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Buckley DN, Tew BY, Gooden C, Salhia B. A comprehensive analysis of minimally differentially methylated regions common to pediatric and adult solid tumors. NPJ Precis Oncol 2024; 8:125. [PMID: 38824198 PMCID: PMC11144230 DOI: 10.1038/s41698-024-00590-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Cancer is the second most common cause of death in children aged 1-14 years in the United States, with 11,000 new cases and 1200 deaths annually. Pediatric cancers typically have lower mutational burden compared to adult-onset cancers, however, the epigenomes in pediatric cancer are highly altered, with widespread DNA methylation changes. The rarity of pediatric cancers poses a significant challenge to developing cancer-type specific biomarkers for diagnosis, prognosis, or treatment monitoring. In the current study, we explored the potential of a DNA methylation profile common across various pediatric cancers. To do this, we conducted whole genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS) on 31 recurrent pediatric tumor tissues, 13 normal tissues, and 20 plasma cell-free (cf)DNA samples, representing 11 different pediatric cancer types. We defined minimal focal regions that were differentially methylated across samples in the multiple cancer types which we termed minimally differentially methylated regions (mDMRs). These methylation changes were also observed in 506 pediatric and 5691 adult cancer samples accessed from publicly available databases, and in 44 pediatric cancer samples we analyzed using a targeted hybridization probe capture assay. Finally, we found that these methylation changes were detectable in cfDNA and could serve as potential cfDNA methylation biomarkers for early detection or minimal residual disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- David N Buckley
- Department of Translational Genomics, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Ben Yi Tew
- Department of Translational Genomics, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Chris Gooden
- Department of Translational Genomics, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Bodour Salhia
- Department of Translational Genomics, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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Narayan NJC, Requena D, Lalazar G, Ramos-Espiritu L, Ng D, Levin S, Shebl B, Wang R, Hammond WJ, Saltsman JA, Gehart H, Torbenson MS, Clevers H, LaQuaglia MP, Simon SM. Human liver organoids for disease modeling of fibrolamellar carcinoma. Stem Cell Reports 2022; 17:1874-1888. [PMID: 35803261 PMCID: PMC9391427 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2022.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2022] [Revised: 06/04/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Fibrolamellar carcinoma (FLC) is a rare, often lethal, liver cancer affecting adolescents and young adults, for which there are no approved therapeutics. The development of therapeutics is hampered by a lack of in vitro models. Organoids have shown utility as a model system for studying many diseases. In this study, tumor tissue and the adjacent non-tumor liver were obtained at the time of surgery. The tissue was dissociated and grown as organoids. We developed 21 patient-derived organoid lines: 12 from metastases, three from the liver tumor and six from adjacent non-tumor liver. These patient-derived FLC organoids recapitulate the histologic morphology, immunohistochemistry, and transcriptome of the patient tumor. Patient-derived FLC organoids were used in a preliminary high-throughput drug screen to show proof of concept for the identification of therapeutics. This model system has the potential to improve our understanding of this rare cancer and holds significant promise for drug testing and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole J C Narayan
- Pediatric Surgical Service, Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA; Laboratory of Cellular Biophysics, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - David Requena
- Laboratory of Cellular Biophysics, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Gadi Lalazar
- Laboratory of Cellular Biophysics, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Lavoisier Ramos-Espiritu
- High Throughput and Spectroscopy Center, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Denise Ng
- Laboratory of Cellular Biophysics, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Solomon Levin
- Laboratory of Cellular Biophysics, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Bassem Shebl
- Laboratory of Cellular Biophysics, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Ruisi Wang
- Laboratory of Cellular Biophysics, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - William J Hammond
- Pediatric Surgical Service, Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA; Laboratory of Cellular Biophysics, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - James A Saltsman
- Pediatric Surgical Service, Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA; Laboratory of Cellular Biophysics, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Helmuth Gehart
- Hubrecht Institute, KNAW (Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences), Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Michael S Torbenson
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Anatomic Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Hans Clevers
- Hubrecht Institute, KNAW (Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences), Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Michael P LaQuaglia
- Pediatric Surgical Service, Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sanford M Simon
- Laboratory of Cellular Biophysics, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA.
