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Junk SV, Förster A, Schmidt G, Zimmermann M, Fedders B, Haermeyer B, Bergmann AK, Möricke A, Cario G, Auber B, Schrappe M, Kratz CP, Stanulla M. Germline variants in patients developing second malignant neoplasms after therapy for pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia-a case-control study. Leukemia 2024; 38:887-892. [PMID: 38413718 PMCID: PMC10997515 DOI: 10.1038/s41375-024-02173-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2023] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie V Junk
- Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Hematology and Clinical Immunology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.
| | - Alisa Förster
- Institute of Human Genetics, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Gunnar Schmidt
- Institute of Human Genetics, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Martin Zimmermann
- Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Birthe Fedders
- Department of Pediatrics, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | - Bernd Haermeyer
- Institute of Human Genetics, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Anke K Bergmann
- Institute of Human Genetics, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Anja Möricke
- Department of Pediatrics, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | - Gunnar Cario
- Department of Pediatrics, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | - Bernd Auber
- Institute of Human Genetics, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Martin Schrappe
- Department of Pediatrics, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | - Christian P Kratz
- Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Martin Stanulla
- Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.
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Stoltze UK, Foss-Skiftesvik J, Hansen TVO, Rasmussen S, Karczewski KJ, Wadt KAW, Schmiegelow K. The evolutionary impact of childhood cancer on the human gene pool. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1881. [PMID: 38424437 PMCID: PMC10904397 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45975-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Germline pathogenic variants associated with increased childhood mortality must be subject to natural selection. Here, we analyze publicly available germline genetic metadata from 4,574 children with cancer [11 studies; 1,083 whole exome sequences (WES), 1,950 whole genome sequences (WGS), and 1,541 gene panel] and 141,456 adults [125,748 WES and 15,708 WGS]. We find that pediatric cancer predisposition syndrome (pCPS) genes [n = 85] are highly constrained, harboring only a quarter of the loss-of-function variants that would be expected. This strong indication of selective pressure on pCPS genes is found across multiple lines of germline genomics data from both pediatric and adult cohorts. For six genes [ELP1, GPR161, VHL and SDHA/B/C], a clear lack of mutational constraint calls the pediatric penetrance and/or severity of associated cancers into question. Conversely, out of 23 known pCPS genes associated with biallelic risk, two [9%, DIS3L2 and MSH2] show significant constraint, indicating that they may monoallelically increase childhood cancer risk. In summary, we show that population genetic data provide empirical evidence that heritable childhood cancer leads to natural selection powerful enough to have significantly impacted the present-day gene pool.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulrik Kristoffer Stoltze
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Rigshospitalet, Blegdamsvej 9, Copenhagen, The Capital Region, Denmark.
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Rigshospitalet, Blegdamsvej 9, Copenhagen, The Capital Region, Denmark.
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Merkin Building, 415 Main St, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA.
| | - Jon Foss-Skiftesvik
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Rigshospitalet, Blegdamsvej 9, Copenhagen, The Capital Region, Denmark
- Department of Neurosurgery, Rigshospitalet, Blegdamsvej 9, Copenhagen, The Capital Region, Denmark
| | - Thomas van Overeem Hansen
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Rigshospitalet, Blegdamsvej 9, Copenhagen, The Capital Region, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Simon Rasmussen
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, Copenhagen, Denmark
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Genomic Mechanisms of Disease, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
| | - Konrad J Karczewski
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Merkin Building, 415 Main St, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Genomic Mechanisms of Disease, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit St, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
- Analytic and Translational Genetics Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit St, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
| | - Karin A W Wadt
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Rigshospitalet, Blegdamsvej 9, Copenhagen, The Capital Region, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Kjeld Schmiegelow
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Rigshospitalet, Blegdamsvej 9, Copenhagen, The Capital Region, Denmark.
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, Copenhagen, Denmark.
