Effects of busulfan, fludarabine and clofarabine treatment on human small intestinal organoids generated from healthy donors
The intestine is vulnerable to chemotherapy-induced toxicity due to its high epithelial proliferative rate, making gut toxicity an off-target effect in several cancer treatments, including conditioning regimens for allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HSCT). In HSCT, intestinal damage is an important factor in the development of Graft-versus-Host Disease (GVHD), an immune complication in which donor immune cells attack the recipient's tissues. Here, we developed a novel human intestinal organoid-based 3D model system to study the effects of chemotherapy-induced intestinal epithelial damage at the RNA level. We show that chemotherapy conditioning specifically reprograms the intestinal epithelial transcriptome after treatment with either busulfan (3.5μM), fludarabine (15μM) or clofarabine (0.5μM) for 24h. This knowledge can potentially enable us to understand which changes undergo in healthy tissues upon conditioning and how those are related with immune activation typical in GVHD.
Study
EGAS00001007550
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
Transcriptional_Consequences_of_Copy_Number_Changes_MY_HDBR_200531
Every normal human cell has two copies of each non-sex chromosome. The gain or loss of an extra copy underlies many health conditions, including developmental syndromes and cancer. Ultimately, it is the patterns of genes that are turned on and off that determines which proteins a cell produces and its biological function. Despite the importance of changes in chromosome number (known as aneuploidy or copy number changes), little is known about how these changes impact patterns of gene expression. This project will aim to fill this gap by creating an atlas of patterns of gene expression in cells from developmental tissues with aberrant numbers of chromosomes. These gene expression profiles will then be compared to the patterns of expression in the same cells with two copies of each chromosome, directly measuring the precise, cell specific, consequences of copy number change on gene expression.
Study
EGAS00001005100
Accurate mapping of mitochondrial DNA deletions and duplications using deep sequencing
Deletions and duplications in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) cause mitochondrial disease and accumulate in conditions such as cancer and age-related disorders, but validated high-throughput methodology that can readily detect and discriminate between these two types of events is lacking. Here we present MitoSAlt, a computational method for accurate identification, quantification and visualization of mtDNA deletions and duplications from whole genome, whole exome or transcriptome sequencing data. MitoSAlt was tested on simulated sequencing reads and human patient samples with single deletions and duplications to verify its accuracy. Application to mouse models of mtDNA maintenance disease further demonstrated the ability to detect deletions and duplications even at low levels of heteroplasmy. MitoSAlt paves the way for simple and reliable determination of mtDNA deletions and duplications across a wide range of relevant conditions and available sequencing datasets.
Study
EGAS00001004380
RNAseq_of_healthy_mesothelial_cells_and_primary_mesothelioma_cell_lines
Mesothelioma is a rare and aggressive cancer associated with previous exposure to asbestos. Currently there are no effective treatments for mesothelioma and majority of patients will die within a year after diagnosis. Although a large number of preclinical and clinical trials assessed the efficacy of various therapuetic modes, including anti-angiogenic therapies, immunotherapy, antibody-drug conjugates and oncolytic viruses, none of the tested molecules entered the clinic. Thus, to better understand what drives mesothelioma carcinogenesis and to identify novel targets for therapy, in this project we aim at performing a comprehensive transcriptomic analysis of heathy mesothelial cells and a panel of mesothelioma cells lines. Primary mesothelial cell lines were established in prof. Marciniak lab from human pleural specimens, while primary mesothelioma cell lines were obtained from MesobanK. Both models constitute low passage cell lines and therefore should closely represent genetics of the original tissue.
