UNIVERSITY AT BUFFALO

Leonard Egede, MD, MS, FACP, presented a study on redlining and structural racism's impact on life expectancy at the AHA 2024 Scientific Sessions. The study found historic redlining and contemporary structural racism significantly decrease life expectancy, especially for minority groups. Egede emphasized the need to address past and current policies affecting housing, transportation, food, employment, and education to improve health outcomes.

UB's CTSI received a $2.1 million NCATS grant to evaluate remote vs. in-person clinical trials, involving researchers from Roswell Park, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Alabama. The study, titled “Improving Efficiency, Quality, and Equity: Randomized Controlled Evaluations of Remote vs. In-Person Clinical Trial Methods,” aims to rigorously assess the impact of remote methods on trial efficiency, quality, and equity. The grant includes additional funding if initial milestones are met, with plans for three trials across four locations, focusing on smoking cessation, depression treatment, and opioid addiction. Findings will be disseminated through a web-based toolkit, webinars, and a national conference.

A $2.1 million grant from NCATS funds a multi-site study by UB CTSI, Roswell Park, and CTSA hubs to evaluate remote vs. in-person clinical trial methods. The study, titled “Improving Efficiency, Quality, and Equity,” aims to rigorously assess the impact of remote methods on trial efficiency, quality, and equity, particularly for underrepresented populations. The study involves four CTSA hubs and will include three clinical trials across four locations, focusing on smoking cessation, depression treatment, and opioid addiction. Findings will be disseminated through a web-based toolkit, webinars, and a national conference.

At the STRIPE Annual Meeting & Consensus Workshop, ASP announced the inaugural STRIPE Double Helix Awards, recognizing excellence in pharmacogenomics through collaboration and outstanding achievement. Recipients include Kristine Ashcraft, Cynthia Bens, Burns C. Blaxall, Philip Empey, Jose Estabil, Bernard Esquivel, Christine Formea, Blaine Groat, Daniel Hertz, Carrie Hoefer, Geoff Hollett, J. Shawn Jones, Raymond Lorenz, Ryan Nelson, Micheal Pacanowski, Jai N. Patel, Victoria Pratt, Bronwyn Ramey, Sharmeen Roy, Robert Schuck, April Schultz, Jeffrey A. Shaman, Sharon Shriver, Patrick Silva, D. Max Smith, Annette Taylor, Wrenda Teeple, McKenna Tennant, Kelly E. Caudle, Emily Cicali, Andrea Gaedigk, Houda Houchad, Pamala Jacobson, Teri E. Klein, Akinyemi Oni-Orisan, Natasha Petry, Bani Tamraz, Kristin Wiisanen, and Michelle Whirl-Carrillo. Organizations honored include the Golden Helix Foundation, Department of Veteran Affairs - National Pharmacogenomics Program, and Advocates for Universal DPD/DPYD Testing.

Recent advances enable visualizing paramagnetic rim lesions (PRLs) in multiple sclerosis (MS), predicting clinical progression. This study assessed longitudinal PRL disappearance and appearance's impact on clinical disability and brain atrophy. Results indicate greater PRL disappearance linked to reduced clinical disability and progression independent of relapse activity (PIRA), while new PRL appearance increases PIRA rates. No significant associations found with brain volume changes. Findings support targeting microglia-mediated inflammation to improve clinical outcomes.

Francisco Hernandez-Ilizaliturri discusses factors influencing CAR T-cell therapy selection for follicular lymphoma, including product availability, safety profiles, patient characteristics, and institutional experience. Two therapies, axicabtagene ciloleucel and lisocabtagene maraleucel, are FDA approved for relapsed/refractory FL, but optimal selection varies by institution and patient specifics.

Advances in AML biology reveal new prognostic biomarkers, therapeutic strategies, and CAR-T cell efficacy, focusing on transcriptomic signatures, autophagy, lysosome-related genes, SET-CAN/NUP214 fusion, RAS mutations, and single-cell sequencing.

FDA approves FluMist, a nasal spray flu vaccine for self-administration, for healthy individuals aged 2 to 49. FluMist effectiveness is comparable to the flu shot and protects against severe flu complications. Administered at home via a spray in each nostril, it may have side effects like runny nose and fever. Cost and insurance coverage for the at-home version are uncertain, with availability starting next flu season.

UB’s FOXG1 Research Center, founded on love and hope, aims to cure FOXG1 syndrome and related disorders through viral gene therapy. Led by Soo-Kyung and Jae Lee, the center’s research has shown promise in mice, with plans for human trials by 2026. The center’s work is supported by the FOXG1 Research Foundation and UB’s commitment to innovative treatments for neurodevelopmental disorders.

Thomas A. Russo identified genetic elements transforming classical Klebsiella pneumoniae into hypervirulent strains, which can infect healthy people and become drug-resistant. Research published in eBioMedicine highlights pVir plasmid as the primary genetic determinant of hypervirulence, with potential therapeutic targets for countermeasures.