5727 results for "canc*"

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• Osteosarcoma_Whole_Genome

  We propose to definitively characterise the somatic genetics of Osteosarcoma cancer through generation of comprehensive catalogues of somatic mutations by high coverage genome sequencing.

  Study EGAS00001000147

• Submission 45 - study_title 1

  Submission 45 - description 1

  Study EGAS50000000494

• CRUK-ICGC Prostate Cancer Group Study

  Prostate cancer somatic genomic sequencing data generated from 2011 onwards under auspices of the International Cancer Genome Consortium Prostate Cancer UK consortium (CRUK-ICGC Prostate Group), co-led by Colin Cooper and Ros Eeles, with other Principal Investigators (Brewer, Neal, Bova, McDermott, Wedge, Lynch, Massie, and Foster) and others as listed in study publications. Funded by Cancer Research UK and other funders as listed in study publications. Contents and publications related to each dataset are described with each dataset (EGAD) entry. Our study was funded with the ambition of collecting Whole Genome DNA sequence data from 250 prostate cancers, with matching transcriptome and methylome data. The original aims of the project were: 1.To understand the significance of multifocal prostate cancer. 2.To understand the clinical heterogeneity of prostate cancer to devise markers for predicting outcome and for drug targeting. 3.To understand the molecular basis of development and spread of castration-resistant and metastatic disease 4.To understand the aetiology of prostate cancer particularly the large variation in incidences that occur in different populations and ethnic groups. Please see https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4022439 for links between sample IDs reported in literature and EGA IDs.

  Study EGAS00001000262

• Noninvasive detection of cancer-associated genome-wide hypomethylation and copy number aberrations by plasma DNA bisulfite sequencing

  Noninvasive detection of cancer-associated genome-wide hypomethylation and copy number aberrations by plasma DNA bisulfite sequencing

  Study EGAS00001000566

• Metastatic_Prostate_Follow_Up

  Validation/deeper sequencing for metastatic prostate cancer samples

  Study EGAS00001000730

• Metastatic_Prostate_Follow_Up_2

  Validation/deeper sequencing for metastatic prostate cancer samples

  Study EGAS00001000756

• Distinct evolutionary trajectories of primary high grade serous ovarian cancers revealed through spatial mutational profiling

  High-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSC) is characterized by poor outcome, often attributed to emergence of treatment-resistant sub-clones. We sought to measure the degree of genomic diversity within primary, untreated HGSC to examine the natural state of tumor evolution prior to therapy. We performed exome sequencing, copy number analysis, targeted amplicon deep sequencing and gene expression profiling on thirty-one spatially and temporally separated HGSC tumor specimens (six patients) including ovarian masses, distant metastases, and fallopian tube lesions. We found widespread intra-tumoral variation in mutation, copy number, and gene expression profiles, with key driver alterations in genes present in only a subset of samples (e.g. PIK3CA, CTNNB1, NF1). On average, only 51.5% of mutations were present in every sample of a given case (range: 10.2% to 91.4%), with TP53 as the only somatic mutation consistently present in all samples. Complex segmental aneuploidies, such as whole genome doubling, were present in a subset of samples from the same individual, with divergent copy number changes segregating independently of point mutation acquisition. Reconstruction of evolutionary histories showed one patient with mixed HGSC and endometrioid histology with common etiologic origin in the fallopian tube and subsequent selection of different driver mutations in the histologically distinct samples. In this patient, we observed mixed cell populations in the early fallopian tube lesion, indicating diversity arises at early stages of tumorigenesis. Our results reveal that HGSC exhibit highly individual evolutionary trajectories and diverse genomic tapestries prior to therapy, exposing an essential biological characteristic to inform future design of personalized therapeutic solutions and investigation of drug resistance mechanisms.

  Study EGAS00001000547

• The BC Cancer Agency's Personalized Onco-Genomics Project

  The BC Cancer Agency's Personalized Onco-Genomics (POG) Project involves molecular and clinical characterization of individual cancer patients to guide their treatment. The project aims to use whole genome and transcriptome data together with patient information to match treatments to cancer driver alterations and support clinical decision-making. Incorporating genomic data into decision-making should enable more rational development of treatment plans, facilitate enrollment into appropriate clinical trials and potentially identify less toxic and more effective therapeutic options.

  Study EGAS00001001159

• Sequencing of an organoid biobank for childhood kidney cancers that captures disease and tissue heterogeneity.

