Article
Immunology
Catherine Byrne, Daniel Coombs, Soren Gantt
Summary: A vaccine to prevent congenital cytomegalovirus infection is a public health priority. A mathematical model suggests that a vaccine given to young children may significantly reduce CMV transmission to pregnant women and the prevalence of cCMV.
Article
Immunology
Jill Hutton, Paul J. Rowan
Summary: The study aimed to estimate vertical transmission rates in twins versus singletons, examine discordance within twin pairs, and characterize concordance in monozygotic and dizygotic twins regarding hereditability. Results show a higher vertical transmission rate of congenital CMV in twins compared to singletons, non-rare discordance in twin pairs, and suggest a possible genetic susceptibility to congenital CMV.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Kara S. Cox, Lu Zhang, Daniel C. Freed, Aimin Tang, Shifang Zhang, Yu Zhou, I-Ming Wang, Richard E. Rupp, Stuart P. Adler, Luwy K. Musey, Dai Wang, Kalpit A. Vora, Tong-Ming Fu
Summary: The study analyzed vaccine-induced T cells for memory phenotype, antigen specificity, cytokine profiles, and cytolytic potential using multicolor flow cytometry. The results showed that vaccination elicited polyfunctional CD4 and CD8 T cells with predominantly effector phenotype responding to 2 dominant antigens, pp65 and IE1. Analysis of T-cell receptor repertoires demonstrated polyclonal expansion of antigen-specific T cells after vaccination.
JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Lisa Hui, Antonia Shand
Summary: Congenital cytomegalovirus can be reduced by controlling primary/nonprimary infections and improving maternal and infant hygiene, but the effectiveness of screening and treatment methods is still controversial in clinical trials.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY MFM
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Claudia Sommerer, Anita Schmitt, Angela Huckelhoven-Krauss, Thomas Giese, Thomas Bruckner, Lei Wang, Paul Schnitzler, Stefan Meuer, Martin Zeier, Michael Schmitt
Summary: The study conducted a clinical trial on the safety and efficacy of CMVpp65 peptide vaccine in seronegative end-stage renal disease patients, showing good tolerability and CMV-specific T cell responses in half of the patients, preventing CMV reactivation.
Article
Immunology
Alicja Sadowska-Klasa, Wendy M. Leisenring, Ajit P. Limaye, Michael Boeckh
Summary: A systematic review of randomized and observational studies from 2013-2023 indicated that antiviral preemptive therapy initiated at cytomegalovirus viral load thresholds between 2 and 3 log10 IU/mL had comparable cytomegalovirus disease rates. Thus, viral thresholds within this range appeared to effectively safeguard patients who did not receive prophylaxis.
JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Pediatrics
Angela Chiereghin, Claudia Pavia, Gabriele Turello, Eva Caterina Borgatti, Federico Baiesi Pillastrini, Liliana Gabrielli, Dino Gibertoni, Concetta Marsico, Massimo De Paschale, Maria Teresa Manco, Antonia Ruscitto, Laura Pogliani, Marta Bellini, Alessandro Porta, Luciana Parola, Maria Luisa Scarasciulli, Agata Calvario, Manuela Capozza, Maria Grazia Capretti, Nicola Laforgia, Pierangelo Clerici, Tiziana Lazzarotto
Summary: This study investigated the universal screening for congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) infection in newborns and evaluated the therapeutic interventions and clinical outcomes for CMV-infected infants. The results showed the importance of universal neonatal CMV screening in identifying and treating infected infants to prevent late neurological sequelae.
