All posts by medical

Cell Biology

Boundless Bio Announces Publication in Nature Genetics Detailing the Association Between Extrachromosomal DNA-Based Oncogene Amplification and Poor…

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Boundless Bio, a company developing innovative new therapies directed to extrachromosomal DNA (ecDNA) in aggressive cancers, today announced research published in the journal Nature Genetics that demonstrates that ecDNA-based oncogene amplification drives poor outcomes for patients across many cancer types.

The manuscript, Frequent extrachromosomal oncogene amplification drives aggressive tumors, was co-authored by Boundless Bio scientists Nam-phuong Nguyen, Ph.D., and Kristen Turner, Ph.D., and scientific founders Paul Mischel, M.D., Distinguished Professor at the University of California San Diego (UC San Diego) School of Medicine and a member of the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research; Vineet Bafna, Ph.D., Professor of Computer Science & Engineering, UC San Diego; Howard Chang, M.D., Ph.D., Virginia and D.K. Ludwig Professor of Cancer Genomics and Genetics, Stanford University; and Roel Verhaak, Ph.D., Professor and Associate Director of Computational Biology, The Jackson Laboratory.

The researchers used intensive computational analysis of whole-genome sequencing data from more than 3200 tumor samples in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the Pan-Cancer Analysis of Whole Genomes (PCAWG), totaling over 400 TB of raw sequencing data, to observe the impact of ecDNA amplification on patient outcomes. The researchers observed that ecDNA amplification occurs in many types of cancers, but not in normal tissue or in whole blood, and that the most common recurrent oncogene amplifications frequently arise on ecDNA. Notably, ecDNA-based circular amplicons were found in 25 of 29 cancer types analyzed, and at high frequency in many cancers that are considered to be amongst the most aggressive histological types, such as glioblastoma, sarcoma, and esophageal carcinoma. In addition, patients whose cancers carried ecDNA had significantly shorter survival, even when controlled for tissue type, than patients whose cancers were not driven by ecDNA-based oncogene amplification.

The findings demonstrate that ecDNA play a critical role in cancer, providing a mechanism for achieving and maintaining high copy number oncogene amplification and genetic heterogeneity while driving enhanced chromatin accessibility and elevating oncogene transcription. ecDNA amplifications are associated with aggressive cancer behavior, potentially by providing tumors with additional routes to circumvent current treatments and other evolutionary bottlenecks. The shorter overall survival, even when stratified by tumor type, raises the possibility that cancer patients whose tumors are driven by ecDNA may not be as responsive to current therapies and may be in need of new forms of treatment.

This important study builds on our rapidly expanding knowledge about ecDNA, showing, for the first time, that ecDNA amplifications are present in a broad range of cancer tumor types, said Jason Christiansen, Ph.D., Chief Technology Officer of Boundless Bio. These results point to the urgent need for therapies that can target ecDNA and interfere with their ability to drive aggressive cancer growth, resistance, and recurrence.

By detecting and characterizing the role that ecDNA play in driving hard-to-treat cancers, we are drawing a more accurate map of the cancer genome, said Dr. Mischel. It is our goal to take these findings and apply them to the development of powerful anti-cancer therapies for individuals with ecDNA-driven cancers.

About ecDNA

Extrachromosomal DNA, or ecDNA, are distinct circular units of DNA containing functional genes that are located outside cells chromosomes and can make many copies of themselves. ecDNA rapidly replicate within cancer cells, causing high numbers of oncogene copies, a trait that can be passed to daughter cells in asymmetric ways during cell division. Cancer cells have the ability to upregulate or downregulate oncogenes located on ecDNA to ensure survival under selective pressures, including chemotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, or radiation, making ecDNA one of cancer cells primary mechanisms of recurrence and treatment resistance. ecDNA are rarely seen in healthy cells but are found in many solid tumor cancers. They are a key driver of the most aggressive and difficult-to-treat cancers, specifically those characterized by high copy number amplification of oncogenes.

About Boundless Bio

Boundless Bio is a next-generation precision oncology company interrogating a novel area of cancer biology, extrachromosomal DNA (ecDNA), to deliver transformative therapies to patients with previously intractable cancers.

For more information, visit http://www.boundlessbio.com.

Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

About Boundless Bios Spyglass Platform

Boundless Bios Spyglass platform is a comprehensive suite of proprietary ecDNA-driven and pair-matched tumor models along with proprietary imaging and molecular analytical tools that enables Boundlesss researchers to interrogate ecDNA biology to identify a pipeline of novel oncotargets essential to the function of cancer cells that are enabled by ecDNA. The Spyglass platform facilitates Boundless innovation in the development of precision therapeutics specifically targeting ecDNA-driven tumors, thereby enabling selective treatments for patients whose tumor genetic profiles make them most likely to benefit from our novel therapeutic candidates.

