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Hot Topics of the Day|PHGKB
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05/13/2021

Hot Topics of the Day are picked by experts to capture the latest information and publications on public health genomics and precision health for various diseases and health topics. Sources include published scientific literature, reviews, blogs and popular press articles.

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CDC Director Statement on Pfizer’s Use of COVID-19 Vaccine in Adolescents Age 12 and Older
CDC, May 12, 2021

Today, I adopted CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ (ACIP) recommendation that endorsed the safety and effectiveness of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine and its use in 12- through 15-year-old adolescents. CDC now recommends that this vaccine be used among this population, and providers may begin vaccinating them right away.

How a worrisome coronavirus variant spread unnoticed- A new variant stealthily took hold on two continents, highlighting the need for global genomic surveillance.
S Mallapaty, Nature News, May 13, 2021

How COVID broke the evidence pipeline- The pandemic stress-tested the way the world produces evidence — and revealed all the flaws.
H Pearson, Nature News, May 12, 2021

Researchers have registered more than 2,900 clinical trials related to COVID-19, but the majority are too small or poorly designed to be of much use (see ‘Small samples’). Organizations worldwide have scrambled to synthesize the available evidence on drugs, masks and other key issues, but can’t keep up with the outpouring of new research, and often repeat others’ work. There’s been “research waste at an unprecedented scale”.

Autologous Ex Vivo Lentiviral Gene Therapy for Adenosine Deaminase Deficiency.
Kohn Donald B et al. The New England journal of medicine 2021 5

We treated 50 patients with ADA-SCID (30 in the United States and 20 in the United Kingdom) with an investigational gene therapy composed of autologous CD34+ hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) transduced ex vivo with a self-inactivating lentiviral vector encoding human ADA. Gene therapy resulted in high overall and event-free survival with sustained ADA expression, metabolic correction, and functional immune reconstitution.

Personalizing Risk for Sudden Cardiac Death Among Patients With Dilated Cardiomyopathies: Moving Beyond Ejection Fraction With Genomics.
Khan Sadiya S et al. JAMA cardiology 2021 5

Large-scale genomic sequencing has significantly advanced our understanding of the monogenic causes of DCM, identifying more than 100 genes that are associated with approximately 40% to 50% of cases. These include genes that encode proteins responsible for contractility, extracellular matrix, and ion channels. Yet, data remain limited on the spectrum of phenotypes associated with each rare variant, which may inform diverse clinical presentations, guide clinical management, and improve outcomes for patients with inherited cardiomyopathies.


Disclaimer: Articles listed in Hot Topics of the Day are selected by Public Health Genomics Branch to provide current awareness of the scientific literature and news. Inclusion in the update does not necessarily represent the views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention nor does it imply endorsement of the article's methods or findings. CDC and DHHS assume no responsibility for the factual accuracy of the items presented. The selection, omission, or content of items does not imply any endorsement or other position taken by CDC or DHHS. Opinion, findings and conclusions expressed by the original authors of items included in the Clips, or persons quoted therein, are strictly their own and are in no way meant to represent the opinion or views of CDC or DHHS. References to publications, news sources, and non-CDC Websites are provided solely for informational purposes and do not imply endorsement by CDC or DHHS.
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