3773 results for "*oma"

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• Multi-site tumor sampling highlights molecular intra-tumor heterogeneity in malignant pleural mesothelioma

  Background:Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a heterogeneous cancer. Better knowledge of molecular and cellular intra-tumor heterogeneity throughout the thoracic cavity is required to develop efficient therapies. This study focuses on molecular intra-tumor heterogeneity using the largest series to date in MPM and is the first to report on the multi-omics profiling of a substantial series of multi-site tumor samples. Methods:Intra-tumor heterogeneity was investigated in 16 patients from whom biopsies were taken at distinct anatomical sites. The paired biopsies collected from apex, side wall, costo-diaphragmatic or highest metabolic sites as well as 5 derived cell lines were screened using targeted sequencing. Whole exome sequencing, RNA sequencing, and DNA methylation were performed on a subset of the cohort for deep characterization. Molecular classification, recently defined histo-molecular gradients, and cell populations of the tumor microenvironment were assessed. Results:Sequencing analysis identified heterogeneous variants notably in NF2, a key tumor suppressor gene of mesothelial carcinogenesis. Subclonal tumor populations were shared among paired biopsies, suggesting a polyclonal dissemination of the tumor. Transcriptome analysis highlighted dysregulation of cell adhesion and extracellular matrix pathways, linked to changes in histo-molecular gradient proportions between anatomic sites. Methylome analysis revealed contribution of epigenetic mechanisms in two patients. Finally, significant changes in the expression of immune mediators and genes related to immunological synapse, as well as differential infiltration of immune populations in the tumor environment were observed and led to a switch from a hot to a cold immune profile in three patients. Conclusions:This comprehensive analysis reveals patient-dependent spatial intra-tumor heterogeneity at the genetic, transcriptomic and epigenetic levels and in the immune landscape of the tumor microenvironment. Results support

  Study EGAS00001005328

• ICGC Oesophageal adenocarcinoma - tumour samples

  The oesophageal project will focus on adenocarcinoma which is increasing in incidence in the UK and other developed countries and has a very poor outcome. The primary aims of this project are to deeply sequence tumour and normal genomic DNA (including the precursor condition Barrett’s oesophagus when material is available) to provide a comprehensive catalogue of somatic mutations. This will be achieved through a UK-wide network of hospitals involved in a research collaboration called the OCCAMS consortium. The goal of this project is to use high quality clinical material with accurately annotated clinic-pathological, treatment and outcome data.

  Study EGAS00001000725

• The 3D evolution of glioma cell populations

  Study description: A detailed understanding of heterogeneity in solid tumors has been limited due to insufficient sampling and a lack of knowledge from where within the tumor the sample was taken from. We present here a novel resource - the 3D Glioma Atlas - in which we record the precise, three-dimensional (3D) coordinate for each of 8-20 spatially-distinct samples obtained from each patient tumor.By revealing how genetic alterations and tumor cell states are patterned in glioma in 3D space, our Atlas shows that genetic diversity is more regionally confined in indolent as compared to aggressive tumors, that recurrent tumors have a greater density of genetic diversity, and that more aggressive tumors have greater tumor-wide transcriptomic heterogeneity.

  Study EGAS00001003710

• Upcycling and merging data to challenge the dogma and identify new therapeutic targets for Glioblastoma

