Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
John A. McCulloch, Diwakar Davar, Richard R. Rodrigues, Jonathan H. Badger, Jennifer R. Fang, Alicia M. Cole, Ascharya K. Balaji, Marie Vetizou, Stephanie M. Prescott, Miriam R. Fernandes, Raquel G. F. Costa, Wuxing Yuan, Rosalba Salcedo, Erol Bahadiroglu, Soumen Roy, Richelle N. DeBlasio, Robert M. Morrison, Joe-Marc Chauvin, Quanquan Ding, Bochra Zidi, Ava Lowin, Saranya Chakka, Wentao Gao, Ornella Pagliano, Scarlett J. Ernst, Amy Rose, Nolan K. Newman, Andrey Morgun, Hassane M. Zarour, Giorgio Trinchieri, Amiran K. Dzutsev
Summary: An integrated analysis of microbiome and host cell transcriptional data in patients with melanoma treated with anti-PD-1 therapy reveals new associations between streptococcus species and immune-related adverse effects. The study also identifies consistent microbiome associations with clinical outcomes. The results show that baseline microbiota composition is optimally associated with clinical outcome one year after treatment initiation. Meta-analysis and bioinformatic analyses reveal that bacteria associated with favorable response are within the Actinobacteria phylum and Lachnospiraceae/Ruminococcaceae families of Firmicutes. Gram-negative bacteria, on the other hand, are associated with an inflammatory host intestinal gene signature and unfavorable outcome. Two different microbial signatures, enriched for Lachnospiraceae spp. and Streptococcaceae spp., are associated with favorable and unfavorable clinical response, respectively, along with distinct immune-related adverse effects. Supervised learning algorithms consistently predict treatment outcomes in all cohorts, despite heterogeneity between cohorts. The study provides valuable insights into the complex interaction between gut microbiome and response to cancer immunotherapy, paving the way for future research.
Review
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Graham F. Hatfull, Rebekah M. Dedrick, Robert T. Schooley
Summary: Antibiotic resistance in bacterial pathogens poses a significant threat to disease control. The use of bacteriophages as therapeutic agents has regained interest due to recent clinical successes. However, challenges such as strain variation, phage resistance, and potential limitations of host immune responses need to be addressed.
ANNUAL REVIEW OF MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Evan Xu, Yan Xie, Ziyad Al-Aly
Summary: Individuals with COVID-19 have an increased risk of developing a range of neurologic disorders at 12 months, even if they were not hospitalized during the acute phase of the infection.
Article
Cell Biology
Yueh-Ming Loo, Patrick M. McTamney, Rosalinda H. Arends, Michael E. Abram, Anastasia A. Aksyuk, Seme Diallo, Daniel J. Flores, Elizabeth J. Kelly, Kuishu Ren, Richard Roque, Kim Rosenthal, Katie Streicher, Kevin M. Tuffy, Nicholas J. Bond, Owen Cornwell, Jerome Bouquet, Lily Cheng, James Dunyak, Yue Huang, Anton Rosenbaum, Venkatesh Pilla Reddy, Hanne Andersen, Robert H. Carnahan, James E. Crowe, Ana Kuehne, Andrew S. Herbert, John M. Dye, Helen Bright, Nicole L. Kallewaard, Menelas N. Pangalos, Mark T. Esser
Summary: AZD7442, a combination of two monoclonal antibodies, has the potential to prevent and treat COVID-19 by neutralizing the SARS-CoV-2 virus. It has shown encouraging results in preventing infection and accelerating virus clearance in animal models. The ongoing phase 1 study has also demonstrated its ability to provide long-lasting protection in healthy participants. This research is significant in providing additional options for COVID-19 prevention and treatment.
SCIENCE TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Review
Oncology
Dragomirka Jovic, Xue Liang, Hua Zeng, Lin Lin, Fengping Xu, Yonglun Luo
Summary: Single-cell RNA sequencing technology is an advanced method for studying the diversity and complexity of RNA transcripts within individual cells, and for understanding the composition and functions of different cell types in highly organized tissues/ organs/ organisms. This technology has made significant contributions to various fields, providing unique insights into health and diseases. It can be used to construct high-resolution atlases of cells in all living organisms, and has the potential to transform current protocols in disease diagnosis and treatment.
CLINICAL AND TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ruochan Chen, Rui Kang, Daolin Tang
Summary: Inflammation-promoting nuclear protein HMGB1 can be targeted for controlling immune response in diseases linked to excessive inflammation. This article reviews the mechanisms of HMGB1 release and discusses its potential as a therapeutic target for inflammatory diseases and tissue damage.