Original post:
Boundless Bio Announces Publication in Nature Genetics Detailing the Association Between Extrachromosomal DNA-Based Oncogene Amplification and Poor...

Immunology

How Effective Are Neck Gaiters in Stopping COVID-19 Spread? – Healthline

Neck gaiters can provide a comfortable and stylish way for people to cover their faces during the COVID-19 pandemic.

But that doesnt mean they are effectively protecting against the spread of the novel coronavirus.

In a new study from Duke University in North Carolina, researchers concluded that fleece neck gaiters made from a polyester and spandex blend arent effective in blocking coronavirus droplets.

These respiratory droplets are transmitted when we talk, cough, sing, sneeze, and yawn, say experts.

Since they didnt test other types, the researchers say we shouldnt apply these findings to all neck gaiters on the market.

Experts agree.

There is nothing wrong with neck gaiters being used as face coverings, said Dr. Mitchell H. Grayson, the director of the Division of Allergy and Immunology at Nationwide Childrens Hospital in Ohio.

Grayson is also a tenured professor at The Ohio State University School of Medicine in the Department of Pediatrics, Division of Allergy and Immunology, as well as a fellow of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.

The problem is the material of which they are made, he told Healthline.

I wear a neck gaiter, but its not made out of polyester, said Ravina Kullar, PharmD, MPH, FIDSA, a leading expert in infectious diseases.

Its made out of cotton and its triple layered as well. So thats the material that would be effective, Kullar told Healthline.

She added that whichever face covering you choose, it should fit your nose and be snug under your chin.

For Grayson, an important issue is making sure you cant see daylight through the mask when you hold it up to light.

I recommend a material that does not have a large enough space between the fibers to allow virus particles to easily pass through, he said.

If you do see daylight, then it is likely that the mask will not perform well in preventing viral spread.

He added, In most cases, a cloth (cotton) mask with several layers is fine, as are surgical/procedure masks, if you can get them.

Grayson also noted that N95 masks with valves arent acceptable. These masks only protect the wearer, and the virus will be expelled through the valve.

However, he said he doesnt believe that all valve-containing masks are a problem. Again, it comes down to the specifics of each type.

There are some cotton masks with multiple cotton layers (and even a removable P2.5 filter) that have a valve attached to the outside layer of fabric, Grayson said.

In most of these Ive seen the valve doesnt actually work (if you exhale strongly while wearing the mask, the air doesnt go out the valve, it just comes out around the mask), he added.

Since any air that would come out of the valve would have gone through all of the layers of fabric, the likelihood of the virus escaping through the valve is minimal (beyond what would normally escape through the fabric).

But in general, Grayson advises avoiding valve-containing masks.

Kullar said its clear some people are forgetting that we are still in a health crisis.

But the coronavirus doesnt care about pandemic fatigue.

There have been so many reports that people have had mass gatherings, and have not had [safety] measures in place, and there have been outbreaks, she said. Do not have mass gatherings.

Kullar defines a mass gathering as any more than 10 people.

And keep that physical distance, she added.

Kullar noted a recent study from the University of Florida showed virus particles can travel as far as 7 to 16 feet.

This is beyond the 6 feet of physical distancing currently recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

And with wind, the particles might travel, and it might cause the particles to travel toward you, and it might also cause the particles to potentially be spread a lot farther than in the indoor setting, said Kullar.

This means safety precautions are necessary even in outdoor settings.

Grayson mentioned the same study, adding that whenever he is outdoors, he either avoids physical interactions within 20 feet or wears a face covering.

This may be overkill, and 6 feet is probably sufficient. But there is some data suggesting the ability for droplets to travel farther, so Im extra cautious, he said.

I view this as being kind to others. If there is a chance my droplets might be inhaled by them, I will wear a mask to lessen that chance, Grayson added.

Finally, Kullar says you need to wash your face coverings daily with warm water and soap or put them in the washer and dryer.

Also, how you are removing and putting on the mask is just as important, says Kullar. You need to make sure you wash your hands before you do that and make sure you know its clean hands youre removing it with.

View post:
How Effective Are Neck Gaiters in Stopping COVID-19 Spread? - Healthline

Immunology

HiFiBiO Therapeutics Collaborates with Coronavirus Immunotherapy Consortium in the Fight Against COVID-19 – Business Wire

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--HiFiBiO Therapeutics, a multinational biotherapeutics company focused on the development of novel antibodies for immunomodulation, today announced a collaboration with the Coronavirus Immunotherapy Consortium (CoVIC), a global, academic-industry, non-profit research alliance headquartered at the La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI). CoVIC was established to accelerate discovery, optimization, and delivery of life-saving antibody-based therapeutics against SARS-CoV-2. It has received support from the COVID-19 Therapeutics Accelerator, which was launched in March 2020 by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Wellcome, and Mastercard with additional funding from a range of donors.

