Frequency Of Single Nucleotide Variants Research Articles

Abstract 227: Novel and easy-to-use approach to triple-negative breast cancer tumoroid culture

Abstract Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) accounts for 15-20% of all breast cancer diagnoses in the United States. Patients with metastatic TNBC have a low survival rate, driven in part by limited treatment options for the disease. Tumoroids, also known as cancer organoids, have been shown to better maintain tumor-specific mutational and gene expression profiles over long-term culture, and evidence is growing that the functional response of tumoroids to therapeutics better recapitulates in vivo response. These improved preclinical models of TNBC may facilitate the development of new therapies, but tumoroids are yet to be widely adopted due to challenging culture methods. In this study, we show that two TNBC tumoroid models publicly available through the National Cancer Institute Patient-Derived Models Repository can be expanded in suspension culture using Gibco™ OncoPro™ Tumoroid Culture Medium supplemented with FGF10 and beta-estradiol. We compared the bulk tumoroid morphologies, growth rates, maintenance of mutational and gene expression profiles, and molecular phenotypes of cells grown in the NCI-recommended medium in embedded culture, and the OncoPro medium in embedded culture and suspension culture. We saw comparable morphologies and growth rates in all culture conditions. A multivariate analysis of the allelic frequencies of single nucleotide variants and ploidy values of copy number variants for cells expanded in all experimental conditions revealed >95% and >88% correlation, respectively, with the initial material. Interestingly, despite the change in the medium formulation, gene expression was also highly correlated between the initial material and the OncoPro medium conditions for >20,000 RefSeq genes (Pearson r>0.94) and for a cancer-gene specific panel of 1,423 genes (r>0.87). Further analysis showed unchanged expression levels in 97% of total genes analyzed and the basal molecular subtype was maintained for both lines in all conditions. The OncoPro media system was also used to derive a new TNBC tumoroid line, which demonstrates consistent growth rate and maintains the patient-specific mutational profile of the original breast tumor. Differential gene expression analysis revealed that changes in the gene expression profile were largely due to the loss of non-malignant cell populations from the original tumor. Finally, we utilized this new tumoroid line to examine donor-specific killing efficiencies of primary natural killer cells in a co-culture experiment. The discrepancy in the dynamics of killing a tumoroid line versus the standard K562 cell line indicates that tumoroids may offer an improved approach for screening new cell therapies. In summary, the easy-to-adopt OncoPro medium and culture method does not change the characteristics of existing models and may be used to derive new tumoroid lines, both of which can be leveraged for preclinical studies to develop critical new therapies for TNBC. Citation Format: Brittany Balhouse, Chris Yankaskas, Colin Paul, Shyanne Salen, Sylvia Beam, Pradip Shahi Thakuri, Matt Dallas, David Kuninger. Novel and easy-to-use approach to triple-negative breast cancer tumoroid culture [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 227.

Noninvasive genomic profiling of somatic mutations in oral cavity cancers

ObjectivesSomatic mutations may predict prognosis, therapeutic response, or cancer progression. We evaluated targeted sequencing of oral rinse samples (ORS) for non-invasive mutational profiling of oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCC). Materials and methodsA custom hybrid capture panel targeting 42 frequently mutated genes in OSCC was used to identify DNA sequence variants in matched ORS and fresh-frozen tumors from 120 newly-diagnosed patients. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves determined the optimal variant allele fraction (VAF) cutoff for variant discrimination in ORS. Behavioral, clinical, and analytical factors were evaluated for impacts on assay performance. ResultsHalf of tumors involved oral tongue (50 %), and a majority were T1-T2 tumor stage (55 %). Median depth of sequencing coverage was 260X for OSCC and 1,563X for ORS. Frequencies of single nucleotide variants (SNVs) at highly mutated genes (including TP53, FAT1, HRAS, NOTCH1, CDKN2A, CASP8, NFE2L2, and PIK3CA) in OSCC were highly correlated with TCGA data (R = 0.96, p = 2.5E−22). An ROC curve with area-under-the-curve (AUC) of 0.80 showed that, at an optimal VAF cutoff of 0.10 %, ORS provided 76 % sensitivity, 96 % specificity, but precision of only 2.6E−4. At this VAF cutoff, 206 of 270 SNVs in OSCC were detected in matched ORS. Sensitivity varied by patient, T stage and target gene. Neither downsampled ORS as matched control nor a naïve Bayesian classifier adjusting for sequencing bias appreciably improved assay performance. ConclusionTargeted sequencing of ORS provides moderate assay performance for noninvasive detection of SNVs in OSCC. Our findings strongly rationalize further clinical and laboratory optimization of this assay, including strategies to improve precision.

