Nature
Volume 571 Issue 7763, 4 July 2019
http://www.nature.com/nature/current_issue.html
World View | 02 July 2019
Why India is striking back against predatory journals
Our foe is determined and adaptable, says Bhushan Patwardhan. A list of credible titles is the latest salvo in the fight against shoddy scholarship.
Bhushan Patwardhan
Nature Biotechnology
Volume 37 Issue 7, July 2019
https://www.nature.com/nbt/volumes/37/issues/7
Editorial | 02 July 2019
Gene therapy’s next installment
Sky-high-priced gene therapies face slow uptake and market failure unless healthcare payers and drug makers can find common ground in ‘pay-for-performance’ reimbursement.
Nature Biotechnology
Volume 37 Issue 7, July 2019
https://www.nature.com/nbt/volumes/37/issues/7
Review Article | 17 June 2019
Synthetic evolution
From unbiased mutagenesis to precision modification, in genes or whole genomes, researchers have a panoply of tools to direct evolution.
Anna J. Simon, Simon d’Oelsnitz & Andrew D. Ellington
Abstract
The combination of modern biotechnologies such as DNA synthesis, λ red recombineering, CRISPR-based editing and next-generation high-throughput sequencing increasingly enables precise manipulation of genes and genomes. Beyond rational design, these technologies also enable the targeted, and potentially continuous, introduction of multiple mutations. While this might seem to be merely a return to natural selection, the ability to target evolution greatly reduces fitness burdens and focuses mutation and selection on those genes and traits that best contribute to a desired phenotype, ultimately throwing evolution into fast forward.
Nature Biotechnology
Volume 37 Issue 7, July 2019
https://www.nature.com/nbt/volumes/37/issues/7
Review Article | 17 June 2019
Breeding crops to feed 10 billion
Development of next-generation crops will be enabled by combining state-of-the-art technologies with speed breeding.
Lee T. Hickey, Amber N. Hafeez[…] & Brande B. H. Wulff
Abstract
Crop improvements can help us to meet the challenge of feeding a population of 10 billion, but can we breed better varieties fast enough? Technologies such as genotyping, marker-assisted selection, high-throughput phenotyping, genome editing, genomic selection and de novo domestication could be galvanized by using speed breeding to enable plant breeders to keep pace with a changing environment and ever-increasing human population.
Nature Genetics
Volume 51 Issue 7, July 2019
https://www.nature.com/ng/volumes/51/issues/7
Editorial | 28 June 2019
Versatile genetics
We are constantly amazed by the power of genetics and its ability to solve complex and seemingly intractable problems. The creative application of genetic and genomic analyses to diverse areas has led to advances across basic biology and human disease. We hope to continue to see technologies develop that expand the genetic and genomic toolkit and that bring new discoveries and insights into basic and applied research.
Nature Genetics
Volume 51 Issue 7, July 2019
https://www.nature.com/ng/volumes/51/issues/7
News & Views | 28 June 2019
Priority index for human genetics and drug discovery
Although human genetics can help identify new drug targets, the best way to prioritize genes as therapeutic targets is uncertain. A new study describes a framework to prioritize potential targets by integrating genome-wide association data with genomic features, disease ontologies and network connectivity.
Robert M. Plenge
Nature Genetics
Volume 51 Issue 7, July 2019
https://www.nature.com/ng/volumes/51/issues/7
Letter | 28 June 2019
A genetics-led approach defines the drug target landscape of 30 immune-related traits
A genetics-led translational approach integrating functional genomic predictors, knowledge of network connectivity and immune ontologies defines the drug target prioritization landscape for 30 immune traits at the gene and pathway level.
Hai Fang, Georg Beckmann[…] & Julian C. Knight
Abstract
Most candidate drugs currently fail later-stage clinical trials, largely due to poor prediction of efficacy on early target selection1. Drug targets with genetic support are more likely to be therapeutically valid2,3, but the translational use of genome-scale data such as from genome-wide association studies for drug target discovery in complex diseases remains challenging4,5,6. Here, we show that integration of functional genomic and immune-related annotations, together with knowledge of network connectivity, maximizes the informativeness of genetics for target validation, defining the target prioritization landscape for 30 immune traits at the gene and pathway level. We demonstrate how our genetics-led drug target prioritization approach (the priority index) successfully identifies current therapeutics, predicts activity in high-throughput cellular screens (including L1000, CRISPR, mutagenesis and patient-derived cell assays), enables prioritization of under-explored targets and allows for determination of target-level trait relationships. The priority index is an open-access, scalable system accelerating early-stage drug target selection for immune-mediated disease.
