Page 14 - Abacoa Community News - April '21

Page 14, Abacoa
scieNce ON the cUttiNG edGe

The Scripps Research Institute News

Experts Call For Streamlined and microbiology at

Lab Tests Of SARS-CoV-2 Università Vita-Salute
San Raffaele in Milan
Variants To Spot Worrisome – and earlier in his
career, he served as
Features a visiting professor
at Scripps Research.
Governments and research organizations around the Both Topol and
world must step up their efforts to detect new, potentially Burioni have been
dangerous variants of COVID-19 and they must do so in forthright advocates of
a coordinated way that will enable rapid response from science-based policy
the global health community. to guide pandemic
That’s the urgent message from Scripps Research’s response.
Eric Topol, M.D., and noted Italian virologist Roberto They say the
Burioni, Ph.D., who together penned an essay that appears goal of their Nature
in Nature Medicine. Medicine essay is not
In their article, Topol and Burioni issue a reminder to stoke fear, but to
that SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19, only ignite a new era of preparedness. Coronaviruses, which in the lab will allow scientists to rapidly modify vaccines
recently became a human virus and continues to evolve store their genetic material in RNA rather than DNA, to meet the changing nature of the virus. “We will need
for evolutionary advantages. New variants already have may not even be capable of mutating in such a way to to be aware of the existence and of the sequence of such
emerged that help the virus infect human cells more evade vaccines, they point out. Other RNA viruses such as variants in the shortest possible time frame in order to
easily. It’s possible that additional mutations will give measles and rubella still haven’t evolved vaccine-evading mitigate risks and control the consequences,” they write.
it power to dodge immune responses, even among those features, despite decades of circulating among immunized Yet, currently, surveillance efforts are limited in
who are vaccinated. populations. However, influenza and HIV – also RNA most countries and protocols for testing and reporting
“This would be a major problem, as such a variant viruses – are notorious for their immune-evading skills, variants can vary from lab to lab. The authors also urge
could decrease, and even abolish, the beneficial effects so uncertainty abounds. for innovation in the development of new tools that detect
of a wide immunization program,” they write. In short, “we can’t rule out the possibility of a SARS- and characterize new strains in a timely and standard
Topol is executive vice president of Scripps Research, CoV-2 mutant escaping vaccine immunity and retaining manner.
as well as the director and founder of Scripps Research its fitness and pathogenicity,” Topol and Burioni write. In Burioni’s home country of Italy, the word for
Translational Institute. Burioni is a professor of virology “This is why genomic surveillance on the new variants expressing “concern” is preoccupazione – a word that
is crucial and will be even more important once a large combines the Latin “take care” (occupazione) and “in
part of the population is vaccinated.” advance” (pre), Topol and Burioni write. “Simply put,”
Increase Memory, Coordinated efforts to track new variants and test them they conclude, “this is what needs to be done.”

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