FRONTIERS IN PEDIATRICS
(2022)
Review
Immunology
Susanna Esposito, Giulia Chiopris, Giulia Messina, Tiziana D'Alvano, Serafina Perrone, Nicola Principi
Summary: CMV is a common cause of congenital infection and non-genetic sensorineural hearing loss in children, with up to 2% of neonates affected, particularly in developing countries. Research on a vaccine to prevent CMV infection faces challenges due to the complex relationship between the host's immune system and the virus, highlighting the need for further studies.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Maria Soriano-Ramos, Estrella Esquivel-De la Fuente, Eliseo Albert Vicent, Maria de la Calle, Fernando Baquero-Artigao, Sara Dominguez-Rodriguez, Maria Cabanes, Enery Gomez-Montes, Anna Gonce, Marta Valdes-Bango, Ma Carmen Vinuela-Beneitez, Mar Munoz-Chapuli Gutierrez, Jesus Saavedra-Lozano, Irene Cuadrado Perez, Begona Encinas, Laura Castells Vilella, Maria de la Serna Martinez, Alfredo Tagarro, Paula Rodriguez-Molino, Estela Gimenez Quiles, Diana Garcia Alcazar, Antonio Garcia Burguillo, Maria Dolores Folgueira, David Navarro, Daniel Blazquez-Gamero
Summary: In this study, 135 pregnant women suspected of CMV infection were evaluated, with 60 having a primary CMV infection and providing samples. Among these, 24 mothers transmitted the infection to the fetus, while 36 did not. No association was found between the presence of CD4 or CD8 responses against CMV at the time of maternal infection diagnosis and the risk of fetal transmission. No transmission occurred among women with an undetectable CMV viral load in blood at diagnosis.
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Paddy Ssentongo, Christine Hehnly, Patricia Birungi, Mikayla A. Roach, Jada Spady, Claudio Fronterre, Ming Wang, Laura E. Murray-Kolb, Laila Al-Shaar, Vernon M. Chinchilli, James R. Broach, Jessica E. Ericson, Steven J. Schiff
Summary: This study highlights that low- and middle-income countries bear the greatest burden of congenital cytomegalovirus infection, urging global efforts to address the issue in regions with high prevalence. Screening methods using blood samples showed lower infection rates compared to urine or saliva samples.
Article
Immunology
Vera Portillo, Stavroula Masouridi-Levrat, Lena Royston, Sabine Yerly, Manuel Schibler, Maria Mappoura, Sarah Morin, Federica Giannotti, Anne-Claire Mamez, Christian van Delden, Yves Chalandon, Dionysios Neofytos
Summary: Positive CMV serology in allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant recipients (allo-HCTRs) may be false-positive due to transfusion-associated passive immunity. Reclassifying CMV status can help accurately assess the risk of CMV infection in these patients.
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2023)
Review
Immunology
Sara Alonso-Alvarez, Enrique Colado, Marco A. Moro-Garcia, Rebeca Alonso-Arias
Summary: The intricate relationship between herpesvirus and humans has evolved over millions of years, resulting in a low level of viral activity due to latency. This balance is disrupted in immunosuppressed patients, particularly those with hematologic disorders. New treatment modalities have shed light on the role of various immune cells and the impact of CMV infection in different patient groups.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Virology
Andrea Gilioli, Andrea Messerotti, Paola Bresciani, Angela Cuoghi, Valeria Pioli, Corrado Colasante, Francesca Bettelli, Davide Giusti, Fabio Forghieri, Leonardo Potenza, Francesca Donatelli, Rachele Giubbolini, Laura Galassi, Roberto Marasca, Federico Banchelli, Roberto D'Amico, Monica Pecorari, William Gennari, Tommaso Trenti, Patrizia Comoli, Mario Luppi, Franco Narni
Summary: The study retrospectively analyzed a cohort of patients who underwent HSCT and found that CMV clinically significant infection (CS-CMVi) occurred in 48% of prophylactically treated patients, but it did not impact relapse incidence or overall survival. Additionally, the use of CMV-IG alone as prophylactic therapy did not effectively prevent CMV reactivation.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL VIROLOGY
(2021)
Article
Virology
Emily N. Atwood, Frank P. Esper, Kaitlin Bailey, Mary Kathryn Doud, Alison M. Benton, Jeremy Friesen, Matthew J. Rodgers, Romney M. Humphries, Daniel D. Rhoads, David C. Gaston, Hannah Wang
Summary: Two hospitals implemented congenital CMV screening using Alethia CMV Assay Test System and discovered a potential false-positive rate of 4.5-6.2%, higher than the reported rate. Quality management strategies were implemented to confirm the false-positive results and evaluate the accuracy of the assay.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL VIROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Virology
Elizabeth R. Duke, Florencia A. T. Boshier, Michael Boeckh, Joshua T. Schiffer, E. Fabian Cardozo-Ojeda
Summary: CMV dynamics in untreated HCT recipients are highly variable, with models suggesting that host immune response plays a key role in determining the viral kinetics. The study contributes to a better understanding of CMV infection in bone marrow transplant recipients and the potential implications for therapy.
