Category Archives: Molecular Medicine

Aggregates of the protein alpha-synuclein spread in the brains of people with Parkinsons disease through a cellular waste-ejection process, suggests a new study led by Weill Cornell Medicine researchers.

During the process, called lysosomal exocytosis, neurons eject protein waste they cannot break down and recycle. The discovery, published Aug. 22 in Nature Communications, could resolve one of the mysteries of Parkinsons disease and lead to new strategies for treating or preventing the neurological disorder.

Our results also suggest that lysosomal exocytosis could be a general mechanism for the disposal of aggregated and degradation-resistant proteins from neuronsin normal, healthy circumstances and in neurodegenerative diseases, said study senior author Dr. Manu Sharma, an assistant professor of neuroscience in the Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute and Appel Alzheimers Disease Research Institute at Weill Cornell Medicine.

Parkinsons is a disorder that features the deaths of neurons in a characteristic pattern of spread through the brain, normally unfolding over decades. The disease is best known for causing hand tremors, muscle rigidity, slowed gait and other impairments of normal movement. But it affects a broad set of brain regions, resulting in many different symptoms, including dementia in late stages. Approximately 1 million people in the United States have Parkinsons. Available treatments can alleviate some movement abnormalities but do not stop disease progressionessentially because researchers dont yet have a full understanding of that process.

One important finding that has emerged from the past few decades of Parkinsons research is that the deaths of neurons in the disease follow the spread, within the brain, of abnormal aggregates of alpha synuclein, a neuronal protein. This spread is an infection-like, chain-reaction process in which aggregates induce normal alpha synuclein to join them, andas they grow largerbreak into smaller aggregates that continue to propagate. Experiments in mice and non-human primates have shown that injecting these aggregates into the brain can initiate this spread as well as some Parkinsons-like neurodegeneration. But the details of how neurons transmit them to other neurons, have never been well understood.

In the study, Dr. Sharma and his team, including co-first author Ying Xue Xie, a doctoral candidate in the Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, showed with detailed studies of Parkinsons mouse models that alpha synuclein aggregatescapable of spreading and causing neurodegenerationoriginated within neurons. These aggregates, they found, then accumulate within capsule-like waste bins in cells called lysosomes.

Lysosomes contain enzymes that can break down, or lyse, proteins and other molecular waste into their building blocks, essentially digesting and recycling them. But the researchers found evidence that alpha synuclein aggregates, which are knit together with tight bonds in a close-fitting/snugly layered structure called amyloid, are not broken down well within lysosomes; instead, they were often found to be simply dumped from their originating neurons. In this process, called exocytosis, the lysosome moves to the cell membrane and merges with it, so that the lysosome contents are dischargedas-is, without any encapsulationinto the fluid surrounding the cell. The finding helps resolve a hotly debated question in the field.

The researchers also showed in further experiments that by reducing the rate of lysosomal exocytosis, they could reduce the apparent concentration of spread-capable aggregates. That, Dr. Sharma said, suggests a future approach to treating Parkinsons.

We dont know yet, but neurons might be better off, even in the long term, if they keep these aggregates inside their lysosomes, he said. We see a similar impairment of lysosomal function in some genetic disorders, but these dont necessarily lead to a Parkinsons level of disease.

Dr. Sharma emphasized that prior studies, including genetic studies, have linked lysosomal abnormalities not only to Parkinsons but to also many other neurodegenerative disorders. This hints that lysosomal exocytosis may be a general mechanism of protein-aggregate spread in these diseasesand potentially a general target for treatments and preventives.

He and his team are currently following up with studies of lysosomes roles in Alzheimers disease.

Link:
Discovery Illuminates How Parkinson's Disease Spreads in The Brain - Weill Cornell Medicine Newsroom

Novel artificial intelligence methods have revealed unexpected microscopic abnormalities that can predict cognitive impairment, according to a study led by researchers at Mount Sinai. These findings were published in the journalActa Neuropathologica Communicationsthis week.

AI represents an entirely new paradigm for studying dementia and will have a transformative effect on research into complex brain diseases, especially Alzheimers disease, said co-corresponding author John Crary, MD, PhD, Professor of Pathology, Molecular and Cell-Based Medicine, Neuroscience, and Artificial Intelligence and Human Health, at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

He added that, The deep learning approach was applied to the prediction of cognitive impairment, a challenging problem for which no current human-performed histopathologic diagnostic tool exists.

The Mount Sinai team identified and analyzed the underlying architecture and cellular features of two regions in the brain, the medial temporal lobe and frontal cortex. In an effort to improve the standard of postmortem brain assessment to identify signs of diseases, the researchers used a weakly supervised deep learning algorithm to examine slide images of human brain autopsy tissues from a group of more than 700 elderly donors to predict the presence or absence of cognitive impairment.

The weakly supervised deep learning approach, they report, is able to handle noisy, limited, or imprecise sources to provide signals for labeling large amounts of training data in a supervised learning setting. This model was used to pinpoint a reduction in Luxol fast blue staining, which is used to quantify the amount of myelin, the protective layer around brain nerves.

The researchers identified a signal for cognitive impairment that was associated with decreasing amounts of myelin staining; scattered in a non-uniform pattern across the tissue; and focused in the white matter, which affects learning and brain functions. The two sets of models trained and used by the researchers were able to predict the presence of cognitive impairment with an accuracy that was better than random guessing.

The team believe the diminished staining intensity in particular areas of the brain identified by AI may serve as a scalable platform to evaluate the presence of brain impairment in other associated diseases. The methodology lays the groundwork for future studies, which could include deploying larger scale artificial intelligence models as well as further dissection of the algorithms to increase their predictive accuracy and reliability. The team said, ultimately, the goal of this neuropathologic research program is to develop better tools for diagnosis and treatment of people suffering from Alzheimers disease and related disorders.

Leveraging AI allows us to look at exponentially more disease relevant features, a powerful approach when applied to a complex system like the human brain, said co-corresponding author Kurt W. Farrell, PhD, Assistant Professor of Pathology, Molecular and Cell-Based Medicine, Neuroscience, and Artificial Intelligence and Human Health, at Icahn Mount Sinai. It is critical to perform further interpretability research in the areas of neuropathology and artificial intelligence, so that advances in deep learning can be translated to improve diagnostic and treatment approaches for Alzheimers disease and related disorders in a safe and effective manner.

