Telomere length sensitive regulation of interleukin receptor 1 type 1 (IL1R1) by the shelterin protein TRF2 modulates immune signalling in the tumour microenvironment.

Telomeres are crucial for cancer progression. Immune signalling in the tumour microenvironment has been shown to be very important in cancer prognosis. However, the mechanisms by which telomeres might affect tumour immune response remain poorly understood.

Rubella immunity among pregnant women and the burden of congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) in India, 2022.

Background: India aims to eliminate rubella and congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) by 2023. We conducted serosurveys among pregnant women to monitor the trend of rubella immunity and estimate the CRS burden in India following a nationwide measles and rubella vaccination campaign.

Methods: We surveyed pregnant women at 13 sentinel sites across India from Aug to Oct 2022 to estimate seroprevalence of rubella IgG antibodies.

Post-campaign coverage evaluation of a measles and rubella supplementary immunization activity in five districts in India, 2019-2020.

Background: In alignment with the Measles and Rubella (MR) Strategic Elimination plan, India conducted a mass measles and rubella vaccination campaign across the country between 2017 and 2020 to provide a dose of MR containing vaccine to all children aged 9 months to 15 years. We estimated campaign vaccination coverage in five districts in India and assessed campaign awareness and factors associated with vaccination during the campaign to better understand reasons for not receiving the dose.

Methods And Findings: Community-based cross-sectional serosurveys were conducted in five districts of India among children aged 9 months to 15 years after the vaccination campaign.

Spectral Dependence of Light Exposure on Retinal Pigment Epithelium Disruption in Living Primate Retina.

Purpose: RPE disruption with light exposures below or close to the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) photochemical maximum permissible exposure (MPE) have been observed, but these findings were limited to two wavelengths. We have extended the measurements across the visible spectrum.

Methods: Retinal imaging with fluorescence adaptive optics scanning light ophthalmoscopy (FAOSLO) was used to provide an in vivo measure of RPE disruption at a cellular level.

Rapid assessment of coverage of doxycycline/azithromycin chemoprophylaxis against leptospirosis following floods, Kozhikode district, Kerala, 2018.

Background: We estimated coverage of doxycycline chemoprophylaxis (200 mg once weekly) following floods in Kerala, India.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted to gather data on exposure to flood or stagnant water and receipt and consumption of chemoprophylaxis.

Results: Of 1573 individuals interviewed, 152 (10%) were exposed to flood water.

An androgen receptor regulated gene score is associated with epithelial to mesenchymal transition features in triple negative breast cancers.

Background: Androgen receptor (AR) is considered a marker of better prognosis in hormone receptor positive breast cancers (BC), however, its role in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is controversial. This may be attributed to intrinsic molecular differences or scoring methods for AR positivity. We derived AR regulated gene score and examined its utility in BC subtypes.

Congenital rubella syndrome surveillance in India, 2016-21: Analysis of five years surveillance data.

Background: In India, facility-based surveillance for congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) was initiated in 2016 to estimate the burden and monitor the progress made in rubella control. We analyzed the surveillance data for 2016-2021 from 14 sentinel sites to describe the epidemiology of CRS.

Method: We analyzed the surveillance data to describe the distribution of suspected and laboratory confirmed CRS patients by time, place and person characteristics.

Prognostic association of immunoproteasome expression in solid tumours is governed by the immediate immune environment.

Induction of immunoproteasome (IP) expression in tumour cells can enhance antigen presentation and immunogenicity. Recently, the overexpression of IP genes has been associated with better prognosis and response to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapies in melanoma. However, the extent of this association in other solid tumours and how that is influenced by tumour cell-intrinsic and cell-extrinsic factors remain unclear.

--Eleven tips for operational researchers working with health programmes: our experience based on implementing differentiated tuberculosis care in south India.

Due to the workload and lack of a critical mass of trained operational researchers within their ranks, health systems and programmes may not be able to dedicate sufficient time to conducting operational research (OR). Hence, they may need the technical support of operational researchers from research/academic organisations. Additionally, there is a knowledge gap regarding implementing differentiated tuberculosis (TB) care in programme settings.

Added value of the measles-rubella supplementary immunization activity in reaching unvaccinated and under-vaccinated children, a cross-sectional study in five Indian districts, 2018-20.