  Glioblastoma is the most common brain tumour. Characterised by a poor prognosis and its recurrence after multimodal treatments, the search for preventable risk factors has been mainly inconclusive up to date. Recently, the data merge from datasetsdeposited at the EGA allowed Aaron Diaz’s team to discover that the glioblastoma cells shift toward a mesenchymal phenotype when the tumour is recurring. Challenges in glioblastoma research As for virtually all cancer types, many efforts have been made to unveil the molecular features responsible of the disease, and several cellular pathways have indeed been identified as being frequently mutated in glioblastoma. Nonetheless, targeted therapies based on identified genes have so far failed to improve outcome, thus survival mostly relies on a standard treatment unchanged since 2005. This is a frustrating situation for both the scientific and medical communities, and above all for the patients, still facing a dreadful path. Some researchers hypothesised that this may be due to the inability to efficiently target cancer stem cells, the originators of the other cell types, thus inducing cancer relapse. In 2019 Charles P. Couturier and colleagues sequenced RNA from single cells of freshly excised glioblastomas of 16 patients, and demonstrated that glioblastoma cells replicate normal brain cell development with a conserved neural cancer cell hierarchy centered around glial progenitor-like cells. In this way, they helped identify the possible target cells to improve efficacy and durability of treatment. Data upcycling at the EGA: the glioblastoma case study Single cell RNA sequencing is generated with a laborious and expensive protocol. The quality of the starting material is crucial (cells sample freshly extracted from the patients) and often several attempts are needed before producing reliable quality sequencing results. Collecting big numbers of patients is also challenging. The sequencing data produced by Kevin Petrecca’s group in Montreal, Canada and deposited at the EGA (EGAS00001004422) was recently upcycled by Lin Wang in San Francisco, California and pooled with their freshly produced ones, and then deposited at the EGA as Dataset EGAS00001004909 The data merge allowed Aaron Diaz’s team to discover that the glioblastoma cells shift toward a mesenchymal phenotype when the tumour is recurring. They profiled 86 primary-recurrent patient-matched paired glioblastoma samples with single-nucleus RNA, among other techniques. These very comprehensive results lead the team to challenge the findings from several other cancer fields where chemotherapy standard chemo-radiation therapy selection pressure at the level of genomic alterations; this is indeed not the case for glioblastoma, where the pressure results in phenotypic transition between cellular states. Several technical controls were made to ensure that the merge of the data was not introducing a bias in the results, and an Inter-table analysis demonstrated nearly equal contribution to overall variance from each of the studies included, indicating that the findings were not due to inter-laboratory technical effect. A novel principal-component analysis showed that the largest contribution to variation in primary glioblastoma neoplastic cells was an axis between MES (mesenchymal) and proneural expression programs. In summary, treating glioblastoma often makes a MES, as commented by Lucy Stead about this remarkable work. Check Aaron Diaz’s team Nature Cancer paper, with strong technical tools, state of the art analysis and data from different sources converging to the same outcomes that made possible a significant step toward a better handling of a frightful cancer. References Couturier, C.P., Ayyadhury, S., Le, P.U. et al. Single-cell RNA-seq reveals that glioblastoma recapitulates a normal neurodevelopmental hierarchy. Nat Commun 11, 3406 (2020). Stead, L.F. Treating glioblastoma often makes a MES. Nat Cancer 3, 1446–1448 (2022). Wang, L., Jung, J., Babikir, H. et al. A single-cell atlas of glioblastoma evolution under therapy reveals cell-intrinsic and cell-extrinsic therapeutic targets. Nat Cancer 3, 1534–1552 (2022). Related links: Kevin Petrecca’s group dataset deposited at the EGA: EGAS00001004422 Lin Wang dataset deposited at the EGA: EGAS00001004909

  Blog upcycling-and-merging-data-to-challenge-glioblastoma

• The last addition to the list of clonal evolution studies in the EGA

  Tumours of different types may arise from a single cell with at least one malignant mutation. Accumulation of subsequent hits generates lineages of cells with different cancer transformation power; thus, every clone follows an autonomous evolution, and several clones may co-exist into the same solid or liquid tumour. Clonal evolution studies are not new: the conceptual power of this approach has been recognized since the early ’80, especially in leukaemia patients. Nonetheless, these studies greatly benefit from recent technological improvements -machineries and protocols-, which enable ever-increasing sequencing depth, allowing the detection of low frequency variants and consequently more tumour clones. Note: the figure belongs to the original paper and is owned by the authors. Researchers at the University of Kyoto in Japan, have indeed used state of the art knowledge to investigate the clonal evolution of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in a large panel of patients. CML progresses from a majoritarian benign chronic phase into an often fatal blast crisis phase. It is nowadays known that blast crisis are triggered by genetic instability and disrupted DNA repair, which lead to accumulation of DNA mutations. The use of thyrosine kinase inhibitors targeting the Philadelphia chromosome have enormously improved the treatment of blast crisis, nonetheless resistant patients are still a medical challenge. Yotaro Ochi and collegues used Whole Exome Sequencing of paired chronic phase and blast crisis samples to depict the genetic landscape of progression from the first to the second stage of the disease (as illustrated in their figure). Their results were published in Nature Communication on this May 2021. They used a dataset previously deposited at the EGA (EGAS00001003071) and their new generated data have been made available under accession number EGAS00001005075. Their analysis of the occurring mutations contribute to understanding the mechanisms of CML evolution and therefore develop a protocol for early management of patients with a TKI resistance signature. Up to date, the EGA hosts 99 clonal evolution studies, developed in several cancer types, including myeloma, renal carcinomas and ovarian cancer, in addition to various leukaemia subtypes, where this approach has been more widely applied and produced important results and seminal papers. From a pan-cancer point of view, the definition of tumour architecture through clonal evolution studies is instrumental to unravel the mechanisms of disease progression and treatment-resistance insource. At the EGA, we are honoured to contribute to exciting and important science advances with our service!

