples had a median of 13 monosomies (range 12-14), which in general were those not associated with trisomies in hyperdiploid samples. The chromosomes traditionally trisomic in hyperdiploid myeloma were disomic in hyperhaploid myeloma with retention of heterodisomy. We examined the hyperhaploid samples for frequently mutated genes and found that 9/9 (100%) hyperhaploid samples had a mutation in TP53, exceeding the overall rate of mutation in newly diagnosed patients (5.5%), indicating an oncogenic dependency in this group. All samples with TP53 mutation also had monosomy of chromosome 17, indicating bi-allelic inactivation of TP53. As such, this high risk group is part of Double-Hit myeloma. DNA was obtained from either CD138+ cells from the bone marrow of multiple myeloma patients (tumor) or from stem cell harvests from the same patient (control). 100 ng of DNA was fragmented, end-repaired, and adapters ligated using the HyperPlus kit (KAPA Biosystems). After PCR amplification the libraries were hybridized with probes against either the entire exome (MedExome, Nimblegen) or a targeted panel of 140 genes using SeqCap reagents (Nimblegen). Hybridized libraries underwent further amplification before being sequenced on a NextSeq500 (Illumina) using 75 bp paired end reads.

  Study EGAS00001003203

• Alternative splicing in Shh-MB

  We analyzed alternative splicing with Shh medulloblastoma. This dataset contains bam files of whole genome sequencing from 4 cases. Genomic DNA was isolated from both tumor and matched control specimens. We performed whole genome sequence on Illumina Hiseq.

  Study EGAS00001003220

• Multiple Myeloma Total Therapy trial patient sequencing

  The study of multiple myeloma (MM) genomics has identified many abnormalities that are associated with poor progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Copy number abnormalities have been extensively studied in many datasets with long follow-up, however, the prognostic impact of mutations have not been extensively studied and available datasets have generally had a relatively short follow-up. These analyses have identified a range of mutations that are associated with prognosis, making it important to extend these observations in larger studies with robust diagnostic technologies. Samples from newly diagnosed MM patients enrolled in Total Therapy trials (n=225) were sequenced on a targeted panel consisting of 140 genes and additional regions of interest for copy number, as well as tiling of the Ig and MYC loci for detection of translocations. Samples were sequenced to a median depth of 452x using 2x75 bp paired end reads. Reads were aligned to hg19 and mutations called using Strelka and filtered with fpfilter. Translocations were called by Manta, and copy number determined by read depth ratio and loss of heterozygosity comparison with a patient matched non-tumor sample. DNA was obtained from either CD138+ cells from the bone marrow of multiple myeloma patients (tumor) or from stem cell harvests or peripheral blood cells from the same patient (control). 100 ng of DNA was fragmented, end-repaired, and adapters ligated using the HyperPlus kit (KAPA Biosystems). After PCR amplification the libraries were hybridized with probes against either a targeted panel consisting of 140 genes and chromosomal regions (Nimblegen) using SeqCap reagents (Nimblegen). Hybridized libraries underwent further amplification before being sequenced on a NextSeq500 (Illumina) using 75 bp paired end reads There are 450 (225 tumor and 225 germline) samples in this study. 263 are available as part of this dataset. The remaining 187 are available with dataset accession id EGAD00001004117.

  Study EGAS00001003223

• Fibroblast heterogeneity drives metastatic spread in breast cancer through distinct mechanisms

  The major cause of death among breast cancer patients is metastatic dissemination, suggesting that understanding the mechanisms driving this process remains an unmet medical need. Here, by concomitantly using 5 markers, we identify 4 Carcinoma-Associated Fibroblasts (CAF) subsets in primary tumors and corresponding metastatic lymph nodes (LN). Two CAF subsets, called CAF-S1 and CAF-S4, correlate with the proportion of cancer cells in invaded LN and exert distinct functions in tumor cell spread. CAF-S1 promote cancer cell migration and initiates an epithelial to mesenchymal transition through a CXCL12 / TGFb positive loop. For their part, the highly contractile CAF-S4 foster cancer cell motility and invasion in 3-dimensional matrix via Notch pathway activation. Finally, CAF-S1 and CAF-S4 accumulation in LN is a new prognostic factor at diagnostic, independent of breast cancer subtypes and LN status, strengthening the validity of our findings in human breast cancer pathophysiology.