Article
Oncology
Elizabeth B. Claus, Vincent L. Cannataro, Stephen G. Gaffney, Jeffrey P. Townsend
Summary: This study finds that cancer-causing mutations in gliomas primarily originate from endogenous factors rather than exogenous factors, with differences in mutation locations in the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway between males and females. Additionally, a rare environmental risk factor is suggested for some cases of glioma, particularly in males.
Letter
Pathology
Jeffrey P. Townsend, Chad R. Wells
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR DIAGNOSTICS
(2022)
Editorial Material
Oncology
Chichun Tan, Jeffrey D. Mandell, Krishna Dasari, Vincent L. Cannataro, Jorge A. Alfaro-Murillo, Jeffrey P. Townsend
Article
Microbiology
Maggie Gortikov, Zheng Wang, Andrei S. Steindorff, Igor Grigoriev, Irina S. Druzhinina, Jeffrey P. Townsend, Oded Yarden
Summary: The filamentous mycoparasitic fungus Trichoderma asperelloides strain T 203, isolated from soil in Israel by the Han Chet group in the 1980s, has been extensively studied in laboratory, greenhouse, and field experiments, and incorporated into commercial agricultural preparations. Consequently, its genome has been sequenced and analyzed.
MICROBIOLOGY RESOURCE ANNOUNCEMENTS
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Tao Qing, Hussein Mohsen, Vincent L. Cannataro, Michal Marczyk, Mariya Rozenblit, Julia Foldi, Michael Murray, Jeffrey P. Townsend, Yuval Kluger, Mark Gerstein, Lajos Pusztai
Summary: This study explores the functional importance of genes that interact with core cancer genes in a gene-gene interaction network. The findings suggest that genes closer to cancer genes exhibit greater importance in cancer biology, with higher connectivity in the network, higher somatic mutation frequency, and greater negative selection pressure. These results can be used to annotate known human genes with cancer relevance.
JNCI-JOURNAL OF THE NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Vincent L. Cannataro, Jeffrey D. Mandell, Jeffrey P. Townsend
Summary: Mutational processes in tumors generate distinctive mutation patterns, consisting of neutral passenger mutations and oncogenic drivers that affect the proliferation and survival of cancer cell lineages. The contribution of different mutational processes to tumorigenesis varies among different types of cancers, with some mutations being caused by preventable exogenous processes and others by endogenous processes. These findings provide valuable insights into the mechanisms of tumor development and inform public health strategies.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Wonyong Kim, Zheng Wang, Hyeonjae Kim, Kasey Pham, Yujia Tu, Jeffrey P. Townsend, Frances Trail
Summary: This study explores the transcriptional divergence of key developmental genes in five related sordariomycete fungi. The findings demonstrate that many previously uncharacterized genes play crucial roles in different stages of fruiting body development and have undergone transcriptional activation in specific lineages. These novel genes are predicted to be phylogenetically young and tend to be involved in lineage- or species-specific functions. Transcriptional activation of genes with unknown function appears to be more frequent than previously thought and is crucial for successful adaptation to changing environments for sexual reproduction.