  Blog the-last-addition-to-the-list-of-clonal-evolution-studies-in-the-ega

• Reading about genomic analysis of pan-neuroblastoma

  There are virtually no research fields that do not benefit from the large-scale genomic analysis that are so popular nowadays. For research into diseases with highly diverse clinical behavior like pediatric neuroblastoma, nevertheless, this type of approach has been a game-changer. Samuel W. Brady and colleagues, from St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, have gathered data from 702 neuroblastomas which were profiled by whole genome sequencing (WGS, n = 205), whole exome sequencing (WES, n = 539), and/or RNA-Seq. Less than half of the samples were generated during this study, while the others were obtained from previous work. Part of the WES data was indeed deposited in EGA in 2012 (EGA study EGAS00001000213). A scratchy summary about the huge work from Samuel W. Brady and colleagues, published in Nature Communications this October 2020 “These findings suggest that the sympathetic nervous system, the tissue from which neuroblastoma arises, is susceptible to different oncogenic insults at different times during development, which could be explored in future investigations using animal models.” Conclude the authors, highlighting the importance of their findings. Pediatric neuroblastomas are classified according to clinical and molecular features into low, intermediate, and high risk. Age plays a critical role in the classification, with younger children having an overall better prognosis. The samples included in this study belonged to all ages and risk-groups: the aim of such set up is the identification of age-associated molecular aberrations. The authors defined a mutational landscape of pediatric neuroblastoma including rare driver events, impossible to pick with a smaller data set. Interestingly, most driver mutations' frequency was found to be age-related. Those include alterations on MYCN, TERT, PTPRD, and Ras pathway, in addition to the previously reported ATRX. In addition, the large data set allowed the authors to define co-existence relations between the mutations (mutual exclusion or co-occurrence) which is a crucial puzzle piece to unravel the mechanisms driving the pathogenesis. Enjoy this really interesting article, open source on Pubmed.

  Blog genomic-analysis-of-pan-neuroblastoma

• Amplicon sequencing of melanoma samples

  The types of biomarkers for skin tumors have been 1) biochemical markers in blood, urine, and body fluid, 2) histopathological markers, 3) genetic examination of tumor tissue, 4) tumor-susceptibility assessed by germ_x0002_line genetic examination. Biomarkers in a blood are frequently used in the treatment of cutaneous malignancies, but are not suitable for early detection of malignancies. Research on circulating tumor cells, cell free DNA, exosomes has been promoted in recent years, but clinical application is halfway. Based on these circumstances, the purpose of this study is to search for biomarkers for diagnosis, therapeutic effect, and follow-up of skin tumors, and to verify their usefulness.

  Study JGAS000351

• 1. Identidication of molecular biological mechanism associated with the development and prognosis of uterine cancer, uterine sarcoma, and endometrial hyperplasia / 2. Identification of molecular biological mechanism associated with the development of endometriosis and malignant transformation, ovarian cancer, fallopian tubal cancer, peritoneal cancer, and other malignant tumors in gynecological organs

  To identify molecular subtypes and carcinogenesis in clear cell ovarian carcinomas by whole-exome sequencing, RNA-sequencing, and methylation array, and to characterize high-grade serous carcinomas by NGS-based, integrative genomic analyses, with focus on homologous recombination deficiency, molecular subtypes and prognositic factors.

  Study JGAS000560

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

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

  Study JGAS000552

• Spatial transcriptome analysis for elucidating progression of early lung adenocarcinoma

  In this study, we performed spatial transcriptome analysis of adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS) and minimally invasive adenocarcinoma (MIA) to identify molecular events which occur during progression of ealry lung adenocarcinoma. For the analysis, we used cancer tissues which were precisely classified by Noguchi classification. Using the obtained data, we elucidated key molecular changes during tumor cell progression and their associated microenvironment statuses.