  Study EGAS00001003238

• A mechanistic classification of clinical phenotypes in neuroblastoma

  Clinical courses of the pediatric tumor neuroblastoma range from fatal progression to spontaneous regression. To gain insights into the pathogenesis of these divergent subtypes, we performed massively parallel sequencing of 416 pretreatment neuroblastomas and assessed telomere maintenance mechanisms in 208/416 cases. We observed that telomere maintenance and mutations in RAS or p53 pathway genes strongly affected disease courses. Fatal outcome occurred only in the presence of telomere maintenance, whereas patients whose tumors lacked such mechanisms had excellent outcome. In patients with telomere maintenance-positive tumors, survival was dramatically inferior when additional RAS/p53 pathway mutations were present. By contrast, spontaneous regression occurred both in the presence and absence of RAS/p53 pathway mutations in patients with telomere maintenance-negative tumors. Together, our data provide a precise mechanistic classification of clinical neuroblastoma phenotypes based on telomere maintenance mechanisms and genetic alterations of the tumor.

  Study EGAS00001003244

• Characterizing the immune and genome landscapes for osteosarcoma

  Osteosarcoma have heavily rearranged genomes and moderate tumor mutation burden, which suggests that the patients may express neoantigens that could be targeted by immune cells. To characterize the immunogenomic landscape of this disease, we performed genome, transcriptome, immune and proteomic profiling of 48 patients comprised largely of relapsed and metastatic cases from both pediatric and adult patients.

  Study EGAS00001003247

• Infiltrative and drug-resistant slow-cycling cells support metabolic heterogeneity in glioblastoma

  Metabolic reprogramming has been described in rapidly growing tumors, which are thought to mostly contain fast-cycling cells (FCCs) that have impaired mitochondrial function and rely on aerobic glycolysis. Here, we characterize the metabolic landscape of glioblastoma (GBM) and explore metabolic specificities as targetable vulnerabilities. Our studies highlight the metabolic heterogeneity in GBM, in which FCCs harness aerobic glycolysis, and slow-cycling cells (SCCs) preferentially utilize mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation for their functions. SCCs display enhanced invasion and chemoresistance, suggesting their important role in tumor recurrence. SCCs also demonstrate increased lipid contents that are specifically metabolized under glucose-deprived conditions. Increased fatty acid transport in SCCs is targetable by pharmacological inhibition or genomic deletion of FABP7, both of which sensitize SCCs to metabolic stress. Furthermore, FABP7 inhibition, whether alone or in combination with glycolysis inhibition, leads to overall increased survival. Our studies reveal the existence of GBM cell subpopulations with distinct metabolic requirements and suggest that FABP7 is central to lipid metabolism in SCCs and that targeting FABP7-related metabolic pathways is a viable therapeutic strategy.

  Study EGAS00001003251

• Paired whole exome sequence of subcutaneous panniculitis-like T-cell lymphoma.

  Subcutaneous panniculitis-like T-cell lymphoma (SPTCL) is a rare subtype of peripheral T-cell lymphoma affecting younger cases and associated with hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis. To clarify molecular pathogenesis of SPTCL, we analyzed paired tumor and germline DNAs from 13 patients by whole exome sequencing.

  Study EGAS00001003282

• Whole Tumor spatial heterogeneity in metastatic melanoma

  Heterogeneous inter-tumoral responses, sustained periods of apparent clinical benefit despite lack of objective response to various therapies, and even spontaneous remission are well known within a subpopulation of advanced melanoma patients. The molecular and cellular dynamics facilitating long-term survival remain poorly defined, particularly in the current era ofexposure to multiple potentially active therapies. We studied an exceptional case of long-term survival in a patient with non-responding metastatic melanoma in order to characterize the clonal and microenvironmental factors.We performed immunogenomic analysis of 3 metachronous tumors, and of 67 intratumor sub-regions of one metastatic lesion, usingwhole exome sequencing, RNA-sequencing, immunohistochemistry, and T cell receptor sequencing. Longitudinal analysesidentified mutations in severalknownresistance genes affecting distinctmetastases. Intra-tumoral immune signatures revealed spatially-distinct pockets of immune activation and suppression throughout the metastasis. A specific T cell VBeta CDR3 rearrangement was identified as both dominant and recurrent not only across multiple spatial points within a single tumor mass, but also across metachronous tumors spanning the patient’s disease course. Immunophenotyping of this T cell population with single-cell sequencingsuggestedrepeatedT-cell priming events leading to the persistence of both activated and exhausted T cells bearing this same TCR-Beta at any given time.Our findings highlight genomic and immune heterogeneityin metastatic disease, extending to the intra-tumoral leveland provide a rationale for integrative spatiotemporal analysis of metastatic lesions in the context of immune checkpoint blockade.

