Predicting resistance to chemotherapy using chromosomal instability signatures Joe Sneath Thompson1,2,*, Laura Madrid2,*, Barbara Hernando1,*, Carolin M. Sauer3, Maria Vias3, Maria Escobar-Rey1,2, Wing-Kit Leung2,3, Diego Garcia-Lopez2, Jamie Huckstep3, Magdalena Sekowska3, Karen Hosking4,5, Mercedes Jimenez-Linan5,6, Marika A. V. Reinius3,5,6, Abhipsa Roy2, Omar Abdulle2, Justina Pangonyte3, Harry Dobson2, Amy Cullen2,3, Dilrini De Silva2, David Gómez-Sánchez1,7, Marina Torres1, Ángel Fernández-Sanromán1, Deborah Sanders3, Filipe Correia Martins3,5,6, Ionut-Gabriel Funingana3,4,5, Giovanni Codacci-Pisanelli3,4,8, Miguel Quintela-Fandino1, Florian Markowetz2,3,4, Jason Yip2, James D. Brenton2,3,4,5,6, Anna M. Piskorz#,2,3, Geoff Macintyre#,1,2 1 Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), Madrid, Spain 2 Tailor Bio Ltd, Cambridge, UK 3 Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK 4 Department of Oncology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK 5 Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK 6 Cancer Research UK Major Centre - Cambridge, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK 7 H12O-CNIO Lung Cancer Clinical Research Unit, Health Research Institute Hospital 12 de Octubre (imas12), Madrid, Spain 8 University of Rome "la Sapienza", Rome, Italy
Tumor evolution is one of the major mechanisms responsible for acquiring therapy resistant and more aggressive cancer clones. Whether the tumor microenvironment through immune-mediated mechanisms might promote the development of more aggressive cancer types is crucial for the identification of additional therapeutical opportunities. Here, we identify a subset of tumor-associated neutrophils, defined as tumor-associated neutrophil precursors (PreNeu). These PreNeu are enriched in highly proliferative hormone-dependent breast cancers and impair DNA repair capacity
The molecular analysis of urine cell-free DNA (cfDNA) offers a non-invasive tool to advance bladder cancer (BC) management. Assessment of somatic copy number aberrations (SCNA) and DNA methylation, as singular or complementary analysis, have emerged as promising approaches for BC detection. Here, we developed an integrated analysis to assess both SCNA and targeted methylation changes from the same template molecules, named the iSECURE (integrated SEquencing-based Copy number and methylation analysis in URinE) method.
In this study, we aimed to understand how the 3D genome changes during breast cancer development and progression, in situ. Towards this goal, we collected cells from patient biopsies and performed Hi-C on four types of biopsies representing different stages of disease progression: healthy mammary tissue, primary breast tumours, liver metastasis and malignant pleural effusions. We survey the changes in the 3D genomes at the level of structural variation, compartments and TADs, as well as ERα associated distal interactions.
Gastric cancer (GC) a leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide, with ARID1A identified as the second most frequently mutated driver gene in GC. This study involves comprehensive genomic profiling of a Singaporean cohort of over 200 GC patients to characterize the mutational signatures associated with ARID1A inactivation across various molecular subtypes of GC. The findings highlight a potential therapeutic approach for ARID1A-mutated GCs, targeting both tumor-intrinsic mechanisms (BRD4-associated promoter activation) and extrinsic immunomodulatory pathways (NFKB signaling).
The British Translational Research Ovarian Cancer Collaborative (BriTROC), spanning more than 10 centres across UK, is a prospective observational project focused on relapsed high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC). The first study, as a part of the project, is the Fixative optimisation study, which analyses the utility for next-generation sequencing of UMFIX samples compared to NBF-fixed and fresh frozen samples. Various DNA and sequencing quality analyses were performed to compare fixation methods in bulk tumour and biopsy samples.
Glioblastoma (GBM) is the deadliest primary brain cancer in adults. Emerging innovative therapies hold promise for personalized cancer treatment. Improving therapeutic options depends on research relying on relevant preclinical models. In this line we have established in the setting of the GlioTeX project (GBM and experimental therapeutics), a GBM-patient derived cell line library (GBM-PDCL). Multi-OMIC approach was used to determine the molecular landscape of PDCL and the extent to which they represent GBM tumors.
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.
Early cancer diagnosis might improve survival rates. As circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) carries cancer-specific modifications, it has great potential as a noninvasive biomarker for detection of incipient tumors. We collected cell-free DNA (cfDNA) samples of 1002 elderly without a prior malignancy, carried out whole-genome massive parallel sequencing and scrutinized the mapped sequences for the presence of (sub)chromosomal copy number alterations (CNAs) predictive for a malignancy. When imbalances were detected, 6-monthly clinical follow-up was carried out.
Cancer cachexia has been linked to gut bacterial alterations, but alterations of gut viruses, mostly bacteriophages, have not yet been explored. We performed shotgun metagenomic sequencing of DNA from stool samples of 78 cachectic and 42 non-cachectic cancer patients. K-mer-based matching to reference databases revealed abundance variations of bacteria and viruses. Beyond bacterial alterations, cachectic patients exhibited significantly lower bacteriophage abundance, predominantly affecting Caudovirales and Siphoviridae species (double-stranded DNA) but also Inoviridae and Microviridae families (single-stranded DNA).
