Often when researching the molecular and biological changes that happen in space, models such as rodents, worms, and yeast are used to study the effects and consequences of long-duration space flight as a way to understand how microgravity impacts humans in space. However, OHIOs Nate Szewczyk, Ph.D., and several other researchers from around the world have published a paper that proposes a program for the European Space Agency that could potentially revolutionize space medicine by routinely collecting astronauts biological samples from astronauts for use with cutting-edge technologies to understand the effects on their genes, mRNA, proteins, and metabolites (commonly referred to as omics technologies).

The paper, titled Routine omics collection is a golden opportunity for European human research in space and analog environments, published in the journal Patterns, details how omics profiling is primed to transform space medicine and improve occupational healthcare for astronauts. The papers authors anticipate that omics profiling will improve astronauts health and mitigate spaceflight risks, which could increase mission success on more ambitious endeavors such as voyages to Mars. The group of researchers go on to highlight in the paper the collaborative steps that should be taken to design a standardized data resource that can be used for years to come as data and science evolves.

Weve been lobbying for a routine omics collection program to become part of the standard measure for astronauts in the European Space Agency, Szewczyk said. By recovering and analyzing this data, we have the opportunity to further investigate the best practices in personalized medicine for the individuals sent into space.

A twin study was done by NASA where the organization did molecular profiling of one individual which showed it is possible to use large data approaches to understand astronaut health. In the NASA study, they measured how fit the astronaut was before flight, in flight, and after flight to gather their health information and how it may fluctuate in space. After being able to analyze and see the utility of this big data set, NASA decided to make it a standard approach going forward.

We took advantage of NASA making this standard practice because we feel it is something other space agencies need to address to ensure they are finding the best approach to their astronauts health while in space, Szewczyk added.

One of Szewczyks colleagues, Brian Clark, Ph.D., who directs the Ohio Musculoskeletal and Neurological Institute (OMNI) at OHIO noted it is an exciting time for the field of astrobiology. For decades we have known that space flight poses substantial risks to human health and that the physiological effects of prolonged space flight vary tremendously from one person to the other. If you look at ten people that spend six-months on the International Space Station, you will see dramatically different responses between people in things like the amount of muscle and bone loss that they experience. Some experience a staggering amount of loss while others fare considerably better. The advent of omics technologies is clearly our best bet to understand what drives this variability and truly advance personalized space medicine. The knowledge to be gained from these kinds of studies extends far beyond the confines of outer space and has implications for traditional medicine, such as understanding the impact of prolonged disuse that occurs following injury, reconstructive surgery, and illness. It is great to see this call to action and we are extremely proud of Nates stature and influence in the space medicine field.

The team who coauthored the paper is comprised of scientists, including Szewczyk, whose work focuses on space omics. They are tasked with looking at how NASA made the decision to take an omics approach to understanding the molecular and biological impact of astronauts in space and if this measure is something that the European Space Agency should follow along with as well.

Besides identifying whether this practice is beneficial to other space agencies, which data types to collect, which sampling methods to use, and at which time points, they are also looking at what can be measured by multi-omics approaches, such as astronauts genomes and what genes are being expressed, what metabolites are present, are there any changes in proteins, and more.

Thanks to innovations in science, instead of measuring models and translating that data to humans, we are now able to measure people and look at an individuals genome and predict if their genome is at risk for cancer or diabetes, or if a specific drug may or may not work on them based on their genome, Szewczyk said. This is an opportunity to take the same modern molecular medicine approaches and use it on astronauts to identify potential health risks. It is more meaningful than using models and a real opportunity for all space agencies to know and say that the astronauts theyre sending into space are and will be safe.

Along with providing insight to how routine omics collection can improve astronauts health, the team of researchers also appraise ethical and legal considerations pertinent to omics data derived from European astronauts and spaceflight participants, with the goal of creating a policy landscape where data can be as open as possible to maximize scientific potential but as closed as necessary to protect the data subjects.

Szewczyk is an Osteopathic Heritage Foundation Ralph S. Licklider, D.O. Endowed Professor in Molecular Medicine and Principal Investigator of the Ohio Musculoskeletal and Neurological Institute in the Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine. He has previously flown worms into space, analyzing what changed in them in space and comparing the gene expressions in space with rodents and astronauts, looking for commonalities in change like proteins that allows muscles to function and proteins that allow cells to produce energy. He is currently following up findings from these past flights on two new investigations scheduled to fly to the International Space Station in the coming years.

