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Access to Guideline-Concordant Oncology Genomic Testing: A Qualitative Study of Black Cancer Patients and Oncology Providers.

Genomic testing is a key component of precision oncology; however, Black patients receive genomic testing at lower rates. The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify individual and health system drivers of genomic testing disparities at a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center. We conducted interviews with 15 oncology providers and 11 Black cancer patients between September 2023 and October 2024. These patients were eligible for genomic testing based on National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines, being diagnosed within last 10 years (2014-2023), at least 18 years old, and English-speaking. Providers included oncologists and oncology patient navigators. Topics included motivators, barriers, and knowledge of genomic testing and factors influencing decision-making. The Penchansky and Thomas theoretical framework of healthcare access (e.g., availability, accessibility, accommodation, affordability, and acceptability) guided thematic analysis. Among patients eligible for genomic testing, most participants (n = 7) received genomic testing as part of their cancer treatment based on EMRs, however many patients (n = 7) could not recall discussing genomic testing with their oncologist. Most patients and all providers highlighted affordability as a challenge: patients were concerned about unexpected costs associated with testing, while providers were concerned about costs of matched molecular targeted therapy. Both patients and providers highlighted patient-centered communication to mitigate mistrust and promote patient engagement in care. Despite limited awareness, Black patients view genomic testing positively. Addressing multiple dimensions of access is key to improving system-level processes and ensuring that more patients benefit from lifesaving targeted therapy.

Humans↗

Selective DNA amplification from complex genomes using universal double-sided adapters.

There is a rapidly developing need for new technologies to amplify millions of different targets from genomic DNA for high throughput genotyping and population gene-sequencing from diverse species. Here we describe a novel approach for the specific selection and amplification of genomic DNA fragments of interest that eliminates the need for costly and time consuming synthesis and testing of potentially millions of amplicon-specific primers. This technique relies upon Type IIs restriction enzyme digestion of genomic DNA and ligation of the fragments to double-sided adapters to form closed-circular DNA molecules. The novel use of double-sided adapters, assembled through the combinatorial use of two small universal sets of oligonucleotide building blocks, provides greater selection capacity by utilizing both sides of the adapter in a sequence-specific ligation event. As demonstrated, formation of circular structures results in protection of the desired molecules from nuclease treatment and enables a level of selectivity high enough to isolate single, or multiple, pre-defined fragments from the human genome when digested at over five million sites. Priming sites incorporated into the adapter allows the utilization of a common pair of primers for the amplification of any adapter-captured DNA fragment of interest.

DNA↗

De novo structural variants in autism spectrum disorder disrupt distal regulatory interactions of neuronal genes.

Three-dimensional genome organization plays a critical role in gene regulation, and disruptions can lead to developmental disorders by altering the contact between genes and their distal regulatory elements. Structural variants (SVs) can disturb local genome organization, such as the merging of topologically associating domains upon boundary deletion. Testing large numbers of SVs experimentally for their effects on chromatin structure and gene expression is time and cost prohibitive. To address this, we propose a computational approach to predict SV impacts on genome folding, which can help prioritize causal hypotheses for functional testing. We developed a weighted scoring method that measures chromatin contact changes specifically affecting regions of interest, such as regulatory elements or promoters, and implemented it in the SuPreMo-Akita software (Gjoni and Pollard 2024). With this tool, we ranked hundreds of de novo SVs (dnSVs) from autism spectrum disorder (ASD) individuals and their unaffected siblings based on predicted disruptions to nearby neuronal regulatory interactions. This revealed that putative cis-regulatory element interactions (CREints) are more disrupted by dnSVs from ASD probands versus unaffected siblings. We prioritized candidate variants that disrupt ASD CREints and validated our top-ranked locus using isogenic excitatory neurons with and without the dnSV, confirming accurate predictions of disrupted chromatin contacts. This study establishes disrupted genome folding as a potential genetic mechanism in ASD and provides a general strategy for prioritizing variants predicted to disrupt regulatory interactions across tissues.