The Glioma-IRE project − Molecular profiling in patients with glioma: steps toward an individualized diagnostic and therapeutic approach

BackgroundThis study aimed to characterize the genetic profile of patients with glioma and discuss the impact of next-generation sequencing in glioma diagnosis and treatment.MethodsBetween 2019 and 2022, we analyzed the genetic profile of 99 patients with glioma through the Oncomine Focus Assay. The assay enables the detection of mutations in 52 driver genes, including single nucleotide variants (SNVs), copy number variants (CNVs), and gene fusions. We also collected and analyzed patients’ clinic characteristics and treatment outcomes.ResultsOver a period of 35 months, 700 patients with glioma followed by our neuro-oncology unit were screened, and 99 were enrolled in the study; most of the patients were excluded for inadequate non-morphological MRI or lack/inadequacy of the tissue samples. Based on our findings, most patients with glioma present mutations, such as SNVs, CNVs or gene fusions. Our data were similar to those reported by The Cancer Genome Atlas Program in terms of frequency of SNVs and CNVs, while we observed more cases of gene fusions. Median overall survival, progression-free survival, and time to progression were significantly lower for patients with grade VI glioblastoma than those with other gliomas. Only four patients were offered a targeted treatment based on the mutation detected; however, only one received treatment, the others could not receive the selected treatment because of worsening clinical status.ConclusionRoutine timely molecular profiling in patients with glioma should be implemented to offer patients an individualized diagnostic approach and provide them with advanced targeted therapy options if available.

Single nucleotide variants in microRNA biosynthesis genes in Mexican individuals.

Background: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are important regulators in a variety of biological processes, and their dysregulation is associated with multiple human diseases. Single nucleotide variants (SNVs) in genes involved in the processing of microRNAs may alter miRNA regulation and could present high allele heterogeneity in populations from different ethnic groups. Thus, the aim of this study was to genotype 15 SNVs in eight genes involved in the miRNA processing pathway in Mexican individuals and compare their frequencies across 21 populations from five continental groups. Methods: Genomic DNA was obtained from 399 healthy Mexican individuals. SNVs in AGO2 (rs2293939 and rs4961280), DGCR8 (rs720012), DICER (rs3742330 and rs13078), DROSHA (rs10719 and rs6877842), GEMIN3 (rs197388 and rs197414), GEMIN4 (rs7813, rs2740349, and rs4968104), TNRC6B (rs9611280), and XP05 (rs11077 and rs34324334) were genotyped using TaqMan probes. The minor allele frequency of each SNV was compared to those reported in the 1,000 Genomes database using chi-squared. Sankey plot was created in the SankeyMATIC package to visualize the frequency range of each variant in the different countries analyzed. Results: In Mexican individuals, all 15 SNVs were found in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, with frequencies ranging from 0.04 to 0.45. The SNVs rs4961280, rs2740349, rs34324334, and rs720012 in Mexican individuals had the highest minor allele frequencies worldwide, whereas the minor allele frequencies of rs197388, rs10719, rs197414, and rs1107 were among the lowest in Mexican individuals. The variants had high allele heterogeneity among the sub-continental populations, ranging from monomorphic, as was the case for rs9611280 and rs34324334 in African groups, to >0.50, which was the case for variants rs11077 and rs10719 in most of the populations. Importantly, the variants rs197388, rs720012, and rs197414 had FST values > 0.18, indicating a directional selective process. Finally, the SNVs rs13078 and rs10719 significantly correlated with both latitude and longitude. Conclusion: These data indicate the presence of high allelic heterogeneity in the worldwide distribution of the frequency of SNVs located in components of the miRNA processing pathway, which could modify the genetic susceptibility associated with human diseases in populations with different ancestry.

