leonchaox/qinyan-academic-skills/depmap
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Query the Cancer Dependency Map (DepMap) for cancer cell line gene dependency scores (CRISPR Chronos), drug sensitivity data, and gene effect profiles. Use for identifying cancer-specific vulnerabilities, synthetic lethal interactions, and validating oncology drug targets.
Install
npx vskill@latest install leonchaox/qinyan-academic-skills/depmapSKILL.md
DepMap — Cancer Dependency Map
Overview
The Cancer Dependency Map (DepMap) project, run by the Broad Institute, systematically characterizes genetic dependencies across hundreds of cancer cell lines using genome-wide CRISPR knockout screens (DepMap CRISPR), RNA interference (RNAi), and compound sensitivity assays (PRISM). DepMap data is essential for:
- Identifying which genes are essential for specific cancer types
- Finding cancer-selective dependencies (therapeutic targets)
- Validating oncology drug targets
- Discovering synthetic lethal interactions
Key resources:
- DepMap Portal: https://depmap.org/portal/
- DepMap data downloads: https://depmap.org/portal/download/all/
- Python package:
depmap(or access via API/downloads) - API: https://depmap.org/portal/api/
When to Use This Skill
Use DepMap when:
- Target validation: Is a gene essential for survival in cancer cell lines with a specific mutation (e.g., KRAS-mutant)?
- Biomarker discovery: What genomic features predict sensitivity to knockout of a gene?
- Synthetic lethality: Find genes that are selectively essential when another gene is mutated/deleted
- Drug sensitivity: What cell line features predict response to a compound?
- Pan-cancer essentiality: Is a gene broadly essential across all cancer types (bad target) or selectively essential?
- Correlation analysis: Which pairs of genes have correlated dependency profiles (co-essentiality)?
Core Concepts
Dependency Scores
| Score | Range | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chronos (CRISPR) | ~ -3 to 0+ | More negative = more essential. Common essential threshold: −1. Pan-essential genes ~−1 to −2 | |
| RNAi DEMETER2 | ~ -3 to 0+ | Similar scale to Chronos | |
| Gene Effect | normalized | Normalized Chronos; −1 = median effect of common essential genes |
Key thresholds:
- Chronos ≤ −0.5: likely dependent
- Chronos ≤ −1: strongly dependent (common essential range)
Cell Line Annotations
Each cell line has:
DepMap_ID: unique identifier (e.g.,ACH-000001)cell_line_name: human-readable nameprimary_disease: cancer typelineage: broad tissue lineagelineage_subtype: specific subtype
Core Capabilities
1. DepMap API
2. Gene Dependency Scores
3. Download-Based Analysis (Recommended for Large Queries)
For large-scale analysis, download DepMap data files and analyze locally:
4. Identifying Selective Dependencies
5. Biomarker Analysis (Gene Effect vs. Mutation)
6. Co-Essentiality Analysis
Query Workflows
Workflow 1: Target Validation for a Cancer Type
- Download
CRISPRGeneEffect.csvandsample_info.csv - Filter cell lines by cancer type
- Compute mean gene effect for target gene in cancer vs. all others
- Calculate selectivity: how specific is the dependency to your cancer type?
- Cross-reference with mutation, expression, or CNA data as biomarkers
Workflow 2: Synthetic Lethality Screen
- Identify cell lines with mutation/deletion in gene of interest (e.g., BRCA1-mutant)
- Compute gene effect scores for all genes in mutant vs. WT lines
- Identify genes significantly more essential in mutant lines (synthetic lethal partners)
- Filter by selectivity and effect size
Workflow 3: Compound Sensitivity Analysis
- Download PRISM compound sensitivity data (
primary-screen-replicate-treatment-info.csv) - Correlate compound AUC/log2(fold-change) with genomic features
- Identify predictive biomarkers for compound sensitivity
DepMap Data Files Reference
| File | Description | |
|---|---|---|
CRISPRGeneEffect.csv | CRISPR Chronos gene effect (primary dependency data) | |
CRISPRGeneEffectUnscaled.csv | Unscaled CRISPR scores | |
RNAi_merged.csv | DEMETER2 RNAi dependency | |
sample_info.csv | Cell line metadata (lineage, disease, etc.) | |
OmicsExpressionProteinCodingGenesTPMLogp1.csv | mRNA expression | |
OmicsSomaticMutationsMatrixDamaging.csv | Damaging somatic mutations (binary) | |
OmicsCNGene.csv | Copy number per gene | |
PRISM_Repurposing_Primary_Screens_Data.csv | Drug sensitivity (repurposing library) |
Download all files from: https://depmap.org/portal/download/all/
Best Practices
- Use Chronos scores (not DEMETER2) for current CRISPR analyses — better controlled for cutting efficiency
- Distinguish pan-essential from cancer-selective: Target genes with low variance (essential in all lines) are poor drug targets
- Validate with expression data: A gene not expressed in a cell line will score as non-essential regardless of actual function
- Use DepMap ID for cell line identification — cell_line_name can be ambiguous
- Account for copy number: Amplified genes may appear essential due to copy number effect (junk DNA hypothesis)
- Multiple testing correction: When computing biomarker associations genome-wide, apply FDR correction
Additional Resources
- DepMap Portal: https://depmap.org/portal/
- Data downloads: https://depmap.org/portal/download/all/
- DepMap paper: Behan FM et al. (2019) Nature. PMID: 30971826
- Chronos paper: Dempster JM et al. (2021) Nature Methods. PMID: 34349281
- GitHub: https://github.com/broadinstitute/depmap-portal
- Figshare: https://figshare.com/articles/dataset/DepMap_24Q4_Public/27993966
Security
- Security scanPassed, 95 of 100Pattern checks on the skill's files.
- Model reviewPassed
Quality evaluation
- Task evaluationNot runNo evaluation yet. Run one in Skill Studio.
Source
- SKILL.md in the repositoryCheckingskills/07-临床医学与精准医疗/depmap/SKILL.md
Popularity
- Repository stars
- 122
- Repository forks
- 18
- 7-day trend score
- 24
Stars and forks are for the whole GitHub repository, not this skill alone. Refreshed 10 Jun 2026, 5 months ago.
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