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Lalazar G, Requena D, Ramos-Espiritu L, Ng D, Bhola PD, de Jong YP, Wang R, Narayan NJC, Shebl B, Levin S, Michailidis E, Kabbani M, Vercauteren KOA, Hurley AM, Farber BA, Hammond WJ, Saltsman JA, Weinberg EM, Glickman JF, Lyons BA, Ellison J, Schadde E, Hertl M, Leiting JL, Truty MJ, Smoot RL, Tierney F, Kato T, Wendel HG, LaQuaglia MP, Rice CM, Letai A, Coffino P, Torbenson MS, Ortiz MV, Simon SM. Identification of Novel Therapeutic Targets for Fibrolamellar Carcinoma Using Patient-Derived Xenografts and Direct-from-Patient Screening. Cancer Discov 2021; 11:2544-2563. [PMID: 34127480 PMCID: PMC8734228 DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.cd-20-0872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2020] [Revised: 03/12/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
To repurpose therapeutics for fibrolamellar carcinoma (FLC), we developed and validated patient-derived xenografts (PDX) from surgical resections. Most agents used clinically and inhibitors of oncogenes overexpressed in FLC showed little efficacy on PDX. A high-throughput functional drug screen found primary and metastatic FLC were vulnerable to clinically available inhibitors of TOPO1 and HDAC and to napabucasin. Napabucasin's efficacy was mediated through reactive oxygen species and inhibition of translation initiation, and specific inhibition of eIF4A was effective. The sensitivity of each PDX line inversely correlated with expression of the antiapoptotic protein Bcl-xL, and inhibition of Bcl-xL synergized with other drugs. Screening directly on cells dissociated from patient resections validated these results. This demonstrates that a direct functional screen on patient tumors provides therapeutically informative data within a clinically useful time frame. Identifying these novel therapeutic targets and combination therapies is an urgent need, as effective therapeutics for FLC are currently unavailable. SIGNIFICANCE: Therapeutics informed by genomics have not yielded effective therapies for FLC. A functional screen identified TOPO1, HDAC inhibitors, and napabucasin as efficacious and synergistic with inhibition of Bcl-xL. Validation on cells dissociated directly from patient tumors demonstrates the ability for functional precision medicine in a solid tumor.This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 2355.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gadi Lalazar
- Laboratory of Cellular Biophysics, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York
| | - David Requena
- Laboratory of Cellular Biophysics, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York
| | - Lavoisier Ramos-Espiritu
- High Throughput and Spectroscopy Resource Center, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York
| | - Denise Ng
- Laboratory of Cellular Biophysics, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York
| | - Patrick D Bhola
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Ype P de Jong
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York
- Laboratory of Virology and Infectious Disease, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York
| | - Ruisi Wang
- Laboratory of Cellular Biophysics, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York
| | - Nicole J C Narayan
- Laboratory of Cellular Biophysics, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York
- Pediatric Surgery Service, Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Bassem Shebl
- Laboratory of Cellular Biophysics, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York
| | - Solomon Levin
- Laboratory of Cellular Biophysics, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York
| | - Eleftherios Michailidis
- Laboratory of Virology and Infectious Disease, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York
| | - Mohammad Kabbani
- Laboratory of Virology and Infectious Disease, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York
| | - Koen O A Vercauteren
- Laboratory of Virology and Infectious Disease, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York
- Laboratory of Liver Infectious Diseases, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Arlene M Hurley
- Hospital Program Direction, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York
| | - Benjamin A Farber
- Laboratory of Cellular Biophysics, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York
- Department of Surgery, Division of Pediatric Surgery, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, Iowa
| | - William J Hammond
- Laboratory of Cellular Biophysics, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York
- Pediatric Surgery Service, Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
- Department of Surgery, New York Presbyterian Hospital-Weill Cornell Medical Center, New York, New York
| | - James A Saltsman
- Laboratory of Cellular Biophysics, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York
- Pediatric Surgery Service, Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
- Department of Surgery, Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, New York
| | - Ethan M Weinberg
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - J Fraser Glickman
- High Throughput and Spectroscopy Resource Center, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York
| | - Barbara A Lyons
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico
| | - Jessica Ellison
- Division of Transplantation, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Erik Schadde
- Department of Surgery, Division of Transplantation and Division of Surgical Oncology, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Martin Hertl
- Division of Transplantation, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Jennifer L Leiting
- Division of Subspecialty General Surgery, Department of Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Mark J Truty
- Division of Subspecialty General Surgery, Department of Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Rory L Smoot
- Division of Subspecialty General Surgery, Department of Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Faith Tierney
- Division of Abdominal Organ Transplantation, New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University, New York, New York
| | - Tomoaki Kato
- Division of Abdominal Organ Transplantation, New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University, New York, New York
| | - Hans-Guido Wendel
- Cancer Biology and Genetics Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Michael P LaQuaglia
- Pediatric Surgery Service, Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Charles M Rice
- Laboratory of Virology and Infectious Disease, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York
| | - Anthony Letai
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Philip Coffino
- Laboratory of Cellular Biophysics, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York
| | | | - Michael V Ortiz
- Department of Pediatrics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Sanford M Simon
- Laboratory of Cellular Biophysics, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York.