Using a combination of its proteomics and proprietary single-cell profiling technology, HiFiBiO has developed multiple SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies with the potential for both therapeutic and prophylactic applications. With an aligned commitment to deliver accessible therapies to vulnerable individuals globally, the company has submitted 10 distinct antibodies in the format of mono- or bispecific antibodies to CoVIC for in vitro and in vivo testing. HiFiBiO will gain a first look into the performance of its antibodies compared to dozens of other submitted antibodies and synergies among them for combinational therapies.

CoVIC is committed to accelerating the product development pipeline to provide immunotherapeutics that protect vulnerable individuals from severe COVID-19 across the globe, especially in regions where health care resources are severely limited, said Erica Ollmann Saphire, PhD, Professor at LJIs Center for Infectious Diseases and Vaccine Research and Director of CoVIC. We are excited to partner with HiFiBiO to include its antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in the CoVIC panel that will be analyzed side-by-side in multiple tests to identify optimal immunotherapeutics for COVID-19 patients.

We look forward to working with CoVIC to further assess the potential of our neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, said Liang Schweizer, PhD, President and CEO of HiFiBiO Therapeutics. This collaboration is another strong validation of our Drug Intelligent Science platform and our ongoing commitment to working with leading research and academic institutions, as well as pharmaceutical and biotech companies to identify and engineer highly potent and durable antibodies that can address unmet medical needs of patients around the world.

Additionally, HiFiBiO Therapeutics is preparing an Investigational New Drug (IND) application with the US Food and Drug Administration for HFB30132A, a novel SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibody for the treatment of COVID-19 patients. The highly differentiated antibody has been rapidly identified, engineered, and evaluated in all key preclinical studies, where it has demonstrated outstanding efficacy, exposure, and safety profile. A planned Phase I single-IV administration ascending dose study will assess the safety and tolerability of HFB30132A in healthy volunteers later this summer.

About HiFiBiO Therapeutics

HiFiBiO Therapeutics is transforming the field of immunotherapy by combining proprietary single-cell profiling technologies with advanced data intelligence and deep knowledge of immune system biology. This approach enables the development of novel antibody therapies that are paired with biomarkers to predict patient response. HiFiBiO Therapeutics is working actively to address unmet medical needs around the world through its own innovative pipeline programs and open-innovation partnerships with world-renowned industry and academic researchers. The companys strong global footprint features cutting-edge laboratories on three continents, in Cambridge, Mass., Paris, Shanghai, and Hong Kong. To learn more, please visit http://www.hifibio.com.

HiFiBiO Therapeutics and the HiFiBiO Therapeutics logo are trademarks of HiFiBiO and its affiliates.

Link:
HiFiBiO Therapeutics Collaborates with Coronavirus Immunotherapy Consortium in the Fight Against COVID-19 - Business Wire

Immunology

Behavioral and Emotional Challenges for Autistic Children Linked to Mother’s Immunity in Pregnancy – Technology Networks

Children with autism born to mothers who had immune conditions during their pregnancy are more likely to have behavioral and emotional problems, a UC Davis Health study has found. The study examined maternal immune history as a predictor of symptoms in children with autism.

We tested the ability of maternal immune history to predict ASD symptoms and the possible role that the sex of the offspring plays, said Paul Ashwood, professor of microbiology and immunology and faculty member at the UC Davis MIND Institute.

Published Aug. 14 in Translational Psychiatry, the study found that offspring sex may interact with maternal immune conditions to influence outcomes, particularly in terms of a childs cognition.

Maternal immune conditions are caused by a dysfunction of the mothers immune system. They include allergies, asthma, autoimmune diseases, autoinflammatory syndromes and immunological deficiency syndromes. Previous studies have shown that maternal immune conditions are more prevalent in mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

The researchers enrolled 363 mothers and their children (252 males and 111 females) from the Autism Phenome Project (APP) and Girls with Autism Imaging of Neurodevelopment (GAIN) study at the UC Davis MIND Institute. The median age of the children was three years.

The researchers measured the childrens autism severity and assessed a set of behavioral and emotional problems such as aggression and anxiety. They also measured the childrens development and cognitive functioning.

The study found that around 27% of the mothers had immune conditions during their pregnancy. Of these mothers, 64% reported a history of asthma, the most common immune condition. Other frequent conditions included Hashimotos thyroiditis (hypothyroidism), Raynauds disease (blood circulation disease), alopecia (hair loss), psoriasis (skin disease) and rheumatoid arthritis (joint tissue inflammation).

The study also found that maternal immune conditions are associated with increased behavioral and emotional problems but not reduced cognitive functioning in children with autism.

Does the sex of the offspring interact with the influence of maternal immune conditions on autism symptoms?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), ASD is four times more common among boys than among girls.

Our study explored whether offspring sex interacts with the presence of maternal immune conditions to influence behavioral outcomes in children with autism, said Ashwood. Maternal immune conditions may be one environmental factor which contributes to the higher male prevalence seen in ASD.

