Transcriptome analysis provides critical answers to the “variants of
uncertain significance” conundrum
Abstract
The vast volume of data that has been generated as a result of the
next-generation sequencing revolution is overwhelming to sift through
and interpret. Parsing functional vs. non-functional and benign vs.
pathogenic variants continues to be a challenge. Out of three billion
bases, the genomes of two given individuals will only differ by about 3
million variants (0.1%). Furthermore, only a small fraction of these
are biologically-relevant and, of those that are functional, only a
handful actually drive disease pathology. While whole genome and exome
sequencing have transformed our collective understanding of the role
that genetics plays in disease pathogenesis, there are certain
conditions and populations for whom DNA-level data has failed to produce
a molecular diagnosis. Patients of non-White race/non-European ancestry
are disproportionately affected by “variants of unknown/uncertain
significance” (VUS). This limits the scope of precision medicine for
minority patients and perpetuates health disparities. VUS often include
deep intronic and splicing variants which are difficult to interpret in
DNA alone. RNA analysis is capable of illuminating the consequences of
VUS thereby allowing for their reclassification as pathogenic vs.
benign. Here we review the critical role, going forward, of
transcriptome analysis for clarifying VUS in both neoplastic and
non-neoplastic diseases.