Showing papers by "Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai published in 2020"
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Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai1, University of Michigan2, Pasteur Institute3, University of California, San Francisco4, European Bioinformatics Institute5, University of California, San Diego6, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill7, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center8, Gladstone Institutes9, Buck Institute for Research on Aging10
TL;DR: A human–SARS-CoV-2 protein interaction map highlights cellular processes that are hijacked by the virus and that can be targeted by existing drugs, including inhibitors of mRNA translation and predicted regulators of the sigma receptors.
Abstract: A newly described coronavirus named severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which is the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has infected over 2.3 million people, led to the death of more than 160,000 individuals and caused worldwide social and economic disruption1,2. There are no antiviral drugs with proven clinical efficacy for the treatment of COVID-19, nor are there any vaccines that prevent infection with SARS-CoV-2, and efforts to develop drugs and vaccines are hampered by the limited knowledge of the molecular details of how SARS-CoV-2 infects cells. Here we cloned, tagged and expressed 26 of the 29 SARS-CoV-2 proteins in human cells and identified the human proteins that physically associated with each of the SARS-CoV-2 proteins using affinity-purification mass spectrometry, identifying 332 high-confidence protein–protein interactions between SARS-CoV-2 and human proteins. Among these, we identify 66 druggable human proteins or host factors targeted by 69 compounds (of which, 29 drugs are approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, 12 are in clinical trials and 28 are preclinical compounds). We screened a subset of these in multiple viral assays and found two sets of pharmacological agents that displayed antiviral activity: inhibitors of mRNA translation and predicted regulators of the sigma-1 and sigma-2 receptors. Further studies of these host-factor-targeting agents, including their combination with drugs that directly target viral enzymes, could lead to a therapeutic regimen to treat COVID-19. A human–SARS-CoV-2 protein interaction map highlights cellular processes that are hijacked by the virus and that can be targeted by existing drugs, including inhibitors of mRNA translation and predicted regulators of the sigma receptors.
3,319 citations
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University of Washington1, National Institutes of Health2, Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation3, Sapienza University of Rome4, Mayo Clinic5, FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine6, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center7, Boston University8, Essentia Health9, University of Douala10, University of British Columbia11, Medical University of Graz12, Telethon Institute for Child Health Research13, University of Milan14, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center15, Johns Hopkins University16, University of California, San Diego17, University of Michigan18, University of Edinburgh19, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center20, Queen Mary University of London21, University of Alabama at Birmingham22, Harvard University23, Tufts Medical Center24, All India Institute of Medical Sciences25, Northwestern University26, University of Kentucky27, Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza28, Columbia University29, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai30, University of Sydney31, University of Cape Town32, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro33, University of Ibadan34, Case Western Reserve University35, Stanford University36, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais37, The George Institute for Global Health38, Uppsala University39, Dresden University of Technology40, King Fahd Medical City41, Tulane University42, Imperial College London43
TL;DR: CVD burden continues its decades-long rise for almost all countries outside high-income countries, and alarmingly, the age-standardized rate of CVD has begun to rise in some locations where it was previously declining in high- income countries.
3,315 citations
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TL;DR: It is proposed that reduced innate antiviral defenses coupled with exuberant inflammatory cytokine production are the defining and driving features of COVID-19.
3,286 citations
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TL;DR: Using HLA class I and II predicted peptide ‘megapools’, circulating SARS-CoV-2−specific CD8+ and CD4+ T cells were identified in ∼70% and 100% of COVID-19 convalescent patients, respectively, suggesting cross-reactive T cell recognition between circulating ‘common cold’ coronaviruses and SARS.
3,043 citations
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TL;DR: In this retrospective case series, chest CT scans of 21 symptomatic patients from China infected with the 2019 novel coronavirus were reviewed, with emphasis on identifying and characterizing the most common findings.