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Jovanović A, Tošić N, Marjanović I, Komazec J, Zukić B, Nikitović M, Ilić R, Grujičić D, Janić D, Pavlović S. Germline Variants in Cancer Predisposition Genes in Pediatric Patients with Central Nervous System Tumors. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:17387. [PMID: 38139220 PMCID: PMC10744041 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242417387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Revised: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Central nervous system (CNS) tumors comprise around 20% of childhood malignancies. Germline variants in cancer predisposition genes (CPGs) are found in approximately 10% of pediatric patients with CNS tumors. This study aimed to characterize variants in CPGs in pediatric patients with CNS tumors and correlate these findings with clinically relevant data. Genomic DNA was isolated from the peripheral blood of 51 pediatric patients and further analyzed by the next-generation sequencing approach. Bioinformatic analysis was done using an "in-house" gene list panel, which included 144 genes related to pediatric brain tumors, and the gene list panel Neoplasm (HP:0002664). Our study found that 27% of pediatric patients with CNS tumors have a germline variant in some of the known CPGs, like ALK, APC, CHEK2, ELP1, MLH1, MSH2, NF1, NF2 and TP53. This study represents the first comprehensive evaluation of germline variants in pediatric patients with CNS tumors in the Western Balkans region. Our results indicate the necessity of genomic research to reveal the genetic basis of pediatric CNS tumors, as well as to define targets for the application and development of innovative therapeutics that form the basis of the upcoming era of personalized medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksa Jovanović
- Pediatric Oncology Department, National Cancer Research Center, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia; (A.J.); (D.J.)
| | - Nataša Tošić
- Laboratory for Molecular Biomedicine, Institute of Molecular Genetics and Genetic Engineering, University of Belgrade, 11042 Belgrade, Serbia; (N.T.); (I.M.); (J.K.); (B.Z.)
| | - Irena Marjanović
- Laboratory for Molecular Biomedicine, Institute of Molecular Genetics and Genetic Engineering, University of Belgrade, 11042 Belgrade, Serbia; (N.T.); (I.M.); (J.K.); (B.Z.)
| | - Jovana Komazec
- Laboratory for Molecular Biomedicine, Institute of Molecular Genetics and Genetic Engineering, University of Belgrade, 11042 Belgrade, Serbia; (N.T.); (I.M.); (J.K.); (B.Z.)
| | - Branka Zukić
- Laboratory for Molecular Biomedicine, Institute of Molecular Genetics and Genetic Engineering, University of Belgrade, 11042 Belgrade, Serbia; (N.T.); (I.M.); (J.K.); (B.Z.)
| | - Marina Nikitović
- Pediatric Radiation Oncology Department, National Cancer Research Center, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia;
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia; (R.I.); (D.G.)
| | - Rosanda Ilić
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia; (R.I.); (D.G.)
- Neurooncology Department, Neurosurgery Clinic, University Clinical Centre of Serbia, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Danica Grujičić
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia; (R.I.); (D.G.)
- Neurooncology Department, Neurosurgery Clinic, University Clinical Centre of Serbia, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Dragana Janić
- Pediatric Oncology Department, National Cancer Research Center, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia; (A.J.); (D.J.)
| | - Sonja Pavlović
- Laboratory for Molecular Biomedicine, Institute of Molecular Genetics and Genetic Engineering, University of Belgrade, 11042 Belgrade, Serbia; (N.T.); (I.M.); (J.K.); (B.Z.)