  Kidney tumors are among the most common solid tumors in children, comprising several distinct subtypes differing in many aspects, including cell-of-origin, genetics, and pathology. Pre-clinical cell models capturing the disease heterogeneity are currently lacking. Here, we describe the first pediatric cancer organoid biobank. It contains tumor and matching normal organoids from over 50 children with different subtypes of kidney cancer, including Wilms tumors, malignant rhabdoid tumors, renal cell carcinomas, and congenital mesoblastic nephromas. The malignant rhabdoid tumor organoids represent the first organoid model for tumors of non-epithelial origin. The tumor organoids retain key properties of native tumors, useful for revealing patient specific drug vulnerabilities. We further demonstrate that organoid cultures derived from Wilms tumors consist of multiple different cell types, including epithelial, stromal and blastemal-like. Our organoid biobank captures the cellular heterogeneity of pediatric kidney tumors, providing a representative collection of well-characterized models for basic cancer research, drug-screening, and personalized medicine.

  Study EGAS00001003853

• Metabolic requirements of the metastasis-initiating tumour cell population using oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) as a model system

  Study EGAS00001004765

• Fasting-mimicking diet reshapes antitumor immunity in cancer patients

  Study EGAS00001004944

• Detection of isoforms and genomic alterations by high-throughput full-length single-cell RNA sequencing in HGSOC

  Understanding the complex background of cancer requires genotype-phenotype information in single-cell resolution. Long-read single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq), capturing full-length transcripts, lacked the depth to provide this information so far. Here, we increased the PacBio sequencing depth to 12,000 reads per cell, leveraging multiple strategies, including artifact removal and transcript concatenation, and applied the technology to samples from three human ovarian cancer patients. Our approach captured 152,000 isoforms, of which over 52,000 were novel, detected cell type- and cell-specific isoform usage, and revealed differential isoform expression in tumor and mesothelial cells. Furthermore, we identified gene fusions, including a novel scDNA sequencing-validated IGF2BP2::TESPA1 fusion, which was misclassified as high TESPA1 expression in matched short-read data, and called somatic and germline mutations, confirming targeted NGS cancer gene panel results. With multiple new opportunities, especially for cancer biology, we envision long-read scRNA-seq to become increasingly relevant in oncology and personalized medicine.

  Study EGAS00001006807

• Identification of novel colorectal cancer predisposition genes

  Study EGAS00001005118

• Exploration_of__mutational_processes_in_human_cancer_cell_lines__Exome

  Approximately 25 cell lines representative of 11 mutation signatures have been selected and will be grown from a single cell, referred to as parental clone, for a period of 3 months to allow accumulation of mutations. Following that period, we will obtain 2 subclones from each of the parental clone for sequencing analysis. In total we will be sequencing 2 parental clones and 4 subclones per cell line for approximately 25 cell lines.

  Study EGAS00001000790

• Scottish High Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer

  Scottish HGSOC samples were collected via local Bioresource facilities at Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee and Aberdeen and stored in liquid Nitrogen until required. HGSOC patients were determined from pathology records and were included in the study where there was matched tumour and whole blood samples. On receipt of tumour material the tumour was processed as follows: firstly, the tumour sample was divided into two for DNA and RNA extraction. Slivers of tissue were cut from the front and rear faces of the DNA sample, then fixed in formalin and embedded in paraffin wax. Sections from the front and rear tissues from all samples were examined by H&E staining supplemented by WT1/p53 immunohistochemistry if required. Following pathology review, samples were only included if they met the following criteria: they were confirmed as HGSOC and there was greater than 40% tumour cellularity throughout the tumour, determined using the H&E sections. Somatic DNA was extracted using the Qiagen DNeasy Blood and tissue kit (cat no 69504). The tissue was initially homogenised using a Qiagen Bioruptor, followed by the manufacturers recommended protocol (including RNase digestion step). Germline DNA was extracted from 1-3ml whole blood using the Qiagen FlexiGene kit (cat no 51206) following the manufacturers recommended protocol. The resulting DNA underwent quality control as follows: firstly, A260 and A280nm were measured on a Denovix DS-11 Fx to qualitatively illustrate A260/280nm and A260/230nm ratios as surrogate measures of DNA purity. A260/280 had to be 1.8 or greater and A260/230 had to be 2.0 or greater. Then, DNA was quantified using LifeTechnologies Qubit dsDNA BR kit (cat no Q32850) and we required a minimum of 50ul at 25ng/ul for WGS. Thirdly, DNA was diluted to 25ng/ul and a representative sample was loaded onto a 0.8% TAE gel, ran at 100v for 60mins and then imaged using a BioRad ChemiDoc imaging system to visualise the DNA quality. Only when all 4 quality control requirements were satisfied was the DNA sequenced. The DNA was sequenced at the Glasgow Precision Oncology Laboratories.

