Genetic Predisposition to Disease

This study consists of two sub-studies. Study 1 investigates gene expression related to the development of hypertension in Thailand, and Study 2 examines the effectiveness of the 4-7-8 breathing technique in reducing blood pressure in individuals with hypertension.

The goal of this research study is to evaluate the feasibility of germline genetic testing using the investigational MyeloGen Gene Panel in adult participants diagnosed with myeloid malignancies.

This research is being done to develop the electronic platform Nest for young adults (ages 18-39) who have had prior cancer genetic testing. The platform will give patients and their clinicians access to continuously updated information about both pathogenic variants and variants of uncertain significance (VUS). The name of the intervention used in this research study is: Nest portal (electronic platform for patients and clinicians)

The Helix Research Network ("HRN") is a network of academic, public, and/or private healthcare organizations that are committed to advancing medical research and improving human health through large-scale genomics research and acceleration of the integration of genomic and other omics data into clinical care.

The most common tissue expander-related infections are from Staphylococcus and Pseudomonas species. In addition, from breast tissue microbiome studies, Staphylococcus and Pseudomonas show variable abundance across samples. The investigator hypothesizes that participants undergoing mastectomy with high initial abundance of Staphylococcus and/or Pseudomonas are more likely to develop subsequent tissue expander-related infections from these respective organisms.

The project will carry out the genetic testing of 100000 neonates in the next 5 years. The aim of the project is to construct the Chinese neonatal genome database, establish the genetic testing standard of neonatal genetic diseases, and promote the industrialization of neonatal genetic disease gene testing, improve the training system for genetic counseling.

This study will determine reference genomic, transcriptomic, proteomic and metabolomic profiles in Czech population and will evaluate its correlation with the disease phenotype.

The purpose of this study is to examine the role of the bacterial environments and metabolites in the early detection and prediction of ovarian cancer development. Vaginal swabs and stool samples will be collected from healthy volunteers, or those without a known ovarian cancer diagnosis or genetic ovarian cancer risk. These samples will be compared to samples from participants with increased cancer risk and ovarian cancer diagnoses.

This study will provide rigorous evaluation of implementing a virtual genome center into community clinical settings without highly specialized resources, thereby offering generalizable insights as to how best to implement genomic medicine at scale and for other age groups. This intervention has great potential to address disparities in genomic medicine among low-income and underrepresented minority (URM) populations and will enhance capacity for providers and health systems to utilize highly specialized genomic techniques in their communities. The goal of this study is to achieve equitable access to state-of-the-art genomic medical care to sick newborns in community centers that predominately care for low-income and racial/ethnic minority populations through the creation of a virtual genome center (VIGOR). VIGOR will provide a venue for physician and family education, genomic expert consultation, reanalysis of unsolved sequencing data, and access to cutting edge therapeutic innovation, thereby facilitating institutionalization of genomic best practices in community settings, and not just highly specialized referral centers.

Identifying biomarkers of early pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) could facilitate screening for individuals at higher than average risk and expedite the diagnosis in individuals with symptoms and substantially improve an individual's chance of surviving the disease. The investigators propose a longitudinal study of subjects at higher than average risk of PDAC in order to generate clinical data and bank serial blood specimens.

In the DISCO-TWIN study (prospective, open-label molecular-genetic study), twin pairs with one healthy and one affected twin with molecularly undiagnosed diseases will be analysed by means of omics technologies and/ or re-analysed using existing datasets. Phenotype and omics data will be shared within the University Hospital Tübingen and with external collaborators to improve the diagnostic rate of the subjects included in the study.

This study aims to define the natural history of men at high genetic risk for prostate cancer on the basis of specific germline genetic mutations, family history, or Black/African ancestry and evaluate the utility of prostate MRI as a screening tool. The hypothesis is that this targeted population of men are at elevated risk of developing prostate cancer compared to the general population, and enhanced screening with MRI will enable early detection and diagnosis of potentially aggressive prostate cancer, characterization of the penetrance of specific mutations, and potentially identify new genetic risk mutations.

Because of the high recurrence rates following electrical cardioversion and high morbidity in AF patients there is a need to explore prediction models for AF recurrence following ECV. Previous studies have primarily focused on high-sensitivity CRP (hsCRP), CRP, and IL-6, while other inflammatory indexes and gene scores might hold greater value. This prospective cohort study is planning to include 182 patients with persistent atrial fibrillation, planned for electrical cardioversion, and \>18 years at two medium-sized hospitals in Sweden. Blood samples will be collected prior to electrical cardioversion and at 7-, 30-, 90-, and 180-days follow-up. Atrial fibrillation recurrence will be evaluated at follow-up or upon patient request and diagnosed with 12-lead ECG. An interim analysis will be conducted after more than 80 patients have been included. If the results from univariate and/or multivariable logistic regression on inflammatory markers and genetic expression regarding atrial fibrillation recurrence are significant, the study will be concluded.

