The Abstract: Medical News and Research Update

Thursday, July 01, 2021

A new monthly column from Physicians Office Resource looking into current research and the future of medical science

University of Oxford Launches Phase 1 Trial for HIV Vaccine

Since the first report of AIDS in 1981, researchers have been looking for ways to combat HIV infections. Today, there are dozens of drugs available to help inhibit HIV, but as of yet, no vaccines have been approved to prevent HIV. HIV’s ability to change and escape immune responses, has proved to be the biggest challenge in creating a safe and effective vaccine. That’s why the announcement from University of Oxford that a Phase 1 Trial has been launched for an HIV vaccine was met with great excitement in early July. Tomas Hanke, the trial’s lead researcher and Professor of Vaccine Immunology at the University of Oxford’s Jenner Institute had this to say about the trial, “An effective HIV vaccine has been elusive for 40 years. This trial is the first in a series of evaluations of this novel vaccine strategy in both HIV-negative individuals for prevention and in people living with HIV for cure…Even in the broader context of increasing antiretroviral treatment and prevention, an HIV-1 vaccine remains the best solution and likely a key component to any strategy ending the AIDS epidemic.”¹

New Treatment Candidate for Halting and Reversing the Effects of Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease

A recent study published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences, a research team based at Tohoku University in Sendai Japan, have identified a new treatment candidate to halt and reverse the effects of neurodegenerative diseases such as dementia and Alzheimer’s in mouse models.

Previous studies suggest that when a calcium channel is disrupted in a neurotransmitter, dopamine and acetylcholine releases are reduced, resulting in cognitive confusion and decreased motor function. This also leads to the buildup of aggregated proteins which inhibit proteasome activity leading to neuronal death. To combat this, researchers developed a disease modifying therapeutic, knows as SAK3 a T-type calcium channel enhancer. This therapeutic rescued neurons in most protein-misfolding, neurodegenerative diseases. The calcium channel enhancement is thought to trigger a change from resting to active in neuronal activity. According to the paper author, Kohi Fikunaga, professor emeritus in Tohoku University’s Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, “Even after the onset of cognitive impairment, SAK3 administration significantly precented the progression of neurodegenerative behaviors in both motor dysfunction and cognition.” Fikunaga went on to say, "SAK3 is the first compound targeting this regulatory activity in neurodegenerative disorders. SAK3 administration promotes the destruction of misfolded proteins, meaning the therapeutic has the potential to solve the problems of diverse protein misfolding diseases such as Parkinson's disease, Lewy body dementia and Huntington disease, in addition to Alzheimer's disease."²

Increasing Evidence Suggests Controversial Sputnik COVID Vaccine is Safe and Effective

According to an article in the scientific journal, Nature, Russia’s COVID-19 vaccine, Sputnik, is showing evidence from Russia and many other countries that suggests it is safe and effective. Sputnik, has been controversial from its early release in August 2020 before it ever completed Phase III trials. Even today after Phase III trials have been published, which showed the adenovirus vaccine was 91.6% effective at preventing symptomatic COVID-19 infection and 100% effective at preventing sever infection, “some scientists have criticized the authors for failing to provide full access to the raw data.”³Almost one year later from its release, the Russian vaccine has been approved for use in 67 countries, however it has yet to gain EUA from the WHO.

Utilizing two different adenoviruses for the first and second doses as a delivery mechanism for inserting the genetic code for the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein into human cells, has been shown to increase efficacy. The United Arab Emirates Ministry of Health reported a 97.8% efficacy in preventing symptomatic COVID-19 and just as trail results showed, a 100% efficacy in preventing sever disease in the 81,000 people who had received both doses. Another and as of yet, unpublished study from the Buenos Aires health ministry in Argentina, involving 40,387 vaccinated and 146,194 unvaccinated people ages 60-79 showed that a single does of Sputnik Light (a one shot variation of the vaccine) reduced symptomatic infections by 78.6% and deaths by 84.7%.³

Sequencing of over 600,000 Exomes Identifies 16 Variant Genes that Provide Protection from Obesity

In an article in the journal Science, researchers Parsa Akari et al. sought understanding in “how genes predispose individuals to, or protect individuals from, obesity.”⁴ 640,000 exomes were sequenced from the UK, US, and Mexico and identified 16 rare coding variants. One variant allele, GPR75, found in Mexican populations was associated with lower BMI. GPR75 was only found in 4 out of 10,000 sequenced people and were associated with “1.8 kg/m2 lower BMI, 5.3 kg lower bodyweight, and 54% lower odds of obesity in heterozygous carriers.” In laboratory studies in mice with a knockout of GPR75 resulted in resistance to weight gain despite introduction of a high fat diet. Knockout mice also showed improved glycemic control and insulin sensitivity. Results were significant and lead researchers to believe that inhibition of GPR75 could be a therapeutic strategy for obesity.⁴

CRISPR Injection Treats Genetic Disease in Patients for the First Time

For years, scientists have been using the gene editor CRISPR for correcting mutations in laboratory settings. However, utilizing CRISPR technology to treat people with genetic diseases has faced a variety of obstacles, and specifically one large one: injecting CRISPR into a patient and making sure it slices the DNA in the correct spot. According to a recent article published in Science, researchers have successfully breached that large obstacle. In this trial, four men and two women suffering with the genetic disease transthyretin amyloidosis were injected a lipid particle containing two different RNAs: “an mRNA encoding the protein Cas, the CRISPR component that snips DNA, and a guide RNA to direct it to the gene for TTR. After Cas makes its cut, the cell’s DNA repair machinery heals the break, but imperfectly, knocking out the activity of the gene.”⁵ Results after about a month showed that three men had an 80-96% drop in transthyretin (a protein which builds up on the nerves of the heart causing pain and heart disease) levels. This research study is still in its early stages and there are still many unknowns such as side effects and if symptoms will continue to improve. But the early results are extremely promising and could open the door for CRISPR therapies. ⁵

Research Shows COVID mRNA Vaccine Does Not Affect Male Fertility

With rumors running rampant on social media and other outlets regarding the safety of the COVID mRNA vaccines, a new study published in JAMA sought to put to bed at least one of those rumors: that the COVID-19 mRNA vaccines cause a decrease in sperm parameters. The study hosted at the University of Miami recruited health volunteers aged 18-50 and were prescreened to make sure there were no underlying fertility issues. Two samples were taken after a prescribed number of days after the first and second doses. Results were then analyzed by trained professionals based on guidelines from the WHO. After analysis, this study showed that there was no significant decreases in any sperm parameter. ⁶

Sources

University of Oxford Launches Phase 1 Trial for HIV Vaccine