Journal Article↗

De novo structural variants in autism spectrum disorder disrupt distal regulatory interactions of neuronal genes.

Three-dimensional genome organization plays a critical role in gene regulation, and disruptions can lead to developmental disorders by altering the contact between genes and their distal regulatory elements. Structural variants (SVs) can disturb local genome organization, such as the merging of topologically associating domains upon boundary deletion. Testing large numbers of SVs experimentally for their effects on chromatin structure and gene expression is time and cost prohibitive. To address this, we propose a computational approach to predict SV impacts on genome folding, which can help prioritize causal hypotheses for functional testing. We develop a weighted scoring method that measures chromatin contact changes specifically affecting regions of interest, such as regulatory elements or promoters, and implement it in the SuPreMo-Akita software. With this tool, we rank hundreds of de novo SVs (dnSVs) from autism spectrum disorder (ASD) individuals and their unaffected siblings based on predicted disruptions to nearby neuronal regulatory interactions. This reveals that putative cis-regulatory element interactions (CREints) are more disrupted by dnSVs from ASD probands versus unaffected siblings. We prioritize candidate variants that disrupt ASD CREints and validate our top-ranked locus using isogenic excitatory neurons with and without the dnSV, confirming accurate predictions of disrupted chromatin contacts. This study suggests that disrupted genome folding is a potential genetic mechanism in a subset of ASD cases and provides a general strategy for prioritizing variants predicted to disrupt regulatory interactions across tissues.

Humans↗

An economic evaluation of functional genomic testing for individuals with undiagnosed rare disorders.

PURPOSE: Functional genomics (FG) approaches, such as RNA-seq and proteomics, offer a complementary diagnostic modality for individuals whose cases remain unsolved after genomic sequencing. This study evaluates the cost-effectiveness and cost-benefit of FG for individuals with suspected monogenic disorders relative to manual reanalysis of genomic data at 18 months. METHODS: A decision tree model compared the costs and outcomes of FG and 18-month reanalysis using data from two Australian Undiagnosed Disease Programs. Deterministic and probability sensitivity analysis were performed. RESULTS: With a diagnostic yield of 13%, FG enabled 4 additional diagnoses per 100 individuals tested at an additional cost of $390 (US $240), resulting in an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of $8,550 ($5,313) and an 85% probability of being cost-effective. CONCLUSION: Functional genomics enables timely diagnosis for individuals with suspected monogenic disorders by evaluating the functional impact of variants of uncertain significance, offering an advantage over reanalyzing genomic data at 18 months. Integration into the Australian healthcare system, supported by collaborative networks and secure data-sharing infrastructure, coupled with addressing barriers to accessing funded genomic testing, could lead to an annual net benefit of up to $1.1 million ($0.7 M).

Functional genomics↗

Application of the stepwise focusing method to optimize the cost-effectiveness of genome-wide association studies with limited research budgets for genotyping and phenotyping.

The recent cataloguing of a large number of SNPs enables us to perform genome-wide association studies for detecting common genetic variants associated with disease. Such studies, however, generally have limited research budgets for genotyping and phenotyping. It is therefore necessary to optimize the study design by determining the most cost-effective numbers of SNPs and individuals to analyze. In this report we applied the stepwise focusing method, with two-stage design, developed by Satagopan et al. (2002) and Saito & Kamatani (2002), to optimize the cost-effectiveness of a genome-wide direct association study using a transmission/disequilibrium test (TDT). The stepwise focusing method consists of two steps: a large number of SNPs are examined in the first focusing step, and then all the SNPs showing a significant P-value are tested again using a larger set of individuals in the second focusing step. In the framework of optimization, the numbers of SNPs and families and the significance levels in the first and second steps were regarded as variables to be considered. Our results showed that the stepwise focusing method achieves a distinct gain of power compared to a conventional method with the same research budget.

Cost Control↗

The effect of genomics on health services management: ethical and legal perspectives.

