Germline genetic variation impacts clonal hematopoiesis landscape and progression to malignancy Journal Article


Authors: Liu, J.; Tran, D.; Xue, L.; Wiley, B. J.; Vlasschaert, C.; Watson, C. J.; MacGregor, H. A. J.; Zong, X.; Chan, I. C. C.; Das, I.; Uddin, M. M.; Niroula, A.; Griffin, G.; Ebert, B. L.; Mack, T.; Pershad, Y.; Sharber, B.; Berger, M.; Zehir, A.; Ptashkin, R.; Levine, R. L.; Papaemmanuil, E.; Joseph, V.; Gao, T.; Kemel, Y.; Mandelker, D.; Stopsack, K. H.; Pharoah, P. D. P.; Mukherjee, S.; Ding, L.; Cao, Y.; Walter, M. J.; Blundell, J. R.; Chatterjee, N.; Offit, K.; Godley, L. A.; Link, D. C.; Stadler, Z. K.; Bick, A. G.; Natarajan, P.; Bolton, K. L.
Article Title: Germline genetic variation impacts clonal hematopoiesis landscape and progression to malignancy
Abstract: With age, clonal expansions occur pervasively across normal tissues yet only in rare instances lead to cancer, despite being driven by well-established cancer drivers. Characterization of the factors that influence clonal progression is needed to inform interventional approaches. Germline genetic variation influences cancer risk and shapes tumor mutational profile, but its influence on the mutational landscape of normal tissues is not well known. Here we studied the impact of germline genetic variation on clonal hematopoiesis (CH) in 731,835 individuals. We identified 22 new CH-predisposition genes, most of which predispose to CH driven by specific mutational events. CH-predisposition genes contribute to unique somatic landscapes, reflecting the influence of germline genetic backdrop on gene-specific CH fitness. Correspondingly, somatic–germline interactions influence the risk of CH progression to hematologic malignancies. These results demonstrate that germline genetic variation influences somatic evolution in the blood, findings that likely extend to other tissues. © The Author(s) 2025.
Journal Title: Nature Genetics
Volume: 57
ISSN: 1061-4036
Publisher: Nature Publishing Group  
Publication status: Published
Date Published: 2025-08-01
Online Publication Date: 2024-08-28
Start Page: 1872
End Page: 1880
Language: English
DOI: 10.1038/s41588-025-02250-x
PROVIDER: scopus
PUBMED: 40664769
PMCID: PMC12339400
DOI/URL:
Notes: Source: Scopus
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  1. Kenneth Offit
    791 Offit
  2. Zsofia Kinga Stadler
    394 Stadler
  3. Ross Levine
    786 Levine
  4. Ahmet Zehir
    345 Zehir
  5. Vijai Joseph
    213 Joseph
  6. Michael Forman Berger
    769 Berger
  7. Yelena Kemel
    105 Kemel
  8. Diana Lauren Mandelker
    183 Mandelker
  9. Teng Gao
    13 Gao