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Hirsch TZ, Negulescu A, Gupta B, Caruso S, Noblet B, Couchy G, Bayard Q, Meunier L, Morcrette G, Scoazec JY, Blanc JF, Amaddeo G, Nault JC, Bioulac-Sage P, Ziol M, Beaufrère A, Paradis V, Calderaro J, Imbeaud S, Zucman-Rossi J. BAP1 mutations define a homogeneous subgroup of hepatocellular carcinoma with fibrolamellar-like features and activated PKA. J Hepatol 2020; 72:924-936. [PMID: 31862487 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2019.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2019] [Revised: 12/04/2019] [Accepted: 12/05/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS DNAJB1-PRKACA fusion is a specific driver event in fibrolamellar carcinoma (FLC), a rare subtype of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) that occurs in adolescents and young adults. In older patients, molecular determinants of HCC with mixed histological features of HCC and FLC (mixed-FLC/HCC) remain to be discovered. METHODS A series of 151 liver tumors including 126 HCC, 15 FLC, and 10 mixed-FLC/HCC were analyzed by RNAseq and whole-genome- or whole-exome sequencing. Western blots were performed to validate genomic discoveries. Results were validated using the TCGA database. RESULTS Most of the mixed-FLC/HCC RNAseq clustered in a robust subgroup of 17 tumors, which all had mutations or translocations inactivating BAP1, the gene encoding BRCA1-associated protein-1. Like FLC, BAP1-HCC were significantly enriched in females, patients with a lack of chronic liver disease, and fibrotic tumors compared to non-BAP1 HCC. However, patients were older and had a poorer prognosis than those with FLC. BAP1 tumors were immune hot, showed progenitor features and did not show DNAJB1-PRKACA fusion, while almost none of these tumors had mutations in CTNNB1, TP53 and TERT promoter. In contrast, 80% of the BAP1 tumors showed a chromosome gain of PRKACA at 19p13, combined with a loss of PRKAR2A (coding for the inhibitory regulatory subunit of PKA) at 3p21, leading to a high PRKACA/PRKAR2A ratio at the mRNA and protein levels. CONCLUSION We have characterized a subgroup of BAP1-driven HCC with fibrolamellar-like features and a dysregulation of the PKA pathway, which could be at the root of the clinical and histological similarities between BAP1 tumors and DNAJB1-PRKACA FLCs. LAY SUMMARY Herein, we have defined a homogeneous subgroup of hepatocellular carcinomas in which the BAP1 gene is inactivated. This leads to the development of cancers with features similar to those of fibrolamellar carcinoma. These tumors more frequently develop in females without chronic liver disease or cirrhosis. The presence of PKA activation and T cell infiltrates suggest that these tumors could be treated with PKA inhibitors or immunomodulators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Théo Z Hirsch
- Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Sorbonne Université, Inserm, Université de Paris, F-75006 Paris, France; Functional Genomics of Solid Tumors laboratory, équipe labellisée Ligue Nationale contre le Cancer, Labex OncoImmunology, F-75006, Paris, France
| | - Ana Negulescu
- Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Sorbonne Université, Inserm, Université de Paris, F-75006 Paris, France; Functional Genomics of Solid Tumors laboratory, équipe labellisée Ligue Nationale contre le Cancer, Labex OncoImmunology, F-75006, Paris, France
| | - Barkha Gupta
- Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Sorbonne Université, Inserm, Université de Paris, F-75006 Paris, France; Functional Genomics of Solid Tumors laboratory, équipe labellisée Ligue Nationale contre le Cancer, Labex OncoImmunology, F-75006, Paris, France
| | - Stefano Caruso
- Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Sorbonne Université, Inserm, Université de Paris, F-75006 Paris, France; Functional Genomics of Solid Tumors laboratory, équipe labellisée Ligue Nationale contre le Cancer, Labex OncoImmunology, F-75006, Paris, France
| | - Bénédicte Noblet
- Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Sorbonne Université, Inserm, Université de Paris, F-75006 Paris, France; Functional Genomics of Solid Tumors laboratory, équipe labellisée Ligue Nationale contre le Cancer, Labex OncoImmunology, F-75006, Paris, France
| | - Gabrielle Couchy
- Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Sorbonne Université, Inserm, Université de Paris, F-75006 Paris, France; Functional Genomics of Solid Tumors laboratory, équipe labellisée Ligue Nationale contre le Cancer, Labex OncoImmunology, F-75006, Paris, France
| | - Quentin Bayard
- Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Sorbonne Université, Inserm, Université de Paris, F-75006 Paris, France; Functional Genomics of Solid Tumors laboratory, équipe labellisée Ligue Nationale contre le Cancer, Labex OncoImmunology, F-75006, Paris, France
| | - Léa Meunier
- Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Sorbonne Université, Inserm, Université de Paris, F-75006 Paris, France; Functional Genomics of Solid Tumors laboratory, équipe labellisée Ligue Nationale contre le Cancer, Labex OncoImmunology, F-75006, Paris, France