  Study JGAS000677

• Application of organoid culture system of human gastrointestinal and thoracic cancer in genome medicine

  In order to establish preclinical models, we have established a kind of lung cancer tumoroids derived from a mucus-producing solid pulmonary adenocarcinoma patient. We performed whole exome sequencing and RNA sequencing to analyze genetic background of the tumoroids.

  Study JGAS000664

• Application of organoid culture system of human gastrointestinal and thoracic cancer in genome medicine

  In order to establish preclinical models, we have established three kinds of lung cancer tumoroids derived from three different pulmonary large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma patients. We performed whole exome sequencing to analyze genetic background of these kinds of tumoroids.

  Study JGAS000641

• RNA sequencing of surgically removed lung adenocarcinoma afterwards treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors

  Patients with lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database were enrolled in the training cohort to establish a prognostic signature based on the expression of tumor-specific amino acid metabolism related genes. The established signature was further investigated against an original cohort, KCC-ICI, of chemotherapy combined with immune checkpoint inhibitors. The signature consisting of nine genes, KYNU, PSPH, PPAT, MIF, GCLC, ACAD8, TYRP1, ALDH2, and HDC, could effectively stratify the OS in LUAD patients. The KCC-ICI cohort confirmed the predictive ability of the established signature in the clinical response to immune checkpoint blockade therapy, which correlated with the infiltration of immune cells (e.g., T lymphocytes and nature killer cells). We discovered that the high signature risk score patients showed a significantly lower concentration of plasma-free ??-aminobutyric acid (AABA).

  Study JGAS000675

• Unraveling the heterogeneity of multiple myeloma identifies therapy resistant subpopulation with vulnerability to the splicing pathway intervention

  Intra-tumor heterogeneity underlies the therapy resistance of multiple myeloma (MM). However, its details remain unknown. Here, we performed single-cell RNA sequencing coupled with VDJ targeted sequencing on highly purified bone marrow lineage marker-negative CD38+ MM cells from patients at diagnosis and in remission. This approach successfully subdivided MM cells into distinct clusters, unraveling their heterogeneity and plasticity on the axis of cell surface CD138 expression. Notably, unique clusters were identified in the minor CD138-negative population that resisted therapies. CRISPR/Cas9 screening of upregulated genes in the resistant population identified their vulnerability to the splicing pathway inhibition, among which RNA-binding protein 39 (RBM39) appeared to be overexpressed in the resistant population and involved in aberrant splicing. Genetic and pharmacological inhibition of RBM39 exerted a profound synthetic lethal effect on them. Our results unveil an uncharacterized subpopulation associated with therapy resistance and provide a novel therapeutic strategy targeting the splicing pathway in MM.

  Study JGAS000723

• Application of organoid culture system of human gastrointestinal and thoracic cancer in genome medicine

  In order to establish preclinical models, we have established a kind of lung cancer tumoroids derived from a mucus-producing solid pulmonary adenocarcinoma patient. We performed whole exome sequencing and RNA sequencing to analyze genetic background of the tumoroids.

  Study JGAS000653

• Clonal diversity analysis and inter/intra-organ heterogeneity in urothelial carcinoma under immunotherapy

  We studied a unique autopsy case of metastatic urothelial carcinoma with both sensitivity and resistance to anti-PD-1 therapy. We performed multiregional analyses of 58 paired whole exome sequencing and RNA sequencing samples of 8 different bulk tumor masses, 8 matched whole genome sequencing samples to identify structural abnormalities of each mass. Furthermore, we performed 7 whole exome sequencing from metastatic urothelial carcinoma patients who received anti-PD-1 therapy.

  Study JGAS000725

• Single nucleus RNA sequencing of squamous cell carcinoma arising from mature teratoma of the ovary

  Squamous cell carcinoma arising from mature teratoma is one of the rare ovarian cancers. Therefore, the detailed molecular background of this disease has not been elucidated. The purpose of this study is to investigate the single-cell transcriptional landscape of this disease.

