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Tag: Immunology

  • Reviving exhausted T cells to tackle immunotherapy-resistant cancers

    Reviving exhausted T cells to tackle immunotherapy-resistant cancers

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    Newswise — LA JOLLA, CALIF. – May 03, 2023 – When the cells of our immune system are under constant stress due to cancer or other chronic diseases, the T cells of the immune system shut down in a process called T cell exhaustion. Without active T cells, which kill tumor cells, it’s impossible for our bodies to fight back against cancer. One of the biggest goals of immunotherapy is to reverse T cell exhaustion to boost the immune system’s ability to destroy cancerous cells.

    Researchers at Sanford Burnham Prebys studying melanoma have found a new way to make this happen. Their approach, described in Cell Reports, can reduce T cell exhaustion even in tumors that are resistant to clinically approved immunotherapies. It can also help T cells from becoming exhausted.

    “Slowing or reversing T cell exhaustion is a huge focus in cancer research, and many researchers are working on different ways to accomplish this,” says first author Jennifer Hope, Ph.D., who completed this research as a postdoctoral researcher at Sanford Burnham Prebys and is now an assistant professor at Drexel University. “This new approach could be a viable treatment on its own, but it also has tremendous potential to work synergistically with existing therapies.”

    Although there are established immunotherapies that target T cell exhaustion, the new approach is unique in that it targets several different aspects of the process at once. This means that it could help people overcome resistance to various anti-cancer immunotherapies that are currently available.

    “One of the foundational ideas of modern cancer treatment is not relying on a single therapy, since this can cause the cancer to become resistant to that treatment,” says senior author Linda Bradley, Ph.D., a professor in the Cancer Metabolism and Microenvironment Program at Sanford Burnham Prebys. “The more tools at our disposal to slow down or reverse T cell exhaustion in different ways, the better chance we have of improving precision medicine and helping more people with cancer benefit from immunotherapy.”

    Their approach hinges on a protein called PSGL-1, which is found in most blood cells. By studying mice with a genetic deficiency in PSGL-1, the researchers determined that this protein helps facilitate T cell exhaustion, a major roadblock to effective anti-cancer immunity.

    The researchers then used an antibody to block the activity of PGSL-1 in mice with immunotherapy-resistant melanoma. They found that targeting PSGL-1 slowed the process of T cell exhaustion and helped exhausted T cells switch back into functioning T cells. These two effects significantly reduced tumor growth in the mice.

    “One of the things that makes this approach unique compared to existing immunotherapies is that it directly alters the way T cells become exhausted and helps them regain their function,” says Hope. “I think this is going to be crucial in terms of its translational potential.”

    The researchers were also able to replicate this effect in mice with mesothelioma, suggesting that the approach could be applicable to a wide range of cancers. Although the treatment they used in this study is not yet suited for clinical use in humans, the overall approach of using antibodies or recombinant proteins for immunotherapy is well established. This means that translating these results for people with cancer may just be a matter of time and testing.

    “Once we’ve done all the necessary science, this could be really valuable, or even lifesaving, for a lot of people with cancers that are resistant to current treatments,” says Bradley. “We still have a long way to go, but I’m optimistic that we’re onto something game-changing here.”

    ###

    Additional authors on the study include Dennis C. Otero, Eun-Ah Bae, Christopher J. Stairiker, Ashley B. Palete, Hannah A. Faso, Michelle Lin, Monique L., Henriquez, Sreeja Roy, Xue Lei, Eric S. Wang, Savio Chow, Roberto Tinoco, Kevin Yip, Alexandre Rosa Campos, Jun Yin, Peter D. Adams and Linda M. Bradley, Sanford Burnham Prebys; Anjana Rao and Hyungseok Seo, La Jolla Institute for Immunology; and Gregory A. Daniels, Moores Cancer Center at UC San Diego Health.

    The study was supported by grants from the American Cancer Society (PF-20-113-01-LIB), the National Institutes of Health (T32 AI125209, R01 AI106895, R21 CA249353, R21 CA216678, R03 CA252144, R01 AI040127, R01 AI109842, P30 CA030199), the Melanoma Research Alliance (MRA 696326), the Department of Defense (W81XWH-20-1-0324), the American Association of Immunologists, the San Diego Cancer Centers Council (C3 2018), the Association of Immunologists Careers in Immunology Fellowship Program, and was supported in part by the following Sanford Burnham Prebys Core facilities: Flow Cytometry, Vivarium, Histology, Bioinformatics, Proteomics, and Cancer Metabolism.

    The study’s DOI is 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112436

    About Sanford Burnham Prebys

    Sanford Burnham Prebys is an independent biomedical research institute dedicated to understanding human biology and disease and advancing scientific discoveries to profoundly impact human health. For more than 45 years, our research has produced breakthroughs in cancer, neuroscience, immunology and children’s diseases, and is anchored by our NCI-designated Cancer Center and advanced drug discovery capabilities. For more information, visit us at SBPdiscovery.org or on Facebook facebook.com/SBPdiscovery and on Twitter @SBPdiscovery.

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    Sanford Burnham Prebys

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  • Stephen J. Galli, MD, to Receive 2024 American Society for Investigative Pathology Gold-Headed Cane Award

    Stephen J. Galli, MD, to Receive 2024 American Society for Investigative Pathology Gold-Headed Cane Award

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    Newswise — May 3, 2023 — The 2024 recipient of the American Society for Investigative Pathology (ASIP) Gold-Headed Cane Award is Dr. Stephen J. Galli, Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, and Mary Hewitt Loveless, MD, Professor in the Stanford University School of Medicine (Stanford, CA).

    The ASIP Gold-Headed Cane Award is the society’s oldest and most prestigious award (first awarded in 1919). This award recognizes significant long-term (lifetime) contributions to the field of pathology, including meritorious experimental pathology research, outstanding teaching, general excellence in the discipline, demonstrated leadership in the field, and engagement in the activities of the ASIP. 

    Dr. Galli earned a BA magna cum laude in biology from Harvard College in 1968, a BMS with Honors from Dartmouth Medical School in 1970, and an MD from Harvard Medical School in 1973. Subsequently, Dr. Galli completed residency training in the Department of Pathology at the Massachusetts General Hospital (1973-1976), where he served as Chief Resident in 1976. Dr. Galli completed several research fellowships during the course of his training. He was appointed the Karin Grunebaum Cancer Research Foundation Fellow while working with Dr. Richard A. Adams at the Dan-Farber Cancer Institute (1971-1972). From 1974-1976, Dr. Galli worked with Dr. Harold Dvorak in the Department of Pathology at the Massachusetts General Hospital. Finally, he was supported by the Medical Foundation Inc for work at the Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital from 1977-1978. In 1978, Dr. Galli was appointed as an Instructor in Pathology at the Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, and was subsequently promoted through the ranks at Harvard Medical School: Assistant Professor of Pathology in 1979, Associate Professor of Pathology in 1983, and Professor of Pathology in 1993. In 1999, Dr. Galli was appointed as Professor of Pathology and of Microbiology and Immunology, and the Mary Hewitt Loveless MD Professor in the School of Medicine at Stanford University, and became the Chair of the Department of Pathology. He remained Chair of Pathology at Stanford University until 2016, and remains active on the faculty today. Throughout his academic career, Dr. Galli has held numerous hospital appointments, including most recently Chief of Pathology Service and Director of the Pathology Residency Program at the Stanford University Medical Center. Dr. Galli has provided time and effort towards teaching at each of his institutions and across all of his faculty appointments. This teaching encompasses classroom teaching, clinical education for pathology residents, as well as teaching in the setting of the research laboratory for various kinds of learners. His efforts towards quality educational programs continued as he became Chair of Pathology at Stanford where he initiated and directed the development of many new educational programs.

    Dr. Galli joined the American Society for Investigative Pathology in 1982 and has been active in the Society since that time. He has made significant contributions to the Society over time. Dr. Galli served as the Chair of a Task Force on Research and Training Opportunities in Pathology from 1999-2000. The report from this task force was exceptionally well prepared and contained recommendations for the Society that remain valid until today, nearly twenty years later. Dr. Galli was elected into the Presidential succession in 2003 and served as Vice President (2003-2004), President-elect (2004-2005), President (2005-2006), and Past President (2006-2007). Dr. Galli was an exceptional member of the ASIP Council, always thoughtful and intentional with important decisions for the Society. Dr. Galli has provided excellent counsel to the leaders of the ASIP (elected and staff) over the years, even during times when he was not serving in an official capacity. Dr. Galli continues as an engaged member of the ASIP, currently serving on the Committee for Equal Representation and Opportunity and is a member of the newly formed President’s Circle.

    Dr. Galli has served the larger pathology community in a number of ways over the course of his career. He previously served as Associate Editor of The Journal of Immunology (1980-1984), as Advisory Editor for The Journal of Experimental Medicine (1993-2011), on the Editorial Board of The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (1996-2001), Transmitting Editor (2001-2009) and then Associate Editor (2009-2013) for International Immunology. He is currently serving on the Editorial 2 Board of Allergology International (since 1995), Laboratory Investigation (since 1997), and on the Board of Consulting Editors of the Journal of Clinical Investigation. In addition, Dr. Galli serves on the Editorial Committee for the Annual Review of Pathology: Mechanisms of Disease (since 2004). Dr. Galli has organized or co-organized 18 major national/international meetings. Most recently, he organized the 65th Annual Meeting of the Pluto Club (The American Association of University Pathologists) in Catagena, Columbia (March 2019). Dr. Galli has given significant time as a grant reviewer for the NIH, as a member of several study sections over the years, and as a member of expert panels. From 1999-2001, he chaired the NIH/NIAID Hyper-ID Scientific Review Group. Between 2019 and 2023, Dr. Galli served as Vice Chair and then Chair of the Membership Committee for the National Academy of Medicine.

    Dr. Galli has received a number of honors and awards in recognition of his excellent research and leadership within the pathology community. He was elected to the Collegium Internationale Allergologicum in 1984, to membership in the Pluto Society (Association of University Pathologists) in 1986, to the American Society for Clinical Investigation in 1991, and to the Association of American Physicians in 1997. In 2001, Dr. Galli was elected as a Foreign Member in the Physical, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences Class of the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei. Dr. Galli was elected to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies in 2010. Stanford University awarded Dr. Galli the President’s Award for Excellence Through Diversity in 2010. In addition, Dr. Galli received the Faculty Mentor Award for Postdoctoral Education from the Immunology Program at the Stanford University School of Medicine in 2010. In 2011, Dr. Galli received the Scientific Achievement Award from the World Allergy Organization. In 2014, Dr. Galli received the ASIP Rous-Whipple Award from the American Society for Investigative Pathology and the Karl Landsteiner Medal from the Austrian Society of Allergology and Immunology. In 2015, he was elected to membership in the American Clinical and Climatological Association. In 2017, Dr. Galli was elected to membership in Sigma Xi, and became an Overseas Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine. In 2019, Dr. Galli was granted an honorary PhD in clinical and experimental medicine (Dottorato di Ricerca Honoris Causa in Medicina Clinica e Sperimentale) from the University of Naples Federico II, and was elected as a Foreign Member of the Societa Nazionale di Scienze Lettere e Arti (academy of Medical Sciences) in Naples, Italy. In 2020, Dr. Galli received the Distinguished Career Achievement Award from the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth University (Hanover, NH). In 2022, Dr. Galli received the Lifetime Honorary Membership Award from Stanford Healthcare, and was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society at Stanford University School of Medicine.