| | - Guillaume Morcrette
- Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Sorbonne Université, Inserm, Université de Paris, F-75006 Paris, France; Functional Genomics of Solid Tumors laboratory, équipe labellisée Ligue Nationale contre le Cancer, Labex OncoImmunology, F-75006, Paris, France; Service de Pathologie Pédiatrique, APHP, Hôpital Robert Debré, F-75019 Paris, France
| | - Jean-Yves Scoazec
- Service d'anatomie et de cytologie pathologiques, Gustave Roussy Cancer Center, F-94800 Villejuif, France
| | - Jean-Frédéric Blanc
- Service Hépato-Gastroentérologie et Oncologie Digestive, Hôpital Haut-Lévêque, CHU de Bordeaux, F-33000 Bordeaux, France; Service de Pathologie, Hôpital Pellegrin, CHU de Bordeaux, F-33076 Bordeaux, France; Université Bordeaux, Inserm, Research in Translational Oncology, BaRITOn, F-33076 Bordeaux, France
| | - Giuliana Amaddeo
- Service d'Hépato-Gastro-Entérologie, Hôpital Henri Mondor, APHP, Université Paris Est Créteil, Inserm U955, Institut Mondor de Recherche Biomédicale, F-94010 Créteil, France
| | - Jean-Charles Nault
- Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Sorbonne Université, Inserm, Université de Paris, F-75006 Paris, France; Functional Genomics of Solid Tumors laboratory, équipe labellisée Ligue Nationale contre le Cancer, Labex OncoImmunology, F-75006, Paris, France; Service d'Hépatologie, Hôpital Jean Verdier, Hôpitaux Universitaires Paris-Seine-Saint-Denis, APHP, Universitô Sorbonne Paris Nord, F-93140 Bondy, France
| | - Paulette Bioulac-Sage
- Service de Pathologie, Hôpital Pellegrin, CHU de Bordeaux, F-33076 Bordeaux, France; Université Bordeaux, Inserm, Research in Translational Oncology, BaRITOn, F-33076 Bordeaux, France
| | - Marianne Ziol
- Service d'Anatomie Pathologique, Hôpital Jean Verdier, Hôpitaux Universitaires Paris-Seine-Saint-Denis, APHP, Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, F-93140 Bondy, France
| | - Aurélie Beaufrère
- Service de pathologie, Hôpital Beaujon, APHP, F-92110 Clichy, France
| | - Valérie Paradis
- Service de pathologie, Hôpital Beaujon, APHP, F-92110 Clichy, France; Université de Paris, CNRS, Centre de Recherche sur l'Inflammation (CRI), Paris, F-75890, France
| | - Julien Calderaro
- Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Sorbonne Université, Inserm, Université de Paris, F-75006 Paris, France; Functional Genomics of Solid Tumors laboratory, équipe labellisée Ligue Nationale contre le Cancer, Labex OncoImmunology, F-75006, Paris, France; Service d'Anatomopathologie, Hôpital Henri Mondor, APHP, Institut Mondor de Recherche Biomédicale, F-94010 Créteil, France
| | - Sandrine Imbeaud
- Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Sorbonne Université, Inserm, Université de Paris, F-75006 Paris, France; Functional Genomics of Solid Tumors laboratory, équipe labellisée Ligue Nationale contre le Cancer, Labex OncoImmunology, F-75006, Paris, France
| | - Jessica Zucman-Rossi
- Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Sorbonne Université, Inserm, Université de Paris, F-75006 Paris, France; Functional Genomics of Solid Tumors laboratory, équipe labellisée Ligue Nationale contre le Cancer, Labex OncoImmunology, F-75006, Paris, France; Hôpital Européen Georges Pompidou, APHP, F-75015 Paris, France.
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Molecular and histological correlations in liver cancer. J Hepatol 2019; 71:616-630. [PMID: 31195064 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2019.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 279] [Impact Index Per Article: 55.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2019] [Revised: 05/22/2019] [Accepted: 06/01/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a highly heterogeneous cancer, both at the molecular and histological level. High-throughput sequencing and gene expression profiling have identified distinct transcriptomic subclasses and numerous recurrent genetic alterations; several HCC subtypes characterised by histological features have also been identified. HCC phenotype appears to be closely related to particular gene mutations, tumour subgroups and/or oncogenic pathways. Non-proliferative tumours display a well-differentiated phenotype. Among this molecular subgroup, CTNNB1-mutated HCCs constitute a homogeneous subtype, exhibiting cholestasis and microtrabecular and pseudoglandular architectural patterns. Another non-proliferative subtype has a gene expression pattern similar to that of mature hepatocytes (G4) and displays a steatohepatitic phenotype. In contrast, proliferative HCCs are most often poorly differentiated, and notably include tumours with progenitor features. A novel morphological variant of proliferative HCC - designated "macrotrabecular-massive" - was recently shown to be associated with angiogenesis activation and poor prognosis. Altogether, these findings may help to translate our knowledge of HCC biology into clinical practice, resulting in improved precision medicine for patients with this highly aggressive malignancy. This manuscript reviews the most recent data in this exciting field, discussing future directions and challenges.