  Study EGAS00001003292

• Personalized RNA mutanome vaccines mobilize poly-specific therapeutic immunity against cancer

  The goal of the sequencing study was to determine the neoantigen profile of melanoma patients. We performed whole exome sequening of the tumor and respective patien matched PBMC samples (2x50nt) and RNA-sqeuencing of the tumor samples. The was analyzed for somatic point mutaions, using the RNA-Seq data to determine mutation expression. This study contains the exome seq data.

  Study EGAS00001003306

• Personalized RNA mutanome vaccines mobilize poly-specific therapeutic immunity against cancer RNA-Seq

  The goal of the sequencing study was to determine the neoantigen profile of melanoma patients. We performed whole exome sequening of the tumor and respective patien matched PBMC samples (2x50nt) and RNA-sqeuencing of the tumor samples. The was analyzed for somatic point mutaions, using the RNA-Seq data to determine mutation expression. This study contains the patient matched RNA-Sequencing data.

  Study EGAS00001003307

• WGS and WES of pediatric osteosarcoma

  Despite being the most common childhood bone tumor, the genomic characterization of osteosarcoma remains incomplete. Very few metastatic cases have been sequenced to date, a required step to better understand the progression and evolution of this tumor. Here, we present an integrative analysis of whole genome and whole exome sequencing (WGS and WES) of a cohort of primary and metastatic pediatric osteosarcoma, in order to identify recurrent genomic alterations between and within patients.

  Study EGAS00001003342

• Exome sequencing of a novel cervical cancer cell line

  Human cancer cell lines are largely used in the searching for new antineoplastic agents. However, due to the artifacts of a long-term in culture, cell lines do not always represent the realistic tumor cell behavior. This has motivated the development of models that better mimetics the tumor tissue, among them, the establishment of primary cell cultures. In this work, we establish and characterized a low-passage cervix cancer cell line from a Brazilian patient with squamous cell carcinoma. The phenotype confirms the epithelial and tumor origin, through cytokeratins, EpCAM, and p16 staining. Whole exome sequencing showed relevant somatic mutations in several genes including BRCA2, TGFBR1, and IRX2 genes. CNV analysis by nanostring and WGS revealed amplification in genes related mainly with kinases proteins, involved in proliferation, migration and cell differentiation, such as EGFR, PIK3CA, and MAPK7. Overexpression of EGFR was confirmed by phospho RTK-array and western blot analysis. Furthermore, the cell was sensitivity to cisplatin, with IC50 13 times lower than SiHa cell line. In conclusion, this cervical cancer cell line presents molecular alterations that are an important tool for leading pre-clinical studies of new drugs that target one or more of the altered pathways.

  Study EGAS00001003343

• CAF-S3 subset in human breast and ovarian cancers

  Carcinoma-associated fibroblasts (CAF) are key players in the tumor microenvironment. By combining 6 well-known stromal markers, we identify four CAF subsets (CAF-S1 to CAF-S4) in human breast and ovarian cancers.

  Study EGAS00001003344

• Mutational Patterns in Metastatic Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma

  Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) from the head and neck typically metastasizes to the lymph nodes of the neck and parotid glands. When a primary is not identified, they are difficult to distinguish from metastases of mucosal origin and primary salivary gland SCC. Ultraviolet radiation causes a mutation pattern that predominantly features cytosine to thymine transitions at dipyrimidine sites and has been associated with cSCC. In this study, we used whole genome sequencing data from 15 cSCC metastases and show that a UV signature mutation is pervasive across the cohort and distinct from mucosal SCC. The mutational burden was exceptionally high and concentrated in some regions of the genome, especially insulator elements (mean 162 mutations / Mb). We therefore evaluated the likely impact of UV-induced mutations on the dipyrimidine rich binding site of the main human insulator protein, CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF), and the possible implications on CTCF function and the spatial organization of the genome. Our findings suggest that mutation signature analysis may be useful in determining the origin of metastases in the neck and the parotid gland. Furthermore, UV-induced DNA damage to insulator binding sites may play a role in the carcinogenesis and progression of cSCC.

  Study EGAS00001003370

• Single-cell RNA-seq of immune cells sorted from human melanoma tumors

  Tumor immune cell compositions play a major role in response to immunotherapy but the heterogeneity and dynamics of immune infiltrates in human cancer lesions remain poorly characterized. Here we identify conserved intratumoral CD4 and CD8 T cell behaviors in scRNA-seq data from 25 melanoma patients. We discover a large population of CD8 T cells showing continuous progression from an early effector "transitional" into a dysfunctional T cell state. CD8 T cells that express a complete cytotoxic gene set are rare, and TCR sharing data suggest their independence from the transitional and dysfunctional cell states. Notably, we demonstrate that dysfunctional T cells are the major intratumoral proliferating immune cell compartment and that the intensity of the dysfunctional signature is associated with tumor-reactivity. Our data demonstrate that CD8 T cells previously defined as exhausted, are in fact a highly proliferating, clonal and dynamically differentiating cell population within the human tumor microenvironment.