New England Journal of Medicine
July 4, 2019 Vol. 381 No. 1
http://www.nejm.org/toc/nejm/medical-journal
Review Article
Frontiers in Medicine: Genetic Variation, Comparative Genomics, and the Diagnosis of Disease
Evan E. Eichler, Ph.D.
The genome is not akin to a string of fixed length. Many large segments of DNA may be present or absent — a major contributor to pathogenic genomic variation. New technologies in DNA sequencing are helping to uncover this type of variation, which often cannot be detected by standard DNA sequencing.
Pediatrics
July 2019, VOLUME 144 / ISSUE 1
https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/144/1?current-issue=y
Articles
Acellular Pertussis Vaccine Effectiveness Over Time
Ousseny Zerbo, Joan Bartlett, Kristin Goddard, Bruce Fireman, Edwin Lewis, Nicola P. Klein
Pediatrics Jul 2019, 144 (1) e20183466; DOI: 10.1542/peds.2018-3466
Compared with children fully DTaP vaccinated, unvaccinated and undervaccinated children were at a greater risk of pertussis. However, most pertussis cases occurred among age-appropriately vaccinated children.
Pediatrics
July 2019, VOLUME 144 / ISSUE 1
https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/144/1?current-issue=y
Implementing Evidence-Based Strategies to Improve HPV Vaccine Delivery
Melissa B. Gilkey, Michael J. Parks, Marjorie A. Margolis, Annie-Laurie McRee, Jason V. Terk
Pediatrics Jul 2019, 144 (1) e20182500; DOI: 10.1542/peds.2018-2500
The experience of a large, not-for-profit health care system suggests that local adaptation may be effective in engaging physicians in HPV vaccine–related QI efforts.
Pediatrics
July 2019, VOLUME 144 / ISSUE 1
https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/144/1?current-issue=y
Special Articles
Spread of Measles in Europe and Implications for US Travelers
Kristina M. Angelo, Paul A. Gastañaduy, Allison T. Walker, Manisha Patel, Susan Reef, C. Virginia Lee, Jeffrey Nemhauser
Pediatrics Jul 2019, 144 (1) e20190414; DOI: 10.1542/peds.2019-0414
The record number of measles cases in the WHO European Region puts both international travelers and nontraveling US residents at risk for measles.
Pediatrics
July 2019, VOLUME 144 / ISSUE 1
https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/144/1?current-issue=y
Ethics Rounds
Allowing Adolescents to Weigh Benefits and Burdens of High-stakes Therapies
Kriti Puri, Janet Malek, Caridad Maylin de la Uz, John Lantos, Antonio Gabriel Cabrera, Ernest Frugé
Pediatrics Jul 2019, 144 (1) e20183714; DOI: 10.1542/peds.2018-3714
In this case study, we discuss the ethical considerations when there is discordance between an adolescent close to attaining age of majority and the parent currently responsible for medical decision-making in a high-risk medical setting.
Public Health Reports
Volume 134 Issue 4, July/August 2019
https://journals.sagepub.com/toc/phrg/134/4
Public Health Evaluation
Extending the Reach of Pediatric Emergency Preparedness: A Virtual Tabletop Exercise Targeting Children’s Needs
Marvin So, MPH, Eric J. Dziuban, MD, DTM, CPH, Jessica L. Franks, MPH, Karen Cobham-Owens, MPA, David J. Schonfeld, MD, Aaron H. Gardner, MD, MS, Steven E. Krug, MD, Georgina Peacock, MD, MPH, Sarita Chung, MD
First Published May 16, 2019; pp. 344–353
Science
05 July 2019 Vol 365, Issue 6448
http://www.sciencemag.org/current.dtl
Policy Forum
Regulating genetic biohacking
By Patricia J. Zettler, Christi J. Guerrini, Jacob S. Sherkow
Science05 Jul 2019 : 34-36 Restricted Access
Emphasize community engagement, not perfect compliance
Summary
Just as the popularization of computers in the late 1970s and early 1980s gave rise to computer hacking, the recent accessibility and affordability of relatively easy (and widely hyped) genome-editing technologies and resources has spurred interest in genetic “biohacking”—molecular genetics experiments performed outside institutional laboratories by individuals who may have little formal scientific training. Regulation of the work of professional scientists and traditional scientific institutions is robust, although it still faces scrutiny in the wake of He Jiankui’s genome-editing experiments on Chinese twins (1). However, regulation of genetic biohacking has received far less attention, even though, like traditional scientific research, it is likely to produce a range of innovations while posing a number of risks to public health. Here, we explore these risks and the consequences of understanding that some instances of regulatory failure for biohacking are inevitable. And, where they are not, we suggest that agencies, policy-makers, and private parties have the opportunity to improve oversight of genetic biohacking using the tools they currently possess.