Lead author Andrew McKenzie, MD, PhD, Co-Chief Resident for Research in the Department of Psychiatry at Icahn Mount Sinai, added: Interpretation analysis was able to identify some, but not all, of the signals that the artificial intelligence models used to make predictions about cognitive impairment. As a result, additional challenges remain for deploying and interpreting these powerful deep learning models in the neuropathology domain.

Researchers from the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, Texas, Newcastle University in Tyne, United Kingdom, Boston University School of Medicine in Boston, and UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas also contributed to this research.

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AI Used to Determine Cause of Alzheimer's and Related Disorders - Inside Precision Medicine

William J. Gradishar, MD, professor of medicine of hematology and oncology, Betsy Bramsen Professor of Breast Oncology, and chief of hematology and oncology in the Department of Medicine at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University, discusses the questions ongoing studies are looking to answer in the breast cancer space.

New data has led to an increase of treatment options for patients with breast cancer with guidelines constantly changing to reflect what is newly available. However, Gradishar notes that even with more treatment options, experts are unable to perfectly predict which patients will recur.

In order to gain more insight on this space, the next steps for investigators will include continuing to develop molecular tools, defining the patients who need chemotherapy, and learning who may need extended durations of endocrine therapy.

Transcription:

0:08 | With respect to early-stage breast cancer and how we approach things, our prediction of who is going to recur is still not perfect. We've made an effort over time to develop molecular tools, whether you're talking about MammaPrint or the oncotype test, to define patients who may need chemotherapy, and those that can be treated effectively and safely with anti-hormone therapy alone. They're not absolutely perfect.

0:40 | Similarly, trying to determine who needs extended durations of endocrine therapy. We've had potential tools, the breast cancer index, other things, and that is met with some discordance in the results, so it's not entirely clear. We can always use those tools confidently to determine who can stop therapy or who needs to continue it with respect to endocrine therapy. I think as we go forward, we'll probably be developing better molecular tools to identify a minimal residual disease trying to identify those patients who have subclinical microscopic disease. That may be based on circulating tumor DNA or specific signatures from the primary tumor that we can still identify in the blood. Then we'll have to validate whether or not finding those things and treating them results in a better outcome.

1:43 | The next phase is probably trying to employ some of those molecular tools in a way that helps us further refine what therapies we would give to patients at high risk, but also the same thing, to de-escalate where patients don't need it. Hopefully, we can do that without having to do these 5000 or 7000 patient trials to figure it out.

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Looking Ahead in the Treatment of Breast Cancer - Targeted Oncology

image:Rajan Perera, Ph.D. view more

Credit: Allyn DiVito

It may soon be possible to identify Group 4 medulloblastomasthe most common malignant brain tumor in children--from more aggressive Group 3 tumors. Research based on a little-explored part of RNA, which creates proteins, could lead to the development of better-targeted cancer treating drugs, according to investigators at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center.

Four groups of medulloblastomas have been identified, with Group 3 being the most aggressive survival at 5 years is a 45% to 60% rate. Group 4 is the most common form of medulloblastoma, accounting for 35-40% of all cases.

The findings were published in Aug. 22 in the journal Neuro-Oncology Advances.

To date, it is difficult to distinguish Group 3 tumors which have a better prognosis (five-year survival is 75%-80%) from Group 4 tumors. Treatment for Group 3 is more aggressive than Group 4, often including radiation therapy. Distinguishing between Group 3 and Group 4 medulloblastomas relies on immunohistochemistry of tissue samples--specialized testing used to distinguish typesand imaging.

Group 3 and group 4 medulloblastomas are very similar to each other and, it's hard to differentiate them under the microscope. So, we started looking at the molecular markers, said senior study author Ranjan Perera, Ph.D., director of the Center for RNA Biology at Johns Hopkins All Childrens Hospital (JHACH) in St. Petersburg, Florida. Perera is also a senior scientist at the JHACH Cancer & Blood Disorders Institute and an associate professor of oncology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He has a secondary affiliation with the JHACH Institute for Fundamental Biomedical Research.

In particular, the investigators looked at long non-coding RNA (lncRNA), which experts thought did not play a role in building proteins. New evidence, however, finds that they play a role in regulating gene expression that impacts cancer growth and behavior.

Perera and coinvestigators found that a lncRNA gene, called SPRIGHTLY, is highly expressed in Group 4 medulloblastomas, but not Group 3. We found that this long noncoding RNA (SPRIGHTLY) interacts with one gene called SMYD3, he said. SMYD3 regulates endothelial growth factor receptor (EGFR), which helps the cancer develop new blood vessels that nourish the tumor.

Clearly, SPRIGHTLY could serve as a biomarker for Group 4 because we have not seen this in Group 3 or the other two groups, he says.

The researchers studied SPRIGHTLY in mouse and human models of medulloblastoma and observed that developing tumors were smaller than cells without SPRIGHTLY. Tumor growth was also slower in models where SPRIGHTLY deactivated, supporting the role of SPRIGHTLY in tumor growth and proliferation.

The investigators also conducted laboratory tests that showed that SPRIGHTLY interacts with another protein called PTPB1, which regulates SMYD3 protein production. This pathway enhances the expression of EGFR in Group 4 medulloblastomas and potentially provides a treatment target. There are several existing drugs that inhibit EGFR. Of course, much work is needed to better understand the molecular mechanisms of the SPRIGHTLY pathway in Group 4 medulloblastomas before investigation of treatments.

In addition to Perera, study co-authors were Bongyong Lee, Keisuke Katsushima, Rudramani Pokhrel, Menglang Yuan, Stacie Stapleton, George Jallo and Charles Eberhart of Johns Hopkins; Robert J. Wechsler-Reya of Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute in La Jolla, California; and Animesh Ray of Keck Graduate Institute in Claremont, California, and California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, California.

The work was supported in part by the Schamroth Project funded by Ians Friends Foundation, Hough Family Foundation, and Susan and Robb Hough to Ranjan J. Perera and George Jallo, and NCI grant to Ranjan J. Perera and Charles Eberhart (1R37CA230400).

Neuro-Oncology Advances

Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.

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Researchers identify potential biomarker to distinguish two aggressive types of brain tumors in children - EurekAlert

Health care systems encourage everyone eligible to get a COVID-19 vaccination and booster. (Getty Images)

Vaccine boosters and breakthrough infections following vaccination both provide a substantial and potentially pandemic-breaking immunity against COVID-19, according to new laboratory research from Oregon Health & Science University.

