Project description:Medical research focuses on disease-specific genes. By contrast, here we systematically examined the roles of shared genes for disease susceptibility and as therapeutic and diagnostic targets. Meta-analysis of all published disease-related genome-wide association studies (GWAS) showed that T helper (Th) cell differentiation was the most shared pathway. Expression profiling data from highly diverse CD4+ T cell-associated diseases revealed shared disease-associated genes, which were enriched for Th cell differentiation, but also metabolic and proliferative pathways. This pleiotropy suggested that altered functions of shared genes could generally increase disease susceptibility. Indeed, compared to specific genes, the shared genes were enriched for disease-associated SNPs identified by all published disease-related GWAS. To examine if the shared genes induced disease-relevant pathways, we focused on transcription factors (TFs) that induced Th differentiation. Those TFs were enriched among the shared genes, as well as for disease-associated SNPs identified by GWAS, and disease-phenotypes in mice knock-out studies. Original GWAS and profiling data from patients with multiple sclerosis and allergy confirmed enrichment of disease-associated SNPs in the TFs, and that the TFs were differentially expressed at early disease stages, and their targets increased in parallel with disease development. From a clinical perspective, the shared genes were significantly enriched for known diagnostic and therapeutic targets. Prospective clinical studies of multiple sclerosis and allergy showed that shared or specific genes could be used to stratify patients for individualized medicine. Our findings show that shared disease genes generally increase disease susceptibility and are important therapeutic and diagnostic targets. Patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) display variations in response to natalizumab treatment. PBMCs were collected from 8 high responders (HR) and 8 low responders (LR) to natalizumab treatment. CD4+ T cells were cultured for 48h. Cells were activated with anti-CD3 and anti-CD28 mAbs (0.5 µg/mL), either with natalizumab (25 µg/mL BiogenIdec) or without additional stimulus. Gene expression analysis was performed using SurePrint G3 Human Gene Expression 8X60K microarrays.
Project description:Individuals with Down syndrome (DS) are at an increased risk for developing congenital heart defects especially atrioventricular septal defects (AVSD). Our goal was to identify the contribution of copy number variants (CNV) to DS-associated AVSD. We used the Affymetrix SNP 6.0 genotyping platform to comprehensively characterize CNVs in 452 ethnically matched individuals with DS, comprising of 210 cases (DS + complete AVSD) and 242 controls with a structurally normal heart (DS + NH). Results from burden and region-wise analyses using PLINK revealed that despite the 2000 fold elevated risk, common CNVs of large effect (OR > 2.0) do not account for the increased risk observed in DS-associated AVSD. In contrast, cases do harbor a significantly elevated burden of large rare variants (> 100kb, < 1% frequency) (p < 0.01) and case deletions intersect genes more often than those observed in controls (p < 0.007). Gene enrichment analysis showed a trend for enrichment among deletions impacting the ciliome pathway in cases compared to controls. Our findings suggest that the etiology of AVSD is highly complex and does not arise from the action of a few common variants of large effect. Instead, our data support a multifactorial model, wherein large rare deletions play a significant role in elevating the risk of AVSD in a trisomic background. Copy Number Variation Analysis of individuals with DS using Affymetrix SNP 6.0 genotyping platform. A composite reference was generated using the same dataset to derive the log2 ratios using Affymetrix Power Tols (APT). Submitting here the preliminary data from 437 subjects, 15 were excluded due to privacy concerns.
Project description:Medical research focuses on disease-specific genes. By contrast, here we systematically examined the roles of shared genes for disease susceptibility and as therapeutic and diagnostic targets. Meta-analysis of all published disease-related genome-wide association studies (GWAS) showed that T helper (Th) cell differentiation was the most shared pathway. Expression profiling data from highly diverse CD4+ T cell-associated diseases revealed shared disease-associated genes, which were enriched for Th cell differentiation, but also metabolic and proliferative pathways. This pleiotropy suggested that altered functions of shared genes could generally increase disease susceptibility. Indeed, compared to specific genes, the shared genes were enriched for disease-associated SNPs identified by all published disease-related GWAS. To examine if the shared genes induced disease-relevant pathways, we focused on transcription factors (TFs) that induced Th differentiation. Those TFs were enriched among the shared genes, as well as for disease-associated SNPs identified by GWAS, and disease-phenotypes in mice knock-out studies. Original GWAS and profiling data from patients with multiple sclerosis and allergy confirmed enrichment of disease-associated SNPs in the TFs, and that the TFs were differentially expressed at early disease stages, and their targets increased in parallel with disease development. From a clinical perspective, the shared genes were significantly enriched for known diagnostic and therapeutic targets. Prospective clinical studies of multiple sclerosis and allergy showed that shared or specific genes could be used to stratify patients for individualized medicine. Our findings show that shared disease genes generally increase disease susceptibility and are important therapeutic and diagnostic targets. Patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis (SAR) show considerable variations in response to glucocorticoids (GCs) treatment. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were collected from 8 high responders (HR) and 8 low responders (LR) to GC treatment. PBMCs were challenged with diluent, grass pollen extract (ALK-Abelló A/S; 100 μg/mL) as well as grass pollen extract plus glucocorticoids (100ug/mL) for one week. Total CD4+ T cells were enriched for the gene expression microarray analysis, which was performed using SurePrint G3 Human Gene Expression 8X60K microarrays.
