7077 results for "canc*"

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• Matched_Pair_Cancer_Cell_line_Whole_Genomes

  We propose to definitively characterise the somatic genetics of 29 matched pair cell lines through generation of comprehensive catalogues of somatic mutations by high coverage genome sequencing.

  Study EGAS00001000160

• Analysis of RAD51C promoter methylation using targeted bisulfite sequencing (amplicon sequencing) in ovarian cancer pre-clinical models and patient samples.

  In high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSC), deleterious mutations in the DNA repair gene RAD51C are established drivers of defective homologous recombination and are emerging biomarkers of PARP inhibitor (PARPi) sensitivity. RAD51C promoter methylation (meRAD51C) is detected at similar frequencies to mutations, yet its effects on PARPi responses remain unresolved. In this study, three HGSC patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models with methylation at most or all examined CpG sites in the RAD51C promoter show responses to PARPi. Both complete and heterogeneous methylation patterns were associated with RAD51C gene silencing and homologous recombination deficiency (HRD). PDX models lost meRAD51C following treatment with PARPi rucaparib or niraparib, where a single unmethylated copy of RAD51C was sufficient to drive PARPi resistance. Genomic copy number profiling of one of the PDX models using SNP arrays revealed that this resistance was acquired independently in two genetically distinct lineages. In a cohort of 11 patients with RAD51C-methylated HGSC, various patterns of meRAD51C were associated with genomic 'scarring', indicative of HRD history, but exhibited no clear correlations with clinical outcome. Differences in methylation stability under treatment pressure were also observed between patients, where one HGSC was found to maintain meRAD51C after 6 lines of therapy (4 platinum-based), whilst another HGSC sample was found to have heterozygous meRAD51C and elevated RAD51C gene expression (relative to homozygous meRAD51C controls) after only neo-adjuvant chemotherapy. As meRAD51C loss in a single gene copy was sufficient to cause PARPi resistance in PDX, methylation zygosity should be carefully assessed in previously treated patients when considering PARPi therapy.

  Study EGAS00001005395

• 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

• Cell_Line_Sub_Clone_Rearrangement_Screen

  Genomic libraries (500 bps) will be generated from total genomic DNA cancer samples and subjected to paired end sequencing on the llumina GA. Paired reads will be mapped to build 37 of the human reference genome to facilitate the generation of genome wide copy number information, and the identification of novel rearranged cancer genes and gene fusions.

  Study EGAS00001000178

• Renal_Matched_Pair_Cell_Line_Exome_Sequencing

  Agilent whole exome hybridisation capture will be performed on genomic DNA derived from renal cancer cell lines and matched normal DNA from the same patient. Illumina GA sequencing will be performed on the resulting exome libraries and mapped to build 37 of the human reference genome to facilitate the identification of novel cancer genes.

  Study EGAS00001000179

• Targeting the DNA Repair Pathway in Ewing Sarcoma

  Ewing’s Sarcoma is a bone and soft tissue tumor that primarily affects adolescents and young adults. With current therapies, 70% of patients with localized disease survive but survival for metastatic and recurrent disease is poor. Whole genome sequencing of 19 Ewing’s Sarcoma tumors showed that STAG2 was mutated in 10% (2/19) of the tumors and STAG2 protein was absent in 14% (13/106) tumors by immunohistochemical staining. Previous studies have shown that glioblastoma cells lacking STAG2 are more sensitive to poly-ADP ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibitors. We found that Ewing’s Sarcoma cell lines are sensitive to PARP inhibitors irrespective of STAG2 protein expression. Ewing Sarcoma cell lines are defective in double strand DNA break repair. PARP inhibitor cytotoxicity in Ewing’s Sarcoma cells was potentiated 10-1,000 fold by DNA damaging agents (irinotecan and temozolomide). To extend these studies in vivo, we developed an orthotopic Ewing’s Sarcoma mouse model and performed pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic studies with three different PARP inhibitors (BMN-673, olaparib and veliparib) in clinical development for pediatric cancer. Those data were used to design preclinical phase I studies to identify tolerable drug combinations for pilot efficacy testing (preclinical phase II). Based on the results of the preclinical phase I/II data, we performed a double blind, randomized, placebo controlled preclinical phase III trial with 274 mice in 15 treatment groups. Irinotecan administered in a low-dose protracted schedule optimized for pediatric patients was an effective DNA damaging agent to combine with olaparib and BMN-673 and was better tolerated than combinations with temozolomide. Combining olaparib or BMN-673 with irinotecan and temozolomide gave complete and durable responses in over 80% of the mice.

  Study EGAS00001000839

• Acute_Lymphoblastic_Leukemia_Exome_sequencing_2_

  Agilent whole exome hybridisation capture will be performed on genomic DNA derived from 50 Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia samples and matched normal DNA from the same patients. Three lanes of Illumina GA sequencing will be performed on the resulting 100 exome libraries and mapped build 37 of the human reference genome to facilitate the identification of novel cancer genes. In addition, 500bp, NO_PCR total genomic libraries will be prepared from the same samples and five lanes of Illumina GA sequencing will be analysed to characterise genome wide, somatically acquired structural variation.

  Study EGAS00001000200

• Organoid_Derivation_Pilot__RNAseq

  Generation of normal and cancer organoids for sequencing as part of the WTSI-CRUK international collaboration with NCI (in HCMI) to generate the next generation of cancer cell lines.

