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Leadership

Headshot of Chuck Perou

Charles M. Perou, PhD
Faculty Director

Headshot of Jason Merker

Jason Merker, MD, PhD
Faculty Director

 

About the Translational Genomics Lab

Exterior and main entrance of Marsico Hall on the UNC-Chapel Hill campus.

The UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center Translational Genomics Lab (TGL) is a medium-throughput core facility established in 2011 to provide comprehensive genomic services for investigators.

Located in Marsico Hall on the UNC-Chapel Hill medical campus, TGL has 1,500 square feet of laboratory space and 200 square feet of office space. TGL’s mission is to support translational human cancer genomics research at UNC by providing a resource that balances rigor and flexibility to meet the needs of academic and clinical research that can ultimately produce optimized and validated processes for adoption in clinical labs.

Services

TGL performs sample processing and analyses for the molecular, pathologic, and genomic characterization of patient-derived specimens in preclinical research projects and clinical protocols.

Our laboratory employs highly automated, as well as manual, platforms for reproducible medium-throughput genomic assays. We have extensive experience generating usable data from highly degraded FFPE samples that would otherwise be rejected as unusable by larger sequencing facilities.

Service offerings include:

  • Nucleic acid extraction
  • Nucleic acid quality control
  • Gene expression profiling
  • Single cell genomics
  • Spatial genomics
  • Next-generation sequencing (NGS) library preparation
  • High-throughput sequencing

Milestones

TGL was a library preparation site for the UNCseq clinical sequencing initiative (NCT01457196/LCCC1108) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA).

The facility has:

  • Supported more than 30 clinical trials
  • Performed more than 300 10x Genomic assays
  • Performed more than 16,000 nucleic acid extractions
  • Performed more than 15,000 NGS library preparations
  • Performed more than 11,000 sequenced libraries
  • Performed more than 12,000 NanoString assays

Contact

Adam Pfefferle, PhD, Facility Director — adamp@email.unc.edu

Staff

Kay Chao, Development Technologist

Stacey Donelan, Research Specialist

Xiaoyan Luo, Research Specialist

Julia Anne Portocarrero, Research Specialist

Tulay Yilmaz-Swenson, Research Specialist

Strategic Partners

UNC Lineberger Office of Genomics Research

The UNC Lineberger Office of Genomics Research (OGR) provides comprehensive project management support for research investigators utilizing TGL services. For a project consultation, please email ogr@unc.edu

UNC Lineberger Tissue Procurement Facility

The UNC Lineberger Tissue Procurement Facility (TPF) supports and enhances cancer-related translational, clinical, population and basic science research by providing UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center members with a centralized, coordinated, quality-controlled, quality-assured facility for procurement, processing, storage, and distribution of normal and malignant human specimens. Included in these services is the processing of blood for serum, plasma, packed red blood cells, and buffy coats.

UNC Lineberger Pathology Services Core

The UNC Lineberger Pathology Services Core (PSC) offers basic histology, tissue microarray (TMA), immunohistochemistry, and in situ hybridization (ISH, FISH), digital pathology and digital spatial profiling (protein, RNA). PSC has access to UNCH’s tissue archive, facilitates and coordinates pre-clinical and clinical studies, and offers study design support to investigators.

UNC Lineberger Bioinformatics Core

The UNC Lineberger Bioinformatics Core provides infrastructure and analytical expertise to support TGL services.

Selected Publications

Rapid idiosyncratic mechanisms of clinical resistance to KRAS G12C inhibition. Tsai YS, Woodcock MG, Azam SH, Thorne LB, Kanchi KL, Parker JS, Vincent BG, Pecot CV. The Journal of Clinical Investigation. 2022. PMCID: PMC8843735

 

A multi-omic single-cell landscape of human gynecologic malignancies. Regner MJ, Wisniewska K, Garcia-Recio S, Thennavan A, Mendez-Giraldez R, Malladi VS, Hawkins G, Parker JS, Perou CM, Bae-Jump VL, Franco HL. Molecular Cell. 2021. PMCID: PMC8642316

 