Project description:Molecular defects in some ultra-rare subtypes of familial lipodystrophies remain unidentified. We identified novel NOTCH3 heterozygous variants in familial partial lipodystrophy (FPL) pedigrees. All variants were clustered in the heterodimerization domain of the negative regulatory region of NOTCH3. Proteomics of skin fibroblasts revealed significantly higher RNA expression of NOTCH3 and activation of widespread senescence pathways in the FPL patients versus controls.
Project description:Medical research focuses on disease-specific genes. By contrast, here we systematically examined the roles of shared genes for disease susceptibility and as therapeutic and diagnostic targets. Meta-analysis of all published disease-related genome-wide association studies (GWAS) showed that T helper (Th) cell differentiation was the most shared pathway. Expression profiling data from highly diverse CD4+ T cell-associated diseases revealed shared disease-associated genes, which were enriched for Th cell differentiation, but also metabolic and proliferative pathways. This pleiotropy suggested that altered functions of shared genes could generally increase disease susceptibility. Indeed, compared to specific genes, the shared genes were enriched for disease-associated SNPs identified by all published disease-related GWAS. To examine if the shared genes induced disease-relevant pathways, we focused on transcription factors (TFs) that induced Th differentiation. Those TFs were enriched among the shared genes, as well as for disease-associated SNPs identified by GWAS, and disease-phenotypes in mice knock-out studies. Original GWAS and profiling data from patients with multiple sclerosis and allergy confirmed enrichment of disease-associated SNPs in the TFs, and that the TFs were differentially expressed at early disease stages, and their targets increased in parallel with disease development. From a clinical perspective, the shared genes were significantly enriched for known diagnostic and therapeutic targets. Prospective clinical studies of multiple sclerosis and allergy showed that shared or specific genes could be used to stratify patients for individualized medicine. Our findings show that shared disease genes generally increase disease susceptibility and are important therapeutic and diagnostic targets.
Project description:Medical research focuses on disease-specific genes. By contrast, here we systematically examined the roles of shared genes for disease susceptibility and as therapeutic and diagnostic targets. Meta-analysis of all published disease-related genome-wide association studies (GWAS) showed that T helper (Th) cell differentiation was the most shared pathway. Expression profiling data from highly diverse CD4+ T cell-associated diseases revealed shared disease-associated genes, which were enriched for Th cell differentiation, but also metabolic and proliferative pathways. This pleiotropy suggested that altered functions of shared genes could generally increase disease susceptibility. Indeed, compared to specific genes, the shared genes were enriched for disease-associated SNPs identified by all published disease-related GWAS. To examine if the shared genes induced disease-relevant pathways, we focused on transcription factors (TFs) that induced Th differentiation. Those TFs were enriched among the shared genes, as well as for disease-associated SNPs identified by GWAS, and disease-phenotypes in mice knock-out studies. Original GWAS and profiling data from patients with multiple sclerosis and allergy confirmed enrichment of disease-associated SNPs in the TFs, and that the TFs were differentially expressed at early disease stages, and their targets increased in parallel with disease development. From a clinical perspective, the shared genes were significantly enriched for known diagnostic and therapeutic targets. Prospective clinical studies of multiple sclerosis and allergy showed that shared or specific genes could be used to stratify patients for individualized medicine. Our findings show that shared disease genes generally increase disease susceptibility and are important therapeutic and diagnostic targets.