The study, published Wednesday in the journal Med, is the latest in a series of OHSU discoveries using blood samples to characterize immune response to the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

As the number of omicron subvariant cases rise and as global vaccination and booster campaigns continue, an increasing proportion of the worlds population will acquire potent immune responses that may be protective against future SARS-CoV-2 variants, the researchers conclude.

The research measured a powerful immune response among samples from 99 OHSU employees who had blood drawn for the research. Notably, researchers measured an equally potent immune response to the virus with dramatic increases in magnitude, potency and breadth among people whose blood was drawn three months after a third vaccine booster dose and another group one month after a breakthrough infection.

In addition, the study found the immune response was just as powerful among people 65 and older.

Marcel Curlin, M.D. (OHSU)

Early in the pandemic, we had very high mortality in certain vulnerable groups, such as older adults in nursing homes, but that reality is slowly changing, said co-senior author Marcel Curlin, M.D., associate professor of medicine (infectious diseases) in the OHSU School of Medicine and medical director of OHSU Occupational Health. Our study bolsters the idea that vaccination is a pathway to a milder illness. Even if youre older, your chances of having a severe illness if youre re-infected down the line appears to be much lower than it was at the start of the pandemic.

Fikadu Tafesse, Ph.D. (OHSU)

Co-senior author Fikadu Tafesse, Ph.D., associate professor of molecular microbiology and immunology in the OHSU School of Medicine, said he would expect an even more robust immune response among people receiving the new bivalent vaccine booster targeting the BA.4 and BA.5 variants.

We anticipate that updated vaccine strategies with variant-specific regimens will significantly improve the breadth of the immune response and provide better protections against the SARS-CoV-2 variants, he said.

In contrast to the onset of the pandemic, the SARS-CoV-2 virus is no longer novel to the human immune system. Most people in the world have now been vaccinated, infected or both meaning the virus is running up against a much more effective immune response with each new infection.

Curlin said the new study most likely reflects the fact that the virus is evolving to become more transmissible but less harmful.

Evolutionary pressure is driving the virus to find more ways to infect people at the cost of pathogenicity, most likely, he said. Pathogenicity refers to the capacity to cause symptoms associated with the disease.

Funding for this study was supported by the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust; the OHSU Foundation; the National Institutes of Health training grant T32HL083808; and a grant from the OHSU Innovates IDEA fund. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH.

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New study reveals breakthrough infections increase immunity to COVID-19 - OHSU News

Good evening. Im Karen Kaplan, and its Tuesday, Sept. 20. Heres the latest on whats happening with the coronavirus in California and beyond.

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People arent dying of COVID anymore.

It may seem that way, especially when President Biden disses masks on 60 Minutes and tells a national TV audience that the pandemic is over.

But when a friend made that observation to Erick Morales recently, he begged to differ.

Morales own mother, Alejandra Gutirrez, died of COVID-19 in June at the age of 59.

Gutirrez was vaccinated and boosted. She was careful, and so were her adult children, who wore masks when they were with her and avoided social situations that might result in a coronavirus exposure.

But Gutirrez was unlucky. She came down with ovarian cancer during the first pandemic winter, and despite multiple treatments, it spread to her brain in January.

The cancer weakened her, but it wasnt what killed her. She caught COVID-19 in late May and struggled to breathe. In her final days, she lost the ability to speak.

Gutirrez was one of the more than 400 people who died of COVID-19 each day in the U.S. during June, July and August, according to data from the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center. Even now, with the second Omicron wave ebbing, COVID-19 is still killing an average of 425 Americans per day, the center reports.

In January 2021, when the first COVID-19 vaccines were being rolled out, the countrys daily death toll exceeded 3,300. A number like 425 is a definite improvement. But its a lot higher than the handful of cases many of us presume it to be.

For the record:

10:41 p.m. Sept. 21, 2022A previous version of this newsletter said that in January 2021, the countrys daily COVID-19 death toll exceeded 23,000. That was the weekly death toll, which averaged out to more than 3,300 deaths per day.

In fact, COVID-19 is still one of the countrys leading causes of death. As of Tuesday, it would rank fifth, between strokes (439 deaths per day) and chronic lower respiratory diseases (418 deaths per day).

If that seems hard to believe, how about this: In Los Angeles County alone, nearly 800 people died of COVID-19 between May and July. Thats roughly 60% higher than during the same three months last year, when the county recorded nearly 500 deaths.

At a time when vaccines, boosters, medications and antibody treatments are plentiful, when hospitals have the bandwidth to care for patients who are seriously ill, and when, as White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha said, most COVID-19 deaths are preventable, youve got to wonder: Who is dying of COVID-19 now?

My colleagues Emily Alpert Reyes and Aida Ylanan have the answer.

It turns out that Gutirrez was a something of an anomaly. Recent COVID-19 deaths have been heavily concentrated among senior citizens.

Alejandra Morales-Gutirrez and brother Erick Morales lost their mother, Alejandra Gutirrez, to COVID-19 in June.

(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

In California, about half of those who died this summer were at least 80 years old. Another third were people between the ages of 65 and 79.

Throughout California, Black residents had the highest COVID-19 death rate, pretty much regardless of age. And in L.A. County, men have been more likely to die than women.

Gutirrez was a typical COVID-19 victim in one respect: She already had a health problem that made her vulnerable to a serious case of COVID-19. For people like her, an encounter with the coronavirus can be like dry brush encountering a lit match, said Michael T. Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota.

It doesnt cause the high temperatures, or the winds, or the low humidity, he said. But nothing happens until you throw that SARS-CoV-2 virus into the mix.

Here in L.A. County, nearly half of the people who died of COVID-19 between May and July were contending with at least three health conditions before the coronavirus came along, and almost all had at least one. Those conditions werent necessarily as serious as ovarian cancer; typical examples include obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease.

In addition, residents of poorer neighborhoods were more likely to die of COVID-19 than residents of wealthier ones.

But COVID-19 can kill anyone. In recent months, hundreds of young and middle-aged adults have died of the disease, as have four minors. And so have 412 Californians over the age of 12 who were vaccinated (including 260 who were also boosted), although they represent less than 0.01% of state residents whove gotten the shots.

The Omicron variant especially the BA.5 subvariant has been infecting so many people that youve surely encountered tons of people whove recently recovered from a bout with COVID-19. More than in years past, it probably feels like COVID-19 survivors are everywhere. And they are.