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6
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LINE-1 hypomethylation in human hepatocellular carcinomas correlates with shorter overall survival and CIMP phenotype. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0216374. [PMID: 31059558 PMCID: PMC6502450 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0216374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2019] [Accepted: 04/18/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Reactivation of interspersed repetitive sequences due to loss of methylation is associated with genomic instability, one of the hallmarks of cancer cells. LINE-1 hypomethylation is a surrogate marker for global methylation loss and is potentially a new diagnostic and prognostic biomarker in tumors. However, the correlation of LINE-1 hypomethylation with clinicopathological parameters and the CpG island methylator phenotype (CIMP) in patients with liver tumors is not yet well defined, particularly in Caucasians who show quite low rates of HCV/HBV infection and a higher incidence of liver steatosis. Therefore, quantitative DNA methylation analysis of LINE-1, RASSF1A, and CCND2 using pyrosequencing was performed in human hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC, n = 40), hepatocellular adenoma (HCA, n = 10), focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH, n = 5), and corresponding peritumoral liver tissues as well as healthy liver tissues (n = 5) from Caucasian patients. Methylation results were correlated with histopathological findings and clinical data. We found loss of LINE-1 DNA methylation only in HCC. It correlated significantly with poor survival (log rank test, p = 0.007). An inverse correlation was found for LINE-1 and RASSF1A DNA methylation levels (r2 = -0.47, p = 0.002). LINE-1 hypomethylation correlated with concurrent RASSF1/CCND2 hypermethylation (Fisher’s exact test, p = 0.02). Both LINE-1 hypomethylation and RASSF1A/CCND2 hypermethylation were not found in benign hepatocellular tumors (HCA and FNH). Our results show that LINE-1 hypomethylation and RASSF1A/CCND2 hypermethylation are epigenetic aberrations specific for the process of malignant liver transformation. In addition, LINE-1 hypomethylation might serve as a future predictive biomarker to identify HCC patients with unfavorable overall survival.
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Chapman WC, Korenblat KM, Fowler KJ, Saad N, Khan AS, Subramanian V, Doyle MBM, Dageforde LA, Tan B, Grierson P, Lin Y, Xu M, Brunt EM. Hepatocellular carcinoma: Where are we in 2018? Curr Probl Surg 2018; 55:450-503. [PMID: 30526875 DOI: 10.1067/j.cpsurg.2018.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- William C Chapman
- Barnes-Jewish Hospital, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO.
| | - Kevin M Korenblat
- Barnes-Jewish Hospital, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
| | | | - Nael Saad
- University of Rochester, Rochester, NY
| | - Adeel S Khan
- Division of Abdominal Transplant Surgery, Barnes-Jewish Hospital, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
| | - Vijay Subramanian
- Barnes-Jewish Hospital, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
| | - Maria B Majella Doyle
- Barnes-Jewish Hospital, St. Louis Children's Hospital, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
| | - Leigh Anne Dageforde
- Harvard Medical School, Division of Transplant Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
| | - Benjamin Tan
- Barnes-Jewish Hospital, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
| | - Patrick Grierson
- Barnes-Jewish Hospital, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
| | - Yiing Lin
- Barnes-Jewish Hospital, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
| | - Min Xu
- Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
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8
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Li N, Kong M, Zeng S, Hao C, Li M, Li L, Xu Z, Zhu M, Xu Y. Brahma related gene 1 (Brg1) contributes to liver regeneration by epigenetically activating the Wnt/β-catenin pathway in mice. FASEB J 2018; 33:327-338. [PMID: 30001167 DOI: 10.1096/fj.201800197r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Liver regeneration is a complicated pathophysiologic process that is regulated by a myriad of signaling pathways and transcription factors. The interaction among these pathways and factors, either cooperatively or antagonistically, may ultimately lead to recovery and restoration of liver function or permanent loss of liver function and liver failure. In the present study, we investigated the mechanism whereby the chromatin remodeling protein brahma related gene 1 (Brg1) regulates liver regeneration in mice. The Smarca4-Flox strain of mice was crossbred with the Alb-Cre strain to generate hepatocyte-specific Brg1 knockout mice. Liver injury was induced by partial hepatectomy (PHx). We report that Brg1 deletion in hepatocyte compromised liver regeneration and dampened survival after PHx in mice. Brg1 interacted with β-catenin to potentiate Wnt signaling and promote hepatocyte proliferation. Mechanistically, Brg1 recruited lysine demethylase 4 (KDM4) to activate β-catenin target genes. Our data suggest that Brg1 might play an essential role maintaining hepatic homeostasis and contributing to liver repair.-Li, N., Kong, M., Zeng, S., Hao, C., Li, M., Li, L., Xu, Z., Zhu, M., Xu, Y. Brahma related gene 1 (Brg1) contributes to liver regeneration by epigenetically activating the Wnt/β-catenin pathway in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nan Li
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Targeted Intervention of Cardiovascular Disease, Collaboration Center for Cardiovascular Translational Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Ming Kong
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Targeted Intervention of Cardiovascular Disease, Collaboration Center for Cardiovascular Translational Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Sheng Zeng