Abstract: In this retrospective case series, chest CT scans of 21 symptomatic patients from China infected with the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) were reviewed, with emphasis on identifying and characterizing the most common findings. Typical CT findings included bilateral pulmonary parenchymal ground-glass and consolidative pulmonary opacities, sometimes with a rounded morphology and a peripheral lung distribution. Notably, lung cavitation, discrete pulmonary nodules, pleural effusions, and lymphadenopathy were absent. Follow-up imaging in a subset of patients during the study time window often demonstrated mild or moderate progression of disease, as manifested by increasing extent and density of lung opacities.
2,141 citations
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TL;DR: Telemedicine for Covid-19’s payment and regulatory structures, licensing, credentialing, and implementation take time to work through, but health systems that have a...
Abstract: Virtually Perfect? Telemedicine for Covid-19 Telemedicine’s payment and regulatory structures, licensing, credentialing, and implementation take time to work through, but health systems that have a...
2,130 citations
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TL;DR: The extrapulmonary organ-specific pathophysiology, presentations and management considerations for patients with COVID-19 are reviewed to aid clinicians and scientists in recognizing and monitoring the spectrum of manifestations, and in developing research priorities and therapeutic strategies for all organ systems involved.
Abstract: Although COVID-19 is most well known for causing substantial respiratory pathology, it can also result in several extrapulmonary manifestations. These conditions include thrombotic complications, myocardial dysfunction and arrhythmia, acute coronary syndromes, acute kidney injury, gastrointestinal symptoms, hepatocellular injury, hyperglycemia and ketosis, neurologic illnesses, ocular symptoms, and dermatologic complications. Given that ACE2, the entry receptor for the causative coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, is expressed in multiple extrapulmonary tissues, direct viral tissue damage is a plausible mechanism of injury. In addition, endothelial damage and thromboinflammation, dysregulation of immune responses, and maladaptation of ACE2-related pathways might all contribute to these extrapulmonary manifestations of COVID-19. Here we review the extrapulmonary organ-specific pathophysiology, presentations and management considerations for patients with COVID-19 to aid clinicians and scientists in recognizing and monitoring the spectrum of manifestations, and in developing research priorities and therapeutic strategies for all organ systems involved.
2,113 citations
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TL;DR: With a longer time after the onset of symptoms, CT findings were more frequent, including consolidation, bilateral and peripheral disease, greater total lung involvement, linear opacities, “crazy-paving” pattern and the “reverse halo” sign.
Abstract: In this retrospective study, chest CTs of 121 symptomatic patients infected with coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) from four centers in China from January 18, 2020 to February 2, 2020 were reviewed for common CT findings in relationship to the time between symptom onset and the initial CT scan (i.e. early, 0-2 days (36 patients), intermediate 3-5 days (33 patients), late 6-12 days (25 patients)). The hallmarks of COVID-19 infection on imaging were bilateral and peripheral ground-glass and consolidative pulmonary opacities. Notably, 20/36 (56%) of early patients had a normal CT. With a longer time after the onset of symptoms, CT findings were more frequent, including consolidation, bilateral and peripheral disease, greater total lung involvement, linear opacities, "crazy-paving" pattern and the "reverse halo" sign. Bilateral lung involvement was observed in 10/36 early patients (28%), 25/33 intermediate patients (76%), and 22/25 late patients (88%).
2,086 citations
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United States Public Health Service1, Emory University2, Rutgers University3, Harvard University4, Central Michigan University5, Westchester Medical Center6, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai7, New York University8, Saint Barnabas Medical Center9, University of Pennsylvania10, SUNY Downstate Medical Center11, Yale University12, University of Colorado Denver13, Boston Children's Hospital14, Case Western Reserve University15, Louisiana State University16, University of Washington17, Johns Hopkins University18, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston19, University of Mississippi20, Tufts University21, Vanderbilt University22
TL;DR: Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children associated with SARS-CoV-2 led to serious and life-threatening illness in previously healthy children and adolescents.