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OMNI scientist Szewczyk collaborates on proposal that could revolutionize space medicine, improve astronaut health - Ohio University

Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA

Gita A. Pathak&Renato Polimanti

Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), Univerisity of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland

Juha Karjalainen,Mark Daly,Andrea Ganna&Mark J. Daly

Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA

Christine Stevens,Mark Daly,Andrea Ganna,Masahiro Kanai,Rachel G. Liao,Amy Trankiem,Mary K. Balaconis,Huy Nguyen,Matthew Solomonson,Kumar Veerapen,Samuli Ripatti,Lindo Nkambul,Mark J. Daly,Sam Bryant&Vijay G. Sankaran

Massachusetts General Hospital, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA

Benjamin M. Neale

Analytic and Translational Genetics Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA

Mark Daly,Andrea Ganna,Konrad J. Karczewski,Alicia R. Martin,Elizabeth G. Atkinson,Masahiro Kanai,Kristin Tsuo,Nikolas Baya,Patrick Turley,Rahul Gupta,Raymond K. Walters,Duncan S. Palmer,Gopal Sarma,Matthew Solomonson,Nathan Cheng,Wenhan Lu,Claire Churchhouse,Jacqueline I. Goldstein,Daniel King,Wei Zhou,Cotton Seed,Mark J. Daly,Benjamin M. Neale,Hilary Finucane,F. Kyle Satterstrom&Sam Bryant

Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA

Shea J. Andrews,Laura G. Sloofman,Stuart C. Sealfon,Clive Hoggart&Slayton J. Underwood

Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland

Mattia Cordioli,Matti Pirinen,Kati Donner,Katja Kivinen,Aarno Palotie&Mari Kaunisto

Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Genetics and Genomic Sciences, York City, NY, USA

Nadia Harerimana

Centre for Bioinformatics and Data Analysis, Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland

Karolina Chwialkowska

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

Brooke Wolford

Ancestry, Lehi, UT, USA

Genevieve Roberts,Danny Park,Catherine A. Ball,Marie Coignet,Shannon McCurdy,Spencer Knight,Raghavendran Partha,Brooke Rhead,Miao Zhang,Nathan Berkowitz,Michael Gaddis,Keith Noto,Luong Ruiz,Milos Pavlovic,Eurie L. Hong,Kristin Rand,Ahna Girshick,Harendra Guturu&Asher Haug Baltzell

Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), Helsinki, Finland

Mari E. K. Niemi&Sara Pigazzini

University of Liege, GIGA-Institute, Lige, Belgium

Souad Rahmouni,Michel Georges&Yasmine Belhaj

CHC Mont-Lgia, Lige, Belgium

Julien Guntz&Sabine Claassen

5BHUL (Lige Biobank), CHU of Lige, Lige, Belgium

Yves Beguin&Stphanie Gofflot

Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland

Mattia Cordioli

Analytic & Translational Genetics Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA

Lindokuhle Nkambule,Lindokuhle Nkambul,Lindokuhle Nkambule&Lindo Nkambul

Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA

Lindokuhle Nkambule

Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA

Lindokuhle Nkambule,Konrad J. Karczewski,Alicia R. Martin,Elizabeth G. Atkinson,Masahiro Kanai,Kristin Tsuo,Nikolas Baya,Patrick Turley,Rahul Gupta,Raymond K. Walters,Duncan S. Palmer,Gopal Sarma,Matthew Solomonson,Nathan Cheng,Wenhan Lu,Claire Churchhouse,Jacqueline I. Goldstein,Daniel King,Wei Zhou,Cotton Seed,Benjamin M. Neale,Hilary Finucane,F. Kyle Satterstrom,Sam Bryant&Caroline Cusick

CHU of Liege, Lige, Belgium

Michel Moutschen,Benoit Misset,Gilles Darcis,Julien Guiot,Samira Azarzar,Olivier Malaise,Pascale Huynen,Christelle Meuris,Marie Thys,Jessica Jacques,Philippe Lonard,Frederic Frippiat,Jean-Baptiste Giot,Anne-Sophie Sauvage,Christian Von Frenckell&Bernard Lambermont

University of Liege, Lige, Belgium

Michel Moutschen,Benoit Misset,Gilles Darcis,Julien Guiot&Samira Azarzar

Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Tomoko Nakanishi

Lady Davis Institute, Jewish General Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Tomoko Nakanishi,David R. Morrison,J. Brent Richards,Guillaume Butler-Laporte,Vincenzo Forgetta,Biswarup Ghosh,Laetitia Laurent,Danielle Henry,Tala Abdullah,Olumide Adeleye,Noor Mamlouk,Nofar Kimchi,Zaman Afrasiabi,Nardin Rezk,Branka Vulesevic,Meriem Bouab,Charlotte Guzman,Louis Petitjean,Chris Tselios,Xiaoqing Xue,Jonathan Afilalo&Darin Adra

Kyoto-McGill International Collaborative School in Genomic Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan

Tomoko Nakanishi

Research Fellow, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Tokyo, Japan

Tomoko Nakanishi

McGill Genome Centre and Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Vincent Mooser,Rui Li,Alexandre Belisle,Pierre Lepage,Jiannis Ragoussis,Daniel Auld&G. Mark Lathrop

Department of Human Genetics, Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

J. Brent Richards

Department of Twin Research, Kings College London, London, UK

J. Brent Richards

Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, McGill University, Montral, Qubec, Canada

Guillaume Butler-Laporte

Department of Emergency Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Marc Afilalo

Emergency Department, Jewish General Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Marc Afilalo

McGill AIDS Centre, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Maureen Oliveira

McGill Centre for Viral Diseases, Lady Davis Institute, Department of Infectious Disease, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Bluma Brenner

Research Centre of the Centre Hospitalier de lUniversit de Montral, Montreal, Canada

