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Xiu Z, Sun L, Liu K, Cao H, Qu HQ, Glessner JT, Ding Z, Zheng G, Wang N, Xia Q, Li J, Li MJ, Hakonarson H, Liu W, Li J. Shared molecular mechanisms and transdiagnostic potential of neurodevelopmental disorders and immune disorders. Brain Behav Immun 2024; 119:767-780. [PMID: 38677625 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2024.04.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2023] [Revised: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024] Open
Abstract
The co-occurrence and familial clustering of neurodevelopmental disorders and immune disorders suggest shared genetic risk factors. Based on genome-wide association summary statistics from five neurodevelopmental disorders and four immune disorders, we conducted genome-wide, local genetic correlation and polygenic overlap analysis. We further performed a cross-trait GWAS meta-analysis. Pleotropic loci shared between the two categories of diseases were mapped to candidate genes using multiple algorithms and approaches. Significant genetic correlations were observed between neurodevelopmental disorders and immune disorders, including both positive and negative correlations. Neurodevelopmental disorders exhibited higher polygenicity compared to immune disorders. Around 50%-90% of genetic variants of the immune disorders were shared with neurodevelopmental disorders. The cross-trait meta-analysis revealed 154 genome-wide significant loci, including 8 novel pleiotropic loci. Significant associations were observed for 30 loci with both types of diseases. Pathway analysis on the candidate genes at these loci revealed common pathways shared by the two types of diseases, including neural signaling, inflammatory response, and PI3K-Akt signaling pathway. In addition, 26 of the 30 lead SNPs were associated with blood cell traits. Neurodevelopmental disorders exhibit complex polygenic architecture, with a subset of individuals being at a heightened genetic risk for both neurodevelopmental and immune disorders. The identification of pleiotropic loci has important implications for exploring opportunities for drug repurposing, enabling more accurate patient stratification, and advancing genomics-informed precision in the medical field of neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhanjie Xiu
- Department of Cell Biology, The Province and Ministry Co-sponsored Collaborative Innovation Center for Medical Epigenetics, Key Laboratory of Immune Microenvironment and Disease (Ministry of Education), Tianjin Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, Tianjin Institute of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China; Department of Bioinformatics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Ling Sun
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychology, Tianjin Anding Hospital, Mental Health Center of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Kunlun Liu
- Department of Bioinformatics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Haiyan Cao
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychology, Tianjin Anding Hospital, Mental Health Center of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Hui-Qi Qu
- Center for Applied Genomics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Joseph T Glessner
- Center for Applied Genomics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States; Division of Human Genetics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States; Department of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Zhiyong Ding
- Mills Institute for Personalized Cancer Care, Fynn Biotechnologies Ltd., Jinan, China
| | - Gang Zheng
- National Supercomputer Center in Tianjin (NSCC-TJ), Tianjin, China
| | - Nan Wang
- Mills Institute for Personalized Cancer Care, Fynn Biotechnologies Ltd., Jinan, China
| | - Qianghua Xia
- Department of Cell Biology, The Province and Ministry Co-sponsored Collaborative Innovation Center for Medical Epigenetics, Key Laboratory of Immune Microenvironment and Disease (Ministry of Education), Tianjin Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, Tianjin Institute of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China; Department of Bioinformatics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Jie Li
- Laboratory of Biological Psychiatry, Institute of Mental Health, Tianjin Anding Hospital, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Mulin Jun Li
- Department of Bioinformatics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Hakon Hakonarson
- Center for Applied Genomics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States; Division of Human Genetics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States; Department of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States.
| | - Wei Liu
- Tianjin Children's Hospital (Tianjin University Children's Hospital), Tianjin, China; Tianjin Key Laboratory of Birth Defects for Prevention and Treatment, Tianjin, China.
| | - Jin Li
- Department of Cell Biology, The Province and Ministry Co-sponsored Collaborative Innovation Center for Medical Epigenetics, Key Laboratory of Immune Microenvironment and Disease (Ministry of Education), Tianjin Key Laboratory of Medical Epigenetics, Tianjin Institute of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China; Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China.
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Sifuna D, Omwoma S, Lagat S, Okello F, Nelson FA, Pembere A. Theory guided engineering of zeolite adsorbents for acaricide residue adsorption from the environment. J Mol Model 2024; 30:208. [PMID: 38877313 DOI: 10.1007/s00894-024-06004-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2024] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 06/16/2024]
Abstract
CONTEXT Zeolites have attracted attention for their potential in adsorbing environmental contaminants. However, contaminants, such as acaricides used extensively in livestock production to control ticks and mites, have received limited exploration regarding their adsorption onto zeolite surfaces. This study aimed to identify the most appropriate zeolite frameworks for the adsorption of acaricide residues, deduce the mechanism underlying the adsorption process, and evaluate the impact of surface modification on the adsorption capabilities of zeolites. METHODS Grand Canonical Monte Carlo (GCMC) was used to screen the entire zeolite database to analyze their adsorption properties, where the cloverite zeolite framework (CLO) exhibits the highest adsorption capacity (percentage weight, 54%). Machine learning was employed to rank structural feature importance on adsorption. Density and helium void fraction appeared to be the most important structural features. Thus, engineering these features is of utmost significance in harvesting the desired acaricides. The second step involved engineering the structural and electronic properties of the shortlisted zeolite frameworks via cation substitution with suitable atoms. DFT calculations involving natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis and quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM) have been done to understand the influence of cation substitution on the electronic structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas Sifuna
- Department of Physical Sciences, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology, Bondo (Main) Campus, P.O. Box 210-40601, Bondo, Kenya
| | - Solomon Omwoma
- Department of Physical Sciences, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology, Bondo (Main) Campus, P.O. Box 210-40601, Bondo, Kenya
| | - Silas Lagat
- Department of Physical Sciences, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology, Bondo (Main) Campus, P.O. Box 210-40601, Bondo, Kenya
| | - Felix Okello
- Department of Physical Sciences, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology, Bondo (Main) Campus, P.O. Box 210-40601, Bondo, Kenya
| | - Favour A Nelson
- Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry, University of Calabar, Calabar, Nigeria
| | - Anthony Pembere
- Department of Physical Sciences, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology, Bondo (Main) Campus, P.O. Box 210-40601, Bondo, Kenya.
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Liu A, Genovese G, Zhao Y, Pirinen M, Zekavat SM, Kentistou KA, Yang Z, Yu K, Vlasschaert C, Liu X, Brown DW, Hudjashov G, Gorman BR, Dennis J, Zhou W, Momozawa Y, Pyarajan S, Tuzov V, Pajuste FD, Aavikko M, Sipilä TP, Ghazal A, Huang WY, Freedman ND, Song L, Gardner EJ, Sankaran VG, Palotie A, Ollila HM, Tukiainen T, Chanock SJ, Mägi R, Natarajan P, Daly MJ, Bick A, McCarroll SA, Terao C, Loh PR, Ganna A, Perry JRB, Machiela MJ. Genetic drivers and cellular selection of female mosaic X chromosome loss. Nature 2024:10.1038/s41586-024-07533-7. [PMID: 38867047 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07533-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024]
Abstract
Mosaic loss of the X chromosome (mLOX) is the most common clonal somatic alteration in leukocytes of female individuals1,2, but little is known about its genetic determinants or phenotypic consequences. Here, to address this, we used data from 883,574 female participants across 8 biobanks; 12% of participants exhibited detectable mLOX in approximately 2% of leukocytes. Female participants with mLOX had an increased risk of myeloid and lymphoid leukaemias. Genetic analyses identified 56 common variants associated with mLOX, implicating genes with roles in chromosomal missegregation, cancer predisposition and autoimmune diseases. Exome-sequence analyses identified rare missense variants in FBXO10 that confer a twofold increased risk of mLOX. Only a small fraction of associations was shared with mosaic Y chromosome loss, suggesting that distinct biological processes drive formation and clonal expansion of sex chromosome missegregation. Allelic shift analyses identified X chromosome alleles that are preferentially retained in mLOX, demonstrating variation at many loci under cellular selection. A polygenic score including 44 allelic shift loci correctly inferred the retained X chromosomes in 80.7% of mLOX cases in the top decile. Our results support a model in which germline variants predispose female individuals to acquiring mLOX, with the allelic content of the X chromosome possibly shaping the magnitude of clonal expansion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aoxing Liu
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
- Analytic and Translational Genetics Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| | - Giulio Genovese
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Yajie Zhao
- MRC Epidemiology Unit, Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Matti Pirinen
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Seyedeh M Zekavat
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Katherine A Kentistou
- MRC Epidemiology Unit, Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Zhiyu Yang
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Kai Yu
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD, USA
| | | | - Xiaoxi Liu
- Laboratory for Statistical and Translational Genetics, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Derek W Brown
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD, USA
- Cancer Prevention Fellowship Program, Division of Cancer Prevention, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Georgi Hudjashov
- Estonian Genome Centre, Institute of Genomics, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Bryan R Gorman
- Center for Data and Computational Sciences (C-DACS), VA Cooperative Studies Program, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA
- Booz Allen Hamilton, McLean, VA, USA
| | - Joe Dennis
- Centre for Cancer Genetic Epidemiology, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Weiyin Zhou
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD, USA
- Cancer Genomics Research Laboratory, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Yukihide Momozawa
- Laboratory for Genotyping Development, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Saiju Pyarajan
- Center for Data and Computational Sciences (C-DACS), VA Cooperative Studies Program, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Valdislav Tuzov
- Estonian Genome Centre, Institute of Genomics, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Fanny-Dhelia Pajuste
- Estonian Genome Centre, Institute of Genomics, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Mervi Aavikko
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Timo P Sipilä
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Awaisa Ghazal
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Wen-Yi Huang
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Neal D Freedman
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Lei Song
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Eugene J Gardner
- MRC Epidemiology Unit, Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Vijay G Sankaran
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Aarno Palotie
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Analytic and Translational Genetics Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Hanna M Ollila
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Taru Tukiainen
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Stephen J Chanock
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Reedik Mägi
- Estonian Genome Centre, Institute of Genomics, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Pradeep Natarajan
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Mark J Daly
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Analytic and Translational Genetics Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Alexander Bick
- Division of Genetic Medicine, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Steven A McCarroll
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Chikashi Terao
- Laboratory for Statistical and Translational Genetics, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
- Clinical Research Center, Shizuoka General Hospital, Shizuoka, Japan
- Department of Applied Genetics, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Shizuoka, Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Po-Ru Loh
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Center for Data Sciences, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Andrea Ganna
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
- Analytic and Translational Genetics Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| | - John R B Perry
- MRC Epidemiology Unit, Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Mitchell J Machiela
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD, USA.
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Shi M, Cheng X, Dai Y. STPDA: Leveraging spatial-temporal patterns for downstream analysis in spatial transcriptomic data. Comput Biol Chem 2024; 112:108127. [PMID: 38870559 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiolchem.2024.108127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2024] [Revised: 05/17/2024] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024]
Abstract
Spatial transcriptomics, a groundbreaking field in cellular biology, faces the challenge of effectively deciphering complex spatial-temporal gene expression patterns. Traditional data analysis methods often fail to capture the intricate nuances of this data, limiting the depth of understanding in spatial distribution and gene interactions. In response, we present Spatial-Temporal Patterns for Downstream Analysis (STPDA), a sophisticated computational framework tailored for spatial transcriptomic data analysis. STPDA leverages high-resolution mapping to bridge the gap between genomics and histopathology, offering a comprehensive perspective on the spatial dynamics of gene expression within tissues. This approach enables a view of cellular function and organization, marking a paradigm shift in our comprehension of biological systems. By employing Autoregressive Moving Average (ARMA) and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) models, STPDA effectively deciphers both global and local spatio-temporal dynamics in cellular environments. This integration of spatial-temporal patterns for downstream analysis offers a transformative approach to spatial transcriptomics data analysis. STPDA excels in various single-cell analytical tasks, including the identification of ligand-receptor interactions and cell type classification. Its ability to harness spatial-temporal patterns not only matches but frequently surpasses the performance of existing state-of-the-art methods. To ensure widespread usability and impact, we have encapsulated STPDA in a scalable and accessible Python package, addressing single-cell tasks through advanced spatial-temporal pattern analysis. This development promises to enhance our understanding of cellular biology, offering novel insights and therapeutic strategies, and represents a substantial advancement in the field of spatial transcriptomics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingguang Shi
- School of Electrical Engineering and Automation, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, Anhui 230009, China.
