Evaluating offspring Genomic and Epigenomic alterations after prenatal exposure to Cancer treatment In Pregnancy (GE-CIP): a multicentric observational study

Introduction Around 1 in 1000–2000 pregnancies are affected by a cancer diagnosis. Previous studies have shown that chemotherapy during pregnancy has reassuring cognitive and cardiac neonatal outcomes, and hence has been proposed as standard of care. However, although these children perform within n...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Lode Godderis, Bernard Thienpont, Koenraad Devriendt, Frédéric Amant, Vera Wolters, Liesbeth Lenaerts, Kristel Van Calsteren, Thierry Voet, Ilana Struys, Carolina Velázquez, Heidi Segers, Ruben van Boxtel
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMJ Publishing Group 2024-03-01
Series:BMJ Open
Online Access:https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/14/3/e081833.full
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849721663134892032
author Lode Godderis
Bernard Thienpont
Koenraad Devriendt
Frédéric Amant
Vera Wolters
Liesbeth Lenaerts
Kristel Van Calsteren
Thierry Voet
Ilana Struys
Carolina Velázquez
Heidi Segers
Ruben van Boxtel
author_facet Lode Godderis
Bernard Thienpont
Koenraad Devriendt
Frédéric Amant
Vera Wolters
Liesbeth Lenaerts
Kristel Van Calsteren
Thierry Voet
Ilana Struys
Carolina Velázquez
Heidi Segers
Ruben van Boxtel
author_sort Lode Godderis
collection DOAJ
description Introduction Around 1 in 1000–2000 pregnancies are affected by a cancer diagnosis. Previous studies have shown that chemotherapy during pregnancy has reassuring cognitive and cardiac neonatal outcomes, and hence has been proposed as standard of care. However, although these children perform within normal ranges for their age, subtle differences have been identified. Given that chemotherapeutic compounds can cross the placenta, the possibility that prenatal chemotherapy exposure mutates the offspring’s genome and/or epigenome, with potential deleterious effects later in life, urges to be investigated.Methods and analyses This multicentric observational study aims to collect cord blood, meconium and neonatal buccal cells at birth, as well as peripheral blood, buccal cells and urine from infants when 6, 18 and/or 36 months of age. Using bulk and single-cell approaches, we will compare samples from chemotherapy-treated pregnant patients with cancer, pregnant patients with cancer not treated with chemotherapy and healthy pregnant women. Potential chemotherapy-related newborn genomic and/or epigenomic alterations, such as single nucleotide variants, copy number variants and DNA-methylation alterations, will be identified in mononuclear and epithelial cells, isolated from blood, buccal swabs and urine. DNA from maternal peripheral blood and paternal buccal cells will be used to determine de novo somatic mutations in the neonatal blood and epithelial cells. Additionally, the accumulated exposure of the fetus, and biological effective dose of alkylating agents, will be assessed in meconium and cord blood via mass spectrometry approaches.Ethics and dissemination The Ethics Committee Research of UZ/KU Leuven (EC Research) and the Medical Ethical Review Committee of University Medical Center Amsterdam have approved the study. Results of this study will be disseminated via presentations at (inter)national conferences, through peer-reviewed, open-access publications, via social media platforms aimed to inform patients and healthcare workers, and through the website of the International Network on Cancer, Infertility and Pregnancy (www.cancerinpregnancy.org).
format Article
id doaj-art-d6098ada18d84dbe8816f8aacd440c2a
institution DOAJ
issn 2044-6055
language English
publishDate 2024-03-01
publisher BMJ Publishing Group
record_format Article
series BMJ Open
spelling doaj-art-d6098ada18d84dbe8816f8aacd440c2a2025-08-20T03:11:36ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open2044-60552024-03-0114310.1136/bmjopen-2023-081833Evaluating offspring Genomic and Epigenomic alterations after prenatal exposure to Cancer treatment In Pregnancy (GE-CIP): a multicentric observational studyLode Godderis0Bernard Thienpont1Koenraad Devriendt2Frédéric Amant3Vera Wolters4Liesbeth Lenaerts5Kristel Van Calsteren6Thierry Voet7Ilana Struys8Carolina Velázquez9Heidi Segers10Ruben van Boxtel112 Knowledge Information and Research Center, Group Idewe, Leuven, BelgiumDepartment of Human Genetics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Flanders, BelgiumDepartment of Human Genetics, University Hospital Leuven, Leuven, Belgium3Gynecologic Oncology, Center for Gynecologic Oncology Amsterdam, Amsterdam, NetherlandsGynecologic Oncology, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, NetherlandsDepartment of Oncology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Flanders, BelgiumDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital Leuven, Leuven, BelgiumDepartment of Human Genetics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Flanders, BelgiumDepartment of Oncology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Flanders, BelgiumDepartment of Oncology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Flanders, BelgiumDepartment of Paediatric Oncology, University Hospital Leuven, Leuven, BelgiumPrincess Maxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, NetherlandsIntroduction Around 1 in 1000–2000 pregnancies are affected by a cancer diagnosis. Previous studies have