  Study JGAS000521

• Spatiotemporal single-cell analysis reveals a time-dependent immunological modulation by multi-fractionated radiotherapy in esophageal cancer

  Description Here, by integrative spatial and single-cell analyses using spatial transcriptome (VISIUM) and single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq), we examined the spatiotemporal dynamics of immune-response in the tumor microenvironment of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) before, during and after RT. The comprehensive single-cell analyses demonstrated the infiltration of immune cells into tumor with the dynamic change of immune-stimulatory and -suppressive gene expression after RT. ScRNA-seq analysis uncovered the time- and cell-type-dependent alteration of gene expression profile from during to after RT. This datasets in the present study will provide the information of RT-induced gene signature to seek an appropriate target of personalized immunotherapy combined with radiotherapy and of determining the timing of the combination therapy.

  Study JGAS000712

• Integrated diagnosis based on transcriptome analysis in suspected pediatric sarcomas

  We performed RNA-sequencing in 47 patients with suspected pediatric sarcomas, to evaluate the potential utility of RNA-seq in the diagnostic process of pediatric sarcoma.

  Study JGAS000284

• Aberrant (pro)renin receptor expression induces genomic instability by chromatin remodeler SMARCA5 disruption during the pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

  The aim of the present study is to elucidate whether aberrant (P)RR expression induces genomic instability in human pancreatic ductal epithelial (HPDE) cells, which are transforming into pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC).

  Study JGAS000143

• Atezolizumab monotherapy following dCRT indicated a promising cCR rate in patients with unresectable locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (EPOC1802)

  The objective is to analyze tumor and normal cell exome sequencing of esophageal cancer patients participating in the Tenergy trial before treatment and RNA sequencing specimens of tumor biopsy specimens at three points before treatment, after radiation chemotherapy, and after atezolizumab administration, in order to search for biomarkers to predict treatment response. Exome sequencing of pretreatment tumor tissue (27 specimens) and normal tissue (27 specimens) from esophageal cancer patients participating in the Tenergy trial, and RNA sequencing of tumor biopsy specimens at three time points before treatment (28 specimens), after radiation chemotherapy (25 specimens) and after atezolizumab administration (25 specimens).

  Study JGAS000708

• 1. Identidication of molecular biological mechanism associated with the development and prognosis of uterine cancer, uterine sarcoma, and endometrial hyperplasia / 2. Identification of molecular biological mechanism associated with the development of endometriosis and malignant transformation, ovarian cancer, fallopian tubal cancer, peritoneal cancer, and other malignant tumors in gynecological organs

  To clarify the biological difference between clear cell carcinoma and other histological subtypes in ovarian carcinomas by comparing copy number variants, and to identify molecular subtypes and carcinogenesis in clear cell ovarian carcinomas by whole-exome sequencing and RNA-sequencing. Then, characterize high-grade serous carcinomas by NGS-based, integrative genomic analyses, with focus on homologous recombination deficiency, molecular subtypes, prognostic factors and effectiveness of PARP inhibitor. Based on the results of whole-exome sequencing, an investigator-initiated, phase 2 clinical trial will be conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the PARP inhibitor olaparib in HRD-positive cases.

  Study JGAS000789

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

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

  Study JGAS000787

• Amplicon sequencing of duodenal adenoma

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

  Study JGAS000352

• Application of targeted long-read methylation sequencing to dissected lung cancer tissues

  To investigate DNA methylation patterns within the tumor microenvironment, multiple regions were dissected from fresh-frozen sections of two lung adenocarcinoma specimens using the Millisect system. These regions were annotated based on spatial transcriptome data. DNA samples extracted from these regions were subjected to targeted long-read methylation sequencing using t-nanoEM. To establish a control dataset, short-read whole-genome sequencing (WGS) was performed on the tumor and normal parts, and long-read WGS was performed on the tumor part.

  Study JGAS000757

• Deciphering craniopharyngioma subtypes: Single-cell analysis of tumor microenvironment and immune networks

  Craniopharyngiomas, including both adamantinomatous (ACP) and squamous papillary (PCP) types, present significant challenges in treatment due to their proximity to critical pituitary structures. In this study, we conducted a single-cell RNA analysis to examine the tumor microenvironments (TME) of ACP and PCP. Single-cell clustering revealed a wide range of cell types, which were further categorized based on gene expression patterns. For ACP, these categories included developing epithelia, calcification, and immune response, while PCP showed developing epithelia, cell cycle, and immune response as prominent categories. Subclustering analysis unveiled different types of immune cells in both ACP and PCP TMEs, with specific patterns of immune responses. Interestingly, smaller tumors were associated with particular immune cell ratios. Furthermore, we identified specific cell-to-cell interactions within the tumor cells. In conclusion, our study has led to the development of a comprehensive cell atlas, shedding light on the molecular characteristics and intricate interplay of immune cells within the TMEs of ACP and PCP.