    Dr. Galli’s research laboratory is interested in mast cell and basophil development and function, allergy and allergic disorders, and inflammation associated with allergic reactions. The work from Dr. Galli’s laboratory is high impact and he is regarded as an international expert in his area of research. He has given many invited lectures based upon his research around the US and abroad. His laboratory has been and continues to be very well-funded. He received a Merit Award from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (1995-2006). Currently, Dr. Galli is PI for a large U19 grant from the NIH/NIAID to conduct clinical trials using oral immunotherapy for childhood multi-food allergies (2019-2024). He is also PI for two R01 grants and a co-investigator on a third R01 grant. His CV lists numerous completed research projects associated with extramural funding. Dr. Galli’s research has been extremely productive over the course of his career. He holds 15 US patents for scientific developments from his laboratory. He has published 294 original research papers, 194 book chapters and reviews, 14 commentaries and meeting reports, and a few other works (reports for the National Academies). Dr. Galli’s research is highly impactful. His H-index is 133 and his papers have been cited >77,000 times. In addition to his contributions to the scientific literature, Dr. Galli has edited 12 books, including 9 volumes of the Annual Review of Pathology: Mechanisms of Disease. It is difficult to describe the remarkable body of work from Dr. Galli’s laboratory in a few sentences, and he continues to add to this body of work today.

    The letters contained in the nomination package expounded on Dr. Galli’s many contributions as an academic leader and exceptional educator, a national and international leader in the field, but also his major contributions to research throughout his career and to-date. Dr. Elaine Jaffe (NIH Distinguished Investigator, Laboratory of Pathology, National Cancer Institute/NIH) described Dr. Galli and his scientific stature in the field of experimental pathology: “He is a pathologist at the pinnacle of our discipline…His scientific achievements are outstanding…His pioneering and innovative work dealing with basic immunology and in particular the function of mast cells and basophils has been continually supported by NIH grants during the course of his career…” Dr. Tom Montine (Stanford Medicine Endowed Professor in Pathology and Chair, Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine) reinforced the impact of Dr. Galli’s research: “…Professor Galli’s research focuses on the development and function of mast cells and basophils, and the roles of these cells in health and disease. His work has had a major impact on our understanding of anaphylaxis, food allergies, and asthma, and on innate and acquired host defense against venoms. It would be difficult to over-estimate the impact that Professor Galli has had on the filed of allergy and immunology…”

    Dr. Irv Weissman (Professor of Pathology and Developmental Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine) summarized Dr. Galli’s contributions to the larger field of experimental pathology nicely: “…Dr. Galli is a longtime leader in bringing pathology to the forefront of the medical sciences…Dr. Galli is an academic visionary, and a national and international leader…” and “…Dr. Galli is the world’s leading researcher in the investigation of the biology and pathology of mast cells…”

    Dr. Galli will receive the 2024 ASIP Gold-Headed Cane Award during the 2024 Annual Meeting of the ASIP in Baltimore, MD (April 2024).

     

    About the American Society for Investigative Pathology

    The American Society for Investigative Pathology is comprised of biomedical scientists who investigate mechanisms of disease. Investigative pathology is an integrative discipline that links the presentation of disease in the whole organism to its fundamental cellular and molecular mechanisms. It uses a variety of structural, functional, and genetic techniques and ultimately applies research findings to the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. ASIP advocates for the practice of investigative pathology and fosters the professional career development and education of its members.

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    Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB)

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  • The American Association of Immunologists Announces 2023 Intersect Fellowships for Computational Scientists and Immunologists

    The American Association of Immunologists Announces 2023 Intersect Fellowships for Computational Scientists and Immunologists

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    Newswise — ROCKVILLE, MD (May 1, 2023) — The American Association of Immunologists (AAI) is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2023 Intersect Fellowships for Computational Scientists and Immunologists.

    This fellowship provides independent research scientists with one year of salary support for postdoctoral fellows trained in basic bench research to undertake one year of training in computational science, or postdoctoral fellows trained in computational science to spend one year in an immunology research lab to learn basic immunological principles and laboratory techniques.

    This year, AAI awarded fellowships to eight recipients. Congratulations go to:

    Mauro Di Pilato, Ph.D. (AAI ’22)
    Assistant Professor
    The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
    Trainee: Fernanda Grande Kugeratski, Ph.D. (AAI ’22)
    Co-PI: Ziyi Li, Ph.D., assistant professor, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center

    De’Broski R. Herbert, Ph.D. (AAI ’00)
    Professor
    University of Pennsylvania
    Trainee: Fungai Musaigwa, Ph.D. (AAI ’22)
    Co-PI: Danielle R. Reed, Ph.D., associate director, Monell Chemical Senses Center

    Anna Huttenlocher, M.D. (AAI ’10)
    Professor
    University of Wisconsin, Madison
    Trainee: Yiran Hou, Ph.D. (AAI ’22)
    Co-PI: Huy Dinh, Ph.D. (AAI ’22), assistant professor, University of Wisconsin, Madison

    Gislaine A. Martins, Ph.D. (AAI ’08)
    Associate Professor
    Cedars Sinai Medical Center
    Trainee: Jessica C. Dos Santos, Ph.D. (AAI ’21)
    Co-PI: Ivan Vujkovic-Cvijin, Ph.D., assistant professor, Cedars Sinai Medical Center

    Borna Mehrad, M.D. (AAI ’22)
    Professor
    University of Florida
    Trainee: Matthew G. Wheeler, Ph.D. (AAI ’23)
    Co-PI: Reinhard C. Laubenbacher, Ph.D., professor, University of Florida

    Debashis Sahoo, Ph.D. (AAI ’21)
    Associate Professor
    University of California, San Diego
    Trainee: Saptarshi Sinha, Ph.D. (AAI ’23)
    Co-PI: Pradipta Ghosh, M.D., professor, University of California, San Diego

    Chetan Seshadri, M.D., Ph.D. (AAI ’18)
    Associate Professor
    University of Washington
    Trainee: Deborah L. Cross, Ph.D. (AAI ’22)
    Co-PI: Philip H. Bradley, Ph.D., professor, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center

    Arlene H. Sharpe, M.D., Ph.D. (AAI ‘96)
    Chair and Professor
    Harvard Medical School
    Trainee: Samuel C. Markson, Ph.D. (AAI ’21)
    Co-PI: David Liu, M.D., assistant professor, Dana Farber Cancer Institute

    Applications for the 2024 AAI Intersect Fellowship Program for Computational Scientists and Immunologists will be accepted beginning June 1, 2023. For complete program information, including application and eligibility requirements, and to view past recipients, visit www.aai.org/IntersectFellowship.

    About The American Association of Immunologists
    Founded in 1913, The American Association of Immunologists (AAI) (www.aai.org) is an association of professionally trained scientists from all over the world dedicated to advancing the knowledge of immunology and its related disciplines. AAI members have been responsible for some of the most significant immunological discoveries of the past century, including the development of cancer immunotherapies, monoclonal antibodies, transplant technologies, and dozens of life-saving vaccines. The organization counts 27 Nobel Laureates among its members. AAI owns and publishes The Journal of Immunology, the oldest and most established journal in the field, as well as ImmunoHorizons, an open-access, peer-reviewed journal dedicated to the science of immunology.

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    American Association of Immunologists (AAI)

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  • The Pet Shop: Calendar of events

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    Community Play Date: 5-7 p.m. May 19, Purina Bark Park, inside of Freedom Park, 121 N. Edgewood Road, Eden. The event will commence with a “ribbon tugging” ceremony and feature live performances from the Purina Incredible Dogs team as well…

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  • The Pet Shop: Calendar of events

    The Pet Shop: Calendar of events

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    Community Play Date: 5-7 p.m. May 19, Purina Bark Park, inside of Freedom Park, 121 N. Edgewood Road, Eden. The event will commence with a “ribbon tugging” ceremony and feature live performances from the Purina Incredible Dogs team as well as food and treats available for purchase. edennc.us/departments/parks-recreation.

    Pet Adoption Special: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturdays, through May 31, Burlington Animal Services, 221 Stone Quarry Road, Burlington. All dog adoptions are fee-waived, and all cat adoptions are reduced to $20. Adoptions include spay or neuter and vaccinations. www.burlingtonnc.gov/pets. Fosters are needed as well, visit www.burlingtonnc.gov/foster.

    Wellness Clinic: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. second Saturday, RCSPCA Building, 300 W. Bailey St., Asheboro. Wellness checkups, skin and ear checks, heartworm tests, pet weighing, microchips, vaccines, preventative medicine. 704-288-8620 or info@cvpet.com.

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    Megan Blake Dog Training Classes: 4:30 p.m. Sundays, April through November, LeBauer Park, 200 N. Davie St., Greensboro. Ask questions, learn new dog behaviors. Drop-ins welcome. www.greensborodowntownparks.org/post/group-dog-training.

    Volunteer Days: 10 a.m. Sundays, Carolina Veterinary Assistance and Adoption Group, 394 Cook Florist Road, Reidsville. Walk, brush, interact with pets, gardeners are welcome to help in the community garden. 336-394-4106 or www.cvaag.org.

    Adoption Fair: noon-3 p.m. Saturdays, PetSmart, 2641 Lawndale Drive, Greensboro. With Triad Independent Cat Rescue. Visit www.triadcat.org or email meowmire.yahoo.com.

    Low-cost Rabies Clinic: noon-2 p.m. third Saturday, SPCA of the Triad, 3163 Hines Chapel Road, Greensboro. www.triadspca.org.

    Virtual Adoption Fair: 11 a.m.-3 p.m. third Saturday. With Tailless Cat Rescue, SPCA of the Triad, Helping Hands 4 Paws and other local cat adoption groups. Posts originate at www.facebook.com/richard.partridge.332, but are tagged so that they show up on the individual rescues’ page. www.facebook.com/pg/taillesscatrescue/community/.