  Study EGAS00001004410

• The INFORM Precision Medicine Study for High-Risk Pediatric Malignancies

  Study EGAS00001005112

• RNA Editing in breast cancer

  High-throughput sequencing screens suggest that RNA editing, which consists in the substitution of adenosine with inosine by the RNA-specific adenosine deaminase (ADAR) enzyme, occurs at several thousand positions across the human genome. Recent evidences have shown that RNA-editing could promote proliferation and carcinogenesis; however, the general principles of ADAR activity on the transcriptome and how ADAR is controlled in cancers remain to be established. The main aim of this project was to investigate the phenomenon of RNA editing in breast and other cancers. The frequency of A-to-I editing was evaluated in 58 breast cancers equally distributed among the different molecular subtypes and 10 normal breast tissues. The analysis was focused on defining: the relationship between the global amount of editing and ADAR expression; the ability to predict the level of editability of specific sites; the distribution of editing in normal and tumour samples and among different breast cancer subtypes; and the clinical, pathological and genomic factors affecting editing.

  Study EGAS00001000495

• Allele-specific expression of GATA2 due to epigenetic dysregulation in double mutated CEBPA AML

  Transcriptional deregulation is a central event in the development of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). To identify potential disturbances in gene regulation, we conducted an unbiased screen of allele-specific expression (ASE) in 209 AML cases. The gene encoding GATA binding protein 2 (GATA2) displayed ASE more often than any other myeloid or cancer-related gene. GATA2 ASE was strongly associated with CEBPA double mutations (CEBPA DM), with 95% of cases presenting GATA2 ASE. In CEBPA DM AML with GATA2 mutations, the mutated allele was preferentially expressed. We found that GATA2 ASE is a somatic event lost in complete remission, supporting the notion that it plays a role in CEBPA DM AML. Acquisition of GATA2 ASE involved silencing of one allele via promoter methylation, compensated by overactivation of the other allele, thereby preserving expression levels. Notably, promoter methylation was also lost in remission together with GATA2 ASE. In summary, we propose that GATA2 ASE is acquired by epigenetic mechanisms and is a prerequisite for the development of AML with CEBPA DM. This finding constitutes a novel example of an epigenetic hit cooperating with a genetic hit in the pathogenesis of AML.

  Study EGAS00001004684

• Submission 16 - study_title 2

  Submission 16 - description 2

  Study EGAS50000000503

• DNA-methylation variability in normal mucosa of patients with adenomatous polyps: a marker of field cancerization

  A study linking DNA methylation modifications in the normal mucosa of the right colon in individuals with adenomatous polyp formation

  Study EGAS00001007666

• RNA-seq of Glioblastoma stem cells

  Chromatin accessibility discriminates stem from mature cell populations, enabling the identification of primitive stem-like cells in primary tumors, such as Glioblastoma (GBM) where self-renewing cells driving cancer progression and recurrence are prime targets for therapeutic intervention. We show, using single-cell chromatin accessibility, that primary GBMs harbor a heterogeneous self-renewing population whose diversity is captured in patient-derived glioblastoma stem cells (GSCs). In depth characterization of chromatin accessibility in GSCs identifies three GSC states: Reactive, Constructive, and Invasive, each governed by uniquely essential transcription factors and present within GBMs in varying proportions. Orthotopic xenografts reveal that GSC states associate with survival, and identify an invasive GSC signature predictive of low patient survival. Our chromatin-driven characterization of GSC states improves prognostic precision and identifies dependencies to guide combination therapies.

  Study EGAS00001003070

• Molecular subsets in renal cancer determine outcome to checkpoint and angiogenesis blockade

  We conducted integrated multi-omics evaluation of 823 tumors from advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) patients and identified molecular subsets associated with differential clinical outcomes to angiogenesis blockade alone or with a checkpoint inhibitor. Unsupervised transcriptomic analysis revealed six molecular subsets with distinct angiogenesis, immune, cell cycle, metabolism, and stromal programs. While sunitinib was effective in subsets with high angiogenesis, atezolizumab+bevacizumab improved clinical benefit in tumors with high T-effector and/or cell cycle transcription. Somatic mutations in PBRM1 and KDM5C associated with high angiogenesis and AMPK/Fatty acid oxidation gene expression, while CDKN2A/B and TP53 alterations were more prevalent in tumors with increased cell cycle and anabolic metabolism. Sarcomatoid tumors exhibited low prevalence of PBRM1 mutations and angiogenesis markers, frequent CDKN2A/B, BAP1 and TP53 alterations, and increased PD-L1 expression. These findings can be applied to molecularly stratify advanced RCC patients, explain improved outcomes of sarcomatoid tumors to checkpoint blockade, and develop personalized therapies.