Single-Cell RNA Sequencing Reveals Endothelial Cell Transcriptome Heterogeneity Under Homeostatic Laminar Flow. Liu Z, Ruter DL, Quigley K, Tanke NT, Jiang Y, Bautch VL. Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology. 2021. PMCID: PMC8454496

 

Functional coordination of non-myocytes plays a key role in adult zebrafish heart regeneration. Ma H, Liu Z, Yang Y, Feng D, Dong Y, Garbutt TA, Hu Z, Wang L, Luan C, Cooper CD, Li Y, Welch JD, Qian L, Liu J. EMBO Reports. 2021. PMCID: PMC8567231

 

An approach for normalization and quality control for NanoString RNA expression data. Bhattacharya A, Hamilton AM, Furberg H, Pietzak E, Purdue MP, Troester MA, Hoadley KA, Love MI. Briefings in Bioinformatics. 2021. PMCID: PMC8138885

 

CRTC1/MAML2 directs a PGC-1α-IGF-1 circuit that confers vulnerability to PPARγ inhibition. Musicant AM, Parag-Sharma K, Gong W, Sengupta M, Chatterjee A, Henry EC, Tsai YH, Hayward MC, Sheth S, Betancourt R, Hackman TG, Padilla RJ, Parker JS, Giudice J, Flaveny CA, Hayes DN, Amelio AL. Cell Reports. 2021. PMCID: PMC7955229

 

FGFR4 regulates tumor subtype differentiation in luminal breast cancer and metastatic disease. Garcia-Recio S, Thennavan A, East MP, Parker JS, Cejalvo JM, Garay JP, Hollern DP, He X, Mott KR, Galván P, Fan C, Selitsky SR, Coffey AR, Marron D, Brasó-Maristany F, Burgués O, Albanell J, Rojo F, Lluch A, Martinez de Dueñas E, Rosen JM, Johnson GL, Carey LA, Prat A, Perou CM. The Journal of Clinical Investigation. 2020. PMCID: PMC7456247

 

Bimodal age distribution at diagnosis in breast cancer persists across molecular and genomic classifications. Allott EH, Shan Y, Chen M, Sun X, Garcia-Recio S, Kirk EL, Olshan AF, Geradts J, Earp HS, Carey LA, Perou CM, Pfeiffer RM, Anderson WF, Troester MA. Breast Cancer Research and Treatment. 2020. PMCID: PMC6985047

 

TP53 protein levels, RNA-based pathway assessment, and race among invasive breast cancer cases. Williams LA, Butler EN, Sun X, Allott EH, Cohen SM, Fuller AM, Hoadley KA, Perou CM, Geradts J, Olshan AF, Troester MA. npj Breast Cancer. 2018. PMCID: PMC6018637

 

A Phase I Trial of the PI3K Inhibitor Buparlisib Combined With Capecitabine in Patients With Metastatic Breast Cancer. McRee AJ, Marcom PK, Moore DT, Zamboni WC, Kornblum ZA, Hu Z, Phipps R,  Anders CK, Reeder-Hayes K, Carey LA, Weck KE, Perou CM,  Dees EC. Clinical Breast Cancer. 2018. PMCID: PMC5924643

 

Racial Differences in PAM50 Subtypes in the Carolina Breast Cancer Study. Troester MA, Sun X, Allott EH, Geradts J, Cohen SM, Tse CK, Kirk EL, Thorne LB, Mathews M, Li Y, Hu Z, Robinson WR, Hoadley KA, Olopade OI, Reeder-Hayes KE, Earp HS, Olshan AF, Carey LA, Perou CM. Journal of the National Cancer Institute. 2018. PMCID: PMC6059138

Selected Clinical Trials Supported

NCT00280761 (LCCC0216): Biomarkers in Patients With Rectal Cancer Undergoing Chemotherapy and Radiation Therapy.

NCT00785291: Paclitaxel, Nab-paclitaxel, or Ixabepilone With or Without Bevacizumab in Treating Patients With Stage IIIC or Stage IV Breast Cancer.