Nathalie Brassard

Department of Medicine, Research Centre of the Centre Hospitalier de lUniversit de Montral, Montreal, Canada

Madeleine Durand

Department of Medicine, Universit de Montral, Montreal, Canada

Madeleine Durand,Michal Chass&Daniel E. Kaufmann

Department of Medicine and Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Erwin Schurr

Department of Intensive Care, Research Centre of the Centre Hospitalier de lUniversit de Montral, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Michal Chass

Division of Infectious Diseases, Research Centre of the Centre Hospitalier de lUniversit de Montral, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Daniel E. Kaufmann

MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, UK

Caroline Hayward,Anne Richmond&J. Kenneth Baillie

Center for Applied Genomics, Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA

Joseph T. Glessner,Hakon Hakonarson&Xiao Chang

Department of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA

Joseph T. Glessner&Hakon Hakonarson

Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA

Douglas M. Shaw,Jennifer Below,Hannah Polikowski,Petty E. Lauren,Hung-Hsin Chen,Zhu Wanying,Lea Davis&V. Eric Kerchberger

Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, UK

Archie Campbell,David J. Porteous&Chloe Fawns-Ritchie

Usher Institute, University of Edinburgh, Nine, Edinburgh Bioquarter, Edinburgh, UK

Archie Campbell

University of Texas Health, Houston, TX, USA

Marcela Morris&Joseph B. McCormick

Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK

Chloe Fawns-Ritchie&Chloe Fawns-Ritchie

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

Kari North

Center for Applied Genomics, The Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA

Xiao Chang,Joseph R. Glessner&Hakon Hakonarson

Division of Human Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, The Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA

Joseph R. Glessner

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A first update on mapping the human genetic architecture of COVID-19 - Nature.com

The Summer Scholars Program in Genome Sciences & Medicine, a collaboration between the Duke Program in Precision Medicine, the Duke Center for Genomic and Computational Biology (GCB), andNorth Carolina Central University (NCCU), concluded the 10-week program last week in Durham, North Carolina.

This summer, eight scholars from across the country were paired with a faculty research mentor to learn laboratory skills, designing a research project, and effectively presenting future research.

This summer program has provided me with the skills I need for the rest of my research career, said Paola J. Maldonado, a rising sophomore from the University of Puerto Rico. Working in research is what I want to do, and this experience really solidified that for me. Maldonado was mentored by Jen-Tsan Ashley Chi, PhD, associate professor of molecular genetics and microbiology and assistant professor of medicine in the division of rheumatology and immunology.

Brielle-Anne Michel, a rising junior at Wake Forest University studying biochemistry and molecular biology, was mentored by HiroakiMatsunami, PhD, professor of molecular genetics and microbiology and neurobiology at Duke. The most exciting part of this program was getting to work with the scientific technologies Ive learned about in undergrad classes but havent seen firsthand, she said. I had mentorsshow me the steps to take, and I was able to do several trials completely by my myself, which was exciting.

Students experienced 10 weeks of everything from working in labs, weekly seminars with Duke professors and graduate student mentors, and tips on networking. Among the many skills obtained, they learned more about how to form research abstracts, posters, writing personal statements and CVs, and presenting their research effectively.

The Summer Scholars program gave me my first opportunity to do hands-on research, said Sydney Vander, a pre-med chemistry major at Xavier University of Louisiana. Thanks to this program, I was able to develop important skills, such as, critical thinking, problem solving, and effective communication. Vander aspires to be a physician and shared how the Summer Scholars program helped her realize that she can incorporate research into her future career path. One day she hopes to perform clinical research while also providing care for patients.

The Summer Scholars Program in Genome Sciences & Medicine is supported by an R25 grant by the National Human Genome Research Institute at NIH and is designed for full-time first- and second-year underrepresented in STEMstudents at any college or university.

A special thanks to 2022 faculty mentors, Ashley Chi, PhD; Ornit Chiba-Falek, PhD; Lindsey Constantini, PhD (NCCU); Charlie Gersbach, PhD; Paul Magwene, PhD; Alex Marshall, PhD (NCCU); Hiro Matsunami, PhD; and Anne West, MD, PhD

Learn more about the Summer Scholars Program in Genome Sciences & Medicine

View all photos from the Summer Scholars Poster Session on July 29, 2022

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Summer Scholars leave Duke with a once-in-a-lifetime research experience - Duke University

WASHINGTON: During a recent study researchers have discovered how mitochondrial function, and dysfunction, play critical roles in numerous diseases, and even ageing.

In a new study published in the online issue of Immunity, scientists at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine and Salk Institute for Biological Studies report a surprising link between mitochondria, inflammation and DNMT3A and TET2, a pair of genes that normally help regulate blood cell growth, but when mutated, are associated with an increased risk of atherosclerosis.

We found that the genes DNMT3A and TET2, in addition to their normal job of altering chemical tags to regulate DNA, directly activate expression of a gene involved in mitochondrial inflammatory pathways, which hints as a new molecular target for atherosclerosis therapeutics, said Gerald Shadel, PhD, co-senior study author and director of the San Diego Nathan Shock Center of Excellence in the Basic Biology of Aging at Salk Institute. They also interact with mitochondrial inflammatory pathways, which hints at a new molecular target for atherosclerosis therapeutics.