  Study EGAS00001004353

• High-grade serous ovarian cancer refined with single-cell RNA-sequencing

  We performed single-cell RNA-sequencing of 18,403 cells unbiasedly collected from 7 treatment-naive HGSOC tumours. For each phenotypic cluster of tumour or stromal cells, we identified specific transcriptomic markers. Next, we explored which phenotypic clusters correlate with overall survival based on expression of these transcriptomic markers in 1467 bulk RNA-seq tumours. By evaluating molecular subtype signatures in single cells, we assessed to what extent a phenotypic cluster of tumour or stromal cells contributes to each molecular subtype.

  Study EGAS00001004987

• Cryopreservation of human cancers conserves tumour heterogeneity for single-cell multi-omics analysis

  Study EGAS00001005115

• The PEMDAC phase 2 study of pembrolizumab and entinostat in patients with metastatic uveal melanoma

  Patients with metastatic uveal melanoma (UM) have an abysmal prognosis. Preclinical studies have suggested that epigenetic therapy could enhance immunogenicity of cancer cells. Here we test if epigenetic therapy would enhance PD-1 immunotherapy in patients with metastatic UM. We report the results of the PEMDAC phase 2 clinical trial (n=29; NCT02697630) where the HDAC inhibitor entinostat was combined with the PD-1 inhibitor pembrolizumab in patients with metastatic UM. The primary endpoint was objective response rate (ORR), and was met with an ORR of 14%. The clinical benefit rate at 18 weeks was 28%, median progression free survival was 2.1 months and the median overall survival was 13.4 months. Toxicities were manageable, and there were no treatment-related deaths. Extensive genomics studies were performed using DNA/RNA and single cell sequencing and flow cytometry. Objective responses and prolonged survival were seen in three patients with BAP1 wildtype tumors, and in one patient with an iris melanoma that exhibited a UV signature. Longer survival also correlated with low baseline ctDNA levels or LDH. In conclusion, HDAC inhibition and anti-PD1 immunotherapy results in durable responses in a subset of patients with metastatic UM. Further exploration of combined immunotherapy and epigenetic therapy in metastatic UM is warranted.

  Study EGAS00001005478

• The Proteogenomic Subtypes of Acute Myeloid Leukemia

  Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is an aggressive blood cancer with poor prognosis. We report a comprehensive proteogenomic analysis of bone-marrow biopsies from 252 uniformly treated AML patients to elucidate the molecular pathophysiology of AML in order to inform future diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. In addition to in-depth quantitative proteomics, our analysis includes cytogenetic profiling and DNA/RNA sequencing. We identify five proteomic AML subtypes, each reflecting specific biological features spanning genomic boundaries. Two of these proteomic subtypes correlate with patient outcome, but none are exclusively associated with specific genomic aberrations. Remarkably, one subtype (Mito-AML), which is only captured in the proteome, is characterized by high expression of mitochondrial proteins and confers poor outcome, with reduced remission rate and shorter overall survival upon treatment with intensive induction chemotherapy. Functional analyses reveal that Mito-AML is metabolically wired towards stronger complex I dependent respiration and is more responsive to treatment with the BCL2 inhibitor venetoclax.

  Study EGAS00001005950

• Genome Landscape of High-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer

  Patients with high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSC) have experienced little improvement in overall survival, and standard treatment has not advanced beyond platinum-based combination chemotherapy, during the past 30 years. To understand the drivers of clinical phenotypes better, here we use whole-genome sequencing of tumour and germline DNA samples from 92 patients with primary refractory, resistant, sensitive and matched acquired resistant disease. We show that gene breakage commonly inactivates the tumour suppressors RB1, NF1, RAD51B and PTEN in HGSC, and contributes to acquired chemotherapy resistance. CCNE1 amplification was common in primary resistant and refractory disease. We observed several molecular events associated with acquired resistance, including multiple independent reversions of germline BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations in individual patients, loss of BRCA1 promoter methylation, an alteration in molecular subtype, and recurrent promoter fusion associated with overexpression of the drug efflux pump MDR1.

