| 1. |
- Blasco, Helene, et al.
(författare)
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A Rare Motor Neuron Deleterious Missense Mutation in the DPYSL3 (CRMP4) Gene is Associated with ALS
- 2013
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Ingår i: Human Mutation. - : Wiley-Blackwell. - 1059-7794 .- 1098-1004. ; 34:7, s. 953-960
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The dihydropyrimidinase-like 3 (DPYSL3) or Collapsin Response Mediator Protein 4a (CRMP4a) expression is modified in neurodegeneration and is involved in several ALS-associated pathways including axonal transport, glutamate excitotoxicity, and oxidative stress. The objective of the study was to analyze CRMP4 as a risk factor for ALS. We analyzed the DPYSL3/CRMP4 gene in French ALS patients (n=468) and matched-controls (n=394). We subsequently examined a variant in a Swedish population (184 SALS, 186 controls), and evaluated its functional effects on axonal growth and survival in motor neuron cell culture. The rs147541241:A>G missense mutation occurred in higher frequency among French ALS patients (odds ratio=2.99) but the association was not confirmed in the Swedish population. In vitro expression of mutated DPYSL3 in motor neurons reduced axonal growth and accelerated cell death compared with wild type protein. Thus, the association between the rs147541241 variant and ALS was limited to the French population, highlighting the geographic particularities of genetic influences (risks, contributors). The identified variant appears to shorten motor neuron survival through a detrimental effect on axonal growth and CRMP4 could act as a key unifier in transduction pathways leading to neurodegeneration through effects on early axon development.
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| 2. |
- Bertolotto, Corine, et al.
(författare)
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A SUMOylation-defective MITF germline mutation predisposes to melanoma and renal carcinoma
- 2011
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Ingår i: Nature. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0028-0836 .- 1476-4687. ; 480:7375, s. 94-98
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- So far, no common environmental and/or phenotypic factor has been associated with melanoma and renal cell carcinoma (RCC). The known risk factors for melanoma include sun exposure, pigmentation and nevus phenotypes(1); risk factors associated with RCC include smoking, obesity and hypertension(2). A recent study of coexisting melanoma and RCC in the same patients supports a genetic predisposition underlying the association between these two cancers(3). The microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) has been proposed to act as a melanoma oncogene(4); it also stimulates the transcription of hypoxia inducible factor(5) (HIF1A), the pathway of which is targeted by kidney cancer susceptibility genes(6). We therefore proposed that MITF might have a role in conferring a genetic predisposition to co-occurring melanoma and RCC. Here we identify a germline missense substitution in MITF (Mi-E318K) that occurred at a significantly higher frequency in genetically enriched patients affected with melanoma, RCC or both cancers, when compared with controls. Overall, Mi-E318K carriers had a higher than fivefold increased risk of developing melanoma, RCC or both cancers. Codon 318 is located in a small-ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) consensus site (Psi KXE) and Mi-E318K severely impaired SUMOylation of MITF. Mi-E318K enhanced MITF protein binding to the HIF1A promoter and increased its transcriptional activity compared to wild-type MITF. Further, we observed a global increase in Mi-E318K occupied loci. In an RCC cell line, gene expression profiling identified a Mi-E318K signature related to cell growth, proliferation and inflammation. Lastly, the mutant protein enhanced melanocytic and renal cell clonogenicity, migration and invasion, consistent with a gain-of-function role in tumorigenesis. Our data provide insights into the link between SUMOylation, transcription and cancer.
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| 3. |
- Brest, Patrick, et al.
(författare)
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MiR-129-5p is required for histone deacetylase inhibitor-induced cell death in thyroid cancer cells
- 2011
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Ingår i: Endocrine-Related Cancer. - 1479-6821. ; 18:6, s. 711-719
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The molecular mechanism responsible for the antitumor activity of histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi) remains elusive. As HDACi have been described to alter miRNA expression, the aim of this study was to characterize HDACi-induced miRNAs and to determine their functional importance in the induction of cell death alone or in combination with other cancer drugs. Two HDACi, trichostatin A and vorinostat, induced miR-129-5p overexpression, histone acetylation and cell death in BCPAP, TPC-1, 8505C, and CAL62 cell lines and in primary cultures of papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) cells. In addition, miR-129-5p alone was sufficient to induce cell death and knockdown experiments showed that expression of this miRNA was required for HDACi-induced cell death. Moreover, miR-129-5p accentuated the anti-proliferative effects of other cancer drugs such as etoposide or human a-lactalbumin made lethal for tumor cells (HAMLET). Taken together, our data show that miR-129-5p is involved in the antitumor activity of HDACi and highlight a miRNA-driven cell death mechanism. Endocrine-Related Cancer (2011) 18 711-719
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| 4. |
- de Jong, Roelof S., et al.
