Lung Adenocarcinoma Genomic Features Differ in East Asians, Europeans
By LabMedica International staff writers Posted on 18 Feb 2020 |

Image: Histopathology of Lung adenocarcinoma (Photo courtesy of Nikon).
Lung adenocarcinoma is a subtype of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Lung adenocarcinoma is categorized as such by how the cancer cells look under a microscope. Lung adenocarcinoma starts in glandular cells, which secrete substances such as mucus, and tends to develop in smaller airways, such as alveoli.
Lung cancer is the world’s leading cause of cancer death and shows strong ancestry disparities. Lung adenocarcinoma is a common cancer and leads to more than one million deaths each year. A new analysis has found that lung tumors isolated from patients of East Asian ancestry have a less complex genomic architecture than tumors from European patients.
Scientists from the Genome Institute of Singapore (A*STAR, Singapore) and their associates characterized the genomic landscape of lung cancer among East Asians, generating a genomic and transcriptomic dataset encompassing more than 300 lung cancer patients of Chinese ancestry. They sequenced the exomes and transcriptomes of 213 Chinese lung adenocarcinoma patients from Singapore and combined that dataset with previously published whole-exome sequencing data on 92 Chinese patients from another cohort. By comparing the genomic and transcriptomic data from these 305 individuals to that of 249 lung adenocarcinoma patients of European ancestry from The Cancer Genome Atlas, they uncovered differences in tumor mutational burden and driver genes between the groups.
The team reported that overall, East Asian patients' tumors had fewer genomic alterations, with a median tumor mutational burden of 2.04 per Mb, as compared to a median 5.08 per Mb among European patients. While this burden was influenced by patients' smoking status, even among smokers, East Asian patients had a lower median tumor mutational burden than European patients. At the same time, the number and nature of driver mutations differed between tumors from East Asian and European patients. In East Asian patients, alterations affecting the EGFR, TP53, and KRAS genes were the most common driver mutations and nonsmokers had an average 2.08 driver mutations, as compared to an average 2.65 driver mutations among European nonsmokers. Additionally, East Asian patients had fewer copy number variations.
By analyzing the transcriptomic profiles of the tumor samples, the scientists teased out three different lung cancer sub-clusters. Two of these were similar to the terminal respiratory unit (TRU) and proximal inflammatory sub-clusters previously found in European patients, but the third was specific to East Asians. That sub-cluster, dubbed TRU-I, was marked by the upregulation of inflammation-associated genes and increased immune infiltration. This phenotype could help identify patients who might be more likely to benefit from immunotherapy or immune checkpoint blockade treatment.
While they found that patients' clinical features could predict their outcomes, they noted that genomic features could also predict patient survival. These predictions were more accurate for East Asian than European patients, which they attributed to their more stable tumor genomes. The authors concluded that their study elucidated a comprehensive genomic landscape of East Asian ancestry lung adenocarcinomas and highlighted important ancestry differences between the two cohorts. The study was published on February 3, 2020 in the Nature Genetics.
Related Links:
Genome Institute of Singapore
Lung cancer is the world’s leading cause of cancer death and shows strong ancestry disparities. Lung adenocarcinoma is a common cancer and leads to more than one million deaths each year. A new analysis has found that lung tumors isolated from patients of East Asian ancestry have a less complex genomic architecture than tumors from European patients.
Scientists from the Genome Institute of Singapore (A*STAR, Singapore) and their associates characterized the genomic landscape of lung cancer among East Asians, generating a genomic and transcriptomic dataset encompassing more than 300 lung cancer patients of Chinese ancestry. They sequenced the exomes and transcriptomes of 213 Chinese lung adenocarcinoma patients from Singapore and combined that dataset with previously published whole-exome sequencing data on 92 Chinese patients from another cohort. By comparing the genomic and transcriptomic data from these 305 individuals to that of 249 lung adenocarcinoma patients of European ancestry from The Cancer Genome Atlas, they uncovered differences in tumor mutational burden and driver genes between the groups.