Science Translational Medicine
03 July 2019 Vol 11, Issue 499
https://stm.sciencemag.org/
Perspective
Design of vaccine efficacy trials during public health emergencies
By Natalie E. Dean, Pierre-Stéphane Gsell, Ron Brookmeyer, Victor De Gruttola, Christl A. Donnelly, M. Elizabeth Halloran, Momodou Jasseh, Martha Nason, Ximena Riveros, Conall H. Watson, Ana Maria Henao-Restrepo, Ira M. Longini
Science Translational Medicine03 Jul 2019 Restricted Access
Abstract
Public health emergencies, such as an Ebola disease outbreak, provide a complex and challenging environment for the evaluation of candidate vaccines. Here, we outline the need for flexible and responsive vaccine trial designs to be used in public health emergencies, and we summarize recommendations for their use in this setting.
Systematic Reviews
https://systematicreviewsjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles
[Accessed 6 Jul 2019]
Protocol
Assessing trauma care health systems in low- and middle-income countries, a protocol for a systematic literature review and narrative synthesis
Trauma represents a major global health problem projected to increase in importance over the next decade. The majority of deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) where survival rates are lower…
Authors: John Whitaker, Max Denning, Nollaig O’Donohoe, Dan Poenaru, Elena Guadagno, Andy Leather and Justine Davies
Citation: Systematic Reviews 2019 8:157
Published on: 2 July 2019
Vaccine
Volume 37, Issue 31 Pages 4233-4418 (18 July 2019)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/37/issue/31
Discussion No access
An evolution in thinking to support the post 2020 global vaccine strategy: The application of complexity and implementation science
Anthony C. Dowell, Lisa Menning, Noni MacDonald, Nikki Turner
Pages 4236-4240
Vaccine
Volume 37, Issue 31 Pages 4233-4418 (18 July 2019)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/37/issue/31
Discussion No access
Bolstering trust in the human papillomavirus vaccine through improved communication in the vaccine information statement
Catherine Constable, Carolyn Riley Chapman
Pages 4241-4242
Vaccine
Volume 37, Issue 31 Pages 4233-4418 (18 July 2019)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/37/issue/31
Research article Abstract only
Missed Opportunities for HPV Vaccination Among Vaccine-Eligible Women with High Grade Cervical Lesions
Savanah M. Russ, Monica Brackney, James Meek, Linda M. Niccolai
Pages 4262-4267
Vaccine
Volume 37, Issue 31 Pages 4233-4418 (18 July 2019)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/37/issue/31
Research article Open access
Opportunities to improve vaccination coverage in a country with a fledgling health system: Findings from an assessment of missed opportunities for vaccination among health center attendees—Timor Leste, 2016
Anyie J. Li, Thelge Sudath Rohana Peiris, Colin Sanderson, Laura Nic Lochlainn, … Ikechukwu Udo Ogbuanu
Pages 4281-4290
Vaccine
Volume 37, Issue 31 Pages 4233-4418 (18 July 2019)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/37/issue/31
Research article Open access
Anthropometric, cognitive, and schooling benefits of measles vaccination: Longitudinal cohort analysis in Ethiopia, India, and Vietnam
Arindam Nandi, Anita Shet, Jere R. Behrman, Maureen M. Black, … Ramanan Laxminarayan
Pages 4336-4343
Vaccine
Volume 37, Issue 31 Pages 4233-4418 (18 July 2019)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/vaccine/vol/37/issue/31
Research article Abstract only
Economic and immunisation safety surveillance characteristics of countries implementing no-fault compensation programmes for vaccine injuries
Randy G. Mungwira, Christine Guillard Maure, Patrick L.F. Zuber
Pages 4370-4375
From Google Scholar & other sources: Selected Journal Articles, Newsletters, Dissertations, Theses, Commentary
No new digest content identified.