(författare)
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4MOST-4-metre Multi-Object Spectroscopic Telescope
- 2014
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Ingår i: Ground-based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy V. - : SPIE. - 0277-786X .- 1996-756X. ; 9147
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- 4MOST is a wide-field, high-multiplex spectroscopic survey facility under development for the VISTA telescope of the European Southern Observatory (ESO). Its main science drivers are in the fields of galactic archeology, high-energy physics, galaxy evolution and cosmology. 4MOST will in particular provide the spectroscopic complements to the large area surveys coming from space missions like Gaia, eROSITA, Euclid, and PLATO and from ground-based facilities like VISTA, VST, DES, LSST and SKA. The 4MOST baseline concept features a 2.5 degree diameter field-of-view with similar to 2400 fibres in the focal surface that are configured by a fibre positioner based on the tilting spine principle. The fibres feed two types of spectrographs; similar to 1600 fibres go to two spectrographs with resolution R> 5000 (lambda similar to 390-930 nm) and similar to 800 fibres to a spectrograph with R> 18,000 (lambda similar to 392-437 nm & 515-572 nm & 605-675 nm). Both types of spectrographs are fixed-configuration, three-channel spectrographs. 4MOST will have an unique operations concept in which 5 year public surveys from both the consortium and the ESO community will be combined and observed in parallel during each exposure, resulting in more than 25 million spectra of targets spread over a large fraction of the southern sky. The 4MOST Facility Simulator (4FS) was developed to demonstrate the feasibility of this observing concept. 4MOST has been accepted for implementation by ESO with operations expected to start by the end of 2020. This paper provides a top-level overview of the 4MOST facility, while other papers in these proceedings provide more detailed descriptions of the instrument concept[1], the instrument requirements development[2], the systems engineering implementation[3], the instrument model[4], the fibre positioner concepts[5], the fibre feed[6], and the spectrographs[7].
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| 5. |
- El Albani, Abderrazak, et al.
(författare)
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The 2.1 Ga old Francevillian biota: biogenicity, taphonomy and biodiversity.
- 2014
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Ingår i: PLOS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 9:6:e99438, s. 1-18
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The Paleoproterozoic Era witnessed crucial steps in the evolution of Earth’s surface environments following the first appreciable rise of free atmospheric oxygen concentrations ~2.3 to 2.1 Ga ago, and concomitant shallow ocean oxygenation. While most sedimentary successions deposited during this time interval have experienced thermal overprinting from burial diagenesis and metamorphism, the ca. 2.1 Ga black shales of the Francevillian B Formation (FB2) cropping out in southeastern Gabon have not. The Francevillian Formation contains centimeter-sized structures interpreted as organized and spatially discrete populations of colonial organisms living in an oxygenated marine ecosystem. Here, new material from the FB2 black shales is presented and analyzed to further explore its biogenicity and taphonomy. Our extended record comprises variably sized, shaped, and structured pyritized macrofossils of lobate, elongated, and rodshaped morphologies as well as abundant non-pyritized disk-shaped macrofossils and organic-walled acritarchs. Combined microtomography, geochemistry, and sedimentary analysis suggest a biota fossilized during early diagenesis. The emergence of this biota follows a rise in atmospheric oxygen, which is consistent with the idea that surface oxygenation allowed the evolution and ecological expansion of complex megascopic life.
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| 6. |
- Flores, Olivier, et al.