  Study EGAS00001002223

• Systems biology of Colorectal Cancer

  Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common cancers in both males and females, and it is perhaps the best understood of all epithelial tumors in terms of its molecular origin. Yet, despite large amount of work that has concentrated on understanding of colon tumorigenesis, we still do not know the full complement of molecular lesions that are individually necessary – and together sufficient – to cause colorectal cancer. Neither do we understand why some specific mutations that are relatively rare in other tumors (e.g. loss of the APC tumor suppressor) are extremely common in colorectal cancer. We propose here to use the tools of systems biology to develop a quantitative and comprehensive model of colorectal tumorigenesis. The model will include identification of cell-type specific and oncogenic pathways that contribute to colon tumorigenesis, and explain in molecular detail how a genotype of an individual CRC leads to activation of downstream genes that drive uncontrolled cell growth. This model will subsequently be used to find novel therapeutic targets, to guide genetic screening to identify individuals with elevated risk for developing CRC, and to classify patients into molecular subgroups to select the treatment combination that is optimal for each patient (personalized medicine). The specific objectives of the SYSCOL project are: 1. Identify genetic markers for individual risk using genotyping and sequencing of constitutional DNA from sporadic and familial CRC cases and controls 2. Identify genes and regulatory elements that contribute to colorectal cancer cell growth 3. Use data from Aims 1-2 to develop a quantitative model for colorectal tumorigenesis 4. Apply the model for identification of high-risk individuals, for molecular classification of the disease, and for identification of novel molecular treatment targets

  Study EGAS00001000854

• Melanoma_TIL_Study_Exomes

  In this study, mutations present in a series of human melanomas (stage IV disease) will be determined, using autologous blood cells to obtain a reference genome. From each of teh samples that are analyzed, tumour-infiltrating T lymphocytes have also been isolated. This offers a unique opportunity to determine which (fraction of) mutations in human cancer leads to epitopes that are recognized by T cells. The resulting information is likely to be of value to understand how T cell activating drugs exert their action.

  Study EGAS00001000216

• Unraveling the transcriptomic profile of utero-tubal lavage fluid of ovarian cancer patients

  The majority of ovarian cancers are diagnosed at an advanced stage and have a high mortality rate. Current screening strategies fail to improve prognosis because markers of early stage disease are lacking. This medical need justifies the search for biomarkers enabling early detection of ovarian cancer. In this study, we explore the extracellular transcriptome of utero-tubal lavage fluid obtained from 26 ovarian cancer patients and 48 controls using messenger RNA (mRNA) capture and small RNA sequencing. Because of its contact with the fallopian tube and the ovaries, collection of utero-tubal lavage might be the preferred non-invasive method to identify localized lesions compared with analyses based on peripheral blood samples. We observed an enrichment of ovarian and fallopian tube specific messenger RNAs in utero-tubal lavage fluid compared to other human biofluids. Over 300 mRNAs and 41 miRNAs were upregulated in ovarian cancer samples compared with controls. Upregulated genes were enriched for genes involved in cell cycle activation and proliferation, hinting at a tumor derived signal. In conclusion, we provide proof-of-principle that mRNA capture sequencing of utero-tubal lavage fluid is technically feasible, and that the extracellular transcriptome of utero-tubal lavage should be further explored in larger cohorts to assess the diagnostic value of the biomarkers identified in this study.

  Study EGAS00001005498

• RNAseq_Pulldown_

  We propose to definitively characterise the somatic genetics of ER+ve, HER2-ve breast cancer through generation of comprehensive catalogues of somatic mutations in breast cancer cases by high coverage genome sequencing coupled with integrated transcriptomic and methylation analyses. In this experiment cDNA derived form Breast Cancer Cell lines was used in an Agilent whole exome pulldown experiment.

  Study EGAS00001000230

• Metastatic_Breast_Cancer_Whole_Genome

  We propose to definitively characterise the somatic genetics of Metastatic breast cancer through generation of comprehensive catalogues of somatic mutations in Metastatic breast cancer cases by high coverage genome sequencing coupled with integrated transcriptomic and methylation analyses.

  Study EGAS00001000902

• Genomic characterization of retinoblastoma (targeted sequencing)

  Retinoblastoma is the most frequent intraocular malignancy in children, originating from a maturing cone precursor in the developing retina. Little is known on the molecular basis underlying the biological and clinical behavior of this cancer. Here, using multi-omics data, we demonstrate the existence of two retinoblastoma subtypes. Subtype 1, of earlier onset, includes most of the heritable forms. It harbors few genetic alterations other than the initiating RB1 inactivation and corresponds to differentiated tumors expressing mature cone markers. By contrast, subtype 2 tumors harbor frequent recurrent genetic alterations including MYCN-amplification. They express markers of less differentiated cone together with neuronal/ganglion cell markers with marked inter- and intra-tumor heterogeneity. The cone dedifferentiation in subtype 2 is associated with stemness features including low immune and interferon response, E2F and MYC/MYCN activation and a higher propensity for metastasis. The recognition of these two subtypes, one maintaining a cone-differentiated state, and the other, more aggressive, associated with cone dedifferentiation and expression of neuronal markers, opens up important biological and clinical perspectives for retinoblastomas. In this study, we performed targeted sequencing of the exonic regions of RB1, BCOR and ARID1A on 37 samples from the series of 102 retinoblastomas. Among them, 23 samples were not subjected to whole-exome sequencing, and 14 samples have the whole-exome sequencing data (deposited in EGAS00001005248).