The team reported that overall, East Asian patients' tumors had fewer genomic alterations, with a median tumor mutational burden of 2.04 per Mb, as compared to a median 5.08 per Mb among European patients. While this burden was influenced by patients' smoking status, even among smokers, East Asian patients had a lower median tumor mutational burden than European patients. At the same time, the number and nature of driver mutations differed between tumors from East Asian and European patients. In East Asian patients, alterations affecting the EGFR, TP53, and KRAS genes were the most common driver mutations and nonsmokers had an average 2.08 driver mutations, as compared to an average 2.65 driver mutations among European nonsmokers. Additionally, East Asian patients had fewer copy number variations.
By analyzing the transcriptomic profiles of the tumor samples, the scientists teased out three different lung cancer sub-clusters. Two of these were similar to the terminal respiratory unit (TRU) and proximal inflammatory sub-clusters previously found in European patients, but the third was specific to East Asians. That sub-cluster, dubbed TRU-I, was marked by the upregulation of inflammation-associated genes and increased immune infiltration. This phenotype could help identify patients who might be more likely to benefit from immunotherapy or immune checkpoint blockade treatment.
While they found that patients' clinical features could predict their outcomes, they noted that genomic features could also predict patient survival. These predictions were more accurate for East Asian than European patients, which they attributed to their more stable tumor genomes. The authors concluded that their study elucidated a comprehensive genomic landscape of East Asian ancestry lung adenocarcinomas and highlighted important ancestry differences between the two cohorts. The study was published on February 3, 2020 in the Nature Genetics.
Related Links:
Genome Institute of Singapore
Latest Pathology News
- New AI Model Predicts Gene Variants’ Effects on Specific Diseases
- Powerful AI Tool Diagnoses Coeliac Disease from Biopsy Images with Over 97% Accuracy
- Pre-Analytical Conditions Influence Cell-Free MicroRNA Stability in Blood Plasma Samples
- 3D Cell Culture System Could Revolutionize Cancer Diagnostics
- Painless Technique Measures Glucose Concentrations in Solution and Tissue Via Sound Waves
- Skin-Based Test to Improve Diagnosis of Rare, Debilitating Neurodegenerative Disease
- Serum Uromodulin Could Indicate Acute Kidney Injury in COVID-19 Patients
- AI Model Reveals True Biological Age From Five Drops of Blood
- First-Of-Its-Kind AI Tool Visualizes Cell’s ‘Social Network’ To Treat Cancer
- New Test Diagnoses High-Risk Childhood Brain Tumors
- Informatics Solution Elevates Laboratory Efficiency and Patient Care
- Microfluidic Device Assesses Stickiness of Tumor Cells to Predict Cancer Spread
- New AI Tool Outperforms Previous Methods for Identifying Colorectal Cancer from Tissue Sample Analysis
- New Technique Predicts Aggressive Tumors Before They Metastasize
- Butterfly Wings-Inspired Imaging Technique Enables Faster Cancer Diagnosis
- Machine Learning Tool Enables AI-Assisted Diagnosis of Immunological Diseases
Channels
Clinical Chemistry
view channel
Carbon Nanotubes Help Build Highly Accurate Sensors for Continuous Health Monitoring
Current sensors can measure various health indicators, such as blood glucose levels, in the body. However, there is a need to develop more accurate and sensitive sensor materials that can detect lower... Read more
Paper-Based Device Boosts HIV Test Accuracy from Dried Blood Samples
In regions where access to clinics for routine blood tests presents financial and logistical obstacles, HIV patients are increasingly able to collect and send a drop of blood using paper-based devices... Read moreHematology
view channel
New Scoring System Predicts Risk of Developing Cancer from Common Blood Disorder
Clonal cytopenia of undetermined significance (CCUS) is a blood disorder commonly found in older adults, characterized by mutations in blood cells and a low blood count, but without any obvious cause or... Read more
Non-Invasive Prenatal Test for Fetal RhD Status Demonstrates 100% Accuracy
In the United States, approximately 15% of pregnant individuals are RhD-negative. However, in about 40% of these cases, the fetus is also RhD-negative, making the administration of RhoGAM unnecessary.... Read moreImmunology