(författare)
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An evolutionary perspective on leaf economics : phylogenetics of leaf mass per area in vascular plants
- 2014
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Ingår i: Ecology and Evolution. - : Wiley. - 2045-7758. ; 4:14, s. 2799-2811
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In plant leaves, resource use follows a trade-off between rapid resource capture and conservative storage. This worldwide leaf economics spectrum consists of a suite of intercorrelated leaf traits, among which leaf mass per area, LMA, is one of the most fundamental as it indicates the cost of leaf construction and light-interception borne by plants. We conducted a broad-scale analysis of the evolutionary history of LMA across a large dataset of 5401 vascular plant species. The phylogenetic signal in LMA displayed low but significant conservatism, that is, leaf economics tended to be more similar among close relatives than expected by chance alone. Models of trait evolution indicated that LMA evolved under weak stabilizing selection. Moreover, results suggest that different optimal phenotypes evolved among large clades within which extremes tended to be selected against. Conservatism in LMA was strongly related to growth form, as were selection intensity and phenotypic evolutionary rates: woody plants showed higher conservatism in relation to stronger stabilizing selection and lower evolutionary rates compared to herbaceous taxa. The evolutionary history of LMA thus paints different evolutionary trajectories of vascular plant species across clades, revealing the coordination of leaf trait evolution with growth forms in response to varying selection regimes.
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| 7. |
- Hamilos, Michalis, et al.
(författare)
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Relationship between peripheral arterial reactive hyperemia and residual platelet reactivity after 600 mg clopidogrel
- 2011
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Ingår i: Journal of Thrombosis and Thrombolysis. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0929-5305 .- 1573-742X. ; 32:1, s. 64-71
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Clopidogrel reduces long-term ischemic events in patients with acute coronary syndrome or stable angina (SA) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Endothelial function improvement has been proposed, among other factors, for this beneficial effect of clopidogrel, but whether this might be associated to its anti-platelet action remains unclear. We tested the hypothesis that clopidogrel improvement of peripheral vascular endothelial function might be associated with inhibition of platelet aggregation. Endothelial function was evaluated before and at least 12 h after 600 mg clopidogrel in 43 SA pts undergoing elective PCI by: (a) reactive hyperemia peripheral arterial tonometry (measuring the Endoscore); (b) circulating endothelial microparticles (EMPs). Response to clopidogrel was measured with point-of-care VerifyNow P2Y12 assay and expressed as platelet reaction unit (PRU) and percent platelet inhibition (%PI). High platelet reactivity after clopidogrel was defined as PRU ≥ 240. Endothelial function improved after clopidogrel in 20 pts. Changes in Endoscore (Δ Endoscore) were significantly correlated with both PRU (r = -0.61, P < 0.001) and %PI (r = 0.57, P < 0.001). Endoscore significantly increased after clopidogrel in pts with PRU < 240 (0.38 ± 0.26 to 0.57 ± 0.33, P < 0.001), but did not in pts with PRU ≥ 240 (0.53 ± 0.31 to 0.40 ± 0.37, P = 0.12). EMPs were also significantly reduced in pts with PRU < 240 (222 [140-593] to 142 [83-371]/μl, P = 0.001), while no changes were observed in pts with PRU ≥ 240 (256 [178-531] to 388 [238-499]/μl, P = 0.55). In patients with stable coronary artery disease, a single 600 mg clopidogrel loading dose improves vascular endothelial function. This improvement is associated with optimal platelet inhibition and it is not observed in patients with post-clopidogrel high platelet reactivity.
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| 8. |
- Haynes, Roger, et al.