Study
EGAS00001005728
single-stranded DNA study
A ssDNA library protocol was applied to cfDNA from plasma samples obtained from different DNA extraction methods and revealed significant differences in DNA fragmentation patterns in comparison to dsDNA-based protocols. In particular, a specific combination of methods revealed a population of ultrashort fragments, organized at ~50 bp. We observed significant differences in the relative abundance of these ultrashort DNA fragments in plasma from healthy individuals and cancer patients. Through shallow whole genome sequencing (sWGS, <0.5-fold coverage) and the analysis of somatic copy number aberrations (SCNA), we determined the landscape of genetic alterations in this newly identified population of cfDNA fragments. In addition, we studied their potential link with regulatory regions by investigating the genome-wide coverage patterns at transcription start sites (TSS). Furthermore, we demonstrated that the ultrashort cfDNA fragments map to regions associated with secondary DNA structures, G-quadruplexes (G4s).
Study
EGAS00001005093
_WGS__Somatic_mutation_in_skin_epidermis__SMS_
Previously we have sequenced 2mm2 biospies of human epithelia at high depth using a custom bait set. This has identified a range of mutations. Some of the biospies are predicted to be clonal and we would like to perform WGS to give an insight into mutational burden, and CNV which may be associated with these mutations.
Study
EGAS00001004464
CHEK2 molecular manuscript
This study investigated the molecular landscape of 17 tumors from 9 individuals with biallelic germline pathogenic variants in CHEK2. Tumors included breast and non-breast cancers, and WES and sWGS bam files from the tumors are included in this submission.
WES data was aligned to GRCh37 and sWGS data to GRCh38.
Study
EGAS50000000080
Molecular classification of small intestinal adenocarcinomas
In this study we analyzed genomic and transcriptomic data from 135 small intestinal adenocarcinoma (SIA) patients. Through this analysis, we identified three distinct subtypes based on gene expression patterns, revealing the diverse molecular characteristics among SIA patients. Our findings provide comprehensive insights into the unique features of each subtype.
Study
EGAS50000001238
Targeted_Sequencing_of_Human_Myeloid_Malignancies
This study involves targeted sequencing of samples from myeloid malignancies at different timepoints to assess clonal evolution of malignancya.This data is part of a pre-publication release. For information on the proper use of pre-publication data shared by the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute (including details of any publication moratoria), please see http://www.sanger.ac.uk/datasharing/
Study
EGAS00001001289
Lymphocyte_LCM_WGS
Using whole genome sequencing of lymphocytes excised from human tissue using laser capture microscopy (LCM), we identify the mutations arising in these microenvironments. This work will contribute towards developing a catalogue of mutations present in tissue resident lymphocytes across a range of tissues, and will characterize the mutational signatures that result from each microenvironment.
Study
EGAS00001003384
Single-cell RNA-seq data from metastatic ovarian cancer for quality control study
Quality control is a crucial preliminary step in any single-cell RNAseq experiment, where hard thresholds are commonly used. In order to develop a methodology for a more precise cell filtering in the early steps of a scRNAseq data analysis, we collected tissue samples before chemotherapy from 4 patients.
Study
EGAS00001005066
Comparison of fresh and slow-frozen cancer samples for different applications
Surplus tissues from multiple solid human cancers directly slow-frozen after resection can subsequently be used for different types of methods including the establishment of 2D, 3D, and ex vivo cultures as well as single cell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq) with similar results when compared to freshly analyzed material.
Study
EGAS00001005891
Somatic_mutation_and_clonal_evolution_in_the_human_pancreas___WGS
In this study we aim to characterise the landscape of mutation and clonal selection in the human pancreas. The study combines targeted sequencing and whole-genome sequencing of microbiopsies from the pancreas. The range of patients studied will include healthy individuals, both smokers and non-smokers, and patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.
Study
EGAS00001002626
Melanoma_post_mortem_analysis
This is a targeted pulldown validation in support of the existing whole-genome sequencing study of melanoma metastases (Canapps ID:1888). We are studying the genomic evolution of cutaneous melanoma metastases. In this pulldown analysis we are specifically sequencing the subclonal variants that we believe account for the variability between the metastases.
Study
EGAS00001003531
Immunoreactive_p53_areas_in_human_skin_2
Previous work has suggested that in mice there may be a difference in mutational burden between areas expressing stabilised p53 protein and others. We wish to see if this observation holds true in human sun-exposed epidermis.
