A large epidemiological study published in the July 6, 2020, advance online issue of The Lancet found that most individuals who became infected with SARS-CoV-2 developed antibodies to the virus, confirming that infection usually results in at least a short-term immune response.

The checkpoint molecule CD47 has high hopes riding on it in oncology as being the innate immune equivalent of PD-1. Multiple companies are developing blockers against CD47 and/or its ligand, SIRPa, for the treatment of various tumors.

BioWorld looks at translational medicine, including: Potassium channel distancing fights stroke; ASO approach fixes myelin; FMF is Mediterranean’s SCD; Calpain-2 in common, rare neurodegeneration; Antitoxin vaccine fights S. aureus; Noncoding mutations contribute to heart disease; Good vs. evil in the synovial joint; Necrosis has role in post-flu bacterial infections; Macrophage crosstalk inflames fat.

Two separate groups have recently shown that in mouse models, inactivation of a single gene was enough to directly convert other cell types in the brain into neurons.

Technical challenges at the annual meeting of the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) meeting led to at least one lively exchange of stem cell jokes in the chat box as the audience waited for talks to resume, including stem cell parental advice: “You can be anything you want when you grow up!”

BioWorld looks at translational medicine, including: A Tau-sand forms of tau?; P53 ‘glue’ gums up cancer cells; Shock and kill with less toxicity; Placental attachment theory.