Project description:Despite the effectiveness of immuno-chemotherapy, 40% of patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) experience relapse or refractory disease. Longitudinal studies have previously focused on the mutational landscape of relapse but falling short of providing a consistent relapse-specific genetic signature. In our study, we have focussed attention on the changes in gene expression profile accompanying DLBCL relapse using archival paired diagnostic/relapse specimens from 38 de novo DLBCL patients. Cell of origin remained stable from diagnosis to relapse in 80% of patients, with only a single patient showing COO switching from ABC to GCB. Analysis of the transcriptomic changes that occur following relapse suggest ABC and GCB relapses are mediated via different mechanisms. We developed a 30-gene discriminator for ABC-DLBCLs derived from relapse-associated genes, that defined clinically distinct high and low risk subgroups in ABC-DLBCLs at diagnosis in datasets comprising both population-based and clinical trial cohorts. This signature also identified a population of <60-year-old patients with superior PFS and OS treated with Ibrutinib-R-CHOP as part of the PHOENIX trial. Altogether this new signature adds to the existing toolkit of putative genetic predictors now available in DLBCL that can be readily assessed as part of prospective clinical trials.
Project description:To date, there are no known prognostic markers identified in patients with fusion gene-negative rhabdomyosarcoma. This study validates the 5-gene (MG5) signature as a prognostic marker in patients with fusion negative intermediate-risk rhabdomyosarcoma clearly stratifying this otherwise clinically homogenous population of patients into two risk groups based on outcome. In addition, this analysis was performed using nCounter assay on paraffin embedded tissues and the results were concordant to previously published results using frozen tissues in a different patient cohort. Therefore, this work holds tremendous translational relevance as the MG5 signature can be reliably assessed in readily available paraffin embedded tissues of fusion gene-negative rhabdomyosarcoma patients in prospective clinical trials to stratify them into prognostic risk groups as well as to potentially tailor future therapy based on these risk groups.
Project description:Canakinumab is a human anti-interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta) monoclonal antibody neutralizing IL-1 beta. Systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (SJIA) is a rare, multigenic, autoinflammatory disease of unknown etiology characterized by chronic arthritis; intermittent high-spiking fever, rash, and elevated levels of acute-phase reactants. Blood samples of SJIA patients were obtained from two phase 3 clinical trials conducted by the members of the Pediatric Rheumatology International Trials Organization (PRINTO) and the Pediatric Rheumatology Collaborative Study Group (PRCSG) (Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT00886769 and NCT00889863). For patients, baseline and day 3 samples were analyzed for either placebo or canakinumab (Ilaris) treatment. Clinical response was assessed at day 15 using adapted JIA American College of Rheumatology (ACR) response criteria. Overall, 206 samples were used in this study including 22 samples from healthy controls, 33 samples of placebo treated patients and 151 samples of canakinumab treated patients.
Project description:Smoothened (SMO)-inhibitors recently entered clinical trials for sonic-hedgehog driven medulloblastoma (SHH-MB). Clinical response appears highly variable. To understand the mechanism(s) of primary resistance and to identify pathways co-operating with aberrant SHH-signaling, we sequenced a large cohort of SHH-MBs across all age groups by sequencing, DNA methylation and expression profiling. Our data show that most adults but only half of the pediatric patients with SHH-MB will respond to SMO inhibition as predicted by molecular analysis of the primary tumor and tested in the SHH-xenografts, demonstrating that the next generation of SMO-inhibitor trials should be based on these predictive biomarkers. To further dissect the biological differences between the different age groups within SHH medulloblastomas, we looked at the transcriptomic profiles of SHH medulloblastoma samples. 73 medulloblastoma samples from patients of various ages were selected for RNA extraction and hybridization on Affymetrix Human Genome U133 Plus 2.0 Arrays.
Project description:Smoothened (SMO)-inhibitors recently entered clinical trials for sonic-hedgehog driven medulloblastoma (SHH-MB). Clinical response appears highly variable. To understand the mechanism(s) of primary resistance and to identify pathways co-operating with aberrant SHH-signaling, we sequenced a large cohort of SHH-MBs across all age groups by sequencing, DNA methylation and expression profiling. Our data show that most adults but only half of the pediatric patients with SHH-MB will respond to SMO inhibition as predicted by molecular analysis of the primary tumor and tested in the SHH-xenografts, demonstrating that the next generation of SMO-inhibitor trials should be based on these predictive biomarkers. To further dissect the biological differences between the different age groups within SHH medulloblastomas, we looked at the DNA methylation profiles of SHH medulloblastoma samples. We investigated the DNA methylation profiles of 46 SHH medulloblastomas across all age groups using the Illumina 450k methylation array.
Project description:Smoothened (SMO)-inhibitors recently entered clinical trials for sonic-hedgehog driven medulloblastoma (SHH-MB). Clinical response appears highly variable. To understand the mechanism(s) of primary resistance and to identify pathways co-operating with aberrant SHH-signaling, we sequenced a large cohort of SHH-MBs across all age groups by sequencing, DNA methylation and expression profiling. Our data show that most adults but only half of the pediatric patients with SHH-MB will respond to SMO inhibition as predicted by molecular analysis of the primary tumor and tested in the SHH-xenografts, demonstrating that the next generation of SMO-inhibitor trials should be based on these predictive biomarkers. To further dissect the biological differences between the different age groups within SHH medulloblastomas, we looked at the DNA methylation profiles of SHH medulloblastoma samples. We investigated the DNA methylation profiles of 83 SHH medulloblastomas across all age groups using the Illumina 450k methylation array.