  Study EGAS00001005550

• Pulldown_cytosine_deaminases

  We are looking at the causal factors behind hyper-mutator phenotypes found in previous Breast Cancer sequencing studies.

  Study EGAS00001000233

• Identification of novel fusion genes in lung cancer using breakpoint assembly of transcriptome sequencing data

  Genomic translocation events frequently underlie cancer development through generation of gene fusions with oncogenic properties. Identification of such fusion transcripts by transcriptome sequencing might help to discover new potential therapeutic targets. We developed TRUP (Tumor-specimen suited RNA-seq Unified Pipeline (https://github.com/ruping/TRUP), a computational approach that combines split-read and read-pair analysis with de-novo assembly for the identification of chimeric transcripts in cancer specimens. We apply TRUP to RNA-seq data of different tumor types, and find it to be more sensitive than alternative tools in detecting chimeric transcripts, such as secondaryrearrangements in EML4-ALK-positive lung tumors, or recurrent inactivating rearrangements affecting RASSF8.

  Study EGAS00001000659

• Spatial and temporal genomic evolution in glioblastoma

  Tumor heterogeneity is a challenging barrier to successful targeted therapy in glioblastoma. Identifying the mechanisms that drive cancer cells as they genetically evolve and adapt in response to treatment is a vital goal of modern cancer research. Analysis of sequencing data provides a method for uncovering the mechanisms sustaining tumor heterogeneity and driving evolution. Here, we analyzed genomic profiles of GBM biopsies taken from pre- and post-treatment GBMs (with matched germline controls), to understand 1) the intratumoral clonal compositions of primary GBM and 2) how GBM responds to therapeutic intervention. Our results provide a molecular portrait of GBM recurrence.

  Study EGAS00001001033

• Finnish_population_cohort_genotyping_B

  The FINRISK cohorts comprise the respondents of representative, cross-sectional populationsurveys that are carried out every 5 years since 1972, to assess the risk factors of chronicdiseases (e.g. CVD, diabetes, obesity, cancer) and health behavior in the working agepopulation, in 3-5 large study areas of Finland. DNA samples were collected in the followingsurvey years: 1987, 1992, 1997, 2002, 2007, and 2012. The MONICA and EHES (EU)procedures were applied in phenotype collection (cf. MORGAM) and a wide spectrum oflaboratory tests was carried out from serum and plasma samples. Background information onsocioeconomic status, medical history, diet, exercise, measured anthropometric measures,etc. was collected by questionnaires and during a clinical visit. Plasma/serum samples arestill available for the 2002-2012 cohorts. The cohort sizes are 6000-8800 per survey. Thecohorts have been followed up by linking them to the national hospital discharge register,causes-of-death register and cancer register.This project is an extension to previous efforts to build a catalogue of Finnish genome widedata on population-based Finsrisk samples with rich phenotypic characterisations and healthregistry link-up. These samples will extend the current Sequencing Initiative Suomi (SISu)samples with a combination of genotyping using Illumina HumanCoreExome array and SISu-based imputation. This will lead to high confidence common and low frequency variantcatalogue. The project will be funded by Aarno Palotie’s remaining faculty fundscomplemented by Finnish funding from FIMM.

  Study EGAS00001001047

• Validation_for_human_early_embryonic_substitutions_

  PCR and MiSeq validation for early embryonic substitution candidates from 400 Breast cancer patients

  Study EGAS00001001218

• Yemen_and_Chad_Genotyping

  HumanOmni2.5-8 data from Chad and Yemen.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 EGAS00001001231

• AML_targeted_resequencing_study

  Genomic libraries will be generated from whole genome amplified genomic DNA derived from 3,000 myeloid neoplasms. Targeted capture will be performed by multiplexing 16 barcoded samples in each library. Pools of 96 DNA samples will be subjected to 1-2 lanes of HiSeq 75bp sequencing. Reads will be mapped to the current build of the human reference genome to facilitate the generation of a comprehensive catalog of somatic mutations associated with 116 known myeloid and cancer driver genes.

  Study EGAS00001000275

• Melanoma_multi_site_metastases

  Despite multiple large-scale sequencing studies offering substantial insight into the genomic landscape of cutaneous melanoma, the molecular events surrounding disease progression and the resulting molecular heterogeneity between metastases have not been fully elucidated. We have been applying whole genome and transcriptome sequencing across metastases collected during post mortem as well as to multi-site metastases during treatment

  Study EGAS00001001348

• Combination_Immune_Checkpoint_Inhibition_in_Australian_Rare_Cancers_WES

  Combination immune checkpoint inhibition (ICI) with anti-CTLA-4 and anti-PD-1 blockade has demonstrated significant clinical activity across tumour types. Rare cancer patients have limited treatment options due to the scarcity of studies of novel treatment options, so they are often offered chemotherapies untested in their disease. ONJ2016-001/CA209-538 is a prospective, multicentre clinical trial of combination ICI (ipilimumab and nivolumab) in patients with advanced rare cancers, including biliary tract, adrenocortical, rare gynaecological and neuroendocrine cancers (https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02923934). The primary endpoint is clinical benefit rate (complete response + partial response + stable disease >3 months) by RECIST 1.1. This study involves generation and analysis of pre-treatment formalin fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) tumour DNA sequencing data, paired with germline DNA sequencing data, to potentially identify genomic biomarkers that may associate with clinical benefit or other clinical efficacy / toxicity metrics.