The growing use of genetic testing for diagnostic and predictive purposes, and for the purpose of selecting therapeutic regimens with better risk-benefit ratios for patients, raises numerous legal and ethical challenges. Researchers and institutional review boards must pay careful attention to the need to obtain informed consent from subjects. The FDA will face increased pressure to more carefully regulate the accuracy of genetic testing. Clinicians will need to safeguard the privacy and confidentiality of sensitive patient information, especially when testing is performed in settings in which the information may be readily accessible to insurers and employers. Novel genomic treatments may increase liability for drug manufacturers, but physicians and other healthcare providers, including health plans' drug formularies, will bear the primary liability risk. Difficult questions of distributive justice also must be faced if third-party payers resist covering genomic services because of their cost. Down the road, more aggressive gene therapy techniques and the ability to test for non-disease traits will tax our notions of fairness, equality, and the limits of professional authority.

Confidentiality↗

Mutational scanning of mitochondrial DNA by two-dimensional electrophoresis.

An expedient, accurate, and cost-efficient test was developed to scan critical regions of the mitochondrial genome for all possible mutations by two-dimensional DNA electrophoresis. The test involves a two-step multiplex PCR amplification: a long-distance PCR to amplify almost the entire mitochondrial genome, which then serves as template for the amplification of 25 short PCR fragments in two multiplex groups corresponding to regions implicated in human diseases. The mixture of fragments was subsequently subjected to two-dimensional electrophoretic separation, first by size in a nondenaturant polyacrylamide gel and then on the basis of basepair sequence in a denaturing gradient polyacrylamide gel. This latter process of denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis is a most accurate form of mutation detection on the basis of differences in melting behavior of mutant and wildtype fragments. Evaluation of the method using samples with known homoplasmic and heteroplasmic mutations, as well as CEPH pedigrees to study segregation of polymorphic variants, indicated a very high accuracy; none of the previously identified mutations and polymorphisms escaped detection, and no erroneous segregation patterns of polymorphic variants were observed. In addition, two variants were found to be novel mutations when analyzed by sequence analysis. One of these novel mutations was a heteroplasmic mutation in the COXIII gene that was found to segregate to homoplasmy in the next generation. Heteroplasmic mutations as low as 1% of mtDNA could still be detected.

DNA Mutational Analysis↗

Costs and cost-effectiveness of returning secondary findings from genomic sequencing based on the return of additional findings in the 100,000 Genomes Project.

PURPOSE: To assess costs and cost-effectiveness of returning additional findings from genome sequencing using data from the 100,000 Genomes Project (100kGP). METHODS: A model-based cost-utility analysis combining yield, consent rates, and cost data from the 100kGP with published estimates of downstream costs and quality-adjusted life years expected to accrue over a lifetime, after the identification of a pathogenic variant. RESULTS: The cost of returning additional findings to participants in the 100kGP was £7.1m or £81 per participant, with a yield of 0.85% for consented participants. The estimated lifetime incremental cost per participant was £125 and quality-adjusted life years 0.004, giving an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of £28,830. Implementing a policy of returning additional findings is unlikely to be cost-effective (ie, 13%) at a willingness-to-pay threshold of £20,000. A short-term cost of returning findings of £43 per participant or lower (compared with the base case of £81) would result in an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of less than £20,000. Alternatively, cost-effectiveness may be improved by returning additional findings to younger patient populations. CONCLUSION: Return of additional findings following genome sequencing for this group of conditions may not be a cost-effective use of health care system resources. Our cost-effectiveness outcomes rely on published estimates and should be validated through long-term follow-up data.

Humans↗

A microcosting and cost consequence analysis from a randomized controlled trial comparing genome sequencing with exome sequencing for genetic diagnosis.

