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1.
Am J Hum Genet ; 108(1): 8-15, 2021 01 07.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33417889

ABSTRACT

The delineation of disease entities is complex, yet recent advances in the molecular characterization of diseases provide opportunities to designate diseases in a biologically valid manner. Here, we have formalized an approach to the delineation of Mendelian genetic disorders that encompasses two distinct but inter-related concepts: (1) the gene that is mutated and (2) the phenotypic descriptor, preferably a recognizably distinct phenotype. We assert that only by a combinatorial or dyadic approach taking both of these attributes into account can a unitary, distinct genetic disorder be designated. We propose that all Mendelian disorders should be designated as "GENE-related phenotype descriptor" (e.g., "CFTR-related cystic fibrosis"). This approach to delineating and naming disorders reconciles the complexity of gene-to-phenotype relationships in a simple and clear manner yet communicates the complexity and nuance of these relationships.


Subject(s)
Genetic Diseases, Inborn/diagnosis , Genetic Diseases, Inborn/genetics , Genomics/methods , Cystic Fibrosis/diagnosis , Cystic Fibrosis/genetics , Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator/genetics , Genotype , Humans , Mutation/genetics , Phenotype
2.
Hum Genomics ; 17(1): 115, 2023 Dec 18.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38111041

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The following outlines ethical reasons for widening the Human Genome Organisation's (HUGO) mandate to include ecological genomics. MAIN: The environment influences an organism's genome through ambient factors in the biosphere (e.g. climate and UV radiation), as well as the agents it comes into contact with, i.e. the epigenetic and mutagenic effects of inanimate chemicals and pollution, and pathogenic organisms. Emerging scientific consensus is that social determinants of health, environmental conditions and genetic factors work together to influence the risk of many complex illnesses. That paradigm can also explain the environmental and ecological determinants of health as factors that underlie the (un)healthy ecosystems on which communities rely. We suggest that The Ecological Genome Project is an aspirational opportunity to explore connections between the human genome and nature. We propose consolidating a view of Ecogenomics to provide a blueprint to respond to the environmental challenges that societies face. This can only be achieved by interdisciplinary engagement between genomics and the broad field of ecology and related practice of conservation. In this respect, the One Health approach is a model for environmental orientated work. The idea of Ecogenomics-a term that has been used to relate to a scientific field of ecological genomics-becomes the conceptual study of genomes within the social and natural environment. CONCLUSION: The HUGO Committee on Ethics, Law and Society (CELS) recommends that an interdisciplinary One Health approach should be adopted in genomic sciences to promote ethical environmentalism. This perspective has been reviewed and endorsed by the HUGO CELS and the HUGO Executive Board.


Subject(s)
Ecosystem , Genome, Human , Humans , Genome, Human/genetics , Genomics , Human Genome Project
3.
J Med Genet ; 59(3): 237-242, 2022 03.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33495305

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The probability of a pregnancy, live birth, stillbirth and abortion has never been assessed in women with neurofibromatosis 1 (NF1) in a large population-based study. METHODS: We included 1006 women (15-49 years) registered with NF1 in the Danish National Patient Registry or followed in two national Centers for Rare Diseases and 10 020 women from the Danish population. Information on pregnancy outcomes was ascertained from health registries. Cumulative incidence, mean cumulative count, hazard ratios (HRs) and proportion ratios (PRs) with 95% CIs were calculated. RESULTS: The cumulative incidence of a first pregnancy at age 50 years was slightly lower in women with NF1 (74%; 95% CI 70 to 77) than in population comparisons (78%; 95% CI 77 to 79). When all pregnancies were included, two pregnancies were expected per woman at age of 50 years, irrespective of a NF1 diagnosis. The hazard of a pregnancy did not differ between women with NF1 (HR 1.03; 95% CI 0.95 to 1.11) and the comparisons after adjustment for somatic and psychiatric disease. The proportion of pregnancies that resulted in a live birth was 63% (783/1252) among women NF1 and 68% (8432/12 465) among the comparisons, yielding a PR of 0.95 (95% CI 0.90 to 1.00). The proportions of stillbirths (PR 2.83; 95% CI 1.63 to 4.93) and spontaneous abortions (PR 1.40; 95% CI 1.09 to 1.79) were increased in women with NF1. CONCLUSIONS: A similar hazard for pregnancy was observed for women with NF1 and population comparisons after adjustment for potential medical consequences of NF1. However, women with NF1 experienced more spontaneous abortions and stillbirths.