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Stoltze UK, Hildonen M, Hansen TVO, Foss-Skiftesvik J, Byrjalsen A, Lundsgaard M, Pignata L, Grønskov K, Tumer Z, Schmiegelow K, Brok JS, Wadt KAW. Germline (epi)genetics reveals high predisposition in females: a 5-year, nationwide, prospective Wilms tumour cohort. J Med Genet 2023; 60:842-849. [PMID: 37019617 PMCID: PMC10447365 DOI: 10.1136/jmg-2022-108982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 04/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Studies suggest that Wilms tumours (WT) are caused by underlying genetic (5%-10%) and epigenetic (2%-29%) mechanisms, yet studies covering both aspects are sparse. METHODS We performed prospective whole-genome sequencing of germline DNA in Danish children diagnosed with WT from 2016 to 2021, and linked genotypes to deep phenotypes. RESULTS Of 24 patients (58% female), 3 (13%, all female) harboured pathogenic germline variants in WT risk genes (FBXW7, WT1 and REST). Only one patient had a family history of WT (3 cases), segregating with the REST variant. Epigenetic testing revealed one (4%) additional patient (female) with uniparental disomy of chromosome 11 and Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome (BWS). We observed a tendency of higher methylation of the BWS-related imprinting centre 1 in patients with WT than in healthy controls. Three patients (13%, all female) with bilateral tumours and/or features of BWS had higher birth weights (4780 g vs 3575 g; p=0.002). We observed more patients with macrosomia (>4250 g, n=5, all female) than expected (OR 9.98 (95% CI 2.56 to 34.66)). Genes involved in early kidney development were enriched in our constrained gene analysis, including both known (WT1, FBXW7) and candidate (CTNND1, FRMD4A) WT predisposition genes. WT predisposing variants, BWS and/or macrosomia (n=8, all female) were more common in female patients than male patients (p=0.01). CONCLUSION We find that most females (57%) and 33% of all patients with WT had either a genetic or another indicator of WT predisposition. This emphasises the need for scrutiny when diagnosing patients with WT, as early detection of underlying predisposition may impact treatment, follow-up and genetic counselling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulrik Kristoffer Stoltze
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Pediatrics, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Mathis Hildonen
- Department of Genetics, Kennedy Center-National Research Center on Rare Genetic Diseases, Glostrup, Denmark
| | | | | | - Anna Byrjalsen
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Malene Lundsgaard
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, North Denmark Region, Denmark
| | - Laura Pignata
- Department of Environmental, Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, Università Degli Studi Della Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Caserta, Italy
| | - Karen Grønskov
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Zeynep Tumer
- Applied Human Molecular Genetics, Kennedy Center, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Glostrup, Denmark
| | | | - Jesper Sune Brok
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Karin A W Wadt
- Department of Clinical Genetics, University Hospital of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Stoltze UK, Foss-Skiftesvik J, van Overeem Hansen T, Byrjalsen A, Sehested A, Scheie D, Stamm Mikkelsen T, Rasmussen S, Bak M, Okkels H, Thude Callesen M, Skjøth-Rasmussen J, Gerdes AM, Schmiegelow K, Mathiasen R, Wadt K. Genetic predisposition and evolutionary traces of pediatric cancer risk: a prospective 5-year population-based genome sequencing study of children with CNS tumors. Neuro Oncol 2023; 25:761-773. [PMID: 35902210 PMCID: PMC10076945 DOI: 10.1093/neuonc/noac187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The etiology of central nervous system (CNS) tumors in children is largely unknown and population-based studies of genetic predisposition are lacking. METHODS In this prospective, population-based study, we performed germline whole-genome sequencing in 128 children with CNS tumors, supplemented by a systematic pedigree analysis covering 3543 close relatives. RESULTS Thirteen children (10%) harbored pathogenic variants in known cancer genes. These children were more likely to have medulloblastoma (OR 5.9, CI 1.6-21.2) and develop metasynchronous CNS tumors (P = 0.01). Similar carrier frequencies were seen among children with low-grade glioma (12.8%) and high-grade tumors (12.2%). Next, considering the high mortality of childhood CNS tumors throughout most of human evolution, we explored known pediatric-onset cancer genes, showing that they are more evolutionarily constrained than genes associated with risk of adult-onset malignancies (P = 5e-4) and all other genes (P = 5e-17). Based on this observation, we expanded our analysis to 2986 genes exhibiting high evolutionary constraint in 141,456 humans. This analysis identified eight directly causative loss-of-functions variants, and showed a dose-response association between degree of constraint and likelihood of pathogenicity-raising the question of the role of other highly constrained gene alterations detected. CONCLUSIONS Approximately 10% of pediatric CNS tumors can be attributed to rare variants in known cancer genes. Genes associated with high risk of childhood cancer show evolutionary evidence of constraint.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulrik Kristoffer Stoltze
