Research Briefs

From Plant Virus to Cancer Vaccine

A team of researchers at Dartmouth’s and Dartmouth-Hitchcock’s Norris Cotton Cancer Center, led by Steven N. Fiering, PhD, has identified pathways through which cowpea mosaic virus (CPMV), a plant virus that does not infect mammals, is recognized by the immune system. This discovery opens the door for a new biological drug for the treatment of cancer. CPMV is recognized by the immune system as a potential pathogen—any infectious agent that can cause disease. When tumors are injected with CPMV, molecules in the immune system send a warning signal of the invasion, which is heard by the “ears” of the immune system called toll-like receptors. The toll-like receptors then mobilize immune cells to attack the pathogen—and along with it, the tumor. Commercial development of CPMV as a cancer treatment is in progress by Mosaic ImmunoEngineering Inc., a biotech company co-founded by Fiering and Nicole Steinmetz, PhD, of University of California San Diego, with a team of scientists and entrepreneurs. Early-phase trials of CPMV in humans are planned to start in early 2022.

Steven Fiering, PhD, is a member of the Immunology and Cancer Immunotherapy Research Program at Norris Cotton Canceer Center and a professor of microbiology and immunology at the Geisel School of Medicine.

New Ways to Understand Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

A study of brain tissue from patients afflicted with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has uncovered new information about the disorder, and is poised to change how PTSD is understood and guide future treatment development. In research spanning several years, Matthew J. Friedman, MD, PhD, and his colleagues found that the brains of people with PTSD had “extensive remodeling” of the normal operations by which genetic information is coded, impacting everything from neural transmission to metabolism to inflammation. “This study is the first of many to come that are going to change the field of PTSD research,” Friedman said. “Unfortunately, our emerging understanding of the psychobiology of PTSD has not led to the development of effective medications for the disorder. We haven’t even seen a new drug developed for the treatment of PTSD in 20 years. Our team’s findings offer new clues about the causes of PTSD, the possibility of improved treatment, and most importantly, hope for people who live with this terrible disorder.”

Matthew J. Friedman, MD, PhD, is a psychiatrist at Dartmouth-Hitchcock, a professor of psychiatry at the Geisel School of Medicine, and director of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for PTSD Brain Bank.

Parkinson’s Risk Factors Among Rural New Englanders

A study by researchers at the Geisel School of Medicine suggests ways that rural New Englanders can lower their risk of Parkinson’s Disease, a progressive, neurodegenerative condition whose debilitating symptoms include balance and mobility issues. The team, led by Angeline S. Andrew, PhD, found that among people living near the Vermont-New Hampshire border, head trauma or concussion was associated with a fourfold greater risk of Parkinson’s. Exposure to lead—whether at work or through such hobbies as bullet casting, fishing with lead weights or sinkers, or stained glass making—increased risk by 2.7-fold. In their report in the journal Parkinson’s Disease, the investigators note that encouraging the use of lead substitutes and helmets are general health recommendations that may also reduce the risk of Parkinson’s. The study also highlights the importance of understanding regional variations in risk; while other studies have implicated pesticide exposure as a risk factor for Parkinson’s, few participants in the Geisel study reported such exposures.

Angeline Andrew, PhD, is an associate professor of neurology at Geisel.

Intervention Promotes Healthy Weight Behaviors

Obesity affects more than 13 million youngsters, increasing their lifetime risk of diabetes and heart disease. Thus the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) standard of care for all pediatric patients includes measuring Body Mass Index (BMI) and laboratory screening for diabetes, high cholesterol, and liver function. Among patients with high BMI, the AAP recommends positive reinforcement for healthy behaviors. Yet nationwide, screening is inconsistent and positive behavioral change can be difficult for families and providers alike. To promote better care for patients at the Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth-Hitchcock, Komal F. Satti, MD, MPH’19, and colleagues launched a quality improvement program to promote compliance with the AAP standard of care. The intervention— which included education sessions, the identification of “obesity champions” among providers and staff, and provider cues within the electronic medical record system—increased providers’ rates of laboratory screening, obesity documentation, referral to weight management programs, provision of lifestyle counseling, and weight-specific follow-up visits.

Komal F. Satti MD, MPH’19, is a pediatrician at the Children’s Hospital at DartmouthHitchcock and an assistant professor of pediatrics at Geisel.