Subject(s)
Abortion, Spontaneous , Neurofibromatosis 1 , Abortion, Spontaneous/epidemiology , Cohort Studies , Denmark/epidemiology , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Neurofibromatosis 1/complications , Neurofibromatosis 1/epidemiology , Neurofibromatosis 1/genetics , Pregnancy , Pregnancy Outcome , Registries , Stillbirth/epidemiology
4.
N Engl J Med ; 379(22): 2131-2139, 2018 11 29.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-30304647

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Many patients remain without a diagnosis despite extensive medical evaluation. The Undiagnosed Diseases Network (UDN) was established to apply a multidisciplinary model in the evaluation of the most challenging cases and to identify the biologic characteristics of newly discovered diseases. The UDN, which is funded by the National Institutes of Health, was formed in 2014 as a network of seven clinical sites, two sequencing cores, and a coordinating center. Later, a central biorepository, a metabolomics core, and a model organisms screening center were added. METHODS: We evaluated patients who were referred to the UDN over a period of 20 months. The patients were required to have an undiagnosed condition despite thorough evaluation by a health care provider. We determined the rate of diagnosis among patients who subsequently had a complete evaluation, and we observed the effect of diagnosis on medical care. RESULTS: A total of 1519 patients (53% female) were referred to the UDN, of whom 601 (40%) were accepted for evaluation. Of the accepted patients, 192 (32%) had previously undergone exome sequencing. Symptoms were neurologic in 40% of the applicants, musculoskeletal in 10%, immunologic in 7%, gastrointestinal in 7%, and rheumatologic in 6%. Of the 382 patients who had a complete evaluation, 132 received a diagnosis, yielding a rate of diagnosis of 35%. A total of 15 diagnoses (11%) were made by clinical review alone, and 98 (74%) were made by exome or genome sequencing. Of the diagnoses, 21% led to recommendations regarding changes in therapy, 37% led to changes in diagnostic testing, and 36% led to variant-specific genetic counseling. We defined 31 new syndromes. CONCLUSIONS: The UDN established a diagnosis in 132 of the 382 patients who had a complete evaluation, yielding a rate of diagnosis of 35%. (Funded by the National Institutes of Health Common Fund.).


Subject(s)
Genetic Testing , Rare Diseases/genetics , Sequence Analysis, DNA , Adult , Animals , Child , Diagnosis, Differential , Drosophila , Exome , Female , Genetic Testing/economics , Health Care Costs/statistics & numerical data , Humans , Male , Models, Animal , National Institutes of Health (U.S.) , Rare Diseases/diagnosis , Syndrome , United States
5.
Genet Med ; 23(2): 259-271, 2021 02.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33093671

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The NIH Undiagnosed Diseases Network (UDN) evaluates participants with disorders that have defied diagnosis, applying personalized clinical and genomic evaluations and innovative research. The clinical sites of the UDN are essential to advancing the UDN mission; this study assesses their contributions relative to standard clinical practices. METHODS: We analyzed retrospective data from four UDN clinical sites, from July 2015 to September 2019, for diagnoses, new disease gene discoveries and the underlying investigative methods. RESULTS: Of 791 evaluated individuals, 231 received 240 diagnoses and 17 new disease-gene associations were recognized. Straightforward diagnoses on UDN exome and genome sequencing occurred in 35% (84/240). We considered these tractable in standard clinical practice, although genome sequencing is not yet widely available clinically. The majority (156/240, 65%) required additional UDN-driven investigations, including 90 diagnoses that occurred after prior nondiagnostic exome sequencing and 45 diagnoses (19%) that were nongenetic. The UDN-driven investigations included complementary/supplementary phenotyping, innovative analyses of genomic variants, and collaborative science for functional assays and animal modeling. CONCLUSION: Investigations driven by the clinical sites identified diagnostic and research paradigms that surpass standard diagnostic processes. The new diagnoses, disease gene discoveries, and delineation of novel disorders represent a model for genomic medicine and science.