While studying the roles of DNMT3A and TET2 mutations in clonal hematopoiesis, which happens when stem cells begin making new blood cells with the same genetic mutation, co-senior study author Christopher Glass, MD, PhD, professor in the departments of Medicine and Cellular and Molecular Medicine at UC San Diego School of Medicine, and colleagues noted that abnormal inflammatory signaling related to DNMT3A and TET2 deficiency in blood cells played a major role in the inflammation response that promotes development of atherosclerosis.

But the question remained how DNMT3A and TET2 genes were involved in inflammation and atherosclerosis the buildup of fatty plaques in arteries and the primary underlying cause of cardiovascular disease. It is estimated approximately half of Americans between the ages of 45 and 84 have atherosclerosis, which is the single leading cause of death in the United States and westernized nations.

The problem was we couldnt work out how DNMT3A and TET2 were involved because the proteins they code seemingly do opposite things regarding DNA regulation, said Glass. Their antagonistic activity led us to believe there may be other mechanisms at play, which prompted us to take a different approach and contact Shadel, who had uncovered the same inflammatory pathway years earlier while examining responses to mitochondrial DNA stress.

What they found

Inside mitochondria resides a unique subset of the cells DNA that must be organized and condensed correctly to sustain normal function. Shadels team had previously investigated the effects of mitochondrial DNA stress by removing TFAM, a gene that helps ensure mitochondrial DNA is packaged correctly.

Shadel and colleagues determined that when TFAM levels are reduced, mitochondrial DNA is expelled from mitochondria into the cells interior, setting off the same molecular alarms that alert cells to a bacterial or viral invader and trigger a defensive molecular pathway that prompts an inflammatory response.

Glass and Shadels labs worked together to better understand why DNMT3A and TET2 mutations led to inflammatory responses similar to those observed during mitochondrial DNA stress. The teams applied genetic engineering tools and cell imaging to examine cells from people with normal cells, those with loss of function mutations in DNMT3A or TET2 expression and those with atherosclerosis.

They discovered that experimentally reducing the expression of DNMT3A or TET2 in normal blood cells produced similar results to blood cells that had loss of function mutations and to blood cells from atherosclerosis patients. In all three cases, there was an increased inflammatory response.

They also observed that low levels of DNMT3A and TET2 expression in blood cells led to reduced TFAM expression, which in turn led to abnormal mitochondria DNA packaging, instigating inflammation due to released mitochondrial DNA.

We discovered that DNMT3A and TET2 mutations prevent their ability to bind and activate the TFAM gene, said first author Isidoro Cobo, PhD, a postdoctoral scholar in Glass lab. Missing or reducing this binding activity leads to mitochondrial DNA release and an overactive mitochondrial inflammation response. We believe this may exacerbate plaque buildup in atherosclerosis.

Shadel said the findings broaden and deepen understanding of mitochondrial function and their role in disease.

Its very exciting to see our discovery on TFAM depletion causing mitochondrial DNA stress and inflammation now have direct relevance for a disease like atherosclerosis, said Shadel. Ever since we revealed this pathway, there has been an explosion of interest in mitochondria being involved in inflammation and many reports linking mitochondrial DNA release to other clinical contexts.

More:
Mitochondrial DNA mutations associated with heart disease risk - DTNEXT

An 11-year-old boy sat in a Belgrade hospital with a cough and fever. Doctors said he might have been exposed to tuberculosis, but he was more worried about something else they said. One of the patients there was feared to be positive for smallpox. It was 1972, and Yugoslavia was experiencing Europes last major outbreak of the dreaded disease.

That boy was Janko Nikolich-ugich, MD, PhD, who was never sure if he ever had tuberculosis he was still treated for it or if the other patient really did have smallpox. But living through an epidemic in his younger years sparked an interest in infectious diseases for Dr. Nikolich-ugich, an internationally recognized immunologist and gerontologist at the University of Arizona Health Sciences.

Infections have really shaped our civilization more than anything else, said Dr. Nikolich, head of the UArizona College of Medicine Tucsons Department of Immunobiology and co-director of the Arizona Center on Aging. Our relationship with microbes is still one of the most critical relationships we have in this world in many ways.

Dr. Nikolichs decision to pursue a career in health care was influenced by more than his childhood illness his father, grandfather and grandmother all happened to be doctors. He followed in their footsteps, receiving a medical degree and doctorate in immunology from Belgrade University. When he fulfilled his compulsory military service from 1986 to 1987, he spent most of his time providing medical treatment to the troops and their families.

As Dr. Nikolich returned to a civilian career, he decided to emigrate to the United States, where opportunities to pursue serious research were plentiful. He started as an assistant professor at the Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research and in the Division of Molecular Medicine at the Cornell University School of Medicine and worked his way up to a senior scientist role in the Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute at the Oregon Health and Science University.

In 2008, he joined the University of Arizona Health Sciences, where he continues to make discoveries and advances in the areas of immunity and infection in older adults. His research focuses on persistent viruses including cytomegalovirus, a herpesvirus that can lay dormant in the cells of a persons body before reactivating later in life.

