Weill Cornell Medicine

Vaccinating mothers against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) during late pregnancy to protect their newborns is not associated with an increased risk of preterm birth or other poor outcomes. The new study from researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital adds real-world evidence to the existing data from clinical trials about the safety of Pfizer’s Abrysvo vaccine. Every year, RSV infections cause up to 80,000 hospitalizations and up to 300 deaths in children under five. Infants are particularly vulnerable to the virus which can cause a serious lower respiratory illness. In August 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the Abrysvo vaccine for women between 32 and 36 weeks of pregnancy based on clinical trial results. To further study the vaccine’s safety in actual practice, Dr. Son and her colleagues analyzed pregnancy outcomes in 1,026 vaccinated and 1,947 unvaccinated patients using de-identified data. https://bit.ly/3XH8D72

When Crystal Richardson met with our endometriosis specialist Dr. Eung-Mi Lee, she was desperate for relief from heavy, painful periods. She felt tired and lightheaded and suffered from searing pelvic pain. Crystal saw many doctors, but no one could help her. It wasn’t until Dr. Lee of Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital ordered an MRI that Crystal finally got a diagnosis and specialized treatment. As it turns out, she was dealing with a case of endometriosis, which occurs when a uterine-like lining grows outside of the uterus. But since her surgery, which included the removal of her cervix and fallopian tubes, Crystal has been working, exercising and living pain-free. Now, she tells friends with painful periods to make sure they get the treatment they need. “Don’t wait until the pain is debilitating,” she says. “There is help out there. Dr. Lee gave me my life.” Read the full story in the summer issue of IMPACT: https://bit.ly/3WeNdgx

Researchers have used liver biopsies to identify cellular and molecular markers that can potentially be used to predict whether and when pancreatic cancer will spread to an individual’s liver or elsewhere. The new study suggests that information from a liver biopsy when pancreatic cancer is diagnosed may help guide doctors in personalizing treatment, such as liver-directed immunotherapies, before cancer cells have the chance to metastasize. “If we can predict the timing and location of metastases, that could be a real game changer in treating pancreatic cancer, particularly patients at high metastatic risk,” said Weill Cornell Medicine's Dr. David Lyden, who led the study with Dr. Linda Bojmar and researchers at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. https://bit.ly/4bhQwYz

Are you looking for a unique and insightful summer read? Our summer issue of IMPACT, our digital magazine, delves into compelling stories showcasing our unwavering dedication to exceptional patient care, pioneering research and shaping the future of healthcare leadership. Highlights include: ✨ Science Over Stigma: Probing the physical causes of obesity ✨ The Sounds of Science: Giving voice to disease screening ✨ Bones’ Secret Cells: New connections to cancer and birth defects Dive into these fascinating articles: https://bit.ly/3XQGM4E

Scientists uncover an intermediate reversible state in a cell before it fully commits to the process of dividing itself into two new cells. This discovery of a fundamental aspect of cell biology could have implications for understanding cancer, wound healing, and other cell division-related processes. Researchers led by Dr. Tobias Meyer of Weill Cornell Medicine developed new tools allowing them to track over time the activation state of E2F, a transcription factor protein long known as the master switch for initiating division in mammalian cells. They found unexpectedly that E2F, before being fully activated, can remain in a potentially lengthy state of partial and reversible activation that may end in full commitment to cell division or a reversion to the usual, non-dividing, “quiescent” state. Although the role of this pre-commitment state of cell division is not yet entirely clear, it appears to be a safety mechanism to avoid inappropriate cell division, and may also activate DNA-repair functions. https://bit.ly/3XQOj3j

Our team has been awarded a $1.5 million grant to develop new approaches that can predict the risk of cancer cells spreading to the bone in men with prostate cancer. Metastasis to the bone is the leading cause of death in men with such cancer, and "it's also associated with very high risk of skeletal fractures, severe pain and poor quality of life," says Dr. Mohamed Omar of Weill Cornell Medicine. Predicting which patients will develop bone metastases from their initial diagnosis of prostate cancer would allow doctors to personalize treatment —more aggressive therapy for higher risk patients. Those who are at low risk of metastases could avoid unnecessary treatment. With the United States Department of Defense grant, Dr. Omar's team will use preclinical models of prostate cancer to investigate how cancer cells interact with each other in the tumor microenvironment and with the surrounding healthy tissue. They will also identify the molecular activity in spreading cancer cells that helps them travel to distant bone sites and form new tumors. These findings will be validated in human prostate cancer samples to build an artificial intelligence system that can help personalize treatment. https://bit.ly/4caMX7J

Endothelial cells with a specific gene-expression signature play a crucial role in developing and repairing blood vessels throughout life, according to a recent study by Weill Cornell Medicine researchers. The research helps solve a long-standing mystery in cardiovascular research. Scientists had suspected that blood vessels, lined with endothelial cells, harbor cells that aid in regeneration and repair, similar to many other organs and tissues. Dr. Yang Lin hopes the study will help other scientists appreciate the diversity of endothelial cells. “Endothelial cells are not all the same,” Dr. Lin said. “There are different endothelial cell types, and we need to precisely target select ones when we develop new therapies.” These discoveries can potentially revolutionize the treatment of diseases affecting the heart and blood vessels. The insights gained from this research could pave the way for developing novel therapies, offering hope to millions of patients worldwide. Read more: https://bit.ly/4bqdcpv

A multinational team led by Weill Cornell Medicine has developed a test to measure the persistence of HIV in viral strains found in Africa. This is a significant step forward in the search for an HIV cure that will benefit patients worldwide. "HIV cure research tends to focus on viral strains circulating in developed countries, but to achieve a cure that is globally applicable, we must study viral strains that are affecting other regions of the world," said Weill Cornell Medicine's Dr. Guinevere Lee. The study addresses a major gap in HIV research by focusing on strains in Africa, where women are disproportionately affected. The findings show that HIV strains circulating in Africa establish viral reservoirs in the human body. Although antiretroviral therapy can reduce the level of HIV in the blood to an undetectable level, these dormant reservoirs continue to survive. Researchers from Simon Fraser University, Canada; BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, Canada; Rakai Health Sciences Program (RHSP), Uganda; University of Cape Town, South Africa; and The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine also contributed to this study. Read the full study: https://bit.ly/3VPW5Yp

Pioneering the use of positron emission tomography (PET) imaging as a tool for studying estrogen activity in the brain, researchers have uncovered new evidence on the brain's response to menopause. The team led by Dr. Lisa Mosconi of Weill Cornell Medicine has found that the transition to menopause is marked by progressively greater density of estrogen receptors (ER) on brain cells and remains elevated in women up to their mid-sixties. Until now, researchers haven't been able to track estrogen activity in the brain. https://bit.ly/3xqJumv

Today we became aware of a recent antisemitic incident on the NYC subway. We condemn antisemitism in the strongest possible terms. Hate speech or actions of any kind, whether antisemitic or Islamophobic, are not tolerated by our community. Any such incidents are against our core values and university policies. We are fully cooperating with the NYPD investigation as well as conducting our own internal review. If any employee is confirmed to be involved in this incident, appropriate action will be taken. We are actively engaging with both our Jewish and Muslim communities to provide support during this difficult time.