(författare)
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The 4MOST instrument concept overview
- 2014
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Ingår i: Ground-based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy V. - : SPIE. - 0277-786X .- 1996-756X. ; 9147, s. 91476-91476
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- The 4MOST([1]) instrument is a concept for a wide-field, fibre-fed high multiplex spectroscopic instrument facility on the ESO VISTA telescope designed to perform a massive (initially >25x10(6) spectra in 5 years) combined all-sky public survey. The main science drivers are: Gaia follow up of chemo-dynamical structure of the Milky Way, stellar radial velocities, parameters and abundances, chemical tagging; eROSITA follow up of cosmology with x-ray clusters of galaxies, X-ray AGN/galaxy evolution to z similar to 5, Galactic X-ray sources and resolving the Galactic edge; Euclid/LSST/SKA and other survey follow up of Dark Energy, Galaxy evolution and transients. The surveys will be undertaken simultaneously requiring: highly advanced targeting and scheduling software, also comprehensive data reduction and analysis tools to produce high-level data products. The instrument will allow simultaneous observations of similar to 1600 targets at R similar to 5,000 from 390-900nm and similar to 800 targets at R>18,000 in three channels between similar to 395-675nm (channel bandwidth: 45nm blue, 57nm green and 69nm red) over a hexagonal field of view of similar to 4.1 degrees2. The initial 5-year 4MOST survey is currently expect to start in 2020. We provide and overview of the 4MOST systems: opto-mechanical, control, data management and operations concepts; and initial performance estimates.
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| 9. |
- Johansson, Mikael, et al.
(författare)
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The soluble form of the tumor suppressor Lrig1 potently inhibits in vivo glioma growth irrespective of EGF receptor status
- 2013
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Ingår i: Neuro-Oncology. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1522-8517 .- 1523-5866. ; 15:9, s. 1200-1211
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Deregulated growth factor signaling is a major driving force in the initiation and progression of glioblastoma. The tumor suppressor and stem cell marker Lrig1 is a negative regulator of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) family. Here, we addressed the therapeutic potential of the soluble form of Lrig1 (sLrig1) in glioblastoma treatment and the mechanism of sLrig1-induced growth inhibition. With use of encapsulated cells, recombinant sLrig1 was locally delivered in orthotopic glioblastoma xenografts generated from freshly isolated patient tumors. Tumor growth and mouse survival were evaluated. The efficacy of sLrig1 and the affected downstream signaling was studied in vitro and in vivo in glioma cells displaying variable expression of wild-type and/or a constitutively active EGFR mutant (EGFRvIII). Continuous interstitial delivery of sLrig1 in genetically diverse patient-derived glioma xenografts led to strong tumor growth inhibition. Glioma cell proliferation in vitro and tumor growth in vivo were potently inhibited by sLrig1, irrespective of EGFR expression levels. Of importance, tumor growth was also suppressed in EGFRvIII-driven glioma. sLrig1 induced cell cycle arrest without changing total receptor level or phosphorylation. Affected downstream effectors included MAP kinase but not AKT signaling. Of importance, local delivery of sLrig1 into established tumors led to a 32 survival advantage in treated mice. To our knowledge, this is the first report demonstrating that sLrig1 is a potent inhibitor of glioblastoma growth in clinically relevant experimental glioma models and that this effect is largely independent of EGFR status. The potent anti-tumor effect of sLrig1, in combination with cell encapsulation technology for in situ delivery, holds promise for future treatment of glioblastoma.
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| 10. |
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| 11. |
- Ma, Yuqian, et al.
(författare)
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Genome-Wide Sequencing of Cellular microRNAs Identifies a Combinatorial Expression Signature Diagnostic of Sepsis
- 2013
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Ingår i: PLOS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 8:10
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Rationale: Sepsis is a common cause of death in the intensive care unit with mortality up to 70% when accompanied by multiple organ dysfunction. Rapid diagnosis and the institution of appropriate antibiotic therapy and pressor support are therefore critical for survival. MicroRNAs are small non-coding RNAs that play an important role in the regulation of numerous cellular processes, including inflammation and immunity. Objectives: We hypothesized changes in expression of microRNAs during sepsis may be of diagnostic value in the intensive care unit (ICU). Methods: Massively parallel sequencing of microRNAs was utilised for screening microRNA candidates. Putative microRNAs were validated using quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). This study includes data from both a training cohort (UK) and an independent validation cohort (Sweden). A linear discriminant statistical model was employed to construct a diagnostic microRNA signature. Results: A panel of known and novel microRNAs were detectable in the blood of patients with sepsis. After qRT-PCR validation, microRNA miR-150 and miR-4772-5p-iso were able to discriminate between patients who have systemic inflammatory response syndrome and patients with sepsis. This finding was also validated in independent cohort with an average diagnostic accuracy of 86%. Fractionating the cellular components of blood reveals miR-4772-5p-iso is expressed differentially in monocytes. Functional experiments using primary human monocytes demonstrate that it expressed in response to TLR ligation. Conclusions: Taken together, these data provide a novel microRNA signature of sepsis that should allow rapid point-of-care diagnostic assessment of patients on ICU and also provide greater insight into the pathobiology of this severe disease.