  Study EGAS00001000397

• Stabilising selection causes grossly altered but stable karyotypes in metastatic colorectal cancer

  Study EGAS00001004219

• Homologous recombination DNA repair deficiency and activity of PARP inhibition in primary triple negative breast cancer

  Study EGAS00001004190

• Analysis of error profiles in deep next-generation sequencing data

  BackgroundSequencing errors are key confounding factors for detecting low-frequency genetic variants that are important for cancer molecular diagnosis, treatment, and surveillance using deep next-generation sequencing (NGS). However, there is a lack of comprehensive understanding of errors introduced at various steps of a conventional NGS workflow, such as sample handling, library preparation, PCR enrichment, and sequencing. In this study, we use current NGS technology to systematically investigate these questions.ResultsBy evaluating read-specific error distributions, we discover that the substitution error rate can be computationally suppressed to 10-5 to 10-4, which is 10- to 100-fold lower than generally considered achievable (10-3) in the current literature. We then quantify substitution errors attributable to sample handling, library preparation, enrichment PCR, and sequencing by using multiple deep sequencing datasets. We find that error rates differ by nucleotide substitution types, ranging from 10-5 for A>C/T>G, C>A/G>T, and C>G/G>C changes to 10-4 for A>G/T>C changes. Furthermore, C>T/G>A errors exhibit strong sequence context dependency, sample-specific effects dominate elevated C>A/G>T errors, and target enrichment PCR led to aprox 6-fold increase of overall error rate. We also find that more than 70% of hotspot variants can be detected at 0.1% - 0.01% frequency with the current NGS technology by applying in-silico error suppression.ConclusionsWe present the first comprehensive analysis of sequencing error sources in conventional NGS workflows. The error profiles revealed by our study highlight new directions for further improving NGS analysis accuracy both experimentally and computationally, ultimately enhancing the precision of deep sequencing.

  Study EGAS00001003444

• Molecular determinants of response to PD-L1 blockade across tumor types

  Immune checkpoint inhibitors targeting the PD-1/PD-L1 axis lead to durable clinical responses in subsets of cancer patients across multiple indications, including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), urothelial carcinoma (UC) and renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Herein, we complement PD-L1 immunohistochemistry (IHC) and tumor mutation burden (TMB) with RNA-seq in 366 patients to identify unifying and indication-specific molecular profiles that can predict response to checkpoint blockade across these tumor types. Multiple machine learning approaches failed to identify a baseline transcriptional signature highly predictive of response across these indications. Signatures described previously for immune checkpoint inhibitors also failed to validate. At the pathway level, significant heterogeneity was observed between indications, in particular within the PD-L1+ tumors. mUC and NSCLC were molecularly aligned, with cell cycle and DNA damage repair genes associated with response in PD-L1- tumors. At the gene level, the CDK4/6 inhibitor CDKN2A was identified as a significant transcriptional correlate of response, highlighting the association of non-immune pathways to the outcome of checkpoint blockade. This cross-indication analysis revealed molecular heterogeneity between mUC, NSCLC and RCC tumors, suggesting that indication-specific molecular approaches should be prioritized to formulate treatment strategies.

  Study EGAS00001004343

• cfDNA in Hereditary And High-Risk Malignancies (CHARM)

  Our goal is to improve early cancer detection by developing a blood test to predict cancer development in carriers using circulating DNA. As carriers develop cancer, they may have pre-cancerous cells which release this DNA into the blood (cell-free DNA; cfDNA), which can be detected with novel genetic technologies. We propose to use three complementary cfDNA assays:shallow whole genome sequencing (sWGS), Liquid-Biopsy Sequencing (LB-Seq) and Cell-free Methylated DNA Immunoprecipitation and High-throughput Sequencing (cfMeDip-Seq) for early cancer detection.

  Study EGAS00001006539

• Comprehensive molecular characterization of brainstem glioma

  Brainstem gliomas are the most devastating and lethal tumors. Survival rates are among the lowest in all cancers and options for intervention are likewise low. Due to anatomical delicacy of these areas, resection of tumors is particularly difficult and attempted resections have high perioperative mortality rates. Genomic and epigenetic studies often provide a gateway to functional studies of specific classifications of tumors that can lead to major breakthroughs in diagnosis and treatment options.

