Executive SummaryA movement to create a federated global patient registry containing core data and using a standardized vocabulary for as many as 7,000 rare diseases was launched at a workshop,

As the utility of genetic and genomic testing in healthcare grows, there is need for a high quality genomic knowledge base to improve the clinical interpretation of genomic variants. Active patient engagement can enhance communication between clinicians, patients and researchers, contributing to knowledge building. It also encourages data sharing by patients and increases the data available for clinicians to incorporate into individualized patient care, clinical laboratories to utilize in test interpretation and investigators to use for research. GenomeConnect is a patient portal supported by the Clinical Genome Resource (ClinGen), providing an opportunity for patients to add to the knowledge base by securely sharing their health history and genetic test results. Data can be matched with queries from clinicians, laboratory personnel and researchers to better interpret the results of genetic testing and build a foundation to support genomic medicine. Participation is online, allowing patients to contribute regardless of location. GenomeConnect supports longitudinal, detailed clinical phenotyping and robust “matching” among research and clinical communities. Phenotype data is gathered using online health questionnaires; genotype data is obtained from genetic test reports uploaded by participants and curated by staff. GenomeConnect empowers patients to actively participate in the improvement of genomic test interpretation and clinical utility.

In rare disease (RD) research there is a huge need to systematically collect biomaterials, phenotypic and genomic data in a standardized way and to make them Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable (FAIR). RD-Connect is a 6 years global infrastructure project initiated in November 2012 that links genomic data with patient registries, biobanks, and clinical bioinformatics tools to create a central research resource for RDs. Here we present RD-Connect Registry & Biobank Finder, a tool that helps RD researchers to find RD biobanks and registries and provide information on the availability and accessibility of content in each database. The Finder concentrates information that is currently sparse on different repositories (inventories, websites, scientific journals, technical reports, etc.), including aggregated data and metadata from participating databases. Aggregated data provided by the Finder, if appropriately checked, can be used by researchers who are trying to estimate the prevalence of a RD, to organize a clinical trial on a RD, or to estimate the volume of patients seen by different clinical centers. The Finder is also a portal to other RD-Connect tools, providing a link to the RD-Connect Sample Catalogue, a large inventory of RD biological samples available in participating biobanks for RD research. There are several kinds of users and potential uses for the RD-Connect Registry & Biobank Finder, including researchers collaborating with academia and the industry, dealing with the questions of basic, translational and/or clinical research. As of November 2017 the Finder is populated with aggregated data for 222 registries and 21 biobanks.

Purpose: To develop a high resolution microarray based method to detect single-and multiexons gene deletions and duplications. Methods: We have developed a high-resolution comparative genomic hybridization array to detect single-and multiexon deletions and duplications in a large set of genes on a single microarray, using the NimbleGen 385K array with an exon-centric design. Results: We have successfully developed, validated, and implemented a targeted gene comparative genomic hybridization arrays for detecting single-and multiexon deletions and duplication in autosomal and X-linked diseaseassociated genes. Conclusion: The comparative genomic hybridization arrays can be adopted readily by clinical molecular diagnostic laboratories as a rapid, cost-effective, highly sensitive, and accurate approach for the detection of single-and multiexon deletions or duplications, particularly in cases where direct sequencing fails to identify a mutation. Genet Med 2009:11(4):232-240.

The neurofibromatoses (neurofibromatosis type 1, neurofibromatosis type 2 and schwannomatosis) are rare disorders having clinical manifestations that vary greatly from patient to patient. The rarity and variability of these disorders has made it challenging for investigators to identify sufficient numbers of patients with particular clinical characteristics or specific germline mutations for participation in interventional studies. Similarly, because the natural history of all types of neurofibromatosis (NF) is variable and unique for each individual, it is difficult to identify meaningful clinical outcome measures for potential therapeutic interventions. In 2012, the Children’s Tumor Foundation created a web-based patient-entered database, the NF Registry, to inform patients of research opportunities for which they fit general eligibility criteria and enable patients to contact investigators who are seeking to enroll patients in approved trials. Registrants were recruited through CTF-affiliated NF clinics and conferences, through its website, and by word-of-mouth and social media. Following online consent, demographic information and details regarding manifestations of NF were solicited on the Registry website. Statistical analyses were performed on data from a cohort of 4680 registrants (the number of registrants as of October 9, 2015) who met diagnostic criteria for one of the 3 NF conditions. The analyses support our hypothesis that patient-reported symptom incidences in the NF Registry are congruent with published clinician-sourced data. Between April 26, 2013 and July 8, 2016, the registry has been useful to investigators in recruitment, particularly for observational trials, especially those for development of patient-reported outcomes.