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Hot Topics of the Day|PHGKB
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11/09/2021

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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Evaluation of the BNT162b2 Covid-19 Vaccine in Children 5 to 11 Years of Age
EB Walter et al, NEJM, November 9, 2021

At data cutoff, the median follow-up was 2.3 months. In the 5-to-11-year-olds, as in other age groups, the BNT162b2 vaccine had a favorable safety profile. No vaccine-related serious adverse events were noted. One month after the second dose, the geometric mean ratio of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) neutralizing titers in 5-to-11-year-olds to those in 16-to-25-year-olds was 1.04 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.93 to 1.18), a ratio meeting the prespecified immunogenicity success criterion (lower bound of two-sided 95% CI, >0.67; geometric mean ratio point estimate, =0.8). Covid-19 with onset 7 days or more after the second dose was reported in three recipients of the BNT162b2 vaccine and in 16 placebo recipients (vaccine efficacy, 90.7%; 95% CI, 67.7 to 98.3).

Molecular basis of immune evasion by the Delta and Kappa SARS-CoV-2 variants
M McCallum et l, Science, November 9, 2021

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmission leads to the emergence of variants, including the B.1.617.2 (Delta) variant of concern which is causing a new wave of infections and has become globally dominant. We show that these variants dampen the in vitro potency of vaccine-elicited serum neutralizing antibodies and provide a structural framework for describing their immune evasion. Mutations in the B.1.617.1 (Kappa) and B.1.617.2 (Delta) spike glycoproteins abrogate recognition by several monoclonal antibodies via alteration of key antigenic sites, including remodeling of the B.1.617.2 (Delta) N-terminal domain. The ACE2 binding affinities of the B.1.617.1 (Kappa) and B.1.617.2 (Delta) receptor-binding domains are comparable to the Wuhan-Hu-1 isolate whereas B.1.617.2+ (Delta+) exhibits markedly reduced affinity.

Monitoring key epidemiological parameters of SARS-CoV-2 transmission
MUG Kramer et al, Nature Medicine, November 8, 2021

Control of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic requires targeted interventions, which in turn require precise estimates of quantities that describe transmission. Per-capita transmission rates are influenced by four quantities: (1) the latent period (time from infection to becoming infectious); (2) individual variability in infectiousness (defined by variation in intrinsic transmissibility and contact rate); (3) the incubation period (time from infection to symptom onset); and (4) the serial interval (time between symptom onset of an infector and an infected).

Describing the population experiencing COVID-19 vaccine breakthrough following second vaccination in England: A cohort study from OpenSAFELY
ACA Green et al, MEDRXIV, November 8, 2021

SARS-CoV-2 specific T cell and humoral immune responses upon vaccination with BNT162b2
JS Takeushi et al, MEDRXIV, November 8, 2021

Risk factors for severe PCR-positive SARS-CoV-2 infection in hospitalized children: a multicenter cohort study
T Schober et al, MEDRXIV, November 8, 2021

Surveillance of COVID-19 in a Vaccinated Population: A Rapid Literature Review
O Egunsola et al, MEDRXIV, November 8, 2021

Should Children Be Tested for Hereditary Cancer Syndromes?
G Hurst, Cure magazine, November 8, 2021

Not all children can handle the emotional toll a Lynch syndrome diagnosis may bring. Genetically testing minor children for hereditary cancer syndromes before they reach adulthood may be more harmful than beneficial because this knowledge is not actionable in childhood.

Why the United States Needs a National, Coordinated Biobanking System.
Compton Carolyn et al. Annals of internal medicine 2021 11

The idea of a national networked biobanking initiative is not new. In 2003, the NCI developed and published a plan for such an entity, a public–private partnership that it called the National Biospecimen Network (NBN). In response to the lack of fit-for-purpose human specimens for proteomic and genomic research in cancer, the NBN aimed “to establish a national, pre-competitive, regulatory compliant and genetic-privacy protected, standardized, inclusive, highest quality network of biological sample(s) banks; supported by and developed via novel financial and other partnerships…that is shared, readily accessible, and searchable using state-of-the-art informatics systems.”

Racial and Ethnic Disparities Among Participants in Precision Oncology Clinical Studies
CM Aldriguetti et al, JAMA Network Open, November 8, 2021

This cross-sectional analysis evaluates breast, prostate, lung, and colorectal cancer studies in the Clinicaltrials.gov registry with precision medicine objectives and reporting race and ethnicity—a total of 93 studies with 5867 total enrollees. An underrepresentation of minority racial groups and an overrepresentation of non-Hispanic White participants relative to their incidence in the US cancer population was found in precision oncology studies.


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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