  Study EGAS00001003363

• Whole genome sequencing of Ewings Sarcoma

  Sarcomas are cancers of the bone and soft tissue often defined by their gene fusions. However, the timing, context, and processes by which these pathogenic fusions arise are unknown. We explored this in Ewing sarcoma, a cancer driven by EWSR1-ETS fusions, with very few cooperating mutations. Combining whole-genome sequencing with enhanced informatics, we found that the EWSR1-ETS fusion arose from striking rearrangement clusters in 42% of cases (52/124). Notably, these were organized in loops that universally contained the fusion at their center, while also weaving up to 18 genes together with it. We found the same pattern of rearrangements in three additional types of sarcoma. From these data, we define a new signature for sarcoma fusions that precedes other somatic changes, in the earliest replicating DNA of the genome. This dramatic, sudden process impinges on many genes – generating multiple coding changes that profoundly affect the transcriptome, with the disease-defining gene fusion at its core. These rearrangement loops emerge in an early ES clone from which both the primary tumor and the lethal relapse emerged, and then evolved in parallel until clinically detected.

  Study EGAS00001003385

• Hepatocellular carcinoma xenografts established from needle biopsies preserve the characteristics of the originating tumors

  Study EGAS00001003396

• Multi-region exome sequencing of lung adenocarcinoma precursors -1

  To characterize the genomic landscape of invasive lung adenocarcinoma and its precursors; to depict the genomic evolution from preneoplasia of lung to invasive lung adenocarcinoma; to decipher mechanism to drive the tumor progression.

  Study EGAS00001003439

• Methylation analysis of plasma DNA informs etiologies of Epstein-Barr virus-associated diseases

  Through whole-genome methylation analysis of plasma samples from patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), EBV-associated lymphoma and infectious mononucleosis, we demonstrate that EBV DNA methylation profiles exhibit a disease-associated pattern. Such observation implies significant potentials in the development of methylation analysis of plasma EBV DNA for NPC diagnostics.

  Study EGAS00001003408

• Whole genome sequencing with linked reads of pediatric glioblastoma samples

  Pediatric glioblastoma (pGBM) is a lethal cancer with no effective therapies. To understand mechanisms of tumor evolution in this cancer, we performed whole genome sequencing with linked reads on longitudinally resected pGBM samples. Our analyses showed that all diagnostic and recurrent samples were collections of genetically diverse subclones. Clonal composition rapidly evolved at recurrence, with less than 8% of non-synonymous single nucleotide variants being shared in diagnostic-recurrent pairs. In order to track the origins of the mutational events we observed in pGBM, we generated whole genome datasets for two patients and their parents. These trios showed that genetic variants could be (i) somatic, (ii) inherited from a healthy parent, or (iii) arose de novo in the germlines of pGBM patients. Analysis of variant allele frequencies supported a model of tumor growth involving slow-cycling cancer stem cells that give rise to fast-proliferating progenitor-like cells and to non-dividing cells. Interestingly, radiation and anti-mitotic chemotherapeutics did not increase overall tumor burden upon recurrence. These findings support an important role for slow-cycling stem cell populations in contributing to recurrences, since slow-cycling cell populations are expected to be less prone to genotoxic stress induced by these treatments and to accumulate few mutations. Our results highlight the need for new targeted treatments that account for the complex functional hierarchies and genomic heterogeneity of pGBM.

  Study EGAS00001003432

• Intratumoural Heterogeneity Underlies Distinct Therapy Responses and Treatment Resistance in Glioblastoma

  Glioblastomas are the most common and lethal neoplasms of the central nervous system. Neighbouring glioma cells maintain extreme degrees of genetic and phenotypic variation that forms intratumoural heterogeneity. This genetic diversity allows the most adaptive tumour clones to show treatment resistance and conserve the tumour bulk. We aimed to model this phenomenon and test the effectiveness of several targeted therapeutic interventions to overcome therapy resistance. Heterogenic tumour masses were first deconstructed into single tumour cells, which were expanded independently as single-cell clones. SNP arrays, whole-genome and RNA sequencing, and CpG methylation analysis validated the unique molecular profile of each tumour clone, which displayed distinct pathologic features, including cell morphology, growth rate, and resistance to temozolomide and ionizing radiation. We also identified variable sensitivities to AURK, CDK, and EGFR inhibitors, consistent with the heterogenic molecular alterations that each clone harboured. These targeted therapies effectively eliminated the temozolomide- and/or irradiation-resistant clones and also parental polyclonal cells. Our findings indicate that polyclonal tumours create a dynamic environment that consists of diverse tumour elements and treatment responses. Designing targeted therapies based on a range of molecular profiles can be a more effective strategy to eradicate treatment resistance, recurrence, and metastasis.