  Study EGAS00001004341

• Long-read and short-read isoform sequencing in breast cancer

  The goal of this project was to perform long-read RNA sequencing (LR-seq, PacBio) in combination with short-read RNA-seq for systematic characterization of the isoform diversity in primary breast tumor samples. We sequenced the full-length transcriptomes of 26 breast tumors and 4 normal breast samples.

  Study EGAS00001004819

• Whole genome sequencing of primary and metastatic Melanoma cases in an Australian cohort.

  Melanoma is the fourth most common cancer in Australia and the leading cause of cancer death in young adults. The Australian Melanoma Genome Project (AMGP) is analysing whole genomes from melanomas. We include the results of whole genome sequencing (WGS) for a number of datasets that include cutaneous, acral and mucosal melanoma subtypes.

  Study EGAS00001001552

• Patterns of transcription factor programs and immune pathway activation define four major subtypes of SCLC with distinct therapeutic vulnerabilities

  Despite molecular and clinical heterogeneity, small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is treated as a single entity with predictably poor results. Using tumor expression data, we applied non-negative matrix factorization, which identified four SCLC subtypes defined largely by differential expression of transcription factors ASCL1, NEUROD1, and POU2F3 or low expression of all three transcription factor signatures accompanied by an Inflamed signature (SCLC-A, N, P and I, respectively). The presence of these subtypes were then validated in tumor gene expression data from the IMpower133 clinical trial.

  Study EGAS00001004888

• Intratumoral plasma cells predict outcomes to PD-L1 blockade in non-small cell lung cancer

  Inhibitors of the programmed cell death-1 (PD-1/PD-L1) signaling axis are approved to treat non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients, based on their significant overall survival (OS) benefit. Using transcriptomic analysis of 891 NSCLC tumors from patients treated with either the PD-L1 inhibitor atezolizumab or chemotherapy from two large randomized clinical trials, we found a significant B cell association with extended OS with PD-L1 blockade, independent of CD8+ T cell signals. We then derived gene signatures corresponding to the dominant B cell subsets present in NSCLC from single-cell RNA-seq data. Importantly, we found increased plasma cell signatures to be predictive of OS in patients treated with atezolizumab, but not chemotherapy. B cells were also associated with the presence of tertiary lymphoid structures and organized lymphoid aggregates. Our results suggest an important contribution of B and plasma cells to PD-L1 blockade efficacy in NSCLC.

  Study EGAS00001005013

• The aim of this project is to identify, on 15 French Caucasian and 10 African-Caribbean men, through an integrative approach of DNA sequencing and transciptomic analyses, relevant genomic events that characterize or allow targeting the various phenotypes of aggressiveness of early stages of prostate cancer.

  Every year about 70,000 new cases of prostate cancer are diagnosed in France and 8,700 men died from this disease. But the incidence and the rate of mortality per 100,000 men in the French West Indies are respectively 1.5x and 2x upper than the rates observed in the metropolitan France. The aim of this project is to identify, on 15 French Caucasian and 10 African-Caribbean men, through an integrative approach of DNA sequencing and transciptomic analyses, relevant genomic events that characterize or allow targeting the various phenotypes of aggressiveness of early stages of prostate cancer.

  Study EGAS00001002176

• Combined hereditary and somatic mutations of replication error repair genes result in rapid onset of ultra-hypermutated cancers

  DNA replication-associated mutations are repaired by two components: polymerase proofreading and mismatch repair. The mutational consequences of disruption to both repair components in humans are not well studied. We sequenced cancer genomes from children with inherited biallelic mismatch repair deficiency (bMMRD). High-grade bMMRD brain tumors exhibited massive numbers of substitution mutations (>250/Mb) – higher than all childhood and most cancers (>7000 analyzed). All ultra-hypermutated bMMRD cancers acquired early somatic driver mutations in DNA polymerases epsilon or delta. The ensuing mutation signatures and numbers are unique and diagnostic of childhood germline bMMRD (p<10e-13). Sequential tumor biopsy analysis revealed that bMMRD/polymerase mutant cancers rapidly amass an excess of simultaneous mutations (~600 mutations/cell division), reaching but not exceeding ~20,000 exonic mutations in <6 months. Thus implying a threshold compatible with cancer cell survival. We suggest a new mechanism of cancer progression in which mutations develop in a rapid burst after ablation of replication repair.

  Study EGAS00001001112

• Balanced_Brain_Tumour_Whole_Genome_Sequencing

  We propose to definitively characterise the somatic genetics of a number of pediatric malignant tumours including ependymoma, high grade glioma and central nervous system primitive neurectodermal tumours through generation of comprehensive catalogues of somatic mutations by high coverage genome sequencing.

