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Al Ali F, Marr AK, Tatari-Calderone Z, Alfaki M, Toufiq M, Roelands J, Syed Ahamed Kabeer B, Bedognetti D, Marr N, Garand M, Rinchai D, Chaussabel D. Organizing training workshops on gene literature retrieval, profiling, and visualization for early career researchers. F1000Res 2023; 10:275. [PMID: 37448622 PMCID: PMC10336363 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.36395.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Early-career researchers must acquire the skills necessary to effectively search and extract information from biomedical literature. This ability is for instance crucial for evaluating the novelty of experimental results, and assessing potential publishing opportunities. Given the rapidly growing volume of publications in the field of biomedical research, new systematic approaches need to be devised and adopted for the retrieval and curation of literature relevant to a specific theme. In this context, we present a hands-on training curriculum aimed at retrieval, profiling, and visualization of literature associated with a given topic. The curriculum was implemented in a workshop in January 2021. Here we provide supporting material and step-by-step implementation guidelines with the ISG15 gene literature serving as an illustrative use case. Workshop participants can learn several skills, including: 1) building and troubleshoot PubMed queries in order to retrieve the literature associated with a gene of interest; 2) identifying key concepts relevant to given themes (such as cell types, diseases, and biological processes); 3) measuring the prevalence of these concepts in the gene literature; 4) extracting key information from relevant articles, and 5) developing a background section or summary on the basis of this information. Finally, trainees can learn to consolidate the structured information captured through this process for presentation via an interactive web application.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Davide Bedognetti
- Research Branch, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar
- College of Health and Life Sciences, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha, Qatar
- Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties, University of Genoa, Genoa, 16126, Italy
| | - Nico Marr
- Research Branch, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar
- College of Health and Life Sciences, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha, Qatar
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Manjunath HS, Kalikiri MKR, Kabeer BSA, Tomei S. When Mosquito HV bites Biomark HD: An automated workflow for high-throughput qPCR. SLAS Technol 2022; 27:219-223. [DOI: 10.1016/j.slast.2021.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Al Ali F, Marr AK, Tatari-Calderone Z, Alfaki M, Toufiq M, Roelands J, Syed Ahamed Kabeer B, Bedognetti D, Marr N, Garand M, Rinchai D, Chaussabel D. Organizing gene literature retrieval, profiling, and visualization training workshops for early career researchers. F1000Res 2021. [DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.36395.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Developing the skills needed to effectively search and extract information from biomedical literature is essential for early-career researchers. It is, for instance, on this basis that the novelty of experimental results, and therefore publishing opportunities, can be evaluated. Given the unprecedented volume of publications in the field of biomedical research, new systematic approaches need to be devised and adopted for the retrieval and curation of literature relevant to a specific theme. Here we describe a hands-on training curriculum aimed at retrieval, profiling, and visualization of literature associated with a given topic. This curriculum was implemented in a workshop in January 2021. We provide supporting material and step-by-step implementation guidelines with the ISG15 gene literature serving as an illustrative use case. Through participation in such a workshop, trainees can learn: 1) to build and troubleshoot PubMed queries in order to retrieve the literature associated with a gene of interest; 2) to identify key concepts relevant to given themes (such as cell types, diseases, and biological processes); 3) to measure the prevalence of these concepts in the gene literature; 4) to extract key information from relevant articles, and 5) to develop a background section or summary on the basis of this information. Finally, trainees can learn to consolidate the structured information captured through this process for presentation via an interactive web application.