| | - Xudong Cheng
- School of Electrical Engineering and Automation, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, Anhui 230009, China
| | - Yulong Dai
- Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230032, China
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Hemerich D, Svenstrup V, Obrero VD, Preuss M, Moscati A, Hirschhorn JN, Loos RJF. An integrative framework to prioritize genes in more than 500 loci associated with body mass index. Am J Hum Genet 2024; 111:1035-1046. [PMID: 38754426 PMCID: PMC11179420 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2024.04.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2024] [Revised: 04/20/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Obesity is a major risk factor for a myriad of diseases, affecting >600 million people worldwide. Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have identified hundreds of genetic variants that influence body mass index (BMI), a commonly used metric to assess obesity risk. Most variants are non-coding and likely act through regulating genes nearby. Here, we apply multiple computational methods to prioritize the likely causal gene(s) within each of the 536 previously reported GWAS-identified BMI-associated loci. We performed summary-data-based Mendelian randomization (SMR), FINEMAP, DEPICT, MAGMA, transcriptome-wide association studies (TWASs), mutation significance cutoff (MSC), polygenic priority score (PoPS), and the nearest gene strategy. Results of each method were weighted based on their success in identifying genes known to be implicated in obesity, ranking all prioritized genes according to a confidence score (minimum: 0; max: 28). We identified 292 high-scoring genes (≥11) in 264 loci, including genes known to play a role in body weight regulation (e.g., DGKI, ANKRD26, MC4R, LEPR, BDNF, GIPR, AKT3, KAT8, MTOR) and genes related to comorbidities (e.g., FGFR1, ISL1, TFAP2B, PARK2, TCF7L2, GSK3B). For most of the high-scoring genes, however, we found limited or no evidence for a role in obesity, including the top-scoring gene BPTF. Many of the top-scoring genes seem to act through a neuronal regulation of body weight, whereas others affect peripheral pathways, including circadian rhythm, insulin secretion, and glucose and carbohydrate homeostasis. The characterization of these likely causal genes can increase our understanding of the underlying biology and offer avenues to develop therapeutics for weight loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daiane Hemerich
- The Charles Bronfman Institute for Personalized Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Bristol Myers Squibb, Summit, NJ, USA
| | - Victor Svenstrup
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark; Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Genomic Mechanisms of Disease, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Virginia Diez Obrero
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark; Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Genomic Mechanisms of Disease, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Michael Preuss
- The Charles Bronfman Institute for Personalized Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Arden Moscati
- The Charles Bronfman Institute for Personalized Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Regeneron Genetics Center, Tarrytown, NY, USA
| | - Joel N Hirschhorn
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Division of Endocrinology and Center for Basic and Translational Obesity Research, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Ruth J F Loos
- The Charles Bronfman Institute for Personalized Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark; Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Genomic Mechanisms of Disease, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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Chin IM, Gardell ZA, Corces MR. Decoding polygenic diseases: advances in noncoding variant prioritization and validation. Trends Cell Biol 2024; 34:465-483. [PMID: 38719704 DOI: 10.1016/j.tcb.2024.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Revised: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024]
Abstract
Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) provide a key foundation for elucidating the genetic underpinnings of common polygenic diseases. However, these studies have limitations in their ability to assign causality to particular genetic variants, especially those residing in the noncoding genome. Over the past decade, technological and methodological advances in both analytical and empirical prioritization of noncoding variants have enabled the identification of causative variants by leveraging orthogonal functional evidence at increasing scale. In this review, we present an overview of these approaches and describe how this workflow provides the groundwork necessary to move beyond associations toward genetically informed studies on the molecular and cellular mechanisms of polygenic disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iris M Chin
- Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, USA; Gladstone Institute of Data Science and Biotechnology, Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, USA; Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Zachary A Gardell
- Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, USA; Gladstone Institute of Data Science and Biotechnology, Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, USA; Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - M Ryan Corces
- Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, USA; Gladstone Institute of Data Science and Biotechnology, Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, USA; Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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Shen S, Sobczyk MK, Paternoster L, Brown SJ. From GWASs toward Mechanistic Understanding with Case Studies in Dermatogenetics. J Invest Dermatol 2024; 144:1189-1199.e8. [PMID: 38782533 DOI: 10.1016/j.jid.2024.03.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2023] [Revised: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
Many human skin diseases result from the complex interplay of genetic and environmental mechanisms that are largely unknown. GWASs have yielded insight into the genetic aspect of complex disease by highlighting regions of the genome or specific genetic variants associated with disease. Leveraging this information to identify causal genes and cell types will provide insight into fundamental biology, inform diagnostics, and aid drug discovery. However, the etiological mechanisms from genetic variant to disease are still unestablished in most cases. There now exists an unprecedented wealth of data and computational methods for variant interpretation in a functional context. It can be challenging to decide where to start owing to a lack of consensus on the best way to identify causal genetic mechanisms. This article highlights 3 key aspects of genetic variant interpretation: prioritizing causal genes, cell types, and pathways. We provide a practical overview of the main methods and datasets, giving examples from recent atopic dermatitis studies to provide a blueprint for variant interpretation. A collection of resources, including brief description and links to the packages and web tools, is provided for researchers looking to start in silico follow-up genetic analysis of associated genetic variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Shen
- Centre for Genomic & Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom; Institute for Evolution and Ecology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
| | - Maria K Sobczyk
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Lavinia Paternoster
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Sara J Brown
- Centre for Genomic & Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom; Department of Dermatology, NHS Lothian, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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Dorans E, Jagadeesh K, Dey K, Price AL. Linking regulatory variants to target genes by integrating single-cell multiome methods and genomic distance. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2024:2024.05.24.24307813. [PMID: 38826240 PMCID: PMC11142273 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.24.24307813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
Methods that analyze single-cell paired RNA-seq and ATAC-seq multiome data have shown great promise in linking regulatory elements to genes. However, existing methods differ in their modeling assumptions and approaches to account for biological and technical noise-leading to low concordance in their linking scores-and do not capture the effects of genomic distance. We propose pgBoost, an integrative modeling framework that trains a non-linear combination of existing linking strategies (including genomic distance) on fine-mapped eQTL data to assign a probabilistic score to each candidate SNP-gene link. We applied pgBoost to single-cell multiome data from 85k cells representing 6 major immune/blood cell types. pgBoost attained higher enrichment for fine-mapped eSNP-eGene pairs (e.g. 21x at distance >10kb) than existing methods (1.2-10x; p-value for difference = 5e-13 vs. distance-based method and < 4e-35 for each other method), with larger improvements at larger distances (e.g. 35x vs. 0.89-6.6x at distance >100kb; p-value for difference < 0.002 vs. each other method). pgBoost also outperformed existing methods in enrichment for CRISPR-validated links (e.g. 4.8x vs. 1.6-4.1x at distance >10kb; p-value for difference = 0.25 vs. distance-based method and < 2e-5 for each other method), with larger improvements at larger distances (e.g. 15x vs. 1.6-2.5x at distance >100kb; p-value for difference < 0.009 for each other method). Similar improvements in enrichment were observed for links derived from Activity-By-Contact (ABC) scores and GWAS data. We further determined that restricting pgBoost to features from a focal cell type improved the identification of SNP-gene links relevant to that cell type. We highlight several examples where pgBoost linked fine-mapped GWAS variants to experimentally validated or biologically plausible target genes that were not implicated by other methods. In conclusion, a non-linear combination of linking strategies, including genomic distance, improves power to identify target genes underlying GWAS associations.
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Kraft J, Braun A, Awasthi S, Panagiotaropoulou G, Schipper M, Bell N, Posthuma D, Pardiñas AF, Ripke S, Heilbron K. Identifying drug targets for schizophrenia through gene prioritization. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2024:2024.05.15.24307423. [PMID: 38798390 PMCID: PMC11118622 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.15.24307423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Background Schizophrenia genome-wide association studies (GWASes) have identified >250 significant loci and prioritized >100 disease-related genes. However, gene prioritization efforts have mostly been restricted to locus-based methods that ignore information from the rest of the genome. Methods To more accurately characterize genes involved in schizophrenia etiology, we applied a combination of highly-predictive tools to a published GWAS of 67,390 schizophrenia cases and 94,015 controls. We combined both locus-based methods (fine-mapped coding variants, distance to GWAS signals) and genome-wide methods (PoPS, MAGMA, ultra-rare coding variant burden tests). To validate our findings, we compared them with previous prioritization efforts, known neurodevelopmental genes, and results from the PsyOPS tool. Results We prioritized 62 schizophrenia genes, 41 of which were also highlighted by our validation methods. In addition to DRD2, the principal target of antipsychotics, we prioritized 9 genes that are targeted by approved or investigational drugs. These included drugs targeting glutamatergic receptors (GRIN2A and GRM3), calcium channels (CACNA1C and CACNB2), and GABAB receptor (GABBR2). These also included genes in loci that are shared with an addiction GWAS (e.g. PDE4B and VRK2). Conclusions We curated a high-quality list of 62 genes that likely play a role in the development of schizophrenia. Developing or repurposing drugs that target these genes may lead to a new generation of schizophrenia therapies. Rodent models of addiction more closely resemble the human disorder than rodent models of schizophrenia. As such, genes prioritized for both disorders could be explored in rodent addiction models, potentially facilitating drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Kraft
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), partner site Berlin/Potsdam, Berlin, Germany
| | - Alice Braun
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), partner site Berlin/Potsdam, Berlin, Germany
| | - Swapnil Awasthi
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), partner site Berlin/Potsdam, Berlin, Germany
| | - Georgia Panagiotaropoulou
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), partner site Berlin/Potsdam, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Nathaniel Bell
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Danielle Posthuma
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Pediatric Psychology, Section Complex Trait Genetics, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Antonio F. Pardiñas
- Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | | | - Stephan Ripke
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), partner site Berlin/Potsdam, Berlin, Germany
| | - Karl Heilbron
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), partner site Berlin/Potsdam, Berlin, Germany
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10
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Qi T, Song L, Guo Y, Chen C, Yang J. From genetic associations to genes: methods, applications, and challenges. Trends Genet 2024:S0168-9525(24)00095-7. [PMID: 38734482 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2024.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2023] [Revised: 04/15/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024]
Abstract
Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have identified numerous genetic loci associated with human traits and diseases. However, pinpointing the causal genes remains a challenge, which impedes the translation of GWAS findings into biological insights and medical applications. In this review, we provide an in-depth overview of the methods and technologies used for prioritizing genes from GWAS loci, including gene-based association tests, integrative analysis of GWAS and molecular quantitative trait loci (xQTL) data, linking GWAS variants to target genes through enhancer-gene connection maps, and network-based prioritization. We also outline strategies for generating context-dependent xQTL data and their applications in gene prioritization. We further highlight the potential of gene prioritization in drug repurposing. Lastly, we discuss future challenges and opportunities in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Qi
- Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou 310024, China; School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou 310024, China.
| | - Liyang Song
- Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou 310024, China; School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou 310024, China
| | - Yazhou Guo
- Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou 310024, China; School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou 310024, China
| | - Chang Chen
- Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou 310024, China; School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou 310024, China
| | - Jian Yang
- Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou 310024, China; School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou 310024, China.
