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Hot Topics of the Day|PHGKB
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11/28/2021

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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3 Questions We Must Answer About the Omicron Variant
A Jha, NY Times, November 27, 2021

How worrisome is Omicron? There are three key questions that help scientists understand how consequential any variant might be. The first question is whether the variant is more transmissible than the current, prevalent Delta strain? Second, does it cause more severe disease? And third, will it render our immune defenses — from vaccines and prior infections — less effective (a phenomenon known as immune escape)?

Tracking Omicron and Other Coronavirus Variants
J Corum et al, NY Times, November 28, 2021

Omicron carries about 50 mutations not seen in combination before, including more than 30 mutations on the spike protein that the coronavirus uses to attach to human cells.Omicron’s spike protein has several mutations that are found in other variants of concern and that are thought to make the virus more infectious, including D614G, N501Y and K417N.

COVID-19 vaccines in the age of the delta variant
AK Wheatley et al, Lancet Infectious Diseases, November 25, 2021

Considering the reduced antibody neutralisation but preserved T-cell recognition of the delta variant, these data raise the intriguing question of whether even low levels of neutralising antibodies are sufficient to prevent severe disease, or whether cellular immunity is a key factor in mitigating the risk of hospital admission. Ultimately, such questions will be difficult to answer in the absence of prospective cohort studies or early immune profiling of breakthrough infections

'Patience is crucial': Why we won't know for weeks how dangerous Omicron is
K Kupferschmidt, Science, November 27, 2021

Now, once again, the world is watching as researchers work nights and weekends to learn what a new variant has in store for humanity. Is Omicron more infectious? More deadly? Is it better at re-infecting recovered people? How well does it evade vaccine-induced immunity? And where did it come from? Finding out will take time, warns Jeremy Farrar, the head of the Wellcome Trust: “I'm afraid patience is crucial.”

How Omicron, the New Covid-19 Variant, Got Its Name- The World Health Organization began naming the variants after Greek letters to avoid public confusion and stigma.
V Patel, NY Times, November 27, 2021

Clinical utility of polygenic risk scores for coronary artery disease.
Klarin Derek et al. Nature reviews. Cardiology 2021 11

In this Review, we describe technical and downstream considerations for the derivation and validation of polygenic risk scores and current evidence for their efficacy and safety. We discuss the implementation of these scores in clinical medicine for uses including risk prediction and screening algorithms for coronary artery disease, prioritization of patient subgroups that are likely to derive benefit from treatment, and efficient prospective clinical trial designs.

Genomics elucidates both common and rare disease aetiology
A McNeil, EJHG, November 26, 2021

We close the year with a range of interesting and informative papers. Birth defects (congenital anomalies) affect many thousands of neonates every year; yet the aetiology of many of them remains unresolved. A new paper reviews what is known about the genomic basis of congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH). Around 10% of cases of CDH are associated with a copy number variant. Implicated pathways include NRF2 and vitamin A homeostasis. In contrast to common malformations, the genetic basis of rare disease continues to be elucidated with more and more causal genes identified annually


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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