  Study EGAS00001000360

• INSPIRE - Investigator-initiated Phase 2 Study of Pembrolizumab Immunological Response in Metastatic Solid Tumors

  Study EGAS00001003280

• Digital tEchnology For Lung Cancer Treatment

  The aim of the DEFLeCT project (Digital tEchnology For Lung Cancer Treatment) is to generate a technological platform for precision medicine in order to set predictive personalised algorithms for patient diagnosis and therapy. All resectable patients having histologically confirmed stage IB-IIIA non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC) will be enrolled in the PROMOLE study, a related and ongoing observational prospective clinical study, for tissue sampling. A large biobank of lung cancer samples and the corresponding healthy tissues and biological components (ie, blood, stools, etc.) with complete clinical, pathological and molecular information will be collected. The project will lay the basis of a knowledge hub and qualified technology aimed not only at answering the medical and scientific community's questions, but also meant to be useful to individual patients by predicting the response to adjuvant and second-line drugs in case of relapse of the disease.

  Study EGAS00001007219

• Therapeutic Targeting of Ependymoma as Informed by Oncogenic Enhancer Profiling

  Genomic sequencing has driven precision-based oncology therapy; however, genetic drivers remain unknown or non-targetable for many malignancies, demanding alternative approaches to identify therapeutic leads. Ependymomas are chemotherapy-resistant brain tumours, which, despite genomic sequencing, lack effective molecular targets. Here, we mapped active chromatin landscapes in 42 primary ependymomas in two non-overlapping primary ependymoma cohorts. Enhancer regions revealed novel oncogenes, molecular targets, and pathways, which when subjected to small molecule inhibitor or shRNA treatment, increased survival and slowed proliferation in mouse and neurosphere patient-derived models of ependymomas. This study represents one of the largest enhancer mapping study of any cancer type to date, and provides a framework for target and drug discovery for other cancers recalcitrant to therapeutic development because of their lack of known genetic drivers.

  Study EGAS00001002696

• PanCuRx Translational Research Initiative

  The goal of the PanCuRx TRI is to seek solutions to the high fatality rate of pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC), the most common type of pancreatic cancer, by generating new knowledge about the genetics and biology of the disease, mechanisms of how tumours grow and tailored treatment options. PDAC is the fourth leading cause of cancer death in Canada and is expected to become the second-leading cause of cancer death within the next decade. The current five-year survival rate of eight per cent is the lowest of all epithelial cancers. There are major clinical challenges to treating the disease, including the fact that PDAC spreads to other parts of the body early so surgical removal of the tumour benefits few patients, that PDAC has proven relatively resistant to systemic therapies such as chemotherapy and that there has been limited benefit from the use of newer molecular targeted agents. The PanCuRx team has created the world’s first resource of tumour-purified PDAC whole genomes; more than 500 PDAC samples, with combined clinical annotation, have been successfully sequenced and analyzed at the Ontario Institute for Cancer research in Toronto. The resulting clinical genomic resource created from this data has led to multiple new findings that have established a framework to better understand PDAC biology and lays the foundation for new genomic approaches to better understanding the disease. The team also launched a clinical trial called COMPASS (Comprehensive Molecular Characterization of Advanced Ductal Pancreas Adenocarcinoma for Better Treatment Selection: A Prospective Study), which is recruiting patients with advanced PDAC (both locally advanced and metastatic) at The Princess Margaret Cancer Centre (PM) in Toronto. The study uses the molecular results from individual patient tumours to guide selection of better second line treatment on a case-by-case basis. The primary objective of the initial study was to assess the feasibility of collecting tumour materials from patients with advanced PDAC and delivering results within 56 days of biopsy. Having achieved this objective, the trial has expanded to other cancer centres across Canada. Pancreatic cancer is one of the most deadly forms of cancer and outcomes have not improved in four decades. The PanCuRx initiative is providing a better understanding of the disease and actively applying new knowledge to cancer patients through clinical trials. This knowledge will help to improve quality of life and prolong survival for pancreatic cancer patients worldwide.

  Study EGAS00001002543

• Single-cell profiling maps the spectrum of crosstalk between glioma cells and tumor associated macrophages

  Tumor associated macrophages (TAMs) are a heterogeneous glioma infiltrate, implicated in cancer progression. We performed single-cell RNA-sequencing, to survey TAM response-patterns in glioma.