Subject(s)
Undiagnosed Diseases , Animals , Genomics , Humans , Rare Diseases/diagnosis , Rare Diseases/genetics , Retrospective Studies , Exome Sequencing
6.
Am J Med Genet A ; 185(12): 3706-3716, 2021 12.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34327813

ABSTRACT

The aim of this study was to assess the risks of psychiatric disorders in a large cohort of 905 individuals with NF1 and 7614 population comparisons matched on sex and year of birth. The cohort was linked to the Danish Psychiatric Central Research Register to ascertain information on hospital contacts for psychiatric disorders based on the International Classification of Diseases version 8 and 10. The hazard ratio (HR) for a first psychiatric hospital contact was higher in girls (4.19, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.81-9.69) and boys with NF1 (5.02, 95% CI 3.27-7.69) <7 years of age than in the population comparisons. Both sexes had increased HRs for developmental disorders, including attention deficit/hyperactivity disorders, autism spectrum disorders, and intellectual disabilities in childhood. Females with NF1 had also increased HRs for unipolar depression, other emotional and behavioral disorders, and severe stress reaction and adjustment disorders in early adulthood. The HRs for psychoses, schizophrenia, bipolar disorders, and substance abuse were similar in individuals with NF1 and the population comparisons. Finally, the cumulative incidence of a first hospital contact due to any psychiatric disorder by age 30 years was 35% (95% CI 29-41) in females and 28% (95% CI 19-37) in males with NF1. Thus, screening for psychiatric disorders may be important for early diagnosis and facilitation of appropriate and effective treatment in individuals with NF1.


Subject(s)
Mental Disorders/epidemiology , Neurofibromatosis 1/epidemiology , Psychotic Disorders/epidemiology , Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity/complications , Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity/epidemiology , Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity/physiopathology , Autism Spectrum Disorder/complications , Autism Spectrum Disorder/epidemiology , Autism Spectrum Disorder/physiopathology , Child , Child, Preschool , Denmark/epidemiology , Depressive Disorder/complications , Depressive Disorder/epidemiology , Depressive Disorder/physiopathology , Female , Humans , Infant , Intellectual Disability/complications , Intellectual Disability/epidemiology , Intellectual Disability/physiopathology , International Classification of Diseases/standards , Male , Mental Disorders/complications , Mental Disorders/physiopathology , Neurofibromatosis 1/complications , Neurofibromatosis 1/physiopathology , Proportional Hazards Models , Psychotic Disorders/complications , Psychotic Disorders/pathology , Risk Factors , Schizophrenia/complications , Schizophrenia/epidemiology , Schizophrenia/physiopathology , Treatment Outcome
7.
Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis ; 31(5): 1533-1541, 2021 05 06.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33810961

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Atherosclerotic calcification is a powerful predictor of cardiovascular disease. This study aims to determine whether circulating levels of a local/systemic calcification inhibitor or a marker of bone formation correlate with measures of coronary or extracoronary calcification. METHODS AND RESULTS: Clinical computed tomography (CT) was performed on 64 arterial disease participants undergoing carotid and lower extremity endarterectomy. Coronary artery calcium (CAC) scores and volumes were acquired from the CT scans (n = 42). CAC scores and volumes were used to derive CAC density scores. Micro-CT was performed on excised carotid (n = 36) and lower extremity (n = 31) plaques to quantify the volume and volume fraction of extracoronary calcification. Circulating levels of dephospho-uncarboxylated Matrix Gla Protein (dp-ucMGP), fetuin-A, carboxylated and uncarboxylated osteocalcin (ucOC) were quantified using commercial immunoassays. Carotid participant CAC density scores were moderately negatively correlated with plasma dp-ucMGP (rs = -0.592, P = 0.008). A weak negative association was found between CAC scores and %ucOC for all participants (rs = -0.335, P = 0.040). Another weak negative correlation was observed between fetuin-A and the volume of calcification within excised carotid specimens (rs = -0.366, P = 0.031). Despite substantial differences in coronary and extracoronary calcium measurements, the levels of circulating biomarkers did not vary significantly between carotid and lower extremity subgroups. CONCLUSION: Correlations identified between circulating biomarkers and measures of coronary and extracoronary calcium were not consistent among participant subgroups. Further research is required to determine the association between circulating biomarkers, coronary and extracoronary calcium.