That process of awakening or reactivating of the viruses can have a higher impact on us, or a lower impact on us, depending on our age and our condition, said Dr. Nikolich.

A significant part of his career has been spent examining outbreaks of different viruses. He has studied different annual influenza outbreaks and the mosquito-borne Chikungunya virus and West Nile virus. The latter caused the largest recognized epidemic of neuroinvasive arthropod-borne viral illness in the Western Hemisphere in 2002. Around the same time, his laboratory geared up to study Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, or SARS, a viral respiratory disease caused by a coronavirus. While he did not end up working with that particular coronavirus, the preparation was useful when SARS-CoV-2 came around.

Science forces you into doing new things all the time, he said. Biology will always have surprises for you. The more you have read about things in the past, without even knowing it will be helpful, that recall becomes really critical.

Dr. Nikolichs decades of research into the immune system, infections and aging made him uniquely prepared to take on major challenges when the COVID-19 pandemic began.

Science forces you into doing new things all the time. Biology will always have surprises for you.Janko Nikolich-ugich, MD, PhD

As the mysterious SARS-CoV-2 virus was spreading in early 2020, he collaborated with Deepta Bhattacharya, PhD, professor in the Department of Immunobiology and BIO5 Institute member, to create one of the most accurate antibody tests in the world. Accuracy is of the utmost importance when dealing with such a widespread virus.

We needed something that would be a lot more than 99% accurate, said Dr. Nikolich, who also is a member of the BIO5 Institute.

The test is so accurate because it recognizes antibodies made in response to two independent parts of the viruss spike protein. It will only return a positive result if there are antibody signals for both components. Having an extremely accurate antibody test gave the team more concrete evidence of past infections and provided more insight into how long antibody immunity might last. They were among the first to publish research about long-term immunity to COVID-19.

Dr. Nikolich was in Serbia with his parents when the coronavirus began to march across Europe in March 2020. He doubts if he wore a mask on the plane home, as no one knew how the virus was being spread. Less than a year later, he again boarded a plane double-masked this time to visit his 97-year-old father, who had been diagnosed with COVID-19.

He fought the virus OK. He spiked pretty impressive antibody titers, he said. He never really developed full respiratory distress, but his body could not cope with it. He just stopped eating.

In late 2020, COVID-19 claimed the life of Zarko Nikolic, MD.

I was there to direct his care and make sure he was comfortable, Dr. Nikolich said. And that was a blessing.

His mother, Mirjana Nikolic, passed away almost two years later. Consequences of a prior COVID-19 infection were likely a contributing factor. Dr. Nikolich said his passion for fighting COVID-19 was there before his parents passed away, but he shares the pain millions of people have felt from losing a loved one during the pandemic.

My laboratory studies the decline of immunity in older adults. When a virus like this strikes, we have to do some research and try to understand it. One piece of data people might not realize is people over the age of 80 were dying of COVID-19 at a clip 270 times higher than people between 18-39, he said. Thats not 270% more, thats 270-fold. That means for every one person age 18-39 who died, more than 270 people over the age of 80 were dying, and that is a staggering number.

Today, Dr. Nikolich continues to unravel the mysteries of the human immune response to COVID-19. Part of his research is happening through the National Institutes of Healths Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery (RECOVER) initiative, which is studying long COVID. Dr. Nikolich is leading the Arizona Post-SARS-CoV-2 Cohort Consortium (AZP3C), a six-institution statewide partnership supported by the RECOVER Clinical Science Core at New York University Langone Health.

To study the long-term effects of COVID-19, the AZP3C team will recruit individuals who have experienced or are in the acute phase of COVID-19, including adults from vulnerable, older and underserved populations and representing diverse races and ethnicities.

Looking beyond COVID-19, Dr. Nikolich is uniting a team of experts to come up with solutions for the next pandemic as director of the Aegis Consortium, a UArizona Health Sciences initiative.

The Aegis Consortiums focus is on prediction and preparedness, the acute and long-term aftereffects of pandemics on individuals and societies, and the use of built and natural environments in pandemic control. The three-pronged approach is designed to identify mechanisms and strategies to stave off new pandemics.

We know a lot about the coronavirus and COVID-19, but there is still more to learn, Dr. Nikolich said. Unfortunately, we also know this will not be the last pandemic we see. The Aegis Consortium is uniting experts in research, technology and innovation to develop solutions that protect the world from future pandemics.

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Understanding Infectious Diseases to Improve Health | UArizona Health Sciences - University of Arizona

Dr. Jamie Spangler, assistant professor of biomedical engineering and chemical and biomolecular engineering at Johns Hopkins University, was named a 2022 Outstanding Young Engineer by the Maryland Science Center.

Dr. Spangler, a Northbrook native, is pioneering new research directions in the field of biomolecular engineering by developing innovative tools to interrogate and manipulate biology at the level of proteins.

Her lab is at the cutting edge of molecular medicine, advancing new therapies from the discovery and design phases all the way through clinical translation, particularly for targeted treatment of diseases ranging from cancer to autoimmune disorders.

Outstanding Young Engineer Award recipients are chosen by members of the Maryland Academy of Sciences' Scientific Advisory Council.