But the number of infections is so high that even with a low mortality rate, the death count is still substantial. Its just that in a country eager to move on from the pandemic and stop thinking about things such as masks and booster shots, these deaths arent getting the attention they deserve.

The elderly, the immunocompromised, and the unvaccinated or under-vaccinated they are the ones that account for the vast majority of deaths due to COVID-19, said Dr. Thomas Yadegar, medical director of the intensive care unit at Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana Medical Center.

Weve sacrificed the lives of our most vulnerable for our own convenience, he said.

California cases and deaths as of 4:55 p.m. on Tuesday:

Track Californias coronavirus spread and vaccination efforts including the latest numbers and how they break down with our graphics.

Its no secret that the United States had a less-than-textbook response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It turns out we had plenty of company, even among wealthy nations that were expected to be more prepared.

So says a group of experts convened by the medical journal Lancet. In a report released last week, they made it abundantly clear that they were not impressed with the worlds efforts to rise to the occasion.

The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation estimates the pandemics global death toll at around 17.2 million, a staggering figure that is both a profound tragedy and a massive global failure at multiple levels, the members of the Lancet COVID-19 Commission wrote.

And theres plenty of blame to go around, they added: Too many governments have failed to adhere to basic norms of institutional rationality and transparency, too many people often influenced by misinformation have disrespected and protested against basic public health precautions, and the worlds major powers have failed to collaborate to control the pandemic.

That failure to collaborate came in many forms, the commission members wrote. It started with Chinas delay in notifying the world about the patients in Wuhan who had come down with a mysterious type of pneumonia that wasnt caused by any known virus. It continued with multiple countries failure to coordinate their efforts to contain and suppress the novel virus, or to figure out what those efforts ought to entail.

Wealthy countries didnt do enough to ensure that low- and middle-income countries had the money they needed to procure personal protective equipment, ventilators, test kits and other necessary supplies. And when there were limited supplies of medicines and vaccines, rich nations did not share equally with poor ones, the report says.

Countries did not gather timely, accurate, and systematic data on infections, deaths, viral variants and other factors that would be important to know if you wanted to get a pandemic under control, the experts wrote.

The World Health Organization didnt want to get ahead of the science with good reason but it took too long to acknowledge that people with asymptomatic infections could spread the coronavirus without realizing it, and that the virus spreads mainly through the air. As a result, the WHO was slow to advocate policy responses commensurate with the actual dangers of the virus, the report says.

And no one at any level has had much success combating the extensive misinformation and disinformation campaigns on social media, the report adds.

Thats not even a complete list of the problems the Lancet commission identified.

The commission was established in July 2020 with the aim of finding ways to help countries work together more effectively. Its 28 members are experts in disciplines such as epidemiology, vaccinology, economics and public policy.

Right off the bat, the report explains that you cant suppress an infectious disease without prosociality, which means prioritizing the good of society as a whole over the interests of individuals. Unfortunately, the growing gap between the haves and have-nots in many countries has undermined any sense of collective purpose.

In the U.S. and other countries, an unwillingness to put the interests of society as a whole ahead of the interests of individuals has undermined efforts to get the pandemic under control, experts say.

(Cedar Attanasio / Associated Press)

In the United States and elsewhere, false claims about COVID-19 vaccines and debunked treatments such as ivermectin, among other things, were spread by politicians and cable television personalities for the sake of partisanship, not public health. In the U.S. alone, unfounded anti-vaccine sentiment has led to as many as 200,000 preventable deaths, and this anti-science movement has globalised with tragic consequences, the commission wrote.

We cant go back in time and do everything over. But the commission offered advice on where to go from here.

For starters, it said its not too late for countries to get serious about the basics, including mass vaccination, accessible testing, and treatment. They should be accompanied by policies that support people who need to isolate, as well as common-sense preventive measures such as mask mandates in certain settings. Most importantly, the commission wrote, these efforts should be implemented on a sustainable basis, rather than as a reactive policy that is abruptly turned on and off.

To make sure the pandemic ends as quickly as possible, countries should work together to track new coronavirus variants and quickly assess the risks they pose.

To be better prepared for the next pandemic threat, the commission advised countries to strengthen their own health systems and make sure everyone has access to medical care. In addition, they should shore up their disease surveillance and reporting systems, emphasize the importance of preventive health and emergency preparedness, improve their public health communication strategies, and more aggressively fight health disinformation, according to the report.

Countries should invest a lot more in the World Health Organization and come up with better ways to cooperate and coordinate and they should do it now so theyll be ready when the next infectious disease threat inevitably arises.

That said, countries need to work harder to prevent that next outbreak from happening, the commission said. That means they should come up with more uniform rules about the trade of both domestic and wild animals, and make sure theyre enforced. They should also give the WHO more authority to keep tabs on research programs involving dangerous pathogens to make sure that biosafety rules are followed.

Whether anyone will follow this advice remains to be seen. The commission didnt exactly strike an optimistic tone as it wrapped up its report:

The lack of ambition in the global response to COVID-19 is like that of other pressing global challenges, such as the climate emergency; the loss of global biodiversity; the pollution of air, land, and water; the persistence of extreme poverty in the midst of plenty; and the large-scale displacement of people as a result of conflicts, poverty, and environmental stress.

See the latest on Californias vaccination progress with our tracker.

Another pandemic precaution has bit the dust: As of Saturday, California no longer requires unvaccinated workers at healthcare facilities, schools and other congregate settings to get tested for coronavirus infections once a week.

Those weekly surveillance tests used to be an important part of the states pandemic response. But considering where we are in the outbreak, the tests arent nearly as useful as they once were.

Most state residents now have some immunity through vaccination or a past infection or both so they face less risk of becoming seriously ill. Plus, the Omicron subvariants spread so quickly that weekly testing isnt enough to slow it down, said Dr. Toms Aragn, director of the California Department of Public Health.

Los Angeles County may drop one of its rules by the end of the month if coronavirus case rates continue to decline. If the county sees fewer than 100 cases a week per 100,000 residents roughly 1,400 cases per day masks will no longer be required on public transportation or in hubs such as airports and train stations.

As of Tuesday, the county was averaging 1,735 cases per day over the last week, according to The Times tracker. County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said we could hit the lower threshold by the end of the month.

Should that happen, the county would also stop recommending that everyone wear a mask indoors in public settings such as grocery stores and offices. Face coverings would still be strongly recommended in high-risk settings for people who are older, unvaccinated, live in high-poverty areas or have health conditions that make them more susceptible to a severe case of COVID-19. Otherwise, the decision about covering up would be a matter of personal preference.