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11
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Siraj L, Castro RI, Dewey H, Kales S, Nguyen TTL, Kanai M, Berenzy D, Mouri K, Wang QS, McCaw ZR, Gosai SJ, Aguet F, Cui R, Vockley CM, Lareau CA, Okada Y, Gusev A, Jones TR, Lander ES, Sabeti PC, Finucane HK, Reilly SK, Ulirsch JC, Tewhey R. Functional dissection of complex and molecular trait variants at single nucleotide resolution. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.05.592437. [PMID: 38766054 PMCID: PMC11100724 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.05.592437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Identifying the causal variants and mechanisms that drive complex traits and diseases remains a core problem in human genetics. The majority of these variants have individually weak effects and lie in non-coding gene-regulatory elements where we lack a complete understanding of how single nucleotide alterations modulate transcriptional processes to affect human phenotypes. To address this, we measured the activity of 221,412 trait-associated variants that had been statistically fine-mapped using a Massively Parallel Reporter Assay (MPRA) in 5 diverse cell-types. We show that MPRA is able to discriminate between likely causal variants and controls, identifying 12,025 regulatory variants with high precision. Although the effects of these variants largely agree with orthogonal measures of function, only 69% can plausibly be explained by the disruption of a known transcription factor (TF) binding motif. We dissect the mechanisms of 136 variants using saturation mutagenesis and assign impacted TFs for 91% of variants without a clear canonical mechanism. Finally, we provide evidence that epistasis is prevalent for variants in close proximity and identify multiple functional variants on the same haplotype at a small, but important, subset of trait-associated loci. Overall, our study provides a systematic functional characterization of likely causal common variants underlying complex and molecular human traits, enabling new insights into the regulatory grammar underlying disease risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Layla Siraj
- Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Program in Biophysics, Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard-Massachusetts Institute of Technology MD/PhD Program, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Analytic and Translational Genetics Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Masahiro Kanai
- Analytic and Translational Genetics Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA USA
- Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | | | - Qingbo S. Wang
- Analytic and Translational Genetics Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA USA
- Department of Statistical Genetics, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Japan
- Department of Genome Informatics, Graduate School of Medicine, the University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | - Sager J. Gosai
- Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Program in Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, USA
| | - François Aguet
- Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Illumina Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Illumina, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Ran Cui
- Analytic and Translational Genetics Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA USA
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Genomic Mechanisms of Disease, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Caleb A. Lareau
- Program in Computational and Systems Biology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Yukinori Okada
- Department of Statistical Genetics, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Japan
- Department of Genome Informatics, Graduate School of Medicine, the University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Laboratory for Systems Genetics, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Alexander Gusev
- Harvard Medical School and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Thouis R. Jones
- Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Genomic Mechanisms of Disease, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Eric S. Lander
- Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Biology, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Pardis C. Sabeti
- Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, USA
| | - Hilary K. Finucane
- Analytic and Translational Genetics Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA USA
| | - Steven K. Reilly
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Jacob C. Ulirsch
- Analytic and Translational Genetics Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA USA
- Program in Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Illumina Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Illumina, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Ryan Tewhey
- The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME, USA
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and Engineering, University of Maine, Orono, ME, USA
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
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12
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Rämö JT, Kany S, Hou CR, Friedman SF, Roselli C, Nauffal V, Koyama S, Karjalainen J, Maddah M, Palotie A, Ellinor PT, Pirruccello JP. Cardiovascular Significance and Genetics of Epicardial and Pericardial Adiposity. JAMA Cardiol 2024; 9:418-427. [PMID: 38477908 PMCID: PMC10938251 DOI: 10.1001/jamacardio.2024.0080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
Importance Epicardial and pericardial adipose tissue (EPAT) has been associated with cardiovascular diseases such as atrial fibrillation or flutter (AF) and coronary artery disease (CAD), but studies have been limited in sample size or drawn from selected populations. It has been suggested that the association between EPAT and cardiovascular disease could be mediated by local or paracrine effects. Objective To evaluate the association of EPAT with prevalent and incident cardiovascular disease and to elucidate the genetic basis of EPAT in a large population cohort. Design, Setting, and Participants A deep learning model was trained to quantify EPAT area from 4-chamber magnetic resonance images using semantic segmentation. Cross-sectional and prospective cardiovascular disease associations were evaluated, controlling for sex and age. Prospective associations were additionally controlled for abdominal visceral adipose tissue (VAT) volumes. A genome-wide association study was performed, and a polygenic score (PGS) for EPAT was examined in independent FinnGen cohort study participants. Data analyses were conducted from March 2022 to December 2023. Exposures The primary exposures were magnetic resonance imaging-derived continuous measurements of epicardial and pericardial adipose tissue area and visceral adipose tissue volume. Main Outcomes and Measures Prevalent and incident CAD, AF, heart failure (HF), stroke, and type 2 diabetes (T2D). Results After exclusions, this study included 44 475 participants (mean [SD] age, 64.1 [7.7] years; 22 972 female [51.7%]) from the UK Biobank. Cross-sectional and prospective cardiovascular disease associations were evaluated for a mean (SD) of 3.2 (1.5) years of follow-up. Prospective associations were additionally controlled for abdominal VAT volumes for 38 527 participants. A PGS for EPAT was examined in 453 733 independent FinnGen cohort study participants. EPAT was positively associated with male sex (β = +0.78 SD in EPAT; P < 3 × 10-324), age (Pearson r = 0.15; P = 9.3 × 10-229), body mass index (Pearson r = 0.47; P < 3 × 10-324), and VAT (Pearson r = 0.72; P < 3 × 10-324). EPAT was more elevated in prevalent HF (β = +0.46 SD units) and T2D (β = +0.56) than in CAD (β = +0.23) or AF (β = +0.18). EPAT was associated with incident HF (hazard ratio [HR], 1.29 per +1 SD in EPAT; 95% CI, 1.17-1.43), T2D (HR, 1.63; 95% CI, 1.51-1.76), and CAD (HR, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.11-1.28). However, the associations were no longer significant when controlling for VAT. Seven genetic loci were identified for EPAT, implicating transcriptional regulators of adipocyte morphology and brown adipogenesis (EBF1, EBF2, and CEBPA) and regulators of visceral adiposity (WARS2 and TRIB2). The EPAT PGS was associated with T2D (odds ratio [OR], 1.06; 95% CI, 1.05-1.07; P =3.6 × 10-44), HF (OR, 1.05; 95% CI, 1.04-1.06; P =4.8 × 10-15), CAD (OR, 1.04; 95% CI, 1.03-1.05; P =1.4 × 10-17), AF (OR, 1.04; 95% CI, 1.03-1.06; P =7.6 × 10-12), and stroke in FinnGen (OR, 1.02; 95% CI, 1.01-1.03; P =3.5 × 10-3) per 1 SD in PGS. Conclusions and Relevance Results of this cohort study suggest that epicardial and pericardial adiposity was associated with incident cardiovascular diseases, but this may largely reflect a metabolically unhealthy adiposity phenotype similar to abdominal visceral adiposity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joel T. Rämö
- Cardiovascular Disease Initiative, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), Helsinki Institute of Life Science (HiLIFE), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Shinwan Kany
- Cardiovascular Disease Initiative, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
- Department of Cardiology, University Heart and Vascular Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Cody R. Hou
- Cardiovascular Disease Initiative, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts
- University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis
| | | | - Carolina Roselli
- Cardiovascular Disease Initiative, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts
- Department of Cardiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Victor Nauffal
- Cardiovascular Disease Initiative, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Satoshi Koyama
- Cardiovascular Disease Initiative, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Juha Karjalainen
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), Helsinki Institute of Life Science (HiLIFE), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Analytic and Translational Genetics Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | | | - Mahnaz Maddah
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Aarno Palotie
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), Helsinki Institute of Life Science (HiLIFE), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Analytic and Translational Genetics Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts
- Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
| | - Patrick T. Ellinor
- Cardiovascular Disease Initiative, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
- Cardiology Division, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - James P. Pirruccello
- Cardiovascular Disease Initiative, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts
- Bakar Computational Health Sciences Institute, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco
- Division of Cardiology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco
- Institute for Human Genetics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco
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13
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Ghouse J, Sveinbjörnsson G, Vujkovic M, Seidelin AS, Gellert-Kristensen H, Ahlberg G, Tragante V, Rand SA, Brancale J, Vilarinho S, Lundegaard PR, Sørensen E, Erikstrup C, Bruun MT, Jensen BA, Brunak S, Banasik K, Ullum H, Verweij N, Lotta L, Baras A, Mirshahi T, Carey DJ, Kaplan DE, Lynch J, Morgan T, Schwantes-An TH, Dochtermann DR, Pyarajan S, Tsao PS, Laisk T, Mägi R, Kozlitina J, Tybjærg-Hansen A, Jones D, Knowlton KU, Nadauld L, Ferkingstad E, Björnsson ES, Ulfarsson MO, Sturluson Á, Sulem P, Pedersen OB, Ostrowski SR, Gudbjartsson DF, Stefansson K, Olesen MS, Chang KM, Holm H, Bundgaard H, Stender S. Integrative common and rare variant analyses provide insights into the genetic architecture of liver cirrhosis. Nat Genet 2024; 56:827-837. [PMID: 38632349 PMCID: PMC11096111 DOI: 10.1038/s41588-024-01720-y] [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: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
We report a multi-ancestry genome-wide association study on liver cirrhosis and its associated endophenotypes, alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and γ-glutamyl transferase. Using data from 12 cohorts, including 18,265 cases with cirrhosis, 1,782,047 controls, up to 1 million individuals with liver function tests and a validation cohort of 21,689 cases and 617,729 controls, we identify and validate 14 risk associations for cirrhosis. Many variants are located near genes involved in hepatic lipid metabolism. One of these, PNPLA3 p.Ile148Met, interacts with alcohol intake, obesity and diabetes on the risk of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We develop a polygenic risk score that associates with the progression from cirrhosis to HCC. By focusing on prioritized genes from common variant analyses, we find that rare coding variants in GPAM associate with lower ALT, supporting GPAM as a potential target for therapeutic inhibition. In conclusion, this study provides insights into the genetic underpinnings of cirrhosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas Ghouse
- Department of Cardiology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark.
- Cardiac Genetics Group, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | | | - Marijana Vujkovic
- Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Anne-Sofie Seidelin
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Helene Gellert-Kristensen
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Gustav Ahlberg
- Cardiac Genetics Group, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Søren A Rand
- Department of Cardiology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Cardiac Genetics Group, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Joseph Brancale
- Section of Digestive Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, and Department of Pathology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Silvia Vilarinho
- Section of Digestive Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, and Department of Pathology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Pia Rengtved Lundegaard
- Cardiac Genetics Group, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Erik Sørensen
- Department of Clinical Immunology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Christian Erikstrup
- Department of Clinical Immunology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Mie Topholm Bruun
- Department of Clinical Immunology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark
| | | | - Søren Brunak
- Translational Disease Systems Biology, Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Karina Banasik
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Copenhagen University Hospital Hvidovre, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Niek Verweij
- Regeneron Genetics Center, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc, Tarrytown, NY, USA
| | - Luca Lotta
- Regeneron Genetics Center, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc, Tarrytown, NY, USA
| | - Aris Baras
- Regeneron Genetics Center, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc, Tarrytown, NY, USA
| | - Tooraj Mirshahi
- Department of Molecular and Functional Genomics, Geisinger Health System, Danville, PA, USA
| | - David J Carey
- Department of Molecular and Functional Genomics, Geisinger Health System, Danville, PA, USA
| | - David E Kaplan
- Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Julie Lynch
- VA Informatics and Computing Infrastructure (VINCI), VA Salt Lake City Health Care System, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
- Division of Epidemiology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Timothy Morgan
- Gastroenterology Section, Veterans Affairs Long Beach Healthcare System, Long Beach, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Tae-Hwi Schwantes-An
- Gastroenterology Section, Veterans Affairs Long Beach Healthcare System, Long Beach, CA, USA
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Daniel R Dochtermann
- Center for Data and Computational Sciences, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Saiju Pyarajan
- Center for Data and Computational Sciences, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Brigham Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Philip S Tsao
- Palo Alto Epidemiology Research and Information Center for Genomics, VA Palo Alto, Palo Alto, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Triin Laisk
- Estonian Genome Centre, Institute of Genomics, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Reedik Mägi
- Estonian Genome Centre, Institute of Genomics, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Julia Kozlitina
- Eugene McDermott Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Anne Tybjærg-Hansen
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - David Jones
- Precision Genomics, Intermountain Healthcare, Saint George, UT, USA
| | - Kirk U Knowlton
- Intermountain Medical Center, Intermountain Heart Institute, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
- University of Utah, School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Lincoln Nadauld
- Precision Genomics, Intermountain Healthcare, Saint George, UT, USA
- Stanford University, School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | | | - Einar S Björnsson
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland
- Internal Medicine and Emergency Services, Landspitali-The National University Hospital of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland
| | - Magnus O Ulfarsson
- deCODE Genetics/Amgen, Reykjavik, Iceland
- Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland
| | | | | | - Ole B Pedersen
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Immunology, Zealand University Hospital, Køge, Denmark
| | - Sisse R Ostrowski
- Department of Clinical Immunology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Daniel F Gudbjartsson
- deCODE Genetics/Amgen, Reykjavik, Iceland
- School of Engineering and Natural Sciences, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland
| | | | - Morten Salling Olesen
- Department of Cardiology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Cardiac Genetics Group, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Kyong-Mi Chang
- Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Hilma Holm
- deCODE Genetics/Amgen, Reykjavik, Iceland
| | - Henning Bundgaard
- Department of Cardiology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Stefan Stender
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark.
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
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14
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Abou-Karam R, Cheng F, Gady S, Fahed AC. The Role of Genetics in Advancing Cardiometabolic Drug Development. Curr Atheroscler Rep 2024; 26:153-162. [PMID: 38451435 DOI: 10.1007/s11883-024-01195-6] [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] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW The objective of this review is to explore the role of genetics in cardiometabolic drug development. The declining costs of sequencing and the availability of large-scale genomic data have deepened our understanding of cardiometabolic diseases, revolutionizing drug discovery and development methodologies. We highlight four key areas in which genetics is empowering drug development for cardiometabolic disease: (1) identifying drug candidates, (2) anticipating drug target failures, (3) silencing and editing genes, and (4) enriching clinical trials. RECENT FINDINGS Identifying novel drug targets through genetic discovery studies and the use of genetic variants as indicators of potential drug efficacy and safety have become critical components of cardiometabolic drug discovery. We highlight the successes of genetically-informed therapeutic strategies, such as PCSK9 and ANGPTL3 inhibitors in lipid lowering and the emerging role of polygenic risk scores in improving the efficiency of clinical trials. Additionally, we explore the potential of gene silencing and editing technologies, such as antisense oligonucleotides and small interfering RNA, showcasing their promise in addressing diseases refractory to conventional treatments. In this review, we highlight four use cases that demonstrate the vital role of genetics in cardiometabolic drug development: (1) identifying drug candidates, (2) anticipating drug target failures, (3) silencing and editing genes, and (4) enriching clinical trials. Through these advances, genetics has paved the way to increased efficiency of drug development as well as the discovery of more personalized and effective treatments for cardiometabolic disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roukoz Abou-Karam
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 185 Cambridge Street|CPZN 3.128, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
- Cardiovascular Disease Initiative, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Fangzhou Cheng
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 185 Cambridge Street|CPZN 3.128, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
- Cardiovascular Disease Initiative, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Shoshana Gady
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 185 Cambridge Street|CPZN 3.128, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
- Cardiovascular Disease Initiative, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Akl C Fahed
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 185 Cambridge Street|CPZN 3.128, Boston, MA, 02114, USA.
- Cardiovascular Disease Initiative, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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15
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Jeong R, Bulyk ML. Chromatin accessibility variation provides insights into missing regulation underlying immune-mediated diseases. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.12.589213. [PMID: 38659802 PMCID: PMC11042205 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.12.589213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
Most genetic loci associated with complex traits and diseases through genome-wide association studies (GWAS) are noncoding, suggesting that the causal variants likely have gene regulatory effects. However, only a small number of loci have been linked to expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) detected currently. To better understand the potential reasons for many trait-associated loci lacking eQTL colocalization, we investigated whether chromatin accessibility QTLs (caQTLs) in lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs) explain immune-mediated disease associations that eQTLs in LCLs did not. The power to detect caQTLs was greater than that of eQTLs and was less affected by the distance from the transcription start site of the associated gene. Meta-analyzing LCL eQTL data to increase the sample size to over a thousand led to additional loci with eQTL colocalization, demonstrating that insufficient statistical power is still likely to be a factor. Moreover, further eQTL colocalization loci were uncovered by surveying eQTLs of other immune cell types. Altogether, insufficient power and context-specificity of eQTLs both contribute to the 'missing regulation.'