Aaron Del Mar, Republican Party state central committeeman, 5th Congressional District- Courtesy of Friends of Aaron Del Mar

At the Cook County Republican Convention on Wednesday, July 27, Palatine resident Aaron Del Mar was elected state central committeeman for the 5th Congressional District for a four-year term. In this position, Del Mar vows to take a leadership role in helping to reform and rebuild the Illinois Republican Party.

Del Mar is the first Asian and Palatine resident to be elected to this statewide position with the Illinois Republican Party. He is an entrepreneur, small business owner and founder of Illinois-based Adrenaline Special Events LLC, which produces 5K races and endurance events across the country.

The Illinois State Central Committee is the governing board of the Illinois Republican Party, and consists of 17 members, with one representing each of the state's congressional districts.

Capt. Alexander Wziontka, U.S. Air Force- Courtesy of Tim Wziontka

Buffalo Grove native Alexander Wziontka was promoted to a captain in the U.S. Air Force.

Capt. Wziontka is a 2012 graduate of Buffalo Grove High School and an Eagle Scout from Troop 140 out of St. Mary Parish in Buffalo Grove. He holds a bachelor's degree in computer science from Michigan State University and is a 2022 graduate of Louisiana State University, with a master's degree in business administration.

A cybersecurity officer, Capt. Wziontka is currently assigned to Ramstein Air Force Base, Ramstein-Miesenbach, Germany, which serves as headquarters for U.S. Air Forces in Europe and is also a North Atlantic Treaty Organization installation.

Domenic Munaretto, gold medalist, men's freestyle, U17 World Championships- Courtesy of Bob Munaretto

Barrington resident Domenic Munaretto, of team USA Wrestling, was awarded a gold medal for his first place men's freestyle win at the U17 World Championships in Rome, Italy.

A graduate of Grove Junior High Prairie Campus, Munaretto defeated Bashir Verdiyev of Azerbaijan for the gold on July 31.

The final score of 2-0 marks the third time in a row team USA Wrestling has won the 45 kg weight division in freestyle.

Along with Munaretto, the U.S. men's freestyle squad U17 will bring home a record setting eight medals. The previous high was seven in 2016.

Submit 'Neighbors in the News' items to ntwohey@dailyherald.com.

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Neighbors in the news: Northbrook native named Outstanding Young Engineer - Daily Herald

Tributes are pouring in at news of the death of John Bienenstock, known internationally as a visionary physician, scientist, academic and a leader at McMaster University. He died July 25 at age 85.

The professor of pathology officially retired in 1998, but he remained active in his research and as director of the McMaster Brain Body Institute at St. Josephs Healthcare Hamilton until his death.

During his tenure at McMaster, he became renowned worldwide as a pioneer in mucosal immunology introducing the concept of a common mucosal immune system. He also advanced the knowledge of neuroimmunology and in understanding how the brain and nervous system collaborate. He published more than 500 peer-reviewed articles and authored, edited or co-edited 10 books including a standard textbook on mucosal immunology and allergy.

He was chair of the Department of Pathology from 1978 to 1989, and dean and vice-president of the Faculty of Health Sciences at McMaster from 1989 to 1997. He was known for establishing a substantial research infrastructure at the Faculty.

His accomplishments were recognized. He became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada in 1992; a McMaster Distinguished University Professor in 1999; a member of the Order of Canada in 2002 and was inducted into the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame in 2011. He became a member of the Faculty of Health Sciences Community of Distinction in 2014. He also received an honorary MD from Goteborg, Sweden.

He was born in Budapest, Hungary in 1936, obtained his medical degree at Kings College London and Westminster Hospital Medical School, U.K. in 1960, and did a postdoctoral term at Harvard University before joining McMaster Universitys medical school start-up in 1968. The first class began in 1969.

Bienenstock was also a mentor and friend to many graduate students and fellow researchers, supervising more than 60 post doctoral fellows and 10 doctoral students.

He leaves his family: his wife Dody; their children, the late Jimson (Johanna), Adam (Jill), and Robin; their grandchildren, Bella, Elsa, Sam, Leo, Sebastiano and Oliva and his sister Tsultrim Zangmo (Veronica).

Typical of the tributes, is this one from Dr. Kevin Smith, former CEO of St. Josephs Healthcare and current President & CEO, University Health Network John was the single most important mentor in my career and unquestionably the most creative person a true renaissance man I have ever had the privilege of working with. He took great joy in the success of others and made hard work fun. He became a dear and beloved friend who I will forever treasure and miss.

Dr. John Bienenstock has had an immense impact on the Faculty since he started here 54 years ago. He was a visionary as a scientist, as an administrator and as an academic, inspiring generations of scientists and clinicians to think outside of the box. He was a friend and mentor to so many of us, and his legacy of innovation will continue, Paul OByrne, Distinguished University Professor, Medicine, and Dean and Vice-President, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University.