Abstract: Background Understanding the epidemiology and clinical course of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) and its temporal association with coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19)...
1,887 citations
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Technological University of Pereira1, University of Colorado Boulder2, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai3, Instituto Conmemorativo Gorgas de Estudios de la Salud4, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras5, University of Atlántico6, Scientific University of the South7, Johns Hopkins University8, Syiah Kuala University9, Indian Veterinary Research Institute10, Hokkaido University11, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine12, Southeast University13, Tribhuvan University14
TL;DR: A systematic literature review with meta-analysis was performed using three databases to assess clinical, laboratory, imaging features, and outcomes of COVID-19 confirmed cases, finding that this virus brings a huge burden to healthcare facilities, especially in patients with comorbidities.
1,762 citations
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TL;DR: It is proposed that serum IL-6 and TNF-α levels should be considered in the management and treatment of patients with COVID-19 to stratify prospective clinical trials, guide resource allocation and inform therapeutic options.
Abstract: Several studies have revealed that the hyper-inflammatory response induced by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a major cause of disease severity and death. However, predictive biomarkers of pathogenic inflammation to help guide targetable immune pathways are critically lacking. We implemented a rapid multiplex cytokine assay to measure serum interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and IL-1β in hospitalized patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) upon admission to the Mount Sinai Health System in New York. Patients (n = 1,484) were followed up to 41 d after admission (median, 8 d), and clinical information, laboratory test results and patient outcomes were collected. We found that high serum IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α levels at the time of hospitalization were strong and independent predictors of patient survival (P < 0.0001, P = 0.0205 and P = 0.0140, respectively). Notably, when adjusting for disease severity, common laboratory inflammation markers, hypoxia and other vitals, demographics, and a range of comorbidities, IL-6 and TNF-α serum levels remained independent and significant predictors of disease severity and death. These findings were validated in a second cohort of patients (n = 231). We propose that serum IL-6 and TNF-α levels should be considered in the management and treatment of patients with COVID-19 to stratify prospective clinical trials, guide resource allocation and inform therapeutic options. Elevated levels of serum IL-6 and TNF-α at the time of hospitalization are independent and significant predictors of clinical outcome in two cohorts of patients with COVID-19.
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TL;DR: The COVID Human Genetic Effort established to test the general hypothesis that life-threatening COVID-19 in some or most patients may be caused by monogenic inborn errors of immunity to SARS-CoV-2 with incomplete or complete penetrance finds an enrichment in variants predicted to be loss-of-function (pLOF), with a minor allele frequency <0.001.
Abstract: Clinical outcome upon infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) ranges from silent infection to lethal coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We have found an enrichment in rare variants predicted to be loss-of-function (LOF) at the 13 human loci known to govern Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3)- and interferon regulatory factor 7 (IRF7)-dependent type I interferon (IFN) immunity to influenza virus in 659 patients with life-threatening COVID-19 pneumonia relative to 534 subjects with asymptomatic or benign infection. By testing these and other rare variants at these 13 loci, we experimentally defined LOF variants underlying autosomal-recessive or autosomal-dominant deficiencies in 23 patients (3.5%) 17 to 77 years of age. We show that human fibroblasts with mutations affecting this circuit are vulnerable to SARS-CoV-2. Inborn errors of TLR3- and IRF7-dependent type I IFN immunity can underlie life-threatening COVID-19 pneumonia in patients with no prior severe infection.
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TL;DR: A serological enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the screening and identification of human SARS-CoV-2 seroconverters and can be adjusted to detect different antibody types in serum and plasma.
Abstract: Here, we describe a serological enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the screening and identification of human SARS-CoV-2 seroconverters. This assay does not require the handling of infectious virus, can be adjusted to detect different antibody types in serum and plasma and is amenable to scaling. Serological assays are of critical importance to help define previous exposure to SARS-CoV-2 in populations, identify highly reactive human donors for convalescent plasma therapy and investigate correlates of protection.