Masks will continue to be required in healthcare settings, correctional facilities, cooling centers and a handful of other places.

California isnt the only place seeing pandemic improvements. The World Health Organization says the number of new infections is dropping in every part of the globe.

The WHOs latest weekly report counted 3.1 million new cases, a 28% drop from the previous week. Deaths also fell by 22%, to just over 11,000 the lowest worldwide death toll since March 2020.

We are not there yet, but the end is in sight, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Wednesday.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top infectious disease expert in the U.S., agreed Monday that were heading in that direction. But unlike Biden, he walked back Bidens assessment that the pandemic phase of the outbreak was already behind us.

It is likely that we will see another variant emerge in the late fall or winter, Fauci said Monday during a talk at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.

Dr. Eric Topol, a professor of molecular medicine at Scripps Research in La Jolla, schooled the president as well.

We all wish that were true, Topol wrote in an an op-ed. But unfortunately, that is a fantasy right now. All the data tell us the virus is not contained. Far too many people are dying and suffering. And new, worrisome variants are on the horizon.

An experimental vaccine may help us stay ahead of those new variants. Instead of focusing solely on the spike protein, which has proved adept at mutating in ways that reduce vaccine effectiveness, the new shots also target a far more stable nucleocapsid protein.

Although the vaccines design was based on an early coronavirus strain first seen in Wuhan, it was effective against both the Delta and Omicron variants and when tested in mice and hamsters. Its still several steps away from being tested in humans, but scientists are optimistic that it could lead the way to a one-size-fits-all vaccine that provides lasting protection without needing to be tweaked on a regular basis like the flu shot.

Its a great idea, said Dr. Paul Offit, a virologist and immunologist at the University of Pennsylvania who wasnt involved in the research. You could have argued that we should have done this at the beginning.

And finally, the Chinese government is facing more complaints about its zero-COVID strategy. Earlier this month it was a magnitude 6.8 earthquake in Sichuan province that triggered protests because millions of residents in lockdown were prevented from fleeing their seriously damaged homes.

This week it was a fatal bus crash in the middle of the night in Guizhou province. Forty-seven passengers were being transported to a quarantine facility outside the capital city, Guiyang; 27 of them died.

Critics went online and accused the government of moving the passengers for political purposes, not public health ones. They speculated that residents were being taken outside the city limits so Guiyang wouldnt have to report any new illnesses.

Will this ever end? one commenter asked. Is there scientific validity to hauling people to quarantine, one car after another?

In addition, residents in some neighborhoods complained of hunger after food deliveries were missed, a mistake local officials attributed to their lack of experience and inappropriate methods. The local zoo worried it would run out of food for its animals and appealed to the public for donations of pork, chicken, apples, watermelons, carrots and other produce.

Food shortages are also a problem in Ghulja, a city in Chinas far western Xinjiang region where the Uyghur population is used to harsh treatment from the government.

After more than 40 days of lockdown, hungry and frustrated residents went online to share videos of empty refrigerators and feverish children. In some cases, people who have ingredients to make bread havent been able to bake their dough because authorities wont let them go outside to use their backyard ovens.

Nyrola Elima, Uyghur from Ghulja who no longer lives there, told the Associated Press that her father was sharing one tomato each day with his 93-year-old mother, and that her aunt was desperate for milk for her toddler grandson. Her account could not be independently verified, but her descriptions were in line with videos posted by others.

Chinese censors worked to remove those posts from social media, though some reappeared. Six people were arrested for spreading rumors about the lockdown.

Todays question comes from readers who want to know: Whats the difference between being fully vaccinated and being up to date?

The CDC considers someone to be fully vaccinated if theyve finished their primary series of COVID-19 shots. For Comirnaty (the vaccine from Pfizer and BioNTech), Spikevax (the one from Moderna) and the (relatively) new offering from Novavax, that means two shots given between three and eight weeks apart. Only a single dose is required for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

But immunity wanes and new variants spark fresh COVID-19 surges. That means being fully vaccinated is just the beginning.

The immune system needs a refresher course from time to time, and a booster shot provides one. But rather than change the definition of fully vaccinated, the CDC instead said people who got the boosters recommended for them were up to date with their vaccinations.

If youre at least 12 years old, that means getting a new bivalent booster shot to (hopefully) bolster your protection against BA.4 and BA.5. To be eligible, you must be fully vaccinated and not have had a COVID-19 vaccine in at least two months or a coronavirus infection in at least three months. Once you get a bivalent booster, youll be considered up to date regardless of how many booster shots youve had (or missed) in the past.

We want to hear from you. Email us your coronavirus questions, and well do our best to answer them. Wondering if your questions already been answered? Check out our archive here.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

The woman at Hermosa Beach in the picture above is Sandhya Kambhampati, a colleague of mine on the Data Desk. She caught COVID-19 very early in the pandemic, then became one of the first long COVID patients her doctors had encountered. Last year, she wrote a first-person account of what it took to convince them her symptoms were real.

They finally came around, but Kambhampati still struggled. Eventually, at her doctors insistence, she took a leave from work so she could focus on healing. Painting became an integral part of that process.

At first, it offered an escape on my worst days, but over the last few months, it has developed into much more, she writes in a new essay. Painting sunsets at the beach is simultaneously calming and energizing, allowing her to recharge her batteries and help others who are just starting their journeys with long COVID.

Painting gives me a place to release the medical trauma that people share with me and keep going, she writes.

You may not be dealing with long COVID, but you can follow Kambhampatis lead and shift your mind-set for the better.

Continued here:
Coronavirus Today: Who's dying of COVID-19 now? - Los Angeles Times

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., Sept. 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian has been named a Radiopharmaceutical Therapy Center of Excellence (RTCoE) by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI), a distinction held by only 17 centers in the U.S., including Stanford Health Care, Harvard Medical School and the University of California, San Francisco.

The designation is a recognition of Hoag's leading advancements in the burgeoning field of nuclear medicine research and treatment, according to the SNMMI.

"Radiopharmaceutical therapy represents an exciting new tool in the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of cancer, and we are honored to be recognized for our pioneering work in this emerging field," said Hoag CEO and President Robert T. Braithwaite. "This distinction is both an accomplishment and a promise to our patients and community that Hoag will continue to conquer cancer."