EXPERIMENTAL AND MOLECULAR MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Aravind Natarajan, Soumaya Zlitni, Erin F. Brooks, Summer E. Vance, Alex Dahlen, Haley Hedlin, Ryan M. Park, Alvin Han, Danica T. Schmidtke, Renu Verma, Karen B. Jacobson, Julie Parsonnet, Hector F. Bonilla, Upinder Singh, Benjamin A. Pinsky, Jason R. Andrews, Prasanna Jagannathan, Ami S. Bhatt
Summary: This study found that SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA can persist in feces for up to 7 months in individuals with mild to moderate COVID-19. Furthermore, patients with gastrointestinal symptoms are more likely to shed viral RNA in their feces.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Irith De Baetselier, Christophe Van Dijck, Chris Kenyon, Jasmine Coppens, Johan Michiels, Tessa de Block, Hilde Smet, Sandra Coppens, Fien Vanroye, Joachim Jakob Bugert, Philipp Girl, Sabine Zange, Laurens Liesenborghs, Isabel Brosius, Johan van Griensven, Philippe Selhorst, Eric Florence, Dorien Van den Bossche, Kevin K. Arien, Antonio Mauro Rezende, Koen Vercauteren, Marjan Van Esbroeck
Summary: The magnitude of the 2022 monkeypox virus outbreak has exceeded any previous outbreak, and undiagnosed infections may be driving the epidemic. A study found four men attending a Belgian sexual health clinic to be infected with monkeypox. One man had a painful rash while the other three were asymptomatic, but their infections were confirmed through clinical examination. These findings suggest that undiagnosed cases of monkeypox could contribute to the transmission and scale of the 2022 outbreak.
Review
Cell Biology
Yu-Chyi Hwang, Ruei-Min Lu, Shih-Chieh Su, Pao-Yin Chiang, Shih-Han Ko, Feng-Yi Ke, Kang-Hao Liang, Tzung-Yang Hsieh, Han-Chung Wu
Summary: The COVID-19 pandemic has created a public health crisis, leading to the urgent development of therapeutic treatments and virus detection methods. Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) have emerged as powerful tools for treating and detecting diseases due to their high specificity and reliability. Researchers are urgently developing antibody-based kits for SARS-CoV-2 detection and antibody drugs for COVID-19 treatment. The spike protein of SARS-CoV-2, which is crucial for viral infection, has been extensively studied and its receptor-binding domain (RBD) has become a major target for therapeutic antibody development. Given the high mutation rate of SARS-CoV-2, especially under the pressure of prophylactic vaccines and neutralizing antibodies, the use of antibody cocktails is expected to be an important strategy for effective COVID-19 treatment. Additionally, antibodies against cytokine storms, which can be triggered by SARS-CoV-2 infection and drive severe disease progression, are also being developed as treatments for COVID-19. In addition to their use as drugs, antibodies are currently being used in SARS-CoV-2 detection tests, including antigen and immunoglobulin tests, which are crucial surveillance tools for preventing the spread of COVID-19.
JOURNAL OF BIOMEDICAL SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Katherine McMahan, Victoria Giffin, Lisa H. Tostanoski, Benjamin Chung, Mazuba Siamatu, Mehul S. Suthar, Peter Halfmann, Yoshihiro Kawaoka, Cesar Piedra-Mora, Neharika Jain, Sarah Ducat, Swagata Kar, Hanne Andersen, Mark G. Lewis, Amanda J. Martinot, Dan H. Barouch
Summary: The SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant is less pathogenic in Syrian golden hamsters compared to previous SARS-CoV-2 variants.
Review
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Satomi Miwa, Sonu Kashyap, Eduardo Chini, Thomas von Zglinicki
Summary: This article summarizes the importance of mitochondrial dysfunction in aging and cell senescence, discusses its relationship with cellular senescence, and proposes an anti-aging therapy that targets mitochondrial dysfunction.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL INVESTIGATION
(2022)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Georgia B. Nikolopoulou, Helena C. Maltezou
Summary: From the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been observed that children infected with SARS-CoV-2 are mostly asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic. The true prevalence of asymptomatic cases in children is likely underestimated and serologic surveys indicate that half of infected children show no symptoms. Children with COVID-19 have lower risk of hospitalization and severe complications.