The study found that a history of maternal immune conditions was more common in male children with ASD (31%) compared to female (18%). Specifically, asthma was twice as common in mothers of male children with ASD than in mothers of female children with ASD.

The study also showed that in cases of ASD where maternal immune conditions are present, female offspring are less likely to be susceptible to adverse cognitive outcomes in response to maternal inflammation than male offspring.

This critical finding links offspring sex and maternal immune conditions to autism, said Ashwood. It provides more evidence that male offspring are at higher risk of adverse outcomes due to maternal immunity activation compared to female offspring.

Future studies would include identifying the type, severity and gestational timing of immune conditions, and then examining offspring outcomes over time.

ReferencePatel, S., Dale, R.C., Rose, D. et al. Maternal immune conditions are increased in males with autism spectrum disorders and are associated with behavioural and emotional but not cognitive co-morbidity. Transl Psychiatry 10, 286 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-020-00976-2

This article has been republished from the following materials. Note: material may have been edited for length and content. For further information, please contact the cited source.

Go here to read the rest:
Behavioral and Emotional Challenges for Autistic Children Linked to Mother's Immunity in Pregnancy - Technology Networks

Immunology

COVID-19 Symptoms at the Onset Differ From Symptoms of Seasonal Allergies – PR Web

This study tells us that the individuals with seasonal allergies are very familiar with their symptoms and when prompted, were able to distinguish between them and similar COVID-19 symptoms. - Fabio Ferreli, MD

MILWAUKEE (PRWEB) August 17, 2020

According to a study published in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice (JACI: In Practice), symptoms of Allergic Rhinoconjunctivitis (ARC) differ from nasal and ocular symptoms at the onset of COVID-19. The ability to distinguish between the two will make it easier for those with seasonal allergies to correctly interpret symptoms of both diseases.

Both nasal and ocular symptoms are included as potential signs of COVID-19, which has caused confusion for people suffering from ARC. Patients with documented ARC who were diagnosed with COVID-19 in March 2020 at an academic hospital in Italy were included in the study. A total of 22 patients met inclusion criteria.

Sinonasal and ocular symptoms that were reported in the two weeks before a COVID-19 diagnosis were studied using the Mini Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (MiniRQLQ). The questionnaire evaluated 14 signs and symptoms on a scale from 0 (not troubled) to 6 (extremely troubled), with score totals ranging from zero to 84 once all question responses were combined. MiniRQLQ was then used to assess patients with ARC by asking them to report their last allergic symptom period before the COVID-19 outbreak. They were asked to compare COVID-19 symptoms and ARC symptoms by defining them as identical, similar, different, or completely different.

The median MiniRQLQ score was 39.5 for the criteria of last allergic symptom period before the COVID-19 outbreak and 15 for the onset of COVID-19. Symptoms of ARC compared to symptoms of COVID-19 at the onset were defined as completely different by 68.2% of patients, different by 13.6%, and similar by 18.2% of patients. None of the patients reported the symptoms as identical.

This study tells us that the individuals with seasonal allergies are very familiar with their symptoms and when prompted, were able to distinguish between them and similar COVID-19 symptoms, said first author Fabio Ferreli, MD. While we realize our study had a rather small sample size, we hope this will reassure allergy sufferers who are attempting to distinguish between COVID-19 and their seasonal allergies.

You can learn more about allergic rhinitis on the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology website, aaaai.org.

The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) represents allergists, asthma specialists, clinical immunologists, allied health professionals and others with a special interest in the research and treatment of allergic and immunologic diseases. Established in 1943, the AAAAI has more than 7,100 members in the United States, Canada and 72 other countries. The AAAAIs Find an Allergist/Immunologist service is a trusted resource to help you find a specialist close to home.

Share article on social media or email:

See the rest here:
COVID-19 Symptoms at the Onset Differ From Symptoms of Seasonal Allergies - PR Web

Immunology

Why Young and Female Patients Dont Respond as Well to Cancer Immunotherapy – Newswise

Newswise Cancer immunotherapy empowering a patients own immune system to clear away tumors on its own holds great promise for some patients. But for other patients, immunotherapy just doesnt work.

Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine have found evidence that helps explain why patients who are young and/or female have especially low response rates to some types of cancer immunotherapy.

Their findings suggest that since the typically robust immune systems of young and female patients are better at getting rid of tumor cells, the cells left behind are not as readily visible to the immune system to begin with, rendering some types of immunotherapy ineffective.

The study is published August 17, 2020, in Nature Communications.

Now that we know why some patients dont respond as well to immunotherapy, we can begin developing more informed approaches to treatment decisions for instance, developing predictive algorithms to determine a persons likely response before initiating immunotherapies that may have a high probability of not working or working poorly for them, said senior author Hannah Carter, PhD, associate professor of medicine at UC San Diego School of Medicine.

