Finding the answers hidden in our antibodies

An innovative protocol called PepSeq is changing the way researchers test for contagious diseases—and this knowledge should change the way humanity responds to future pandemics. NAU researcher Jason Ladner and a team of collaborators from TGen published a comprehensive study about PepSeq that lays out the process, the tool and how to interpret the results.

COVID-19 vaccination activates antibodies targeting parts of virus spike protein shared between coronaviruses

Could the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine reawaken previous antibody responses and point the way to a universal coronavirus vaccine? A new analysis of the antibody response to a COVID-19 vaccine suggests the immune system’s history with other coronaviruses, including those behind the common cold, shapes the patient’s response, according to a recently published study published in Cell Reports.

Key Areas of Cancer Research To Be Presented by Thought Leaders at Atlantic Health System’s 2021 Annual Review in Oncology Virtual Symposium

Atlantic Health System Cancer Care will continue its tradition of world-class medical education by hosting its 2021 Annual Review in Oncology Virtual Symposium. The symposium, held via Microsoft Teams with free registration, will take place Saturday, June 26, 2021, from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. ET. Distinguished faculty from some of the nation’s leading cancer centers will summarize the latest advances in six areas of oncology, as presented at the just-completed ASCO conference—the world’s premiere meeting for cancer care professionals and researchers.

Accelerating Access to Breakthrough Cancer Therapies Leads Morristown Medical Center to Expand Infusion Center

Atlantic Health System has announced the opening of Morristown Medical Center’s new state-of-the-art, patient-centered Infusion Center located in the Carol G. Simon Cancer Center. The first of three phases of expansion of New Jersey’s pre-eminent cancer center, the new unit was funded in large part by donations made by community members in support of the Foundation for Morristown Medical Center’s Growing Forward Campaign.

NAU launches COVID-19 Testing Service Center to evaluate new drugs to fight deadly virus

The Pathogen and Microbiome Institute (PMI) at Northern Arizona University (NAU) today announced that it is launching the COVID-19 Testing Service Center (CTSC) to grow the SARS-CoV-2 virus and test new drugs against it. By repurposing its existing biodefense research infrastructure for the new testing facility—labs rated at Biosafety Level 3 (BSL-3), one of the highest levels of biocontainment—PMI is dedicating much of its significant research capacity to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.