ARCHIVES OF MEDICAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Lorenzo Azzi, Daniela Dalla Gasperina, Giovanni Veronesi, Mariam Shallak, Giuseppe Ietto, Domenico Iovino, Andreina Baj, Francesco Gianfagna, Vittorio Maurino, Daniele Focosi, Fabrizio Maggi, Marco Mario Ferrario, Francesco Dentali, Giulio Carcano, Angelo Tagliabue, Lorenzo Stefano Maffioli, Roberto Sergio Accolla, Greta Forlani
Summary: BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccine induces strong systemic immune response but poorly activates mucosal immunity.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Karla A. Lee, Andrew Maltez Thomas, Laura A. Bolte, Johannes R. Bjork, Laura Kist de Ruijter, Federica Armanini, Francesco Asnicar, Aitor Blanco-Miguez, Ruth Board, Neus Calbet-Llopart, Lisa Derosa, Nathalie Dhomen, Kelly Brooks, Mark Harland, Mark Harries, Emily R. Leeming, Paul Lorigan, Paolo Manghi, Richard Marais, Julia Newton-Bishop, Luigi Nezi, Federica Pinto, Miriam Potrony, Susana Puig, Patricio Serra-Bellver, Heather M. Shaw, Sabrina Tamburini, Sara Valpione, Amrita Vijay, Levi Waldron, Laurence Zitvogel, Moreno Zolfo, Elisabeth G. E. de Vries, Paul Nathan, Rudolf S. N. Fehrmann, Veronique Bataille, Geke A. P. Hospers, Tim D. Spector, Rinse K. Weersma, Nicola Segata
Summary: An analysis of metagenomic sequencing of stool samples reveals the association between gut microbiome and response to immune checkpoint blockade therapy in melanoma patients. However, there is limited consistency in the microbiome-based signatures across different populations. Future studies should consider larger sample sizes and examine the complex interplay between clinical factors and the gut microbiome.
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Aqu Alu, Li Chen, Hong Lei, Yuquan Wei, Xiaohe Tian, Xiawei Wei
Summary: Currently licensed COVID-19 vaccines are administered intramuscularly and fail to activate mucosal immunity, which contributes to the inability to prevent upper respiratory tract infection. The demand for the next generation of COVID-19 vaccines that can induce both mucosal and systemic immune responses has led to the investigation of intranasal vaccination. Several intranasal vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 are currently under intensive investigation, with 12 candidates in clinical trials at different phases.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Andreas Mackensen, Fabian Mueller, Dimitrios Mougiakakos, Sebastian Boeltz, Artur Wilhelm, Michael Aigner, Simon Voelkl, David Simon, Arnd Kleyer, Luis Munoz, Sascha Kretschmann, Soraya Kharboutli, Regina Gary, Hannah Reimann, Wolf Roesler, Stefan Uderhardt, Holger Bang, Martin Herrmann, Arif Buelent Ekici, Christian Buettner, Katharina Maria Habenicht, Thomas H. Winkler, Gerhard Kroenke, Georg Schett
Summary: A study of five patients with refractory systemic lupus erythematosus treated with anti-CD19 CAR T cell therapy showed remission of SLE disease in all patients after 3 months, and long-term drug-free remission was maintained during follow-up.
Article
Cell Biology
John P. Evans, Cong Zeng, Claire Carlin, Gerard Lozanski, Linda J. Saif, Eugene M. Oltz, Richard J. Gumina, Shan-Lu Liu
Summary: The declining efficacy of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines and the emergence of variants resistant to vaccine-induced immunity have sparked a debate on the need for booster vaccine doses. A study found that the Omicron variant spike protein can almost completely escape neutralizing antibodies produced by recipients of only two mRNA vaccine doses.
SCIENCE TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Selim Chaib, Tamar Tchkonia, James L. Kirkland
Summary: Cellular senescence has emerged as a promising therapeutic target for disorders across the lifespan; targeting persistent senescent cells causing tissue damage may delay, prevent, or alleviate multiple diseases.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ed Pertwee, Clarissa Simas, Heidi J. Larson
Summary: This Perspective explores the impact of the "infodemic" on vaccine hesitancy and highlights the importance of trust in overcoming this challenge.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Naveed Sattar, Darren K. McGuire, Imre Pavo, Govinda J. Weerakkody, Hiroshi Nishiyama, Russell J. Wiese, Sophia Zoungas
Summary: This meta-analysis study on Tirzepatide included 7 randomized controlled trials, and the findings suggest that using Tirzepatide in patients with T2D does not increase the risk of major cardiovascular events.