Cancerous or infected cells wave molecular flags that tell the immune system to clear them away before the problem gets out of control. The flag poles molecules of the Major Histocompatibility Complexes (MHC) are displayed at the surface of most cells in the body. MHCs hold up antigen flags bits of just about everything from inside the cells and display them to immune cell surveyors that are constantly checking for damaged or infected cells. Since tumor cells carry a lot of mutations, they show up frequently among these flags, allowing the immune system to detect and eliminate them.

But some tumor cells evade the immune system by also throwing up a stop sign molecule that keeps the immune system from recognizing the MHC flags. And heres where immune checkpoint inhibitors come in: This type of cancer immunotherapy uses antibodies to make the tumor cell once again visible to the patients immune system.

So why would a persons age or sex influence how well immune checkpoint inhibitors work?

Sex and age differences have long been observed when it comes to immune response. For example, females have twice the antibody response to flu vaccines and are far more susceptible to autoimmune diseases. Similarly, human immune systems tend to weaken as we age. But if females and younger people have stronger immune responses in most cases, you might expect cancer immunotherapy to work better for them, not worse.

To get to the bottom of this conundrum, Carters team looked at genomic information for nearly 10,000 patients with cancer available from the National Institutes of Healths The Cancer Genome Atlas, and another 342 patients with other tumor types available from the International Cancer Genome Consortium database and published studies. They found no age or sex-related differences in MHC function.

What they did find was that, compared to older and male patients with cancer, younger and female patients tend to accumulate more cancer-causing genetic mutations of the sort that MHCs cant present to the immune system as efficiently. Carter said this is likely because robust immune systems of the young and female are better at getting rid of cells displaying well-presented mutant self-antigens, leaving behind tumor cells that rely more heavily on the poorly presented mutations. This selective pressure is known as immuno-editing.

So if a tumor cell doesnt present highly visible, mutated self antigens to begin with, checkpoint inhibitor drugs cant help reveal them to the immune system, she said.

This shows an important thing, that the interplay between the cancer genome and the adaptive arm of the immune system is not a static one, said co-author Maurizio Zanetti, MD, professor of medicine at UC San Diego School of Medicine and head of the Laboratory of Immunology at UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center. Two simple but important variables, age and sex, influence this interplay. The study also emphasizes the master role of the MHC in dictating the outcome of this interplay, reaffirming its central role in the evolution of disease, cancer included, at the level of the individual and population.

Carter cautions that their findings for younger patients dont necessarily apply to children since, genetically speaking, pediatric tumors are very different from adult tumors. In addition, she noted that, like most genomics databases, those used in this study contain data primarily from people of Caucasian descent, and more diversity is needed to confirm that the findings can be generalized to all populations.

Cancer isnt just one disease, and so the way we treat it cant be one-size-fits-all, she said. All checkpoint inhibitors can do is remove the generic block that tumors put up to hide from the immune system. The more we learn about how interactions between tumors and immune systems might vary, the better positioned we are to tailor treatments to each persons situation.

Co-authors of the study also include: Andrea Castro, Rachel Marty Pyke, Xinlian Zhang, Wesley Kurt Thompson, Ludmil B. Alexandrov, Maurizio Zanetti, UC San Diego; and Chi-Ping Day, National Institutes of Health.

The study was funded, in part, by the National Institutes of Health (grants T15LM011271, DP5-OD017937, RO1CA220009, P41GM103504, 5R01CA155010-02, 5R01HL103532-03, 2P50CA101942-11A1, R50RCA211482A, R35CA197633, P01CA168585, 5P50CA168536, GM08042, 1RO1CA155010-02, 5R01HL103532-03, R21CA216772-01A1, T32HL007627, P50CA165962, P01CA163205, K08CA188615), National Science Foundation (graduate fellowship 2015205295), Mark Foundation for Cancer Research (grant 18-022-ELA), CIFAR Fellowship, Blavatnik Family Foundation, Broad Institute SPARC Program, BroadIgnite, BroadNext10, Francis and Adele Kittredge Family Immuno-Oncology and Melanoma Research Fund, Faircloth Family Research Fund, DFCI Center for Cancer Immunotherapy, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, American Association for Cancer Research, Geoffrey Beene Cancer Research Center, Society for Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Lung Cancer Research Foundation, Frederick Adler Chair Fund, One Ball Matt Memorial Golf Tournament, Queen Wilhelmina Cancer Research Award, STARR Foundation, Ludwig Trust, Stand Up To Cancer-Cancer Research Institute Cancer Immunology Translational Cancer Research Grant, Stand Up To Cancer-American Cancer Society Lung Cancer Dream Team Translational Research Grant (grant SU2C-AACR-DT17-15), Ben and Catherine Ivy Foundation, Zuckerman STEM Leadership Program, Benoziyo Endowment Fund for the Advancement of Science, DFCI Center for Cancer Immunotherapy Research fellowship, Howard Hughes Medical Institute and American Cancer Society (grant PF-17-042-01LIB).

