Publications by authors named "Lauren Shaw"

Transposable elements (TEs) are often expressed at higher levels in tumor cells than normal cells, implicating these genomic regions as an untapped pool of tumor-associated antigens. In ovarian cancer (OC), protein from the TE ERV-K is frequently expressed by tumor cells. Here we determined whether the targeting of previously identified epitope in the envelope gene (env) of ERV-K resulted in target antigen specificity against cancer cells.

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Article Synopsis
  • * In ovarian cancer, the ERV-K protein is often expressed, and researchers explored whether a specific epitope of its envelope gene could be targeted by T cells for immune response.
  • * The study found that the targeted T cells only showed specificity in a very controlled setting and failed to recognize ovarian cancer cells, indicating that the ERV-K-Env epitope may not be a strong target for T cell therapy in ovarian cancer.
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COVID-19 booster dose vaccination has been crucial in ensuring protection against COVID-19 including recently predominant Omicron variants. Because vaccines against newer SARS-CoV- 2 variants are likely to be recommended in future, it will be valuable to understand past booster dose uptake among different demographic groups. Using U.

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Immunizations are an important tool to reduce the burden of vaccine preventable diseases and improve population health. High-quality immunization data is essential to inform clinical and public health interventions and respond to outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases. To track COVID-19 vaccines and vaccinations, CDC established an integrated network that included vaccination provider systems, health information exchange systems, immunization information systems, pharmacy and dialysis systems, vaccine ordering systems, electronic health records, and tools to support mass vaccination clinics.

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Introduction: In 2021, HHS Office of Minority Health and CDC developed a composite measure of social vulnerability called the Minority Health Social Vulnerability Index (MHSVI) to assess the needs of communities most vulnerable to COVID-19. The MHSVI extends the CDC Social Vulnerability Index with two new themes on healthcare access and medical vulnerability. This analysis examines COVID-19 vaccination coverage by social vulnerability using the MHSVI.

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Although severe COVID-19 illness and hospitalization are more common among older adults, children can also be affected (1). More than 3 million cases of COVID-19 had been reported among infants and children aged <5 years (children) as of December 2, 2022 (2). One in four children hospitalized with COVID-19 required intensive care; 21.

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A tree model identified adults age ≤34 years, Johnson & Johnson primary series recipients, people from racial/ethnic minority groups, residents of nonlarge metro areas, and those living in socially vulnerable communities in the South as less likely to be boosted. These findings can guide clinical/public health outreach toward specific subpopulations.

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Objectives: In summer 2021, the number of COVID-19-associated hospitalizations in the United States increased with the surge of the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant. We assessed how COVID-19 vaccine initiation and dose completion changed during the Delta variant surge, based on jurisdictional vaccination coverage before the surge.

Methods: We analyzed COVID-19 vaccination data reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Peripheral T-cell lymphomas (PTCLs) are a heterogeneous group of lymphoid malignancies associated with poor prognosis due to ineffective treatment options and high rates of relapse. The success of chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CART) therapy for certain hematologic malignancies makes it an attractive treatment option for PTCLs. However, shared expression of potential target antigens by both malignant and healthy T cells poses a challenge.

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Article Synopsis
  • A study analyzed over 323 million vaccine records to identify demographic factors related to delaying or missing the second dose of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines (Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna) in 2021.
  • Findings showed that 87.3% received their second dose on time, while 3.4% had delays, and 9.4% missed it altogether.
  • Groups at higher risk for delays or missed doses included racial/ethnic minorities, young adults (ages 18-39), individuals in socially vulnerable regions, and those outside the northeastern U.S., highlighting the need for targeted outreach to these populations.
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COVID-19 can lead to severe outcomes in children, including multisystem inflammatory syndrome, hospitalization, and death (1,2). On November 2, 2021, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices issued an interim recommendation for use of the BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech) vaccine in children aged 5-11 years for the prevention of COVID-19; however, vaccination coverage in this age group remains low (3). As of June 7, 2022, 36.

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Higher COVID-19 incidence and mortality rates in rural than in urban areas are well documented (1). These disparities persisted during the B.1.