Genomic and clinicopathological features of lung adenocarcinomas with micropapillary component

Lung adenocarcinoma (LA) with a micropapillary component (LAMPC) is a histological subtype of lung cancer that has received increasing attention due to its correlation with poor prognosis, and its tendency to recur and metastasize. At present, comprehensive genomic profiles and clinicopathological features for LAMPC remain unclear and require further investigation. From September 2009 to October 2020, a total of 465 LAMPC patients were recruited and divided into four groups according to MPC proportions, and the correlations between varying proportions of MPCs and clinicopathological characteristics were analyzed. Twenty-nine (29) LAMPC patients and 89 LA patients without MPC (non-MPC) that had undergone NGS testing were selected for further study The comprehensively analyze genomic variations and the difference between LAMPC and MPC were determined. In addition, Gene alterations of LAMPC between Chinese and Western populations were also compared using cBioPortal data. A higher proportion of MPCs, associated with higher tumor stage, pleural invasion, and vascular tumor thrombus formation, was determined in LA patients. Compared to non-MPC patients, LAMPC patients were determined to have a lower frequency of single nucleotide variants and a higher frequency of insertion-deletion mutations. Mutations in TP53, CTNNB1, and SMAD4, and ALK rearrangements/fusions were significantly more frequent in LAMPC patients. ERBB2 mutations were only detected in non-MPC patients. Gene mutations in the Wnt pathway were significantly more common in LAMPC patients as compared to non-MPC patients. ALK fusions were more prevalent in younger patients. Patients with KRAS or LBP1B mutations had significantly larger tumor diameters than patients with wild-type KRAS or LBP1B. Patients with KRAS mutations were more likely to develop vascular tumor thrombus. Using the cBioPortal public database, we determined that mutations in EGFR were significantly higher in Chinese patients than in a Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) Western cohort. ALK fusions were exclusively detected in the Chinese cohort, while mutations in KEAP1 and NOTCH4 were only detected in the MSKCC cohort. Our analysis of signaling pathways revealed that Wnt pathway gene mutations were significantly higher in the Chinese cohort. LA patients with higher proportions of MPCs were determined to have a higher tumor stage, pleural invasion, and vascular tumor thrombosis formation. We comprehensively analyzed the genomic mutation characteristics of LAMPC patients and identified multiple, novel MPC-related gene alterations and pathway changes. Our data provide further understanding of the nature of the LAMPC and potential drug-targeted gene alterations, which may lead to new therapeutic strategies.

Abstract 5014: The landscape of ERBB2 mutations in Chinese patients with solid tumors

Abstract Background: Receptor tyrosine kinase (ERBB2) is altered by mutations and amplifications in various cancer types. Meanwhile, FDA approved some drugs to use for variants in ERBB2. However, the landscape of ERBB2 mutations and copy number variants (CNV) in pan-cancer is unknown in Chinese. Methods: 599 gene-panel by next-generation sequencing (NGS) was performed on 2,570 patients with solid tumors including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) (n = 660), esophagogastric (n = 89), colorectal (n = 966), breast (n = 156) and gastric cancer (n = 699). The mutations and CNV in ERBB2 were detected for characterize the landscape in Chinese patients with solid tumors. Results: The frequency of single nucleotide variants (SNV) and CNV in ERBB2 was 9% and 4.3% in pan-cancer and the rate of variants was 13.3%. The most frequency of CNV was occurred in breast cancer and the last was in non-small cell lung cancer (13.5% vs 1.1%). Nevertheless, the rate of SNV in different cancer species was almost the same as in pan-cancer (mean: 8.8%). The higher rate of variants in ERBB2 was breast cancer and the lower was NSCLC. The cancer types with the highest incidence of ERBB2 variants were the following: breast (22.4%), gastric adenocarcinoma (18.3%), esophagogastric cancer (11.2%), colorectal cancer (10.8%) and NSCLC (9.7%). Conclusion: Based on the results, the profile of variants in ERBB2 revealed more patients may profit from FDA-approval drugs in China. The patients with somatic mutations in ERBB2 are treated with trastuzumab deruxtecan and adotrastuzumab emtansine in NSCLC. The patients with amplification are treated with trastuzumab deruxtecan in most tumors, but margetuximab and chemotherapy can cure breast cancer, according to FDA-approval. Keywords: ERBB2 mutations, CNV, SNV, solid tumors Citation Format: Xiangyu Su, Hongmei Zhao. The landscape of ERBB2 mutations in Chinese patients with solid tumors [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr 5014.

