Massively parallel sequencing technologies have identified a broad spectrum of human genome diversity. Here we deep sequenced and correlated 18 genomes and 17 transcriptomes of unrelated Korean ...individuals. This has allowed us to construct a genome-wide map of common and rare variants and also identify variants formed during DNA-RNA transcription. We identified 9.56 million genomic variants, 23.2% of which appear to be previously unidentified. From transcriptome sequencing, we discovered 4,414 transcripts not previously annotated. Finally, we revealed 1,809 sites of transcriptional base modification, where the transcriptional landscape is different from the corresponding genomic sequences, and 580 sites of allele-specific expression. Our findings suggest that a considerable number of unexplored genomic variants still remain to be identified in the human genome, and that the integrated analysis of genome and transcriptome sequencing is powerful for understanding the diversity and functional aspects of human genomic variants.
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DOBA, IJS, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
•Salivary duct carcinoma (SDC) is a rare and aggressive salivary malignancy.•Several recent studies have identified common mutations in SDC.•Anti-ErbB2 therapy, androgen deprivation, and ...immunotherapy deserve further study.
Salivary duct carcinoma (SDC) is a rare, aggressive salivary malignancy that is often diagnosed at an advanced stage. Previously, little was known about outcomes of this disease due to its rarity. In the past several years, much has been learned about salivary duct carcinoma after publication of outcomes from several large single-institution series and national database searches. Recent studies of genomic alterations have helped elucidate the biology and pathogenesis of this aggressive disease. Here we review outcomes of the disease, effects of treatment, prognostic factors, and genomic alterations in SDC. Studies of targeted therapy and promising future directions are also discussed.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZRSKP
The primary source of information that clinicians use when evaluating and managing patients with cancer is the surgical pathology report. Omission of critical information from the report is a ...recognized problem in pathology, especially considering the expanding amount of information, such as molecular diagnostics data, that is now routinely included in reports. To standardize surgical pathology reports, the College of American Pathologists (CAP) introduced the CAP checklists. In 2004, the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer mandated that 90% of pathology reports indicating a cancer diagnosis at participating centers contain all scientifically validated or regularly used data elements. The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center has implemented synoptic reporting based on the CAP checklists for all major tumor types. We report our experience with synoptic reporting on head and neck neoplasms, demonstrating, in particular, how this can be customized according to needs of each institution.
The Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) in Head and Neck Cancer neoplasm virtual biorepository is a bioinformatics-supported system to incorporate data from various clinical, ...pathological, and molecular systems into a single architecture based on a set of common data elements (CDEs) that provides semantic and syntactic interoperability of data sets.
The various components of this annotation tool include the Development of Common Data Elements (CDEs) that are derived from College of American Pathologists (CAP) Checklist and North American Association of Central Cancer Registries (NAACR) standards. The Data Entry Tool is a portable and flexible Oracle-based data entry device, which is an easily mastered web-based tool. The Data Query Tool helps investigators and researchers to search de-identified information within the warehouse/resource through a "point and click" interface, thus enabling only the selected data elements to be essentially copied into a data mart using a multi dimensional model from the warehouse's relational structure.The SPORE Head and Neck Neoplasm Database contains multimodal datasets that are accessible to investigators via an easy to use query tool. The database currently holds 6553 cases and 10607 tumor accessions. Among these, there are 965 metastatic, 4227 primary, 1369 recurrent, and 483 new primary cases. The data disclosure is strictly regulated by user's authorization.
The SPORE Head and Neck Neoplasm Virtual Biorepository is a robust translational biomedical informatics tool that can facilitate basic science, clinical, and translational research. The Data Query Tool acts as a central source providing a mechanism for researchers to efficiently find clinically annotated datasets and biospecimens that are relevant to their research areas. The tool protects patient privacy by revealing only de-identified data in accordance with regulations and approvals of the IRB and scientific review committee.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
MXenes, an emerging class of 2D transition metal carbides and nitrides with the general formula Mn+1XnTx (n = 1–4), have potential for application as floating gates in memory devices because of their ...intrinsic properties of a 2D structure, high density‐of‐states, and high work function. In this study, a series of MXene–TiO2 core–shell nanosheets are synthesized by deterministic control of the surface oxidation of MXene. The floating gate (multilayer MXene) and tunneling layer (TiO2) in a nano‐floating‐gate transistor memory (NFGTM) device are prepared simultaneously by a facile, low‐cost, and water‐based process. The memory performance is optimized via adjustment of the thickness of the oxidation layer formed on the MXene surface. The fabricated MXene NFGTMs exhibit excellent nonvolatile memory characteristics, including a large memory window (>35.2 V), high programming/erasing current ratio (≈106), low off‐current (<1 pA), long retention (>104 s), and cyclic endurance (300 cycles). Furthermore, synaptic functions, including the excitatory postsynaptic current/inhibitory postsynaptic current, paired‐pulse facilitation, and synaptic plasticity (long‐term potentiation/depression), are successfully emulated using the MXene NFGTMs. The successful control of MXene oxidation and its application to NFGTMs are expected to inspire the application of MXene as a data‐storage medium in future memory devices.