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TL;DR: The flagship paper of the ICGC/TCGA Pan-Cancer Analysis of Whole Genomes Consortium describes the generation of the integrative analyses of 2,658 whole-cancer genomes and their matching normal tissues across 38 tumour types, the structures for international data sharing and standardized analyses, and the main scientific findings from across the consortium studies.
Abstract: Cancer is driven by genetic change, and the advent of massively parallel sequencing has enabled systematic documentation of this variation at the whole-genome scale1,2,3. Here we report the integrative analysis of 2,658 whole-cancer genomes and their matching normal tissues across 38 tumour types from the Pan-Cancer Analysis of Whole Genomes (PCAWG) Consortium of the International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). We describe the generation of the PCAWG resource, facilitated by international data sharing using compute clouds. On average, cancer genomes contained 4–5 driver mutations when combining coding and non-coding genomic elements; however, in around 5% of cases no drivers were identified, suggesting that cancer driver discovery is not yet complete. Chromothripsis, in which many clustered structural variants arise in a single catastrophic event, is frequently an early event in tumour evolution; in acral melanoma, for example, these events precede most somatic point mutations and affect several cancer-associated genes simultaneously. Cancers with abnormal telomere maintenance often originate from tissues with low replicative activity and show several mechanisms of preventing telomere attrition to critical levels. Common and rare germline variants affect patterns of somatic mutation, including point mutations, structural variants and somatic retrotransposition. A collection of papers from the PCAWG Consortium describes non-coding mutations that drive cancer beyond those in the TERT promoter4; identifies new signatures of mutational processes that cause base substitutions, small insertions and deletions and structural variation5,6; analyses timings and patterns of tumour evolution7; describes the diverse transcriptional consequences of somatic mutation on splicing, expression levels, fusion genes and promoter activity8,9; and evaluates a range of more-specialized features of cancer genomes8,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18.
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TL;DR: The development of vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 is reviewed, including an overview of the development process, the different types of vaccine candidate, and data from animal studies as well as phase I and II clinical trials in humans.
Abstract: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was first reported in late 2019 in China and is the causative agent of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. To mitigate the effects of the virus on public health, the economy and society, a vaccine is urgently needed. Here I review the development of vaccines against SARS-CoV-2. Development was initiated when the genetic sequence of the virus became available in early January 2020, and has moved at an unprecedented speed: a phase I trial started in March 2020 and there are currently more than 180 vaccines at various stages of development. Data from phase I and phase II trials are already available for several vaccine candidates, and many have moved into phase III trials. The data available so far suggest that effective and safe vaccines might become available within months, rather than years. The development of vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 is reviewed, including an overview of the development process, the different types of vaccine candidate, and data from animal studies as well as phase I and II clinical trials in humans.
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TL;DR: The peer-reviewed and preprint literature pertaining to cardiovascular considerations related to COVID-19 are reviewed to highlight gaps in knowledge that require further study pertinent to patients, health care workers, and health systems.
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TL;DR: The current state of knowledge of innate and adaptive immune responses elicited by SARS-CoV-2 infection and the immunological pathways that likely contribute to disease severity and death are summarized.
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TL;DR: The outcomes of a cohort of patients with cancer and COVID-19 are characterised and potential prognostic factors for mortality and severe illness are identified and race and ethnicity, obesity status, cancer type, type of anticancer therapy, and recent surgery were not associated with mortality.