  Study EGAS00001003438

• Clonal architectures predict clinical outcome in clear cell renal cell carcinoma

  We analyze the clonal architectures of ccRCC patients from three different populations, including TCGA, Japanese and Chinese patients. We characterize the mutational signatures across different populations and evolution stages. The TCGA and Japanese data sets were downloaded from published studies and we also generated the whole genome sequencing data for more than 40 Chinese patients.

  Study EGAS00001003447

• Single-cell RNA sequencing on single CD45+ immune cells isolated from peripheral blood, lymphnode, ascites, tumour and adjacent normal tissues from six hepatocellular carcinoma patients.

  Single-cell RNA sequencing on single CD45+ immune cells isolated from peripheral blood, lymphnode, ascites, tumour and adjacent normal tissues from six hepatocellular carcinoma patients. The transcriptional properties of these individual cells, were used to delineate the molecular subtypes, lineage, and functional properties of each cell group

  Study EGAS00001003449

• Adenoma to Carcinoma transition in Colorectal Cancer

  Although colorectal carcinoma development is well accepted as a step-wise and sequential process, it is commonly investigated using non-sequential adenoma and carcinoma samples. Here we compared molecular pathologies of the earliest carcinoma stages with those in their adenomatous precursors to unravel common and divergent genetic traits between matched neoplasms with a shared evolutionary history but different contemporary biology.

  Study EGAS00001003468

• Mutational patterns and regulatory networks in epigenetic subgroups of meningioma (H033)

  DNA methylation patterns delineate clinically relevant subgroups of meningioma. We previously established the six meningioma methylation classes (MC) benign-1, 2, 3, intermediate-A, B and malignant. Here, we set out to identify subgroup-specific mutational patterns and pathway regulation. Whole-genome-sequencing was performed on 62 samples across all MCs and WHO grades from 62 patients with matched blood control, including 40 sporadic and 22 radiation-induced (Mrad) meningiomas. RNA sequencing was added for 18 cases and chromatin-immunoprecipitation for the enhancer mark H3K27ac followed by sequencing (ChIP-seq) for 16 samples. Besides the known mutations in meningioma, structural alterations were found to contribute to the spectrum of mechanisms inactivating NF2 in sporadic meningioma similar to previous reports for Mrad. Aberrations of DMD were found to be enriched in MCs with NF2 mutations and DMD was among the most differentially upregulated genes in NF2 mutant compared to NF2 wild-type cases. The mutational signature AC3 was detected in both sporadic meningioma and Mrad, but distributed across the genome in sporadic cases and enriched near genomic breakpoints in Mrad. In general, the malignant MC presented a significantly higher exposure to AC3 and higher genomic instability beyond the mutational load than the other MCs. Pathway analysis of the ChIP-seq clusters revealed that the FOXM1 is most differentially activated in high-grade cases, along with super enhancer recruitment near HOX genes and respective upregulation of expression. This data further elucidate the biological mechanisms differentiating meningiomas of different WHO grade and epigenetic subgroups and suggest leveraging the genomic instability as novel therapeutic targets.

  Study EGAS00001003481

• Combined gene expression and digital pathology identifies molecular mediators of T cell exclusion and immune suppression in ovarian cancer

  Close proximity between cytotoxic T lymphocytes and tumour cells is required for effective immunotherapy. However, what determines the spatial distribution of T cells in the tumour microenvironment is not well understood. Coupling digital pathology and transcriptome analysis on a large ovarian tumour cohort, we develop a machine learning approach to molecularly classify and characterize tumour-immune phenotypes. Our study identifies two important hallmarks characterizing T cell excluded tumours: 1) loss of antigen presentation on tumour cells and 2) upregulation of TGFb and activated stroma. Furthermore, we identify TGFb as a key mediator of T cell exclusion. TGFb reduces MHC-I expression in ovarian cancer cells in vitro; TGFb also activates fibroblasts and induced extracellular matrix (ECM) production as a potential physical barrier to hinder T cell infiltration. Our findings indicate that targeting TGFb may represent a promising strategy to overcome T cell exclusion and improve clinical benefits of cancer immunotherapy.