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| 12. |
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| 13. |
- Sarwar, Nadeem, et al.
(författare)
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Interleukin-6 receptor pathways in coronary heart disease : a collaborative meta-analysis of 82 studies
- 2012
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Ingår i: The Lancet. - New York, NY, USA : Elsevier. - 0140-6736 .- 1474-547X. ; 379:9822, s. 1205-1213
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Persistent inflammation has been proposed to contribute to various stages in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease. Interleukin-6 receptor (IL6R) signalling propagates downstream inflammation cascades. To assess whether this pathway is causally relevant to coronary heart disease, we studied a functional genetic variant known to affect IL6R signalling. Methods: In a collaborative meta-analysis, we studied Asp358Ala (rs2228145) in IL6R in relation to a panel of conventional risk factors and inflammation biomarkers in 125 222 participants. We also compared the frequency of Asp358Ala in 51 441 patients with coronary heart disease and in 136 226 controls. To gain insight into possible mechanisms, we assessed Asp358Ala in relation to localised gene expression and to postlipopolysaccharide stimulation of interleukin 6. Findings: The minor allele frequency of Asp358Ala was 39%. Asp358Ala was not associated with lipid concentrations, blood pressure, adiposity, dysglycaemia, or smoking (p value for association per minor allele >= 0.04 for each). By contrast, for every copy of 358Ala inherited, mean concentration of IL6R increased by 34.3% (95% CI 30.4-38.2) and of interleukin 6 by 14.6% (10.7-18.4), and mean concentration of C-reactive protein was reduced by 7.5% (5.9-9.1) and of fibrinogen by 1.0% (0.7-1.3). For every copy of 358Ala inherited, risk of coronary heart disease was reduced by 3.4% (1.8-5.0). Asp358Ala was not related to IL6R mRNA levels or interleukin-6 production in monocytes. Interpretation: Large-scale human genetic and biomarker data are consistent with a causal association between IL6R-related pathways and coronary heart disease.
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| 14. |
- Schleiermacher, Gudrun, et al.
(författare)
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Emergence of New ALK Mutations at Relapse of Neuroblastoma
- 2014
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Ingår i: Journal of Clinical Oncology. - : American Society of Clinical Oncology: JCO. - 0732-183X .- 1527-7755. ; 32:25, s. 2727-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose In neuroblastoma, the ALK receptor tyrosine kinase is activated by point mutations. We investigated the potential role of ALK mutations in neuroblastoma clonal evolution. Methods We analyzed ALK mutations in 54 paired diagnosis-relapse neuroblastoma samples using Sanger sequencing. When an ALK mutation was observed in one paired sample, a minor mutated component in the other sample was searched for by more than 100,000 x deep sequencing of the relevant hotspot, with a sensitivity of 0.17%. Results All nine ALK-mutated cases at diagnosis demonstrated the same mutation at relapse, in one case in only one of several relapse nodules. In five additional cases, the mutation seemed to be relapse specific, four of which were investigated by deep sequencing. In two cases, no mutation evidence was observed at diagnosis. In one case, the mutation was present at a subclonal level (0.798%) at diagnosis, whereas in another case, two different mutations resulting in identical amino acid changes were detected, one only at diagnosis and the other only at relapse. Further evidence of clonal evolution of ALK-mutated cells was provided by establishment of a fully ALK-mutated cell line from a primary sample with an ALK-mutated cell population at subclonal level (6.6%). Conclusion In neuroblastoma, subclonal ALK mutations can be present at diagnosis with subsequent clonal expansion at relapse. Given the potential of ALK-targeted therapy, the significant spatiotemporal variation of ALK mutations is of utmost importance, highlighting the potential of deep sequencing for detection of subclonal mutations with a sensitivity 100-fold that of Sanger sequencing and the importance of serial samplings for therapeutic decisions.
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