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Targeted Intervention of Cardiovascular Disease, Collaboration Center for Cardiovascular Translational Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Chenzhi Hao
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Targeted Intervention of Cardiovascular Disease, Collaboration Center for Cardiovascular Translational Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Min Li
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Targeted Intervention of Cardiovascular Disease, Collaboration Center for Cardiovascular Translational Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Luyang Li
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Targeted Intervention of Cardiovascular Disease, Collaboration Center for Cardiovascular Translational Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Zheng Xu
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Targeted Intervention of Cardiovascular Disease, Collaboration Center for Cardiovascular Translational Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Min Zhu
- Department of Anatomy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yong Xu
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Targeted Intervention of Cardiovascular Disease, Collaboration Center for Cardiovascular Translational Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
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9
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Matsushita J, Okamura K, Nakabayashi K, Suzuki T, Horibe Y, Kawai T, Sakurai T, Yamashita S, Higami Y, Ichihara G, Hata K, Nohara K. The DNA methylation profile of liver tumors in C3H mice and identification of differentially methylated regions involved in the regulation of tumorigenic genes. BMC Cancer 2018; 18:317. [PMID: 29566670 PMCID: PMC5865360 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-018-4221-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2017] [Accepted: 03/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background C3H mice have been frequently used in cancer studies as animal models of spontaneous liver tumors and chemically induced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Epigenetic modifications, including DNA methylation, are among pivotal control mechanisms of gene expression leading to carcinogenesis. Although information on somatic mutations in liver tumors of C3H mice is available, epigenetic aspects are yet to be clarified. Methods We performed next generation sequencing-based analysis of DNA methylation and microarray analysis of gene expression to explore genes regulated by DNA methylation in spontaneous liver tumors of C3H mice. Overlaying these data, we selected cancer-related genes whose expressions are inversely correlated with DNA methylation levels in the associated differentially methylated regions (DMRs) located around transcription start sites (TSSs) (promoter DMRs). We further assessed mutuality of the selected genes for expression and DNA methylation in human HCC using the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Results We obtained data on genome-wide DNA methylation profiles in the normal and tumor livers of C3H mice. We identified promoter DMRs of genes which are reported to be related to cancer and whose expressions are inversely correlated with the DNA methylation, including Mst1r, Slpi and Extl1. The association between DNA methylation and gene expression was confirmed using a DNA methylation inhibitor 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine (5-aza-dC) in Hepa1c1c7 cells and Hepa1-6 cells. Overexpression of Mst1r in Hepa1c1c7 cells illuminated a novel downstream pathway via IL-33 upregulation. Database search indicated that gene expressions of Mst1r and Slpi are upregulated and the TSS upstream regions are hypomethylated also in human HCC. These results suggest that DMRs, including those of Mst1r and Slpi, are involved in liver tumorigenesis in C3H mice, and also possibly in human HCC. Conclusions Our study clarified genome wide DNA methylation landscape of C3H mice. The data provide useful information for further epigenetic studies of mice models of HCC. The present study particularly proposed novel DNA methylation-regulated pathways for Mst1r and Slpi, which may be applied not only to mouse HCC but also to human HCC. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12885-018-4221-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junya Matsushita
- Center for Health and Environmental Risk Research, National Institute for Environmental Studies, Tsukuba, Japan.,Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokyo University of Science, Noda, Japan
| | - Kazuyuki Okamura
- Center for Health and Environmental Risk Research, National Institute for Environmental Studies, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Kazuhiko Nakabayashi
- Department of Maternal-Fetal Biology, National Center for Child Health and Development, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takehiro Suzuki
- Center for Health and Environmental Risk Research, National Institute for Environmental Studies, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Yu Horibe
- Department of Maternal-Fetal Biology, National Center for Child Health and Development, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tomoko Kawai
- Department of Maternal-Fetal Biology, National Center for Child Health and Development, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Toshihiro Sakurai
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokyo University of Science, Noda, Japan
| | | | - Yoshikazu Higami
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokyo University of Science, Noda, Japan
| | - Gaku Ichihara
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokyo University of Science, Noda, Japan
| | - Kenichiro Hata
- Department of Maternal-Fetal Biology, National Center for Child Health and Development, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Keiko Nohara
- Center for Health and Environmental Risk Research, National Institute for Environmental Studies, Tsukuba, Japan.