The deterministically controlled oxidation of multilayer Ti3C2Tx MXene and the application of MXene–TiO2 core–shell nanosheets as a data‐storage medium in memory devices are demostrated. The optimized MXene nano‐floating‐gate transistor memory exhibits excellent nonvolatile memory characteristics and synaptic functions.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Selpercatinib is a first-in-class, highly selective RET kinase inhibitor with CNS activity that has shown efficacy in RET fusion-positive lung and thyroid cancers. RET fusions occur rarely in other ...tumour types. We aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of selpercatinib in a diverse group of patients with RET fusion-positive non-lung or thyroid advanced solid tumours (ie, a tumour-agnostic population).
LIBRETTO-001 is an ongoing phase 1/2, single-group, open-label, basket trial of selpercatinib in patients aged 18 years and older (or ≥12 years, where permitted by regulatory authorities) with RET-altered cancers. The trial is being conducted at 89 sites in 16 countries; the tumour-agnostic population was enrolled at 30 sites (outpatient and inpatient medical facilities) across eight countries. A prespecified interim analysis of LIBRETTO-001 was planned to investigate the efficacy and safety of selpercatinib in a tumour-agnostic population of patients with RET fusion-positive advanced solid tumours; the data cutoff date was Sept 24, 2021. Eligible patients had disease progression on or after previous systemic therapies or no satisfactory therapeutic options and an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0–2. Selpercatinib was orally administered in a continuous 28-day cycle. Patients enrolled in the phase 1 dose-escalation portion received between 20 mg once daily or 20–240 mg twice daily; the phase 2 recommended dose was 160 mg twice daily. The primary endpoint was the objective response rate as determined by the independent review committee. The efficacy-evaluable tumour-agnostic population was defined as patients with RET fusion-positive cancer, other than non-small-cell lung cancer and thyroid cancer, who had at least 6 months of follow-up from the first study dose at the time of data cutoff (all responders at the time of data cutoff were followed up for at least 6 months from the onset of response unless they progressed or died earlier). Safety was analysed in the tumour-agnostic population of patients who had been enrolled and received selpercatinib on or before the data cutoff date. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03157128) and is still recruiting participants.
Between Dec 4, 2017, and Aug 4, 2021, 45 patients with RET fusion-positive tumour-agnostic cancers were enrolled from the phase 1 dose-escalation and phase 2 dose-expansion cohorts of the trial. 43 (96%) of 45 patients received a starting dose of selpercatinib at the recommended dose of 160 mg twice daily. Of the two patients who did not, one received a dose of 160 mg twice daily via intra-patient dose escalation (as allowed per protocol for patients enrolled in the phase 1 portion of the study at lower doses) and the other patient's starting dose of 120 mg twice daily was never escalated. Of the 41 efficacy-evaluable patients, the objective response rate as per the independent review committee was 43·9% (95% CI 28·5–60·3; 18 of 41 patients). The most common grade 3 or worse treatment-emergent adverse events were hypertension (ten 22% of 45 patients), increased alanine aminotransferase (seven 16%), and increased aspartate aminotransferase (six 13%). Treatment-emergent serious adverse events occurred in 18 (40%) of 45 patients. No treatment-related deaths occurred.
Selpercatinib showed clinically meaningful activity in the RET fusion-positive tumour-agnostic population, with a safety profile consistent with that observed in other indications. Comprehensive genomic testing that includes RET fusions will be crucial for identifying patients who might benefit from selpercatinib.
Loxo Oncology.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
IGFBP-3 has dual impact for the lung cancer development.