  Study EGAS00001005709

• Whole genome and transcriptome analysis of medullary thyroid cancer

  Medullary thyroid cancer is the neoplasm of the calcitonin-producing parafollicular cells of the thyroid gland. The hormone calcitonin acts to lower the blood calcium level, counteracting the effects of the parathyroid hormone; it can also serve as a biomarker for the presence or recurrence of medullary thyroid cancer. Surgery is the only curative treatment for this cancer. Targeted therapeutics vandetanib and cabozantinib are approved for the treatment of aggressive and metastatic tumors that are not amenable to surgery. The use of these multikinase inhibitors are supported by the observed overactivation of the RET oncoprotein in a large sub-population of medullary thyroid cancers; however, not all patients carry oncogenic alterations of this kinase. Hence, there is a need for molecular characterization of medullary tumors on the genomic scale with the aim of identifying targetable mutations. Here, we describe the genomic profiles of two medullary thyroid cancers and report the presence of a putative oncogenic BRAF fusion in one. Such alterations previously observed in other malignancies and known targets of available drugs, can benefit patients who currently have no therapy options.

  Study EGAS00001001473

• S_CORT_Stratification_in_COloRecTal_cancer_

  Colorectal cancer samples will be submitted for Illumina sequencing using a custom capture of 116 genes implicated in colorectal tumourigenesis. Driver mutations will be detected and ultimately correlated with phenotypic data.

  Study EGAS00001001521

• DERMATLAS__Hidradenoma_papilliferum_WES

  Virtually no other tumour type is associated with so many different forms as skin cancer. Histologically, tumours of the skin may arise from epithelium, including epidermis, hair follicle, sebaceous or sweat gland, melanocytes, dermal-associated mesenchymal structures or tissue resident immune cells, making for a diversity of clinical presentations. Importantly, many skin tumour types have an extremely poor prognosis. Many skin tumour subtypes have never undergone molecular profiling, or if they have, targeted sequencing has been used and the number of cases analyzed has been so limited that deriving firm conclusions about the profile of driver genes, DNA mutational signatures and germline alleles has not been possible For 70 key skin tumour subtypes defined by the World Health Organization, that have not undergone extensive genetic analysis previoulsy, we propose to perform whole exome and transcriptome sequencing, from a range of body sites, to build a genomic atlas of dermatological tumours, including detailed maps of SNVs, copy number alterations, genome-wide methylation and expression profiles. The cases in this cohort are hidradenoma papilliferums.

  Study EGAS00001005714

• Clonal relationships of ductal carcinoma in situ and recurrent invasive breast cancers defined by genomic analysis

  Ductal Carcinoma In Situ (DCIS) is the most common form of pre-invasive breast cancer and despite treatment a small fraction (5-10%) of DCIS patients present with invasive disease many years later. A fundamental biologic question is whether the invasive disease recurring in the same breast is established by tumor cells in the initial DCIS or represents new unrelated disease. To address this question, we performed genomic analyses on the initial pure DCIS lesion and paired invasive recurrent tumors in 95 patients together with single cell DNA sequencing in a subset of cases. Our data shows that in 75% the invasive recurrence was clonally related to the initial DCIS, suggesting that the tumor cells were not eliminated during the initial treatment with surgery +/- radiotherapy. Surprisingly however, 18% were clonally unrelated to the DCIS, representing new independent lineages, and 7% of cases were ambiguous. Our findings show that although DCIS is often the precursor of invasive recurrence, a significant fraction of invasive recurrences are unrelated to the initial DCIS. This knowledge is essential for accurate risk evaluation of DCIS treatment de-escalation strategies and the identification of predictive biomarkers.

  Study EGAS00001005784

• Clinical Cancer Genomic Profiling by Three-Platform Sequencing of Whole Genome, Whole Exome and Transcriptome

  To evaluate the potential of an integrated clinical test to detect diverse classes of somatic and germline mutations relevant to pediatric oncology, we performed three-platform whole-genome (WGS), whole exome (WES) and transcriptome (RNA-Seq) sequencing of tumors and normal tissue from 78 pediatric cancer patients in a CLIA-certified, CAP-accredited laboratory. Our analysis pipeline achieves high accuracy by cross-validating variants between sequencing types, thereby removing the need for confirmatory testing, and facilitates comprehensive reporting in a clinically-relevant timeframe. Three-platform sequencing has a positive predictive value of 97-99%, 99% and 91% for somatic SNVs, indels and structural variations, respectively, based on independent experimental verification of 15,225 variants. We report 240 pathogenic variants across all cases, including 84 of 86 known from previous diagnostic testing (98% sensitivity). Combined WES and RNA-Seq, the current standard for precision oncology, achieved only 78% sensitivity. These results emphasize the critical need for incorporating WGS in pediatric oncology testing.

