Remote visualization of large-scale genomic alignments for collaborative clinical research and diagnosis of rare diseases

The Solve-RD project objectives include solving undiagnosed rare diseases (RD) through collaborative research on shared genome-phenome datasets. The RD-Connect Genome-Phenome Analysis Platform (GPAP), for data collation and analysis, and the European Genome-Phenome Archive (EGA), for file storage, are two key components of the Solve-RD infrastructure. Clinical researchers can identify candidate genetic variants within the RD-Connect GPAP and, thanks to the developments presented here as part of joint ELIXIR activities, are able to remotely visualize the corresponding alignments stored at the EGA. The Global Alliance for Genomics and Health (GA4GH) htsget streaming application programming interface (API) is used to retrieve alignment slices, which are rendered by an integrated genome viewer (IGV) instance embedded in the GPAP. As a result, it is no longer necessary for over 11,000 datasets to download large alignment files to visualize them locally. This work highlights the advantages, from both the user and infrastructure perspectives, of implementing interoperability standards for establishing federated genomics data networks.

PDCM Finder: an open global research platform for patient-derived cancer models

PDCM Finder (www.cancermodels.org) is a cancer research platform that aggregates clinical, genomic and functional data from patient-derived xenografts, organoids and cell lines. It was launched in April 2022 as a successor of the PDX Finder portal, which focused solely on patient-derived xenograft models. Currently the portal has over 6200 models across 13 cancer types, including rare paediatric models (17%) and models from minority ethnic backgrounds (33%), making it the largest free to consumer and open access resource of this kind. The PDCM Finder standardises, harmonises and integrates the complex and diverse data associated with PDCMs for the cancer community and displays over 90 million data points across a variety of data types (clinical metadata, molecular and treatment-based). PDCM data is FAIR and underpins the generation and testing of new hypotheses in cancer mechanisms and personalised medicine development.

Abstract 3105: PDCM Finder: An open global cancer research platform for patient-derived cancer models

PDCM Finder (https://cancermodels.org) is a new portal that aggregates patient-derived models (xenografts, cell lines and organoids) from 27 academic and commercial providers, enables users to search and compare over 6000 models and associated molecular data, and connects users with model providers to facilitate collaboration among researchers.

Users can search for models of interest by either (1) exploring molecular data summaries for models of specific cancer types, or (2) using the intuitive search and faceted filtering options of the web user interface or (3) access resource database via REST API to run their own analysis. The data includes gene expression, gene mutation, copy number alteration, cytogenetics, patient treatment and drug dosing studies. We link external resources like publication platforms and cancer specific annotation tools enabling exploration and prioritization of PDCM variation data (COSMIC, CIViC, OncoMX, OpenCRAVAT).

In addition to exploring PDCM metadata and data, the portal enables users to validate their PDX models against PDX MI standard, get a FAIRness score of the model of interest, explore originating resource data processing protocols, training materials and contact the model supplier/provider.

PDCM Finder builds on the success of the PDX Finder resource (PMID:30535239). Critical PDCM attributes, such as diagnosis, drug names and genes, are harmonized and integrated into a cohesive ontological model based on the PDX Minimal information standard (PDX MI, PMID: 29092942). PDX MI has become established in the community for data exchange, adopted by the PDX providers, consortia and informatics tools integrating PDX data. We are working with the community on the PDCM Minimal Information standard in an effort to make PDCM datasets adhere to the FAIR data principles. We are driving the development of and promoting the use of descriptive standards to facilitate data interoperability and promote global sharing of models. We provide expertise and software components to support several worldwide consortia including PDXNet, PDMR and EurOPDX. PDCM Finder is freely available under an Apache 2.0 license (https://github.com/PDCMFinder). This work is supported by NCI U24 CA204781 01, U24 CA253539, and R01 CA089713. We welcome feedback on the resource and are looking for participants for usability studies - please get in touch if interested.

Citation Format: Zinaida Perova, Csaba Halmagyi, Alex Follette, Mauricio Martinez, Federico Lopez-Gomez, Jeremy Mason, Abayomi Mosaku, Nathalie Conte, Ross Thorne, Steven Neuhauser, Dale Begley, Debra Krupke, Terrence Meehan, Carol Bult, Helen Parkinson. PDCM Finder: An open global cancer research platform for patient-derived cancer models [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr 3105.