We will take 0.25mm punch biopsies from peeled human skin epidermis which will be submitted to the low input pipeline prior to sequencing.
Study
EGAS00001004463
Molecular heterogeneity and commonalities in pancreatic cancer precursors with gastric and intestinal phenotype
Due to the limited number of modifiable risk factors, secondary prevention strategies based on early diagnosis represent the preferred route to improve the prognosis of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Here, we provide a comparative morphogenetic analysis of PDAC precursors aiming at dissecting the process of carcinogenesis and tackling the heterogeneity of preinvasive lesions.
Study
EGAS00001006793
Bone marrow single cell genomics from blood cancer samples
The overall goal of this study was to characterize bone marrow cells based on their transcriptome, surface protein expression and BCR- and TCR VDJ-profile for accurate identification of clinically relevant cell states. This project has received funding from the European Union Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 824110 (EASI-Genomics)
Study
EGAS00001007332
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
High-resolution testing of ctDNA dynamics predicts survival in metastatic NSCLC
One of the great challenges of therapeutic oncology is determining who might achieve survival benefit from a particular therapy. Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) provides real-time assessments of patient prognosis and response to treatment using a simple blood draw. While ctDNA positivity is established as a poor prognostic factor, studies on longitudinal ctDNA dynamics have been small and non-randomized, with ctDNA assessments done at disparate time points. To address this, we performed high-sensitivity longitudinal ctDNA testing in 466 patients across 5 time points (1,954 samples total) in a randomized phase III study comparing different chemotherapy-immunotherapy combinations. We leverage machine learning to jointly model multiple ctDNA metrics to predict overall survival in a training/testing framework. _ . Treatment initiation correlated with reductions in ctDNA levels, and training of our machine learning model suggests that assessment of ctDNA dynamics at C3D1 (cycle 3 day 1) of chemo-IO treatment may be optimal to predict OS. The model performs well in the hold-back test data, enabling stratification of patients with Stable Disease (SD) into high-risk vs low-intermediate-risk (HR = 3.2 [2.0-5.3], p <0.001; median 7.1 versus 22.3 months respectively); similarly, the model stratifies patients with a Partial Response (PR) (HR =3.3 [1.7-6.4], p <0.001; median 8.8 versus 28.6 months). Importantly, the model validates well in an external cohort of patients in a different treatment setting and assayed with a different ctDNA technology, in which model predictions similarly identified high-risk patients (OS HR=3.73 [1.83-7.60], logrank p=0.00012). Simulations of clinical trial scenarios employing our ctDNA model further suggest that early ctDNA testing outperforms early radiographic imaging for predicting trial outcomes (increasing the rate of ‘True Go’ decisions by 5.2 - 22.8% depending on the drug combination). Overall, we show that measuring ctDNA dynamics during the course of therapy dramatically improves patient risk stratification, and may provide a means to differentiate between competing therapies at an early time point during clinical trials.