Introduction: Supplementary immunization activities (SIAs) aim to interrupt measles transmission by reaching susceptible children, including children who have not received the recommended two routine doses of MCV before the SIA. However, both strategies may miss the same children if vaccine doses are highly correlated. How well SIAs reach children missed by routine immunization is a key metric in assessing the added value of SIAs.

Functional analysis of structural variants in single cells using Strand-seq.

Somatic structural variants (SVs) are widespread in cancer, but their impact on disease evolution is understudied due to a lack of methods to directly characterize their functional consequences. We present a computational method, scNOVA, which uses Strand-seq to perform haplotype-aware integration of SV discovery and molecular phenotyping in single cells by using nucleosome occupancy to infer gene expression as a readout. Application to leukemias and cell lines identifies local effects of copy-balanced rearrangements on gene deregulation, and consequences of SVs on aberrant signaling pathways in subclones.

Restoration of dendritic cell homeostasis and Type I/Type III interferon levels in convalescent COVID-19 individuals.

Background: Plasmacytoid and myeloid dendritic cells play a vital role in the protection against viral infections. In COVID-19, there is an impairment of dendritic cell (DC) function and interferon secretion which has been correlated with disease severity.

Results: In this study, we described the frequency of DC subsets and the plasma levels of Type I (IFNα, IFNβ) and Type III Interferons (IFNλ1), IFNλ2) and IFNλ3) in seven groups of COVID-19 individuals, classified based on days since RT-PCR confirmation of SARS-CoV2 infection.

Evaluating the effect of measles and rubella mass vaccination campaigns on seroprevalence in India: a before-and-after cross-sectional household serosurvey in four districts, 2018-2020.

Background: India did phased measles-rubella supplementary immunisation activities (MR-SIAs; ie, mass-immunisation campaigns) targeting children aged 9 months to less than 15 years. We estimated measles-rubella seroprevalence before and after the MR-SIAs to quantify the effect on population immunity and identify remaining immunity gaps.

Methods: Between March 9, 2018 and March 19, 2020 we did community-based, cross-sectional serosurveys in four districts in India before and after MR-SIAs.

Estimation of tuberculosis incidence at subnational level using three methods to monitor progress towards ending TB in India, 2015-2020.

Objectives: We verified subnational (state/union territory (UT)/district) claims of achievements in reducing tuberculosis (TB) incidence in 2020 compared with 2015, in India.

Design: A community-based survey, analysis of programme data and anti-TB drug sales and utilisation data.

Setting: National TB Elimination Program and private TB treatment settings in 73 districts that had filed a claim to the Central TB Division of India for progress towards TB-free status.

Effectiveness of BBV152/Covaxin and AZD1222/Covishield vaccines against severe COVID-19 and B.1.617.2/Delta variant in India, 2021: a multi-centric hospital-based case-control study.

Objectives: India introduced BBV152/Covaxin and AZD1222/Covishield vaccines in January 2021. We estimated the effectiveness of these vaccines against severe COVID-19 among individuals aged ≥45 years.

Methods: We did a multi-centric, hospital-based, case-control study between May and July 2021.

SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in the city of Hyderabad, India in early 2021.

Background: COVID-19 emerged as a global pandemic in 2020, spreading rapidly to most parts of the world. The proportion of infected individuals in a population can be reliably estimated via serosurveillance, making it a valuable tool for planning control measures. Our serosurvey study aimed to investigate SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in the urban population of Hyderabad at the end of the first wave of infections.

Clinical profile of patients infected with suspected SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant of concern, Tamil Nadu, India, December 2021-January 2022.

Background & Objectives: COVID-19 cases have been rising rapidly in countries where the SARS-CoV-2 variant of concern (VOC), Omicron (B.1.1.

Seroprevalence of IgG antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 among the general population and healthcare workers in India, June-July 2021: A population-based cross-sectional study.

Background: India began COVID-19 vaccination in January 2021, initially targeting healthcare and frontline workers. The vaccination strategy was expanded in a phased manner and currently covers all individuals aged 18 years and above. India experienced a severe second wave of COVID-19 during March-June 2021.

COVID-19 testing, timeliness and positivity from ICMR's laboratory surveillance network in India: Profile of 176 million individuals tested and 188 million tests, March 2020 to January 2021.

Background: The Indian Council of Medical Research set up a pan-national laboratory network to diagnose and monitor Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Based on these data, we describe the epidemiology of the pandemic at national and sub-national levels and the performance of the laboratory network.

Methods: We included surveillance data for individuals tested and the number of tests from March 2020 to January 2021.