The EurOPDX Data Portal: an open platform for patient-derived cancer xenograft data sharing and visualization

Background

Patient-derived xenografts (PDX) mice models play an important role in preclinical trials and personalized medicine. Sharing data on the models is highly valuable for numerous reasons – ethical, economical, research cross validation etc. The EurOPDX Consortium was established 8 years ago to share such information and avoid duplicating efforts in developing new PDX mice models and unify approaches to support preclinical research. EurOPDX Data Portal is the unified data sharing platform adopted by the Consortium.

Main body

In this paper we describe the main features of the EurOPDX Data Portal (https://dataportal.europdx.eu/), its architecture and possible utilization by researchers who look for PDX mice models for their research. The Portal offers a catalogue of European models accessible on a cooperative basis. The models are searchable by metadata, and a detailed view provides molecular profiles (gene expression, mutation, copy number alteration) and treatment studies. The Portal displays the data in multiple tools (PDX Finder, cBioPortal, and GenomeCruzer in future), which are populated from a common database displaying strictly mutually consistent views.

(Short) Conclusion

EurOPDX Data Portal is an entry point to the EurOPDX Research Infrastructure offering PDX mice models for collaborative research, (meta)data describing their features and deep molecular data analysis according to users’ interests.

Abstract 3212: PDX Finder: Largest global catalog of patient tumor derived xenograft models

Patient-derived tumor xenograft (PDX) models are a critical oncology platform for cancer research, drug development and personalized medicine. Because of the heterogeneous nature of PDX repositories, finding models of interest is a challenge. The Jackson Laboratory and EMBL-EBI are developing PDX Finder, the world's largest open PDX database containing phenomic information of over 2900 models (www.pdxfinder.org, †). In support of this initiative, we developed the PDX Minimal Information standard (PDX-MI) which defines the minimal necessary metadata required to describe models (††). Within PDX Finder, critical attributes like diagnosis, drug names or genes are harmonized into a cohesive ontological data model based on PDX-MI. An intuitive, faceted search interface allows users to select models based on clinical/PDX attributes, tumor markers, dataset availability and/or drug dosing results. We provide PDX, patient, drug and molecular data details pages where all available information can be browsed and downloaded. To further facilitate users' model selection, we link key external resources like publication platforms and cancer specific annotation tools, enabling exploration and prioritisation of PDX variation data (COSMIC, CivicDb, OpenCRAVAT). Links to originating resource protocols and contact information are provided, facilitating data understanding and further collaboration.

Alongside database development activities, PDX Finder has undertaken activities to tackle areas of standards and tool development, data integration and outreach. PDX Finder provides key expertise and software components to support several worldwide consortia including PDXNet, PDMR and EurOPDX. We are driving the development of, and promoting the use of descriptive standards to facilitate data interoperability and promote global sharing of models. Our standard has become established in the community for data exchange, adopted by PDX providers, consortia, and informatic tools integrating PDX data. It has been re-used by different initiatives in the context of data collection and data modelling allowing adherence to the FAIR data principles - Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability and Reusability. PDX Finder is increasing awareness of PDX models, facilitating data integration, and enabling international collaboration, maximising the investment in, and translational capabilities of these important models of human cancer.

PDX Finder is freely available under an Apache 2 license (github.com/pdxfinder). Work supported by NCI U24 CA204781 01, R01 CA089713 and the European Molecular Biology Laboratory.

† Conte et al, 2019. PDX Finder: A Portal for Patient-Derived tumor Xenograft Model Discovery. NAR, 2019 Jan.†† Meehan, Conte et al, 2017. PDX-MI: Minimal Information for Patient-Derived Tumor Xenograft Models. Cancer Res. 2017 Nov.PDXNet: www.pdxnetwork.org, PDMR: pdmr.cancer.gov, EUROPDX: www.europdx.eu

Citation Format: Nathalie Conte, Csaba Halmagyi, Abayomi Mosaku, Jeremy C. Mason, Alex W. Follette, Ross Thorne, Steven Neuhauser, Dale Begley, Debbie M. Krupke, Helen Parkinson, Terrence Meehan, Carol Bult. PDX Finder: Largest global catalog of patient tumor derived xenograft models [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 3212.