  Study JGAS000722

• Spatial transcriptomics elucidates medulla niche supporting germinal center response in myasthenia gravis thymoma

  Myasthenia gravis (MG) is known to be epidemiologically associated with abnormalities of the thymus, an organ that maintains central tolerance. However, due to the complexity of the thymus, specific characteristics related to the pathogenesis of MG remain elusive. In our study, we attempted to narrow down the features associated with MG using spatial transcriptome analysis of thymoma and thymic hyperplasia samples. We found that the majority of thymomas were constituted by the cortical region, whereas the medullary region was localized in comparatively restricted areas. Moreover, the medullary region contained polygenic enrichment, MG-specific germinal center structures, and a supporting immune microenvironment. Additionally, neuromuscular medullary thymic epithelial cells (nmTECs), previously identified as MG-specific autoantigen-producing cells, were situated at the cortico-medullary junction. The immune microenvironment in the medulla was characterized by a specific chemokine pattern and specific immune cells, such as CCR7+ migratory dendritic cells (migDCs) and effector regulatory T (Treg) cells. Furthermore, similar germinal center structures and immune microenvironments were observed in the medulla during thymic hyperplasia. This study indicates that the medulla and junction areas are related to the pathology of MG, suggesting that these areas should be the focus of future studies on MG pathogenesis and drug targeting.

  Study JGAS000672

• Aberrant EZHIP Expression Drives Tumorigenesis in Osteosarcoma

  Study EGAS00001007531

• Failure of Differentiation of the Rhombic Lip Constitutes Medulloblastoma

  We used single-cell transcriptomics to study cells from the developing human cerebellum, and show that different molecular subgroups of medulloblastoma resemble distinct glutamatergic progenitors.

  Study EGAS00001005826

• Whole genome sequencing and whole exome sequencing of DIPG tumors and matched normal tissue

  Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG) is a fatal brain cancer that arises in the brainstem of children with no effective treatment. To understand what drives DIPGs we integrated whole-genome-sequencing with methylation, expression and copy-number profiling.

  Study EGAS00001000575

• Combined targeting of BRD4-associated Promoter Activation and NFKB Immunomodulation in ARID1A-mutated Gastric Adenocarcinoma

  Study EGAS00001006397

• OAC RNASeq

  Please see our related publication, 'Molecular profiling to predict immunochemotherapy outcomes in esophageal adenocarcinoma'

  Study EGAS00001006468

• OAC scRNASeq

  Please see our related publication, 'Molecular profiling to predict immunochemotherapy outcomes in esophageal adenocarcinoma'

  Study EGAS00001006469

• Follicular Lymphoma Whole Genome and Transcriptome Sequencing

  Study EGAS00001006646

• Integrated molecular analysis of adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma

  This study is an integrated molecular study of adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma which includes whole-exome (n = 81), whole-genome (n = 48), and transcriptome sequencing data (n = 57) as well as methylation (n = 109) and SNP array data (n = 426)

  Study EGAS00001001296

• Characterization of MCSP+ melanoma DCC and MelDCC lines

  To dissect the sequence of genotypic and phenotypic progression during early metastatic colonization, we searched for the earliest detectable disseminated cancer cells (DCC) and identified MCSP+ melanoma cells as strong candidates for metastasis founder cells (MFC) in lymph nodes. We isolated MCSP+ DCC from various stages of metastatic colony-formation, performed scRNA-seq and unravelled their phenotypic progression. Further we performed bulk sequencing on patient-derived DCC models (MelDCC) and showed that they exhibit an immunosuppressive activity on CD8 T cells.

  Study EGAS00001006702

• Single cell analyses of transcriptome and epigenome in neuroblastoma infiltrated bone marrow

  We report transcriptional and genome-wide ATAC-seq analyses at single cell resolution of 16 bone marrow samples with and without neuroblastoma infiltration. Our samples span across several neuroblastoma models, including MYCN amplified, ATRX mutated, and sporadic (lacking either alteration).