John Bienenstock was a remarkably creative individual, a revolutionary thinker and a pioneer in the study of mucosal Immunology. Johns impact on our community has been deep and far-reaching. As holder of the John Bienenstock Chair in Molecular Medicine, I am continually inspired by Johns legacy of scientific excellence and impact, Jonathan Bramson, Professor, Medicine and Vice-Dean, Research, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University

The Canadian Medical Hall of Fames 2011 tribute to John Bienenstock is here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyXxiBw8qlQ

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Distinguished health researcher, hospital executive John Bienenstock remembered - The Bay Observer - Providing a Fresh Perspective for Hamilton and...

The arms race between the human immune system and gonorrhea might have had the useful side effect of promoting healthy brain tissue later in life.

This tiny boost to cognitive health in our twilight years might have played a small role in ensuring grandmas were sharp-minded enough for evolution to keep them around.

While its fiendishly difficult and may be impossible to figure out what evolutionary factors are responsible for living beyond ages where we no longer reproduce, researchers at the University of California, San Diego, are closing in on some possible explanations.

In2015, a team of researchers led by molecular medicine professor Ajit Varki discovered that humans have a unique type of immune receptor that protects againstAlzheimersdisease and sets us apart from other primates.

In apaperpublished this month, the team found that the spreading of this variant immune receptor in our species wasnt entirely random, but rather the result of intense selection pressure over a relatively brief period.

The research showed that some of our closest relatives NeanderthalsandDenisovans did not have this version of immune receptors coded into their genomes. Something drove humans to develop this special immune receptor early in our history as a species, the researchers said.

The likely culprits are infectious human-specific pathogens likeNeisseria gonorrhoeae that try to disguise themselves by dressing in the same sugar coating as human cells, which fools patrolling immune cells into thinking the bacteria are harmless.

The researchers showed that the newly evolved immune receptor could see through the disguise and kill the invading bacteria, while the older variation of the immune receptor could not.

Getting rid of gonorrhea is useful for the survival of the species because this disease can mess with human reproduction.

The new version of the immune receptor is called huCD33. Thanks to the way this version is tweaked into two subtly different structures within our body, its been the subject of investigations by evolutionary scientists for some time.

Once evolved, this immune receptor was probably co-oped by brain immune cells, called microglia, for a different purpose: protection against aging, the researchers suggest.

The human immune system usually doesnt attack itself on purpose, but it needs to when cells start to decay.

The huCD33 receptor, which seems to have evolved as a response to sneaky bacteria, had the added benefit of being able to recognize decaying brain tissue and thereby protect cognitive function in old age.

Microglia use the huCD33 receptor to clear away damaged brain cells and amyloid plaques associated with Alzheimers disease.Whether this might have played a role in clearing the way for evolution to add a few more precious years to our lives for the sake of helping out with raising families is a topic open to debate.

Grandparents provide benefits to the human species as they help to look after kids and pass on important cultural knowledge. And gonorrhea may be to thank for that.

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Did the prevalence of gonorrhea in early humans lead to long-living and protective grandmothers? - Genetic Literacy Project

Eunice Yuen, MD, PhD, assistant professor of psychiatry, has been selected to participate in the 2022-23 Women Faculty Forum Public Voices Fellowship at Yale.

The program gives under-represented minority scholars the opportunity to work with top journalists from The OpEd Project. Fellows receive support in all areas of public thought leadership, including writing and placing op-ed pieces, conducting TV and radio interviews, and using social media.

The fellowship is designed to assist scholars in increasing their influence as thought leaders whose ideas impact not only academia but also larger public debates.

The OpEd Project works with universities and other organizations to train under-represented experts to take thought leadership positions in their fields through op-eds and other means.

Before joining the Yale School of Medicine faculty, Yuen completed the Albert J. Solnit Integrated Training Program in Adult, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Research at the Yale Department of Psychiatry and Yale Child Study Center. Her neuroscience PhD research focused on cellular and molecular mechanisms of emotional stress in the brain and how emotional stress affects mental health.

Yuen is also founder and director of Yale Compassionate Home, Action Together (CHATogether), a culturally- and family-oriented program using drama vignettes as educational tools to promote emotional wellness in Asian-American children, young adults, and parents.

Submitted by Christopher Gardner on August 03, 2022

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Yuen Selected to Participate in WFF Public Voices Fellowship - Yale School of Medicine

HELSINKI, Aug. 2, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --Valo Therapeutics Oy (ValoTx), the developer of novel, adaptable immunotherapy platforms for cancer and infectious diseases, today announced four appointments to its Scientific Advisory Board (SAB), Professor Paolo A. Ascierto, Dr Jeffery Bockman, Professor Malcolm K. Brenner, and Professor Kevin Harrington.

ValoTx's CEO, Paul Higham, said, "We are delighted to welcome our distinguished, and expert, new SAB members. They bring a wealth of scientific and clinical understanding which will be of great help in progressing our antigen-coated oncolytic viruses and vaccine vectors as innovative immunotherapy approaches against cancer and infectious diseases. We look forward to working with them all."

ValoTx's Scientific Advisory Board chair, Professor Vincenzo Cerullo, said, "It's a great pleasure to have such top international scientific and clinical talent join me on Valo's Scientific Advisory Board. Our innovative solutions to vaccines, immuno-oncology and personalised cancer treatments are life-changing and will overcome some of medicine's greatest challenges."