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Stanford University1, New York University2, Duke University3, Boston University4, Saint Louis University5, Northwick Park Hospital6, Imperial College London7, Hospital Universitario La Paz8, Durham University9, NewYork–Presbyterian Hospital10, Albany Medical College11, St. Michael's Hospital12, Montreal Heart Institute13, Auckland City Hospital14, All India Institute of Medical Sciences15, University of British Columbia16, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center17, Harvard University18, Brigham and Women's Hospital19, Saint Francis University20, Columbia University Medical Center21, University of Missouri–Kansas City22, Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram23, Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research24, University of São Paulo25, Veterans Health Administration26, Emory University27, Mayo Clinic28, Semmelweis University29, Flinders Medical Centre30, Université Paris-Saclay31, Uppsala University32, Uppsala University Hospital33, Keio University34, National Institutes of Health35, Vanderbilt University36, East Carolina University37, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai38
TL;DR: Evidence that an initial invasive strategy, as compared with an initial conservative strategy, reduced the risk of ischemic cardiovascular events or death from any cause over a median of 3.2 years is not found.
Abstract: Background Among patients with stable coronary disease and moderate or severe ischemia, whether clinical outcomes are better in those who receive an invasive intervention plus medical ther...
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F. Kyle Satterstrom1, F. Kyle Satterstrom2, Jack A. Kosmicki, Jiebiao Wang3 +198 more•Institutions (53)
TL;DR: The largest exome sequencing study of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to date, using an enhanced analytical framework to integrate de novo and case-control rare variation, identifies 102 risk genes at a false discovery rate of 0.1 or less, consistent with multiple paths to an excitatory-inhibitory imbalance underlying ASD.
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University of Bonn1, Radboud University Nijmegen2, University of Chicago3, Université de Montréal4, Dresden University of Technology5, University of Edinburgh6, McGill University7, McGill University Health Centre8, Rockefeller University9, Instituto de Medicina Molecular10, University of Cape Town11, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai12, Eindhoven University of Technology13, University of Southern Denmark14, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center15, Cornell University16, Broad Institute17, Harvard University18, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases19, University of Massachusetts Medical School20
TL;DR: A group of leaders in the field define ‘trained immunity’ as a biological process and discuss the innate stimuli and the epigenetic and metabolic reprogramming events that shape the induction of trained immunity.
Abstract: Immune memory is a defining feature of the acquired immune system, but activation of the innate immune system can also result in enhanced responsiveness to subsequent triggers. This process has been termed 'trained immunity', a de facto innate immune memory. Research in the past decade has pointed to the broad benefits of trained immunity for host defence but has also suggested potentially detrimental outcomes in immune-mediated and chronic inflammatory diseases. Here we define 'trained immunity' as a biological process and discuss the innate stimuli and the epigenetic and metabolic reprogramming events that shape the induction of trained immunity.
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University of Massachusetts Medical School1, Broad Institute2, Stanford University3, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory4, University of Washington5, University of California, San Diego6, Massachusetts Institute of Technology7, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research8, University of California, San Francisco9, Salk Institute for Biological Studies10, California Institute of Technology11, University of California, Irvine12, Pennsylvania State University13, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory14, University of Connecticut Health Center15, Université de Montréal16, McGill University17, Florida State University18, University of Minnesota19, Yale University20, University of Alabama in Huntsville21, University of Chicago22, University of California, Merced23, University of Colorado Boulder24, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai25, Pompeu Fabra University26, University of Southern California27, University of California, Berkeley28, Harvard University29, Tongji University30, Boston University31
TL;DR: The authors summarize the data produced by phase III of the Encyclopedia of DNA Elements (ENCODE) project, a resource for better understanding of the human and mouse genomes, which have produced 5,992 new experimental datasets, including systematic determinations across mouse fetal development.