  Study EGAS00001006106

• IDH mutant Glioma methylation analysis and prognostic signatures

  Study EGAS00001006961

• Pharmacogenomic landscape of patient-derived cells informs precision oncology therapy

  Outcomes of anticancer therapy vary dramatically among patients, which may be caused by the specific molecular alterations in each patient’s tumor. Precision oncology aims to apply optimal therapies for each tumor based on its molecular characteristics. We have established a resource reporting the genomic and transcriptomic profiles of 462 patient tumor-derived cells (PDCs) across 14 cancer types, together with responses to 60 targeted agents. Compared with long-term cultured cancer cell lines, PDCs better recapitulate the molecular profiles of the original tumors. Among other unreported associations, we identify molecular factors inducing resistance to EGFR inhibitors in glioblastoma, and we suggest repurposing ibrutinib (currently used in hematological malignancies) for EGFR-specific therapy in gliomas. Lastly, using a retrospective clinical study, we find that PDC-derived sensitivities can be used to predict patient responses.

  Study EGAS00001002515

• 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

• 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

• Cancer and germline exomes consisting of FASTQ paired-end reads from melanoma and lung cancer samples

  Efforts to precisely identify tumor human leukocyte antigen presented peptides (HLAp) capable of mediating T cell based tumor rejection still face important challenges. Recent reports suggest that non-canonical cancer HLAp could be immunogenic but their identification requires highly sensitive and accurate mass-spectrometry (MS)-based proteogenomics approaches. Here, we present a MS-based analytical pipeline that can precisely characterize the non-canonical HLAp repertoire, incorporating whole exome sequencing, bulk and single cell transcriptomics, ribosome profiling, and a combination of two MS/MS search tools. This approach results in the accurate identification of hundreds of shared and tumor-specific non-canonical HLAp. Albeit often at low levels and in distinct subpopulations of cells, numerous non-canonical HLAp are shared across tumors. This analytical platform holds great promise for the discovery of novel cancer antigens for cancer immunotherapy.

  Study EGAS00001003723

• RNA sequencing of CD8 T cells from melanoma patients prior to and during checkpoint immunotherapy and untreated healthy controls

  We are interested in inter-individual variation in transcriptional response to immune checkpoint blockade. We have analysed poly A purified RNA expression from CD8 T cells (297 transcriptomes in total) isolated from metastatic melanoma patients (n=106) prior to and during treatment with either single agent (Pembrolizumab) or combination (Ipilimumab/ Nivolumab) immune checkpoint blockade. We compare expression at different stages of treatment and additionally contrast this with that from healthy controls (n=68).

  Study EGAS00001004081

• Uterine leiomyoma: DNA methylation, chromatin activity and gene expression

  In this study, we observed the effects of different uterine leiomyoma driver mutations to tumor DNA methylation, chromatin activity and gene expression, to form a comprehensive view on the epigenetic consequences of the mutations.

  Study EGAS00001004499

• Accurate detection and classification of pediatric sarcomas based on cell-free DNA fragmentation patterns

  Sequencing of cell-free DNA in the blood of cancer patients (“liquid biopsy”) provides attractive opportunities not only for early diagnosis, but also for minimally invasive monitoring of treatment response and disease courses. To unlock liquid biopsy analysis for pediatric tumors with few genetic aberrations, we developed an integrated genetic/epigenetic analysis method and applied it to 241 deep whole-genome sequencing profiles of 95 patients with Ewing sarcoma and 31 patients with other pediatric sarcomas. We achieved sensitive detection and classification of circulating tumor DNA in peripheral blood independent of any genetic alterations. We evaluated different metrics for cell-free DNA fragmentation analysis and developed LIQUORICE, a bioinformatic tool for detecting circulating tumor DNA based on tumor-specific chromatin structure. Using machine learning methods, we combined several fragmentation-based metrics into an integrated approach for liquid biopsy analysis tailored to cancers with low mutation rates but widespread epigenetic deregulation. Clinical associations highlighted the potential value of cfDNA fragmentation patterns as prognostic biomarkers in Ewing sarcoma. Additionally, we performed low coverage whole-genome-sequencing on 43 tumor biopsy samples from patients with Ewing sarcoma, in order to compare copy number aberrations detected in cell-free DNA and biopsy samples of the same patients. For validation of the epigenetic signatures inferred from cell-free DNA, we further performed reduced representation bisulfite sequencing (RRBS) on 38 matched biopsy samples from patients with Ewing sarcoma. In summary, our study provides a comprehensive analysis of circulating tumor DNA beyond recurrent somatic mutations, and it renders the benefits of liquid biopsy more readily accessible for childhood cancers.