Abstract 1508: Chromatin accessibility of primary human cancers ties regional mutational processes with tissues of origin

Abstract Cancer genomes are shaped by mutational processes with complex spatial variation at multiple scales. However, the underlying mechanisms of this mutagenesis and its functional and genetic determinants remain poorly understood. Somatic regional mutagenesis is known to correlate with DNA replication timing and chromatin accessibility; however, these studies have used epigenetic information from common cell lines while the epigenomes of primary human cancers remain uncharacterized in this context. Here we model megabase-scale mutation frequencies of single nucleotide variants (SNVs) in thousands of whole cancer genomes using hundreds of genome-wide profiles of chromatin accessibility and replication timing spanning primary cancer samples, normal tissues, and cell lines. Using a machine learning framework, we show that CA profiles of primary cancers, rather than those of normal cells, predict regional mutagenesis and single base substitution (SBS) signatures in most cancer types. Thus the majority of passenger mutations follow the epigenetic landscapes of transformed cells of matching cancer sites and tissues. Mutational signatures associated with carcinogen exposure, as well as signatures of unknown origin, show the strongest associations with epigenomes while associations with endogenous signatures are weaker. In most cases, overall mutation burden and SBS signatures inversely correlate with chromatin accessibility, however certain signatures are instead enriched in chromatin-accessible elements. Lastly, the genomic regions with excess mutations unexplained by the epigenetic profiles in our models likely represent a combination of localized mutagenesis and positive selection of functional oncogenic mutations. Our computational models highlight an enrichment of known driver mutations, point out novel intergenic regions with putative non-coding drivers, and indicate an over-representation of developmental and lineage-specific genes in these frequently mutated genomic regions. These results characterize the complex interplay of mutational processes, genome function, and somatic evolution in cancer and its tissues of origin, and also outline strategies for distinguishing driver and passenger mutations. Citation Format: Jüri Reimand, Oliver Ocsenas. Chromatin accessibility of primary human cancers ties regional mutational processes with tissues of origin [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr 1508.

Single-cell analysis of somatic mutations in human bronchial epithelial cells in relation to aging and smoking.

Although lung cancer risk among smokers is dependent on smoking dose, it remains unknown if this increased risk reflects an increased rate of somatic mutation accumulation in normal lung cells. Here, we applied single-cell whole-genome sequencing of proximal bronchial basal cells from 33 participants aged between 11 and 86 years with smoking histories varying from never-smoking to 116 pack-years. We found an increase in the frequency of single-nucleotide variants and small insertions and deletions with chronological age in never-smokers, with mutation frequencies significantly elevated among smokers. When plotted against smoking pack-years, mutations followed the linear increase in cancer risk until about 23 pack-years, after which no further increase in mutation frequency was observed, pointing toward individual selection for mutation avoidance. Known lung cancer-defined mutation signatures tracked with both age and smoking. No significant enrichment for somatic mutations in lung cancer driver genes was observed.

Assessment of the Risk of Severe Dengue Using Intrahost Viral Population in Dengue Virus Serotype 2 Patients via Machine Learning.

Dengue virus, a positive-sense single-stranded RNA virus, continuously threatens human health. Although several criteria for evaluation of severe dengue have been recently established, the ability to prognose the risk of severe outcomes for dengue patients remains limited. Mutant spectra of RNA viruses, including single nucleotide variants (SNVs) and defective virus genomes (DVGs), contribute to viral virulence and growth. Here, we determine the potency of intrahost viral population in dengue patients with primary infection that progresses into severe dengue. A total of 65 dengue virus serotype 2 infected patients in primary infection including 17 severe cases were enrolled. We utilized deep sequencing to directly define the frequency of SNVs and detection times of DVGs in sera of dengue patients and analyzed their associations with severe dengue. Among the detected SNVs and DVGs, the frequencies of 9 SNVs and the detection time of 1 DVG exhibited statistically significant differences between patients with dengue fever and those with severe dengue. By utilizing the detected frequencies/times of the selected SNVs/DVG as features, the machine learning model showed high average with a value of area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC, 0.966 ± 0.064). The elevation of the frequency of SNVs at E (nucleotide position 995 and 2216), NS2A (nucleotide position 4105), NS3 (nucleotide position 4536, 4606), and NS5 protein (nucleotide position 7643 and 10067) and the detection times of the selected DVG that had a deletion junction in the E protein region (nucleotide positions of the junction: between 969 and 1022) increased the possibility of dengue patients for severe dengue. In summary, we demonstrated the detected frequencies/times of SNVs/DVG in dengue patients associated with severe disease and successfully utilized them to discriminate severe patients using machine learning algorithm. The identified SNVs and DVGs that are associated with severe dengue will expand our understanding of intrahost viral population in dengue pathogenesis.