Study
EGAS00001006703
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
OpACIN-neo – A Multicenter Phase 2 Study to identify the Optimal neo-Adjuvant Combination scheme of Ipilimumab and Nivolumab – RNA 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
EGAS00001004833
Multi-omic and functional analysis for classification and treatment of sarcomas with FUS-TFCP2 or EWSR1-TFCP2 fusions(H021/INF)
Many rare cancers are not well understood, and pathogenesis-directed therapies are often lacking, resulting in poor patient outcomes. Leveraging two (inter)national precision oncology trials that enroll large numbers of rare cancers, we investigated the clinical, histopathologic, molecular, and functional characteristics of rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) with fusions of FUS or EWSR1 to the TFCP2 transcription factor, a recently discovered ultra-rare entity whose classification, pathogenesis, and optimal treatment are unclear. Unusually for fusion-driven sarcomas, most cases had highly rearranged genomes, including chromothripsis, and signs of defective homologous recombination DNA repair. All tumors showed extreme expression of a truncated TERT variant and the ALK receptor tyrosine kinase, which was additionally affected by intragenic deletions and aberrant splicing, resulting in the expression of shortened variants in 58% of cases. Three ALK variants were oncogenic in immortalized cells, and patient-derived tumor cells expressing two variants responded to certain ALK inhibitors. Other recurrent alterations included CDKN2A/MTAP co-deletions and mutations in PAPPA2, encoding an IGFBP5-specific proteinase, in 67% and 25% of cases, respectively. DNA methylation analysis, along with 19 other soft-tissue sarcoma classes, revealed a close relationship with undifferentiated sarcoma but not other RMS subtypes, suggesting that TFCP2-rearranged RMS is a separate entity, possibly arising from a distinct cell of origin. Expression of TFCP2 fusions in immortalized human cells blocked late myogenic differentiation and significantly induced genes that were also highly expressed in patient tumors, including ALK, TERT, and two known regulators of skeletal muscle cells, IGFBP5 and PTH1R. Genome-wide chromatin profiling demonstrated direct binding of FUS-TFCP2 to the ALK and TERT loci outside their regular promoters, which correlated with the expression of alternative transcript variants. Finally, FUS-TFCP2 inhibited the repair of DNA double-strand breaks in immortalized cells, rendering them sensitive to treatment with cisplatin. This study provides insight into the pathogenesis and therapeutic vulnerabilities of a new RMS subtype and illustrates the value of linking comprehensive molecular diagnostics and functional annotation within multicenter consortia to improve the understanding and clinical management of rare cancers.
Study
EGAS00001006939
Oxidative DNA damage and ubiquitin proteasome system dysfunction underpins neurodegeneration in young adults with a DNA repair disorder
Xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) is caused by defective nucleotide excision-repair of DNA damage. This results in hypersensitivity to ultraviolet light and increased skin cancer risk, as sunlight-induced photoproducts remain unrepaired. However, many XP patients also display early-onset neurodegeneration, which leads to premature death. The mechanism of neurodegeneration is unknown. Here, we investigate XP neurodegeneration using pluripotent stem cells derived from XP patients and healthy relatives, performing functional multi-omics on samples during neuronal differentiation. We have identified substantially increased levels of 5',8-cyclopurine and 8-oxopurine in XP neuronal DNA secondary to marked oxidative stress. Furthermore, we find endoplasmic reticulum stress is upregulated, and, critically, XP neurons exhibit inappropriate downregulation of the protein clearance ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS). Chemical enhancement of UPS activity improves phenotypes, albeit inadequately, implying that early detection/prevention strategies are necessary to produce clinically impactful outcomes. Thus, we develop an early detection assay predicting neurodegeneration in at-risk patients.
Study
EGAS50000000160
Oxidative DNA damage and ubiquitin proteasome system dysfunction underpins neurodegeneration in young adults with a DNA repair disorder
Xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) is caused by defective nucleotide excision-repair of DNA damage. This results in hypersensitivity to ultraviolet light and increased skin cancer risk, as sunlight-induced photoproducts remain unrepaired. However, many XP patients also display early-onset neurodegeneration, which leads to premature death. The mechanism of neurodegeneration is unknown. Here, we investigate XP neurodegeneration using pluripotent stem cells derived from XP patients and healthy relatives, performing functional multi-omics on samples during neuronal differentiation. We have identified substantially increased levels of 5',8-cyclopurine and 8-oxopurine in XP neuronal DNA secondary to marked oxidative stress. Furthermore, we find endoplasmic reticulum stress is upregulated, and, critically, XP neurons exhibit inappropriate downregulation of the protein clearance ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS). Chemical enhancement of UPS activity improves phenotypes, albeit inadequately, implying that early detection/prevention strategies are necessary to produce clinically impactful outcomes. Thus, we develop an early detection assay predicting neurodegeneration in at-risk patients.
Study
EGAS50000000162