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Rigshospitalet - Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Rigshospitalet - Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jon Foss-Skiftesvik
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Rigshospitalet - Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Neurosurgery, Rigshospitalet - Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Thomas van Overeem Hansen
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Rigshospitalet - Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Anna Byrjalsen
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Rigshospitalet - Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Astrid Sehested
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Rigshospitalet - Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - David Scheie
- Department of Pathology, Rigshospitalet - Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Torben Stamm Mikkelsen
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Simon Rasmussen
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research, Copenhagen University, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Mads Bak
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Rigshospitalet - Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Henrik Okkels
- Department of Molecular Diagnostics, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Michael Thude Callesen
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark
| | - Jane Skjøth-Rasmussen
- Department of Neurosurgery, Rigshospitalet - Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Anne-Marie Gerdes
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Rigshospitalet - Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Kjeld Schmiegelow
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Rigshospitalet - Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - René Mathiasen
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Rigshospitalet - Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Karin Wadt
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Rigshospitalet - Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Langenberg KP, Meister MT, Bakhuizen JJ, Boer JM, van Eijkelenburg NK, Hulleman E, Ilan U, Looze EJ, Dierselhuis MP, van der Lugt J, Breunis W, Schild LG, Ober K, van Hooff SR, Scheijde-Vermeulen MA, Hiemcke-Jiwa LS, Flucke UE, Kranendonk ME, Wesseling P, Sonneveld E, Punt S, Boltjes A, van Dijk F, Verwiel ET, Volckmann R, Hehir-Kwa JY, Kester LA, Koudijs MM, Waanders E, Holstege FC, Vormoor HJ, Hoving EW, van Noesel MM, Pieters R, Kool M, Stumpf M, Blattner-Johnson M, Balasubramanian GP, Van Tilburg CM, Jones BC, Jones DT, Witt O, Pfister SM, Jongmans MC, Kuiper RP, de Krijger RR, Wijnen MH, den Boer ML, Zwaan CM, Kemmeren P, Koster J, Tops BB, Goemans BF, Molenaar JJ. Implementation of paediatric precision oncology into clinical practice: The Individualized Therapies for Children with cancer program ‘iTHER’. Eur J Cancer 2022; 175:311-325. [PMID: 36182817 PMCID: PMC9586161 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejca.2022.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Revised: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
iTHER is a Dutch prospective national precision oncology program aiming to define tumour molecular profiles in children and adolescents with primary very high-risk, relapsed, or refractory paediatric tumours. Between April 2017 and April 2021, 302 samples from 253 patients were included. Comprehensive molecular profiling including low-coverage whole genome sequencing (lcWGS), whole exome sequencing (WES), RNA sequencing (RNA-seq), Affymetrix, and/or 850k methylation profiling was successfully performed for 226 samples with at least 20% tumour content. Germline pathogenic variants were identified in 16% of patients (35/219), of which 22 variants were judged causative for a cancer predisposition syndrome. At least one somatic alteration was detected in 204 (90.3%), and 185 (81.9%) were considered druggable, with clinical priority very high (6.1%), high (21.3%), moderate (26.0%), intermediate (36.1%), and borderline (10.5%) priority. iTHER led to revision or refinement of diagnosis in 8 patients (3.5%). Temporal heterogeneity was observed in paired samples of 15 patients, indicating the value of sequential analyses. Of 137 patients with follow-up beyond twelve months, 21 molecularly matched treatments were applied in 19 patients (13.9%), with clinical benefit in few. Most relevant barriers to not applying targeted therapies included poor performance status, as well as limited access to drugs within clinical trial. iTHER demonstrates the feasibility of comprehensive molecular profiling across all ages, tumour types and stages in paediatric cancers, informing of diagnostic, prognostic, and targetable alterations as well as reportable germline variants. Therefore, WES and RNA-seq is nowadays standard clinical care at the Princess Máxima Center for all children with cancer, including patients at primary diagnosis. Improved access to innovative treatments within biology-driven combination trials is required to ultimately improve survival. Implementing comprehensive molecular profiling into standard of care is feasible. Temporal heterogeneity is observed, indicating the value of sequential analyses. Molecularly matched treatments are applied in a minority of patients despite clinical benefit. Poor performance status & limited access to drugs within trial hamper targeted treatment. The multidisciplinary tumour board is crucial in translating findings into clinical decision making.
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