SCIENCE ADVANCES

Method for improving seasonal flu vaccines also aids pandemic prediction

• Researchers at St. Jude have discovered why the seasonal influenza vaccine varies in effectiveness year to year, and how public health specialists might better predict pandemic potential in new flu strains.

• Hemagglutinin is a small protein that projects from the surface of a virus, and acts like a mousetrap, ready to poke into a human cell in the right acidic conditions.

• Mutations in hemagglutinin can cause increased or decreased stability of the protein. Researchers showed that testing the stability of hemagglutinin might improve the seasonal flu vaccine and help predict whether novel influenza strains have pandemic potential.

PNAS Combination therapy overcomes BET inhibitor resistance

• Inhibitors of the Bromodomain and extra-terminal domain (BET) protein have been shown to provide therapeutic benefit in patients with certain types of pediatric cancer. Unfortunately, many patients develop resistance to these compounds.

• Scientists at St. Jude revealed the importance of the SPOP gene in mediating resistance to BET inhibitors. They used next-generation gene editing technology to uncover this mechanism.

• Researchers used combination drug screening to evaluate drug combinations in preclinical models of pediatric leukemias. They found that combining BET inhibitors with GS3K inhibition may hold promise for further development.

St. Jude scientist M. Madan Babu elected to the Royal Society of London

Director of the Center of Excellence for Data-Driven Discovery at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital named a fellow of the elite 360-year-old British scientific organization. Babu was selected to join the Royal Society for his pioneering data sciencebased strategies to reveal fundamental principles in biological systems. His scientific accomplishments include determining the molecular mechanisms governing G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling, uncovering the roles of disordered protein regions in biology and disease, and establishing genome-scale principles of gene regulation.

Greg Armstrong, M.D., MSCE, named Chair of the Department of Epidemiology and Cancer Control at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital has named Greg Armstrong, M.D., MSCE, the new chair of the Department of Epidemiology and Cancer Control, the department that has established the institution as a world leader in the study of childhood cancer survivorship. Armstrong assumes the position at a critical time for St. Jude as it continues to invest heavily in research to reduce the toxicity of cancer therapy and enhance the quality of life for all pediatric cancer survivors as part of the institution’s $12.9 billion strategic plan.

Victor J. Torres, PhD, named chair of newly formed Department of HostMicrobe Interactions at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital announced that Victor J. Torres, Ph.D., an internationally renowned microbiologist and immunologist, has been selected as the inaugural chair of a new Department of HostMicrobe Interactions. A world leader in microbiology and host-pathogen interactions, Torres’s research efforts have focused on interactions between pathogenic bacteria and the mammalian host, with an emphasis on multidrug-resistant bacteria.

Damon Runyon launches new pediatric cancer fellowship in partnership with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

The Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital announced a new pediatric-focused fellowship. The initiative aims to help address the critical shortage of top young scientists who often seek more prevalent opportunities in adult cancer research or the pharmaceutical sector.

The Damon Runyon–St. Jude Pediatric Cancer Research Fellowship will fund up to 25 fellowships over eight years, a $9 million investment.

Biostatistician Deo Kumar Srivistava, PhD, named ASA fellow

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital data scientist Deo Kumar Srivistava, Ph.D., has been elected as a fellow of the American Statistical Association (ASA), the largest and oldest professional statistical organization in the world. Srivastava was selected for his outstanding contributions toward advancing pediatric cancer research using sound biostatistical methods, providing leadership and mentoring, for excellent and sustained contributions to the field of statistical methods, and for dedicated service to the profession, according to his fellowship citation.

St. Jude in top five of elite ranking of hospitals treating children with cancer

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is ranked again among the top five pediatric cancer hospitals on U.S. News & World Report’s 17th Annual “Best Children’s Hospitals” list released today. The U.S. News Best Children’s Hospitals rankings rely on clinical data and an annual survey of pediatric specialists. The study factors in clinical resources such as bone marrow transplantation services, brain tumors and sarcomas programs and FACT accreditation (for cellular therapy). The survey also evaluates compliance with best practices and patient outcomes, such as mortality and infection rates.

When people think of virology, rarely do they think of a week at the beach. However, one of the most consequential long-running virological expeditions traverses the East Coast — from Memphis to Delaware Bay every May — and has for the last 38 years.

The trip began decades ago, when Robert G. Webster, PhD, emeritus faculty of the St. Jude Department of Infectious Diseases, discovered the source for all influenza (affecting humans and other animals) was in wild birds. As birds are the natural host of influenza, he planned an annual St. Jude trip to collect samples. Webster needed to identify a place with a high concentration of these animals to ensure flu would be present. He found it in Delaware Bay.

By returning to Delaware Bay every year, the St. Jude team has built an invaluable treasure trove of data. Dr. Richard Webby, PhD, and his team will continue working with the viruses throughout the year. The trip has produced multiple scientific discoveries, including understanding how birds spread influenza across the globe, recognizing how Delaware Bay is a “hot spot” for virus-host interactions and how virus-host interactions happen in birds to keep infections mostly asymptomatic.