  Study EGAS00001002185

• Stratifying and Targeting Pediatric Medulloblastoma through Genomics

  In this project, genomic analyses of pediatric medulloblastoma samples, obtained through the international medulloblastoma consortium, will be performed. RNA and miRNA expression profiles of 1000 samples, representing all four subgroups (Wnt, Shh, Group C, and D), will be studied to identify novel subtypes within each subgroup. The resulting subtype-specific expression profiles will support the development of reliable and robust biomarkers to more accurately and reliably classify medulloblastomas for treatment in clinical trials. For that purpose, two assays will be developed: an antibody-based immunohistochemical assay and an orthogonal nucleic acid-based hybridization assay. Additional genomic DNA analysis of the 300 high risk subgroup cases will support the discovery of subgroup specific somatic mutations in order to inform current clinical trials of targeted therapies, and to identify genes and pathways already targeted in other diseases. Such therapies could be rapidly transitioned to Phase II trials in medulloblastoma. Furthermore, the discovery of somatic mutations could be used for developing as well as validating specific biomarkers. The project team will also try to identify risk factors that predispose children to this type of cancer.

  Study EGAS00001000273

• Prostate cancer ancestral genomic disparity

  Prostate cancer is characterised by significant global disparity; mortality rates in SubSaharan Africa are double to quadruple those in Eurasia. Hypothesising unknown interplay between genetic and non-genetic factors, tumour genome profiling envisages contributing mutational processes. Through whole-genome sequencing of treatment-naïve prostate cancer from 183 ethnically/globally distinct patients (African versus European), we generate the largest cancer genomics resource for Sub-Saharan Africa. Identifying ~2 million somatic variants, Africans carried the greatest burden. We describe a new molecular taxonomy using all mutational types and ethno39 geographic identifiers, including Asian. Defined as Global Mutational Subtypes (GMS) A–D, although Africans presented within all subtypes, we found GMS-B to be ‘African-specific’ and GMS-D ‘African-predominant’, including Admixed and European Africans. Conversely, Europeans from Australia, Africa and Brazil predominated within ‘mutationally-quiet’ and ethnically/globally ‘universal’ GMS-A, while European Australians shared a higher mutational burden with Africans in GMS45 C. GMS predicts clinical outcomes; reconstructing cancer timelines suggests four evolutionary trajectories with different mutation rates (GMS-A, low 0.968/year versus D, highest 1.315/year). Our data suggest both common genetic factors across extant populations and regional environmental factors contributing to carcinogenesis, analogous to gene-environment interaction defined here as a different effect of an environmental surrounding in persons with different ancestries or vice versa. We anticipate GMS acting as a proxy to intrinsic and extrinsic mutational processes in cancers, promoting global inclusion in landmark studies.

  Study EGAS00001006425

• Whole genome sequencing of tumour and matched normal from patients with family history of breast cancer

  Analysis of whole genome sequencing of tumour and matched normal from familial breast cancer patients who had previously undergone clinical germline testing for variation in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. The patients were either carriers of BRCA1 or BRCA2 germline pathogenic variants or non-carriers high-risk individuals (non-BRCA1/2). Somatic mutational signatures were used to study tumour aetiology of these individuals.

  Study EGAS00001003305

• Genetic landscape of pediatric ependymoma

  We performed whole-genome sequencing of 42 paired tumor/normal EPD genomes and analyzed somatically acquired single nucleotide variations (SNVs), insertion/deletions, structural variations and copy number variations in the cancer genomes

  Study EGAS00001000254

• RNA-sequencing data from 195 B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemias and mate pair whole genome sequencing data from 15 B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemias

  Fusion genes are potent driver mutations in cancer. In this study, we delineate the fusion gene landscape in a consecutive series of 195 pediatric B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (BCP ALL). Using RNA-sequencing, we find in-frame fusion genes in 127 (65%) cases, including 27 novel fusions. We describe a new subtype characterized by recurrent IGH-DUX4 or ERG-DUX4 fusions, representing 4% of cases, leading to overexpression of DUX4 and frequently co-occurring with intragenic ERG deletions. Furthermore, we identify a subtype characterized by an ETV6-RUNX1-like gene expression profile and coexisting ETV6 and IKZF1 alterations. Taken together, this study provides a detailed overview of fusion genes in pediatric BCP ALL and adds new pathogenetic insights, which may improve risk stratification and provide novel therapeutic options in this disease.

  Study EGAS00001001795