Newswise — SEATTLE – May 1, 2020 – Below are summaries of recent Fred Hutch research findings and other news with links for additional background and media contacts.
__________________________________________________________________________
COVID-19
New research projects aim to advance COVID-19 testing, treatment
New COVID-19 research projects from Dr. Keith Jerome and Andrew McGuire aim to increase capacity and speed of testing and to develop targeted immune proteins that can stop the virus.
Hutch team hunts for coronavirus antibodies
Leo Stamatatos and colleagues are working to identify, from the blood of COVID-19 survivors, antibodies that might be used to keep the virus from infecting others. Once potent antibodies are identified, they can be grown in the lab in large quantities and might be used as therapeutics, to prevent infection or help develop a vaccine.
What's with the spikes?
That gray Styrofoam ball dotted with red spikes has become an unofficial logo of the pandemic. Biologically speaking, those spikes are critically important. They are the point of contact that our own vulnerable lung cells have with the virus, SARS-CoV-2. And they are a target for drugs or vaccines.
Video: COVID-19 Q&A with Joel McHale and Joshua Schiffer
Comedian Joel McHale spoke with infectious disease expert Dr. Joshua Schiffer about COVID-19, efforts to curb the pandemic and Dr. Schiffer’s research.
New study will track workers at high risk for coronavirus
CovidWatch will follow essential workers for six months to understand just how widely the novel coronavirus has spread undetected and how, exactly, the human immune system responds to infection.
A short primer on coronavirus biology
Hutch virologist Dr. Michael Emerman explains coronavirus biology and helps give context to the current viral pandemic.
Pushing science forward while working from home
Fred Hutch wound down on-site research to keep employees and the larger community safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. How are scientists doing science?
Treating cancer in the shadow of coronavirus
Surgeries are being postponed; the order of treatment swapped. Oncologists are meeting new patients via Zoom or swathed in impersonal protective gear. Welcome to cancer treatment in the time of coronavirus.
______________________________________________________________________
Preventative care
Answers to cancer, and now COVID-19
Who do you call (or email or text) if you've got questions about cancer or how COVID-19 is impacting cancer treatment? Your best bet may be the free, bilingual, evidence-based Cancer Information Service at 1.800.4.CANCER, a little-known but incredibly helpful National Cancer Institute-funded program open to all and operated through Fred Hutch.
_____________________________________________________________________
Precision medicine
A cheaper way to study the immune system, one cell at a time
Fred Hutch scientists Florian Mair and Jami Erickson describe a new method of analyzing single cells that can be up to five times cheaper than existing techniques.
______________________________________________________________________
Basic sciences
Helping the developing brain chart its course
Cecilia Moens’ new research reveals the molecular cues that control when cranial motor nerves are guided to the right developing throat muscles in zebrafish, shedding light on how the brain builds the representations of different body areas known as topographic maps.
Shedding light on male infertility
Courtney Schroeder shows that an overlooked cellular structure gene may help scientists better understand male fertility and the forces that shape fast-evolving proteins.
______________________________________________________________________
Other notable news
Mariners' Dee Gordon named winner of 55th Hutch Award
Hutch gets $3.65M NCI grant to help people quit smoking using 'virtual therapist'
Dr. Julie Overbaugh elected to American Academy of Arts & Sciences
# # #
At Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, home to three Nobel laureates, interdisciplinary teams of world-renowned scientists seek new and innovative ways to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer, HIV/AIDS and other life-threatening diseases. Fred Hutch’s pioneering work in bone marrow transplantation led to the development of immunotherapy, which harnesses the power of the immune system to treat cancer. An independent, nonprofit research institute based in Seattle, Fred Hutch houses the nation’s first National Cancer Institute-funded cancer prevention research program, as well as the clinical coordinating center of the Women’s Health Initiative and the international headquarters of the HIV Vaccine Trials Network.
RSS