Gray Matter Variation in the Posterior Superior Temporal Gyrus Is Associated with Polymorphisms in the KIAA0319 Gene in Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes).

Determining the impact that the KIAA0319 gene has on primate brain morphology can provide insight into the evolution of human cognition and language systems. Here, we tested whether polymorphisms in KIAA0319 in chimpanzees account for gray matter volumetric variation in brain regions implicated in language and communication (particularly within the posterior superior temporal gyrus and inferior frontal gyrus). First, we identified the nature and frequencies of single nucleotide variants (SNVs) in KIAA0319 in a sample of unrelated chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes spp.). Next, we genotyped a subset of SNVs (those important for gene regulation or likely to alter protein structure/function) in a sample of chimpanzees for which in vivo T1-structural magnetic resonance imaging scans had been obtained. We then used source-based morphometry (SBM) to test for whole-brain gray matter covariation differences between chimpanzees with different KIAA0319 alleles. Finally, using histologic sections of 15 postmortem chimpanzee brains, we analyzed microstructural variation related to KIAA0319 polymorphisms in the posterior superior temporal cortex. We found that the SNVs were associated with variation in gray matter within several brain regions, including the posterior superior temporal gyrus (a region associated with language comprehension and production in humans). The microstructure analysis further revealed hemispheric differences in neuropil fraction, indicating that KIAA0319 expression may be involved in regulation of processes related to the formation and maintenance of synapses, dendrites, or axons within regions associated with communication.

Combination of Genome-Wide Polymorphisms and Copy Number Variations of Pharmacogenes in Koreans.

For predicting phenotypes and executing precision medicine, combination analysis of single nucleotide variants (SNVs) genotyping with copy number variations (CNVs) is required. The aim of this study was to discover SNVs or common copy CNVs and examine the combined frequencies of SNVs and CNVs in pharmacogenes using the Korean genome and epidemiology study (KoGES), a consortium project. The genotypes (N = 72,299) and CNV data (N = 1000) were provided by the Korean National Institute of Health, Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The allele frequencies of SNVs, CNVs, and combined SNVs with CNVs were calculated and haplotype analysis was performed. CYP2D6 rs1065852 (c.100C>T, p.P34S) was the most common variant allele (48.23%). A total of 8454 haplotype blocks in 18 pharmacogenes were estimated. DMD ranked the highest in frequency for gene gain (64.52%), while TPMT ranked the highest in frequency for gene loss (51.80%). Copy number gain of CYP4F2 was observed in 22 subjects; 13 of those subjects were carriers with CYP4F2*3 gain. In the case of TPMT, approximately one-half of the participants (N = 308) had loss of the TPMT*1*1 diplotype. The frequencies of SNVs and CNVs in pharmacogenes were determined using the Korean cohort-based genome-wide association study.

Analytical and Potential Clinical Performance of Oncomine Myeloid Research Assay for Myeloid Neoplasms.

Next-generation sequencing (NGS) panels have recently been introduced to efficiently detect genetic variations in hematologic malignancies. Our aim was to evaluate the performance of the commercialized Oncomine™ myeloid research assay (OMA) for myeloid neoplasms. Certified reference materials and clinical research samples were used, including 60 genomic DNA and 56 RNA samples. NGS was performed using OMA, which enables the interrogation of 40 target genes, 29 gene fusions, and five expression target genes with five expression control genes by the Ion S5 XL Sequencer. The analyzed data were compared with clinical data using karyotyping, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (PCR), fluorescence in situ hybridization, Sanger sequencing, customized NGS panel, and fragment analysis. All targets of reference materials were detected except three (two ASXL1 and one CEBPA) mutations, which we had not expected OMA to detect. In clinical search samples, OMA satisfactorily identified DNA variants, including 90 single nucleotide variants (SNVs), 48 small insertions and deletions (indels), and eight FLT3 internal tandem duplications (ITDs) (Kappa agreement 0.938). The variant allele frequencies of SNVs and indels measured by OMA correlated well with clinical data, whereas those of FLT3-ITDs were significantly lower than with fragment analysis (P = 0.008). Together, OMA showed strong ability to identify RNA gene fusions (Kappa agreement 0.961), except one RUNX1-MECOM. The MECOM gene was highly expressed in all five samples with MECOM-associated rearrangements, including inv(3), t(3;3), and t(3;21). OMA revealed excellent analytical and potential clinical performance and could be a good replacement for conventional molecular tests.