    Adoption Fair: noon-3 p.m. Saturdays, PetSmart, 1206 Bridford Parkway, Greensboro. With Juliet’s House Animal Rescue. julietshouse1@gmail.com.

    Cat Adoptions: Sheets Pet Clinic, 809 Chimney Rock Court, Greensboro. $100 for one cat, 6 months or older; $150 for two adopted together to the same home, 6 months or older. $125 for each kitten, $200 for two kittens adopted at the same time. Fees includes spay/neuter, microchipping, testing for feline leukemia and/or feline immunodeficiency virus, current and age-appropriate vaccinations, FeLV vaccinations for kittens, flea treatment, and deworming. All adoptees receive an “exit exam” from a veterinarian before going home. Every cat or kitten adopted from Sheets Pet Clinic receives half-price vaccinations for the rest of its life, if brought in for yearly wellness exams. Every cat receives one-month free pet insurance. Also, adoption fairs, 1-3 p.m. on the second and fourth Saturdays of each month. petadoptions@sheetspetclinic.com or www.sheetspetclinic.com.

    SPCA of the Triad: Open for adoptions from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays and noon-4 p.m. Sundays, 3163 Hines Chapel Road, Greensboro. Submit an adoption application and wait for approval email. www.triadspca.org, www.facebook.com/TriadSPCA, www.instagram.com/spca_of_the_triad/. Funds are needed for SPCA’s new 9,000 square foot, $3 million facility which will hold more than twice as many homeless pets than the current shelter.

    Send events to people@greensboro.com.

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  • Suffering from allergies already? Blame climate change.

    Suffering from allergies already? Blame climate change.

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    Reports indicate that pollen patterns, magnitude and flowering timing are changing with the earth’s temperature rise

    Human-caused climate change is exacerbating pollen seasons, asthma and even wildfires in certain areas around the nation. In the past three decades across the U.S., pollen seasons have not only started sooner and lasted longer but also increased in pollen concentrations. This trajectory showcases that its more than just a seasonal nuisance now. Allergies to airborne pollen are tied to respiratory health and will impact a very similar vulnerable population that suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic.

    For expert commentary on allergies and asthma that have been categorized as a health outcome linked to climate change, Andrea De Vizcaya Ruiz, PhD, associate professor and Shahir Masri, ScD, associate specialist, both with the environmental and occupational health department at UC Irvine Program in Public Health, are available for interviews.

    More pollen circulating in our air longer is contributing to the onset and aggravation of allergies (rhinitis, eye irritation, headaches, cough, post-nasal drip). Coupled with indoor air pollution and climate change, our communities are experiencing unprecedented exposure to harmful air pollutants. The evidence is alarming and is imperative we take action to adopt effective and evidence-based regulations, spread awareness on lifestyle changes, and work together to clean our air.

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    University of California, Irvine

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  • Improved Gene Editing Method Could Power the Next Generation of Cell and Gene Therapies

    Improved Gene Editing Method Could Power the Next Generation of Cell and Gene Therapies

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    Newswise — PHILADELPHIA— A new approach to the genetic engineering of cells promises significant improvements in speed, efficiency, and reduction in cellular toxicity compared to current methods. The approach could also power the development of advanced cell therapies for cancers and other diseases, according to a study from researchers in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

    In the study, which appeared this week in Nature Biotechnology, researchers found that protein fragments used by some viruses to help them get into cells could also be used to get CRISPR-Cas gene editing molecules into cells and their DNA-containing nuclei with extraordinarily high efficiency and low cellular toxicity.

    The scientists expect the new technique to be particularly useful for modifying T cells and other cells from a patient’s own body to make cell therapies. One such application could be CAR T (chimeric antigen receptor T cell) therapy, which uses specially modified immune cells from a patient to treat cancer. The T cells—a type of white blood cell—are removed from the patient and reprogrammed to find and attack cancer cells when reintroduced to the bloodstream.  

    The first FDA-approved CAR T therapy was developed at Penn Medicine, and received Food & Drug Administration approval in 2017. There are now six FDA-approved CAR T cell therapies in the United States. The therapies have revolutionized the treatment of certain B cell leukemias, lymphomas, and other blood cancers, putting many patients who otherwise had little hope into long-term remission.

    “This new approach—building on Penn Medicine’s history of cell and gene therapy innovation—has the potential to be a major enabling technology for engineered cellular therapies,” said co-senior author E. John Wherry, PhD, Richard and Barbara Schiffrin President’s Distinguished Professor and chair of Systems Pharmacology & Translational Therapeutics at Penn Medicine.

    CRISPR-Cas molecules are derived from ancient bacterial antiviral defenses, and are designed to precisely remove DNA at desired locations in a cell’s genome. Some CRISPR-Cas-based systems combine the deletion of old DNA with the insertion of new DNA for versatile genome editing. This approach can be used to replace faulty genes with corrected ones or delete or modify genes to enhance cellular function. Some systems can also add genes that confer new properties to CAR T cells such as the ability to recognize tumors or withstand the harsh tumor microenvironment that normally exhausts T cells.

    Although CRISPR-Cas systems are already widely used as standard laboratory tools for molecular biology, their use in modifying patients’ cells to make cell-based therapies has been limited—in part because CRISPR-Cas molecules can be hard to get into cells and then into cells’ DNA-containing nuclei.

    “Current methods of getting CRISPR-Cas systems into cells, which include the use of carrier viruses and electric pulses, are inefficient for cells taken directly from patients (called primary cells). These methods also typically kill many of the cells they are used on, and can even cause broad unwanted changes in gene activity,” said co-senior author Shelley L. Berger, PhD, the Daniel S. Och University Professor in Cell and Developmental Biology and Genetics and director of the Penn Epigenetics Institute.

    In the study, researchers explored the use of small, virus-derived protein fragments, called peptides, to pilot CRISPR-Cas molecules more efficiently through the outer membranes of primary human cells and into their nuclei. Notably, researchers found that a fused combination of two modified peptides—one found in HIV and one in influenza viruses—could be mixed with CRISPR-Cas molecules to get them into primary human or mouse cells and their nuclei with efficiencies of up to nearly 100 percent, depending on the cell type—with almost no toxicity or gene-expression changes.

    The team demonstrated the approach, which they call PAGE (peptide-assisted genome editing), for several types of envisioned cell therapy including CAR T cell therapies.

    In addition to its potential use in cell and gene therapies, the authors note the PAGE approach could see wide application in basic scientific research. The inefficiency of standard CRISPR-Cas cell penetration methods has meant that gene-editing to create mouse models of diseases typically requires a multi-step, time-consuming process of generating transgenic mice—to introduce the gene-editing machinery into their DNA. By contrast, PAGE with its high efficiency and low toxicity might enable rapid, efficient, and straightforward gene editing in ordinary lab mice.

    “The simplicity and power of the peptide-assist concept suggests that it could potentially be adapted in the future for the delivery into primary cells of other genome-editing proteins, or even protein-based drugs,” said co-senior author Junwei Shi, PhD, an assistant professor of Cancer Biology and member of the Penn Epigenetics Institute and Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute.

    The study was a collaboration that included the laboratories of Penn co-author Rahul Kohli, MD, PhD, an associate professor of Infectious Diseases and Biochemistry and Biophysics, and co-author Gerd Blobel, MD, PhD, the Frank E. Weise III Professor of Pediatrics and co-director of the Epigenetics institute.

    This study was supported by the National Institute of Health (R01-HL119479, R01-GM138908, AI105343, AI082630, AI108545, AI155577, AI149680, U19AI082630, R35-CA263922, R01-CA258904), the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, and institutional funds from University of Pennsylvania.

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    Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

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  • The Pet Shop: Calendar of events

    The Pet Shop: Calendar of events

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    Send events to people@greensboro.com.

    Community Play Date: 5-7 p.m. May 19, Purina Bark Park, inside of Freedom Park, 121 N. Edgewood Road, Eden. The event will commence with a “ribbon tugging” ceremony and feature live performances from the Purina Incredible Dogs team as well as food and treats available for purchase. edennc.us/departments/parks-recreation.

    Pet Adoption Special: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturdays, through May 31, Burlington Animal Services, 221 Stone Quarry Road, Burlington. All dog adoptions are fee-waived, and all cat adoptions are reduced to $20. Adoptions include spay or neuter and vaccinations. www.burlingtonnc.gov/pets. Fosters are needed as well, visit www.burlingtonnc.gov/foster.

    Wellness Clinic: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. second Saturday, RCSPCA Building, 300 W. Bailey St., Asheboro. Wellness checkups, skin and ear checks, heartworm tests, pet weighing, microchips, vaccines, preventative medicine. 704-288-8620 or info@cvpet.com.

    People are also reading…

    Megan Blake Dog Training Classes: 4:30 p.m. Sundays, April through November, LeBauer Park, 200 N. Davie St., Greensboro. Ask questions, learn new dog behaviors. Drop-ins welcome. www.greensborodowntownparks.org/post/group-dog-training.

    Volunteer Days: 10 a.m. Sundays, Carolina Veterinary Assistance and Adoption Group, 394 Cook Florist Road, Reidsville. Walk, brush, interact with pets, gardeners are welcome to help in the community garden. 336-394-4106 or www.cvaag.org.

    Adoption Fair: noon-3 p.m. Saturdays, PetSmart, 2641 Lawndale Drive, Greensboro. With Triad Independent Cat Rescue. Visit www.triadcat.org or email meowmire.yahoo.com.

    Low-cost Rabies Clinic: noon-2 p.m. third Saturday, SPCA of the Triad, 3163 Hines Chapel Road, Greensboro. www.triadspca.org.

    Virtual Adoption Fair: 11 a.m.-3 p.m. third Saturday. With Tailless Cat Rescue, SPCA of the Triad, Helping Hands 4 Paws and other local cat adoption groups. Posts originate at www.facebook.com/richard.partridge.332, but are tagged so that they show up on the individual rescues’ page. www.facebook.com/pg/taillesscatrescue/community/.

    Adoption Fair: noon-3 p.m. Saturdays, PetSmart, 1206 Bridford Parkway, Greensboro. With Juliet’s House Animal Rescue. julietshouse1@gmail.com.

    Cat Adoptions: Sheets Pet Clinic, 809 Chimney Rock Court, Greensboro. $100 for one cat, 6 months or older; $150 for two adopted together to the same home, 6 months or older. $125 for each kitten, $200 for two kittens adopted at the same time. Fees includes spay/neuter, microchipping, testing for feline leukemia and/or feline immunodeficiency virus, current and age-appropriate vaccinations, FeLV vaccinations for kittens, flea treatment, and deworming. All adoptees receive an “exit exam” from a veterinarian before going home. Every cat or kitten adopted from Sheets Pet Clinic receives half-price vaccinations for the rest of its life, if brought in for yearly wellness exams. Every cat receives one-month free pet insurance. Also, adoption fairs, 1-3 p.m. on the second and fourth Saturdays of each month. petadoptions@sheetspetclinic.com or www.sheetspetclinic.com.

