LATEST NEWS & PUBLICATIONS
In a paper recently published in Stem Cell Reports, Dr. Daniel Garry of the Stem Cell Institute and co-authors discuss ethical issues raised by the use of chimeras for research purposes and human organ transplants. The article focuses on pig-human chimeras to generate blood vessels and blood products for use in humans. Progress in this field can help address the persistent gap between the number of people in need of a transplant and available organs.
The Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP) has published “Smart testing for COVID-19 virus and antibodies,” the third in a series of reports focused on the COVID-19 pandemic. The report includes a proposal for a smart testing framework and offers considerations for policy makers, public health agencies, hospital administrators, and the public. CIDRAP also recommends that the U.S.
Remdesivir is the only drug found so far to potentially shorten recovery time from COVID-19. On May 1, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized emergency use of this antiviral medication for patients with severe disease. The Minnesota Department of Health has worked with the Minnesota COVID Ethics Collaborative (MCEC) to create an ethical framework for distributing the state’s allocation of the drug. MCEC is co-led by Profs. Debra DeBruin and Susan M. Wolf.
The University of Minnesota has announced a $35 million grant from Minnesota Masonic Charities that will be used to create the Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain. This interdisciplinary institute will be led by the Medical School and College of Education and Human Development (CEHD), focusing on typical and disordered neurodevelopment from birth through adolescence.
The Strategic Partnerships and Research Collaborative (SPARC) is the Consortium’s newest member center, elected by vote of the current members. SPARC was established at the U in January 2019 as an innovation and research hub, and is led by Professors Amy Kircher, DrPH, and Katey Pelican, PhD, DVM. SPARC engages researchers across a wide range of disciplines for large-scale programs and grant proposals at the intersection of science and society. Find out more about SPARC here.
The Consortium’s NIH-funded grant on the law of genomics, led collaboratively with Vanderbilt University, has just published a major symposium in the Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics on "LawSeq: Building a Sound Legal Foundation for Translating Genomics into Clinical Application." The symposium features three open-access articles offering recommendations on legal changes to address liability threats, quality challenges in genomics, and confusion between different domains of genomics (research, clinical care, public health, and direct-to-consumer).
In a New York Times op-ed on April 28, Michael T. Osterholm and Mark Olshaker analyze the challenges of diagnostic testing for COVID-19, including the potential for false negatives, the fact that individuals would need to be screened repeatedly, and accuracy issues. They also warn of problems with antibody testing.
The University of Minnesota Genomics Center, a Consortium member center, worked with the University of Minnesota Medical School, the Molecular Diagnostics Lab, and M Health Fairview to develop a procedure that increases COVID-19 testing volume. Findings were recently published in bioRxiv so other institutions can utilize the new procedure and mitigate the current testing shortage.
As COVID-19 can cause severe issues for people with compromised immune systems, the Masonic Cancer Center, a Consortium member, and their clinical partner, M Health Fairview, are making changes in order to minimize risk and ensure cancer patients are not unnecessarily exposed. Adjustments include utilizing video-supported visits with oncologists and changes to scheduling that ensure patients interact with as few people as possible. Read more on the Masonic Cancer Center website here.
In a recent article published by Thrive Global, Dr. K. “Vish” Viswanath, Professor of Health Communication at Harvard School of Public Health, and Dr. Michelle A. Wiliams, Dean of the Faculty at Harvard School of Public Health, offer five steps to help people and organizations communicate responsibly about COVID-19. Dr.