TP53, ETV6 and RUNX1 Germline Variants in Patients Developing Secondary Neoplasms after Treatment for Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Introduction: Today most of the children treated for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) can be cured by the application of intensive combination chemotherapy regimens. However, up to 10% develop a secondary malignancy (SMN) after undergoing ALL treatment with cure rates being often dismal. Thus, strategies are needed for an early identification of patients at risk for SMN development, an improved understanding of the underlying pathobiology and, ideally, the development of preventive actions. Analyzing three candidates associated with predisposition to neoplastic diseases - TP53, ETV6 and RUNX1 - we aimed to determine the frequency of single nucleotide variants (SNV) in these genes in a cohort of SMN patients.Methods: Using targeted sequencing, we analyzed a cohort of childhood ALL patients with SMN after treatment on one of seven consecutive ALL-BFM protocols - ALL-BFM 79 to AIEOP-BFM ALL 2000.In the observation period from 1984 to 2008, 168 SMN patients were identified. The median follow-up for the entire patient cohort was 10.6 years as of April, 2013. With the exception of ALL-BFM 79, treatment was stratified into 3 branches, mainly according to the initial leukemic cell load, adverse genetic aberrations and treatment response. DNA isolated from remission bone marrow smears was analyzed employing two different multiplex PCR-based Ion AmpliSeq™ Panels (Life Technologies, Darmstadt, Germany) according to the manufacturer's instructions. The first panel, covering all coding exons of TP53, was employed in 49 patients with adequate material available for analysis. The second panel, interrogating the complete coding regions of ETV6 and RUNX1, was applied in 38 patients with sufficient material available after TP53 analysis. SPSS (IBM Deutschland GmbH, Ehningen, Germany) was used for computerized calculations.Results: In our TP53 analyses, only 1/49 (2%) genotyped SMN patients carried a heterozygous non-synonymous SNV within the coding region. This rare missense variant, p.Asn235Ser (rs144340710), was detected in a patient developing a small round cell sarcoma after treatment for ALL. The in silico scores from Polyphen and Sift algorithms indicated a benign effect for this change. Regarding ETV6, 3/38 (8%) patients carried a heterozygous non-synonymous SNV; two of them developed a hematologic and one patient a solid SMN. One frameshift insertion (p.Ile48Glyfs*2) and a missense variant (p.Leu79Pro) were observed in exon 2, part of the pointed domain. A further missense variant (p.Arg399Gly) was detected in exon 7 within the C-terminal DNA-binding ETS domain. Although ETV6 p.Arg399 is a hotspot mutation site for recurrent somatic mutations in malignancies, none of these variants was recorded in the databases dbSNP, the 1000Genomes Project, the NHLBI GO Exome Sequencing Project, Exome Aggregation Consortium or the Catalogue of Somatic Mutations in Cancer. For both missense variants in silico scores from Sift and Polyphen algorithms predicted a probably damaging effect. Molecular modeling of p.Arg399Gly suggests that the change might directly modulate the DNA binding qualities of the ETS domain. Furthermore, 2/38 patients (5%) had coding variants in RUNX1, both developed a hematologic SMN. One patient carried a nonsense insertion (Leu253Argfs*3). A second patient had a missense SNV (p.Leu56Ser, rs111527738) within the N-terminal RUNT domain, with a probably damaging effect (Polyphen). The described ETV6 and RUNX1 SNV were mutually exclusive. Compared to published data on childhood ALL patients (T. Moriyama et al. Lancet Oncol. 2015 and J. Zhang et al. N Engl J Med. 2015), we found approximately 10-fold and 4-fold higher frequencies of ETV6 and RUNX1 SNV, respectively, in patients developing a SMN after ALL treatment on ALL-BFM protocols.Conclusions: The low frequency of TP53 SNV in our case series suggests that alterations in this frequently mutated tumor suppressor gene may not play a major role in the pathobiology of SMN associated with the treatment of ALL. However, our findings in ETV6 and RUNX1 analyses suggest that genetic variation in these genes may be involved in the development of SMN after undergoing ALL treatment and warrant additional studies employing appropriate control groups for further clarification. DisclosuresSchrappe:Novartis: Consultancy, Research Funding; Medac: Consultancy, Research Funding; SigmaTau: Consultancy, Research Funding; JAZZ Pharma: Consultancy, Research Funding; Baxalta: Consultancy, Research Funding.