As a Radiopharmaceutical Therapy Center of Excellence, Hoag will continue to lead the nation in testing and offering evidence-based therapies to improve patient care at Hoag and throughout the world, said Gary A. Ulaner, M.D., Ph.D., F.A.C.N.M, James & Pamela Muzzy Endowed Chair in Molecular Imaging and Therapy and director of Molecular Imaging and Therapy for the Hoag Family Cancer Institute.

"Over time, there will likely be improvements in second- and third-generation agents, which will make it important to develop more therapies," Dr. Ulaner said. "Here at Hoag, we are offering the same therapies that are being offered at Memorial Sloan Kettering and other leading cancer institutions worldwide. Patients are often relieved to learn that they have access to these therapies right here in Orange County."

The elite SNMMI designation comes on the heels of the publication of two important peer-reviewed studies coming out of Hoag about the potential for nuclear medicine to change the course of cancer care.

Dr. Ulaner recently published two papers that analyzed molecular imaging in prostate cancer, as well as a separate study studying the effectiveness of imaging in a new targeted breast cancer therapy. His studies appeared in the journals Radiology and Nature Communications, respectively.

"With philanthropic support from the community, Hoag has continuously prioritized providing the best patient care available.With these innovative research programs, Hoag is developing and delivering the future of patient care," said Dr. Ulaner.

Molecular medicine advanced earlier this year when the FDA approved the first targeted radioligand therapy for prostate cancer patients whose tumor cells contain a protein called prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA). The therapy, known commercially as Pluvicto, is the first FDA-approved PSMA-targeted radiotherapy for metastatic prostate cancer.

Hoag's Molecular Imaging & Therapy program is the only program in Orange County to offer Pluvicto, as well as several similar radiotherapies that are currently in clinical trials for prostate and other cancers.

In addition to helping determine the effectiveness of Pluvicto, Dr. Ulaner explains that molecular medicine works like a lock and a key. Every cancer cell has a protein on its surface that can be thought of as a lock. Molecular agents designed to bind specifically to those locks are the key. Infused with radiation, those keys can either help detect or destroy the cancer cells wherever they are in the body, leaving neighboring healthy cells unharmed.

"This is a relatively new field," Ulaner said. "We are the only molecular imaging and therapy center in Orange County. We use molecular agents to help detect cancer and to treat cancer through radioactive molecules."

Hoag is offering ongoing clinical trials in molecular imaging and therapy for a number of cancer types. For more information, contact Hoag Family Cancer Institute at 949-7-CANCER.

ABOUT HOAG Hoag is a nonprofit, regional health care delivery system in Orange County, California.Deliveringworld-class, comprehensive, personalized care,Hoag consistsof 1,800 top physicians, 15 urgent care facilities,10health & wellness centers,andtwoaward-winning hospitals.Hoag offers a comprehensive blend of health care services that includessixinstitutes providing specialized services in the following areas:cancer,digestivehealth,heart and vascular,neurosciences, women's health, and orthopedics through Hoag's affiliate,Hoag Orthopedic Institute,which consists of an orthopedic hospital and four ambulatory surgical centers.Hoag is the highest ranked hospital in Orange County byU.S. News & World Reportandthe only OC hospital ranked in the Top 10 in California, as well asa designated Magnethospital by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).For more information, visithoag.org.

SOURCE Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian

Read more:
Hoag Named Radiopharmaceutical Therapy Center of Excellence, Publishes Results of Breast and Prostate Cancer Trials - PR Newswire

State-of-the-Art Platform Comprised of Established and Emerging Technologies Across a Wide Spectrum of RNA Discovery, Development and Delivery, Excluding RNAi Therapeutics

Strategic Partnership with Beam Therapeutics Provides Access to Beams RNA and Delivery Technologies for Multiple Therapeutics Applications

Founding and Leadership Teams Comprised of Recognized Scientific Pioneers, Successful Drug Developers and Accomplished Biopharma Executives

Initial Funding Led by ARCH Venture Partners with Participation from a16z Bio + Health and Newpath Partners

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., September 07, 2022--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Orbital Therapeutics launched today with a vision of enhancing global health by unleashing the full potential of RNA medicines to treat human disease in ways that were not previously possible.

"The breakthroughs in RNA therapeutics over the last decade have been remarkable achievements by the biopharmaceutical industry, with several approved products for a range of diseases and many more in development. This frontier of science represents the future of medicine, and we are just beginning to realize the full breadth of its applications in treating a wide range of serious diseases," said John Maraganore, Ph.D., Orbital co-founder and chairman of the board of directors. "Orbital Therapeutics has a unique opportunity to integrate and apply a spectrum of innovative RNA technologies to advance a portfolio that could dramatically expand the potential of todays RNA therapeutic approaches."

Game-Changing RNA VisionRNA-based medicines represent a fast-growing and disruptive class of therapeutics for a breadth of disease areas. First-generation RNA treatments successfully overcame multiple hurdles, such as the rapid degradation of exogenous RNA, delivery of RNA and complications associated with immunogenicity.

To further broaden the application of this important class of treatments, Orbital is building a first-in-kind RNA platform that integrates both established and emerging technologies and delivery mechanisms, excluding RNAi. This platform is designed to extend the durability and half-life of Orbitals novel RNA therapeutics, while also expanding their delivery to a larger number of cell types and tissues. As the company grows, Orbital intends to continue investing in the growth of its platform capabilities and technologies.

Story continues

With a platform that provides access to state-of-the-art RNA and novel delivery technologies, Orbital plans to build an expansive portfolio across a range of human diseases, including in the areas of vaccines, immunomodulation, protein replacement and regenerative medicine.

Collaboration with Beam TherapeuticsAs part of its launch, Orbital and Beam Therapeutics have entered into a license and research collaboration under which Orbital and Beam have each granted the other access to respective RNA technology and non-viral delivery technology. Orbitals exclusive field of use consists of vaccines and certain therapeutic proteins, while Beams exclusive field of use consists of gene editing and conditioning for use in cell transplantation.

"The field of RNA medicines is advancing rapidly, and we are excited to participate in the launch of Orbital. Its also an exciting opportunity for Beam, as we continue our strategy of pursuing creative partnerships that can generate value from the full breadth of our platform and accelerate the development of novel and diverse medicines for patients," said John Evans, chief executive officer of Beam Therapeutics. "The collaboration with Orbital also enables us to leverage cutting-edge advancements in RNA science for the development of our pipeline of potential transformative medicines focused on gene editing."