Subject(s)
Calcium-Binding Proteins/blood , Carotid Artery Diseases/blood , Coronary Artery Disease/blood , Extracellular Matrix Proteins/blood , Lower Extremity/blood supply , Osteocalcin/blood , Peripheral Arterial Disease/blood , Vascular Calcification/blood , alpha-2-HS-Glycoprotein/analysis , Aged , Biomarkers/blood , Carotid Artery Diseases/diagnostic imaging , Carotid Artery Diseases/surgery , Computed Tomography Angiography , Coronary Angiography , Coronary Artery Disease/diagnostic imaging , Endarterectomy, Carotid , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Peripheral Arterial Disease/diagnosis , Peripheral Arterial Disease/surgery , Plaque, Atherosclerotic , Predictive Value of Tests , Vascular Calcification/diagnostic imaging , Vascular Calcification/surgery , X-Ray Microtomography , Matrix Gla Protein
8.
Am J Hum Genet ; 100(2): 185-192, 2017 02 02.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-28157539

ABSTRACT

Diagnosis at the edges of our knowledge calls upon clinicians to be data driven, cross-disciplinary, and collaborative in unprecedented ways. Exact disease recognition, an element of the concept of precision in medicine, requires new infrastructure that spans geography, institutional boundaries, and the divide between clinical care and research. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Common Fund supports the Undiagnosed Diseases Network (UDN) as an exemplar of this model of precise diagnosis. Its goals are to forge a strategy to accelerate the diagnosis of rare or previously unrecognized diseases, to improve recommendations for clinical management, and to advance research, especially into disease mechanisms. The network will achieve these objectives by evaluating patients with undiagnosed diseases, fostering a breadth of expert collaborations, determining best practices for translating the strategy into medical centers nationwide, and sharing findings, data, specimens, and approaches with the scientific and medical communities. Building the UDN has already brought insights to human and medical geneticists. The initial focus has been on data sharing, establishing common protocols for institutional review boards and data sharing, creating protocols for referring and evaluating patients, and providing DNA sequencing, metabolomic analysis, and functional studies in model organisms. By extending this precision diagnostic model nationally, we strive to meld clinical and research objectives, improve patient outcomes, and contribute to medical science.


Subject(s)
Rare Diseases/diagnosis , Rare Diseases/genetics , Genotype , Genotyping Techniques , Humans , Information Dissemination/methods , Metabolomics , National Institutes of Health (U.S.) , Phenotype , Sequence Analysis, DNA , United States
9.
Genet Med ; 22(6): 1069-1078, 2020 06.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32107470

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The aim was to assess lifetime risk for hospitalization in individuals with neurofibromatosis 1 (NF1). METHODS: The 2467 individuals discharged with a diagnosis indicating NF1 or followed in a clinical center for NF1 were matched to 20,132 general population comparisons. Based on diagnoses in 12 main diagnostic groups and 146 subcategories, we calculated rate ratios (RRs), absolute excess risks (AERs), and hazard ratios for hospitalizations. RESULTS: The RR for any first hospitalization among individuals with NF1 was 2.3 (95% confidence interval 2.2-2.5). A high AER was seen for all 12 main diagnostic groups, dominated by disorders of the nervous system (14.5% of all AERs), benign (13.6%) and malignant neoplasms (13.4%), and disorders of the digestive (10.5%) and respiratory systems (10.3%). Neoplasms, nerve and peripheral ganglia disease, pneumonia, epilepsy, bone and joint disorders, and intestinal infections were major contributors to the excess disease burden caused by NF1. Individuals with NF1 had more hospitalizations and spent more days in hospital than the comparisons. The increased risk for any hospitalization was observed for both children and adults, with or without an associated cancer. CONCLUSION: NF1 causes an overall greater likelihood of hospitalization, with frequent and longer hospitalizations involving all organ systems throughout life.