This study aims to identify genetic causes of adverse events after cardiac surgery, such as atrial fibrillation, myocardial infarction, renal dysfunction and heart failure. Patients undergoing heart surgery at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Texas Heart Institute are eligible to participate.

Pediatric acute myeloid leukemias are disease with poor prognosis (overall survival of 60-75%) and high relapse rate of 35-45% require further understanding of the underlying biological mechanisms. The main objective of this study is to establish a biological collection to evaluate the genomic profiling of leukemic cells from primary blasts at diagnosis and/or relapse to improve identification of the main genetic hits involved in resistance and could predict a high risk of relapse. Other objectives include the study of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells and ex vivo drug testing.

This Study is designed to assess CVD incidence, prevalence, progression and related risk factors, including genetic background. It will provide an important base for all cardiovascular research activities in our centre and help in designing future studies and guide policy.

The GE-MED APPROACH project will enroll patients (n = appr. 12.000) with unclear molecular cause of the disease, suspected genetic cause of the disease without detailed molecular analysis like Whole Exome Sequencing (WES). The novelty of this study is to integrate genomic health concepts into immediate clinical care. To achieve these goals, a novel structure for the Triple P (3P) concept of personalized medicine (Personalized, Predictive, Preventive) integrated into a well-established health care system and associated with novel decentralized Disease Analysing Task Forces (DATF) will be implemented. The overall goal of this study is to implement, for the first time, Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) analysis as a first line diagnostic test for all clinical indications such as Rare Disease (RD )and familial cancer syndromes.

The study of biological profiling is of fundamental importance in the diagnosis and treatment of many diseases, particularly oncological ones, and for this reason, the integration of molecular characterization into clinical practice becomes essential. NGS allows a high number of samples to be sequenced simultaneously, generating a great deal of genomic information in a short time and at reasonable cost. This information is of fundamental importance for the study of oncogenic drivers and gene alterations that may have a prognostic and/or predictive role in response to new molecularly targeted drugs. Policlinico A. Gemelli has begun a process of internal reorganization of the research infrastructure following its recognition in 2018 as an Institute of Hospitalization and Treatment with Scientific Character (IRCCS) for its commitment to the disciplines of "Personalized Medicine" and "Innovative Biotechnology." In particular, with regard to genomics, will be equipped with a state-of-the-art technological asset that includes a fully automated process for sample preparation and the highest gene sequencing power available today. This condition makes it possible to perform extensive genomic profiling for large numbers of patients at low cost and in reasonable time.

Phaeochromocytomas and paragangliomas (PPGLs) are tumours of the adrenal medulla and extra-adrenal sympathetic nervous system, some which can become metastatic. It is a very rare disease and the tumours are often detected late. Approximately 50 % of the tumours are caused by germline genetic variants screening programmes are recommended for patients and their family members; however, they are not yet well-targeted with respect to individual prognosis. In this study the investigatorscaim to characterize the genotype-phenotype associations in all Danish patients (n=400) diagnosed with PPGLs who have been followed in tertiary centres using medical records and national registries. To this end novel immunohistochemical, genetic, and epigenetic biomarkers in tumour tissues samples from biobank material (blood samples and tumour tissue) will be investigated to develop a comprehensive predictive algorithm for disease prognosis. The study will provide a clinical tool for an improved targeted screening program and subsequently prevention of disease development.

To define the genotype of a healthy Egyptian cohort as a crucial step in determining the possible clinical implications of mutations detected in patients recruited in the registry.

Assessment of the utility of family-based (trio) whole-genome sequencing for cancer predisposition testing in sequential newly diagnosed paediatric and adolescent cancer patients

Lung cancer is a leading cause of cancer mortality among adults worldwide. The incidence rates of lung cancer among never smoking females in some parts of East Asia are among the highest in the world. The adenocarcinoma of lung being the most frequently identified histological type is more weakly associated with smoking, and often occurs in females and never-smokers. Although family history of lung cancer has been associated with histological subtypes, the inherited susceptibility factors that affect specific histology are unknown. Genetic factors that determine individual predisposition to lung cancer have been identified via genome-wide association studies. These known common loci, however, explain only a small fraction of the familial risk of lung cancer. The hypothesis of this study is that there are genetic factors that confer inherited susceptibility among patients with primary non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).