Project description:We detected fusion genes in 274 fresh surgical samples of gliomas using whole transcriptome sequencing. Using this approach we screened a panel of glioma samples and identified a number of activating novel fusion transcripts. Fusion detection in 274 glioma patients
Project description:Here we report a novel fusion gene, RUNX1-RARA, in acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). RUNX1-RARA triggers APL genesis by mediating transcriptional repression of target genes, and it can be potently restrained by all-trans retinoic acid treatment.
Project description:We detected fusion genes in 274 fresh surgical samples of gliomas using whole transcriptome sequencing. Using this approach we screened a panel of glioma samples and identified a number of activating novel fusion transcripts.
Project description: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.
Project description:Cancer-testis (CT) antigens are attractive targets for immunotherapeutic strategies since they are aberrantly expressed in malignant cells and not, or in limited number, in somatic tissues, except germ cells. To identify novel CT genes in multiple myeloma, we used Affymetrix HG-U133 gene expression profiles of 5 testis, 64 primary myeloma cell (MMC) and 24 normal tissue (NT) samples. A 5-filter method was developed to keep known CT genes while deleting non-CT-restricted genes. Starting from 44928 probe sets, including probe sets for 18 known CT genes, we have obtained 82 genes expressed in MMC and testis and not detected in more than 6 NT. This list includes 14 of the 18 known CT genes and 68 novel putative CT genes. Real-time RT-PCR was performed for 34 genes in 12 NT, 3 testis and 5 MMC samples and has validated the CT status of 23/34 genes (67%). We found one novel testis-restricted gene (expression in testis and tumor only) TEX14 , 8 tissue-restricted (mRNA detected in 1 or 2 non-gametogenic tissues), and 7 differentially expressed (mRNA detected in three to six non-gametogenic tissues) CT genes. Further studies are warranted to determine the immunogenicity of these novel CT antigen candidates.
Project description:Genomic profiling efforts have revealed a rich diversity of oncogenic fusion genes, and many are emerging as important therapeutic targets. While there are many ways to identify fusion genes from RNA-seq data, visualising these transcripts and their supporting reads remains challenging. Clinker is a bioinformatics tool written in Python, R and Bpipe, that leverages the superTranscript method to visualise fusion genes. We demonstrate the use of Clinker to obtain interpretable visualizations of the RNA-seq data that lead to fusion calls. In addition, we use Clinker to explore multiple fusion transcripts with novel breakpoints within the P2RY8-CRLF2 fusion gene in B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (B-ALL).
Project description:Multiple myeloma (MM) is characterized by recurrent chromosomal translocations. The multiple myeloma SET domain (MMSET), identified by its fusion to the IgH locus in t(4;14) MM, is universally overexpressed and has been suggested to play an important role in tumorigenicity in t(4;14) MM. In order to identify downstream functional targets of MMSET, we knocked down MMSET expression with shRNAs in KMS11, a t(4;14) MM cell line, and identified differentially expressed genes by gene expression microarray analysis.