Subject(s)
Neurofibromatosis 1 , Adult , Child , Denmark/epidemiology , Hospitalization , Humans , Longevity , Neurofibromatosis 1/diagnosis , Neurofibromatosis 1/epidemiology , Registries
10.
Hum Genomics ; 13(1): 24, 2019 05 29.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31142362

ABSTRACT

The HUGO Committee on Ethics, Law and Society (CELS) undertook a Working Group exploration of the key ethical issues arising from genome sequencing in 2013. The Imagined Futures paper the group subsequently published proposed points to consider when applying genomic bioinformatics to data repositories used in genomic medicine and research ( http://www.hugo-international.org/Resources/Documents/CELS_Article-ImaginedFutures_2014.pdf ). Given the ever-increasing power to sequence the human genome rapidly and inexpensively-as well as trends toward "Big Data" and "Open Science"-we take this opportunity to update and refine the key findings of that paper.


Subject(s)
Computational Biology/trends , Genome, Human/genetics , Genomics/trends , Whole Genome Sequencing/trends , Big Data , Chromosome Mapping , Humans
12.
Am J Med Genet A ; 179(6): 958-965, 2019 06.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-30903737

ABSTRACT

The Undiagnosed Diseases Network (UDN) aims to achieve a unifying etiologic diagnosis for patients with mysterious conditions. Although the UDN has focused on the identification of genetic determinants, environmental etiologies may be causative or modifying agents that interact with predisposing genes. We developed and implemented a screening questionnaire to assess environmental exposures in UDN patients. We hypothesized that patients with potentially adverse environmental exposures would be less likely to have a genetic basis for their undiagnosed disease. Among seven postnatal environmental exposure categories assessed in 269 UDN participants, patients with a confirmed or strong candidate genetic diagnosis were significantly less likely to report exposures to metals, dust, or chemicals (p < 0.05). A composite variable of the seven exposure categories was substantially more common (40%) in patients without a genetic diagnosis than in those with a genetic diagnosis (18.4%) (p = 0.004). In multivariable analysis adjusting for age and sex, the composite variable of any positive environmental exposure was associated with a reduced odds of finding a genetic diagnosis (OR 0.41, 95% CI 0.18-0.96, p = 0.04). These results were generally robust to exclusion of patients with early life disease onset. Our results suggest a possible approach to increase the yield of genetic etiologies for adult undiagnosed diseases by first focusing on patients without significant environmental exposures. Still, there is ample reason to expect cases in which specific environmental exposures impact the risk of clinically evident genetic disease. Our findings emphasize the importance of systematic investigations of potential environmental risk factors for undiagnosed diseases.


Subject(s)
Environmental Exposure , Gene-Environment Interaction , Genetic Predisposition to Disease , Rare Diseases/epidemiology , Rare Diseases/etiology , Undiagnosed Diseases/epidemiology , Undiagnosed Diseases/etiology , Adolescent , Adult , Child , Environment , Environmental Exposure/adverse effects , Female , Genetic Testing , Humans , Male , Rare Diseases/diagnosis , Risk Factors , Surveys and Questionnaires , Undiagnosed Diseases/diagnosis , Whole Genome Sequencing , Young Adult
13.
J Genet Couns ; 28(6): 1107-1118, 2019 12.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31478310