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Affiliation(s)
- Raehoon Jeong
- Division of Genetics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Bioinformatics and Integrative Genomics Graduate Program, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Martha L. Bulyk
- Division of Genetics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Bioinformatics and Integrative Genomics Graduate Program, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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16
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Bell CG. Epigenomic insights into common human disease pathology. Cell Mol Life Sci 2024; 81:178. [PMID: 38602535 PMCID: PMC11008083 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-024-05206-2] [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: 01/19/2024] [Revised: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024]
Abstract
The epigenome-the chemical modifications and chromatin-related packaging of the genome-enables the same genetic template to be activated or repressed in different cellular settings. This multi-layered mechanism facilitates cell-type specific function by setting the local sequence and 3D interactive activity level. Gene transcription is further modulated through the interplay with transcription factors and co-regulators. The human body requires this epigenomic apparatus to be precisely installed throughout development and then adequately maintained during the lifespan. The causal role of the epigenome in human pathology, beyond imprinting disorders and specific tumour suppressor genes, was further brought into the spotlight by large-scale sequencing projects identifying that mutations in epigenomic machinery genes could be critical drivers in both cancer and developmental disorders. Abrogation of this cellular mechanism is providing new molecular insights into pathogenesis. However, deciphering the full breadth and implications of these epigenomic changes remains challenging. Knowledge is accruing regarding disease mechanisms and clinical biomarkers, through pathogenically relevant and surrogate tissue analyses, respectively. Advances include consortia generated cell-type specific reference epigenomes, high-throughput DNA methylome association studies, as well as insights into ageing-related diseases from biological 'clocks' constructed by machine learning algorithms. Also, 3rd-generation sequencing is beginning to disentangle the complexity of genetic and DNA modification haplotypes. Cell-free DNA methylation as a cancer biomarker has clear clinical utility and further potential to assess organ damage across many disorders. Finally, molecular understanding of disease aetiology brings with it the opportunity for exact therapeutic alteration of the epigenome through CRISPR-activation or inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher G Bell
- William Harvey Research Institute, Barts & The London Faculty of Medicine, Queen Mary University of London, Charterhouse Square, London, EC1M 6BQ, UK.
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17
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Sayers I, John C, Chen J, Hall IP. Genetics of chronic respiratory disease. Nat Rev Genet 2024:10.1038/s41576-024-00695-0. [PMID: 38448562 DOI: 10.1038/s41576-024-00695-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
Chronic respiratory diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma and interstitial lung diseases are frequently occurring disorders with a polygenic basis that account for a large global burden of morbidity and mortality. Recent large-scale genetic epidemiology studies have identified associations between genetic variation and individual respiratory diseases and linked specific genetic variants to quantitative traits related to lung function. These associations have improved our understanding of the genetic basis and mechanisms underlying common lung diseases. Moreover, examining the overlap between genetic associations of different respiratory conditions, along with evidence for gene-environment interactions, has yielded additional biological insights into affected molecular pathways. This genetic information could inform the assessment of respiratory disease risk and contribute to stratified treatment approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian Sayers
- NIHR Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, UK
- Biodiscovery Institute, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, UK
| | - Catherine John
- University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
- University Hospitals of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Jing Chen
- University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Ian P Hall
- NIHR Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, UK.
- Biodiscovery Institute, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, UK.
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18
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Pardo-Cea MA, Farré X, Esteve A, Palade J, Espín R, Mateo F, Alsop E, Alorda M, Blay N, Baiges A, Shabbir A, Comellas F, Gómez A, Arnan M, Teulé A, Salinas M, Berrocal L, Brunet J, Rofes P, Lázaro C, Conesa M, Rojas JJ, Velten L, Fendler W, Smyczynska U, Chowdhury D, Zeng Y, He HH, Li R, Van Keuren-Jensen K, de Cid R, Pujana MA. Biological basis of extensive pleiotropy between blood traits and cancer risk. Genome Med 2024; 16:21. [PMID: 38308367 PMCID: PMC10837955 DOI: 10.1186/s13073-024-01294-8] [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: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/04/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The immune system has a central role in preventing carcinogenesis. Alteration of systemic immune cell levels may increase cancer risk. However, the extent to which common genetic variation influences blood traits and cancer risk remains largely undetermined. Here, we identify pleiotropic variants and predict their underlying molecular and cellular alterations. METHODS Multivariate Cox regression was used to evaluate associations between blood traits and cancer diagnosis in cases in the UK Biobank. Shared genetic variants were identified from the summary statistics of the genome-wide association studies of 27 blood traits and 27 cancer types and subtypes, applying the conditional/conjunctional false-discovery rate approach. Analysis of genomic positions, expression quantitative trait loci, enhancers, regulatory marks, functionally defined gene sets, and bulk- and single-cell expression profiles predicted the biological impact of pleiotropic variants. Plasma small RNAs were sequenced to assess association with cancer diagnosis. RESULTS The study identified 4093 common genetic variants, involving 1248 gene loci, that contributed to blood-cancer pleiotropism. Genomic hotspots of pleiotropism include chromosomal regions 5p15-TERT and 6p21-HLA. Genes whose products are involved in regulating telomere length are found to be enriched in pleiotropic variants. Pleiotropic gene candidates are frequently linked to transcriptional programs that regulate hematopoiesis and define progenitor cell states of immune system development. Perturbation of the myeloid lineage is indicated by pleiotropic associations with defined master regulators and cell alterations. Eosinophil count is inversely associated with cancer risk. A high frequency of pleiotropic associations is also centered on the regulation of small noncoding Y-RNAs. Predicted pleiotropic Y-RNAs show specific regulatory marks and are overabundant in the normal tissue and blood of cancer patients. Analysis of plasma small RNAs in women who developed breast cancer indicates there is an overabundance of Y-RNA preceding neoplasm diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS This study reveals extensive pleiotropism between blood traits and cancer risk. Pleiotropism is linked to factors and processes involved in hematopoietic development and immune system function, including components of the major histocompatibility complexes, and regulators of telomere length and myeloid lineage. Deregulation of Y-RNAs is also associated with pleiotropism. Overexpression of these elements might indicate increased cancer risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Angel Pardo-Cea
- ProCURE, Catalan Institute of Oncology, Oncobell, Bellvitge Institute for Biomedical Research (IDIBELL), L'Hospitalet del Llobregat, 08908, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Xavier Farré
- Genomes for Life - GCAT Lab Group, Institut Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP), Badalona, 08916, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Anna Esteve
- Badalona Applied Research Group in Oncology (B-ARGO), Catalan Institute of Oncology, Institut Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP), Badalona, 08916, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Joanna Palade
- Cancer and Cell Biology, Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), Arizona, Phoenix, AZ, 85004, USA
| | - Roderic Espín
- ProCURE, Catalan Institute of Oncology, Oncobell, Bellvitge Institute for Biomedical Research (IDIBELL), L'Hospitalet del Llobregat, 08908, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Francesca Mateo
- ProCURE, Catalan Institute of Oncology, Oncobell, Bellvitge Institute for Biomedical Research (IDIBELL), L'Hospitalet del Llobregat, 08908, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Eric Alsop
- Cancer and Cell Biology, Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), Arizona, Phoenix, AZ, 85004, USA
| | - Marc Alorda
- ProCURE, Catalan Institute of Oncology, Oncobell, Bellvitge Institute for Biomedical Research (IDIBELL), L'Hospitalet del Llobregat, 08908, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Natalia Blay
- Genomes for Life - GCAT Lab Group, Institut Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP), Badalona, 08916, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Alexandra Baiges
- ProCURE, Catalan Institute of Oncology, Oncobell, Bellvitge Institute for Biomedical Research (IDIBELL), L'Hospitalet del Llobregat, 08908, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Arzoo Shabbir
- ProCURE, Catalan Institute of Oncology, Oncobell, Bellvitge Institute for Biomedical Research (IDIBELL), L'Hospitalet del Llobregat, 08908, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Francesc Comellas
- Department of Mathematics, Technical University of Catalonia, Castelldefels, 08860, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Antonio Gómez
- Department of Biosciences, Faculty of Sciences and Technology (FCT), University of Vic - Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC), Vic, 08500, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Montserrat Arnan
- Department of Hematology, Catalan Institute of Oncology, Oncobell, Bellvitge Institute for Biomedical Research (IDIBELL), L'Hospitalet del Llobregat, 08908, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Alex Teulé
- Hereditary Cancer Program, Catalan Institute of Oncology, Oncobell, Bellvitge Institute for Biomedical Research (IDIBELL), L'Hospitalet del Llobregat, 08908, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Monica Salinas
- Hereditary Cancer Program, Catalan Institute of Oncology, Oncobell, Bellvitge Institute for Biomedical Research (IDIBELL), L'Hospitalet del Llobregat, 08908, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Laura Berrocal
- OncoGir, Catalan Institute of Oncology, Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBGI), 17190, Salt, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Joan Brunet
- Hereditary Cancer Program, Catalan Institute of Oncology, Oncobell, Bellvitge Institute for Biomedical Research (IDIBELL), L'Hospitalet del Llobregat, 08908, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- OncoGir, Catalan Institute of Oncology, Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBGI), 17190, Salt, Catalonia, Spain
- Biomedical Research Network Centre in Cancer (CIBERONC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28222, Madrid, Spain
| | - Paula Rofes
- Hereditary Cancer Program, Catalan Institute of Oncology, Oncobell, Bellvitge Institute for Biomedical Research (IDIBELL), L'Hospitalet del Llobregat, 08908, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- Biomedical Research Network Centre in Cancer (CIBERONC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28222, Madrid, Spain
| | - Conxi Lázaro
- Hereditary Cancer Program, Catalan Institute of Oncology, Oncobell, Bellvitge Institute for Biomedical Research (IDIBELL), L'Hospitalet del Llobregat, 08908, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- Biomedical Research Network Centre in Cancer (CIBERONC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28222, Madrid, Spain
| | - Miquel Conesa
- Department of Pathology and Experimental Therapies, University of Barcelona (UB), Oncobell, Bellvitge Institute for Biomedical Research (IDIBELL), L'Hospitalet del Llobregat, 08908, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Juan Jose Rojas
- Department of Pathology and Experimental Therapies, University of Barcelona (UB), Oncobell, Bellvitge Institute for Biomedical Research (IDIBELL), L'Hospitalet del Llobregat, 08908, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Lars Velten
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), 08003, Barcelona, Spain
- University Pompeu Fabra (UPF), 08002, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Wojciech Fendler
- Department of Biostatistics and Translational Medicine, Medical University of Lodz, 92-215, Lodz, Poland
| | - Urszula Smyczynska
- Department of Biostatistics and Translational Medicine, Medical University of Lodz, 92-215, Lodz, Poland
| | - Dipanjan Chowdhury
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Center for BRCA and Related Genes, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Yong Zeng
- Princess Margaret Cancer Center, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, M5G 2C4, Canada
| | - Housheng Hansen He
- Princess Margaret Cancer Center, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, M5G 2C4, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Rong Li
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, 20052, USA
| | - Kendall Van Keuren-Jensen
- Cancer and Cell Biology, Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), Arizona, Phoenix, AZ, 85004, USA.
| | - Rafael de Cid
- Genomes for Life - GCAT Lab Group, Institut Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP), Badalona, 08916, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
| | - Miquel Angel Pujana
- ProCURE, Catalan Institute of Oncology, Oncobell, Bellvitge Institute for Biomedical Research (IDIBELL), L'Hospitalet del Llobregat, 08908, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
- Biomedical Research Network Centre in Respiratory Diseases (CIBERES), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28222, Madrid, Spain.
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19
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Debette S, Chasman DI. Multiomic approaches to stroke: the beginning of a journey. Nat Rev Neurol 2024; 20:65-66. [PMID: 38102384 DOI: 10.1038/s41582-023-00908-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Stéphanie Debette
- University of Bordeaux, INSERM U1219, Bordeaux Population Health (BPH) Research Center, Bordeaux, France.