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We analyzed first-dose coronavirus disease vaccination coverage among US children 5-11 years of age during November-December 2021. Pediatric vaccination coverage varied widely by jurisdiction, age group, and race/ethnicity, and lagged behind vaccination coverage for adolescents aged 12-15 years during the first 2 months of vaccine rollout.

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Vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) is highly effective at preventing hospitalization due to SARS-CoV-2 infection and booster and additional primary dose COVID-19 vaccinations increase protection (1-3). During August-November 2021, a series of Emergency Use Authorizations and recommendations, including those for an additional primary dose for immunocompromised persons and a booster dose for persons aged ≥18 years, were approved because of reduced immunogenicity in immunocompromised persons, waning vaccine effectiveness over time, and the introduction of the highly transmissible B.1.

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Influenza causes considerable morbidity and mortality in the United States. Between 2010 and 2020, an estimated 9-41 million cases resulted in 140,000-710,000 hospitalizations and 12,000-52,000 deaths annually (1). As the United States enters the 2021-22 influenza season, the potential impact of influenza illnesses is of concern given that influenza season will again coincide with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which could further strain overburdened health care systems.

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Although severe COVID-19 illness and hospitalization are more common among adults, these outcomes can occur in adolescents (1). Nearly one third of adolescents aged 12-17 years hospitalized with COVID-19 during March 2020-April 2021 required intensive care, and 5% of those hospitalized required endotracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation (2). On December 11, 2020, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for adolescents aged 16-17 years; on May 10, 2021, the EUA was expanded to include adolescents aged 12-15 years; and on August 23, 2021, FDA granted approval of the vaccine for persons aged ≥16 years.

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Approximately 60 million persons in the United States live in rural counties, representing almost one fifth (19.3%) of the population.* In September 2020, COVID-19 incidence (cases per 100,000 population) in rural counties surpassed that in urban counties (1).

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In December 2020, two COVID-19 vaccines (Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna) received Emergency Use Authorization from the Food and Drug Administration.* Both vaccines require 2 doses for a completed series. The recommended interval between doses is 21 days for Pfizer-BioNTech and 28 days for Moderna; however, up to 42 days between doses is permissible when a delay is unavoidable.

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Article Synopsis
  • A specific group of TAMs that express folate receptor β (FRβ) have an immunosuppressive M2-like profile, which negatively impacts anti-tumor immunity in established tumors.
  • Targeting and eliminating FRβ TAMs using CAR-T cells leads to increased anti-tumor immune response, slower tumor growth, and extended survival, suggesting that macrophage-depleting strategies could improve the effectiveness of other immunotherapies.
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Peripheral T cell lymphomas (PTCLs) are generally chemotherapy resistant and have a poor prognosis. The lack of targeted immunotherapeutic approaches for T cell malignancies results in part from potential risks associated with targeting broadly expressed T cell markers, namely T cell depletion and clinically significant immune compromise. The knowledge that the T cell receptor (TCR) β chain in human α/β TCRs are grouped into Vβ families that can each be targeted by a monoclonal antibody can therefore be exploited for therapeutic purposes.

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Universal immune receptors represent a rapidly emerging form of adoptive T-cell therapy with the potential to overcome safety and antigen escape challenges faced by conventional chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy. By decoupling antigen recognition and T-cell signaling domains via bifunctional antigen-specific targeting ligands, universal immune receptors can regulate T-cell effector function and target multiple antigens with a single receptor. Here, we describe the development of the SpyCatcher immune receptor, the first universal immune receptor that allows for the post-translational covalent attachment of targeting ligands at the T-cell surface through the application of SpyCatcher-SpyTag chemistry.

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The integumentary (i.e., skin) and gustatory systems both function to protect the human body and are a first point of contact with poisons and pathogens.

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To fine map a mouse QTL for lean body mass (Burly1), we used information from intercross, backcross, consomic, and congenic mice derived from the C57BL/6ByJ (host) and 129P3/J (donor) strains. The results from these mapping populations were concordant and showed that Burly1 is located between 151.9 and 152.

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