Adults with cancer appear more vulnerable to COVID-19
Cancer, particularly metastatic cancer, can be added to the list of medical conditions that pose a significant risk of worse COVID-19 outcomes , suggests a new study. Led by Boston Children’s Hospital and Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, it represents the first large cohort study to examine COVID-19 outcomes in cancer patients. Findings were published ... Read More about Adults with cancer appear more vulnerable to COVID-19
How the new coronavirus gets into respiratory tissue — and may exploit one of our defenses
What makes SARS-CoV-2, the virus behind COVID-19, such a threat? A new study, led by Jose Ordovas-Montanes, PhD, at Boston Children’s Hospital and Alex K. Shalek, PhD, at MIT, pinpoints the likely cell types the virus infects. Unexpectedly, it also shows that one of the body’s main defenses against viral infections may actually help the ... Read More about How the new coronavirus gets into respiratory tissue — and may exploit one of our defenses
A drug treatment for telomere diseases?
For years, Donna Martin carried a piece of scrap paper with the words “dyskeratosis congenita,” which she believed might explain her son Brad’s sudden, mysterious affliction. A routine blood test had revealed Brad’s bone marrow was failing, unable to keep up with his need for healthy blood cells. His condition, Donna knew, would worsen over ... Read More about A drug treatment for telomere diseases?
Hydroxychloroquine and COVID-19: What we know so far
Despite the current hype, infectious disease experts and others are cautious about using chloroquine drugs in the current COVID-19 pandemic. While the urgent need for COVID-19 treatments justifies the rapid pace of trials, several concerns have been raised related to the limitations of studies published so far. Kristin Moffitt, MD The drugs chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine ... Read More about Hydroxychloroquine and COVID-19: What we know so far
Could plasma from recovered COVID-19 patients help others?
As new cases of COVID-19 mount daily, treatment revolves around supportive therapy to reduce symptoms, meaning there are no treatments shown to slow down or kill the SARS-CoV-2 virus. One new idea actually isn’t so new: transfusing blood plasma from recovered COVID-19 patients into patients currently sick with the disease. Last week, the Food and Drug ... Read More about Could plasma from recovered COVID-19 patients help others?
Mobile ‘location’ data could help guide COVID-19 social distancing measures
How well are quarantines and social distancing working to slow the COVID-19 pandemic? When is it safe for us to return to school or work? The answers could lie, in part, in the “location” data that companies like Google collect from us every day. Last week, a group of epidemiologists, public health experts, and data ... Read More about Mobile ‘location’ data could help guide COVID-19 social distancing measures
COVID-19 and children: Understanding the science
As information on COVID-19 pours in from all kinds of sources, not all of them reliable, we wanted to bring you the facts about how children and teens appear to be responding to the infection. In recent weeks, several highly respected medical journals have published studies and commentaries based on observations in children and teens ... Read More about COVID-19 and children: Understanding the science
Crowdsourcing the COVID-19 pandemic in real time
News about the global COVID-19 pandemic changes virtually minute by minute. Beyond staying home, handwashing, and covering your cough, you may wonder what you can do to help. A new website developed by the HealthMap team at Boston Children’s Hospital, COVID Near You, offers one way. Taking a moment to share your health status on ... Read More about Crowdsourcing the COVID-19 pandemic in real time
Gasdermin E: A new approach to cancer immunotherapy
Tumors have figured out various ways to prevent the immune system from attacking them. Medicine, for its part, has fought back with cancer immunotherapy. The major approach uses checkpoint inhibitors, drugs that help the immune system recognize cancer cells as foreign. Another method, CAR T-cell therapy, directly engineers peoples’ T cells to efficiently recognize cancer ... Read More about Gasdermin E: A new approach to cancer immunotherapy
Designing a coronavirus vaccine for next year – and the years beyond
As the number of coronavirus infections swell daily across the globe, strategies for developing a safe and effective vaccine are rapidly moving forward. In response to this public health crisis, the Precision Vaccines Program (PVP) at Boston Children’s Hospital is on the front lines of developing a coronavirus vaccine targeted especially toward older populations, those ... Read More about Designing a coronavirus vaccine for next year – and the years beyond