The IGF axis has been implicated in the risk of various cancers. We previously reported a potential role of tissue-derived IGF in lung tumor ...formation and progression. However, the role of IGF-binding protein (IGFBP)-3, a major IGFBP, on the activity of tissue-driven IGF in lung cancer development is largely unknown. Here, we show that IGF-I, but not IGF-II, protein levels in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were significantly higher than those in normal and hyperplastic bronchial epithelium. We found that IGF-I and IGFBP-3 levels in NSCLC tissue specimens were significantly correlated with phosphorylated IGF-IR (pIGF-IR) expression. We investigated the impact of IGFBP-3 expression on the activity of tissue-driven IGF-I in lung cancer development using mice carrying lung-specific human IGF-I transgene (Tg), a germline-null mutation of IGFBP-3, or both. Compared with wild-type (BP3+/+) mice, mice carrying heterozygous (BP3+/−) or homozygous (BP3−/−) deletion of IGFBP-3 alleles exhibited decreases in circulating IGFBP-3 and IGF-I. Unexpectedly, IGFTg mice with 50% of physiological IGFBP-3 (BP3+/−; IGFTg) showed higher levels of pIGF-IR/IR and a greater degree of spontaneous or tobacco carcinogen 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone-induced lung tumor development and progression than did the IGFTg mice with normal (BP3+/+; IGFTg) or homozygous deletion of IGFBP-3 (BP3−/−; IGFTg). These data show that IGF-I is overexpressed in NSCLC, leading to activation of IGF-IR, and that IGFBP-3, depending on its expression level, either inhibits or potentiates IGF-I actions in lung carcinogenesis.
Synchronous squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (HNSCC) and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is a rare clinical scenario. It is unknown whether the R-CHOP chemotherapy for lymphoma would also be ...active against HNSCC. Herein, we present such a case and a review of the literature.
A 64 year-old female presented with painless jaundice. CT demonstrated a retroperitoneal mass and pathology showed follicular lymphoma. A base-of-tongue HPV
squamous cell carcinoma was found incidentally on staging CT. R-CHOP chemotherapy was initiated. After 3 cycles of R-CHOP the lymphoma had a complete metabolic response and, unexpectedly, the HNSCC also demonstrated excellent response. The patient received another 3 cycles followed by radiation to the HNSCC and to date is in remission for both cancers.
This case highlights the exquisite sensitivity of HPV-related HNSCC, which should be taken into consideration in treatment prioritization of a concurrent diagnosis of a second cancer.
Long-term environmental variables are widely understood to play important roles in DNA variation. Previously, clinical studies examining the impacts of these variables on the human genome were ...localized to a single country, and used preselected DNA variants. Furthermore, clinical studies or surveys are either not available or difficult to carry out for developing countries. A systematic approach utilizing bioinformatics to identify associations among environmental variables, genetic variation, and diseases across various geographical locations is needed but has been lacking.
Using a novel Geographic-Wide Association Study (GeoWAS) methodology, we identified Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) in the Human Genome Diversity Project (HGDP) with population allele frequencies associated geographical ultraviolet radiation exposure, and then assessed the diseases known to be assigned with these SNPs.
2,857 radiation SNPs were identified from over 650,000 SNPs in 52 indigenous populations across the world. Using a quantitative disease-SNP database curated from 5,065 human genetic papers, we identified disease associations with those radiation SNPs. The correlation of the rs16891982 SNP in the SLC45A2 gene with melanoma was used as a case study for analysis of disease risk, and the results were consistent with the incidence and mortality rates of melanoma in published scientific literature. Finally, by analyzing the ontology of genes in which the radiation SNPs were significantly enriched, potential associations between SNPs and neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's disease were hypothesized.
A systematic approach using GeoWAS has enabled us to identify DNA variation associated with ultraviolet radiation and their connections to diseases such as skin cancers. Our analyses have led to a better understating at the genetic level of why certain diseases are more predominant in specific geographical locations, due to the interactions between environmental variables such as ultraviolet radiation and the population types in those regions. The hypotheses proposed in GeoWAS can lead to future testing and interdisciplinary research.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Second-line treatment options for advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) are limited. The phase Ib KEYNOTE-012 study evaluated the safety and the efficacy of pembrolizumab for the ...treatment of HNSCC after long-term follow-up.
Multi-centre, non-randomised trial included two HNSCC cohorts (initial and expansion) in which 192 patients were eligible. Patients received pembrolizumab 10 mg/kg every 2 weeks (initial cohort; N = 60) or 200 mg every 3 weeks (expansion cohort; N = 132). Co-primary endpoints were safety and overall response rate (ORR; RECIST v1.1; central imaging vendor review).
Median follow-up was 9 months (range, 0.2-32). Treatment-related adverse events (AEs) of any grade and grade 3/4 occurred in 123 (64%) and 24 (13%) patients, respectively. No deaths were attributed to treatment-related AEs. ORR was 18% (34/192; 95% CI, 13-24%). Median response duration was not reached (range, 2+ to 30+ months); 85% of responses lasted ≥6 months. Overall survival at 12 months was 38%.
Some patients received 2 years of treatment and the responses were ongoing for more than 30 months; the durable anti-tumour activity and tolerable safety profile, observed with long-term follow-up, support the use of pembrolizumab as a treatment for recurrent/metastatic HNSCC.
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EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