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Despite growing evidence of diagnostic yield and clinical utility of whole exome sequencing (WES) in patients with undiagnosed diseases, there remain significant cost and reimbursement barriers limiting access to such testing. The diagnostic yield and resulting clinical actions of WES for patients who previously faced insurance coverage barriers have not yet been explored. METHODS: We performed a retrospective descriptive analysis of clinical WES outcomes for patients facing insurance coverage barriers prior to clinical WES and who subsequently enrolled in the Undiagnosed Diseases Network (UDN). Clinical WES was completed as a result of participation in the UDN. Payer type, molecular diagnostic yield, and resulting clinical actions were evaluated. RESULTS: Sixty-six patients in the UDN faced insurance coverage barriers to WES at the time of enrollment (67% public payer, 26% private payer). Forty-two of 66 (64%) received insurance denial for clinician-ordered WES, 19/66 (29%) had health insurance through a payer known not to cover WES, and 5/66 (8%) had previous payer denial of other genetic tests. Clinical WES results yielded a molecular diagnosis in 23 of 66 patients (35% [78% pediatric, 65% neurologic indication]). Molecular diagnosis resulted in clinical actions in 14 of 23 patients (61%). CONCLUSIONS: These data demonstrate that a substantial proportion of patients who encountered insurance coverage barriers to WES had a clinically actionable molecular diagnosis, supporting the notion that WES has value as a covered benefit for patients who remain undiagnosed despite objective clinical findings.


Subject(s)
Exome Sequencing , Insurance Coverage , Undiagnosed Diseases/genetics , Child , Child, Preschool , Female , Genetic Testing/methods , Humans , Male , Retrospective Studies , United States
14.
Hum Genomics ; 11(1): 20, 2017 08 29.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-28851444

ABSTRACT

This paper considers the tensions created in genomic research by public and private for-profit ideals. Our intent is to strengthen the public good at a time when doing science is strongly motivated by market possibilities and opportunities. Focusing on the emergence of gene editing, and in particular CRISPR, we consider how commercialisation encourages hype and hope-a sense that only promise and idealism can achieve progress. At this rate, genomic research reinforces structures that promote, above all else, private interests, but that may attenuate conditions for the public good of science. In the first part, we situate genomics using the aphorism that 'on the shoulders of giants we see farther'; these giants are infrastructures and research cultures rather than individual 'heroes' of science. In this respect, private initiatives are not the only pivot for successful discovery, and indeed, fascination in those could impinge upon the fundamental role of public-supported discovery. To redress these circumstances, we define the extent to which progress presupposes research strategies that are for the public good. In the second part, we use a 'falling giant' narrative to illustrate the risks of over-indulging for-profit initiatives. We therefore offer a counterpoint to commercialised science, using three identifiable 'giants'-scientists, publics and cultures-to illustrate how the public good contributes to genomic discovery.


Subject(s)
Biomedical Research , Gene Editing/ethics , Genetics, Medical , Genomics/methods , Public Opinion , Communication , Humans
15.
JAMA ; 330(4): 297-298, 2023 07 25.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37382949

ABSTRACT

This Arts and Medicine feature summarizes events and scholarship honoring Abbot Gregor Mendel, founder of the science of modern genetics, on the occasion of the bicentennial of his birth.


Subject(s)
Genetics , Genetics/history , History, 19th Century
16.
Br Med Bull ; 122(1): 17-29, 2017 06 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-28334154

ABSTRACT

Background: The avalanche of commentaries on CRISPR-Cas9 technology, a bacterial immune system modified to recognize any short DNA sequence, cut it out, and insert a new one, has rekindled hopes for gene therapy and other applications and raised criticisms of engineering genes in future generations. Sources of data: This discussion draws on articles that emphasize ethics, identified partly through PubMed and Google, 2014-2016. Areas of agreement: CRISPR-Cas9 has taken the pace and prospects for genetic discovery and applications to a high level, stoking anticipation for somatic gene engineering to help patients. We support a moratorium on germ line manipulation. Areas of controversy: We place increased emphasis on the principle of solidarity and the public good. The genetic bases of some diseases are not thoroughly addressable with CRISPR-Cas9. We see no new ethical issues, compared with gene therapy and genetic engineering in general, apart from the explosive rate of findings. Other controversies include eugenics, patentability and unrealistic expectations of professionals and the public. Growing points: Biggest issues are the void of research on human germ cell biology, the appropriate routes for oversight and transparency, and the scientific and ethical areas of reproductive medicine. Areas timely for developing research: The principle of genomic solidarity and priority on public good should be a lens for bringing clarity to CRISPR debates. The valid claim of genetic exceptionalism supports restraint on experimentation in human germ cells, given the trans-generational dangers and the knowledge gap in germ cell biology.