  Study EGAS00001002217

• Whole-exome Sequencing Combined with Functional Genomics Reveals Novel Candidate Driver Cancer Genes in Endometrial Cancer

  Endometrial cancer is the most common gynecological malignancy, with more than 280,000 cases occurring annually worldwide. Although previous studies have identified important common somatic mutations in endometrial cancer, they have primarily focused on a small set of known cancer genes and have thus provided a limited view of the molecular basis underlying this disease. Here we developed an integrated systems biology approach to identifying novel cancer genes contributing to endometrial tumorigenesis. We first performed whole-exome sequencing on 13 endometrial cancers and matched normal samples, systematically identifying somatic alterations with high precision and sensitivity. We then combined bioinformatics prioritization with high-throughput screening (including both shRNA-mediated knockdown and expression of wild type and mutant constructs) in a highly sensitive cell viability assay. Our results revealed 12 potential driver cancer genes including 10 tumor suppressor candidates (ARID1A, INHBA, KMO, TTLL5, GRM8, IGFBP3, AKTIP, PHKA2, TRPS1 and WNT11) and two oncogene candidates (ERBB3 and RPS6KC1). The results in the “sensor” cell line were recapitulated by siRNA-mediated knockdown in endometrial cancer cell lines. Focusing on ARID1A, we integrated mutation profiles with functional proteomics in 222 endometrial cancer samples, demonstrating that ARID1A mutations frequently co-occur with mutations in the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway and are associated with PI3K pathway activation. siRNA knockdown in endometrial cancer cell lines increased AKT phosphorylation supporting ARID1A as a novel regulator of PI3K pathway activity. Our study presents the first unbiased view of somatic coding mutations in endometrial cancer and provides functional evidence for diverse driver genes and mutations in this disease.

  Study EGAS00001000318

• Genentech Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC) Screen

  Exome capture, RNA-Seq, whole genome sequencing of set of Small Cell Lung Cancer samples.

  Study EGAS00001000334

• Persistence of circulating tumor DNA in breast cancer patients during neoadjuvant treatment is a significant predictor of poor tumor response

  Purpose:Accurate assessment of response during neoadjuvant systemic treatment (NST) poses a major clinical challenge. Therefore, a minimally-invasive assessment of tumor response based on cell-free circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) may be beneficial to guide treatment decisions.Experimental Design: We profiled 93 genes in tissue from 193 early breast cancer patients. Patient-specific assays were designed to track ctDNA during NST from 145 patients with available plasma. ctDNA presence and levels were correlated with complete pathological response (pCR) and residual cancer burden (RCB) as well as with clinicopathologic characteristics of the tumor to identify potential proxies for ctDNA release. Moreover, we tested the predictive value of driver events identified in the tumor.Results:At baseline, ctDNA could be detected in 63/145 (43.4%) patients and persisted in 25/63 (39.7%) patients at mid-therapy (MT) and 15/63 (23.8%) patients at the end of treatment. ctDNA detection at MT was significantly associated with higher RCB (OR 0.062, 95% CI 0.01-0.48, P=0.0077). Out of 31 patients with detectable ctDNA at MT, 30 patients (96.8%) were non-responders (RCB II, n=8; RCB III, n=22) and only one patient responded to the treatment (RCB I). Considering all 145 patients with baseline (BL) plasma, none of the patients with RCB 0 and only 6.7% of patients with RCB I had ctDNA detectable at MT, while 30.6% and 29.6% of patients with RCB II/III, respectively, had a positive ctDNA result. Conclusion:Overall, our results demonstrate that the detection and persistence of ctDNA at mid-therapy may have the potential to negatively predict response to neoadjuvant treatment and identify patients who will not achieve pCR or be classified with RCB II/III.

  Study EGAS00001005798

• Automated system for scoring hematoxylin and eosin-stained ovarian cancer sections by identifying single cells uncovered that stromal cell ratio is a significant predictor for overall survival and progression-free survival.

  Concerted efforts in genomic studies have revealed profound insights in prognostic ovarian cancer subtypes. On the other hand, abundant histology slides have been generated to date, yet their uses remain very limited and largely qualitative. Our goal is to develop automated histology analysis as an alternative subtyping technology for ovarian cancer that is cost-efficient and do not rely on DNA quality. We develop an automated system for scoring hematoxylin and eosin-stained (H&E) primary tumour sections of 91 late-stage ovarian cancer to identify single cells including cancer and stromal cells. We demonstrated high accuracy of our system based on expert pathologists’ scores (cancer=97.1%, stromal=89.1%) as well as compared to immunohistochemistry scoring (correlation=0.87). Quantitative stromal cell ratio is significantly associated with poor overall survival after controlling for clinical parameters including debulking status and age (multivariate analysis p=0.0021, HR=2.54, CI=1.40-4.60) and progression-free survival (multivariate analysis p=0.022, HR=1.75, CI=1.09–2.82). We demonstrate how automated image analysis enables objective quantification of microenvironmental composition of ovarian tumours. Our analysis reveals a strong effect of the tumour microenvironment on ovarian cancer progression and highlights the potential of therapeutic interventions that target the stromal compartment or cancer-stroma signalling in the stroma-high, late-stage ovarian cancer subset.