Disclosure: Co-author Rachel Marty Pyke is an employee and holds stock in Personalis.

Go here to read the rest:
Why Young and Female Patients Dont Respond as Well to Cancer Immunotherapy - Newswise

Immunology

Common cold could generate similar immune responses and antibodies to fight Covid-19 infection – iNews

An article in Science recently generated a lot of interest by providing a possible explanation of why Covid-19 can be deadly to some yet go virtually unnoticed in others.

Scientists at La Jolla Institute for Immunology in California showed that infection with common cold coronaviruses can generate an immune response that resembles key pieces of the immune response generated by SARS-CoV-2 the virus that causes Covid-19. This raises the possibility that previous infection with one of the milder coronaviruses could make Covid-19 less severe. But how likely is this? And how does this relate to what we already know about coronaviruses?

Stephen Kissler, University of Cambridge

A few weeks ago, a different article sat at the centre of the SARS-CoV-2 immunity debate. This one showed that the antibody response to SARS-CoV-2 may decline over time.

The findings raised concern that SARS-CoV-2 could infect a person many times and that a vaccine might not generate lasting protection. But the article focused on just one arm of the immune response, the B cells, which produce antibodies that help to clear an infection.

T cells are also key to the immune response against viruses. They play a variety of roles, among them helping B cells to mature into disease-fighting machines. The article by Jose Mateus and colleagues at La Jolla Institute for Immunology is important because it shows that people keep T cells from the milder coronaviruses long enough to potentially interact with a new challenge by SARS-CoV-2 and that those T cells might even recognise SARS-CoV-2 and help to clear the infection.

For epidemiologists, the evidence of waning immunity and cross-immunity didnt come as a surprise. A study from 1990 showed that soldiers infected with one of the milder coronaviruses didnt retain immunity for much longer than a year. Also, the boom-bust cycle that the milder coronaviruses undergo from year to year can be explained by a mix of waning immunity and cross-immunity.

The milder coronaviruses can generate similar antibodies to the ones that are generated by the coronaviruses that cause Sars and Mers. These antibodies are so similar that they nearly tricked a British Columbia care facility into thinking they had an outbreak of Sars after the Sars epidemic had been declared over. In fact, the outbreak was caused by OC43, one of the coronaviruses that causes the common cold.

Nevertheless, infections that generate structurally similar antibodies dont necessarily provide cross-protection in a medically meaningful way.

Evidence for cross-protection between all but the most closely related coronaviruses is scant.

It is difficult to say whether the milder coronaviruses protect against SARS-CoV-2 partly because we have done so little surveillance on them. Ideally, we would be able to look at historical data to identify which communities experienced major outbreaks of each milder coronavirus strain over the past few years and then see if there is a link with less severe Covid-19 cases.

Challenge studies, in which a person is intentionally infected with a milder coronavirus strain and then exposed to SARS-CoV-2, could also address the question but are dangerous and ethically fraught. For now, all we can say is that the possibility that the common coronaviruses might protect against SARS-CoV-2 remains just that a possibility. Indeed, Mateus and colleagues describe this theory as highly speculative.

Stephen Kissler, Postdoctoral Researcher, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, University of Cambridge

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Here is the original post:
Common cold could generate similar immune responses and antibodies to fight Covid-19 infection - iNews

Human Behavior

Does the Government have the power to control human behaviour based on public health? COVID-19 and Government Power – Lexology

INTRODUCTION

The government controlling human behaviour is no longer a distant concept in a COVID-19 world. Control of human behaviour through government orders, requirements and directions have become part of our vernacular and behavioural patterns. But how far do these powers go? Can the government make orders to take a COVID test? Or if a vaccine becomes available, can Australians be required to take this vaccine?

There are three means available for governments to control human behaviour in response to a public health concern. These options have granted powers to the government to make new laws and requirements on individuals to comply in response to COVID-19:

This article will focus on the powers of government to make determinations and directions concerning measures on human behaviour based on public health.

A. THE COMMONWEALTHS POWERS DECLARING A HUMAN BIOSECURITY EMERGENCY

The Health Ministers broad emergency powers under sections 477 and 478 of the Biosecurity Act 2015 (Cth) are activated in response to the declaration of a human biosecurity emergency by the Governor General.

A human biosecurity emergency is declared in circumstances including where a listed human disease is posing a severe and immediate threat, or is causing harm, to human health on a nationally significant scale under section 475(1)(a).

Under sections 477, the Health Minister may determine any emergency requirements during a human biosecurity emergency period that the Minister is satisfied is necessary to:

I. Prevent or control any of the following, in relation to the disease in Australia or any part of Australia:

II. Prevent or control the spread of the disease to another country

III. Give effect to a recommendation from the World Health Organization (WHO) under Part III of the International Health Regulations in relation to the disease.

Requirements which may be made that control human behavior may include:

These have been evident in the ban on overseas travel, cruise ships and the number of people at select venues, for example.