view channel
Post-Treatment Blood Test Could Inform Future Cancer Therapy Decisions
In the ongoing advancement of personalized medicine, a new study has provided evidence supporting the use of a tool that detects cancer-derived molecules in the blood of lung cancer patients years after... Read moreCerebrospinal Fluid Test Predicts Dangerous Side Effect of Cancer Treatment
In recent years, cancer immunotherapy has emerged as a promising approach where the patient's immune system is harnessed to fight cancer. One form of immunotherapy, called CAR-T-cell therapy, involves... Read more
New Test Measures Preterm Infant Immunity Using Only Two Drops of Blood
Preterm infants are particularly vulnerable due to their organs still undergoing development, which can lead to difficulties in breathing, eating, and regulating body temperature. This is especially true... Read more
Simple Blood Test Could Help Choose Better Treatments for Patients with Recurrent Endometrial Cancer
Endometrial cancer, which develops in the lining of the uterus, is the most prevalent gynecologic cancer in the United States, affecting over 66,000 women annually. Projections indicate that in 2025, around... Read moreMicrobiology
view channel
Breakthrough Diagnostic Technology Identifies Bacterial Infections with Almost 100% Accuracy within Three Hours
Rapid and precise identification of pathogenic microbes in patient samples is essential for the effective treatment of acute infectious diseases, such as sepsis. The fluorescence in situ hybridization... Read moreInnovative ID/AST System to Help Diagnose Infectious Diseases and Combat AMR
Each year, 11 million people across the world die of sepsis out of which 1.3 million deaths are due to antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The burden of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) continues to weigh heavily,... Read more
Gastrointestinal Panel Delivers Rapid Detection of Five Common Bacterial Pathogens for Outpatient Use
Acute infectious gastroenteritis results in approximately 179 million cases each year in the United States, leading to a significant number of outpatient visits and hospitalizations. To address this, a... Read morePathology
view channel
New AI Model Predicts Gene Variants’ Effects on Specific Diseases
In recent years, artificial intelligence (AI) has greatly enhanced our ability to identify a vast number of genetic variants in increasingly larger populations. However, up to half of these variants are... Read more
Powerful AI Tool Diagnoses Coeliac Disease from Biopsy Images with Over 97% Accuracy
Coeliac disease is an autoimmune disorder triggered by the consumption of gluten, causing symptoms such as stomach cramps, diarrhea, skin rashes, weight loss, fatigue, and anemia. Due to the wide variation... Read moreTechnology
view channel
Smartphones Could Diagnose Diseases Using Infrared Scans
Rapid advancements in technology may soon make it possible for individuals to bypass invasive medical procedures by simply uploading a screenshot of their lab results from their phone directly to their doctor.... Read more
Novel Sensor Technology to Enable Early Diagnoses of Metabolic and Cardiovascular Disorders
Metabolites are critical compounds that fuel life's essential functions, playing a key role in producing energy, regulating cellular activities, and maintaining the balance of bodily systems.... Read more
3D Printing Breakthrough Enables Large Scale Development of Tiny Microfluidic Devices
Microfluidic devices are diagnostic systems capable of analyzing small volumes of materials with precision and speed. These devices are used in a variety of applications, including cancer cell analysis,... Read moreIndustry
view channel
Philips and Ibex Expand Partnership to Enhance AI-Enabled Pathology Workflows
Royal Philips (Amsterdam, The Netherlands) has expanded its partnership with Ibex Medical Analytics (Tel Aviv, Israel) and released the new Philips IntelliSite Pathology Solution (PIPS) to further accelerate... Read more
Grifols and Inpeco Partner to Deliver Transfusion Medicine ‘Lab of The Future’
Grifols (Barcelona, Spain), a manufacturer of plasma-derived medicines and innovative diagnostic solutions, has entered into a strategic agreement with Inpeco (Novazzano, Switzerland), a global leader... Read more