  Study EGAS00001001694

• Whole-exome sequencing of breast cancer metastasis and corresponding blood samples

  This study included samples from metastatic breast cancer patients who underwent a biopsy in the context of SAFIR01 (NCT01414933), SAFIR02 (NCT02299999), SHIVA (NCT01771458) and MOSCATO (NCT01566019) prospective trials. These French multicentre trials used high throughput genome analysis on fresh frozen tumor biopsies as a therapeutic decision tool for metastatic cancer patients, with solid cancers (SHIVA, MOSCATO) or specifically with breast cancer (SAFIR01, SAFIR02). All patients gave their informed consent for translational research and genetic analyses of their somatic DNA. Overall, whole-exome sequencing for a total of 216 pairs of metastatic tumor and unmutated DNA derived from corresponding blood samples was performed using Illumina technology. The results of the analysis of the mutational profile of metastatic breast cancer was reported in Lefebvre et al. (PMID:28027327).

  Study EGAS00001001695

• Methylome sequencing of cell-free DNA and RRBS of solid tissue

  Early cancer detection by cell-free DNA (cfDNA) faces multiple challenges: low fraction of tumor cfDNA, molecular heterogeneity of cancer, and sample sizes not sufficient to reflect diverse patient population. We develop a cancer detection approach to address these challenges. It consists of an assay, cfMethyl-Seq, for cost-effective sequencing of cfDNA methylome (with >12-fold enrichment over whole genome bisulfite sequencing in CpG islands), and a computational method to extract methylation information and diagnose patients. Applying our system to 408 colon, liver, lung, and stomach cancer patients and controls, at 97.9% specificity we achieve 80.7% and 74.5% sensitivity in detecting all-stage and early-stage cancer, and 89.1% and 85.0% accuracy for locating tissue-of-origin of all-stage and early-stage cancer, respectively. Our approach cost-effectively retains methylome profiles of cancer abnormalities, thereby permitting the classification models to learn new features as training cohorts grow, and expanding their scope to other cancer types.

  Study EGAS00001006020

• The clinical utility of genomics in childhood cancer extends beyond targetable mutations

  Survival of children with relapsed cancer remains unacceptably low. Cancer genomic profiling may identify new therapeutic options, enhance diagnostic accuracy, and improve understanding of tumors’ origins and continued evolution. We deeply sequenced 864 cancer-associated genes and the complete genomes and transcriptomes for 300 pediatric and adolescent/young adult (AYA) patients with poor prognosis or rare tumors. Using integrative somatic-germline analyses, we assessed the clinical utility of cancer genomics in this population. We analyzed tumor mutational signatures and burden to interrogate the relevance of germline variants in DNA repair genes and the impact of therapeutic exposures on tumor evolution. We also evaluated the frequency of changes to tumor drivers and therapeutic targets at relapse in those with serial samples. Integrative analysis yielded clinically actionable variants in a majority of patients. Improved diagnostic accuracy led to modified management in a subset. Therapeutically targetable variants were of unanticipated timing and type, with many of these derived from the germline. Enrichment in corroborating mutational signature 3 (‘BRCAness’) in patients with germline homologous recombination defects suggests they are drivers of pediatric cancers and potential targets for PARP inhibition. We show that mutation burden, which may in part be driven by prior therapeutic exposures, was significantly elevated in a minority of patients. Over one-third of patients with sequential samples analyzed showed a change in therapeutically-targetable drivers. Comprehensive somatic-germline cancer genomic profiling is useful at multiple points in the care trajectory for pediatric/AYA patients, supporting its integration into early clinical management. Re-biopsy at the time of relapse should be considered, and specific attention to mutational burden is indicated. Defective DNA repair genes in the germline may represent important targetable drivers.

  Study EGAS00001006034

• HER2_positive_Breast_Cancer_

  We propose to definitively characterise the somatic genetics of HER2+ve breast cancer through generation of comprehensive catalogues of somatic mutations in a number of cases by high coverage genome sequencing coupled with integrated transcriptomic and methylation analyses.

  Study EGAS00001000042

• Spatial atlas of clonal copy number alterations in co-existing benign and malignant tissue

  Defining the transition from benign to malignant tissue is fundamental to improve early diagnosis of cancer. Here, we use a systematic approach to study spatial genome integrity in situ and describe previously unidentified clonal relationships. We employed spatially resolved transcriptomics to infer spatial copy number variations in >120,000 regions across multiple organs, in benign and malignant tissues. We demonstrate that genome-wide copy number variation reveals distinct clonal patterns within tumours and in nearby benign tissue using an organ-wide approach focused on the prostate. Our results suggest a model for how genomic instability arises in histologically benign tissue that may represent early events in cancer evolution. We highlight the power of capturing the molecular and spatial continuums in a tissue context and challenge the rationale for treatment paradigms, including focal therapy.

  Study EGAS00001006124

• Metastatic_Prostate_Follow_Up

  Validation/deeper sequencing for metastatic prostate cancer samples

  Study EGAS00001000730

• BS-seq in plasma of CRC patients

  We performed whole genome bisulfite sequencing of plasma DNA in 11 colorectal cancer patients to study the colonic DNA in plasma.

