Characterizing prostate cancer risk through multi-ancestry genome-wide discovery of 187 novel risk variants.

The transferability and clinical value of genetic risk scores (GRSs) across populations remain limited due to an imbalance in genetic studies across ancestrally diverse populations. Here we conducted a multi-ancestry genome-wide association study of 156,319 prostate cancer cases and 788,443 controls of European, African, Asian and Hispanic men, reflecting a 57% increase in the number of non-European cases over previous prostate cancer genome-wide association studies. We identified 187 novel risk variants for prostate cancer, increasing the total number of risk variants to 451. An externally replicated multi-ancestry GRS was associated with risk that ranged from 1.8 (per standard deviation) in African ancestry men to 2.2 in European ancestry men. The GRS was associated with a greater risk of aggressive versus non-aggressive disease in men of African ancestry (P = 0.03). Our study presents novel prostate cancer susceptibility loci and a GRS with effective risk stratification across ancestry groups.

HIV Symptom Clusters are Similar Using the Dimensions of Symptom Occurrence and Distress.

CONTEXT: People living with HIV infection (PLWH) in the United States continue to experience a high symptom burden despite improvements in antiretroviral therapy. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to determine if the number and types of symptom clusters differed based on whether symptom occurrence rates or distress ratings were used to create the clusters. METHODS: Data from 2,000 patients with complete symptom occurrence rates and distress scores on the 20-item HIV Symptom Index from their first ambulatory clinic visit at one of six national HIV centers of excellence in the Center for AIDS Research Network of Integrated Clinical Systems were used in these analyses. Exploratory factor analysis was used to create the symptom clusters. RESULTS: The same four symptom clusters (i.e., gastrointestinal, psychological, pain, body image) were identified using occurrence rates and distress ratings. For both dimensions of the symptom experience, the psychological, pain, and body image clusters each had the same symptoms. For the gastrointestinal cluster, four symptoms loaded on the occurrence dimension and six symptoms loaded on the distress dimension. CONCLUSION: The number and types of symptom clusters were relatively similar across the occurrence and distress dimensions of the symptom experience. Symptom clusters in PLWH may provide insights into the development of targeted interventions for multiple co-occurring symptoms.

Testing for non-random mating: evidence for ancestry-related assortative mating in the Framingham heart study.

Population stratification leads to a predictable phenomenon-a reduction in the number of heterozygotes compared to that calculated assuming Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium (HWE). We show that population stratification results in another phenomenon-an excess in the proportion of spouse-pairs with the same genotypes at all ancestrally informative markers, resulting in ancestrally related positive assortative mating. We use principal components analysis to show that there is evidence of population stratification within the Framingham Heart Study, and show that the first principal component correlates with a North-South European cline. We then show that the first principal component is highly correlated between spouses (r = 0.58, p = 0.0013), demonstrating that there is ancestrally related positive assortative mating among the Framingham Caucasian population. We also show that the single nucleotide polymorphisms loading most heavily on the first principal component show an excess of homozygotes within the spouses, consistent with similar ancestry-related assortative mating in the previous generation. This nonrandom mating likely affects genetic structure seen more generally in the North American population of European descent today, and decreases the rate of decay of linkage disequilibrium for ancestrally informative markers.

Catalysis-based enantioselective total synthesis of myxothiazole Z, (14S)-melithiazole G and (14S)-cystothiazole F.

A common strategy for the stereoselective and protecting group-free total synthesis of the myxobacterial antibiotics myxothiazole Z, (14S)-melithiazole G and (14S)-cystothiazole F is described featuring an asymmetric organocatalytic transfer hydrogenation, a palladium-catalyzed Stille coupling and a cross-metathesis as the key steps.

Stereoselective synthesis of the C1-C11 and C12-C34 fragments of mycalolide A.

A convergent synthesis of the C1-C11 and C12-C34 fragments of mycalolide A is described. Synthetic highlights include a highly E-selective cross-metathesis between a vinyl-functionalized bis-oxazole unit and a polypropionate side chain to introduce the C19-C20 double bond and an enzymatic desymmetrization of a meso-diol in addition to five stereoselective allylations/crotylations to control the 11 stereogenic centers present in the natural product.

Enantioselective organocatalytic conjugate reduction of beta-azole-containing alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehydes.

Beta-azole-containing alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehydes were successfully reduced under highly enantioselective organocatalytic transfer hydrogenation conditions. The products were obtained in good yields and up to 94% optical purity. This simple process was successfully applied to the synthesis of the C7-C14 fragment of ulapualide A, a natural product which exhibits promising antitumor activity.

Synthesis of vinyl-functionalized oxazoles by olefin cross-metathesis.

A ruthenium-based catalyzed olefin cross-methathesis reaction involving 2- and 4-vinyl-functionalized oxazoles was developed. A wide range of olefinic partners was coupled in good to excellent yields and high stereoselectivities under mild conditions. This methodology offers new opportunities for the synthesis of a plethora of biologically active natural products.