Under section 478, the Health Minister may give directions to any person that the Minister is satisfied is necessary to also achieve the above criteria. These refer to individual directions.

Directions which control human behavior may include:

These requirements and/or directions may be given despite any provision of any other Australian law.

A person who fails to comply with a requirement determined under either section may constitute an offence under section 479, with a maximum penalty of imprisonment for 5 years or 300 penalty units (approximately $66,600), or both.

B. THE POWERS OF THE STATES AND TERRITORIES PUBLIC HEALTH RISKS

The National Partnership on COVID-19 Response and the Australian Health Sector Emergency Response Plan for Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) (commenced on 27 February 2020) confirms that all States and Territories have public health responsibilities pursuant to Federal legislation.

However, the primary responsibility for responding to such health risks and implementing measures controlling human behavior in response to COVID-19 rests with the State and Territory governments, who reserve the powers to respond differently to, though substantially consistent with, the opinions formed by the National Cabinet.

These powers are available to States and Territories through their respective Public Health and Biosecurity Acts.

i. NSW PUBLIC HEALTH LAWS

In NSW, where the Minister for Health considers on reasonable grounds that a situation has arisen that is, or is likely to be a risk to public health, section 7 of the Public Health Act 2010 (NSW) gives the Minister power to take any action and may by any order give any directions as the Minister considers necessary to deal with the risk and its possible consequences.

An order may also specify any part of NSW to be a public health risk area and may contain directions considered necessary by the Minister to reduce or remove the risk, segregate or isolate the inhabitants and prevent access to the area.

A failure to comply without a reasonable excuse may constitute an offence with a maximum penalty of imprisonment for 6 months or a fine of up to $11,000 (or both), with an ongoing fine of $5,500 each day the offence continues.

Corporations who fail to comply with a direction face a maximum fine of $55,000, with an ongoing fine of $27,500 each day the offence continues.

In relation to further implications of these powers on controlling human behaviour, the Minister, provided they consider it necessary, may make an order giving directions for each person with symptoms of COVID-19 to undertake a compulsory test as dealing with the risk and its possible consequences.

This direction may then be enforced with the maximum penalties above. The same conclusion is likely to apply if a vaccine becomes available and the Minister makes an order under these provisions.

ii. NSW BIOSECURITY LAWS

Under the Biosecurity Act 2015 (NSW), if activated in the case of an emergency under section 122, an authorised officer may issue general or individual biosecurity directions, which includes:

General biosecurity directions include:

Individual biosecurity directions include:

(a) to ensure the person discharges a biosecurity duty of the person under this Act;

(b) to ensure that the person remedies a contravention, suspected contravention or likely contravention by the person of a requirement imposed by or under this Act;

(c) to prevent, eliminate, minimise or manage a biosecurity risk posed by a dealing of the person, or suspected dealing of the person, with biosecurity matter, a carrier or a potential carrier.

Based on the expansive application of these general and individual directions, the State under these laws may have the power to enforce a vaccine if one becomes available, by reference to a general biosecurity direction to eliminate or minimize a biosecurity risk posed by COVID-19, or an individual biosecurity direction to ensure a person discharges a biosecurity duty of the person.

A failure to comply with a biosecurity direction, without a reasonable excuse, is a category 2 offence.

The maximum penalty for a category 2 offence under NSW Biosecurity Law is $220,000 for an individual, with an ongoing fine of $55,000 each day the offence continues. The maximum penalty for a corporation is $440,000, with an ongoing fine of $110,000 each day the offence continues.

Where an offence is committed negligently (to the criminal standard of proof), the maximum penalty for an individual is $1.1 million, with an ongoing fine of $137,000 each day the offence continues. For a corporation, the maximum penalty is $2.2 million, with an ongoing fine of $275,000 each day the offence continues.

C. SUMMING UP

So, can the Government make it a requirement to receive a COVID vaccine if one becomes available? This power may be available under both Commonwealth and NSW jurisdictions. If applicable, failure to comply under either of these directions or requirements may attract pecuniary penalties and/or imprisonment.

The Commonwealths powers under a human biosecurity emergency may include determining any emergency requirements and giving directions to any person. These requirements and/or directions may be given despite any provision of any other Australian law.

Under NSW Public Health laws, the Minister for Health may by any order give any directions as the Minister considers necessary to deal with the risk and its possible consequences. Under NSW Biosecurity laws, the Minister has expansive powers to give general and/or individual directions including to eliminate or minimize a biosecurity risk.

Read more from the original source:
Does the Government have the power to control human behaviour based on public health? COVID-19 and Government Power - Lexology

Human Behavior

How Do We Synchronize Our Behavior? – American Council on Science and Health

Synchronization of cells, so that they act in concert, is mediated by the chemistry and electricity, as neural impulses, in their environment. Cytokine storm, a feature of COVID-19 and other abnormal immunologic responses, might be the posterchild of asynchrony. That Internet lag that makes a Zoom conversation less than natural is another example.