Targeted sequencing reveals genetic variants associated with sensitivity of 79 human cancer xenografts to anticancer drugs.

Although there has been progress moving from a ‘one-size-fits-all’ cytotoxic approach to personalized molecular medicine, the majority of patients with cancer receive chemotherapy using cytotoxic anticancer drugs. The sequencing analysis of 409 genes associated with cancer was conducted in the present study using 59 DNA sequences extracted from human cancer xenografts implanted into nude mice, of which sensitivity to 9 cytotoxic anticancer drugs [5-fluorouracil, nimustine, adriamycin, cyclophosphamide, cisplatin, mitomycin C (MMC), methotrexate, vincristine (VCR), and vinblastine] was examined. The present study investigated the association between the sensitivities of the xenografts to the 9 anticancer drugs and the frequency of single nucleotide variants (SNV). The correlation between the expression level of the genes and sensitivities to the 9 drugs in the above xenografts was also estimated. In the screening study using 59 xenografts, 3 SNVs (rs1805321, rs62456182 in PMS1 Homolog 2, Mismatch Repair System Component and rs13382825 in LDL Receptor Related Protein 1B), were associated with sensitivity to VCR and MMC, respectively (P<0.001). A replication study of 596 SNVs was subsequently performed, which indicated P<0.05 in the screening study using independent samples of 20 xenografts. A combined result of the screening and replication studies indicated that 35 SNVs were potentially associated with sensitivities to one or more of the nine anticancer drugs (Pcombined=0.0011–0.035). Of the 35 SNVs, rs16903989 and rs201432181 in Leukemia Inhibitory Factor Receptor α and Adhesion G Protein-Coupled Receptor A2 were commonly associated with sensitivity to 2 or 4 anticancer drugs, respectively. These findings provide novel insights which may benefit the development of personalized anticancer therapy for patients with cancer in the future.

Reappraisal of the genetic diversity and pharmacogenetic assessment of CES1.

The CES1 gene encodes a hydrolase that metabolizes important drugs. Variants generated by exchange of segments with CES1P1 complicate genotyping of CES1. Using a highly specific procedure we examined DNA samples from 200 Caucasians and identified 46 single nucleotide variants (SNVs) in CES1 and 21 SNVs in CES1A2, a hybrid composed of CES1 and CES1P1. Several of these SNVs were novel. The frequencies of SNVs with a potential functional impact were below 0.02 suggesting limited pharmacogenetic potential for CES1 genotyping. In silico PCR revealed that the majority of the primer pairs for amplification of CES1 or CES1A2 in three previous studies lacked specificity, which partially explains a limited overlap with our findings.

Comprehensive characterization of genes associated with the TP53 signal transduction pathway in various tumors

The TP53 signal transduction pathway is an attractive target for cancer treatments. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive molecular evaluation of 907 patients with cancer in Japan to identify genomic alterations in the TP53 pathway. TP53 mutations were frequently detected in many cancers, except melanoma, thymic tumors, gastrointestinal stromal tumors, and renal cancers. The frequencies of non-synonymous single nucleotide variants (SNVs) in the TP53 family members TP63 and TP73 were relatively low, although genes with increased frequencies of SNVs were as follows: PTEN (11.7%) in breast cancer, CDKN2A (11.1 and 9.6%) in pancreas and head and neck cancers, and ATM (18.0 and 11.1%) in liver and esophageal cancers. MDM2 expression was decreased or increased in patients with mutant or wild-type TP53, respectively. CDKN1A expression was increased with mutant TP53 in head and neck cancers. Moreover, TP63 overexpression was characteristically observed in squamous cell carcinomas of the lung, esophagus, and head and neck region. Additionally, overexpression of TP63 and TP73 was frequently observed in thymomas. Our results reveal a spectrum of genomic alterations in the TP53 pathway that is characteristic of many tumor types, and these data may be useful in the trials of targeted therapies.