World-Class FoundersOrbital is founded by a collective group of scientific pioneers and proven biopharma company builders, including:

Howard Chang, M.D., Ph.D., professor of cancer research and professor of genetics, Stanford University

Ravi Majeti, M.D., Ph.D., professor of medicine, chief of division of hematology, Stanford University

Drew Weissman, M.D., Ph.D., professor in vaccine research, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania

Gene Yeo, Ph.D., MBA, professor of cellular and molecular medicine, UC San Diego

Giuseppe Ciaramella, Ph.D., president and chief scientific officer, Beam Therapeutics

John Maraganore, Ph.D., former founding chief executive officer of Alnylam Pharmaceuticals

Kristina Burow, managing director, ARCH Venture Partners

Carol Suh, partner, ARCH Venture Partners

In addition, Orbital is initially funded by ARCH Venture Partners, a16z Bio + Health and Newpath Partners.

"The formation of Orbital by a group of visionary leaders and scientific pioneers establishes a single organization that integrates a wide expanse of RNA technologies with a goal of delivering new medicines with a far-reaching impact on human health worldwide," said Ms. Burow. "The ability to combine the highest caliber science with potentially revolutionary technologies and a dynamic organizational structure led by proven experts in RNA, provides a special opportunity to create a therapeutically transformational company, and we at ARCH are thrilled to be a part of such a bold and impactful mission with Orbital."

Expert Leadership and BoardOrbital will be led by Giuseppe Ciaramella, Ph.D., who will serve as interim chief executive officer and a member of the board of directors, in addition to his ongoing role as president and chief scientific officer at Beam Therapeutics. Dr. Ciaramella has more than 25 years of drug discovery expertise and is a leader in the field of RNA research and drug development. Prior to Beam, Dr. Ciaramella served as chief scientific officer of the infectious diseases division at Moderna Therapeutics, where he led the establishment of its initial mRNA vaccine pipeline and the execution of its first investigational new drug application submission.

"In the history of medicine, certain therapeutic classes have revolutionized the treatment of both prevalent and rare diseases, and RNA-based therapeutics is undoubtedly one of them," said Dr. Ciaramella. "The creation of Orbital brings together a critical mass of the latest innovations in RNA technology under one roof to enable near-term clinical readiness, while advancing the durability, tissue-specific programmability and breadth of clinical applications. We stand at the forefront of science with an opportunity to treat human diseases in ways that have not yet been done, and I am excited to be leading the company in this endeavor."

Orbital has also appointed Gilles Besin, Ph.D., as chief scientific officer, bringing more than 15 years expertise in immunology and vaccines for infectious diseases, oncology and metabolic disorders. Dr. Besin joins Orbital from Affinivax Inc., where he served as vice president, head of discovery, leading all research efforts. Previously, Dr. Besin had increasingly senior roles at Moderna Therapeutics, where he led the platform immunology group and the efforts to modulate T cell responses in cancer and autoimmune diseases using mRNA lipid nanoparticles. Earlier in his career, Dr. Besin led research and discovery groups at In-Cell-Art, a biopharmaceutical company specializing in the development of DNA/RNA based vaccines and therapeutics. Dr. Besin earned an Engineering degree in biotechnology (Masters-equivalent) from cole Suprieure de Biotechnologie de Strasbourg (Strasbourg Graduate School of Biotechnology), as well as a Ph.D. in immunology from the Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics. Dr. Besin is a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of Ovensa Inc.

In addition to Dr. Ciaramella, Orbitals highly experienced board of directors includes:

Vineeta Agarwala, M.D., Ph.D., general partner, a16z Bio + Health

Kristina Burow, managing director, ARCH Venture Partners

John Evans, chief executive officer, Beam Therapeutics

John Maraganore, Ph.D., former founding chief executive officer of Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, and chairman of the Orbital board of directors

Carol Suh, partner, ARCH Venture Partners

To support the near-term growth of the company, Orbital will leverage the resources and talent of the Beam team in addition to Dr. Ciaramella, for leadership capabilities, operational support, and research and development.

About Orbital TherapeuticsOrbital Therapeutics aims to enhance global health by unleashing the full potential of RNA-based medicines (excluding RNAi therapeutics) to treat human disease in ways that were not previously possible. The company is building a first-in-kind platform designed to sit at the intersection of RNA technology delivery methods, data science and automation to develop an expansive portfolio of medicines, initially focused in the areas of vaccines, immunomodulation, protein replacement and regenerative medicine. Founded by experts in the fields of genetic medicine and RNA development and delivery, Orbital has a dynamic operational structure designed to harness the ingenuity of a deep and diverse team of scientists, drug developers and business leaders. For more information, please visit http://www.OrbitalTx.com.

Beam Therapeutics Inc.s Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking StatementsThis press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, statements related to Beams license and collaboration agreement with Orbital and any potential benefits that may be achieved thereunder. Each forward-looking statement is subject to important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statement, including, without limitation, the risks and uncertainties identified under the headings "Risk Factors Summary" and "Risk Factors" in Beams Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, Beams Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2022, and in any subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release. Factors or events that could cause Beams actual results to differ may emerge from time to time. Beam undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable law.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220907005434/en/

Contacts

Media Dan Budwick, 1ABdan@1abmedia.com

Investor Monique Allaire, THRUSTmonique@thrustsc.com

More:
Orbital Therapeutics Launches to Advance New Frontiers of Science with the Next Generation of Innovative RNA Medicines - Yahoo Finance

The U.S. developed the worlds most widely used COVID-19 vaccines with brand-new technology in record time, but China just shot ahead in the huffing and sniffing phase of COVID-19 vaccine development.

On Sunday, Chinas government approved CanSino Biologics inhaled COVID-19 vaccine for use as a booster dose. CanSino is a private, Tianjin-based vaccine maker that has partnered with the Chinese military-run Academy of Military Medical Sciences to produce COVID-19 vaccines. The inhaled vaccine uses the same technology as the firms World Health Organizationapproved viral vector COVID-19 vaccine. The new version is breathed in through the mouth, and clinical trial data showed that it was more effective as a booster at preventing infections from Omicron and other variants than the injectable, inactivated vaccine from Chinese firm Sinovac. CanSinos new vaccine is not just the first inhaled vaccine for COVID, it is the first inhaled vaccine for any disease.

The vaccine is a game changer, Pierre Morgon, an executive vice president at CanSino Biologics, told Fortune. This is the first-ever inhaled vaccine to be commercialized. Im so proud to be part of it.