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10
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Abstract
Fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma (FLC) is a rare form of primary liver cancer that affects adolescents and young adults without underlying liver disease. Surgery remains the mainstay of therapy; however, most patients are either not surgical candidates or suffer from recurrence. There is no approved systemic therapy and the overall survival remains poor. Historically classified as a subtype of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), FLC has a unique clinical, histological, and molecular presentation. At the genomic level, FLC contains a single 400kB deletion in chromosome 19, leading to a functional DNAJB1-PRKACA fusion protein. In this review, we detail the recent advances in our understanding of the molecular underpinnings of FLC and outline the current knowledge gaps.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Antineoplastic Agents/therapeutic use
- Biomarkers, Tumor/antagonists & inhibitors
- Biomarkers, Tumor/genetics
- Biomarkers, Tumor/metabolism
- Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/enzymology
- Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/genetics
- Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/pathology
- Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/therapy
- Cell Transformation, Neoplastic/genetics
- Cell Transformation, Neoplastic/metabolism
- Cell Transformation, Neoplastic/pathology
- Chromosomes, Human, Pair 19
- Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinase Catalytic Subunits/antagonists & inhibitors
- Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinase Catalytic Subunits/genetics
- Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinase Catalytic Subunits/metabolism
- Gene Fusion
- Genetic Predisposition to Disease
- HSP40 Heat-Shock Proteins/genetics
- Humans
- Molecular Targeted Therapy
- Neoplasm Recurrence, Local
- Phenotype
- Protein Kinase Inhibitors/therapeutic use
- Treatment Outcome
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Affiliation(s)
- Gadi Lalazar
- The Laboratory for Cellular Biophysics, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York
| | - Sanford M Simon
- The Laboratory for Cellular Biophysics, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York
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11
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Jelinek J, Madzo J. DREAM: A Simple Method for DNA Methylation Profiling by High-throughput Sequencing. Methods Mol Biol 2018; 1465:111-27. [PMID: 27581143 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-4011-0_10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The digital restriction enzyme analysis of methylation (DREAM) is a simple method for DNA methylation analysis at tens of thousands of CpG sites across the genome. The method creates specific signatures at unmethylated and methylated CpG sites by sequential digests of genomic DNA with restriction endonucleases SmaI and XmaI, respectively. Both enzymes have the same CCCGGG recognition site; however, they differ in their sensitivity to CpG methylation and their cutting pattern. SmaI cuts only unmethylated sites leaving blunt 5'-GGG ends. XmaI cuts remaining methylated CC(me)CGG sites leaving 5'-CCGGG ends. Restriction fragments with distinct signatures at their ends are ligated to Illumina sequencing adaptors with sample-specific barcodes. High-throughput sequencing of pooled libraries follows. Sequencing reads are mapped to the restriction sites in the reference genome, and signatures corresponding to methylation status of individual DNA molecules are resolved. Methylation levels at target CpG sites are calculated as the proportion of sequencing reads with the methylated signature to the total number of reads mapping to the particular restriction site. Aligning the reads to the reference genome of any species is straightforward, since the method does not rely on bisulfite conversion of DNA. Sequencing of 25 million reads per human DNA library yields over 50,000 unique CpG sites with high coverage enabling accurate determination of DNA methylation levels. DREAM has a background less than 1 % making it suitable for accurate detection of low methylation levels. In summary, the method is simple, robust, highly reproducible, and cost-effective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaroslav Jelinek
- Fels Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Biology, Temple University School of Medicine, 3307 North Broad Street, Rm 339 F, PAHB, Philadelphia, PA, 19140, USA.