Media/Policy Watch
This watch section is intended to alert readers to substantive news, analysis and opinion from the general media and selected think tanks and similar organizations on vaccines, immunization, global public health and related themes. Media Watch is not intended to be exhaustive, but indicative of themes and issues CVEP is actively tracking. This section will grow from an initial base of newspapers, magazines and blog sources, and is segregated from Journal Watch above which scans the peer-reviewed journal ecology.
We acknowledge the Western/Northern bias in this initial selection of titles and invite suggestions for expanded coverage. We are conservative in our outlook in adding news sources which largely report on primary content we are already covering above. Many electronic media sources have tiered, fee-based subscription models for access. We will provide full-text where content is published without restriction, but most publications require registration and some subscription level.
The Atlantic
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/
Accessed 6 Jul 2019
[No new, unique, relevant content]
BBC
http://www.bbc.co.uk/
Accessed 6 Jul 2019
[No new, unique, relevant content]
The Economist
http://www.economist.com/
Accessed 6 Jul 2019
Drop goal
Pakistan is trying new tactics to eliminate polio
A kinder, gentler vaccination drive is intended to win over suspicious parents
Jul 4th 2019 | ISLAMABAD
Financial Times
http://www.ft.com/home/uk
Accessed 6 Jul 2019
Opinion Ebola
Ebola outbreak demonstrates science’s need to ‘nudge’
Human behaviour can be as destructive to human health as any deadly pathogen
Anjana Ahuja
Forbes
http://www.forbes.com/
Accessed 6 Jul 2019
[No new, unique, relevant content]
Foreign Affairs
http://www.foreignaffairs.com/
Accessed 6 Jul 2019
[No new, unique, relevant content]
Foreign Policy
http://foreignpolicy.com/
Accessed 6 Jul 2019
[No new, unique, relevant content]
The Guardian
http://www.guardiannews.com/
Accessed 6 Jul 2019
Opinion
Vaccines and immunisation
I’ve seen hundreds of cases of measles in one day. It is a luxury to be able to vaccinate your child
No child should die of measles, whether in Australia, the Democratic Republic of Congo or elsewhere
Saschveen Singh
Thu 4 Jul 2019 00.37 EDT Last modified on Thu 4 Jul 2019 01.20 EDT
When I travelled to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as a doctor, I was prepared for confronting conditions.
New Yorker
http://www.newyorker.com/
Accessed 6 Jul 2019
[No new, unique, relevant content]
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/
Accessed 6 Jul 2019
Asia Pacific
Chinese Official: Pig Fever Outbreak ‘Complicated and Grim’
The death toll from a disease outbreak in China’s pig herds that has pushed up global pork prices has risen to 1.2 million animals, but its spread has “significantly slowed,” a deputy agriculture minister said Thursday.
By The Associated Press
July 4
Africa
Ebola Case Reported Not Far From South Sudan Border
Authorities have confirmed an Ebola case not far from Congo’s border with South Sudan, a country with a weak health care system after years of civil war that is vulnerable to the potential spread of the deadly disease.
By The Associated Press
July 2
U.S.
Kentucky Students Lose Appeal in Chickenpox Vaccination Case
More than two dozen Catholic school students and their parents have lost their initial appeal in challenging a Kentucky health department’s efforts to control a chickenpox outbreak they claim infringed on their religious beliefs.
By The Associated Press
July 1
U.S.
U.S. Recorded 18 New Cases of Measles Last Week
The United States recorded 18 new measles cases last week, taking the total for the year to 1,095 in the worst outbreak since 1992, federal health officials said on Monday.
By Reuters
July 1
Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
[No new, unique, relevant content]
Think Tanks et al
Brookings
http://www.brookings.edu/
Accessed 6 Jul 2019
Order from Chaos
Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo: It’s more than a public health problem
Michael T. Evans
Monday, July 1, 2019
Center for Global Development
http://www.cgdev.org/page/press-center
Publication
Tackling the Triple Transition in Global Health Procurement (brief)
7/2/19
There have been impressive gains in global health over the past 20 years, with millions of lives saved through expanded access to essential medicines and other health products. But behind these successes is an unacceptable reality: in many low- and middle-income countries, lifesaving health products are either unavailable or beyond the reach of the people who need them most.
CSIS
https://www.csis.org/
Accessed 6 Jul 2019
[No new relevant content]
Council on Foreign Relations
http://www.cfr.org/
Accessed 6 Jul 2019
[No new relevant content]
Kaiser Family Foundation
https://www.kff.org/search/?post_type=press-release
Accessed 6 Jul 2019
[No new relevant content]
vaccines and global health :: ethics and policy 