  Study EGAS00001003117

• ERG ALTERATIONS DEFINE A NOVEL SUBTYPE OF ACUTE LYMPHOBLASTIC LEUKEMIA

  Structural chromosomal alterations are a hallmark of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) yet many patients lack an identifiable abnormality on conventional cytogenetic analysis. Here, using integrated analysis of genome-wide DNA copy number and gene expression data of 1764 childhood and adult ALL cases, including whole-genome, exome and mRNA-sequencing of 72 cases, we report a novel subtype of B-progenitor ALL (B-ALL) representing 4-13% of B-ALL cases characterized by a distinct gene expression profile, and focal deletions of ERG (ETS related gene) in 56% of cases. These cases are characterized by expression of a ERG transcript that utilizes a novel exon in intron 6 of ERG spliced to the canonical reading frame of ERG exons 7-10, encoding a 27 kDa C-terminal ERG protein that retains the ETS and transactivating domains but lacks the N-terminal pointed and regulatory domains. This protein is a competitive inhibitor of wild-type ERG and is leukemogenic in vivo. ERG-altered ALL cases have a favourable outcome despite the presence of alterations associated with poor prognosis in non-ERG ALL, such as deletions of IKZF1. These findings identify a new subtype of leukemia characterized by a novel mechanism of ETS transcription factor dysregulation in cancer.

  Study EGAS00001000514

• Characterization of Cell Free Plasma Methyl-DNA From Xenografted Tumors to Guide the Selection of Diagnostic Markers for Early-Stage Cancers

  Circulating cell-free methyl-DNA (mcfDNA) contains promising cancer markers but its low abundance and possibly diverse origin pose challenges toward the accurate diagnosis of early stage cancers. By whole-genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS) of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) from about 0.5 mL plasma of mice xenografted with human tumors, we obtained and aligned the reads to the human genome, filtered out the mouse and carrier bacterial sequences, and confirmed the tumor origin of methyl-cfDNA (mctDNA) by methylation-sensitive restriction enzyme digestion prior to species-specific PCR. We estimated that human tumor-specific reads (ctDNA) or mctDNA comprised about 0.29 or 0.01%, respectively of the xenograft mouse cfDNA, and about 0.029 or 0.001% of the cfDNA of human early stage cancer patients. Similar WGBS of early stage (0-II, node- and metastasis-free) breast, lung or colorectal cancer samples identified hundreds of specific DMRs (differentially methylated regions) compared to healthy controls. Their association with tumourigenesis was supported by stage-dependent methylation, tumor suppressor or oncogene clusters, and genes also identified in the xenograft samples. Using 20 three-cancer-common and 17 colorectal cancer-specific DMRs in combination (top 0.0018% of the WGBS methylation clusters) was sufficient to distinguish the stage I colorectal cancers from breast and lung cancers and healthy controls. Our data thus confirmed the tumor origin of mctDNA by sequence specificity, and provide a selection threshold for authentic tumor mctDNA markers toward precise diagnosis of early stage cancers solely by top DMRs in combination. Biological Materials were provided by the Ontario Tumour Bank, which is funded by the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research Reference for citation: Ling Liu, Jinghua Feng, Julian Polimeni, Manli Zhang, Hai Nguyen, Urmi Das, Xu Zhang, Harminder Singh, Xiao-Jian Yao, Etienne Leygue, Sam K.P. Kung, and Xie J. Characterization of cell free plasma methyl-DNA from xenografted tumours to guide the selection of diagnostic markers for early-stage cancers. Frontiers in Oncology, 2021 Feb. 5. DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.615821.

  Study EGAS00001006175

• ENU_CCK_81_cetuximab_pilot_project

  Cetuximab is a targeted monoclonal antibody against the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) which is used therapeutically for the treatment of KRAS wild-type colorectal cancer (CRC). The Cetuximab sensitive KRAS wild-type CRC cell line NCI-H508 has been treated with a fixed concentration of ENU for 24 hours and then selected with Cetuximab until drug resistant clones were ready to be picked and grown up as sub-clones of the parental cell line. These will have genes causally implicated in cancer sequenced to identify common point mutations in multiple independently derived drug resistant clones as a forward genetic screen for mechanisms of resistance to Cetuximab in CRC.

  Study EGAS00001001743

• Mitochondrial-Nuclear Mutational Cross-Talk Drives Recurrence of Localized Prostate Cancer

  Prostate cancer remains the most prevalent non-skin cancer in men, but has a remarkably quiet mutational profile. Exome sequencing studies have revealed few recurrent somatic single nucleotide variants (SNVs). Whole-genome sequencing studies have not yet identified highly recurrent driver non-coding SNVs (ncSNVs) or genomic rearrangements (Grs). As a result, the underlying events that drive this frequent disease remain unknown. While mitochondrial mutations have been linked to several tumour types, including prostate cancer, their global frequency and impact has remained unknown. To determine if mitochondrial mutations might drive some prostate cancers, we analyzed the mitochondrial genomes of 216 tumours from patients with the most commonly diagnosed form of prostate cancer. We developed a pipeline that conservatively identified only mitochondrial SNVs (mitoSNVs) that differed in the heteroplasmy fraction as compared to their paired-normal by at least 20%. We identified several features of the mitochondrial genome that were correlated with nuclear genomic mutations, as well as features that were significantly associated with biochemical recurrence.