  Study EGAS00001005127

• OpACIN-neo – A Multicenter Phase 2 Study to identify the Optimal neo-Adjuvant Combination scheme of Ipilimumab and Nivolumab – Whole exome sequencing

  The outcome of patients with macroscopic stage III melanoma is poor. Neoadjuvant treatment with ipilimumab plus nivolumab at the standard dosing schedule induced pathological responses in a high proportion of patients in two small independent early-phase trials. However, toxicity of the standard ipilimumab plus nivolumab dosing schedule was high, preventing its broader clinical use. The aim of the OpACIN-neo study (NCT02977052) to identify a dosing schedule of ipilimumab plus nivolumab that is less toxic but equally effective. 86 patients with macroscopic stage III melanoma were randomised to one of three dosing schedules: arm A, two cycles of ipilimumab 3 mg/kg plus nivolumab 1 mg/kg once every 3 weeks; arm B, two cycles of ipilimumab 1 mg/kg plus nivolumab 3 mg/kg once every 3 weeks; or arm C, two cycles of ipilimumab 3 mg/kg once every 3 weeks directly followed by two cycles of nivolumab 3mg/kg once every 2 weeks. Within the first 12 weeks, grade 3–4 immune-related adverse events were observed in 12 (40%) of 30 patients in group A, six (20%) of 30 in group B, and 13 (50%) of 26 in group C. Pathological responses occurred in 24 (80%) patients in group A, 23 (77%) in group B, and 17 (65%) in group C. The 2-year estimated relapse-free survival was 84% for all patients, 97% for patients achieving a pathologic response and 36% for nonresponders (p<0.001). High tumor mutational burden (TMB) and high interferon-gamma-related gene expression signature score (IFN-γ score) were associated with pathologic response and low risk of relapse; pathologic response rate (pRR) was 100% in patients with high IFN-γ score/high TMB, patients with high IFN-γ score/low TMB or low IFN-γ score/high TMB had pRRs of 91% and 88%; while patients with low IFN-γ score/low TMB had a pRR of only 39%. These data demonstrate long-term benefit in patients with a pathologic response and show the predictive potential of TMB and IFN-γ score.

  Study EGAS00001004832

• Transcriptome sequencing of hepatocellular carcinoma biopsies (proteogenomic study)

  We performed a proteogenomic analysis of hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) across clinical stages and etiologies to define the deregulated pathways and heterogeneity among HCCs. We identified pathways that are differentially regulated on the genomic, transcriptomic, proteomic and phosphoproteomic levels. Integrative clustering identified HCC subgroups that show distinct regulation of biological processes, metabolic reprogramming and kinase activation.

  Study EGAS00001005074

• Single-cell analysis of retinoblastoma heterogeneity

  Study EGAS00001005178

• Dissecting the Spatial Heterogeneity of Single Circulating Tumor Cells in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

  The dismal outcome of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is closely associated with intra- and extrahepatic metastases, which have been proposed to be initiated by circulating tumor cells (CTCs). However, the plasticity of gene expression and immune evasion mechanisms of CTCs during systemic circulation are not well defined. Here, we determined intra- and inter-vascular transcriptional heterogeneity within the circulatory system using single-cell RNA-sequencing of 113 CTCs isolated from four key vascular sites along their dissemination route in ten HCC patients.

  Study EGAS00001005204

• Molecular characterization of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis

  Patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) associated to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) are increasing globally, but their molecular traits are not well characterized. Our molecular characterization revealed higher rates of ACVR2A mutations (10%) – a potential tumour suppressor, presence of a novel mutational signature (MutSig-NASH-HCC), a more relevant role of Wnt/TGF-β proliferation subclass in tumours (42%) and immunosuppressive traits in the adjacent non-tumoral tissue.

  Study EGAS00001005222