Abstract: The human and mouse genomes contain instructions that specify RNAs and proteins and govern the timing, magnitude, and cellular context of their production. To better delineate these elements, phase III of the Encyclopedia of DNA Elements (ENCODE) Project has expanded analysis of the cell and tissue repertoires of RNA transcription, chromatin structure and modification, DNA methylation, chromatin looping, and occupancy by transcription factors and RNA-binding proteins. Here we summarize these efforts, which have produced 5,992 new experimental datasets, including systematic determinations across mouse fetal development. All data are available through the ENCODE data portal (https://www.encodeproject.org), including phase II ENCODE1 and Roadmap Epigenomics2 data. We have developed a registry of 926,535 human and 339,815 mouse candidate cis-regulatory elements, covering 7.9 and 3.4% of their respective genomes, by integrating selected datatypes associated with gene regulation, and constructed a web-based server (SCREEN; http://screen.encodeproject.org) to provide flexible, user-defined access to this resource. Collectively, the ENCODE data and registry provide an expansive resource for the scientific community to build a better understanding of the organization and function of the human and mouse genomes.
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TL;DR: The vast majority of infected individuals with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 experience robust immunoglobulin G antibody responses against the viral spike protein, and titers are relatively stable for at least a period of about 5 months and that anti-spike binding titers significantly correlate with neutralization of authentic SARS-CoV-2.
Abstract: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused a global pandemic with millions infected and more than 1 million fatalities. Questions regarding the robustness, functionality, and longevity of the antibody response to the virus remain unanswered. Here, on the basis of a dataset of 30,082 individuals screened at Mount Sinai Health System in New York City, we report that the vast majority of infected individuals with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 experience robust immunoglobulin G antibody responses against the viral spike protein. We also show that titers are relatively stable for at least a period of about 5 months and that anti-spike binding titers significantly correlate with neutralization of authentic SARS-CoV-2. Our data suggest that more than 90% of seroconverters make detectable neutralizing antibody responses. These titers remain relatively stable for several months after infection.
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TL;DR: In this article, the authors discuss therapeutic and prophylactic interventions for SARS-CoV-2 with a focus on vaccine development and its challenges, and critical lessons can be learned for the development of vaccines against rapidly emerging viruses.
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Garvan Institute of Medical Research1, Kuwait University2, Boston Children's Hospital3, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai4, University of Antioquia5, National Institutes of Health6, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich7, Tokyo Medical and Dental University8, Seattle Children's Research Institute9, Paris Diderot University10, University of Paris11, University of California, San Francisco12, Rockefeller University13, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia14
TL;DR: This report documents the key clinical and laboratory features of 430 inborn errors of immunity, including 64 gene defects that have either been discovered in the past 2 years since the previous update (published January 2018) or were characterized earlier but have since been confirmed or expanded upon in subsequent studies.
Abstract: We report the updated classification of Inborn Errors of Immunity/Primary Immunodeficiencies, compiled by the International Union of Immunological Societies Expert Committee. This report documents the key clinical and laboratory features of 430 inborn errors of immunity, including 64 gene defects that have either been discovered in the past 2 years since the previous update (published January 2018) or were characterized earlier but have since been confirmed or expanded upon in subsequent studies. The application of next-generation sequencing continues to expedite the rapid identification of novel gene defects, rare or common; broaden the immunological and clinical phenotypes of conditions arising from known gene defects and even known variants; and implement gene-specific therapies. These advances are contributing to greater understanding of the molecular, cellular, and immunological mechanisms of disease, thereby enhancing immunological knowledge while improving the management of patients and their families. This report serves as a valuable resource for the molecular diagnosis of individuals with heritable immunological disorders and also for the scientific dissection of cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying inborn errors of immunity and related human diseases.
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TL;DR: It is found that SARS-CoV-2 isolates replicate efficiently in the lungs of Syrian hamsters and cause severe pathological lesions in the lung of these animals similar to commonly reported imaging features of COVID-19 patients with pneumonia.