    SPCA of the Triad: Open for adoptions from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays and noon-4 p.m. Sundays, 3163 Hines Chapel Road, Greensboro. Submit an adoption application and wait for approval email. www.triadspca.org, www.facebook.com/TriadSPCA, www.instagram.com/spca_of_the_triad/. Funds are needed for SPCA’s new 9,000 square foot, $3 million facility which will hold more than twice as many homeless pets than the current shelter.

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  • The Pet Shop: Calendar of events

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  • Too Much Insulin Can Be as Dangerous as Too Little

    Too Much Insulin Can Be as Dangerous as Too Little

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    Newswise — Just over a century has passed since the discovery of insulin, a time period during which the therapeutic powers of the hormone have broadened and refined. Insulin is an essential treatment for type 1 diabetes and often for type 2 diabetes, as well. Roughly 8.4 million Americans use insulin, according to the American Diabetes Association.

    One hundred years of research have greatly advanced medical and biochemical understanding of how insulin works and what happens when it is lacking, but the reverse, how potentially fatal insulin hyper-responsiveness is prevented, has remained a persistent mystery.

    In a new study, published in the April 20, 2023 online edition of Cell Metabolism, a team of scientists at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine, with colleagues elsewhere, describe a key player in the defense mechanism that safeguards us against excessive insulin in the body.

    “Although insulin is one of the most essential hormones, whose insufficiency can result in death, too much insulin can also be deadly,” said senior study author Michael Karin, PhD, Distinguished Professor of Pharmacology and Pathology at UC San Diego School of Medicine.

    “While our body finely tunes insulin production, patients who are treated with insulin or drugs that stimulate insulin secretion often experience hypoglycemia, a condition that if gone unrecognized and untreated can result in seizures, coma and even death, which collectively define a condition called insulin shock.”

    Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) is a significant cause of death among persons with diabetes.

    In the new study, Karin, first author Li Gu, PhD, a postdoctoral scholar in Karin’s lab, and colleagues describe “the body’s natural defense or safety valve” that reduces the risk of insulin shock.

    That valve is a metabolic enzyme called fructose-1,6-bisphosphate phosphatase or FBP1, which acts to control gluconeogenesis, a process in which the liver synthesizes glucose (the primary source of energy used by cells and tissues) during sleep and secretes it to maintain steady supply of glucose in the bloodstream.

    Some antidiabetic drugs, such as metformin, inhibit gluconeogenesis but without apparent ill effect. Children born with a rare, genetic disorder in which they do not produce sufficient FBP1 can also remain healthy and live long lives.

    But in other cases, when the body is starved for glucose or carbohydrates, an FBP1 deficiency can result in severe hypoglycemia. Without a glucose infusion, convulsions, coma and possibly death can ensue.

    Compounding and confounding the problem, FPB1 deficiency combined with glucose starvation produces adverse effects unrelated to gluconeogenesis, such as an enlarged, fatty liver, mild liver damage and elevated blood lipids or fats.

    To better understand the roles of FBP1, researchers created a mouse model with liver specific FBP1 deficiency, accurately mimicking the human condition. Like FBP1-deficient children, the mice appeared normal and healthy until fasted, which quickly resulted in the severe hypoglycemia and the liver abnormalities and hyperlipidemia described above.

    Gu and her colleagues discovered that FBP1 had multiple roles. Beyond playing a part in the conversion of fructose to glucose, FBP1 had a second non-enzymatic but critical function: It inhibited the protein kinase AKT, which is the primary conduit of insulin activity.

    “Basically, FBP1 keeps AKT in check and guards against insulin hyper-responsiveness, hypoglycemic shock and acute fatty liver disease,” said first author Gu.

    Working with Yahui Zhu, a vising scientist from Chongqing University in China and second author of the study, Gu developed a peptide (a string of amino acids) derived from FBP1 that disrupted the association of FBP1 with AKT and another protein that inactivates AKT.

    “This peptide works like an insulin mimetic, activating AKT,” said Karin. “When injected into mice that have been rendered insulin resistant, a highly common pre-diabetic condition, due to prolonged consumption of high-fat diet, the peptide (nicknamed E7) can reverse insulin resistance and restore normal glycemic control.”

    Karin said the researchers would like to further develop E7 as a clinically useful alternative to insulin “because we have every reason to believe that it is unlikely to cause insulin shock.”

    Co-authors include: Kosuke Watari, Maiya Lee, Junlai Liu, Sofia Perez, Melinda Thai, Joshua E. Mayfield, Bichen Zhang, Karina Cunha e Rocha, Alexander C. Jones, Igor H. Wierzbicki, Xiao Liu, Alexandra C. Newton, Tatiana Kisseleva, Wei Ying, David J. Gonzalez and Alan R. Saltiel, all at UC San Diego; Fuming Li, University of Pennsylvania and Fudan University, China; Laura C. Kim and M. Celeste Simon, University of Pennsylvania; Jun Hee Lee, University of Michigan.

    Funding for this research came, in part, from the National Institutes of Health (grants R01DK120714, R01CA234128, R01DK133448, P01CA104838, R35CA197602, R01DK117551, R01DK125820, R01DK76906, P30DK063491, R21HD107516, R00DK115998, R01DK125560 AND R35GM122523), the UC San Diego Graduate Training Program in Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology (GM007752) and the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship (#DGE-1650112).

    # # #

    Disclosure: Michael Karin and Alan Saltiel are founders and stockholders in Elgia Pharmaceuticals. Karin has received research support from Merck and Janssen Pharmaceuticals.

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  • Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute Hosting World Malaria Day Symposium on Tuesday, April 25

    Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute Hosting World Malaria Day Symposium on Tuesday, April 25

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    Newswise — The Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health will host its annual World Malaria Day Symposium Tuesday, April 25, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. EDT. The theme is the blood stage of malaria, which is the most devastating phase of the disease. The event will take place in person in Baltimore with thirteen panelists. A remote option is available to journalists.

    Daniel Goldberg, MD, PhD, the David M. and Paula L. Kipnis Distinguished Professor at Washington University in St. Louis, will deliver the keynote. He specializes in the biology of malaria, focused on identifying drug targets. The symposium will also feature more than 40 research posters, from research on mosquito microbiomes to malaria therapeutics.

    The Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute has hosted the annual symposium since 2009. The event recognizes World Malaria Day, established in May 2007 by the World Health Organization to bring global attention to the efforts being made to end the devastating disease. Malaria is one of the deadliest diseases in the world, killing more than 619,000 people in 2021, mostly children under the age of five in sub-Saharan Africa. Many who survive suffer life-changing consequences, including blindness, and the economies of malaria-endemic countries suffer detrimental setbacks.

    Vaccines represent a significant advance in potential malaria prevention. WHO recommended widespread use of the first-ever malaria vaccine, RTS,S, in October 2021, and others are in development. Yet proven preventive measures, including indoor insecticide spraying and mosquito nets, are still needed to help curb transmission—even with vaccine uptake. Research continues to fuel innovations in the urgent search to find new ways to control and prevent malaria’s spread from mosquito to humans. 

    WHAT:
    Johns Hopkins World Malaria Day Symposium | “Blood Stage Malaria: Staving Off the Firestorm”
    Details and program available here.

    WHEN:
    Tuesday, April 25, 2023, 8:30 a.m – 5:45 p.m. EDT


    WHERE    :
    To attend via Zoom, register here.

    WHO:
    Thirteen leading scientists and researchers from leading global research institutions will present in person at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore. Presenters include investigators representing the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, University of Pennsylvania, and University of California San Francisco, among others. Director of the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, Peter Agre, MD, will make introductory remarks. Please see program download on the event page.

    EVENT HASHTAG: #WorldMalariaDay 

    SOCIAL MEDIA:

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jhmri/

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/johns-hopkins-malaria-research-institute

    Twitter: https://twitter.com/JHMRImalaria

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jhmalaria/

    The Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute is supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies.

     # # #

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    Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

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  • The Pet Shop: Calendar of events

    The Pet Shop: Calendar of events

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    Get information, stories and more at The Pet Shop blog at www.greensboro.com/blogs. Send events to people@greensboro.com.

    Community Play Date: 5-7 p.m. May 19, Purina Bark Park, inside of Freedom Park, 121 N. Edgewood Road, Eden. The event will commence with a “ribbon tugging” ceremony and feature live performances from the Purina Incredible Dogs team as well as food and treats available for purchase. edennc.us/departments/parks-recreation.

    Pet Adoption Special: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturdays, through May 31, Burlington Animal Services, 221 Stone Quarry Road, Burlington. All dog adoptions are fee-waived, and all cat adoptions are reduced to $20. Adoptions include spay or neuter and vaccinations. www.burlingtonnc.gov/pets. Fosters are needed as well, visit www.burlingtonnc.gov/foster.

    People are also reading…

    Wellness Clinic: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. second Saturday, RCSPCA Building, 300 W. Bailey St., Asheboro. Wellness checkups, skin and ear checks, heartworm tests, pet weighing, microchips, vaccines, preventative medicine. 704-288-8620 or info@cvpet.com.

    Megan Blake Dog Training Classes: 4:30 p.m. Sundays, LeBauer Park, 200 N. Davie St., Greensboro. Ask questions, learn new dog behaviors. Registration recommended. www.greensborodowntownparks.org/post/group-dog-training.

    Volunteer Days: 10 a.m. Sundays, Carolina Veterinary Assistance and Adoption Group, 394 Cook Florist Road, Reidsville. Walk, brush, interact with pets, gardeners are welcome to help in the community garden. 336-394-4106 or www.cvaag.org.

    Adoption Fair: noon-3 p.m. Saturdays, PetSmart, 2641 Lawndale Drive, Greensboro. With Triad Independent Cat Rescue. Visit www.triadcat.org or email meowmire.yahoo.com.

    Low-cost Rabies Clinic: noon-2 p.m. third Saturday, SPCA of the Triad, 3163 Hines Chapel Road, Greensboro. www.triadspca.org.

    Virtual Adoption Fair: 11 a.m.-3 p.m. third Saturday. With Tailless Cat Rescue, SPCA of the Triad, Helping Hands 4 Paws and other local cat adoption groups. Posts originate at www.facebook.com/richard.partridge.332, but are tagged so that they show up on the individual rescues’ page. www.facebook.com/pg/taillesscatrescue/community/.

    Adoption Fair: noon-3 p.m. Saturdays, PetSmart, 1206 Bridford Parkway, Greensboro. With Juliet’s House Animal Rescue. julietshouse1@gmail.com.