- Bordeaux University Hospital, Department of Neurology, Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Bordeaux, France.
| | - Daniel I Chasman
- Division of Preventive Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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20
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Schnitzler GR, Kang H, Fang S, Angom RS, Lee-Kim VS, Ma XR, Zhou R, Zeng T, Guo K, Taylor MS, Vellarikkal SK, Barry AE, Sias-Garcia O, Bloemendal A, Munson G, Guckelberger P, Nguyen TH, Bergman DT, Hinshaw S, Cheng N, Cleary B, Aragam K, Lander ES, Finucane HK, Mukhopadhyay D, Gupta RM, Engreitz JM. Convergence of coronary artery disease genes onto endothelial cell programs. Nature 2024; 626:799-807. [PMID: 38326615 PMCID: PMC10921916 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07022-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
Linking variants from genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to underlying mechanisms of disease remains a challenge1-3. For some diseases, a successful strategy has been to look for cases in which multiple GWAS loci contain genes that act in the same biological pathway1-6. However, our knowledge of which genes act in which pathways is incomplete, particularly for cell-type-specific pathways or understudied genes. Here we introduce a method to connect GWAS variants to functions. This method links variants to genes using epigenomics data, links genes to pathways de novo using Perturb-seq and integrates these data to identify convergence of GWAS loci onto pathways. We apply this approach to study the role of endothelial cells in genetic risk for coronary artery disease (CAD), and discover 43 CAD GWAS signals that converge on the cerebral cavernous malformation (CCM) signalling pathway. Two regulators of this pathway, CCM2 and TLNRD1, are each linked to a CAD risk variant, regulate other CAD risk genes and affect atheroprotective processes in endothelial cells. These results suggest a model whereby CAD risk is driven in part by the convergence of causal genes onto a particular transcriptional pathway in endothelial cells. They highlight shared genes between common and rare vascular diseases (CAD and CCM), and identify TLNRD1 as a new, previously uncharacterized member of the CCM signalling pathway. This approach will be widely useful for linking variants to functions for other common polygenic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gavin R Schnitzler
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Genomic Mechanisms of Disease, Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Divisions of Genetics and Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Helen Kang
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Basic Science and Engineering Initiative, Stanford Children's Health, Betty Irene Moore Children's Heart Center, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Shi Fang
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Divisions of Genetics and Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ramcharan S Angom
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | - Vivian S Lee-Kim
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Divisions of Genetics and Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - X Rosa Ma
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Basic Science and Engineering Initiative, Stanford Children's Health, Betty Irene Moore Children's Heart Center, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Ronghao Zhou
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Basic Science and Engineering Initiative, Stanford Children's Health, Betty Irene Moore Children's Heart Center, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Tony Zeng
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Basic Science and Engineering Initiative, Stanford Children's Health, Betty Irene Moore Children's Heart Center, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Katherine Guo
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Basic Science and Engineering Initiative, Stanford Children's Health, Betty Irene Moore Children's Heart Center, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Martin S Taylor
- Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Shamsudheen K Vellarikkal
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Divisions of Genetics and Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Aurelie E Barry
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Divisions of Genetics and Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Oscar Sias-Garcia
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Divisions of Genetics and Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Alex Bloemendal
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Genomic Mechanisms of Disease, Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Glen Munson
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Tung H Nguyen
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Drew T Bergman
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH, USA
| | - Stephen Hinshaw
- Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, ChEM-H, and Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Nathan Cheng
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Brian Cleary
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Faculty of Computing and Data Sciences, Departments of Biology and Biomedical Engineering, Biological Design Center, and Program in Bioinformatics, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Krishna Aragam
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Eric S Lander
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Biology, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Hilary K Finucane
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Analytic and Translational Genetics Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Debabrata Mukhopadhyay
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | - Rajat M Gupta
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Genomic Mechanisms of Disease, Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Divisions of Genetics and Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Jesse M Engreitz
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Genomic Mechanisms of Disease, Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Basic Science and Engineering Initiative, Stanford Children's Health, Betty Irene Moore Children's Heart Center, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
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21
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Zekavat SM, Jorshery SD, Rauscher FG, Horn K, Sekimitsu S, Koyama S, Nguyen TT, Costanzo MC, Jang D, Burtt NP, Kühnapfel A, Shweikh Y, Ye Y, Raghu V, Zhao H, Ghassemi M, Elze T, Segrè AV, Wiggs JL, Del Priore L, Scholz M, Wang JC, Natarajan P, Zebardast N. Phenome- and genome-wide analyses of retinal optical coherence tomography images identify links between ocular and systemic health. Sci Transl Med 2024; 16:eadg4517. [PMID: 38266105 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.adg4517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
The human retina is a multilayered tissue that offers a unique window into systemic health. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is widely used in eye care and allows the noninvasive, rapid capture of retinal anatomy in exquisite detail. We conducted genotypic and phenotypic analyses of retinal layer thicknesses using macular OCT images from 44,823 UK Biobank participants. We performed OCT layer cross-phenotype association analyses (OCT-XWAS), associating retinal thicknesses with 1866 incident conditions (median 10-year follow-up) and 88 quantitative traits and blood biomarkers. We performed genome-wide association studies (GWASs), identifying inherited genetic markers that influence retinal layer thicknesses and replicated our associations among the LIFE-Adult Study (N = 6313). Last, we performed a comparative analysis of phenome- and genome-wide associations to identify putative causal links between retinal layer thicknesses and both ocular and systemic conditions. Independent associations with incident mortality were detected for thinner photoreceptor segments (PSs) and, separately, ganglion cell complex layers. Phenotypic associations were detected between thinner retinal layers and ocular, neuropsychiatric, cardiometabolic, and pulmonary conditions. A GWAS of retinal layer thicknesses yielded 259 unique loci. Consistency between epidemiologic and genetic associations suggested links between a thinner retinal nerve fiber layer with glaucoma, thinner PS with age-related macular degeneration, and poor cardiometabolic and pulmonary function with a thinner PS. In conclusion, we identified multiple inherited genetic loci and acquired systemic cardio-metabolic-pulmonary conditions associated with thinner retinal layers and identify retinal layers wherein thinning is predictive of future ocular and systemic conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seyedeh Maryam Zekavat
- Department of Ophthalmology, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Saman Doroodgar Jorshery
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Departments of Computer Science/Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A1, Canada
- Vector Institute for Artificial Intelligence, Toronto, ON M5G 1M1, Canada
- Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Cardiovascular Imaging Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Franziska G Rauscher
- Institute for Medical Informatics, Statistics, and Epidemiology (IMISE), Leipzig University, Leipzig 04107, Germany
- Leipzig Research Centre for Civilization Diseases (LIFE), Leipzig University, Leipzig 04103, Germany
| | - Katrin Horn
- Institute for Medical Informatics, Statistics, and Epidemiology (IMISE), Leipzig University, Leipzig 04107, Germany
| | | | - Satoshi Koyama
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Trang T Nguyen
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Maria C Costanzo
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Dongkeun Jang
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Noël P Burtt
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Andreas Kühnapfel
- Institute for Medical Informatics, Statistics, and Epidemiology (IMISE), Leipzig University, Leipzig 04107, Germany
| | - Yusrah Shweikh
- Department of Ophthalmology, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Yixuan Ye
- Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Program, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Vineet Raghu
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Cardiovascular Imaging Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Hongyu Zhao
- Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Program, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
- School of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Marzyeh Ghassemi
- Departments of Computer Science/Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A1, Canada
- Vector Institute for Artificial Intelligence, Toronto, ON M5G 1M1, Canada
- Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Tobias Elze
- Department of Ophthalmology, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Ayellet V Segrè
- Department of Ophthalmology, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Janey L Wiggs
- Department of Ophthalmology, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Lucian Del Priore
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Markus Scholz
- Institute for Medical Informatics, Statistics, and Epidemiology (IMISE), Leipzig University, Leipzig 04107, Germany
- Leipzig Research Centre for Civilization Diseases (LIFE), Leipzig University, Leipzig 04103, Germany
| | - Jay C Wang
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
- Northern California Retina Vitreous Associates, Mountain View, CA 94040, USA
| | - Pradeep Natarajan
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Nazlee Zebardast
- Department of Ophthalmology, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
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22
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Brechtmann F, Bechtler T, Londhe S, Mertes C, Gagneur J. Evaluation of input data modality choices on functional gene embeddings. NAR Genom Bioinform 2023; 5:lqad095. [PMID: 37942285 PMCID: PMC10629286 DOI: 10.1093/nargab/lqad095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Revised: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Functional gene embeddings, numerical vectors capturing gene function, provide a promising way to integrate functional gene information into machine learning models. These embeddings are learnt by applying self-supervised machine-learning algorithms on various data types including quantitative omics measurements, protein-protein interaction networks and literature. However, downstream evaluations comparing alternative data modalities used to construct functional gene embeddings have been lacking. Here we benchmarked functional gene embeddings obtained from various data modalities for predicting disease-gene lists, cancer drivers, phenotype-gene associations and scores from genome-wide association studies. Off-the-shelf predictors trained on precomputed embeddings matched or outperformed dedicated state-of-the-art predictors, demonstrating their high utility. Embeddings based on literature and protein-protein interactions inferred from low-throughput experiments outperformed embeddings derived from genome-wide experimental data (transcriptomics, deletion screens and protein sequence) when predicting curated gene lists. In contrast, they did not perform better when predicting genome-wide association signals and were biased towards highly-studied genes. These results indicate that embeddings derived from literature and low-throughput experiments appear favourable in many existing benchmarks because they are biased towards well-studied genes and should therefore be considered with caution. Altogether, our study and precomputed embeddings will facilitate the development of machine-learning models in genetics and related fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felix Brechtmann
- TUM School of Computation, Information and Technology, Technical University of Munich, Garching, Germany
- Munich Center for Machine Learning, Munich, Germany
| | - Thibault Bechtler
- TUM School of Computation, Information and Technology, Technical University of Munich, Garching, Germany
| | - Shubhankar Londhe
- TUM School of Computation, Information and Technology, Technical University of Munich, Garching, Germany
| | - Christian Mertes
- TUM School of Computation, Information and Technology, Technical University of Munich, Garching, Germany
- Munich Data Science Institute, Technical University of Munich, Garching, Germany
- Institute of Human Genetics, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Julien Gagneur
- TUM School of Computation, Information and Technology, Technical University of Munich, Garching, Germany
- Institute of Human Genetics, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- Computational Health Center, Helmholtz Center Munich, Neuherberg, Germany
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23
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Strober BJ, Zhang MJ, Amariuta T, Rossen J, Price AL. Fine-mapping causal tissues and genes at disease-associated loci. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2023:2023.11.01.23297909. [PMID: 37961337 PMCID: PMC10635248 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.01.23297909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Heritable diseases often manifest in a highly tissue-specific manner, with different disease loci mediated by genes in distinct tissues or cell types. We propose Tissue-Gene Fine-Mapping (TGFM), a fine-mapping method that infers the posterior probability (PIP) for each gene-tissue pair to mediate a disease locus by analyzing GWAS summary statistics (and in-sample LD) and leveraging eQTL data from diverse tissues to build cis-predicted expression models; TGFM also assigns PIPs to causal variants that are not mediated by gene expression in assayed genes and tissues. TGFM accounts for both co-regulation across genes and tissues and LD between SNPs (generalizing existing fine-mapping methods), and incorporates genome-wide estimates of each tissue's contribution to disease as tissue-level priors. TGFM was well-calibrated and moderately well-powered in simulations; unlike previous methods, TGFM was able to attain correct calibration by modeling uncertainty in cis-predicted expression models. We applied TGFM to 45 UK Biobank diseases/traits (average N = 316 K ) using eQTL data from 38 GTEx tissues. TGFM identified an average of 147 PIP > 0.5 causal genetic elements per disease/trait, of which 11% were gene-tissue pairs. Implicated gene-tissue pairs were concentrated in known disease-critical tissues, and causal genes were strongly enriched in disease-relevant gene sets. Causal gene-tissue pairs identified by TGFM recapitulated known biology (e.g., TPO-thyroid for Hypothyroidism), but also included biologically plausible novel findings (e.g., SLC20A2-artery aorta for Diastolic blood pressure). Further application of TGFM to single-cell eQTL data from 9 cell types in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), analyzed jointly with GTEx tissues, identified 30 additional causal gene-PBMC cell type pairs at PIP > 0.5-primarily for autoimmune disease and blood cell traits, including the well-established role of CTLA4 in CD8+ T cells for All autoimmune disease. In conclusion, TGFM is a robust and powerful method for fine-mapping causal tissues and genes at disease-associated loci.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin J. Strober
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Martin Jinye Zhang
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
- Computational Biology Department, School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Tiffany Amariuta
- Halıcıoğlu Data Science Institute, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Jordan Rossen
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Alkes L. Price
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
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24
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Roychowdhury T, Klarin D, Levin MG, Spin JM, Rhee YH, Deng A, Headley CA, Tsao NL, Gellatly C, Zuber V, Shen F, Hornsby WE, Laursen IH, Verma SS, Locke AE, Einarsson G, Thorleifsson G, Graham SE, Dikilitas O, Pattee JW, Judy RL, Pauls-Verges F, Nielsen JB, Wolford BN, Brumpton BM, Dilmé J, Peypoch O, Juscafresa LC, Edwards TL, Li D, Banasik K, Brunak S, Jacobsen RL, Garcia-Barrio MT, Zhang J, Rasmussen LM, Lee R, Handa A, Wanhainen A, Mani K, Lindholt JS, Obel LM, Strauss E, Oszkinis G, Nelson CP, Saxby KL, van Herwaarden JA, van der Laan SW, van Setten J, Camacho M, Davis FM, Wasikowski R, Tsoi LC, Gudjonsson JE, Eliason JL, Coleman DM, Henke PK, Ganesh SK, Chen YE, Guan W, Pankow JS, Pankratz N, Pedersen OB, Erikstrup C, Tang W, Hveem K, Gudbjartsson D, Gretarsdottir S, Thorsteinsdottir U, Holm H, Stefansson K, Ferreira MA, Baras A, Kullo IJ, Ritchie MD, Christensen AH, Iversen KK, Eldrup N, Sillesen H, Ostrowski SR, Bundgaard H, Ullum H, Burgess S, Gill D, Gallagher K, Sabater-Lleal M, Surakka I, Jones GT, Bown MJ, Tsao PS, Willer CJ, Damrauer SM. Genome-wide association meta-analysis identifies risk loci for abdominal aortic aneurysm and highlights PCSK9 as a therapeutic target. Nat Genet 2023; 55:1831-1842. [PMID: 37845353 PMCID: PMC10632148 DOI: 10.1038/s41588-023-01510-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/18/2023]
Abstract
Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a common disease with substantial heritability. In this study, we performed a genome-wide association meta-analysis from 14 discovery cohorts and uncovered 141 independent associations, including 97 previously unreported loci. A polygenic risk score derived from meta-analysis explained AAA risk beyond clinical risk factors. Genes at AAA risk loci indicate involvement of lipid metabolism, vascular development and remodeling, extracellular matrix dysregulation and inflammation as key mechanisms in AAA pathogenesis. These genes also indicate overlap between the development of AAA and other monogenic aortopathies, particularly via transforming growth factor β signaling. Motivated by the strong evidence for the role of lipid metabolism in AAA, we used Mendelian randomization to establish the central role of nonhigh-density lipoprotein cholesterol in AAA and identified the opportunity for repurposing of proprotein convertase, subtilisin/kexin-type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors. This was supported by a study demonstrating that PCSK9 loss of function prevented the development of AAA in a preclinical mouse model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanmoy Roychowdhury
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
| | - Derek Klarin
- Department of Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- VA Palo Alto Healthcare System, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Michael G Levin
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Joshua M Spin
- VA Palo Alto Healthcare System, Palo Alto, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Yae Hyun Rhee
- VA Palo Alto Healthcare System, Palo Alto, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Alicia Deng
- VA Palo Alto Healthcare System, Palo Alto, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Colwyn A Headley
- VA Palo Alto Healthcare System, Palo Alto, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Noah L Tsao