Abstract: At the end of 2019, a novel coronavirus (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; SARS-CoV-2) was detected in Wuhan, China, that spread rapidly around the world, with severe consequences for human health and the global economy Here, we assessed the replicative ability and pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 isolates in Syrian hamsters SARS-CoV-2 isolates replicated efficiently in the lungs of hamsters, causing severe pathological lung lesions following intranasal infection In addition, microcomputed tomographic imaging revealed severe lung injury that shared characteristics with SARS-CoV-2-infected human lung, including severe, bilateral, peripherally distributed, multilobular ground glass opacity, and regions of lung consolidation SARS-CoV-2-infected hamsters mounted neutralizing antibody responses and were protected against subsequent rechallenge with SARS-CoV-2 Moreover, passive transfer of convalescent serum to naive hamsters efficiently suppressed the replication of the virus in the lungs even when the serum was administrated 2 d postinfection of the serum-treated hamsters Collectively, these findings demonstrate that this Syrian hamster model will be useful for understanding SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis and testing vaccines and antiviral drugs
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TL;DR: The novel coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) has affected nearly every country worldwide and there are anecdotal observations of improved outcomes with systemic anticoagulation (AC), however, the specific outcomes are still unclear.
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University of Pennsylvania1, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center2, Washington University in St. Louis3, University of Chicago4, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai5, University of California, San Francisco6, University of Wisconsin-Madison7, University of California, San Diego8, New York University9
TL;DR: The goal of this expert consensus is to help radiologists recognize findings of COVID-19 pneumonia and aid their communication with other healthcare providers, assisting management of patients during this pandemic.
Abstract: Routine screening CT for the identification of COVID-19 pneumonia is currently not recommended by most radiology societies. However, the number of CTs performed in persons under investigation (PUI) for COVID-19 has increased. We also anticipate that some patients will have incidentally detected findings that could be attributable to COVID-19 pneumonia, requiring radiologists to decide whether or not to mention COVID-19 specifically as a differential diagnostic possibility. We aim to provide guidance to radiologists in reporting CT findings potentially attributable to COVID-19 pneumonia, including standardized language to reduce reporting variability when addressing the possibility of COVID-19. When typical or indeterminate features of COVID-19 pneumonia are present in endemic areas as an incidental finding, we recommend contacting the referring providers to discuss the likelihood of viral infection. These incidental findings do not necessarily need to be reported as COVID-19 pneumonia. In this setting, using the term "viral pneumonia" can be a reasonable and inclusive alternative. However, if one opts to use the term "COVID-19" in the incidental setting, consider the provided standardized reporting language. In addition, practice patterns may vary, and this document is meant to serve as a guide. Consultation with clinical colleagues at each institution is suggested to establish a consensus reporting approach. The goal of this expert consensus is to help radiologists recognize findings of COVID-19 pneumonia and aid their communication with other healthcare providers, assisting management of patients during this pandemic.
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TL;DR: This review presents comprehensive guidelines for performing and evaluating PRS analyses, and outlines standard quality control steps, different methods for the calculation of PRSs, and provides an introductory online tutorial that takes users through quality control and visualization steps.
Abstract: A polygenic score (PGS) or polygenic risk score (PRS) is an estimate of an individual's genetic liability to a trait or disease, calculated according to their genotype profile and relevant genome-wide association study (GWAS) data. While present PRSs typically explain only a small fraction of trait variance, their correlation with the single largest contributor to phenotypic variation-genetic liability-has led to the routine application of PRSs across biomedical research. Among a range of applications, PRSs are exploited to assess shared etiology between phenotypes, to evaluate the clinical utility of genetic data for complex disease and as part of experimental studies in which, for example, experiments are performed that compare outcomes (e.g., gene expression and cellular response to treatment) between individuals with low and high PRS values. As GWAS sample sizes increase and PRSs become more powerful, PRSs are set to play a key role in research and stratified medicine. However, despite the importance and growing application of PRSs, there are limited guidelines for performing PRS analyses, which can lead to inconsistency between studies and misinterpretation of results. Here, we provide detailed guidelines for performing and interpreting PRS analyses. We outline standard quality control steps, discuss different methods for the calculation of PRSs, provide an introductory online tutorial, highlight common misconceptions relating to PRS results, offer recommendations for best practice and discuss future challenges.