Project description:We present a meta-dataset comprising of a total of 212 samples including both primary tumors and tumor-free bladder tissues from four independent GEO datasets. To minimise inter-platform variation, only datasets generated from the GPL570 platform (Affymetrix Human Genome U133 Plus 2.0 Array) were processed to develop the meta-dataset. Using multiple open source R packages implemented in our previously developed bioinformatics pipeline, each dataset has been preprocessed with RMA normalisation, merged, and batch effect-corrected via Combat method. With increased sample size, the present meta-dataset serves an excellent 'discovery cohort' for discovering differentially expressed in diseased phenotype.
Project description:This study utilized Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis and genome-wide association study (GWAS) data to investigate the association between commonly prescribed drugs and bladder cancer (BLCA) risk. Our results revealed that HMGCR inhibitors, specifically simvastatin, are significantly associated with a reduced BLCA risk. We further showed that simvastatin could significantly inhibit BLCA proliferation and epithelial-mesenchymal transition in animal models, with transcriptomic data identifying several associated pathways. Higher levels of HMGCR were linked with BLCA development and progression, and certain blood lipids, such as lipoprotein particles and VLDL cholesterol, might influence BLCA risk. These findings suggested that HMGCR inhibitors, particularly simvastatin, could be potential treatment options or adjuvant therapies for BLCA. Meanwhile, RhoB is a key protein involved in the regulation of bladder cancer cell metastasis by simvastatin. Therefore, we tested the changes of key genes in bladder cancer cells after simvastatin (HMGCR inhibitor) treatment and overexpression of RhoB, respectively, using RNA sequencing.
Project description:Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common abnormality of heart rhythm and is a leading cause of heart failure and stroke. This large-scale meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) increased the power to detect single-nucleotide variant (SNV) associations, and we report more than 350 AF-associated genetic loci. At 139 loci we identified candidate genes related to muscle contractility, cardiac muscle development and cell-cell communication. We next assayed chromatin accessibility by ATAC-seq and histone H3 Lysine 4 trimethylation in stem cell derived atrial cardiomyocytes. We observed a marked increase in chromatin accessibility of our sentinel variants and prioritized genes in atrial cardiomyocytes. Finally, we found that a polygenic risk score (PRS) based on our updated effect estimates improved AF risk prediction compared to the CHARGE-AF clinical risk score and a previously reported PRS for AF. The doubling of known AF risk loci will facilitate a greater understanding of the pathways underlying this heart rhythm disorder.
Project description:EPIC array data were generated from 2 MDD case control cohorts. EWAS was performed in each cohort, followed by meta-analysis between the 2 cohort. Cohort 1: A total of 191 blood samples from 112 patients with MDD was collected up till the interim analysis (wave 1 samples) from an observational clinical study OBSERVEMDD0001 (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02489305) compared to 32 healthy controls; Cohort 2: The MDD cases (N = 359) were drawn from the Molecular Biomarkers of Antidepressant Response study compared to 68 healthy controls.
Project description:<p>This study funded by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) involves conducting a genome-wide association study of common genetic variants to identify markers of susceptibility to bladder cancer.</p> <p>This bladder GWAS has led to the discovery of three novel regions in the genome associated with bladder cancer risk. Cases were defined as individuals having histologically confirmed primary carcinoma of the urinary bladder, including carcinoma in situ (ICD-0-2 topography codes C67.0-C67.9 or ICD9 codes 188.1-188.9). Scan data were obtained from two case-control studies carried out in Spain and the United States (specifically, those in the Maine and Vermont components of the New England Bladder Cancer Study) and three prospective cohort studies in Finland and the United States (specifically Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta-Carotene Cancer Prevention Study, Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial, and The American Cancer Society Cancer Prevention Study II Nutrition Cohort).</p> <p>We used data from 591,637 single nucleotide polymorphisms 3,532 affected individuals (cases) and 5,119 controls of European descent and replication including 8382 cases and 48275 controls from 16 studies. In a combined analysis, we identified three new regions associated with bladder cancer on chromosomes 22q13.1, 19q12 and 2q37.1: rs1014971, (P = 8 x 10<sup>-12</sup>) maps to a non-genic region of chromosome 22q13.1, rs8102137 (P = 2 x 10<sup>-11</sup>) on maps to CCNE1 and rs11892031 (P = 1 x 10<sup>-7</sup>) maps to the UGT1A cluster on 2q37.1. We confirmed four previously identified genome-wide associations on chromosomes 3q28, 4p16.3, 8q24.21 and 8q24.3 (Rothman N et al., Nature Genetics, 2010, PMID: <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20972438" target="_blank">20972438</a>).</p>