- Department of Surgery, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Corry Gellatly
- Department of Cardiovascular Sciences and NIHR Leicester Biomedical Research Centre, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Verena Zuber
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
- MRC Centre for Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at Imperial College, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Fred Shen
- University of Michigan Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Whitney E Hornsby
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Ina Holst Laursen
- Department of Clinical Immunology, Copenhagen University Hospital-Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Shefali S Verma
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Adam E Locke
- Regeneron Genetics Center, LLC, Tarrytown, NY, USA
| | | | | | - Sarah E Graham
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Ozan Dikilitas
- Department of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic Rochester, Rochester, MN, USA
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine and the Gonda Vascular Center, Mayo Clinic Rochester, Rochester, MN, USA
- Mayo Clinician Investigator Training Program, Mayo Clinic Rochester, Rochester, MN, USA
| | | | - Renae L Judy
- Department of Surgery, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Ferran Pauls-Verges
- Unit of Genomics of Complex Diseases, Sant Pau Biomedical Research Institute (IIB Sant Pau), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jonas B Nielsen
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- HUNT Research Centre, Department of Public Health and Nursing, NTNU, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Levanger, Norway
| | - Brooke N Wolford
- Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- K.G. Jebsen Center for Genetic Epidemiology, Department of Public Health and Nursing, NTNU, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Ben M Brumpton
- HUNT Research Centre, Department of Public Health and Nursing, NTNU, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Levanger, Norway
- K.G. Jebsen Center for Genetic Epidemiology, Department of Public Health and Nursing, NTNU, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
- Clinic of Medicine, St. Olavs Hospital, Trondheim University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Jaume Dilmé
- Department of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Olga Peypoch
- Unit of Genomics of Complex Diseases, Sant Pau Biomedical Research Institute (IIB Sant Pau), Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Todd L Edwards
- Division of Epidemiology, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt Genetics Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Dadong Li
- Regeneron Genetics Center, LLC, Tarrytown, NY, USA
| | - Karina Banasik
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Søren Brunak
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Rikke L Jacobsen
- Department of Clinical Immunology, Copenhagen University Hospital-Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Minerva T Garcia-Barrio
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Jifeng Zhang
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Lars M Rasmussen
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Odense University Hospital, Elite Research Centre of Individualized Medicine in Arterial Disease (CIMA), Odense, Denmark
| | - Regent Lee
- Nuffield Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Ashok Handa
- Nuffield Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Anders Wanhainen
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Vascular Surgery, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Department of Surgical and Perioperative Sciences, Surgery, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Kevin Mani
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Vascular Surgery, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jes S Lindholt
- Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery, Odense University Hospital, Elite Research Centre of Individualized Medicine in Arterial Disease (CIMA), Odense, Denmark
| | - Lasse M Obel
- Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery, Odense University Hospital, Elite Research Centre of Individualized Medicine in Arterial Disease (CIMA), Odense, Denmark
| | - Ewa Strauss
- Institute of Human Genetics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poznan, Poland
- Department of General and Vascular Surgery, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland
| | - Grzegorz Oszkinis
- Department of General and Vascular Surgery, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland
- Department of Vascular and General Surgery, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Opole, Opole, Poland
| | - Christopher P Nelson
- Department of Cardiovascular Sciences and NIHR Leicester Biomedical Research Centre, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Katie L Saxby
- Department of Cardiovascular Sciences and NIHR Leicester Biomedical Research Centre, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Joost A van Herwaarden
- Department of Vascular Surgery, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Sander W van der Laan
- Central Diagnostics Laboratory, Division Laboratories, Pharmacy, and Biomedical genetics, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Jessica van Setten
- Department of Cardiology, Division Heart and Lungs, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Mercedes Camacho
- Unit of Genomics of Complex Diseases, Sant Pau Biomedical Research Institute (IIB Sant Pau), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Frank M Davis
- Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Rachael Wasikowski
- Department of Dermatology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Lam C Tsoi
- Department of Dermatology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Johann E Gudjonsson
- Department of Dermatology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Jonathan L Eliason
- Department of Surgery, Section of Vascular Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Dawn M Coleman
- Department of Surgery, Section of Vascular Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Peter K Henke
- Department of Surgery, Section of Vascular Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Santhi K Ganesh
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Y Eugene Chen
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Weihua Guan
- Division of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - James S Pankow
- Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Nathan Pankratz
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, School of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Ole B Pedersen
- Department of Clinical Immunology, Zealand University Hospital-Køge, Køge, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Christian Erikstrup
- Department of Clinical Immunology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Weihong Tang
- Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Kristian Hveem
- HUNT Research Centre, Department of Public Health and Nursing, NTNU, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Levanger, Norway
- K.G. Jebsen Center for Genetic Epidemiology, Department of Public Health and Nursing, NTNU, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
- Department of Medicine, Levanger Hospital, Nord-Trøndelag Hospital Trust, Levanger, Norway
| | - Daniel Gudbjartsson
- deCODE genetics/Amgen Inc., Reykjavik, Iceland
- School of Engineering and Natural Sciences, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland
| | | | - Unnur Thorsteinsdottir
- deCODE genetics/Amgen Inc., Reykjavik, Iceland
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland
| | - Hilma Holm
- deCODE genetics/Amgen Inc., Reykjavik, Iceland
| | - Kari Stefansson
- deCODE genetics/Amgen Inc., Reykjavik, Iceland
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland
| | | | - Aris Baras
- Regeneron Genetics Center, LLC, Tarrytown, NY, USA
| | - Iftikhar J Kullo
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine and the Gonda Vascular Center, Mayo Clinic Rochester, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Marylyn D Ritchie
- Department of Genetics, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Alex H Christensen
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Cardiology, Copenhagen University Hospital-Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Cardiology, Herlev-Gentofte Hospital, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Kasper K Iversen
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Cardiology, Herlev-Gentofte Hospital, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Nikolaj Eldrup
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Copenhagen University Hospital-Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Henrik Sillesen
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Sisse R Ostrowski
- Department of Clinical Immunology, Copenhagen University Hospital-Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Henning Bundgaard
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Cardiology, Copenhagen University Hospital-Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Stephen Burgess
- MRC Biostatistics Unit, School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Cardiovascular Epidemiology Unit, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Dipender Gill
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Chief Scientific Advisor Office, Research and Early Development, Novo Nordisk, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Katherine Gallagher
- Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Maria Sabater-Lleal
- Unit of Genomics of Complex Diseases, Sant Pau Biomedical Research Institute (IIB Sant Pau), Barcelona, Spain
- Cardiovascular Medicine Unit, Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Center for Molecular Medicine, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ida Surakka
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Gregory T Jones
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Matthew J Bown
- Department of Cardiovascular Sciences and NIHR Leicester Biomedical Research Centre, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Philip S Tsao
- VA Palo Alto Healthcare System, Palo Alto, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Cristen J Willer
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
- Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
| | - Scott M Damrauer
- Department of Surgery, Corporal Michael Crescenz VA Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
- Department of Surgery, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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25
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Williams AT, Chen J, Coley K, Batini C, Izquierdo A, Packer R, Abner E, Kanoni S, Shepherd DJ, Free RC, Hollox EJ, Brunskill NJ, Ntalla I, Reeve N, Brightling CE, Venn L, Adams E, Bee C, Wallace SE, Pareek M, Hansell AL, Esko T, Stow D, Jacobs BM, van Heel DA, Hennah W, Rao BS, Dudbridge F, Wain LV, Shrine N, Tobin MD, John C. Genome-wide association study of thyroid-stimulating hormone highlights new genes, pathways and associations with thyroid disease. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6713. [PMID: 37872160 PMCID: PMC10593800 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42284-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Thyroid hormones play a critical role in regulation of multiple physiological functions and thyroid dysfunction is associated with substantial morbidity. Here, we use electronic health records to undertake a genome-wide association study of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels, with a total sample size of 247,107. We identify 158 novel genetic associations, more than doubling the number of known associations with TSH, and implicate 112 putative causal genes, of which 76 are not previously implicated. A polygenic score for TSH is associated with TSH levels in African, South Asian, East Asian, Middle Eastern and admixed American ancestries, and associated with hypothyroidism and other thyroid disease in South Asians. In Europeans, the TSH polygenic score is associated with thyroid disease, including thyroid cancer and age-of-onset of hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism. We develop pathway-specific genetic risk scores for TSH levels and use these in phenome-wide association studies to identify potential consequences of pathway perturbation. Together, these findings demonstrate the potential utility of genetic associations to inform future therapeutics and risk prediction for thyroid diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander T Williams
- Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK.
| | - Jing Chen
- Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Kayesha Coley
- Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Chiara Batini
- Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
- University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, Infirmary Square, Leicester, UK
| | - Abril Izquierdo
- Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
- University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, Infirmary Square, Leicester, UK
| | - Richard Packer
- Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
- University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, Infirmary Square, Leicester, UK
| | - Erik Abner
- Estonian Genome Center, Institute of Genomics, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Stavroula Kanoni
- William Harvey Research Institute, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - David J Shepherd
- Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Robert C Free
- University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, Infirmary Square, Leicester, UK
- School of Computing and Mathematical Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Edward J Hollox
- Department of Genetics and Genome Biology, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Nigel J Brunskill
- Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Ioanna Ntalla
- Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Nicola Reeve
- Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
- Division of Population Medicine, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Christopher E Brightling
- University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, Infirmary Square, Leicester, UK
- Institute for Lung Health, Leicester NIHR BRC, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Laura Venn
- Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Emma Adams
- Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Catherine Bee
- Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Susan E Wallace
- Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Manish Pareek
- University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, Infirmary Square, Leicester, UK
- Department of Respiratory Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Anna L Hansell
- Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Tõnu Esko
- Estonian Genome Center, Institute of Genomics, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Daniel Stow
- Wolfson Institute of Population Health, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Benjamin M Jacobs
- Preventive Neurology Unit, Wolfson Institute of Population Health, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
- Department of Neurology, Royal London Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK
| | - David A van Heel
- Blizard Institute, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - William Hennah
- Orion Pharma, Espoo, Finland
- Neuroscience Center, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Institute for Molecular Medicine FIMM, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | | | - Frank Dudbridge
- Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Louise V Wain
- Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
- University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, Infirmary Square, Leicester, UK
| | - Nick Shrine
- Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Martin D Tobin
- Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
- University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, Infirmary Square, Leicester, UK
| | - Catherine John
- Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK.
- University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, Infirmary Square, Leicester, UK.
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26
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Urbut SM, Koyama S, Hornsby W, Bhukar R, Kheterpal S, Truong B, Selvaraj MS, Neale B, O’Donnell CJ, Peloso GM, Natarajan P. Bayesian multivariate genetic analysis improves translational insights. iScience 2023; 26:107854. [PMID: 37766997 PMCID: PMC10520309 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Revised: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
While lipid traits are known essential mediators of cardiovascular disease, few approaches have taken advantage of their shared genetic effects. We apply a Bayesian multivariate size estimator, mash, to GWAS of four lipid traits in the Million Veterans Program (MVP) and provide posterior mean and local false sign rates for all effects. These estimates borrow information across traits to improve effect size accuracy. We show that controlling local false sign rates accurately and powerfully identifies replicable genetic associations and that multivariate control furthers the ability to explain complex diseases. Our application yields high concordance between independent datasets, more accurately prioritizes causal genes, and significantly improves polygenic prediction beyond state-of-the-art methods by up to 59% for lipid traits. The use of Bayesian multivariate genetic shrinkage has yet to be applied to human quantitative trait GWAS results, and we present a staged approach to prediction on a polygenic scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah M. Urbut
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Satoshi Koyama
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Department of Medicine Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Whitney Hornsby
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Department of Medicine Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Rohan Bhukar
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Department of Medicine Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Sumeet Kheterpal
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Buu Truong
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Department of Medicine Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Margaret S. Selvaraj
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Department of Medicine Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Benjamin Neale
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Department of Medicine Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Analytic Translational and Genetics Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Christopher J. O’Donnell
- Department of Medicine Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- VA Boston Department of Veterans Affairs, Boston, MA 02130, USA
| | - Gina M. Peloso
- Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02218, USA
| | - Pradeep Natarajan
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Department of Medicine Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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27
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Tsai MJ, Jeong S, Yu F, Chen TF, Li PH, Juan HF, Huang JH, Hsu YH. Translating GWAS Findings to Inform Drug Repositioning Strategies for COVID-19 Treatment. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-3443080. [PMID: 37886583 PMCID: PMC10602133 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3443080/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
We developed a computational framework that integrates Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS) and post-GWAS analyses, designed to facilitate drug repurposing for COVID-19 treatment. The comprehensive approach combines transcriptomic-wide associations, polygenic priority scoring, 3D genomics, viral-host protein-protein interactions, and small-molecule docking. Through GWAS, we identified nine druggable host genes associated with COVID-19 severity and SARS-CoV-2 infection, all of which show differential expression in COVID-19 patients. These genes include IFNAR1, IFNAR2, TYK2, IL10RB, CXCR6, CCR9, and OAS1. We performed an extensive molecular docking analysis of these targets using 553 small molecules derived from five therapeutically enriched categories, namely antibacterials, antivirals, antineoplastics, immunosuppressants, and anti-inflammatories. This analysis, which comprised over 20,000 individual docking analyses, enabled the identification of several promising drug candidates. All results are available via the DockCoV2 database (https://dockcov2.org/drugs/). The computational framework ultimately identified nine potential drug candidates: Peginterferon alfa-2b, Interferon alfa-2b, Interferon beta-1b, Ruxolitinib, Dactinomycin, Rolitetracycline, Irinotecan, Vinblastine, and Oritavancin. While its current focus is on COVID-19, our proposed computational framework can be applied more broadly to assist in drug repurposing efforts for a variety of diseases. Overall, this study underscores the potential of human genetic studies and the utility of a computational framework for drug repurposing in the context of COVID-19 treatment, providing a valuable resource for researchers in this field.