PURPOSE: Diagnosing rare diseases is costly. The objectives were to microcost exome (ES) and genome sequencing (GS) trios and estimate the incremental costs of GS per additional diagnosis from an institutional payer perspective. METHODS: Trios (proband plus biological parents) that are referred for sequencing were randomly assigned to ES or GS. Laboratory workflow and sequencing were microcosted. Total and category cost per trio were estimated probabilistically. Effectiveness was expressed as diagnostic yield (rates of diagnostic or partially diagnostic variants detected). Incremental costs and effectiveness were calculated. RESULTS: The mean total cost per trio was CAD 2888.79 (95% CI 2567.72, 3492.72) for ES (n = 329) and 4364.02 (95% CI 3984.94, 5013.67) for GS (n = 324). Reagents accounted for 34% and 61% of total costs for ES and GS, respectively. The incremental cost of GS was 1475.23. The diagnostic yield was 35.9% for ES and 32.7% for GS with a difference of 0.032 (95% CI: -0.041, 0.104, P value .397). CONCLUSION: GS demonstrated higher costs and a similar diagnostic yield to ES but was limited by technical capabilities at the time of the study. The study provides comprehensive costs for the economic evaluation comparing alternative diagnostic pathways and impetus for further evaluating variants uniquely detectable by GS.

Humans↗

Genomic biomarkers of toxicity.

The difference between measuring changes in gene expression levels in a toxicogenomics study and actually achieving reduced drug development costs is in the knowledge of which gene expression changes are predictive of toxicity. Whether the cost savings are in high-throughput screening, in discovery or in preclinical, testing, the application of genomics, proteomics or metabonomics will require a clear understanding of what these methods actually measure. Results of studies published over the past year have set valuable benchmarks for genomic studies, transforming this technology into a source of candidates for validation as predictive biomarkers of toxicity. This review will summarize some of the publications that have achieved this transformation, and the steps that are still needed for the implementation of predictive tests derived from these genomic biomarkers of toxicity.

Carrier Proteins↗

Genome-wide SNP arrays as a diagnostic tool: clinical description, genetic mapping, and molecular characterization of Salla disease in an Old Order Mennonite population.

An Old Order Mennonite child was evaluated for gross motor delay, truncal ataxia, and slow linear growth. The diagnostic evaluation, which included sub-specialty consultations, neuroimaging, and metabolic testing, was long, costly, and did not yield a diagnosis. Recognition of a similarly affected second cousin prompted a genome-wide homozygosity mapping study using high-density single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) arrays. SNP genotypes from two affected individuals and their parents were used to localize the disease locus to a 14.9 Mb region on chromosome 6. This region contained 55 genes, including SLC17A5, the gene encoding the lysosomal N-acetylneuraminic acid transport protein. Direct sequencing of SLC17A5 in the proband revealed homozygosity for the 115C --> T (R39C) sequence variant, the common cause of Salla disease in Finland. Three additional affected Mennonite individuals, ages 8 months to 50 years, were subsequently identified by directed molecular genetic testing. This small-scale mapping study was rapid, inexpensive, and analytically simple. In families with shared genetic heritage, genome-wide SNP arrays with relatively high marker density allow disease gene mapping studies to be incorporated into routine diagnostic evaluations.

Agenesis of Corpus Callosum↗

Mathematical modeling for functional divergence after gene duplication.

In this paper, I present a statistical framework for modeling the functional divergence after gene duplication. A rate-component model to describe the rate covariation among homologous genes of a gene family is implemented when a phylogenetic tree is known. The Markov chain model is rigorous but may require a huge amount of computational time when the number of sequences is large. On the other hand, the Poisson-based model is mathematically analytical so that computation is very fast even for a large dataset. Moreover, under the posterior framework, we have developed a site-specific profile for predicting important amino acid residues responsible for these functional differences between member genes of a gene family. Our study may have great potential for functional genomics because it is cost-effective, and these predictions can be further tested by biological experimentation.

Biological Evolution↗

Genomics and proteomics in cancer.