  Study EGAS00001003487

• Growth Hormone (GH) -secreting Pituitary Adenoma

  We profiled the somatic landscape of 21 growth hormone (GH) -secreting pituitary adenomas using somatic copy-number alteration (SCNA), whole-genome sequencing (WGS), bisulfate sequencing, and transcriptome approaches. See details in Valimaki et al. Genetic and epigenetic characterization of growth hormone (GH) - secreting pituitary tumors. Manuscript in preparation, 2019.

  Study EGAS00001003488

• Predicting brain tumor recurrence: development and validation of a DNA-methylation based nomogram in meningioma

  Our work is the first to demonstrate the transformative utility of integrating clinical and molecular factors for use beyond simple classification into the realm of individualized prognostication for any brain tumor. Using our developed and validated tools that are publicly available, clinicians will be able combine clinical and molecular factors to determine an individualized probability of recurrence for patients with meningiomas. This represents a major advance in the field of personalized medicine for neuro-oncology, and the use of this tool can help clinicians overcome one of the most challenging limitations we face when treating patients with meningiomas.

  Study EGAS00001003490

• High-resolution structural genomics reveals new therapeutic vulnerabilities in glioblastoma

  We investigated the role of 3D genome architecture in instructing functional properties of glioblastoma stem cells (GSCs) by generating the highest-resolution 3D genome maps to-date for this cancer. Integration of DNA contact maps with chromatin and transcriptional profiles identified specific mechanisms of gene regulation, including individual physical interactions between regulatory regions and their target genes. Residing in structurally conserved regions in GSCs was CD276, a gene known to play a role in immuno-modulation. We show that, unexpectedly, CD276 is part of a stemness network in GSCs and can be targeted with an antibody-drug conjugate to curb self-renewal, a key stemness property. Our results demonstrate that integrated structural genomics datasets can be employed to rationally identify therapeutic vulnerabilities in self-renewing cells.

  Study EGAS00001003493

• Genomic stratification and liquid biopsy in a rare adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) case, with dual lung metastases

  Adrenocortical carcinoma is a rare malignancy with a poor prognosis and few treatment options. Molecular characterization of this cancer remains limited. We present a case of an adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) in a 37-yr-old female, with dual lung metastases identified 1 yr following commencement of adjuvant mitotane therapy. As standard therapeutic regimens are often unsuccessful in ACC, we undertook a comprehensive genomic study into this case to identify treatment options and monitor disease progress. We performed targeted and whole-genome sequencing of germline, primary tumor, and both metastatic tumors from this patient and monitored recurrence over 2 yr using liquid biopsy for ctDNA and steroid hormone measurements. Sequencing revealed the primary and metastatic tumors were hyperhaploid, with extensive loss of heterozygosity but few structural rearrangements. Loss-of-function mutations were identified in MSH2, TP53, RB1, and PTEN, resulting in tumors with mismatch repair signatures and microsatellite instability. At the cellular level, tumors were populated by mitochondria-rich oncocytes. Longitudinal ctDNA mutation and hormone profiles were unable to detect micrometastatic disease, consistent with clinical indicators of disease remission. The molecular signatures in our ACC case suggested immunotherapy in the event of disease progression; however, the patient remains free of cancer. The extensive molecular analysis presented here could be applied to other rare and/or poorly stratified cancers, to identify novel or repurpose existing therapeutic options, thereby broadly improving diagnoses, treatments, and prognoses.

  Study EGAS00001003497

• Clonal evolution in myeloma: the impact of maintenance lenalidomide and depth of response on the genetics and sub-clonal structure of relapsed disease in uniformly treated newly diagnosed patients

  The emergence of treatment resistant sub-clones is a key feature of relapse in multiple myeloma. Therapeutic attempts to extend remission and prevent relapse include the maximisation of response and use of maintenance therapy. We used whole exome sequencing to study the genetics of paired presentation and relapse samples from 56 newly diagnosed patients, following induction therapy, randomised to receive either lenalidomide maintenance or observation as part of the Myeloma XI trial. Patients included were considered high risk, relapsing within 30 months of maintenance randomisation. Patients achieving a complete response had predominantly branching evolutionary patterns leading to relapse, characterised by a greater mutational burden, an altered mutational profile, bi-allelic inactivation of tumour suppressor genes, and acquired structural aberrations. Conversely, in patients achieving a partial response the evolutionary features were predominantly stable with a similar mutational and structural profile. There were no significant differences between patients relapsing after maintenance lenalidomide vs observation. This study shows that the depth of response is a key determinant of the evolutionary patterns seen at relapse.