Subject(s)
CRISPR-Cas Systems , Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats , Gene Editing/ethics , Genetic Engineering/ethics , Gene Editing/methods , Genetic Therapy/ethics , Humans
17.
Am J Obstet Gynecol ; 217(3): 249-262, 2017 09.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-28578176

ABSTRACT

Only through concerted and well-executed research endeavors can we gain the requisite knowledge to advance pregnancy care and have a positive impact on maternal and newborn health. Yet the heterogeneity inherent in individual studies limits our ability to compare and synthesize study results, thus impeding the capacity to draw meaningful conclusions that can be trusted to inform clinical care. The PhenX Toolkit (http://www.phenxtoolkit.org), supported since 2007 by the National Institutes of Health, is a web-based catalog of standardized protocols for measuring phenotypes and exposures relevant for clinical research. In 2016, a working group of pregnancy experts recommended 15 measures for the PhenX Toolkit that are highly relevant to pregnancy research. The working group followed the established PhenX consensus process to recommend protocols that are broadly validated, well established, nonproprietary, and have a relatively low burden for investigators and participants. The working group considered input from the pregnancy experts and the broader research community and included measures addressing the mode of conception, gestational age, fetal growth assessment, prenatal care, the mode of delivery, gestational diabetes, behavioral and mental health, and environmental exposure biomarkers. These pregnancy measures complement the existing measures for other established domains in the PhenX Toolkit, including reproductive health, anthropometrics, demographic characteristics, and alcohol, tobacco, and other substances. The preceding domains influence a woman's health during pregnancy. For each measure, the PhenX Toolkit includes data dictionaries and data collection worksheets that facilitate incorporation of the protocol into new or existing studies. The measures within the pregnancy domain offer a valuable resource to investigators and clinicians and are well poised to facilitate collaborative pregnancy research with the goal to improve patient care. To achieve this aim, investigators whose work includes the perinatal population are encouraged to utilize the PhenX Toolkit in the design and implementation of their studies, thus potentially reducing heterogeneity in data measures across studies. Such an effort will enhance the overall impact of individual studies, increasing the ability to draw more meaningful conclusions that can then be translated into clinical practice.


Subject(s)
Databases, Factual/standards , Research Design/standards , Software , Female , Humans , Internet , Phenotype , Pregnancy , Research/standards
18.
Genet Med ; 18(11): 1075-1084, 2016 11.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-27171546

ABSTRACT

The introduction of diagnostic clinical genome and exome sequencing (CGES) is changing the scope of practice for clinical geneticists. Many large institutions are making a significant investment in infrastructure and technology, allowing clinicians to access CGES, especially as health-care coverage begins to extend to clinically indicated genomic sequencing-based tests. Translating and realizing the comprehensive clinical benefits of genomic medicine remain a key challenge for the current and future care of patients. With the increasing application of CGES, it is necessary for geneticists and other health-care providers to understand its benefits and limitations in order to interpret the clinical relevance of genomic variants identified in the context of health and disease. New, collaborative working relationships with specialists across diverse disciplines (e.g., clinicians, laboratorians, bioinformaticians) will undoubtedly be key attributes of the future practice of clinical genetics and may serve as an example for other specialties in medicine. These new skills and relationships will also inform the development of the future model of clinical genetics training curricula. To address the evolving role of the clinical geneticist in the rapidly changing climate of genomic medicine, two Clinical Genetics Think Tank meetings were held that brought together physicians, laboratorians, scientists, genetic counselors, trainees, and patients with experience in clinical genetics, genetic diagnostics, and genetics education. This article provides recommendations that will guide the integration of genomics into clinical practice.Genet Med 18 11, 1075-1084.