    Cat Adoptions: Sheets Pet Clinic, 809 Chimney Rock Court, Greensboro. $100 for one cat, 6 months or older; $150 for two adopted together to the same home, 6 months or older. $125 for each kitten, $200 for two kittens adopted at the same time. Fees includes spay/neuter, microchipping, testing for feline leukemia and/or feline immunodeficiency virus, current and age-appropriate vaccinations, FeLV vaccinations for kittens, flea treatment, and deworming. All adoptees receive an “exit exam” from a veterinarian before going home. Every cat or kitten adopted from Sheets Pet Clinic receives half-price vaccinations for the rest of its life, if brought in for yearly wellness exams. Every cat receives one-month free pet insurance. Also, adoption fairs, 1-3 p.m. on the second and fourth Saturdays of each month. petadoptions@sheetspetclinic.com or www.sheetspetclinic.com.

    SPCA of the Triad: Open for adoptions from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays and noon-4 p.m. Sundays, 3163 Hines Chapel Road, Greensboro. Submit an adoption application and wait for approval email. www.triadspca.org, www.facebook.com/TriadSPCA, www.instagram.com/spca_of_the_triad/. Funds are needed for SPCA’s new 9,000 square foot, $3 million facility which will hold more than twice as many homeless pets than the current shelter.

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  • The Pet Shop: Calendar of events

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    PET EVENTS

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  • The Pet Shop: Calendar of events

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    Get information, stories and more at The Pet Shop blog at www.greensboro.com/blogs. Send events to people@greensboro.com.

    Fetch—Dog Egg Hunt: 9 a.m.-noon April 15, Griffin Dog Park, 5301 Hilltop Road, Greensboro. Free. Register. tinyurl.com/FetchDogEggHunt23. Was originally set for April 1. 336-373-7503 or chamreece.diggs@greensboro-nc.gov.

    Chris Perondi’s Stunt Dog Experience: 2 and 7:30 p.m. April 15, High Point Theatre, 220 E. Commerce Ave. Live dog show. Portion of ticket proceeds will benefit Break the Chain Kennel Kru, a nonprofit dedicated to providing medical care and board for outside dogs during extreme weather conditions. 336-887-3001 or www.highpointtheatre.com.

    Community Play Date: 5-7 p.m. May 19, Purina Bark Park, inside of Freedom Park, 121 N. Edgewood Road, Eden. The event will commence with a “ribbon tugging” ceremony and feature live performances from the Purina Incredible Dogs team as well as food and treats available for purchase. edennc.us/departments/parks-recreation.

    People are also reading…

    Pet Adoption Special: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturdays, through May 31, Burlington Animal Services, 221 Stone Quarry Road, Burlington. All dog adoptions are fee-waived, and all cat adoptions are reduced to $20. Adoptions include spay or neuter and vaccinations. www.burlingtonnc.gov/pets. Fosters are needed as well, visit www.burlingtonnc.gov/foster.

    Wellness Clinic: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. second Saturday, RCSPCA Building, 300 W. Bailey St., Asheboro. Wellness checkups, skin and ear checks, heartworm tests, pet weighing, microchips, vaccines, preventative medicine. 704-288-8620 or info@cvpet.com.

    Megan Blake Dog Training Classes: 4:30 p.m. Sundays, LeBauer Park, 200 N. Davie St., Greensboro. Ask questions, learn new dog behaviors. Registration recommended. www.greensborodowntownparks.org/post/group-dog-training.

    Volunteer Days: 10 a.m. Sundays, Carolina Veterinary Assistance and Adoption Group, 394 Cook Florist Road, Reidsville. Walk, brush, interact with pets, gardeners are welcome to help in the community garden. 336-394-4106 or www.cvaag.org.

    Adoption Fair: noon-3 p.m. Saturdays, PetSmart, 2641 Lawndale Drive, Greensboro. With Triad Independent Cat Rescue. Visit www.triadcat.org or email meowmire.yahoo.com.

    Low-cost Rabies Clinic: noon-2 p.m. third Saturday, SPCA of the Triad, 3163 Hines Chapel Road, Greensboro. www.triadspca.org.

    Virtual Adoption Fair: 11 a.m.-3 p.m. third Saturday. With Tailless Cat Rescue, SPCA of the Triad, Helping Hands 4 Paws and other local cat adoption groups. Posts originate at www.facebook.com/richard.partridge.332, but are tagged so that they show up on the individual rescues’ page. www.facebook.com/pg/taillesscatrescue/community/.

    Adoption Fair: noon-3 p.m. Saturdays, PetSmart, 1206 Bridford Parkway, Greensboro. With Juliet’s House Animal Rescue. julietshouse1@gmail.com.

    Cat Adoptions: Sheets Pet Clinic, 809 Chimney Rock Court, Greensboro. $100 for one cat, 6 months or older; $150 for two adopted together to the same home, 6 months or older. $125 for each kitten, $200 for two kittens adopted at the same time. Fees includes spay/neuter, microchipping, testing for feline leukemia and/or feline immunodeficiency virus, current and age-appropriate vaccinations, FeLV vaccinations for kittens, flea treatment, and deworming. All adoptees receive an “exit exam” from a veterinarian before going home. Every cat or kitten adopted from Sheets Pet Clinic receives half-price vaccinations for the rest of its life, if brought in for yearly wellness exams. Every cat receives one-month free pet insurance. Also, adoption fairs, 1-3 p.m. on the second and fourth Saturdays of each month. petadoptions@sheetspetclinic.com or www.sheetspetclinic.com.

    SPCA of the Triad: Open for adoptions from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays and noon-4 p.m. Sundays, 3163 Hines Chapel Road, Greensboro. Submit an adoption application and wait for approval email. www.triadspca.org, www.facebook.com/TriadSPCA, www.instagram.com/spca_of_the_triad/. Funds are needed for SPCA’s new 9,000 square foot, $3 million facility which will hold more than twice as many homeless pets than the current shelter.

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  • The Pet Shop: Calendar of events

    The Pet Shop: Calendar of events

    [ad_1]

    Get information, stories and more at The Pet Shop blog at www.greensboro.com/blogs. Send events to people@greensboro.com.

    Fetch—Dog Egg Hunt: 9 a.m.-noon April 15, Griffin Dog Park, 5301 Hilltop Road, Greensboro. Free. Register. tinyurl.com/FetchDogEggHunt23. Was originally set for April 1. 336-373-7503 or chamreece.diggs@greensboro-nc.gov.

    Chris Perondi’s Stunt Dog Experience: 2 and 7:30 p.m. April 15, High Point Theatre, 220 E. Commerce Ave. Live dog show. Portion of ticket proceeds will benefit Break the Chain Kennel Kru, a nonprofit dedicated to providing medical care and board for outside dogs during extreme weather conditions. 336-887-3001 or www.highpointtheatre.com.

    Community Play Date: 5-7 p.m. May 19, Purina Bark Park, inside of Freedom Park, 121 N. Edgewood Road, Eden. The event will commence with a “ribbon tugging” ceremony and feature live performances from the Purina Incredible Dogs team as well as food and treats available for purchase. edennc.us/departments/parks-recreation.

    People are also reading…

    Pet Adoption Special: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturdays, through May 31, Burlington Animal Services, 221 Stone Quarry Road, Burlington. All dog adoptions are fee-waived, and all cat adoptions are reduced to $20. Adoptions include spay or neuter and vaccinations. www.burlingtonnc.gov/pets. Fosters are needed as well, visit www.burlingtonnc.gov/foster.

    Wellness Clinic: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. second Saturday, RCSPCA Building, 300 W. Bailey St., Asheboro. Wellness checkups, skin and ear checks, heartworm tests, pet weighing, microchips, vaccines, preventative medicine. 704-288-8620 or info@cvpet.com.

    Megan Blake Dog Training Classes: 4:30 p.m. Sundays, LeBauer Park, 200 N. Davie St., Greensboro. Ask questions, learn new dog behaviors. Registration recommended. www.greensborodowntownparks.org/post/group-dog-training.

    Volunteer Days: 10 a.m. Sundays, Carolina Veterinary Assistance and Adoption Group, 394 Cook Florist Road, Reidsville. Walk, brush, interact with pets, gardeners are welcome to help in the community garden. 336-394-4106 or www.cvaag.org.

    Adoption Fair: noon-3 p.m. Saturdays, PetSmart, 2641 Lawndale Drive, Greensboro. With Triad Independent Cat Rescue. Visit www.triadcat.org or email meowmire.yahoo.com.

    Low-cost Rabies Clinic: noon-2 p.m. third Saturday, SPCA of the Triad, 3163 Hines Chapel Road, Greensboro. www.triadspca.org.

    Virtual Adoption Fair: 11 a.m.-3 p.m. third Saturday. With Tailless Cat Rescue, SPCA of the Triad, Helping Hands 4 Paws and other local cat adoption groups. Posts originate at www.facebook.com/richard.partridge.332, but are tagged so that they show up on the individual rescues’ page. www.facebook.com/pg/taillesscatrescue/community/.

    Adoption Fair: noon-3 p.m. Saturdays, PetSmart, 1206 Bridford Parkway, Greensboro. With Juliet’s House Animal Rescue. julietshouse1@gmail.com.

    Cat Adoptions: Sheets Pet Clinic, 809 Chimney Rock Court, Greensboro. $100 for one cat, 6 months or older; $150 for two adopted together to the same home, 6 months or older. $125 for each kitten, $200 for two kittens adopted at the same time. Fees includes spay/neuter, microchipping, testing for feline leukemia and/or feline immunodeficiency virus, current and age-appropriate vaccinations, FeLV vaccinations for kittens, flea treatment, and deworming. All adoptees receive an “exit exam” from a veterinarian before going home. Every cat or kitten adopted from Sheets Pet Clinic receives half-price vaccinations for the rest of its life, if brought in for yearly wellness exams. Every cat receives one-month free pet insurance. Also, adoption fairs, 1-3 p.m. on the second and fourth Saturdays of each month. petadoptions@sheetspetclinic.com or www.sheetspetclinic.com.

    SPCA of the Triad: Open for adoptions from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays and noon-4 p.m. Sundays, 3163 Hines Chapel Road, Greensboro. Submit an adoption application and wait for approval email. www.triadspca.org, www.facebook.com/TriadSPCA, www.instagram.com/spca_of_the_triad/. Funds are needed for SPCA’s new 9,000 square foot, $3 million facility which will hold more than twice as many homeless pets than the current shelter.