Professor Paolo Antonio Ascierto is a world-leading key opinion leader in melanoma disease and immunotherapy. He is currently Director of the Department of Melanoma, Cancer Immunotherapy and Development Therapeutics at the National Cancer Institute "Pascale" in Naples, Italy. He is Editorial Board Member, Editor and Scientific Reviewer for leading medical journals and a member of the Steering Committee of the Society of Melanoma Research (SMR). Dr Ascierto is part of the Board of Directors for the Society of ImmunoTherapy of Cancer (SITC) and of the Cancer Development Drug Forum (CDDF), and is President of the Fondazione Melanoma Onlus, and the Campania Society of ImmunoTherapy of Cancer (SCITO). He has been an invited speaker to over 400 national and international scientific meetings, courses, and workshops. He has presided as Principle Investigator on over 150 clinical trials, and he is the author of over 600 publications in peer-reviewed journals. His awards and honours are numerous and include receiving the GEF Health Award in 2022. He has received funding from the POR FESR and ERA-NET, among others.

Dr Jeffrey Bockman received a BA from the University of California at San Diego, an MA in English/Creative Writing from New York University, and a PhD in Medical Microbiology from the University of California at Berkeley. He is the Executive Vice President, Head of Oncology at Lumanity BioConsulting, and was an Assistant Research Professor at The George Washington University School of Medicine. He has worked closely with two Nobel Prize recipients: Dr Sidney Altman, on ribozymes, and Dr Stanley Prusiner, on prions. He brings to the SAB extensive commercial and strategic perspective on the pharmaceutical and biotech industries, including leading the commercial development of oligonucleotide therapeutics for viral diseases and cancer at Innovir Laboratories. He is a frequent speaker at industry events such as BIO on the intersection of scientific, clinical, and strategic issues affecting biotech oncology drug development. Jeff is a member of AACR, ASCO, ASH, ASGCT, SITC and NYAS. He is a mentor for the NCI Innovation Conference, a judge for the Citeline Awards, a member of the Advisory Group to Skipper Bio Med, and is on the Clinical Advisory Board of ImmunOS (Zurich) and the Scientific Advisory Board of hC Bioscience (Cambridge, MA).

ProfessorMalcolm K. Brenner is an award-winning physician-scientist who has pioneered the therapeutic use in cancer of T cell immunologic approaches and genetic engineering strategies. He is the Founding Director, Centre for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine (BCM), Houston Methodist Hospital and Texas Children's Hospital. He served as Editor-in-Chief of Molecular Therapy and as former President of the American Society for Gene and Cell Therapy and of the International Society for Cell Therapy. Dr Brenner obtained his medical degrees and PhD from the University of Cambridge, England. Dr Brenner's work has been funded by the NIH-NCI, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, and several charitable foundations. He has been involved in the foundation of several companies, such as Allovir, Marker Therapeutics, and Tessa Therapeutics.

Professor Kevin Harrington qualified in medicine from the University of London and obtained his PhD from Imperial College, London. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and the Royal College of Radiologists. He completed postgraduate training in clinical oncology (Royal College of Radiologists Rohan Williams medallist) and postdoctoral research in Professor Richard Vile's laboratory at the Molecular Medicine Programme in the Mayo Clinic. He subsequently was appointed to a group leader position at The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR), London and an honorary consultant oncologist post at the Royal Marsden Hospital (RMH). He is the Head of the Division of Radiotherapy and Imaging at the ICR, and Director of the CRUK ICR/RMH RadNet Centre of Excellence. He has led phase I, II and III trials of oncolytic virotherapies, immunotherapy and radiation-drug combinations. He brings to the SAB a longstanding focus on gene therapy and viral gene therapy as ways to selectively destroy cancer cells and activate anti-tumour immune responses. His laboratory research focuses on the use of biologically targeted agents, in combination with treatments such as radiotherapy and chemotherapy, to target cancer cells selectively, especially in head and neck cancer and in melanoma.

About ValoTx

Valo Therapeutics Oy (Helsinki) is an immunotherapy company that is developing innovative immunotherapy approaches against cancer and infectious disease. The ValoTx lead platform, PeptiCRAd (Peptide-coated Conditionally Replicating Adenovirus), was developed out of the laboratory of Professor Vincenzo Cerullo at the University of Helsinki. It turns oncolytic adenoviruses into targeted tissue specific cancer vaccines without the need to generate and manufacture multiple genetically modified viruses. The company is also developing PeptiENV and PeptiVAX, among other neoantigen strategies, in collaboration with Professor Cerullo. PeptiENV is expected to improve the therapeutic response to oncolytic enveloped viruses in the treatment of multiple forms of cancer, while PeptiVAX is a program to develop a novel, adaptable anti-infectives vaccination platform. The lead PeptiVAX project is a T-cell pan-Coronavirus vaccine. The company's PeptiCHIP technology enables the rapid and accurate identification of tumor antigens. A film explaining the PeptiCRAd technology can be found here.

SOURCE Valo Therapeutics

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Valo Therapeutics Announces Scientific Advisory Board - PR Newswire