Does human synchronization rely solely on the environment and its clues, or is there a behavioral component? Because we are social creatures, the answer has implications to how we share, information, and more pertinent these days, disease. Trying to answer that question was the subject of a study recently published in Nature Communications. Studying synchronization is made difficult because there are so many channels providing information simultaneously. Consider applause by an audience, where rhythmic clapping may result from what you see, hear, and feel. How do you isolate and evaluate each component?

The researchers used a novel method, 16 violinists, sonically isolated by headphones, visually separated by partitions. As each violinist repeated identical musical phrases, the researchers were able to control what they heard, not only from their instrument but from one or two other violinists. The researchers were then able to alter which audio inputs were paired along with their strength and delay.

The researchers first identified a strength of the signal; in this case, the volume of the other violinists playing that assured synchronization. As you might expect, the more connected one individual was with the network, the less volume was necessary to induce synchronization. Multiple weak signals were as powerful as fewer stronger ones.

They then introduced a delay. With small delays, the playing slowed a bit to compensate. When the delay resulted in the violins being half "out of phase," the players synchronized with one following stably behind the other. Longer delays created a "frustrated state," where the violinist couldn't synchronize at all; as a result, the violinist ignored the additional input and returned to their intrinsic playing.

Until this time, the theoretical underpinnings of network theory included a belief that in the presence of "frustration," a network member would split the difference and seek the average, to compromise. But the researchers found that we behaved differently, choosing to ignore the frustrating input.

"In a state of frustration they don't look for a 'middle', but ignore one of the inputs. This is a critical phenomenon that is changing the dynamics of the network."

Moti Fridman, PhD

Unlike networks of cells, where synchronicity may be achieved by compromise, humans take actions and behave differently. We have seen this in the discussion of the early epidemiologic models of COVID-19 that project high overall mortality because they did not consider that some of the population would spontaneously protect themselves by social distancing.

Put in another context; we ignore what does not coincide with our beliefs. Part of the power of information, in this case, the sound of another violinist, is that it allows us to synchronize with our tribe. But at some deeper behavioral level, when our ability to synch up with our tribe is frustrated, by alternative information, we simply chose to ignore it, perhaps calling it "fake news."

Source: Synchronization of complex human networks Nature Communications DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-17540-7

See the rest here:
How Do We Synchronize Our Behavior? - American Council on Science and Health

Human Behavior

Voice of the People 08/18/20 | Letters To Editor | leadertelegram.com – Leader-Telegram

The TSA and CDC both are saving lives

I find human behavior endlessly fascinating but confusing. A current example of this is the furor over wearing masks in public to combat COVID-19. Those opposing this measure, forwarded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, are the most vociferous claiming it is an infringement of their personal freedoms.

These folks, of course, stand in endless Transportation Security Administration lines waiting for an agent to demand specific personal information and X-ray their personal belongings and their bodies. They suffer these indignities with bovine acceptance to prevent a minuscule risk of being killed by a terrorist.

Over the past 20 years fewer than 4,000 Americans were killed by terrorists and that includes the 9/11 carnage. One is statistically more likely to be killed by an animal attack. However these same people are outraged about having to wear a mask in public to protect themselves and others from a virus that has killed over 160,000 Americans with no end in sight.

We must alter this irrational behavior long enough to shorten this accursed pandemic to get our lives back and restart our economy. If China and Europe can do it, so can we. (By the way, I support both the TSA and the CDC because they save lives.)

Incidents abound that need explanation

Is stabbing someone four times not attempted murder? This is the third time recently judges have given probation for either a stabbing or a shooting.

After one stabbing, the individual admitted he was trying to finish the other guy off. Result: probation.

Another time the individual puts a mask on attempting a robbery and shoots a guy in the leg. Result: probation.

Now another stabbing. Only four times. Result: probation.

When does attempted murder come into play? The Eau Claire Leader-Telegram should have a section titled, Judge, please explain yourself.

And explain when you sentence all these people doing drugs around their children why they are sentenced to not have contact with known drug dealers. If you know who the drug dealers are, why dont you do something about it?

President Trump move instills confidence

I want to thank the president of the United States for putting my mind at ease concerning voting by mail.

I have seen in several news sources that the president, and the first lady, have requested absentee ballots in Florida.

By demonstrating his faith in the USPS to deliver his ballot safely and securely, he is truly leading by example. If it is good enough for the president, its good enough for me.

Including everyone would improve mural

I would like to see a mural that reads: red lives matter, brown lives matter, black lives matter, white lives matter, yellow lives matter.

Or it could be: brown lives matter, black lives matter, yellow lives matter, white lives matter, red lives matter.

Or any one of 118 other combinations.

See original here:
Voice of the People 08/18/20 | Letters To Editor | leadertelegram.com - Leader-Telegram