M2GEN continues to partner with our Oncology Research Information Exchange Network (ORIEN) members to enable breakthrough scientific research that advances patient care. ORIEN researchers are showcasing several projects at the 2022 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting that utilize M2GEN’s rich longitudinal clinico-genomic Avatar data, and feature collaborations with scientists across ORIEN and M2GEN. These projects highlight research discoveries across four key areas: gastrointestinal cancers, developmental therapeutics, immunotherapy, and gynecologic cancers.

Learn more about how ORIEN investigators are collaborating with fellow Network members and M2GEN to leverage the expansive clinical and molecular Avatar database, for the research being featured at ASCO 2022:

On Saturday, June 4, during ASCO’s Gastrointestinal Cancer— Gastroesophageal, Pancreatic, and Hepatobiliary poster session:

  • Gudbjorg Jonsdottir, M.D., of the University of Iowa Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center will present a poster entitled “The impact of HRD in patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma who undergo surgical resection: an updated analysis” (Abstract: 4132, Poster: 118, Full Text).
    • Summary: Utilizing data from 311 pancreatic cancer patients in the ORIEN Avatar database, Dr. Jonsdottir determined that patients with one of 18 genetic mutations in the homologous recombination repair (HRR) pathway, which is involved with repairing DNA, had improved survival if treated with platinum-based chemotherapy compared to those who were not.

On Sunday, June 5, during ASCO’s Developmental Therapeutics—Immunotherapy poster session:

  • Ahmad Tarhini, M.D., Ph.D., of the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute will present a poster entitled “Predictors of immunotherapeutic benefits in patients with advanced malignancies treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors utilizing “real-world” data” (Abstract: 2618, Poster: 273, Full Text)
    • Summary: Of 1,214 patients with 27 cancer types in the ORIEN Avatar database treated with immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapies, Dr. Tarhini found that there was a significant increase in overall survival if the ICI was given as the first treatment. Furthermore, for patients with melanoma, Dr. Tarhini identified six patterns of gene expression that correlated significantly with improved survival on ICIs.
  • Payman Ghasemi Saghand, Ph.D., of the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute will present a poster entitled “A deep learning approach utilizing clinical and molecular data for identifying prognostic biomarkers in patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors: An ORIEN pan-cancer study” (Abstract: 2619, Poster: 274, Full Text)
    • Summary: Utilizing ORIEN Avatar data for 522 cancer patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy, Dr. Saghand developed a machine learning algorithm correlating survival outcomes to specific gene expression patterns. The algorithm aims to predict the genes that are associated with resistance to ICI therapy; future work will determine the mechanism behind this genetic resistance.
  • Kevin Chua, M.D., of the Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey will present a poster entitled “Comparing Rate of Immunotherapy Treatment Change Due to Toxicity by Gender” (Abstract: 2656, Poster: 310, Full Text)
    • Summary: Utilizing clinico-genomic data from 447 patients treated with immunotherapies in the ORIEN Avatar database, Dr. Chua analyzed differences between treatment courses in female and male patients. He found that female patients were on immunotherapies for a shorter overall period, but there was no difference in treatment discontinuation rates due to adverse side effects.

On Sunday, June 5, during ASCO’s Developmental Therapeutics—Molecularly Targeted Agents and Tumor Biology poster session:

  • Daniel Spakowicz, Ph.D., of The Ohio State University will present a poster entitled “Pan-cancer analysis of exogenous (Microbial) sequences in tumor transcriptome data from the ORIEN consortium and their association with cancer and tumor microenvironment” (Abstract: 3113, Poster: 105, Full Text)
    • Summary: Utilizing RNA-sequencing data, Dr. Spakowicz analyzed the microbiomes of 2,892 tumors collected from patients in the ORIEN Avatar database and 2,720 patient samples in The Cancer Genome Atlas. The tumor microbiome was found to correlate better with the type of cancer than the level of oxygen in the tumor microenvironment, suggesting that the tumor microbiome is dependent on location.
  • Emily Hoskins of The Ohio State University will present a poster entitled “Pan-cancer landscape of PD-L1 and PD-L2 structural variations” (Abstract: 3133, Poster: 125, Full Text)
    • Summary: PD-L1 and PD-L2 are proteins that are involved in suppressing the creation of new immune cells; cancer cells often produce increased amounts of these proteins to evade the immune system’s attack. Utilizing large datasets, including ORIEN Avatar whole-exome data, Emily Hoskins curated 514 cancer cases with structural variations in PD-L1 and PD-L2 that increased expression of these genes. Patients with these gene rearrangements may potentially respond better to therapies that block PD-L1 or PD-L2 activity.

Additionally, in the Gynecologic Cancer section of the 2022 ASCO Annual Meeting Proceedings, a supplement to the Journal of Clinical Oncology:

  • McKayla Riggs, M.D., of the University of Kansas Markey Cancer Center will publish an abstract entitled “DACH1 mutation frequency in endometrial cancer is associated with high tumor mutation burden in a nationwide cohort” (Abstract: e17634, Full Text)
    • Summary: From 691 endometrial cancer patients in the ORIEN Avatar database, Dr. Riggs found that those with mutations in DACH1 had overall tumor mutation burden and co-occurred with other genome destabilizing mutations. The researchers also found that DACH1 mutations were more prevalent in the local Appalachian region than elsewhere in the country. Their findings suggest DACH1 may be a candidate biomarker for future immunotherapy trials, particularly for endometrial cancers.

To inquire about partnering with M2GEN and the Oncology Research Information Exchange Network (ORIEN), or our rich longitudinal clinico-genomic ORIEN Avatar® dataset, contact us today.

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