Project description:Metformin restores myelination potential of aged rat A2B5+ oligodendroglia (OL) progenitor cells and may enhance recovery in children with post-radiation brain injury. Human late progenitor cells (O4+A2B5+) have superior capacity to ensheath nanofibers compared to mature OLs, with cells from pediatric sources exceeding adults. In this study we assessed effects of metformin on ensheathment capacity of human adult and pediatric progenitors and mature OLs and relate differences to transcriptional changes. A2B5+ progenitors and mature OLs, derived from surgical tissues by immune-magnetic separation, were assessed for ensheathment capacity in nanofiber plates over 2 weeks. Metformin (10µM every other day) was added to selected cultures. RNA was extracted from treated and control cultures after 2 days. For all ages, ensheathment by progenitors exceeded mature OLs. Metformin enhanced ensheathment by adult donor cells but reduced ensheathment by pediatric cells. Metformin marginally increased cell death in pediatric progenitors. Metformin induced changes in gene expression distinct for each cell type. Adult progenitors showed up-regulation of pathways involved in process outgrowth and promoting lipid biosynthesis. Pediatric progenitors showed a relatively greater proportion of down- versus up-regulated pathways, these involved cell morphology, development, and synaptic transmission. Metformin induced AMPK activation in all cell types; AMPK inhibitor BML-275 reduced functional metformin effects only with adult cells. Our results indicate age and differentiation stage related differences of human OL lineage cells in response to metformin. Clinical trials for demyelinating conditions will indicate how these differences translate in vivo.
Project description:Background: Germinal center B-cell (GCB) lymphomas are common in children and adults. The prognosis strongly depends on age. Subgroups of GCB-lymphomas are characterized by chromosomal translocations affecting immunoglobulin (IG) loci leading to oncogene deregulation. Methods: Novel IG translocation partners were cloned within the network “Molecular Mechanisms in Malignant Lymphomas” (MMML) by long-distance inverse polymerase chain reaction. Mature aggressive B-cell lymphomas from the MMML as well as pediatric and adult lymphoma trials were analyzed by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and immunhistochemistry. Data from 438 MMML cases characterized by gene expression profiling were mined. Results: Cloning of unknown IG partners identified a t(6;14)(p25;q32) juxtaposing the IRF4 oncogene with the IGH-locus as novel recurrent aberration in GCB lymphoma. FISH analyses of 427 mature B-cell lymphomas for IRF4 translocations revealed 20 IG/IRF4 positive lymphomas (17 IGH/IRF4, 2 IGL/IRF4, 1 IGΚ/IRF4). IG/IRF4-positive lymphomas were predominantly GCB-type diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (DLBCL) or follicular lymphoma grade 3, shared overexpression of IRF4/MUM1 and BCL6 and lacked PRDM1/BLIMP1 expression and t(14;18)/BCL2 breaks. BCL6 aberrations were common. The gene expression profile of IG/IRF4-positive lymphomas was different from other subtypes of DLBCL and a classifier for IG/IRF4 positivity containing 27 genes allowed prediction of 3 additional MMML IG/IRF4-positive cases subsequently proven by FISH. IG/IRF4-positivity was associated with a favorable outcome likely due to significant enrichment of IG/IRF4-positive lymphomas in childhood and young adulthood. Conclusions: Our results suggest IRF4 translocations to be primary genetic alterations in a novel molecularly defined subset of GC-derived lymphomas predominantly affecting children. 271 diffuse large B-Cell lymphoma samples were hybridized to HGU133A Affymetrix GeneChips.
Project description:Smoothened (SMO)-inhibitors recently entered clinical trials for sonic-hedgehog driven medulloblastoma (SHH-MB). Clinical response appears highly variable. To understand the mechanism(s) of primary resistance and to identify pathways co-operating with aberrant SHH-signaling, we sequenced a large cohort of SHH-MBs across all age groups by sequencing, DNA methylation and expression profiling. Our data show that most adults but only half of the pediatric patients with SHH-MB will respond to SMO inhibition as predicted by molecular analysis of the primary tumor and tested in the SHH-xenografts, demonstrating that the next generation of SMO-inhibitor trials should be based on these predictive biomarkers. To further dissect the biological differences between the different age groups within SHH medulloblastomas, we looked at the transcriptomic profiles of SHH medulloblastoma samples.
Project description:Smoothened (SMO)-inhibitors recently entered clinical trials for sonic-hedgehog driven medulloblastoma (SHH-MB). Clinical response appears highly variable. To understand the mechanism(s) of primary resistance and to identify pathways co-operating with aberrant SHH-signaling, we sequenced a large cohort of SHH-MBs across all age groups by sequencing, DNA methylation and expression profiling. Our data show that most adults but only half of the pediatric patients with SHH-MB will respond to SMO inhibition as predicted by molecular analysis of the primary tumor and tested in the SHH-xenografts, demonstrating that the next generation of SMO-inhibitor trials should be based on these predictive biomarkers. To further dissect the biological differences between the different age groups within SHH medulloblastomas, we looked at the DNA methylation profiles of SHH medulloblastoma samples.