Subject(s)
Genetic Counseling/trends , Genetics, Medical/trends , Genome, Human/genetics , Genomics , Exome/genetics , High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing , Humans
19.
Mol Genet Metab ; 117(4): 393-400, 2016 Apr.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-26846157

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: The inability of some seriously and chronically ill individuals to receive a definitive diagnosis represents an unmet medical need. In 2008, the NIH Undiagnosed Diseases Program (UDP) was established to provide answers to patients with mysterious conditions that long eluded diagnosis and to advance medical knowledge. Patients admitted to the NIH UDP undergo a five-day hospitalization, facilitating highly collaborative clinical evaluations and a detailed, standardized documentation of the individual's phenotype. Bedside and bench investigations are tightly coupled. Genetic studies include commercially available testing, single nucleotide polymorphism microarray analysis, and family exomic sequencing studies. Selected gene variants are evaluated by collaborators using informatics, in vitro cell studies, and functional assays in model systems (fly, zebrafish, worm, or mouse). INSIGHTS FROM THE UDP: In seven years, the UDP received 2954 complete applications and evaluated 863 individuals. Nine vignettes (two unpublished) illustrate the relevance of an undiagnosed diseases program to complex and common disorders, the coincidence of multiple rare single gene disorders in individual patients, newly recognized mechanisms of disease, and the application of precision medicine to patient care. CONCLUSIONS: The UDP provides examples of the benefits expected to accrue with the recent launch of a national Undiagnosed Diseases Network (UDN). The UDN should accelerate rare disease diagnosis and new disease discovery, enhance the likelihood of diagnosing known diseases in patients with uncommon phenotypes, improve management strategies, and advance medical research.


Subject(s)
National Institutes of Health (U.S.) , Precision Medicine , Rare Diseases/diagnosis , Research , Humans , Precision Medicine/methods , Rare Diseases/etiology , United States
20.
Haematologica ; 101(7): 846-52, 2016 07.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-26721895

ABSTRACT

Familial acute myeloid leukemia is rare and linked to germline mutations in RUNX1, GATA2 or CCAAT/enhancer binding protein-α (CEBPA). We re-evaluated a large family with acute myeloid leukemia originally seen at NIH in 1969. We used whole exome sequencing to study this family, and conducted in silico bioinformatics analysis, protein structural modeling and laboratory experiments to assess the impact of the identified CEBPA Q311P mutation. Unlike most previously identified germline mutations in CEBPA, which were N-terminal frameshift mutations, we identified a novel Q311P variant that was located in the C-terminal bZip domain of C/EBPα. Protein structural modeling suggested that the Q311P mutation alters the ability of the CEBPA dimer to bind DNA. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays showed that the Q311P mu-tant had attenuated binding to DNA, as predicted by the protein modeling. Consistent with these findings, we found that the Q311P mutation has reduced transactivation, consistent with a loss-of-function mutation. From 45 years of follow up, we observed incomplete penetrance (46%) of CEBPA Q311P. This study of a large multi-generational pedigree reveals that a germline mutation in the C-terminal bZip domain can alter the ability of C/EBP-α to bind DNA and reduces transactivation, leading to acute myeloid leukemia.


Subject(s)
CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Protein-alpha/genetics , Exome , Germ-Line Mutation , Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/genetics , Protein Interaction Domains and Motifs , Adolescent , Adult , Alleles , CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Protein-alpha/chemistry , CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Protein-alpha/metabolism , Child , Child, Preschool , Family , Female , Follow-Up Studies , Gene Expression Regulation, Leukemic , Genotype , High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing , Humans , Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/diagnosis , Male , Middle Aged , Models, Molecular , Pedigree , Protein Conformation , Protein Multimerization , Young Adult
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