P2.03b-023 Circulating Tumor DNA (ctDNA)-Based Genomic Profiling of Known Cancer Genes in Lung Squamous Cell Carcinoma (LUSC): Topic: Biomarkers

Next-generation sequencing (NGS) of ctDNA is increasingly used for non-invasive genomic profiling of human cancers. However, studies to date have not detailed the ctDNA genomic landscape in LUSC. From June 2014 to June 2016, ctDNA from 467 patients with stage 3 or 4 (AJCC 7th edition) LUSC (60% male, 40% female; median age of 69 [range 27-96]) were tested with Guardant 360TM, a ctDNA NGS assay that detects single nucleotide variants (SNVs) of 54-70 cancer genes and certain copy number amplifications (CNAs), indels, and fusions. The median time between diagnosis and ctDNA testing was 238 days. Somatic alterations were compared with those in the 2016 LUSC TCGA dataset. 426 patients (92.2%) had at least one somatic alteration detected. The most commonly observed SNVs (> 5% frequency) were TP53 (64.8%), PIK3CA (7.8%), CDKN2A (6.1%), and KRAS (5.9%). Frequencies of SNVs known to be significant in LUSC correlated well between our cohort and the TCGA (Spearman r = 0.93) but were generally lower in our cohort (Table 1). Several of our most frequently observed CNAs are strongly associated with LUSC (EGFR, CDK6, MYC, ERBB2, PDGFRA, KIT, CCND1). In addition, MET exon 14 skipping (1.3%), EGFR exon 19 deletion (1.9%), EGFR exon 20 insertion (0.5%), ERBB2 exon 20 insertion (0.3%) and EML4-ALK fusion (0.7%) were detected. These alterations have rarely been reported in LUSC. Patterns of SNVs and CNAs in LUSC obtained by ctDNA profiling are largely consistent with those from TCGA tissue profiling, although the frequency of key SNVs is lower. The presence of actionable alterations atypical for LUSC in 4.7% of this clinical cohort may represent underappreciated treatment options. Further investigation is warranted to evaluate whether these findings reflect a distinct mutational landscape in heavily treated advanced disease (which is under-represented in the TCGA) and/or challenges in histopathological classification.

The contribution of protein intrinsic disorder to understand the role of genetic variants uncovered by autism spectrum disorders exome studies.

Several autism spectrum disorders (ASD) exome studies suggest that coding single nucleotide variants (SNVs) play an important role on ASD etiology. Usually, the pathogenic effect of missense mutations is estimated through predictors that lose accuracy for those SNVs placed in intrinsically disordered regions of protein. Here, we used bioinformatics tools to investigate the effect of mutations described in ASD published exome studies (549 mutations) in protein disorder, considering post-translational modification, PEST and Molecular Recognition Features (MoRFs) motifs. Schizophrenia and type 2 diabetes (T2D) datasets were created for comparison purposes. The frequency of mutations predicted as disordered was comparable among the three datasets (38.1% in ASD, 35.7% in schizophrenia, 46.4% in T2D). However, the frequency of SNVs predicted to lead a gain or loss of functional sites or change intrinsic disorder tendencies was higher in ASD and schizophrenia than T2D (46.9%, 36.4%, and 23.1%, respectively). The results obtained by SIFT and PolyPhen-2 indicated that 38.9% and 34.4% of the mutations predicted, respectively, as tolerated and benign showed functional alterations in disorder properties. Given the frequency of mutations placed in IDRs and their functional impact, this study suggests that alterations in intrinsic disorder properties might play a role in ASD and schizophrenia etiologies. They should be taken into consideration when researching the pathogenicity of mutations in neurodevelopmental and psychiatric diseases. Finally, mutations with functional alterations in disorder properties must be potential targets for in vitro and in vivo functional studies.