Unless you are a total stem cell nerd, Dr. Klotman’s Week 271 video address will be of little interest. This week he interviewed one of BCM’s scientist luminaries in the field of stem cell research – specifically the stem cells responsible for forming red blood cells and the various families of white blood cells that populate our immune systems. This kind of research will someday unlock yet unimagined treatments for things like aplastic anemia, leukemias, lymphomas, other maladies of the blood and immune system, and bone marrow transplants.
On the infectious disease public health front, I report the following from other feeds and sources:
HIV
A single injection of a CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing therapy that targets SIV has effectively removed the viral genome from the DNA of non-human primates. Think of this as a “proof of concept” in the development of a treatment that actually cures people who have HIV/AIDS. As I have mentioned often, the time from basic science research finding to real-world application at the bedside can take decades – commonly at least two if not four. In this case, the work on CRISPR began in 2000 by Francisco Mojica at the University of Alicante in Spain. Here we are 25 years later – about to bring it to the bedside for patients with HIV.
COVID
The most recent COVID resurgence in Asia has been attributed to a new strain NB.1.8.1 which appears to spread more readily than earlier strains but does not appear to produce more severe illness. In medspeak, we might say that it is more contagious but not more virulent than earlier strains. It seems likely that our current COVID boosters will provide protection against the new strain which is already present in the US. Isn’t modern travel a wonderful thing?
A few days ago, RFK announced by tweet that the FDA would not be approving the COVID booster for children or pregnant people unless they had a condition predisposing to severe COVID. The CDC actually placed COVID vaccinations on its list of recommended childhood immunizations and went further to state that parents wanting to have their child vaccinated against COVID as well as pregnant patients seeking a COVID vaccine, should make their decision after discussing it with their physician. This notion is called, “shared decision making,” in the clinical world, and RFK and his cadre of science deniers and anti-vaxxers do not get to share in the decision! Pendejos.
Kudos to the CDC for standing firm against the anti-science cult.
West Nile
You probably know that West Nile virus has become endemic in states such as Texas. The health departments (state and local) set up traps for mosquitos so that they can be tested for this and other viruses that can be transmitted to humans. West Nile has been detected in mosquitos in North Texas (Dallas County). Expect there to be more counties affected. Our best protection against this disease is to use DEET – especially when we are out in the early hours and around sunset when the lady mosquitoes are most active.
Purely Soapbox
If you read about Professor Mojica, you will notice that he had an international education that included a post-doctoral stint at the University of Utah and time spent at Oxford. This is common among world-class scientists. It highlights the myopia and stupidity of federal policies that seek to limit the admission of foreign students into our universities. Many of the revolutionary ideas in science come from the fertile minds of young people who have studied here and abroad and whose own research is a synthesis of diverse ideas. Yeah, there’s that word – DIVERSE!
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are strengths to those of us who are “looking for strange” (ideas, art, inspirations and even sex) because we don’t want to get those from our own family members. We’re not all inbred or Oedipal, Donald!