Cancer development is driven by the accumulation of DNA changes in the approximately 40000 chromosomal genes. In solid tumours, chromosomal numerical/structural aberrations are common. DNA repair defects may lead to genome-wide genetic instability, which can drive further cancer progression. The genes code the actual players in the cellular processes, the 100000-10 million proteins, which in (pre)malignant cells can also be altered in a variety of ways. Over the past decade, our knowledge of the human genome and Genomics (the study of the human genome) in (pre)malignancies has increased enormously and Proteomics (the analysis of the protein complement of the genome) has taken off as well. Both will play an increasingly important role. In this article, a short description of the essential molecular biological cell processes is given. Important genomic and proteomic research methods are described and illustrated. Applications are still limited, but the evidence so far is exciting. Will genomics replace classical diagnostic or prognostic procedures? In breast cancers, the gene expression array is stronger than classical criteria, but in endometrial hyperplasia, quantitative morphological features are more cost-effective than genetic testing. It is still too early to make strong statements, the more so because it is expected that genomics and proteomics will expand rapidly. However, it is likely that they will take a central place in the understanding, diagnosis, monitoring and treatment of (pre)cancers of many different sites.

Cell Transformation, Neoplastic↗

Accurate multiplex gene synthesis from programmable DNA microchips.

Testing the many hypotheses from genomics and systems biology experiments demands accurate and cost-effective gene and genome synthesis. Here we describe a microchip-based technology for multiplex gene synthesis. Pools of thousands of 'construction' oligonucleotides and tagged complementary 'selection' oligonucleotides are synthesized on photo-programmable microfluidic chips, released, amplified and selected by hybridization to reduce synthesis errors ninefold. A one-step polymerase assembly multiplexing reaction assembles these into multiple genes. This technology enabled us to synthesize all 21 genes that encode the proteins of the Escherichia coli 30S ribosomal subunit, and to optimize their translation efficiency in vitro through alteration of codon bias. This is a significant step towards the synthesis of ribosomes in vitro and should have utility for synthetic biology in general.

Escherichia coli↗

[Anti-hepatitis C prevalence and incidence in 2.8 million blood donors in Lower Saxony--residual transfusion-associated HCV risk].

561 out of 2,777,021 blood donations from 582,655 donors tested confirmed positive for anti-HCV (RIBA II or Matrix Dot), 549 of them at their first donation, in their first HCV test ever, or in the first HCV test with a new, more sensitive test generation. Thus, our anti-HCV prevalence is 0.037% or 1 in 2,679 donations; among first-time donations it is five times higher than among repeat donations. Twelve repeat donors seroconverted, yielding an anti-HCV incidence of 0.0008% or 1 in 122,570 repeat donations and a seroconversion rate of 2.32 per 10(5) repeat donor person-years. The residual risk associated with transfusion of blood for repeat donors amounts to 5.2 per 10(6) repeat donations. We estimate a risk reduction from introduction of direct virus genome testing after PCR to be at 3.7 per 10(6) repeat donations. Look-backs among recipients of the last seronegative blood products from 12 donors with subsequent seroconversion revealed no recipient infection. Thus, today the residual risk for HCV transmission through transfusion of blood components obtained from Lower Saxony blood donors is quite low. The added safety from direct virus genome testing after PCR is considered extremely low, which casts doubt on the cost-effectiveness of such a measure.

Blood Donors↗

HIV-1 drug resistance genotyping. A review of clinical and economic issues.

The development of mutations associated with resistance to antiretroviral therapy (ART) has been shown to be a major cause of treatment failure in patients infected with HIV-1. These resistance mutations can be assessed by a genotyping test that probes for specific mutations within the HIV genome or sequences specific genes, at a cost $US500/test (2000 prices). The stated goal of HIV-1 genotyping is to target HIV therapy effectively. This, as shown in the preliminary research, should result in better clinical outcomes and a lower incidence of virological failure and may be associated with lower costs of treatment. Failure of ART may result in an increase in costs of at least $US250 per patient per month, as assessed in 1 study, with costs rising further as patients experience multiple virological failures. Therefore, there is an economic as well as a therapeutic premium on the prevention of ART failure. The actual economic cost of genotyping has been preliminarily explored in the context of the antiretroVIRal ADAPTation (VIRADAPT) trial, which found no significant difference in the 1-year treatment cost of patients with and without genotyping. There is some evidence of cost neutrality or savings with genotypic testing but it needs to be further explored within the context of carefully framed prospective trials.

Anti-HIV Agents↗