  Study EGAS00001003539

• Evolution of GBM through therapy

  Primary glioblastoma (GBM) tumours recur following treatment. This is likely due to intratumour heterogeneity (ITH), which reduces the effectiveness of cancer therapies by enabling therapy-driven tumour evolution: Darwinian selection of genotypically and/or phenotypically distinct cells (subclones) that resist treatment to seed regrowth of an even less treatable recurrence. To investigate this we sequenced a pilot cohort of nine paired primary and locally recurrent GBM tumours, alongside matched blood samples, in order to begin characterising therapy resistant cells and thereby infer the mechanisms by which they evaded treatment. These data were included in the first data release from the Glioma Longitudinal AnalySiS (GLASS) consortium.

  Study EGAS00001003546

• Genetic modification of primary human B cells to model high-grade lymphoma

  Study EGAS00001003560

• Probabilistic modeling of personalized drug combinations from integrated chemical screen and molecular data in sarcoma

  Background: Cancer patients with advanced disease exhaust available clinical regimens and lack actionable genomic medicine results, leaving a large patient population without effective treatments options when their disease inevitably progresses. To address the unmet clinical need for evidence-based therapy assignment when standard clinical approaches have failed, we have developed a probabilistic computational modeling approach which integrates sequencing data with functional assay data to develop patient-specific combination cancer treatments. Methods: Tissue taken from a murine model of alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma was used to perform single agent drug screening and DNA/RNA sequencing experiments; results integrated via our computational modeling approach identified a synergistic personalized two-drug combination. Cells derived from the tumor were allografted into mouse models and used to validate the personalized two-drug combination. Computational modeling of single agent drug screening and RNA sequencing of multiple heterogenous sites from a single patient’s epithelioid sarcoma identified a personalized two-drug combination effective across all tumor regions. The heterogeneity-consensus combination was validated in a xenograft model derived from the patient’s primary tumor. Cell cultures derived from human and canine undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma were assayed by drug screen; computational modeling identified a resistance-abrogating two-drug combination common to both cell cultures. This combination was validated in vitro via a cell regrowth assay. Results Our computational modeling approach addresses three major challenges in personalized cancer therapy: synergistic drug combination predictions (validated in vitro and in vivo in a genetically engineered murine cancer model), identification of unifying therapeutic targets to overcome intra-tumor heterogeneity (validated in vivo in a human cancer xenograft), and mitigation of cancer cell resistance and rewiring mechanisms (validated in vitro in a human and canine cancer model). Conclusions These proof-of-concept studies support the use of an integrative functional approach to personalized combination therapy prediction for the population of high-risk cancer patients lacking viable clinical options and without actionable DNA sequencing-based therapy.

  Study EGAS00001003564

• Analysis of four key cell types (epithelial, fbroblast, myeloid and T cells)

  Alterations of the normal prostate epithelial cell genome trigger the emergence of carcinoma, however cancer-only analyses of genomic aberrations have resulted in little clinical translation. A deep understanding of the tumor microenvironment is likely to inform on key drivers of disease progression and novel therapeutic opportunities. We investigated the role of key cell types along disease progression, profiling the RNA abundance of 52 samples from 13 patients enriched for one of four key cell types, spanning a wide CAPRA-S risk score range. Using a novel differential transcription Bayes method, TABI, we avoided a priori patient stratification, and mapped transcriptional alteration events to specific risk scores. The developmental and cell-type resolution yielded a landscape of concurrent transcriptional alterations from the tumour microenvironment, including key hallmarks. These transcriptional signatures permitted the identification of a “high survival” patient cluster in an independent prostate cancer dataset. Most importantly, together with our integrated transcriptional analysis, differential tissue composition analysis provided evidence for a key role for monocytes and macrophages in prostate cancer progression and disease recurrence.

  Study EGAS00001003579

• Single cell transcriptomic and genomic profiling of carcinogenesis in patients with familial adenomatous polyposis

  Familial Adenomatous Polyposis (FAP) is characterized by hundreds to thousands of adenocarcinomas at different evolutional stages in the colon and rectum. Much effort has been made to illuminate the key genomic alterations that facilitate the transition from adenoma to carcinoma. However, the strong heterogeneity of the tumors may hamper these efforts. Here, by sequencing matched adjacent normal tissues, adenomas at different stages and carcinomas from the same patient, we precisely traced the process of colorectal carcinogenesis. Our study offers an accurate genomic landscape during the initiation and progression of carcinogenesis, especially for the transition between adenomas and carcinomas.

