Category: Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine

YJBM Science News 31: Clues to Cancer Care

YJBM Science News 31: Clues to Cancer Care

This week’s episode of the YJBM Science News podcast is all about papers that identify or help narrow down potential new targets and tools for cancer therapeutics. From protein modifications to autoantibodies to epigenetic markers and more, join co-hosts Majo and Roxanna as they break down recent Yale-affiliated biological and biomedical research.

Papers featured in this episode:
“Turnover atlas of proteome and phosphoproteome across mouse tissues and brain regions” – https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2025.02.021
https://medicine.yale.edu/news-article/protein-turnover-mapping-may-offer-clues-for-alzheimers-cancer-treatment/
“A lupus-derived autoantibody that binds to intracellular RNA activates cGAS-mediated tumor immunity and can deliver RNA into cells” – https://doi.org/10.1126/scisignal.adk3320
https://medicine.yale.edu/news-article/lupus-related-antibody-shows-promise-in-enhancing-cancer-treatment-efficacy/
“BRCA2 prevents PARPi-mediated PARP1 retention to protect RAD51 filaments” – https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-08749-x
https://news.yale.edu/2025/03/26/how-inherited-cancer-risks-can-be-used-effective-personalized-therapy
“An in vivo screen identifies NAT10 as a master regulator of brain metastasis” – https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.ads6021
https://medicine.yale.edu/news-article/a-genetic-screen-identifies-a-new-master-regulator-of-brain-metastasis/

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The Immunology of Long COVID: An Interview with Dr. Lindsay McAlpine and Dr. Keyla Sá

The Immunology of Long COVID: An Interview with Dr. Lindsay McAlpine and Dr. Keyla Sá

Why do some individuals continue to experience debilitating neurologic symptoms long after their initial COVID-19 infections? How might our own immune systems be the culprit? In this episode of the YJBM podcast, we learn more about the post-acute infection syndrome known as “long COVID” and the challenges associated with trying to understand its underlying mechanisms. Join co-hosts Shivani and Roxanna as they interview Dr. Lindsay McAlpine and Dr. Keyla Sá, researchers at the Yale University School of Medicine, about their work investigating the pathophysiology of long COVID-associated neurologic symptoms.

Papers/preprints mentioned in this interview:
“Case-Control Study of Individuals With Small Fiber Neuropathy After COVID-19” – https://doi.org/10.1212/NXI.0000000000200244
“A causal link between autoantibodies and neurological symptoms in long COVID” – https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.06.18.24309100

Keep up with Dr. McAlpine’s work:
https://medicine.yale.edu/lab/mcalpine/
https://medicine.yale.edu/neurology/research/covid-mind-study/
https://x.com/mcalpinelabyale
https://bsky.app/profile/drlynseymcalpine.bsky.social

Keep up with Dr. Sá’s work:
https://medicine.yale.edu/lab/iwasaki/
https://x.com/keylas3
https://x.com/VirusesImmunity
https://bsky.app/profile/virusesimmunity.bsky.social

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https://medicine.yale.edu/yjbm/

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YJBM Science News 30: Reproductive Health and Immunology

YJBM Science News 30: Reproductive Health and Immunology

In this week’s installment of YJBM Science News, Majo and Roxanna discuss recent Yale-affiliated research about contraceptives, fertility, and immunology! Can our genetic variants help us predict which birth control method would be the most effective? What can the gut microbiome tell us about the immune systems of multiple sclerosis patients before and after undergoing immunotherapy treatment? Join us as we explore not only the answers to these questions, but also as we learn more about the trials and tribulations of data generation!

Papers featured in this episode:

“Pharmacogenomics of the Etonogestrel Contraceptive Implant: A Genome-Wide Association Study of Steady-State Etonogestrel Concentrations” – https://doi.org/10.1097/og9.0000000000000066
https://medicine.yale.edu/news-article/analyzing-genetics-may-lead-to-better-contraceptive-experiences-for-women/

“Allosteric inhibition of the IZUMO1–JUNO fertilization complex by the naturally occurring antisperm antibody OBF13” – https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2425952122
https://news.yale.edu/2025/03/03/scientists-discover-how-naturally-occurring-mechanism-hampers-fertility

“A single-cell atlas of circulating immune cells over the first 2 months of age in extremely premature infants” – https://doi.org/10.1126/scitranslmed.adr0942
https://medicine.yale.edu/news-article/new-insights-into-preterm-infant-immunity-could-inform-care/

“Alterations in Gut Microbiome-Host Relationships After Immune Perturbation in Patients With Multiple Sclerosis” – https://doi.org/10.1212/NXI.0000000000200355
https://medicine.yale.edu/news-article/gut-microbiome-changes-linked-to-multiple-sclerosis-ms-new-study-finds/

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A Tale of Two Viruses: Interview with Sasha Tabachnikova

A Tale of Two Viruses: Interview with Sasha Tabachnikova

What do COVID and mono have in common? How can infectious diseases impact our health for life? How does a dancer end up doing basic science research? Join our hosts Isha Yardi and Elaine Yang in conversation with Sasha Tabachnikova about her work as a PhD student in the Iwasaki Lab. Today, she is our guide through the evolving landscape of research on post-acute infection syndromes.