For now, the vaccine will only be available in China. But Morgon said he hopes that CanSinos inhaled vaccine will be approved in more countries by the end of the year.

Some scientists in the U.S., meanwhile, have been calling on the Biden administration and vaccine manufacturers to step up efforts to produce an inhaled or nasal spray vaccine because of the technologys potential to reduce transmission more effectively than injectable immunizations.

Eric Topol, professor of molecular medicine at Scripps Research in San Diego, and Akiko Iwasaki, immunobiology professor at Yale University, urged the U.S. government to create an Operation Nasal Vaccine similar to Operation Warp Speed, which funded initial COVID-19 vaccine development, in a July piece for Science Immunology.

With [Omicron] there has been a marked falloff in the capacity for vaccinations and booster shots to block infections and transmission, Topol and Iwasaki wrote. They explained that blocking transmission and preventing breakthrough infections have become a major unmet clinical need that nasal vaccines may be able to fix.

Intramuscular shots alonedo not provide tissue-level mucosal immunity, they wrote. The only path to achieve this will be via nasal or orally administered vaccines.

Topol and Iwasaki said there were 12 nasal spray vaccines in clinical development globally, but it appeared unlikely that one would hit the U.S. market soon. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved only one nasal spray vaccinefor the fluand has never approved an inhaled vaccine.

U.S. President Joe Bidens administration has signaled that its open to new vaccine delivery methods.

[We are supporting] innovations like nasal sprays and skin patches, instead of needles, to administer vaccines in a more comfortable and accessible way so that everyone in America and around the world can readily benefit from them, Alondra Nelson, the White Houses deputy director for science and society, said in July at a summit on the future of COVID-19 vaccines.

But even at the summit, it was unclear how the U.S. government would fund the development of new COVID-19 vaccine technology. Last spring, Biden failed to strike a deal with Congress for more funding for the governments pandemic response, and the two sides have been in a stalemate over the matter ever since.

Morgon said a relatively simple process turned CanSinos injectable vaccine into a huffable one.

CanSinos inhaled vaccine uses the same technology as its successful viral vector COVID-19 vaccine. Essentially, CanSino takes the liquid used in its injectable vaccines and turns the solution into a mist with a device called a nebulizer. Patients inhale the mist and hold it in their lungs for 15 seconds or so before breathing out.

Its the exact same thing: same composition, same ingredients, Morgon said of the two vaccines. The only difference is the dose.

There is nothing stopping other vaccine makers from developing their own inhaled vaccines, CanSino said.

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Read more from the original source:
Scientists urged the Biden administration to launch an Operation Warp Speed to develop inhaled COVID vaccines. China beat the U.S. to the punch -...

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Foundation Medicine, Inc., a pioneer in molecular profiling for cancer, today announced that the company and its collaborators will present 14 abstracts at the 2022 European Society for Medical Oncology Congress being held virtually and in person in Paris from September 9-13, 2022.

Highlights from the presentations include:

This data demonstrates the power of our tissue- and liquid-based comprehensive genomic profiling tests for enabling critical research on complex genomic signatures and emerging biomarkers, said Priti Hegde, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer at Foundation Medicine. Were proud to be working across the cancer research community to deepen our collective understanding of cancer biology and ultimately support better care for patients in the future.

The following is a list of abstracts that will be presented at the meeting. To access all abstracts being presented at ESMO, please visit: https://oncologypro.esmo.org/meeting-resources/esmo-congress

Follow Foundation Medicine on Twitter and LinkedIn for more updates from #ESMO22 and visit us in person at booth #306.

Abstract #

Title

Product*

Collaborators

Proffered Paper Session

Sunday, September 11, 2022,

4:40 - 4:50 PM CET

#1696O

Genomic profiling and molecular targeting of lung cancer brain metastases

FoundationOne CDx

Montefiore Einstein Cancer Center

Mini Oral Sessions

Saturday, September 10, 2022,

11:15 - 11:20 AM CET

#660MO

Molecular targets in salivary gland cancers: A comprehensive genomic analysis of 1,666 cases

FoundationOne CDx

Upstate Medical University

Monday, September 12, 2022,

3:35 - 3:40 PM CET

#1487MO

A pan-sarcoma investigation of genetic alterations associated with high telomeric content

FoundationOne Heme

Omico (Australian genomic Cancer Medicine), Garvan Institute of Medical Research; St Vincents Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Australia

Posters

Saturday, September 10, 2022

#97P

Pan-cancer landscape of clonal tumor mutational burden (cTMB)

FoundationOne CDx

Massachusetts General Cancer Center, MA, USA; Harvard Medical School, MA, USA; Georgia Institute of Technology, GA, USA; Massachusetts General Hospital, MA, US

Saturday, September 10, 2022

#100P

Co-mutational landscape of key fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) alterations in intra-hepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA), bladder cancer (BC) and glioma

FoundationOne CDx

Ospedale San Raffaele,

Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy; Tyra Biosciences, Carlsbad, CA, USA; F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Basel, Switzerland; Jefferson Health, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA; Repare Therapeutics, Cambridge, MA, USA; Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany

Sunday, September 11, 2022

#1373P

SPOP mutations (mtSPOP) are a treatment-selection biomarker in patients (pts) with de novo metastatic castration-sensitive prostate cancer (dn-mCSPC).

Clinico-Genomic Database (CGDB)

Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah; University of Minnesota Masonic Cancer Center, Minneapolis, MN

Sunday, September 11, 2022

#1393P

Comparison of genomic alterations (GA) landscape in SPOP mutated (SPOPmut) and SPOP wild type (SPOPwt) clinically advanced prostate cancer (CAPC)

FoundationOne CDx

Ospedale San Raffaele,

Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy/Moffitt Cancer Center/SUNY Upstate Medical University

Sunday, September 11, 2022

#1368P

TALAPRO-1: Talazoparib monotherapy in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) with DNA damage response alterations (DDRm)Exploration of tumor genetics associated with prolonged benefit

FoundationOne CDx

The Institute of Cancer Research and The Royal Marsden Hospital, London, UK; various other institutions; Pfizer

Sunday, September 11, 2022

#1521P

Comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) of epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (EHE) and liver angiosarcomas (LAS)

FoundationOne CDx

Medical College of Wisconsin

Excerpt from:
Foundation Medicine to Share 14 Abstracts at the 2022 European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress Demonstrating the Power of Genomic...