Article
Microbiology
Zheng Wang, Francesc Lopez-Giraldez, Jason Slot, Oded Yarden, Frances Trail, Jeffrey P. Townsend
Summary: This study investigates the gene expression patterns of secondary metabolite clusters (SMCs) in the fungal model N. crassa and reveals their life cycle-specific expression. It also demonstrates the divergent activity of SMCs between asexual and sexual development. The findings highlight the importance of studying the function of SMCs in developmental switches and their ecological associations.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jeffrey P. Townsend, Hayley B. Hassler, Pratha Sah, Alison P. Galvani, Alex Dornburg
Summary: This study utilized comparative evolutionary analysis to estimate the durability and breakthrough infection likelihood of different COVID-19 vaccines, showing that mRNA vaccines may offer more long-lasting protection compared to viral vector vaccines.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Jeffrey D. Mandell, Vincent L. Cannataro, Jeffrey P. Townsend
Summary: In this study, a research team developed an R package called cancereffectsizeR to help researchers estimate the effects of cancer-related somatic mutations. The utility of this method was validated by showing that somatic variants classified as likely pathogenic or pathogenic exhibited higher effects than other variants. Furthermore, the application of this approach in lung adenocarcinoma showed that driver mutations in certain genes reduce selection for alterations in other genes.
Article
Virology
Jeffrey P. Townsend, Hayley B. Hassler, Alex Dornburg
Summary: We quantified the likelihood of breakthrough infections following different vaccine boosting schedules with mRNA-1273 (Moderna) and BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech). Boosting every 6 months, 1, 1.5, 2, or 3 years resulted in respective probabilities of fending off infection over a 6-year span. Delaying the administration of updated boosters increases the probability of individual infection and ongoing disease spread. Regular, population-wide booster vaccination updated to predominant variants has the potential to eliminate COVID-19.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL VIROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Cristina Miguel-Rojas, Brad Cavinder, Jeffrey P. Townsend, Frances Trail
Summary: Fusarium graminearum and Magnaporthe oryzae are two important pathogens that cause diseases in cereal grains. Despite the lack of strong host resistance against F. graminearum, other methods of control are necessary. Comparative transcriptomics have shown promise in revealing new disease prevention strategies. Rating: 8/10.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Zheng Wang, Yen-Wen Wang, Takao Kasuga, Hayley Hassler, Francesc Lopez-Giraldez, Caihong Dong, Oded Yarden, Jeffrey P. Townsend
Summary: The origin and function of new genes have been investigated in the model genus Neurospora, leading to the discovery of lineage-specific genes (LSGs) that are located adjacent to telomeres. Transcriptomics analysis revealed the involvement of LSGs in various regulatory modules. The ancestral status of a specific LSG was studied in detail, indicating its origin from an ancient lysophospholipase precursor. These findings shed light on the formation of new genes and functions in the N. crassa genome.
Article
Biology
Jorge A. Alfaro-Murillo, Jeffrey P. Townsend
Summary: This study introduces a continuous-time Markov chain model that enables the estimation of mutation rates and selection coefficients for cancer genotypes. The model, coupled with a deconvolution approach, allows inference of the most likely routes of variant evolution and estimation of selection strength. The findings reveal both synergistic and antagonistic epistatic effects in oncogenesis, providing important insights for cancer research and personalized therapy development.
MATHEMATICAL BIOSCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Jeffrey P. Townsend, Hayley B. Hassler, April D. Lamb, Pratha Sah, Aia Alvarez Nishio, Cameron Nguyen, Alexandra D. Tew, Alison P. Galvani, Alex Dornburg
Summary: The seasonality of COVID-19 is crucial for effective healthcare and public health decision-making. Previous waves of SARS-CoV-2 infections have indicated that the virus will likely persist as an endemic pathogen with distinct surges. However, the timing and patterns of potentially seasonal surges remain uncertain, rendering effective public health policies uninformed and in danger of poorly anticipating opportunities for intervention, such as well-timed booster vaccination drives. Applying an evolutionary approach to long-term data on closely related circulating coronaviruses, our research provides projections of seasonal surges that should be expected at major temperate population centers. These projections enable local public health efforts that are tailored to expected surges at specific locales or regions. This knowledge is crucial for enhancing medical preparedness and facilitating the implementation of targeted public health interventions.