  Study EGAS00001001782

• Clonal hematopoiesis is associated with adverse outcomes in patients with COVID-19

  Clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP) is defined as the occurrence of an expanded proportion of mature blood cells derived from a mutant hematopoietic precursor without evidence of hematological malignancies. The principle behind this is that the somatic mutation confers a fitness advantage to the cell in which it arose. Different clinical consequences are linked with this expansion. Early evidence of an association with higher mortality risk was provided. This was not related to higher rates of cancer but was associated in particular with increased cardiovascular mortality. Mechanistically, inflammatory processes are not only related to the development of clonal hematopoiesis, but in turn it is also a driver of inflammation. Besides pulmonary symptoms, COVID-19 evokes complex extra-pulmonary manifestations driving the pathophysiology. Among them, both inflammatory and cardiac-associated mechanisms have been deciphered. With the aim of assessing the impact of clonal hematopoiesis on the pathophysiology of COVID-19, hospitalized patients with severe or critical course were evaluated for the presence of CHIP driver mutations and, more importantly, the association with the clinical picture.

  Study EGAS00001006218

• Placental_mosaicism

  The aim of this study is to survey somatic mutations in human placentas.

  Study EGAS00001003549

• Breast Cancer - Very young women

  This project will focus on sequencing of breast cancer from young age cancer patients characterized by age at diagnosis under 35. Based on the incidence rate by Korean National Cancer Incidence Database, breast cancer is the most common solid tumors among young adults aged 15-34 excepting thyroid cancer (Cancer statistics in Korea (2012)). This project just started from the mid of 2015. National cancer center in Korea are collecting more than 100 tumor specimens from breast cancer patients aged 20-34. Genetic features of young patients will be investigated with somatic mutation pattern, structural variations, and canonical pathways.

  Study EGAS00001001908

• Genome-wide analysis of HPV integration in human cancers reveals recurrent, focal genomic instability

  Genomic instability is a hallmark of human cancers, including the 5% caused by human papillomavirus (HPV). Here we report a striking association between HPV integration and adjacent host genomic structural variation in human cancer cell lines and primary tumors. Whole genome sequencing revealed HPV integrants flanking and bridging extensive host genomic amplifications and rearrangements, including deletions, inversions and chromosomal translocations. We present a model of ³looping² by which HPV integrant-mediated DNA replication and recombination may result in viral-host DNA concatemers, frequently disrupting genes involved in oncogenesis and amplifying HPV oncogenes E6 and E7. Our high-resolution results shed new light on a catastrophic process, distinct from chromothripsis and other mutational processes, by which HPV directly promotes genomic instability.

  Study EGAS00001000599

• Colorectal cancer genomics with primary and metastatic samples

  We performed whole genome sequencing of metastatic colorectal cancer from 16 patients. Normal adjacent tissue, primary tissue, and metastatic tissue were analyzed to uncover metastatic progression and difference between primary and distant metastatic lesions.

  Study EGAS00001006465

• Oncogenic chimeric transcription factors drive tumor-specific transcription, processing, and translation of silent genomic regions

  Many cancers are characterized by gene fusions encoding oncogenic chimeric transcription factors (TFs) such as EWS::FLI1 in Ewing sarcoma (EwS). Here, we find that EWS::FLI1 induces the robust expression of a specific set of novel spliced and polyadenylated transcripts within otherwise transcriptionally silent regions of the genome. These neogenes (NGs) are virtually undetectable in large collections of normal tissues or non-EwS tumors and can be silenced by CRISPR interference at regulatory EWS::FLI1-bound microsatellites. Ribosome profiling and proteomics further show that some NGs are translated into highly EwS-specific peptides. More generally, we show that hundreds of NGs can be detected in diverse cancers characterized by chimeric TFs. Altogether, this study identifies the transcription, processing, and translation of novel, specific, highly expressed multi-exonic transcripts from otherwise silent regions of the genome as a new activity of aberrant TFs in cancer.

  Study EGAS00001006293

• DNA methylation-based prognostic subtypes of chordoma tumors in tissue

  Chordomas are rare malignant bone cancers of the skull-base and spine. Patient survival is variable and not reliably predicted using clinical factors or molecular features. This study identifies prognostic epigenetic chordoma subtypes that are detected noninvasively using plasma methylomes. Methylation profiles of 68 chordoma surgical samples were obtained between 1996 and 2018 across three international centers along with matched plasma methylomes where available. Consensus clustering identified two stable tissue clusters with a disease-specific survival difference that was independent of clinical factors in a multivariate Cox analysis (HR = 14.2, 95%CI: 2.1–94.8, P = 0.0063). Immune-related pathways with genes hypomethylated at promoters and increased immune cell abundance were observed in the poorperforming “Immune-infiltrated” subtype. Cell-to-cell interaction plus extracellular matrix pathway hypomethylation and higher tumor purity were observed in the better-performing “Cellular” subtype. The findings were validated in additional DNA methylation and RNA sequencing datasets as well as with immunohistochemical staining. Plasma methylomes distinguished chordomas from other clinical differential diagnoses by applying fifty chordoma-versusother binomial generalized linear models in random 20% testing sets (mean AUROC = 0.84, 95%CI: 0.52–1.00). Tissue-based and plasma-based methylation signals were highly correlated in both prognostic clusters. Additionally, leave-one-out models accurately classified all tumors into their correct cluster based on plasma methylation data. Here, we show the first identification of prognostic epigenetic chordoma subtypes and first use of plasma methylome based biomarkers to noninvasively diagnose and subtype chordomas. These results may transform patient management by allowing treatment aggressiveness to be balanced with patient risk according to prognosis.

  Study EGAS00001006406