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  • UM School of Medicine Researchers Chart Path Forward on Developing mRNA Vaccines for Infections Beyond COVID-19

    UM School of Medicine Researchers Chart Path Forward on Developing mRNA Vaccines for Infections Beyond COVID-19

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    Newswise — BALTIMORE, April 6, 2023 – After helping to develop and test new mRNA technologies for COVID-19 vaccines, University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) researchers and scientists are turning their attention to utilizing this innovative technology to ward off other infectious diseases like malaria and influenza. Last month, UMSOM faculty in the Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health (CVD) launched a new clinical trial to investigate the use of mRNA technologies to create a vaccine against malaria. CVD Director Kathleen M. Neuzil, MD, MPH, FIDSA also provided commentary in the nation’s leading medical journal on the feasibility of using mRNA to develop a universal influenza vaccine that could eliminate the need for seasonal shots.

    The huge success of mRNA vaccines to combat COVID-19 has opened up a new era in vaccine development, offering the potential for faster, more efficient, and more effective vaccine production. In an editorial commenting on a new study published last week in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), Dr. Neuzil, who is also the Myron M. Levine, MD, Professor in Vaccinology at UMSOM, wrote, “the application of mRNA technology to influenza vaccines would permit the design of vaccines that incorporate mRNAs matched to multiple influenza strains, a rapid adaptive response to virus evolution, and the manufacture of combination vaccines that include influenza and noninfluenza proteins, which would facilitate delivery to populations.”

    Dr. Neuzil pointed to more than 20 studies underway or in the planning stages to test novel influenza vaccines utilizing this technology. She commented on a recent animal study published in Science, which tested an mRNA vaccine against all 20 known influenza virus subtypes. The study found that the single vaccine can provide protection against different strains of the influenza virus by simultaneously inducing antibodies against multiple antigens, which she said suggests that an mRNA vaccine against influenza is “feasible” but that “careful attention to safety evaluations will be critical.”During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Neuzil led the team that launched the first clinical trial in the U.S. to test the Pfizer and BioNTech mRNA vaccine against COVID-19.

    CVD researchers also recently launched a new clinical trial investigating an mRNA-based vaccine for malaria. This phase 1, first-in-human study will aim to determine whether the vaccine is safe and its potential for efficacy against one of the world’s most deadly parasitic illnesses.

    “Many scientists who study malaria have long been invested in developing vaccines to prevent malaria deaths and disease, and the COVID-19 pandemic advanced the mRNA vaccine platform that can readily be adapted for other illnesses,” said Matthew Laurens, MD, MPH, Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine at UMSOM’s Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health (CVD) and Coordinating Investigator for the BioNTech mRNA malaria vaccine trial. “As this is the first study to test this novel mRNA-based vaccine in humans, we are hopeful we’ll see promising results that may be life changing for children who are at highest risk of death, severe disease, and inferior school performance due to malaria.” 

    Study participants ages 18 to 55 will receive three total injections of a vaccine made by BioNTech SE, or a placebo, over six months. The study is expected to be completed in September 2024. Investigators will carefully track how well the participants tolerate the injection and monitor any reactions that might occur. Importantly, participant immune responses will be measured after vaccination.

    There were 247 million malaria cases and 619,000 deaths reported worldwide in 2021 alone, which is a 9 percent increase from 2019 before the pandemic. Public health experts contend new strategies are urgently needed to achieve the United Nation’s sustainable development goal of 90 percent reduction in malaria incidence and mortality by 2030. Scientists have tried for decades to develop a highly effective malaria vaccine without much success.

    The current study’s mRNA approach – and other recent research investigating monoclonal antibodies for malaria — represent a promising advances to reduce malaria morbidity and mortality.

    The first vaccine against malaria (RTS,S/AS01) was approved by the World Health Organization in October 2021, and it provides modest protection against malaria. Unfortunately, it is in short supply and thus additional vaccines are urgently needed.

    In 2022, UMSOM researchers published findings from a study that showed a three-dose regimen of a whole-parasite vaccine against malaria – called Plasmodium falciparum sporozoite (PfSPZ) vaccine – demonstrated safety and efficacy when tested in adults living in Burkina Faso, West Africa, an area highly endemic for malaria.

    “Instead of relying on inactivated microbes to trigger an immune response, mRNA vaccines use mRNA to teach our cells how to make a protein, or piece of a protein, that resembles a microbe’s protein,” said UMSOM Dean Mark Gladwin, MD, who is also Vice President for Medical Affairs, University of Maryland, Baltimore, and the John Z. and Akiko K. Bowers Distinguished Professor at UMSOM. “This foreign protein triggers a human immune response against the microbe. The mRNA vaccine platform has several advantages in terms of stimulating a more robust immune response and enabling quick adaptation and scalability to new strains or variants that emerge during pandemics.”

    About the Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health at the University of Maryland School of Medicine

    For over 40 years, researchers in the Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health (CVD) have worked domestically and internationally to develop, test, and deploy vaccines to aid the world’s underserved populations. CVD is an academic enterprise engaged in the full range of infectious disease intervention from basic laboratory research through vaccine development, pre-clinical and clinical evaluation, large-scale pre-licensure field studies, and post-licensure assessments. CVD has created and tested vaccines against cholera, typhoid fever, paratyphoid fever, non-typhoidal Salmonella disease, shigellosis (bacillary dysentery), Escherichia coli diarrhea, nosocomial pathogens, tularemia, influenza, coronaviruses, malaria, and other infectious diseases. CVD’s research covers the broader goal of improving global health by conducting innovative, leading research in Baltimore and around the world. Our researchers are developing new and improved ways to diagnose, prevent, treat, control, and eliminate diseases of global impact, including COVID-19. In addition, CVD’s work focuses on the ever-growing challenge of antimicrobial resistance.

    About the University of Maryland School of Medicine

    Now in its third century, the University of Maryland School of Medicine was chartered in 1807 as the first public medical school in the United States. It continues today as one of the fastest growing, top-tier biomedical research enterprises in the world — with 46 academic departments, centers, institutes, and programs, and a faculty of more than 3,000 physicians, scientists, and allied health professionals, including members of the National Academy of Medicine and the National Academy of Sciences, and a distinguished two-time winner of the Albert E. Lasker Award in Medical Research.  With an operating budget of more than $1.2 billion, the School of Medicine works closely in partnership with the University of Maryland Medical Center and Medical System to provide research-intensive, academic and clinically based care for nearly 2 million patients each year. The School of Medicine has nearly $600 million in extramural funding, with most of its academic departments highly ranked among all medical schools in the nation in research funding.  As one of the seven professional schools that make up the University of Maryland, Baltimore campus, the School of Medicine has a total population of nearly 9,000 faculty and staff, including 2,500 students, trainees, residents, and fellows. The combined School of Medicine and Medical System (“University of Maryland Medicine”) has an annual budget of over $6 billion and an economic impact of nearly $20 billion on the state and local community. The School of Medicine, which ranks as the 8th highest among public medical schools in research productivity (according to the Association of American Medical Colleges profile) is an innovator in translational medicine, with 606 active patents and 52 start-up companies.  In the latest U.S. News & World Report ranking of the Best Medical Schools, published in 2021, the UM School of Medicine is ranked #9 among the 92 public medical schools in the U.S., and in the top 15 percent (#27) of all 192 public and private U.S. medical schools.  The School of Medicine works locally, nationally, and globally, with research and treatment facilities in 36 countries around the world. Visit medschool.umaryland.edu

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  • Fred Hutch at AACR: New targets for cancer therapies, experts available in diversity and cancer screening tests — and Fred Hutch’s Philip Greenberg becomes AACR president

    Fred Hutch at AACR: New targets for cancer therapies, experts available in diversity and cancer screening tests — and Fred Hutch’s Philip Greenberg becomes AACR president

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    Newswise — SEATTLE — April 6, 2023 — Experts from Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center will present their latest findings on targets in RIT1-driven cancers, ROR1 CAR T-cell immunotherapy, interplay of the microbiome and genetics in colorectal cancer and more at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research, to be held April 14-19 in Orlando, Florida. 

    Other meeting highlights include:

    Philip Greenberg, M.D. of Fred Hutch will become AACR president.

    Public health researcher and biostatistician Ruth Etizioni, Ph.D. will discuss new and emerging tests for early detection of cancer.

    Christopher Li, M.D., MPH, a national leader in diversity, equity and inclusion efforts at cancer centers, will best practices and strategies to enhance diversity. 

    Below are highlights of work to be presented, and you can follow Fred Hutch’s AACR updates on Twitter #AACR23.

    For media requests during AACR, please contact . 

    AACR news

    Meet and Greet: Meet the editors-in-chief of Cancer Immunology Research Monday, April 17, 2023, 9:30-10:30 a.m. 

    Meeting: Meet the 2023-2024 AACR President, Philip Greenberg Tuesday, April 18, 2023, 1:30-2:30 p.m.

    Fred Hutch’s Philip Greenberg, M.D., one of two editors-in-chief of AACR’s Cancer Immunology Research, will participate in an April 17 discussion of the scope and types of research manuscripts they’re looking to publish. Greenberg, currently president-elect of AACR, will become AACR president during the meeting and be at the April 18 “Meet the 2023-2024 AACR President” session. He leads the Program in Immunology at Fred Hutch and holds the Rona Jaffe Foundation Endowed Chair.  

    Early detection and screening

    Educational session: How can we realize the promise of novel technologies for early cancer detection? Presentation: Developing realistic expectations for new cancer screening tests Friday, April 14, 2023, 3:01-3:21 p.m. Presenter: Ruth Etzioni, Ph.D.

    Public health researcher and biostatistician Ruth Etzioni, Ph.D. will join an educational session to talk about novel cancer screening tests based on liquid biopsies, with a particular focus on multi-cancer early detection testing. She said that while there are some studies that show how well the tests detect different cancers, the extent to which this will translate into lives saved is still unclear. Etzioni, who holds the Rosalie and Harold Rea Brown Endowed Chair at Fred Hutch and received a $7.4 million National Cancer Institute grant to study cancer diagnostics, will discuss the process by which population screening leads to reduction in cancer deaths, why some past cancer screening trials have led to disappointing results and what needs to be done now to generate convincing evidence that population screening using the new tests will reduce cancer deaths. 

    Precision oncology

    Educational session: Tumor heterogeneity: Rapid autopsy to longitudinal biopsies Presentation: Intra and inter-tumor heterogeneity across cancer metastases: A reality check for targeted therapeutics and the utility of non-invasive biomarkers Saturday, April 15, 2023, 3:16-3:33 p.m. Presenter: Peter Nelson, M.D.

    In a session on the use of rapid autopsies to understand cancer metastasis, Peter Nelson, M.D. will discuss the impact of tumor heterogeneity on treatment resistance. Nelson, who is a prostate cancer expert and is the vice president of Precision Oncology at Fred Hutch, will also explain how studies of metastatic tumors improve our understanding of molecular imaging such as PET scans as well as minimally-invasive diagnostic methods including circulating tumor DNA. Nelson directs the Stuart and Molly Sloan Precision Oncology Institute at Fred Hutch and holds an endowed chair with the same name.  