shown that chemotherapy during pregnancy has reassuring cognitive and cardiac neonatal outcomes, and hence has been proposed as standard of care. However, although these children perform within normal ranges for their age, subtle differences have been identified. Given that chemotherapeutic compounds can cross the placenta, the possibility that prenatal chemotherapy exposure mutates the offspring’s genome and/or epigenome, with potential deleterious effects later in life, urges to be investigated.Methods and analyses This multicentric observational study aims to collect cord blood, meconium and neonatal buccal cells at birth, as well as peripheral blood, buccal cells and urine from infants when 6, 18 and/or 36 months of age. Using bulk and single-cell approaches, we will compare samples from chemotherapy-treated pregnant patients with cancer, pregnant patients with cancer not treated with chemotherapy and healthy pregnant women. Potential chemotherapy-related newborn genomic and/or epigenomic alterations, such as single nucleotide variants, copy number variants and DNA-methylation alterations, will be identified in mononuclear and epithelial cells, isolated from blood, buccal swabs and urine. DNA from maternal peripheral blood and paternal buccal cells will be used to determine de novo somatic mutations in the neonatal blood and epithelial cells. Additionally, the accumulated exposure of the fetus, and biological effective dose of alkylating agents, will be assessed in meconium and cord blood via mass spectrometry approaches.Ethics and dissemination The Ethics Committee Research of UZ/KU Leuven (EC Research) and the Medical Ethical Review Committee of University Medical Center Amsterdam have approved the study. Results of this study will be disseminated via presentations at (inter)national conferences, through peer-reviewed, open-access publications, via social media platforms aimed to inform patients and healthcare workers, and through the website of the International Network on Cancer, Infertility and Pregnancy (www.cancerinpregnancy.org).https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/14/3/e081833.full
spellingShingle Lode Godderis
Bernard Thienpont
Koenraad Devriendt
Frédéric Amant
Vera Wolters
Liesbeth Lenaerts
Kristel Van Calsteren
Thierry Voet
Ilana Struys
Carolina Velázquez
Heidi Segers
Ruben van Boxtel
Evaluating offspring Genomic and Epigenomic alterations after prenatal exposure to Cancer treatment In Pregnancy (GE-CIP): a multicentric observational study
BMJ Open
title Evaluating offspring Genomic and Epigenomic alterations after prenatal exposure to Cancer treatment In Pregnancy (GE-CIP): a multicentric observational study
title_full Evaluating offspring Genomic and Epigenomic alterations after prenatal exposure to Cancer treatment In Pregnancy (GE-CIP): a multicentric observational study
title_fullStr Evaluating offspring Genomic and Epigenomic alterations after prenatal exposure to Cancer treatment In Pregnancy (GE-CIP): a multicentric observational study
title_full_unstemmed Evaluating offspring Genomic and Epigenomic alterations after prenatal exposure to Cancer treatment In Pregnancy (GE-CIP): a multicentric observational study
title_short Evaluating offspring Genomic and Epigenomic alterations after prenatal exposure to Cancer treatment In Pregnancy (GE-CIP): a multicentric observational study
title_sort evaluating offspring genomic and epigenomic alterations after prenatal exposure to cancer treatment in pregnancy ge cip a multicentric observational study
url https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/14/3/e081833.full
work_keys_str_mv AT lodegodderis evaluatingoffspringgenomicandepigenomicalterationsafterprenatalexposuretocancertreatmentinpregnancygecipamulticentricobservationalstudy
AT bernardthienpont evaluatingoffspringgenomicandepigenomicalterationsafterprenatalexposuretocancertreatmentinpregnancygecipamulticentricobservationalstudy
AT koenraaddevriendt evaluatingoffspringgenomicandepigenomicalterationsafterprenatalexposuretocancertreatmentinpregnancygecipamulticentricobservationalstudy
AT fredericamant evaluatingoffspringgenomicandepigenomicalterationsafterprenatalexposuretocancertreatmentinpregnancygecipamulticentricobservationalstudy
AT verawolters evaluatingoffspringgenomicandepigenomicalterationsafterprenatalexposuretocancertreatmentinpregnancygecipamulticentricobservationalstudy
AT liesbethlenaerts evaluatingoffspringgenomicandepigenomicalterationsafterprenatalexposuretocancertreatmentinpregnancygecipamulticentricobservationalstudy
AT kristelvancalsteren evaluatingoffspringgenomicandepigenomicalterationsafterprenatalexposuretocancertreatmentinpregnancygecipamulticentricobservationalstudy
AT thierryvoet evaluatingoffspringgenomicandepigenomicalterationsafterprenatalexposuretocancertreatmentinpregnancygecipamulticentricobservationalstudy
AT ilanastruys evaluatingoffspringgenomicandepigenomicalterationsafterprenatalexposuretocancertreatmentinpregnancygecipamulticentricobservationalstudy
AT carolinavelazquez evaluatingoffspringgenomicandepigenomicalterationsafterprenatalexposuretocancertreatmentinpregnancygecipamulticentricobservationalstudy
AT heidisegers evaluatingoffspringgenomicandepigenomicalterationsafterprenatalexposuretocancertreatmentinpregnancygecipamulticentricobservationalstudy
AT rubenvanboxtel evaluatingoffspringgenomicandepigenomicalterationsafterprenatalexposuretocancertreatmentinpregnancygecipamulticentricobservationalstudy