| | - Jozef Madzo
- Fels Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Biology, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19140, USA
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12
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Abstract
INTRODUCTION Aberrant DNA methylation frequently occurs in the inflammatory mucosa in ulcerative colitis (UC) and is involved in UC-related tumorigenesis. We performed comprehensive DNA methylation profiling of the promoter regions of the inflamed rectal mucosae of patients with UC. DESIGN The methylation status of the promoter CpG islands (CGIs) of 45 cancer/inflammation or age-related candidate genes and the LINE1 repetitive element were examined in the colonic mucosae of 84 cancer-free patients with UC by bisulfite pyrosequencing. Methylation status of selected genes (DPYS, N33, MIR1247, GSTP1, and SOX11) was also determined in 14 neoplastic lesions (5 with high-grade dysplasia and 9 with carcinoma) and 8 adjacent tissues derived from 12 patients. An Infinium HumanMethylation450 BeadChip array was used to characterize the methylation status of >450,000 CpG sites for 10 patients with UC. RESULTS Clustering analysis based on the methylation status of the candidate genes clearly distinguished the inflammatory samples from the noninflammatory samples. The hypermethylation of the promoter CGIs strongly correlated with increased disease duration, which is a known risk factor for the development of colon cancer. Genome-wide methylation analyses revealed a high rate of hypermethylation in the severe phenotype of UC, particularly at the CGIs. Exclusively hypermethylated promoter CGIs in the severe phenotypes were significantly related to genes involved in biosynthetic processes, the regulation of metabolic processes, and nitrogen compound metabolic processes. CONCLUSION Our findings suggest the potential utility of DNA methylation as a molecular marker and therapeutic target for UC-related tumorigenesis.
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13
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Griffith OL, Griffith M, Krysiak K, Magrini V, Ramu A, Skidmore ZL, Kunisaki J, Austin R, McGrath S, Zhang J, Demeter R, Graves T, Eldred JM, Walker J, Larson DE, Maher CA, Lin Y, Chapman W, Mahadevan A, Miksad R, Nasser I, Hanto DW, Mardis ER. A genomic case study of mixed fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma. Ann Oncol 2016; 27:1148-1154. [PMID: 27029710 PMCID: PMC4880064 DOI: 10.1093/annonc/mdw135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2015] [Accepted: 03/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
We report the first comprehensive genomic analysis of a case of mixed conventional and fibrolamellar HCC (mFL-HCC). This study confirms the expression of DNAJB1:PRKACA, a fusion previously associated with pure FL-HCC but not conventional HCC, in mFL-HCC. These results indicate the DNAJB1:PRKACA fusion has diagnostic utility for both pure and mixed FL-HCC. Background Mixed fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma (mFL-HCC) is a rare liver tumor defined by the presence of both pure FL-HCC and conventional HCC components, represents up to 25% of cases of FL-HCC, and has been associated with worse prognosis. Recent genomic characterization of pure FL-HCC identified a highly recurrent transcript fusion (DNAJB1:PRKACA) not found in conventional HCC. Patients and Methods We performed exome and transcriptome sequencing of a case of mFL-HCC. A novel BAC-capture approach was developed to identify a 400 kb deletion as the underlying genomic mechanism for a DNAJB1:PRKACA fusion in this case. A sensitive Nanostring Elements assay was used to screen for this transcript fusion in a second case of mFL-HCC, 112 additional HCC samples and 44 adjacent non-tumor liver samples. Results We report the first comprehensive genomic analysis of a case of mFL-HCC. No common HCC-associated mutations were identified. The very low mutation rate of this case, large number of mostly single-copy, long-range copy number variants, and high expression of ERBB2 were more consistent with previous reports of pure FL-HCC than conventional HCC. In particular, the DNAJB1:PRKACA fusion transcript specifically associated with pure FL-HCC was detected at very high expression levels. Subsequent analysis revealed the presence of this fusion in all primary and metastatic samples, including those with mixed or conventional HCC pathology. A second case of mFL-HCC confirmed our finding that the fusion was detectable in conventional components. An expanded screen identified a third case of fusion-positive HCC, which upon review, also had both conventional and fibrolamellar features. This screen confirmed the absence of the fusion in all conventional HCC and adjacent non-tumor liver samples. Conclusion These results indicate that mFL-HCC is similar to pure FL-HCC at the genomic level and the DNAJB1:PRKACA fusion can be used as a diagnostic tool for both pure and mFL-HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- O L Griffith
- McDonnell Genome Institute; Department of Medicine; Siteman Cancer Center; Department of Genetics.
| | - M Griffith
- McDonnell Genome Institute; Siteman Cancer Center; Department of Genetics
| | | | - V Magrini
- McDonnell Genome Institute; Department of Genetics
| | - A Ramu
- McDonnell Genome Institute
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - D E Larson
- McDonnell Genome Institute; Department of Genetics
| | - C A Maher
- McDonnell Genome Institute; Department of Medicine; Siteman Cancer Center
| | - Y Lin
- Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis
| | - W Chapman
- Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis
| | | | | | - I Nasser
- Pathology, Harvard Medical School, Boston
| | - D W Hanto
- Department of Surgery, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, USA
| | - E R Mardis
- McDonnell Genome Institute; Department of Medicine; Siteman Cancer Center; Department of Genetics
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