PDX Finder: A portal for patient-derived tumor xenograft model discovery

Patient-derived tumor xenograft (PDX) mouse models are a versatile oncology research platform for studying tumor biology and for testing chemotherapeutic approaches tailored to genomic characteristics of individual patients’ tumors. PDX models are generated and distributed by a diverse group of academic labs, multi-institution consortia and contract research organizations. The distributed nature of PDX repositories and the use of different metadata standards for describing model characteristics presents a significant challenge to identifying PDX models relevant to specific cancer research questions. The Jackson Laboratory and EMBL-EBI are addressing these challenges by co-developing PDX Finder, a comprehensive open global catalog of PDX models and their associated datasets. Within PDX Finder, model attributes are harmonized and integrated using a previously developed community minimal information standard to support consistent searching across the originating resources. Links to repositories are provided from the PDX Finder search results to facilitate model acquisition and/or collaboration. The PDX Finder resource currently contains information for 1985 PDX models of diverse cancers including those from large resources such as the Patient-Derived Models Repository, PDXNet and EurOPDX. Individuals or organizations that generate and distribute PDXs are invited to increase the ‘findability’ of their models by participating in the PDX Finder initiative at www.pdxfinder.org.

Abstract 2461: PDX Finder: A free and global catalog of patient tumor derived xenograft models

Patient-derived tumor xenograft (PDX) mouse models are an important oncology platform for cancer research, drug development and personalized medicine that are available from academic labs, large research consortia and contract research organizations (CROs). Because of the distributed and heterogeneous nature of repositories, finding models of interest is a challenge. To address this issue, The Jackson Laboratory and EMBL-EBI have co-developed the PDX Finder† (www.pdxfinder.org), a comprehensive, free and global catalogue of approximately 2000 PDX models and their associated data across repositories. To support the integration of data and make the discovery of relevant PDX models easier, we coordinated a community initiative to develop the PDX Minimal Information standard (PDX-MI). PDX-MI defines the metadata necessary for describing key elements of a PDX model including clinical attributes of a patient’s tumor, xenograft methods of implantation, host strain and model quality assurance methodology††. Using PDX-MI, model attributes are harmonized within PDX Finder into a cohesive ontological data model that supports integration from different resources and allows for comprehensive search and filtering options. PDX Finder also provides access to patient treatment information, genomic and drug dosing study data when available. Advanced search and filtering options allow researchers to find PDX models based on multiple attributes such as diagnosis (e.g. invasive ductal carcinoma), various tumor attributes (e.g. metastasis or primary), availability of specific datasets (e.g. mutation, dosing studies), markers (e.g. KRAS V600E) or results from drug resistance/sensitivity studies (e.g. resistance to cetuximab). From PDX Finder, direct links to originating resources are provided to allow users to contact the relevant institution for model acquisition and collaboration. PDX Finder is formally collaborating and providing critical software components to support several worldwide consortia including NCI’s PDXNet and EurOPDX. Individuals and organizations that generate or distribute PDX models are encouraged to register their models with PDX Finder. We also encourage researchers to explore the website to find PDX models and provide feedback as we continue to build this rich resource. Software components developed by the PDX Finder team are freely available under an Apache 2 license and source code is available at GitHub (github.com/pdxfinder). PDX Finder is supported by NCI U24 CA204781 01, R01 CA089713 and the European Molecular Biology Laboratory.

† Conte et al, 2019. PDX Finder: A Portal for Patient-Derived Tumor Xenograft Model Discovery. NAR, in press.

†† Meehan, Conte et al, 2017. PDX-MI: Minimal Information for Patient-Derived Tumor Xenograft Models. Cancer Res. 2017 Nov.

Citation Format: Nathalie Conte, Jeremy C. Mason, Csaba Halmagyi, Abayomi Mosaku, Steven Neuhauser, Dale A. Begley, Debra M. Krupke, Helen Parkinson, Terrence F. Meehan, Carol J. Bult. PDX Finder: A free and global catalog of patient tumor derived xenograft models [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 2461.

Bi-allelic Loss-of-Function CACNA1B Mutations in Progressive Epilepsy-Dyskinesia

The occurrence of non-epileptic hyperkinetic movements in the context of developmental epileptic encephalopathies is an increasingly recognized phenomenon. Identification of causative mutations provides an important insight into common pathogenic mechanisms that cause both seizures and abnormal motor control. We report bi-allelic loss-of-function CACNA1B variants in six children from three unrelated families whose affected members present with a complex and progressive neurological syndrome. All affected individuals presented with epileptic encephalopathy, severe neurodevelopmental delay (often with regression), and a hyperkinetic movement disorder. Additional neurological features included postnatal microcephaly and hypotonia. Five children died in childhood or adolescence (mean age of death: 9 years), mainly as a result of secondary respiratory complications. CACNA1B encodes the pore-forming subunit of the pre-synaptic neuronal voltage-gated calcium channel Ca_v2.2/N-type, crucial for SNARE-mediated neurotransmission, particularly in the early postnatal period. Bi-allelic loss-of-function variants in CACNA1B are predicted to cause disruption of Ca²⁺ influx, leading to impaired synaptic neurotransmission. The resultant effect on neuronal function is likely to be important in the development of involuntary movements and epilepsy. Overall, our findings provide further evidence for the key role of Ca_v2.2 in normal human neurodevelopment.