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28
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Hou L, Xiong X, Park Y, Boix C, James B, Sun N, He L, Patel A, Zhang Z, Molinie B, Van Wittenberghe N, Steelman S, Nusbaum C, Aguet F, Ardlie KG, Kellis M. Multitissue H3K27ac profiling of GTEx samples links epigenomic variation to disease. Nat Genet 2023; 55:1665-1676. [PMID: 37770633 PMCID: PMC10562256 DOI: 10.1038/s41588-023-01509-5] [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: 06/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/30/2023]
Abstract
Genetic variants associated with complex traits are primarily noncoding, and their effects on gene-regulatory activity remain largely uncharacterized. To address this, we profile epigenomic variation of histone mark H3K27ac across 387 brain, heart, muscle and lung samples from Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx). We annotate 282 k active regulatory elements (AREs) with tissue-specific activity patterns. We identify 2,436 sex-biased AREs and 5,397 genetically influenced AREs associated with 130 k genetic variants (haQTLs) across tissues. We integrate genetic and epigenomic variation to provide mechanistic insights for disease-associated loci from 55 genome-wide association studies (GWAS), by revealing candidate tissues of action, driver SNPs and impacted AREs. Lastly, we build ARE-gene linking scores based on genetics (gLink scores) and demonstrate their unique ability to prioritize SNP-ARE-gene circuits. Overall, our epigenomic datasets, computational integration and mechanistic predictions provide valuable resources and important insights for understanding the molecular basis of human diseases/traits such as schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Hou
- Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- The Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Xushen Xiong
- Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- The Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yongjin Park
- Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- The Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Carles Boix
- Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- The Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Benjamin James
- Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- The Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Na Sun
- Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- The Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Liang He
- Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- The Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Aman Patel
- Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- The Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Zhizhuo Zhang
- Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- The Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Benoit Molinie
- The Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Scott Steelman
- The Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Chad Nusbaum
- The Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - François Aguet
- The Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Manolis Kellis
- Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- The Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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29
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Kavousi M, Bos MM, Barnes HJ, Lino Cardenas CL, Wong D, Lu H, Hodonsky CJ, Landsmeer LPL, Turner AW, Kho M, Hasbani NR, de Vries PS, Bowden DW, Chopade S, Deelen J, Benavente ED, Guo X, Hofer E, Hwang SJ, Lutz SM, Lyytikäinen LP, Slenders L, Smith AV, Stanislawski MA, van Setten J, Wong Q, Yanek LR, Becker DM, Beekman M, Budoff MJ, Feitosa MF, Finan C, Hilliard AT, Kardia SLR, Kovacic JC, Kral BG, Langefeld CD, Launer LJ, Malik S, Hoesein FAAM, Mokry M, Schmidt R, Smith JA, Taylor KD, Terry JG, van der Grond J, van Meurs J, Vliegenthart R, Xu J, Young KA, Zilhão NR, Zweiker R, Assimes TL, Becker LC, Bos D, Carr JJ, Cupples LA, de Kleijn DPV, de Winther M, den Ruijter HM, Fornage M, Freedman BI, Gudnason V, Hingorani AD, Hokanson JE, Ikram MA, Išgum I, Jacobs DR, Kähönen M, Lange LA, Lehtimäki T, Pasterkamp G, Raitakari OT, Schmidt H, Slagboom PE, Uitterlinden AG, Vernooij MW, Bis JC, Franceschini N, Psaty BM, Post WS, Rotter JI, Björkegren JLM, O'Donnell CJ, Bielak LF, Peyser PA, Malhotra R, van der Laan SW, Miller CL. Multi-ancestry genome-wide study identifies effector genes and druggable pathways for coronary artery calcification. Nat Genet 2023; 55:1651-1664. [PMID: 37770635 PMCID: PMC10601987 DOI: 10.1038/s41588-023-01518-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/30/2023]
Abstract
Coronary artery calcification (CAC), a measure of subclinical atherosclerosis, predicts future symptomatic coronary artery disease (CAD). Identifying genetic risk factors for CAC may point to new therapeutic avenues for prevention. Currently, there are only four known risk loci for CAC identified from genome-wide association studies (GWAS) in the general population. Here we conducted the largest multi-ancestry GWAS meta-analysis of CAC to date, which comprised 26,909 individuals of European ancestry and 8,867 individuals of African ancestry. We identified 11 independent risk loci, of which eight were new for CAC and five had not been reported for CAD. These new CAC loci are related to bone mineralization, phosphate catabolism and hormone metabolic pathways. Several new loci harbor candidate causal genes supported by multiple lines of functional evidence and are regulators of smooth muscle cell-mediated calcification ex vivo and in vitro. Together, these findings help refine the genetic architecture of CAC and extend our understanding of the biological and potential druggable pathways underlying CAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryam Kavousi
- Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Maxime M Bos
- Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Hanna J Barnes
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Cardiology Division, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Christian L Lino Cardenas
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Cardiology Division, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Doris Wong
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
- Center for Public Health Genomics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Haojie Lu
- Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Internal Medicine, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Chani J Hodonsky
- Center for Public Health Genomics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Lennart P L Landsmeer
- Central Diagnostics Laboratory, Division Laboratories, Pharmacy, and Biomedical Genetics, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Adam W Turner
- Center for Public Health Genomics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Minjung Kho
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Graduate School of Data Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Natalie R Hasbani
- Human Genetics Center, Department of Epidemiology, Human Genetics, and Environmental Sciences, School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Paul S de Vries
- Human Genetics Center, Department of Epidemiology, Human Genetics, and Environmental Sciences, School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Donald W Bowden
- Department of Biochemistry, Wake Forest University Health Sciences, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Sandesh Chopade
- Institute of Cardiovascular Science, Faculty of Population Health, University College London, London, UK
- University College London British Heart Foundation Research Accelerator Centre, London, UK
| | - Joris Deelen
- Biomedical Data Sciences, Molecular Epidemiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Max Planck Institute for Biology of Aging, Cologne, Germany
| | - Ernest Diez Benavente
- Laboratory of Experimental Cardiology, Division of Heart and Lungs, University Medical Center Utrecht and Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Xiuqing Guo
- The Institute for Translational Genomics and Population Sciences, Department of Pediatrics, The Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation (formerly Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute) at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA, USA
| | - Edith Hofer
- Department of Neurology, Clinical Division of Neurogeriatrics, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
- Institute for Medical Informatics, Statistics and Documentation, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | | | - Sharon M Lutz
- Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Leo-Pekka Lyytikäinen
- Department of Clinical Chemistry, Fimlab Laboratories and Finnish Cardiovascular Research Center-Tampere, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Lotte Slenders
- Central Diagnostics Laboratory, Division Laboratories, Pharmacy, and Biomedical Genetics, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Albert V Smith
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Icelandic Heart Association, Kopavogur, Iceland
| | - Maggie A Stanislawski
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Jessica van Setten
- Department of Cardiology, Division of Heart and Lungs, University Medical Center Utrecht and Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Quenna Wong
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Lisa R Yanek
- GeneSTAR Research Program, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Diane M Becker
- GeneSTAR Research Program, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Marian Beekman
- Biomedical Data Sciences, Molecular Epidemiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Matthew J Budoff
- The Institute for Translational Genomics and Population Sciences, Department of Pediatrics, The Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation (formerly Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute) at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA, USA
| | - Mary F Feitosa
- Department of Genetics, Division of Statistical Genomics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Chris Finan
- Institute of Cardiovascular Science, Faculty of Population Health, University College London, London, UK
- University College London British Heart Foundation Research Accelerator Centre, London, UK
- Department of Cardiology, Division of Heart and Lungs, University Medical Center Utrecht and Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | | | - Sharon L R Kardia
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Jason C Kovacic
- Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia
- St Vincent's Clinical School, University of NSW, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- The Zena and Michael A. Wiener Cardiovascular Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, NY, USA
| | - Brian G Kral
- GeneSTAR Research Program, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Carl D Langefeld
- Department of Biostatistical Sciences and Data Science, Wake Forest University Health Sciences, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Lenore J Launer
- Laboratory of Epidemiology and Population Sciences, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Shaista Malik
- Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute, Department of Medicine, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | | | - Michal Mokry
- Central Diagnostics Laboratory, Division Laboratories, Pharmacy, and Biomedical Genetics, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Laboratory of Experimental Cardiology, Division of Heart and Lungs, University Medical Center Utrecht and Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Reinhold Schmidt
- Department of Neurology, Clinical Division of Neurogeriatrics, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Jennifer A Smith
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Survey Research Center, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Kent D Taylor
- The Institute for Translational Genomics and Population Sciences, Department of Pediatrics, The Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation (formerly Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute) at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA, USA
| | - James G Terry
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Jeroen van der Grond
- Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Joyce van Meurs
- Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Internal Medicine, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Rozemarijn Vliegenthart
- Department of Radiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Jianzhao Xu
- Department of Biochemistry, Wake Forest University Health Sciences, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Kendra A Young
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Denver, CO, USA
| | | | - Robert Zweiker
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Themistocles L Assimes
- VA Palo Alto Healthcare System, Palo Alto, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Lewis C Becker
- GeneSTAR Research Program, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Daniel Bos
- Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - J Jeffrey Carr
- Department of Internal Medicine, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - L Adrienne Cupples
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Dominique P V de Kleijn
- Department of Vascular Surgery, University Medical Center Utrecht and Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Menno de Winther
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Experimental Vascular Biology, Amsterdam Cardiovascular Sciences: Atherosclerosis and Ischemic syndromes, Amsterdam Infection and Immunity: Inflammatory diseases, Amsterdam University Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Hester M den Ruijter
- Laboratory of Experimental Cardiology, Division of Heart and Lungs, University Medical Center Utrecht and Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Myriam Fornage
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Barry I Freedman
- Department of Internal Medicine, Wake Forest University Health Sciences, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Vilmundur Gudnason
- Icelandic Heart Association, Kopavogur, Iceland
- Faculty of Medicine, School of Public Health, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland
| | - Aroon D Hingorani
- Institute of Cardiovascular Science, Faculty of Population Health, University College London, London, UK
- University College London British Heart Foundation Research Accelerator Centre, London, UK
| | - John E Hokanson
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - M Arfan Ikram
- Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ivana Išgum
- Image Sciences Institute, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Physics, Amsterdam University Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - David R Jacobs
- Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Mika Kähönen
- Department of Clinical Physiology, Tampere University Hospital and Finnish Cardiovascular Research Center-Tampere, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Leslie A Lange
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Terho Lehtimäki
- Department of Clinical Chemistry, Fimlab Laboratories and Finnish Cardiovascular Research Center-Tampere, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Gerard Pasterkamp
- Central Diagnostics Laboratory, Division Laboratories, Pharmacy, and Biomedical Genetics, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Olli T Raitakari
- Centre for Population Health Research, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
- Research Centre of Applied and Preventive Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Department of Clinical Physiology and Nuclear Medicine, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
| | - Helena Schmidt
- Gottfried Schatz Research Center (for Cell Signaling, Metabolism and Aging), Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - P Eline Slagboom
- Biomedical Data Sciences, Molecular Epidemiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - André G Uitterlinden
- Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Internal Medicine, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Meike W Vernooij
- Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Vascular Surgery, University Medical Center Utrecht and Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Joshua C Bis
- Cardiovascular Health Research Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Nora Franceschini
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Bruce M Psaty
- Cardiovascular Health Research Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Departments of Epidemiology, and Health Systems and Population Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Wendy S Post
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jerome I Rotter
- The Institute for Translational Genomics and Population Sciences, Department of Pediatrics, The Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation (formerly Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute) at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA, USA
| | - Johan L M Björkegren
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn Institute for Genomics and Multiscale Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, NY, USA
- Department of Medicine, Integrated Cardio Metabolic Centre, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Christopher J O'Donnell
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Cardiology Section, Department of Medicine, Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Lawrence F Bielak
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Patricia A Peyser
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Rajeev Malhotra
- Cardiovascular Research Center, Cardiology Division, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sander W van der Laan
- Central Diagnostics Laboratory, Division Laboratories, Pharmacy, and Biomedical Genetics, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Clint L Miller
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA.
- Center for Public Health Genomics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA.
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA.