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Rinchai D, Syed Ahamed Kabeer B, Toufiq M, Tatari-Calderone Z, Deola S, Brummaier T, Garand M, Branco R, Baldwin N, Alfaki M, Altman MC, Ballestrero A, Bassetti M, Zoppoli G, De Maria A, Tang B, Bedognetti D, Chaussabel D. A modular framework for the development of targeted Covid-19 blood transcript profiling panels. J Transl Med 2020; 18:291. [PMID: 32736569 PMCID: PMC7393249 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-020-02456-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2020] [Accepted: 07/21/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Covid-19 morbidity and mortality are associated with a dysregulated immune response. Tools are needed to enhance existing immune profiling capabilities in affected patients. Here we aimed to develop an approach to support the design of targeted blood transcriptome panels for profiling the immune response to SARS-CoV-2 infection. METHODS We designed a pool of candidates based on a pre-existing and well-characterized repertoire of blood transcriptional modules. Available Covid-19 blood transcriptome data was also used to guide this process. Further selection steps relied on expert curation. Additionally, we developed several custom web applications to support the evaluation of candidates. RESULTS As a proof of principle, we designed three targeted blood transcript panels, each with a different translational connotation: immunological relevance, therapeutic development relevance and SARS biology relevance. CONCLUSION Altogether the work presented here may contribute to the future expansion of immune profiling capabilities via targeted profiling of blood transcript abundance in Covid-19 patients.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Tobias Brummaier
- Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Mae Sot, Thailand
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Nicole Baldwin
- Baylor Institute for Immunology Research and Baylor Research Institute, Dallas, TX, USA
| | | | - Matthew C Altman
- Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Systems Immunology, Benaroya Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Alberto Ballestrero
- Department of Internal Medicine, Università degli Studi di Genova, Genoa, Italy
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
| | - Matteo Bassetti
- Division of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Gabriele Zoppoli
- Department of Internal Medicine, Università degli Studi di Genova, Genoa, Italy
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
| | - Andrea De Maria
- Division of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Benjamin Tang
- Nepean Clinical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Davide Bedognetti
- Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar
- Department of Internal Medicine, Università degli Studi di Genova, Genoa, Italy
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Vieira SE, Bando SY, Lauterbach GDP, Moreira-Filho CA. Human Leukocyte Transcriptional Response to SARS-CoV-2 Infection. Clinics (Sao Paulo) 2020; 75:e2078. [PMID: 32578831 PMCID: PMC7297521 DOI: 10.6061/clinics/2020/e2078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2020] [Accepted: 06/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Elisabete Vieira
- Departamento de Pediatria, Faculdade de Medicina FMUSP, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, BR
| | - Silvia Yumi Bando
- Departamento de Pediatria, Faculdade de Medicina FMUSP, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, SP, BR
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Abstract
Seasonal influenza remains a major public health problem, responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths every year, mostly of elderly people. Despite the wide availability of vaccines, there are multiple problems decreasing the effectiveness of vaccination programs. These include viral variability and hence the requirement to match strains by estimating which will become prevalent each season, problems associated with vaccine and adjuvant production, and the route of administration as well as the perceived lower vaccine efficiency in older adults. Clinical protection is still suboptimal for all of these reasons, and vaccine uptake remains too low in most countries. Efforts to improve the effectiveness of influenza vaccines include developing universal vaccines independent of the circulating strains in any particular season and stimulating cellular as well as humoral responses, especially in the elderly. This commentary assesses progress over the last 3 years towards achieving these aims. Since the beginning of 2020, an unprecedented international academic and industrial effort to develop effective vaccines against the new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 has diverted attention away from influenza, but many of the lessons learned for the one will synergize with the other to mutual advantage. And, unlike the SARS-1 epidemic and, we hope, the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, influenza will not be eliminated and thus efforts to improve influenza vaccines will remain of crucial importance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Graham Pawelec
- Department of Immunology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Health Sciences North Research Institute, Ontario, Canada
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Chirkova T, Ha B, Rimawi BH, Oomens AGP, Hartert TV, Anderson LJ. In vitro model for the assessment of human immune responses to subunit RSV vaccines. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0229660. [PMID: 32191728 PMCID: PMC7081972 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0229660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2019] [Accepted: 02/12/2020] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the single most important cause of serious lower respiratory tract disease in infants and young children worldwide and a high priority for vaccine development. Despite over 50 years of research, however, no vaccine is yet available. One block to vaccine development is an incomplete understanding of the aberrant memory response to the formalin-inactivated RSV vaccine (FI-RSV) given to children in the 1960s. This vaccine caused enhanced respiratory disease (ERD) with later natural RSV infection. Concern that any non-live virus vaccine may also cause ERD has blocked development of subunit vaccines for young children. A number of animal FI-RSV studies suggest various immune mechanisms behind ERD. However, other than limited data from the original FI-RSV trial, there is no information on the human ERD-associated responses. An in vitro model with human blood specimens may shed light on the immune memory responses likely responsible for ERD. Memory T cell responses to an antigen are guided by the innate responses, particularly dendritic cells that present an antigen in conjunction with co-stimulatory molecules and cytokine signaling. Our in vitro model involves human monocyte derived dendritic cells (moDC) and allogenic T cell cultures to assess innate responses that direct T cell responses. Using this model, we evaluated human responses to live RSV, FI-RSV, and subunit RSV G vaccines (G-containing virus-like particles, G-VLP). Similar to findings in animal studies, FI-RSV induced prominent Th2/Th17-biased responses with deficient type-1 responses compared to live virus. Responses to G-VLPs were similar to live virus, i.e. biased towards a Th1 and not a Th2/Th17. Also mutating CX3C motif in G gave a more pronounced moDC responses associated with type-1 T cell responses. This in vitro model identifies human immune responses likely associated with ERD and provides another pre-clinical tool to assess the safety of RSV vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana Chirkova
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Diseases, Emory University School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Binh Ha
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Diseases, Emory University School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Bassam H. Rimawi
- Maternal-Fetal Medicine, WakeMed Health & Hospitals, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Antonius G. P. Oomens
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Center for Veterinary Health Sciences Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States of America
| | - Tina V. Hartert
- Department of Medicine, Division of Allergy, Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Larry J. Anderson
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Diseases, Emory University School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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