Learn about YJBM here: https://medicine.yale.edu/yjbm/

Viruses and Autoimmunity issue: https://medicine.yale.edu/news-article/yjbms-december-2024-issue-focuses-on-viruses-and-autoimmunity/

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YJBM Science News Episode 29

YJBM Science News Episode 29

Does mRNA play a role in cell migration? Can we use therapeutic vaccines to treat cancers like kidney cancer? Join co-hosts Majo and Roxanna in this week’s installment of YJBM Science News as they discuss the most recent Yale-affiliated biomedical and biological research that answers these questions and more!

Papers featured in this episode:
“Resolving the three-dimensional interactome of human accelerated regions during human and chimpanzee neurodevelopment” – http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2025.01.007
https://news.yale.edu/2025/02/06/study-sheds-light-genetic-changes-shaped-human-brain-evolution
“A neoantigen vaccine generates antitumour immunity in renal cell carcinoma” – https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-08507-5
https://medicine.yale.edu/news-article/personalized-therapeutic-vaccine-steers-the-immune-system-to-fight-kidney-cancer/
“G3BP1 ribonucleoprotein complexes regulate focal adhesion protein mobility and cell migration” – https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2025.115237
https://news.yale.edu/2025/02/13/feet-first-understanding-how-mrna-helps-cells-walk
“A human gut bacterium antagonizes neighboring bacteria by altering their protein-folding ability” – https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chom.2025.01.008
https://westcampus.yale.edu/news/2025-02-04-the-hidden-battle-in-your-gut-how-one-bacterium-outsmarts-its-rivals

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https://medicine.yale.edu/yjbm/
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YJBM Science News Podcast: Episode 28

YJBM Science News Podcast: Episode 28

Welcome back to YJBM Science News! Join us as we discuss the recent news in healthcare and science across the Yale community. Today, Roxanna and our new host Majo will share some of the most intriguing topics of the past few weeks, including the use of AI in diagnostics, cannabinoids as pain therapy, and more!

Papers featured in this episode:

“Heart failure risk stratification using artificial intelligence applied to electrocardiogram images: a multinational study” – https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehae914
https://medicine.yale.edu/news-article/new-ai-tool-identifies-risk-of-future-heart-failure/

“Nav1.8, an analgesic target for nonpsychotomimetic phytocannabinoids” – https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2416886122
https://news.yale.edu/2025/01/21/cannabinoids-offer-new-hope-safe-and-effective-pain-relief

“Neural Variability and Cognitive Control in Individuals With Opioid Use Disorder” – http://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.55165
https://news.yale.edu/2025/01/17/opioid-use-disorder-might-lead-sticky-brains

“Atgl-dependent adipocyte lipolysis promotes lipodystrophy and restrains fibrogenic responses during skin fibrosis” – https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jid.2024.12.022
https://news.yale.edu/2025/01/29/fat-cells-play-protective-role-fibrosis-development

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YJBM Viruses and Autoimmunity: Interview with Deputy Editors

YJBM Viruses and Autoimmunity: Interview with Deputy Editors

Get an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at the newest YJBM issue! In this episode, our host Shivesh Shourya sits down with deputy editors RuthMabel Boytz and Evan Navori to discuss December’s “Viruses and Autoimmunity.” From the earliest planning stages to navigating unexpected challenges, discover how this issue came to life—and gain fresh insights into the fascinating intersection of viruses and autoimmune disease.

Read the “Viruses and Autoimmunity” issue:
https://medicine.yale.edu/news-article/yjbms-december-2024-issue-focuses-on-viruses-and-autoimmunity/

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https://medicine.yale.edu/yjbm/

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YJBM Science News Podcast: Episode 27

YJBM Science News Podcast: Episode 27

Welcome to the first YJBM Science News of the 2025, and welcome our new host, Roxanna Altus! Join us as we discuss the recent news in healthcare and science across the Yale community. Today, our hosts Mara and Roxanna will share some of the most intriguing topics of the past few weeks.

Papers featured in the episode:
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41556-024-01574-w
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2024.11.037
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-55902-1
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-08341-9

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How Science Can Shape Policy and Prepare Us for What’s Next: An Interview with Dr. Gonzalo Moratorio

How Science Can Shape Policy and Prepare Us for What’s Next: An Interview with Dr. Gonzalo Moratorio

A few years after the COVID-19 pandemic, we’re still uncovering lessons about how science, communities, and governments can work together to tackle global health challenges. Today, we are joined by Dr. Gonzalo Moratorio, Head of the Experimental Evolution of Viruses Lab at the Institut Pasteur de Montevideo and Associate Professor at the University of the Republic, Uruguay, for a chat about keeping the conversation open between academia and the public, how scientists can shape policymaking, and what the next pandemic might look like.

More about Dr. Moratorio’s research:
https://worldfellows.yale.edu/person/gonzalo-moratorio/
https://pasteur.uy/en/heads-of-labs-and-units/gonzalo-moratorio/

More about YJBM at:
https://medicine.yale.edu/yjbm/

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YJBM Science News Podcast: Episode 26

YJBM Science News Podcast: Episode 26

Welcome to the last YJBM Science News of the 2024! Join us as we discuss the recent news in healthcare and science across the Yale community. Today, our hosts Mara and Samantha will share some of the most intriguing topics of the past few weeks.

Papers featured in the episode:

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41590-024-02023-4

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-54657-5

https://doi.org/10.1093/cid/ciae559

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmqr.2024.100498

More about YJBM at:

https://medicine.yale.edu/yjbm/

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https://www.instagram.com/theyjbm/