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30
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West CE, Karim M, Falaguera MJ, Speidel L, Green CJ, Logie L, Schwartzentruber J, Ochoa D, Lord JM, Ferguson MAJ, Bountra C, Wilkinson GF, Vaughan B, Leach AR, Dunham I, Marsden BD. Integrative GWAS and co-localisation analysis suggests novel genes associated with age-related multimorbidity. Sci Data 2023; 10:655. [PMID: 37749083 PMCID: PMC10520009 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-023-02513-4] [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: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Advancing age is the greatest risk factor for developing multiple age-related diseases. Therapeutic approaches targeting the underlying pathways of ageing, rather than individual diseases, may be an effective way to treat and prevent age-related morbidity while reducing the burden of polypharmacy. We harness the Open Targets Genetics Portal to perform a systematic analysis of nearly 1,400 genome-wide association studies (GWAS) mapped to 34 age-related diseases and traits, identifying genetic signals that are shared between two or more of these traits. Using locus-to-gene (L2G) mapping, we identify 995 targets with shared genetic links to age-related diseases and traits, which are enriched in mechanisms of ageing and include known ageing and longevity-related genes. Of these 995 genes, 128 are the target of an approved or investigational drug, 526 have experimental evidence of binding pockets or are predicted to be tractable, and 341 have no existing tractability evidence, representing underexplored genes which may reveal novel biological insights and therapeutic opportunities. We present these candidate targets for exploration and prioritisation in a web application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clare E West
- Centre for Medicines Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
- Open Targets, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, UK.
| | - Mohd Karim
- Open Targets, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, UK
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI), Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, UK
| | - Maria J Falaguera
- Open Targets, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, UK
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI), Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, UK
| | - Leo Speidel
- Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
- Genetics Institute, University College London, London, UK
| | | | - Lisa Logie
- Drug Discovery Unit, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
- Medicines Discovery Catapult, 35 Mereside Alderley Park, Macclesfield, Cheshire, UK
| | - Jeremy Schwartzentruber
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI), Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, UK
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, UK
| | - David Ochoa
- Open Targets, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, UK
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, UK
| | - Janet M Lord
- MRC-Versus Arthritis Centre for Musculoskeletal Ageing Research, Institute of Inflammation and Ageing, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
- NIHR Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust and University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | | | - Chas Bountra
- Centre for Medicines Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Graeme F Wilkinson
- Medicines Discovery Catapult, 35 Mereside Alderley Park, Macclesfield, Cheshire, UK
| | - Beverley Vaughan
- Centre for Medicines Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Andrew R Leach
- Open Targets, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, UK
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI), Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, UK
| | - Ian Dunham
- Open Targets, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, UK
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI), Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, UK
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, UK
| | - Brian D Marsden
- Centre for Medicines Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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31
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Stevelink R, Campbell C, Chen S, Abou-Khalil B, Adesoji OM, Afawi Z, Amadori E, Anderson A, Anderson J, Andrade DM, Annesi G, Auce P, Avbersek A, Bahlo M, Baker MD, Balagura G, Balestrini S, Barba C, Barboza K, Bartolomei F, Bast T, Baum L, Baumgartner T, Baykan B, Bebek N, Becker AJ, Becker F, Bennett CA, Berghuis B, Berkovic SF, Beydoun A, Bianchini C, Bisulli F, Blatt I, Bobbili DR, Borggraefe I, Bosselmann C, Braatz V, Bradfield JP, Brockmann K, Brody LC, Buono RJ, Busch RM, Caglayan H, Campbell E, Canafoglia L, Canavati C, Cascino GD, Castellotti B, Catarino CB, Cavalleri GL, Cerrato F, Chassoux F, Cherny SS, Cheung CL, Chinthapalli K, Chou IJ, Chung SK, Churchhouse C, Clark PO, Cole AJ, Compston A, Coppola A, Cosico M, Cossette P, Craig JJ, Cusick C, Daly MJ, Davis LK, de Haan GJ, Delanty N, Depondt C, Derambure P, Devinsky O, Di Vito L, Dlugos DJ, Doccini V, Doherty CP, El-Naggar H, Elger CE, Ellis CA, Eriksson JG, Faucon A, Feng YCA, Ferguson L, Ferraro TN, Ferri L, Feucht M, Fitzgerald M, Fonferko-Shadrach B, Fortunato F, Franceschetti S, Franke A, French JA, Freri E, Gagliardi M, Gambardella A, Geller EB, Giangregorio T, Gjerstad L, Glauser T, Goldberg E, Goldman A, Granata T, Greenberg DA, Guerrini R, Gupta N, Haas KF, Hakonarson H, Hallmann K, Hassanin E, Hegde M, Heinzen EL, Helbig I, Hengsbach C, Heyne HO, Hirose S, Hirsch E, Hjalgrim H, Howrigan DP, Hucks D, Hung PC, Iacomino M, Imbach LL, Inoue Y, Ishii A, Jamnadas-Khoda J, Jehi L, Johnson MR, Kälviäinen R, Kamatani Y, Kanaan M, Kanai M, Kantanen AM, Kara B, Kariuki SM, Kasperavičiūte D, Kasteleijn-Nolst Trenite D, Kato M, Kegele J, Kesim Y, Khoueiry-Zgheib N, King C, Kirsch HE, Klein KM, Kluger G, Knake S, Knowlton RC, Koeleman BPC, Korczyn AD, Koupparis A, Kousiappa I, Krause R, Krenn M, Krestel H, Krey I, Kunz WS, Kurki MI, Kurlemann G, Kuzniecky R, Kwan P, Labate A, Lacey A, Lal D, Landoulsi Z, Lau YL, Lauxmann S, Leech SL, Lehesjoki AE, Lemke JR, Lerche H, Lesca G, Leu C, Lewin N, Lewis-Smith D, Li GHY, Li QS, Licchetta L, Lin KL, Lindhout D, Linnankivi T, Lopes-Cendes I, Lowenstein DH, Lui CHT, Madia F, Magnusson S, Marson AG, May P, McGraw CM, Mei D, Mills JL, Minardi R, Mirza N, Møller RS, Molloy AM, Montomoli M, Mostacci B, Muccioli L, Muhle H, Müller-Schlüter K, Najm IM, Nasreddine W, Neale BM, Neubauer B, Newton CRJC, Nöthen MM, Nothnagel M, Nürnberg P, O’Brien TJ, Okada Y, Ólafsson E, Oliver KL, Özkara C, Palotie A, Pangilinan F, Papacostas SS, Parrini E, Pato CN, Pato MT, Pendziwiat M, Petrovski S, Pickrell WO, Pinsky R, Pippucci T, Poduri A, Pondrelli F, Powell RHW, Privitera M, Rademacher A, Radtke R, Ragona F, Rau S, Rees MI, Regan BM, Reif PS, Rhelms S, Riva A, Rosenow F, Ryvlin P, Saarela A, Sadleir LG, Sander JW, Sander T, Scala M, Scattergood T, Schachter SC, Schankin CJ, Scheffer IE, Schmitz B, Schoch S, Schubert-Bast S, Schulze-Bonhage A, Scudieri P, Sham P, Sheidley BR, Shih JJ, Sills GJ, Sisodiya SM, Smith MC, Smith PE, Sonsma ACM, Speed D, Sperling MR, Stefansson H, Stefansson K, Steinhoff BJ, Stephani U, Stewart WC, Stipa C, Striano P, Stroink H, Strzelczyk A, Surges R, Suzuki T, Tan KM, Taneja RS, Tanteles GA, Taubøll E, Thio LL, Thomas GN, Thomas RH, Timonen O, Tinuper P, Todaro M, Topaloğlu P, Tozzi R, Tsai MH, Tumiene B, Turkdogan D, Unnsteinsdóttir U, Utkus A, Vaidiswaran P, Valton L, van Baalen A, Vetro A, Vining EPG, Visscher F, von Brauchitsch S, von Wrede R, Wagner RG, Weber YG, Weckhuysen S, Weisenberg J, Weller M, Widdess-Walsh P, Wolff M, Wolking S, Wu D, Yamakawa K, Yang W, Yapıcı Z, Yücesan E, Zagaglia S, Zahnert F, Zara F, Zhou W, Zimprich F, Zsurka G, Zulfiqar Ali Q. GWAS meta-analysis of over 29,000 people with epilepsy identifies 26 risk loci and subtype-specific genetic architecture. Nat Genet 2023; 55:1471-1482. [PMID: 37653029 PMCID: PMC10484785 DOI: 10.1038/s41588-023-01485-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
Epilepsy is a highly heritable disorder affecting over 50 million people worldwide, of which about one-third are resistant to current treatments. Here we report a multi-ancestry genome-wide association study including 29,944 cases, stratified into three broad categories and seven subtypes of epilepsy, and 52,538 controls. We identify 26 genome-wide significant loci, 19 of which are specific to genetic generalized epilepsy (GGE). We implicate 29 likely causal genes underlying these 26 loci. SNP-based heritability analyses show that common variants explain between 39.6% and 90% of genetic risk for GGE and its subtypes. Subtype analysis revealed markedly different genetic architectures between focal and generalized epilepsies. Gene-set analyses of GGE signals implicate synaptic processes in both excitatory and inhibitory neurons in the brain. Prioritized candidate genes overlap with monogenic epilepsy genes and with targets of current antiseizure medications. Finally, we leverage our results to identify alternate drugs with predicted efficacy if repurposed for epilepsy treatment.
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32
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Zhou S, Sosina OA, Bovijn J, Laurent L, Sharma V, Akbari P, Forgetta V, Jiang L, Kosmicki JA, Banerjee N, Morris JA, Oerton E, Jones M, LeBlanc MG, Idone V, Overton JD, Reid JG, Cantor M, Abecasis GR, Goltzman D, Greenwood CMT, Langenberg C, Baras A, Economides AN, Ferreira MAR, Hatsell S, Ohlsson C, Richards JB, Lotta LA. Converging evidence from exome sequencing and common variants implicates target genes for osteoporosis. Nat Genet 2023; 55:1277-1287. [PMID: 37558884 DOI: 10.1038/s41588-023-01444-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023]
Abstract
In this study, we leveraged the combined evidence of rare coding variants and common alleles to identify therapeutic targets for osteoporosis. We undertook a large-scale multiancestry exome-wide association study for estimated bone mineral density, which showed that the burden of rare coding alleles in 19 genes was associated with estimated bone mineral density (P < 3.6 × 10-7). These genes were highly enriched for a set of known causal genes for osteoporosis (65-fold; P = 2.5 × 10-5). Exome-wide significant genes had 96-fold increased odds of being the top ranked effector gene at a given GWAS locus (P = 1.8 × 10-10). By integrating proteomics Mendelian randomization evidence, we prioritized CD109 (cluster of differentiation 109) as a gene for which heterozygous loss of function is associated with higher bone density. CRISPR-Cas9 editing of CD109 in SaOS-2 osteoblast-like cell lines showed that partial CD109 knockdown led to increased mineralization. This study demonstrates that the convergence of common and rare variants, proteomics and CRISPR can highlight new bone biology to guide therapeutic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sirui Zhou
- Lady Davis Institute, Jewish General Hospital, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
- Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Olukayode A Sosina
- Regeneron Genetics Center, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc, Tarrytown, NY, USA
| | - Jonas Bovijn
- Regeneron Genetics Center, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc, Tarrytown, NY, USA
| | - Laetitia Laurent
- Lady Davis Institute, Jewish General Hospital, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Vasundhara Sharma
- Lady Davis Institute, Jewish General Hospital, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Parsa Akbari
- Regeneron Genetics Center, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc, Tarrytown, NY, USA
| | - Vincenzo Forgetta
- Lady Davis Institute, Jewish General Hospital, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
- Five Prime Sciences Inc, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Lai Jiang
- Lady Davis Institute, Jewish General Hospital, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Jack A Kosmicki
- Regeneron Genetics Center, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc, Tarrytown, NY, USA
| | - Nilanjana Banerjee
- Regeneron Genetics Center, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc, Tarrytown, NY, USA
| | | | - Erin Oerton
- MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Marcus Jones
- Regeneron Genetics Center, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc, Tarrytown, NY, USA
| | - Michelle G LeBlanc
- Regeneron Genetics Center, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc, Tarrytown, NY, USA
| | | | - John D Overton
- Regeneron Genetics Center, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc, Tarrytown, NY, USA
| | - Jeffrey G Reid
- Regeneron Genetics Center, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc, Tarrytown, NY, USA
| | - Michael Cantor
- Regeneron Genetics Center, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc, Tarrytown, NY, USA
| | - Goncalo R Abecasis
- Regeneron Genetics Center, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc, Tarrytown, NY, USA
| | - David Goltzman
- Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Celia M T Greenwood
- Lady Davis Institute, Jewish General Hospital, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
- Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
- Gerald Bronfman Department of Oncology, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Claudia Langenberg
- MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Computational Medicine, Berlin Institute of Health, Charité University Medicine Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Aris Baras
- Regeneron Genetics Center, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc, Tarrytown, NY, USA
| | - Aris N Economides
- Regeneron Genetics Center, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc, Tarrytown, NY, USA
| | - Manuel A R Ferreira
- Regeneron Genetics Center, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc, Tarrytown, NY, USA
| | | | - Claes Ohlsson
- Centre of Bone and Arthritis Research, Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Nutrition, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Drug Treatment, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Region Västra Götaland, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - J Brent Richards
- Lady Davis Institute, Jewish General Hospital, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada.
- Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada.
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada.
- Five Prime Sciences Inc, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
- Department of Twin Research, King's College London, London, UK.
| | - Luca A Lotta
- Regeneron Genetics Center, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc, Tarrytown, NY, USA
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