    Session: Small cell lung cancer: Moving biology to the clinic Presentation: Measuring and modulating SCLC transcriptional heterogeneity from murine models to clinical trials Monday, April 17, 2023, 1:00-1:20 p.m. Presenter: Joseph Hiatt, M.D., Ph.D. (On Twitter and LinkedIn)

    Physician-scientist Joseph Hiatt, M.D., Ph.D. will give an update on Fred Hutch preclinical research that has identified a molecular pathway that could make more cases of small cell lung cancer responsive to checkpoint inhibition. The approach is now being studied in a clinical trial. Hiatt, who is a research fellow in the MacPherson lab at Fred Hutch, will also present a new liquid biopsy method to predict subtypes of small cell lung cancer using cell-free DNA. This could be used to link patients’ subtypes to their treatment outcomes to help personalize clinical trial enrollment. The work is part of the Fred Hutch Lung Specialized Project of Research Excellence (SPORE), a five-year $13 million grant from the National Cancer Institute to expedite lung cancer research from the lab to the clinic. 

    Session: Ras-related signaling Poster: Protein-level regulation of wild-type and mutant RIT1 by the deubiquitinase USP9X Monday, April 17, 2023, 1:30-5 p.m. Presenter: Amanda Riley (On LinkedIn)

    Mutations in the gene RIT1 account for about 13,500 cases of non-small cell lung cancer diagnoses each year, with limited treatment options. Graduate student Amanda Riley, working in the Fred Hutch lab of Alice Berger, Ph.D., will give an update on their work to find targeted therapies for RIT1-driven cancers. They’ve identified a regulator of RIT1, a protein called USP9X. Using mouse models and existing inhibitors of USP9X, the researchers are evaluating this potential drug target. The project is part of Berger’s 7-year NIH MERIT award to pursue targeted therapies for mutations in lung cancer. Berger holds the Innovators Network Endowed Chair at Fred Hutch, follow her on Twitter. 

    Cancer biology

    Major symposium: Targeting RNA splicing in cancer and the immune system Presentation: From splicing to polyadenylation in tumor immunity Sunday, April 16, 2023, 1:55-2:15 p.m. Presenter: Robert Bradley, Ph.D. (On Twitter)

    Computational biologist and biophysicist Robert Bradley, Ph.D. will present new work on a biological process that’s growing in attention for its role in controlling cancer growth. Alternative polyadenylation is part of making mRNA and it’s disrupted in many cancers, though it’s not clear how the dysregulation contributes to tumors. Bradley, who holds the McIlwain Family Endowed Chair in Data Science at Fred Hutch, will discuss a CRISPR-Cas9-based screen to test the functional importance of alternative polyadenylation to tumor growth. 

    Cellular immunotherapy

    Minisymposium: Genetically engineered anticancer T cells Presentation: NKTR-255, a polymer-conjugated IL-15, dramatically improves ROR1 CAR-T cell persistence and anti-tumor efficacy in an autochthonous model of ROR1+ lung cancer Sunday, April 16, 2023, 4:10-4:25 p.m. Presenter: Sam Nutt

    Using a mouse model of lung cancer that closely resembles human disease, graduate student Sam Nutt in the Fred Hutch lab of Shivani Srivastava, Ph.D. (on Twitter) will present a study on whether NKTR-255, a drug that stimulates the immune system to fight cancer, can improve the anticancer effects of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells. The Fred Hutch team is using a CAR-T cell targeting the tumor antigen ROR1, which is a marker on many breast and lung cancer patients. Their findings suggest that NKTR-255 treatment improves the persistence and function of ROR1 CAR T cells, and that these two therapies work together to boost immune function in the tumor microenvironment, resulting in significantly improved tumor control. The team is continuing to evaluate the combined approach for treatment of solid tumors. Read more about the lab’s work to develop cellular therapies for solid tumors.

    Colorectal cancer risk and prevention

    Session: Biological and behavioral factors in cancer surveillance, prevention and survivorship Poster: Evaluation of intra-tumoral pks+ E. coli, enterotoxigenic B. fragilis and Fusobacterium nucleatum and in early onset disease, in colorectal cancer cases Monday, April 17, 2023, 1:30-5:00 p.m. Presenter: Meredith Hullar, Ph.D. 

    Meredith Hullar, Ph.D., a principal staff scientist at Fred Hutch, studies the gut microbiome and its interplay with diet and cancer risk. She will present a new study that revealed different patterns of microbes in colorectal cancer tumors that are present in patients with early onset colorectal cancer, which has increased in incidence in people who are 50 years old and younger. Since some microbes can help tumors grow, understanding the microbiome may help predict which colorectal cancer patients will have increased odds of lower survival and may support targeted intervention strategies to improve survivorship. Learn more about her work in a Fred Hutch news story.

    Session: Aging, immune factors and metabolomics Poster: Association between HLA-KIR allele interaction combinations and density of T-cell subsets in colorectal cancer Monday, April 17, 2023, 1:30-5:00 p.m. Presenter: Claire E. Thomas, Ph.D., MPH (On Twitter)

    Session: Diet, alcohol, tobacco use, and other lifestyle factors Poster: Lifestyle and environmental factors in relation to colorectal cancer risk and survival by colibactin tumor mutational signature status Wednesday, April 19, 2023, 9:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Presenter: Claire E. Thomas, Ph.D., MPH (On Twitter)

    Claire E. Thomas, Ph.D., MPH, a post-doctoral researcher at Fred Hutch, will present two posters looking at genetic and molecular risks underlying colorectal cancer. In the first poster, she examines whether immune function gene combinations are related to T-cell density within colorectal cancer tumors. The findings could help determine how an individual’s genetic background is related to T-cells and immune response to fight cancer. 

    In a second poster, Thomas will present a study examining whether lifestyle and environmental factors are differentially associated with colorectal cancer risk and survival for cases with and without the mutational signature SBS88. SBS88 is present in some colorectal cancer tumors and is related to production of the genotoxin colbactin from exposure to some strains of Escherichia coli. The findings show that among cases with the SBS88 signature, higher BMI category was associated with worse colorectal cancer outcomes. 

    Thomas works with Fred Hutch’s Ulrike Peters, Ph.D., MPH, who is a molecular and genetic epidemiologist and holds the Fred Hutch 40th Anniversary Endowed Chair, and with Amanda Phipps, Ph.D., MPH, an epidemiologist. The research team aims to understand underlying genetic risks in cancer and how to intervene. A recent Nature Genetics study from the Peters team identified 100 new genetic risk variants in colorectal cancer.

    Diversity, equity and inclusion

    Meet-the-expert session: Plan to enhance diversity: Opportunities, challenges, best practices and innovative strategies to advance a culture of inclusive excellence at cancer centers Tuesday, April 18, 2023, 7:00-7:45 a.m. Presenter: Christopher Li, M.D., Ph.D. (On LinkedIn)

    Christopher Li, M.D., Ph.D., vice president of Faculty Affairs and Diversity at Fred Hutch, is a nationally recognized leader in efforts to ensure that cancer research benefits all people. At AACR, he will insights from his efforts to help build and maintain a diverse, equitable and inclusive workforce at Fred Hutch and to collaborate with leaders at other cancer centers. Li, who holds the Helen G. Edson Endowed Chair for Breast Cancer Research, is also an epidemiologist who studies breast cancer risk factors, breast cancer recurrence and cancer health disparities.

    Clinical trials

    Major symposium: Sex hormones and cancer Presentation: Sex differences in severe adverse events in patients receiving immunotherapy, targeted therapy, or chemotherapy in Cancer clinical trials: An evidentiary perspective Tuesday, April 18, 2023, 1:25-1:45 p.m. Presenter: Joseph Unger, Ph.D. (On Twitter)

    Biostatistician and health services researcher Joseph Unger, Ph.D. will insights based on findings he published in Journal of Clinical Oncology in how women experience greater adverse effects from cancer treatment, whether it’s chemotherapy, targeted therapy or immunotherapy. The data came from more than 23,000 people participating in 202 clinical trials as part of the SWOG Cancer Research Network, which described the study in a blog post. Unger uses big data to understand treatment outcomes and disparities in cancer, with the aim of revealing problems in cancer care that then allow for ways to predict and prevent the issues before they impede patients.  

    Late-breaking poster session: Clinical research 3 Poster: Biomarker analysis from AMPECT correlating response to nab-sirolimus with TSC1 and TSC2 inactivating alterations Wednesday, April 19, 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Presenter: Lee Cranmer, M.D., Ph.D.

    Lee Cranmer, M.D., Ph.D. leads the Bob and Eileen Gilman Family Sarcoma Research Program at Fred Hutch. A recent Fred Hutch news story featured a patient Cranmer treated for a type of cartilage cancer, called chondrosarcoma.

    Note: Fred Hutch and its scientists who contributed to these discoveries may stand to benefit from their commercialization. See links above to AACR abstracts for more details on individual researchers’ disclosures.

    The clinical trials referenced above involve investigational products and/or therapies that have not been approved for commercial marketing by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or any other regulatory authority. Results may vary, and encouraging results from early-stage clinical trials may not be supported in later-stage clinical trials. No conclusions should be drawn from the information in this report about the safety, efficacy or likelihood of regulatory approval of these investigational products and/or therapies.

    # # #

    Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center unites individualized care and advanced research to provide the latest cancer treatment options and accelerate discoveries that prevent, treat and cure cancer and infectious diseases worldwide.

    Based in Seattle, Fred Hutch is an independent, nonprofit organization and the only National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center in Washington. We have earned a global reputation for our track record of discoveries in cancer, infectious disease and basic research, including important advances in bone marrow transplantation, immunotherapy, HIV/AIDS prevention, and COVID-19 vaccines. Fred Hutch operates eight clinical care sites that provide medical oncology, infusion, radiation, proton therapy and related services and has network affiliations with hospitals in four states. Fred Hutch also serves as UW Medicine’s cancer program.