Comprehensive Cancer-Predisposition Gene Testing in an Adult Multiple Primary Tumor Series Shows a Broad Range of Deleterious Variants and Atypical Tumor Phenotypes

Multiple primary tumors (MPTs) affect a substantial proportion of cancer survivors and can result from various causes, including inherited predisposition. Currently, germline genetic testing of MPT-affected individuals for variants in cancer-predisposition genes (CPGs) is mostly targeted by tumor type. We ascertained pre-assessed MPT individuals (with at least two primary tumors by age 60 years or at least three by 70 years) from genetics centers and performed whole-genome sequencing (WGS) on 460 individuals from 440 families. Despite previous negative genetic assessment and molecular investigations, pathogenic variants in moderate- and high-risk CPGs were detected in 67/440 (15.2%) probands. WGS detected variants that would not be (or were not) detected by targeted resequencing strategies, including low-frequency structural variants (6/440 [1.4%] probands). In most individuals with a germline variant assessed as pathogenic or likely pathogenic (P/LP), at least one of their tumor types was characteristic of variants in the relevant CPG. However, in 29 probands (42.2% of those with a P/LP variant), the tumor phenotype appeared discordant. The frequency of individuals with truncating or splice-site CPG variants and at least one discordant tumor type was significantly higher than in a control population (χ2 = 43.642; p ≤ 0.0001). 2/67 (3%) probands with P/LP variants had evidence of multiple inherited neoplasia allele syndrome (MINAS) with deleterious variants in two CPGs. Together with variant detection rates from a previous series of similarly ascertained MPT-affected individuals, the present results suggest that first-line comprehensive CPG analysis in an MPT cohort referred to clinical genetics services would detect a deleterious variant in about a third of individuals.

Abstract 3281: PDX Finder: An open and global catalogue of patient tumor-derived xenograft models

Patient-derived tumor xenograft (PDX) mouse models have emerged as an important oncology research platform to study tumor evolution, drug response and for tailoring chemotherapeutic approaches to individual patients. PDX models are produced and made available in repositories managed by small academic labs, large research consortia and contract research organizations. Because of the distributed and heterogeneous nature of PDX repositories, finding relevant models of interest to investigators is a challenge. To address this issue, The Jackson Laboratory and EMBL-EBI have co-developed the PDX Finder, a comprehensive open global catalogue of PDX models and their associated data across resources. In support this initiative, we coordinated the community initiative to develop the PDX models Minimal Information standard (PDX-MI) that defines the minimal information necessary for describing key elements of a PDX model including the clinical attributes of a patient's tumor, methods of implantation, host strain, and quality assurance methods used for model validation†. PDX-MI serves as the basis for PDX Finder's comprehensive search and attribute filtering options (e.g., tumor histology, molecular variant, drug response). Within PDX Finder, model attributes are harmonized and integrated into a cohesive ontological data model that supports consistent searching across the originating resources. From PDX Finder, direct links to these resources are provided to allow users to contact the relevant institution for model acquisition and further collaboration. PDX Finder is formally collaborating with several worldwide consortia including PDXnet and EurOPDX to increase “findability” of PDX models and to advance cancer research and drug discovery. PDX Finder is currently displaying over 1200 PDX models for a wide variety of cancers and is actively recruiting more models. The community is invited to explore and provide feedback on our portal as we build this rich resource at : www.pdxfinder.org.

† Meehan et al, 2017. PDX-MI: Minimal Information for Patient-Derived Tumor Xenograft Models. Cancer Res. 2017 Nov 1;77(21):e62-e66.

Citation Format: Nathalie A. Conte, Terrence F. Meehan, Dale A. Begley, Debbie M. Krupke, Csaba Halmagyi, Jeremy C. Mason, Abayomi Mosaku, Steven B. Neuhauser, Helen Parkinson, Carol J. Bult. PDX Finder: An open and global catalogue of patient tumor-derived xenograft models [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 3281.