NCT01084083: Induction Chemotherapy Followed By Cetuximab and Radiation in HPV-Associated Resectable Stage III/IV Oropharynx Cancer

NCT01099358: Study in Advanced Solid Tumors

NCT01111058: Everolimus Versus Placebo in Head and Neck Cancer.

NCT01377363: Evaluation of Degree of Conversion of HER2 Receptor Between Primary Breast Cancer and Metastasis

NCT01426880: Addition of Carboplatin to Neoadjuvant Therapy for Triple-negative and HER2-positive Early Breast Cancer (GeparSixto)

NCT01457196 (LCCC1108): Development of a Tumor Molecular Analyses Program and Its Use to Support Treatment Decisions

NCT01937117: Pertuzumab and Trastuzumab as Neoadjuvant Treatment in Patients With HER2-Positive Breast Cancer

NCT01949337: Enzalutamide With or Without Abiraterone and Prednisone in Treating Patients With Castration-Resistant Metastatic Prostate Cancer

NCT01953588: Fulvestrant and/or Anastrozole in Treating Postmenopausal Patients With Stage II-III Breast Cancer Undergoing Surgery

NCT02019758: Budesonide Versus Fluticasone for Treatment of Eosinophilic Esophagitis

NCT02028507: Phase III Palbociclib With Endocrine Therapy vs. Capecitabine in HR+/HER2- MBC With Resistance to Aromatase Inhibitors (PEARL)

NCT02065687: Paclitaxel and Carboplatin With or Without Metformin Hydrochloride in Treating Patients With Stage III, IV, or Recurrent Endometrial Cancer

NCT02102165: Aiming to Understand the Molecular Aberrations in Metastatic Breast Cancer. (AURORA)

NCT02138617 (LCCC1217): Genotype-Directed Study Of Irinotecan Dosing In FOLFIRI + BevacizumabTreated Metastatic Colorectal Cancer

NCT02167932 (LCCC1334): The Impact of a Physical Activity Program on Biomarkers of Aging During Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer

NCT02328313 (LCCC1410): Impact of Physical Activity on Biomarker of Aging and Body Composition Among Breast Cancer Survivors Age 65 and Older

NCT02338310: Trial of Perioperative Endocrine Therapy – Individualising Care (POETIC)

NCT02690558 (LCCC1520): Phase 2 Study of Pembrolizumab in Combination With Gemcitabine and Cisplatin as Neoadjuvant Therapy

NCT02758132: Denosumab Plus Enzalutamide, Abiraterone and Prednisone Compared to Denosumab Plus Enzalutamide Alone for Men With Castrate Resistant Prostate Cancer (CRPC) With Bone Metastases

NCT02767362 (LCCC1514): A Pre-Op Window Study Evaluating Anti-Proliferative Effects of Atorvastatin on the Endometrium

NCT02768701 (LCCC1525): Study Of Single-dose Cyclophosphamide +Pembrolizumab In Patients With Metastatic Triple Negative Breast Cancer

NCT02768792 (LCCC1522): High Dose Cytarabine Followed by Pembrolizumab in Relapsed/Refractory AML

NCT03244384: Testing MK-3475 (Pembrolizumab) After Surgery for Localized Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer and Locally Advanced Urothelial Cancer (AMBASSADOR)

NCT03248427: Neadjuvant Multi-agent Chemotherapy or Letrozole Plus Ribociclib in Luminal B/HER2-negative Breast Cancer. (CORALLEEN)

NCT03442569 (LCCC1632): PhII Trial Panitumumab, Nivolumab, Ipilimumab in Kras/Nras/BRAF Wild-type MSS Refractory mCRC

NCT03769415 (LCCC1829): Harnessing Analysis RNA Expression and Molecular Subtype to Optimize Novel TherapY MBCA (HARMONY)

NCT03802604: Combination of Talimogene Laherparepvec With Atezolizumab in Early Breast Cancer (PROMETEO)

NCT03819569 (LCCC1834): GRADE-SRM: Genomic Risk Assessment and Decisional Evaluation for Small Renal Masses (GRADE-SRM)