  Study EGAS00001003598

• A Phase II Trial of High Dose Interleukin-2 and Multi-site Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy for Patients with Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma

  Immune-based therapies have improved outcomes for metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) but there is still a significant margin for improvement. Here, we report the results of a phase II trial combining high dose Interleukin-2 (HD-IL-2) with stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy (SAbR) for patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma.

  Study EGAS00001003605

• Recapitulation of genetic predisposition to medulloblastoma in human neuroepithelial stem cells

  Human neural stem cell cultures provide progenitor cells that are potential cells of origin for brain cancers. However, the extent to which genetic predisposition to tumor formation can be faithfully captured in stem cell lines is uncertain. Here we evaluated neuroepithelial stem (NES) cells, representative of cerebellar progenitors. We transduced NES cells with MYCN, observing medulloblastoma upon orthotopic implantation in mice. Significantly, transcriptomes and patterns of DNA methylation from xenograft tumors were globally more representative of human medulloblastoma compared to a MYCN-driven genetically engineered mouse model. Orthotopic transplantation of NES cells generated from Gorlin syndrome, patients predisposed to medulloblastoma due to germline mutated PTCH1, also generated medulloblastoma. We engineered candidate cooperating mutations in Gorlin NES cells, with mutation of DDX3X or loss of GSE1 both accelerating tumorigenesis. These findings demonstrate that human NES cells provide a potent experimental resource for dissecting genetic causation in medulloblastoma.

  Study EGAS00001003620

• WGS of Roma (Romani/Rroma) and European/Romanian individuals from Romania

  Study EGAS00001003624

• Whole-genome bisulfite sequencing analysis of low-grade astrocytomas in the ICGC PedBrain Tumor Project

  Pilocytic Astrocytoma (PA) is the most common pediatric brain tumor. While genome and transcriptome landscapes are well-studied, data of the complete methylome, tumor cell composition and immune infiltration are scarce. We generated whole genome bisulfite sequence data (WGBS) of nine PAs to find evidence for a link of focal methylation differences and differential gene expression to immune infiltration.

  Study EGAS00001004019

• UAMS Smoldering Myeloma Myeloma Sequencing

  Identifying high risk smoldering myeloma patients and progression mechanism is a prerequisite to implement effective inception strategies and curve myeloma related morbidity and mortality. We hypothesize that genomics may help identify determinants of progression that may help predict outcome and offer effective chemo preventive targets. Eighty-two patients underwent a custom targeted panel sequencing with an additional capture for the translocation loci. These results were compared to 223 newly diagnosed patients (EGAS00001003223 and EGAD00001004117) and 17 MGUS and 10 early myeloma patients. DNA was obtained from either CD138+ cells from the bone marrow of multiple myeloma patients (tumor) or from stem cell harvests or peripheral blood cells from the same patient (control). 100 ng of DNA was fragmented, end-repaired, and adapters ligated using the HyperPlus kit (KAPA Biosystems). After PCR amplification the libraries were hybridized with probes against either a targeted panel consisting of 140 genes and chromosomal regions (Nimblegen) using SeqCap reagents (Nimblegen). Hybridized libraries underwent further amplification before being sequenced on a NextSeq500 (Illumina) using 75 bp paired end reads. Overall, these data highlight the importance of dysregulation of the MAPK pathway in the progression to MM.

  Study EGAS00001003629

• Molecular Profiling Reveals Unique Immune and Metabolic Features of Melanoma Brain Metastases

  There is a critical need to improve our understanding of the pathogenesis of -melanoma brain metastases (MBM). Thus, we performed RNA sequencing on 88 resected MBMs and 42 patient-matched extracranial metastases; tumors with sufficient tissue also underwent whole-exome sequencing, T-cell receptor sequencing, and IHC. MBMs demonstrated heterogeneity of immune infiltrates that correlated with prior radiation and post-craniotomy survival. Comparison with patient-matched extracranial metastases identified significant immunosuppression and enrichment of oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) in MBMs. Gene-expression analysis of intracranial and subcutaneous xenografts, and a spontaneous MBM model, confirmed increased OXPHOS gene expression in MBMs, which was also detected by direct metabolite profiling and [U-13C]-glucose tracing in vivo IACS-010759, an OXPHOS inhibitor currently in early-phase clinical trials, improved survival of mice bearing MAPK inhibitor-resistant intracranial melanoma xenografts and inhibited MBM formation in the spontaneous MBM model. The results provide new insights into the pathogenesis and therapeutic resistance of MBMs.

  Study EGAS00001003672