Project description:Medical research focuses on disease-specific genes. By contrast, here we systematically examined the roles of shared genes for disease susceptibility and as therapeutic and diagnostic targets. Meta-analysis of all published disease-related genome-wide association studies (GWAS) showed that T helper (Th) cell differentiation was the most shared pathway. Expression profiling data from highly diverse CD4+ T cell-associated diseases revealed shared disease-associated genes, which were enriched for Th cell differentiation, but also metabolic and proliferative pathways. This pleiotropy suggested that altered functions of shared genes could generally increase disease susceptibility. Indeed, compared to specific genes, the shared genes were enriched for disease-associated SNPs identified by all published disease-related GWAS. To examine if the shared genes induced disease-relevant pathways, we focused on transcription factors (TFs) that induced Th differentiation. Those TFs were enriched among the shared genes, as well as for disease-associated SNPs identified by GWAS, and disease-phenotypes in mice knock-out studies. Original GWAS and profiling data from patients with multiple sclerosis and allergy confirmed enrichment of disease-associated SNPs in the TFs, and that the TFs were differentially expressed at early disease stages, and their targets increased in parallel with disease development. From a clinical perspective, the shared genes were significantly enriched for known diagnostic and therapeutic targets. Prospective clinical studies of multiple sclerosis and allergy showed that shared or specific genes could be used to stratify patients for individualized medicine. Our findings show that shared disease genes generally increase disease susceptibility and are important therapeutic and diagnostic targets.
Project description:Medical research focuses on disease-specific genes. By contrast, here we systematically examined the roles of shared genes for disease susceptibility and as therapeutic and diagnostic targets. Meta-analysis of all published disease-related genome-wide association studies (GWAS) showed that T helper (Th) cell differentiation was the most shared pathway. Expression profiling data from highly diverse CD4+ T cell-associated diseases revealed shared disease-associated genes, which were enriched for Th cell differentiation, but also metabolic and proliferative pathways. This pleiotropy suggested that altered functions of shared genes could generally increase disease susceptibility. Indeed, compared to specific genes, the shared genes were enriched for disease-associated SNPs identified by all published disease-related GWAS. To examine if the shared genes induced disease-relevant pathways, we focused on transcription factors (TFs) that induced Th differentiation. Those TFs were enriched among the shared genes, as well as for disease-associated SNPs identified by GWAS, and disease-phenotypes in mice knock-out studies. Original GWAS and profiling data from patients with multiple sclerosis and allergy confirmed enrichment of disease-associated SNPs in the TFs, and that the TFs were differentially expressed at early disease stages, and their targets increased in parallel with disease development. From a clinical perspective, the shared genes were significantly enriched for known diagnostic and therapeutic targets. Prospective clinical studies of multiple sclerosis and allergy showed that shared or specific genes could be used to stratify patients for individualized medicine. Our findings show that shared disease genes generally increase disease susceptibility and are important therapeutic and diagnostic targets.
Project description:Psoriasis is a common inflammatory disorder of the skin and other organs. We have determined that mutations in CARD14, encoding an NF-kB activator within skin epidermis, account for PSORS2. Here we describe fifteen additional rare, missense variants in CARD14, their distribution in seven psoriasis cohorts (>6,000 cases and >4,000 controls), and their effects on NF-kB activation and the transcriptome of keratinocytes. There was an excess of rare variants within CARD14 in cases versus controls (burden test p-value = 0.0015). Some variants were only seen in a single case and included putative pathogenic mutations (c.424G>A [p.Glu142Lys], c.425A>G [p.Glu142Gly]) and the generalized pustular psoriasis mutation, c.413A>C (p.Glu138Ala), that lie within the coiled-coil domain of CARD14. The c.349G>A (p.Gly117Ser) familial psoriasis mutation was present at a frequency of 0.0005 in cases of European ancestry. CARD14 variants led to a range of NF-kB activities, with putative pathogenic variants leading to levels >2.5-fold higher than wildtype CARD14. Two variants (c.511C>A [p.His171Asn] and c.536G>A [p.Arg179His]) required stimulation with TNF-a to achieve significant increases in NF-kB levels. Transcriptome profiling of wildtype and variant CARD14 transfectants in keratinocytes differentiated likely pathogenic mutations from neutral variants such as polymorphisms. Over 20 CARD14 polymorphisms were also genotyped and meta-analysis revealed association of psoriasis with rs11652075 (c.2458C>T/p.Arg820Trp; p-value = 2.1x10-6). In the two largest psoriasis cohorts, evidence for association increased when rs11652075 was conditioned on HLA-Cw*0602 (PSORS1). These studies contribute to our understanding of the genetic basis of psoriasis and illustrate the challenges faced in identifying pathogenic variants in common disease. Keratinocytes were transfected with wildtype Cardsh or one of 16 Card14 mutations (17 total samples). The cells were collected and RNA extracted to determine the effect of these mutations compared to wildtype Card14. No replicates are included.