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  • Vaccination against chickenpox is estimated to significantly reduce varicella cases and deaths in both children and adults and would be cost-effective

    Vaccination against chickenpox is estimated to significantly reduce varicella cases and deaths in both children and adults and would be cost-effective

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    Press-only preview: https://plos.io/42H3PPj

    Article URL: https://journals.plos.org/globalpublichealth/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgph.0001743

    Article Title: Universal varicella vaccination in Denmark: Modeling public health impact, age-shift, and cost-effectiveness

    Image Caption: A) Total and B) breakthrough varicella incidence over time, by vaccination strategy. Panel A: Total varicella incidence, including natural and breakthrough cases, over 50 years after the start of universal childhood varicella vaccination. Panel B: Breakthrough varicella incidence over 50 years. In both panels, varicella incidence with strategies E and F were the same as for strategies C and D, respectively. Strategy A: V-MSD (12 months) + V-MSD (15 months); Strategy B: V-GSK (12 months) + V-GSK (15 months); Strategy C: V-MSD (15 months) + V-MSD (48 months); Strategy D: V-GSK (15 months) + V-GSK (48 months); Strategy E: V-MSD (15 months) + MMRV-MSD (48 months); Strategy F: V-GSK (15 months) + MMRV-GSK (48 months).

    Image Credit: Burgess et al., 2023, PLOS Global Public Health, CC-BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

    Image Link: https://plos.io/3FYjWxX

    Author Countries: Denmark, USA

    Funding: This study was funded by Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA. The funder provided support in the form of salaries or consulting fees for CB, SS, TL, CSL, and MP, but did not have any additional role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

    Competing Interests: I have read the journal’s policy and the authors of this manuscript have the following competing interest: MP and SS are employees of Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA and own stock in Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA. CB is a contractor with Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA and was compensated for her work. TL is an employee of MSD Denmark and owns stock in Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA. CSL was paid an honorarium for consultation on this study.

     

    About PLOS Global Public Health

    PLOS Global Public Health is a global forum for public health research that reaches across disciplines and regional boundaries to address some of the biggest health challenges and inequities facing our society today. For more information, visit https://journals.plos.org/globalpublichealth, and follow @PLOSGPH on Twitter.

     

    Media and Copyright Information

    For information about PLOS Global Public Health relevant to journalists, bloggers and press officers, including details of our press release process and embargo policy, visit https://plos.org/press-and-media/.

    PLOS Journals publish under a Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits free reuse of all materials published with the article, so long as the work is cited. 

     

    About the Public Library of Science
    PLOS is a nonprofit, Open Access publisher empowering researchers to accelerate progress in science and medicine by leading a transformation in research communication. We’ve been breaking boundaries since our founding in 2001. PLOS journals propelled the movement for OA alternatives to subscription journals. We established the first multi-disciplinary publication inclusive of all excellent research regardless of novelty or impact, and demonstrated the importance of open data availability. As Open Science advances, we continue to experiment to provide more opportunities, choice, and context for readers and researchers. For more information, visit http://www.plos.org.
     

    ­­Disclaimer

    This press release refers to upcoming articles in PLOS Global Public Health. The releases have been provided by the article authors and/or journal staff. Any opinions expressed in these are the personal views of the contributors, and do not necessarily represent the views or policies of PLOS. PLOS expressly disclaims any and all warranties and liability in connection with the information found in the release and article and your use of such information.

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  • The Pet Shop: Calendar of events

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    Get information, stories and more at The Pet Shop blog at www.greensboro.com/blogs. Send events to people@greensboro.com.

    Community Play Date: 5-7 p.m. May 19, Purina Bark Park, inside of Freedom Park, 121 N. Edgewood Road, Eden. The event will commence with a “ribbon tugging” ceremony and feature live performances from the Purina Incredible Dogs team as well as food and treats available for purchase. edennc.us/departments/parks-recreation.

    Pet Adoption Special: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturdays, through May 31, Burlington Animal Services, 221 Stone Quarry Road, Burlington. All dog adoptions are fee-waived, and all cat adoptions are reduced to $20. Adoptions include spay or neuter and vaccinations. www.burlingtonnc.gov/pets. Fosters are needed as well, visit www.burlingtonnc.gov/foster.

    Wellness Clinic: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. second Saturday, RCSPCA Building, 300 W. Bailey St., Asheboro. Wellness checkups, skin and ear checks, heartworm tests, pet weighing, microchips, vaccines, preventative medicine. 704-288-8620 or info@cvpet.com.

    People are also reading…

    Megan Blake Dog Training Classes: 4:30 p.m. Sundays, LeBauer Park, 200 N. Davie St., Greensboro. Ask questions, learn new dog behaviors. Registration recommended. www.greensborodowntownparks.org/post/group-dog-training.

    Volunteer Days: 10 a.m. Sundays, Carolina Veterinary Assistance and Adoption Group, 394 Cook Florist Road, Reidsville. Walk, brush, interact with pets, gardeners are welcome to help in the community garden. 336-394-4106 or www.cvaag.org.

    Adoption Fair: noon-3 p.m. Saturdays, PetSmart, 2641 Lawndale Drive, Greensboro. With Triad Independent Cat Rescue. Visit www.triadcat.org or email meowmire.yahoo.com.

    Low-cost Rabies Clinic: noon-2 p.m. third Saturday, SPCA of the Triad, 3163 Hines Chapel Road, Greensboro. www.triadspca.org.

    Virtual Adoption Fair: 11 a.m.-3 p.m. third Saturday. With Tailless Cat Rescue, SPCA of the Triad, Helping Hands 4 Paws and other local cat adoption groups. Posts originate at www.facebook.com/richard.partridge.332, but are tagged so that they show up on the individual rescues’ page. www.facebook.com/pg/taillesscatrescue/community/.

    Adoption Fair: noon-3 p.m. Saturdays, PetSmart, 1206 Bridford Parkway, Greensboro. With Juliet’s House Animal Rescue. julietshouse1@gmail.com.

    Cat Adoptions: Sheets Pet Clinic, 809 Chimney Rock Court, Greensboro. $100 for one cat, 6 months or older; $150 for two adopted together to the same home, 6 months or older. $125 for each kitten, $200 for two kittens adopted at the same time. Fees includes spay/neuter, microchipping, testing for feline leukemia and/or feline immunodeficiency virus, current and age-appropriate vaccinations, FeLV vaccinations for kittens, flea treatment, and deworming. All adoptees receive an “exit exam” from a veterinarian before going home. Every cat or kitten adopted from Sheets Pet Clinic receives half-price vaccinations for the rest of its life, if brought in for yearly wellness exams. Every cat receives one-month free pet insurance. Also, adoption fairs, 1-3 p.m. on the second and fourth Saturdays of each month. petadoptions@sheetspetclinic.com or www.sheetspetclinic.com.

    SPCA of the Triad: Open for adoptions from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays and noon-4 p.m. Sundays, 3163 Hines Chapel Road, Greensboro. Submit an adoption application and wait for approval email. www.triadspca.org, www.facebook.com/TriadSPCA, www.instagram.com/spca_of_the_triad/. Funds are needed for SPCA’s new 9,000 square foot, $3 million facility which will hold more than twice as many homeless pets than the current shelter.

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  • The Pet Shop: Calendar of events

    The Pet Shop: Calendar of events

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    Get information, stories and more at The Pet Shop blog at www.greensboro.com/blogs. Send events to people@greensboro.com.

    Fetch—Egg Hunt for Dogs: 9 a.m.-noon April 1, Griffin Dog Park, 5301 Hilltop Road, Greensboro. Register. tinyurl.com/FetchDogEggHunt23. 336-373-7503 or chamreece.diggs@greensboro-nc.gov.

    Community Play Date: 5-7 p.m. May 19, Purina Bark Park, inside of Freedom Park, 121 N. Edgewood Road, Eden. The event will commence with a “ribbon tugging” ceremony and feature live performances from the Purina Incredible Dogs team as well as food and treats available for purchase. edennc.us/departments/parks-recreation.

    Pet Adoption Special: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturdays, through May 31, Burlington Animal Services, 221 Stone Quarry Road, Burlington. All dog adoptions are fee-waived, and all cat adoptions are reduced to $20. Adoptions include spay or neuter and vaccinations. www.burlingtonnc.gov/pets. Fosters are needed as well, visit www.burlingtonnc.gov/foster.

    People are also reading…

    Wellness Clinic: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. second Saturday, RCSPCA Building, 300 W. Bailey St., Asheboro. Wellness checkups, skin and ear checks, heartworm tests, pet weighing, microchips, vaccines, preventative medicine. 704-288-8620 or info@cvpet.com.

    Megan Blake Dog Training Classes: 4:30 p.m. Sundays, LeBauer Park, 200 N. Davie St., Greensboro. Ask questions, learn new dog behaviors. Registration recommended. www.greensborodowntownparks.org/post/group-dog-training.

    Volunteer Days: 10 a.m. Sundays, Carolina Veterinary Assistance and Adoption Group, 394 Cook Florist Road, Reidsville. Walk, brush, interact with pets, gardeners are welcome to help in the community garden. 336-394-4106 or www.cvaag.org.

    Adoption Fair: noon-3 p.m. Saturdays, PetSmart, 2641 Lawndale Drive, Greensboro. With Triad Independent Cat Rescue. Visit www.triadcat.org or email meowmire.yahoo.com.

    Low-cost Rabies Clinic: noon-2 p.m. third Saturday, SPCA of the Triad, 3163 Hines Chapel Road, Greensboro. www.triadspca.org.

    Virtual Adoption Fair: 11 a.m.-3 p.m. third Saturday. With Tailless Cat Rescue, SPCA of the Triad, Helping Hands 4 Paws and other local cat adoption groups. Posts originate at www.facebook.com/richard.partridge.332, but are tagged so that they show up on the individual rescues’ page. www.facebook.com/pg/taillesscatrescue/community/.

    Adoption Fair: noon-3 p.m. Saturdays, PetSmart, 1206 Bridford Parkway, Greensboro. With Juliet’s House Animal Rescue. julietshouse1@gmail.com.

    Cat Adoptions: Sheets Pet Clinic, 809 Chimney Rock Court, Greensboro. $100 for one cat, 6 months or older; $150 for two adopted together to the same home, 6 months or older. $125 for each kitten, $200 for two kittens adopted at the same time. Fees includes spay/neuter, microchipping, testing for feline leukemia and/or feline immunodeficiency virus, current and age-appropriate vaccinations, FeLV vaccinations for kittens, flea treatment, and deworming. All adoptees receive an “exit exam” from a veterinarian before going home. Every cat or kitten adopted from Sheets Pet Clinic receives half-price vaccinations for the rest of its life, if brought in for yearly wellness exams. Every cat receives one-month free pet insurance. Also, adoption fairs, 1-3 p.m. on the second and fourth Saturdays of each month. petadoptions@sheetspetclinic.com or www.sheetspetclinic.com.

    SPCA of the Triad: Open for adoptions from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays and noon-4 p.m. Sundays, 3163 Hines Chapel Road, Greensboro. Submit an adoption application and wait for approval email. www.triadspca.org, www.facebook.com/TriadSPCA, www.instagram.com/spca_of_the_triad/. Funds are needed for SPCA’s new 9,000 square foot, $3 million facility which will hold more than twice as many homeless pets than the current shelter.

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