Browsing by Author "Ramkissoon, Shakti"

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2

DNA Fragmentation Simulation Method (FSM) and Fragment Size Matching Improve aCGH Performance of FFPE Tissues
(PUBLIC LIBRARY SCIENCE, 2012-01-01) Craig, Justin M.; Vena, Natalie; Ramkissoon, Shakti; Idbaih, Ahmed; Fouse, Shaun D.; Ozek, Memet; Sav, Aydin; Hill, D. Ashley; Margraf, Linda R.; Eberhart, Charles G.; Kieran, Mark W.; Norden, Andrew D.; Wen, Patrick Y.; Loda, Massimo; Santagata, Sandro; Ligon, Keith L.; Ligon, Azra H.
Whole-genome copy number analysis platforms, such as array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) arrays, are transformative research discovery tools. In cancer, the identification of genomic aberrations with these approaches has generated important diagnostic and prognostic markers, and critical therapeutic targets. While robust for basic research studies, reliable whole-genome copy number analysis has been unsuccessful in routine clinical practice due to a number of technical limitations. Most important, aCGH results have been suboptimal because of the poor integrity of DNA derived from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues. Using self-hybridizations of a single DNA sample we observed that aCGH performance is significantly improved by accurate DNA size determination and the matching of test and reference DNA samples so that both possess similar fragment sizes. Based on this observation, we developed a novel DNA fragmentation simulation method (FSM) that allows customized tailoring of the fragment sizes of test and reference samples, thereby lowering array failure rates. To validate our methods, we combined FSM with Universal Linkage System (ULS) labeling to study a cohort of 200 tumor samples using Agilent 1 M feature arrays. Results from FFPE samples were equivalent to results from fresh samples and those available through the glioblastoma Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). This study demonstrates that rigorous control of DNA fragment size improves aCGH performance. This methodological advance will permit the routine analysis of FFPE tumor samples for clinical trials and in daily clinical practice.
Expression profiles of 151 pediatric low-grade gliomas reveal molecular differences associated with location and histological subtype
(OXFORD UNIV PRESS INC, 2015-01-01) Bergthold, Guillaume; Bandopadhayay, Pratiti; Hoshida, Yujin; Ramkissoon, Shakti; Ramkissoon, Lori; Rich, Benjamin; Maire, Cecile L.; Paolella, Brenton R.; Schumacher, Steven E.; Tabak, Barbara; Ferrer-Luna, Ruben; Ozek, Memet; Sav, Aydin; Santagata, Sandro; Wen, Patrick Yung; Goumnerova, Liliana C.; Ligon, Azra H.; Stiles, Charles; Segal, Rosalind; Golub, Todd; Grill, Jacques; Ligon, Keith L.; Chan, Jennifer A.; Kieran, Mark W.; Beroukhim, Rameen
Pediatric low-grade gliomas (PLGGs), the most frequent pediatric brain tumor, comprise a heterogeneous group of diseases. Recent genomic analyses suggest that these tumors are mostly driven by mitogene-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway alterations. However, little is known about the molecular characteristics inherent to their clinical and histological heterogeneity. We performed gene expression profiling on 151 paraffin-embedded PLGGs from different locations, ages, and histologies. Using unsupervised and supervised analyses, we compared molecular features with age, location, histology, and BRAF genomic status. We compared molecular differences with normal pediatric brain expression profiles to observe whether those patterns were mirrored in normal brain. Unsupervised clustering distinguished 3 molecular groups that correlated with location in the brain and histological subtype. ``Not otherwise specified{''} (NOS) tumors did not constitute a unified class. Supratentorial pilocytic astrocytomas (PAs) were significantly enriched with genes involved in pathways related to inflammatory activity compared with infratentorial tumors. Differences based on tumor location were not mirrored in location-dependent differences in expression within normal brain tissue. We identified significant differences between supratentorial PAs and diffuse astrocytomas as well as between supratentorial PAs and dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumors but not between supratentorial PAs and gangliogliomas. Similar expression patterns were observed between childhood and adolescent PAs. We identified differences between BRAF-duplicated and V600E-mutated tumors but not between primary and recurrent PLGGs. Expression profiling of PLGGs reveals significant differences associated with tumor location, histology, and BRAF genomic status. Supratentorial PAs, in particular, are enriched in inflammatory pathways that appear to be tumor-related.