Background: Genomic analyses of hundreds of prostate tumors have defined a diverse landscape of mutations and genome rearrangements, but the transcriptomic effect of this complexity is less well understood, particularly at the individual tumor level. We selected a cohort of 25 high-risk prostate tumors, representing the lethal phenotype, and applied deep RNA-sequencing and matched whole genome sequencing, followed by detailed molecular characterization.

BackgroundGenomic analyses of hundreds of prostate tumors have defined a diverse landscape of mutations and genome rearrangements, but the transcriptomic effect of this complexity is less well understood, particularly at the individual tumor level. We selected a cohort of 25 high-risk prostate tumors, representing the lethal phenotype, and applied deep RNA-sequencing and matched whole genome sequencing, followed by detailed molecular characterization.ResultsTen tumors were exposed to neo-adjuvant hormone therapy and expressed marked evidence of therapy response in all except one extreme case, which demonstrated early resistance via apparent neuroendocrine transdifferentiation. We observe high inter-tumor heterogeneity, including unique sets of outlier transcripts in each tumor. Interestingly, outlier expression converged on druggable cellular pathways associated with cell cycle progression, translational control or immune regulation, suggesting distinct contemporary pathway affinity and a mechanism of tumor stratification. We characterize hundreds of novel fusion transcripts, including a high frequency of ETS fusions associated with complex genome rearrangements and the disruption of tumor suppressors. Remarkably, several tumors express unique but potentially-oncogenic non-ETS fusions, which may contribute to the phenotype of individual tumors, and have significance for disease progression. Finally, one ETS-negative tumor has a striking tandem duplication genotype which appears to be highly aggressive and present at low recurrence in ETS-negative prostate cancer, suggestive of a novel molecular subtype.ConclusionsThe multitude of rare genomic and transcriptomic events detected in a high-risk tumor cohort offer novel opportunities for personalized oncology and their convergence on key pathways and functions has broad implications for precision medicine.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13059-014-0426-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused substantial disruptions in medical education. The University of British Columbia (UBC) MD Undergraduate Program (MDUP) is the sixth-largest medical school in North America. MDUP students and faculty developed a joint response to these disruptions to address the curriculum and public health challenges that the pandemic posed.

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A series of zinc (1,4,8,11,15,18,22,25‐octabutoxy)phthalocyanine (2) complexes that spontaneously form 5‐coordinate complexes with anionic axial ligands neutralized with side‐pocket cations, of the form Cation‐PcZnX (X=Cl, OAc; Cation=H+ or Li+), was synthesized and structurally characterized. The side‐pocket protonation of the axial‐chloride species pushed the emission maximum from 760 nm (for axial ligand‐free 2) to 826 nm, well into the NIR region. A 1D‐coordinated chain bridged by lithium and chloride atoms was isolated and structurally characterized, representing the first side‐pocket metalated PcM species. This preferential formation of axially substituted [PcZnX]− “ate” complexes and their sequestration of both protons and lithium cations, opens a new series of materials with unique structural and electronic properties. Furthermore, their ability to both absorb and emit in the NIR region makes them desirable for numerous applications.