Pan-cancer study detects genetic risk variants and shared genetic basis in two large cohorts
Open Access
- 4 September 2020
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Springer Science and Business Media LLC in Nature Communications
- Vol. 11 (1), 1-14
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-18246-6
Abstract
Deciphering the shared genetic basis of distinct cancers has the potential to elucidate carcinogenic mechanisms and inform broadly applicable risk assessment efforts. Here, we undertake genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and comprehensive evaluations of heritability and pleiotropy across 18 cancer types in two large, population-based cohorts: the UK Biobank (408,786 European ancestry individuals; 48,961 cancer cases) and the Kaiser Permanente Genetic Epidemiology Research on Adult Health and Aging cohorts (66,526 European ancestry individuals; 16,001 cancer cases). The GWAS detect 21 genome-wide significant associations independent of previously reported results. Investigations of pleiotropy identify 12 cancer pairs exhibiting either positive or negative genetic correlations; 25 pleiotropic loci; and 100 independent pleiotropic variants, many of which are regulatory elements and/or influence cross-tissue gene expression. Our findings demonstrate widespread pleiotropy and offer further insight into the complex genetic architecture of cross-cancer susceptibility.Keywords
Funding Information
- U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | National Institutes of Health (R01CA088164, R01CA201358, R25CA112355, K07CA188142, K24CA169004, U01CA127298)
- U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | National Institutes of Health
- U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | National Institutes of Health
- U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | National Institutes of Health
- U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | National Institutes of Health
- U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | National Institutes of Health
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