Stay ConnectedPodcast interviews with genius-level (top .1%) practitioners, scientists, researchers, clinicians and professionals in Cancer, 3D Bio Printing, CRISPR-CAS9, Ketogenic Diets, the Microbiome, Extracellular Vesicles, and more.
Subscribe today for the latest medical, health and bioscience insights from geniuses in their field(s).
Copyright: © Richard Jacobs
While chronic kidney disease diagnosis is rare in children, its effects are profound. Furthermore, there's so much scientists don't know about kidney function. Keia Sanderson is hoping to change that. She specializes in chronic kidney disease treatment in pediatric patients and discusses avenues to advance treatment and prevention. This podcast gives her the perfect platform to explain
Keia Sanderson, MD, is an assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Nephrology and Hypertension at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. Her job is a mix of teaching, clinical work, and research. In her clinical work, she takes care of children with kidney disease at all stages, including kids who receive transplants. Her current research is focused on kidney outcomes in children with complex medical histories, in particular children who've been born prematurely. She says that the challenge is oftentimes the asymptomatic nature of kidney disease in children. Therefore, she and other clinicians are often meeting kids with disease states that are irreversible and are turning toward dialysis treatment and transplantation.
Dr. Sanderson gives listeners a special focus on the risks from preterm birth. Because preterm babies tend to have less nephron development, the nephrons that are present have to work overtime and are subject to hyper filtration. But because doctors have been able to identify this as a critical time, they are looking at ways to better manage preterm infant treatment. For example, what medications are they receiving that could affect kidney development? How are we feeding infants in this active development stage? How are we handling their oxygenation? While a clear pathway is not yet evident, she is hopeful she and other researches will find one. Currently, she's hoping to develop mathematical models to make better predications about the risk levels for different babies.
For more information, see the UNC Kidney Center, the National Kidney Foundation, and talk to your primary doctor. Available on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/2Os0myK
"As a flu researcher," says Stacey Schultz-Cherry, "it's frustrating to hear 'it's just flu.'" This podcast helps listeners gain a much better understanding about the constant effort to pin down strains for vaccines and the need for better spillover maintenance. She explains
Stacey Schultz-Cherry is a member of St. Jude Faculty and specializes in flu research. Her lab just received funding to make flu vaccines more effective for at-risk populations, populations who experience much less efficacy with the vaccine. But she takes this podcast opportunity to educate listeners about the vaccine itself and influenza causes and the microbiology of viruses. She clears up several misunderstandings. For example, she says the reason scientists can't just give one shot with 20 different strains is because of the interactions between the strains. One strain can outgrow another, for example, or your body might mount a higher response to one component over another. But scientists are researching how to make this possible.
She also teaches listeners about the yearly process of sequencing strains that are out there and taking data from around the world to make the best predictions possible and choose the four strains it seems best to include. Why is it so complicated? Well, she says, influenza is an RNA virus that is segmented. So each gene has its own segment. That means in can recombine it unpredictable ways. Furthermore, there's something called "virus drift," with an error-prone polymerase. This equates to a genetic drift. The endless possible combinations are mostly not a problem for humans, but those that do spillover cause the bird flus that are so deadly. She also explains the nomenclature of the different strains, why the flu vaccine can help keep you out of the hospital, and more.
For more good influenza resources, she suggests the CDC section on flu, the WHO pages that address the data, and Trevor Bedford's site at Fred Hutch. Her lab's website also provides information. Available on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/2Os0myK
Early in his studies, Nils Pilotte realized he wanted to pursue research with direct human applications and neglected tropical diseases fit that bill. This podcast explores this sorely-needed research and ways scientists like Nils Pilotte are making a difference. Listen and learn
Nils Pilotte is a postdoctoral researcher with the Williams' Lab at Smith College. He works primarily in diagnostic methods in parasitology and focuses on filarial worms and soil-transmitted helminths diagnosis in particular. These worms cause devastating health issues in underserved communities and he works not only to eradicate infestations now but also prevent future resurgences. He gives the podcast audience a solid background on how both soil-transmitted helminths and filarial worms, which are transmitted by insect vectors, progress through life cycles via complex host relationships. Filarial worms, for example, must utilize two animal hosts to realize their adult reproduction stage. He treats listeners with his enthusiasm for studying this coevolution, speculating on the amazing science behind their adaptations.
But this coevolution is more than just interesting. Researching the signaling between pathogen and host is key to developing methods for diagnosis of parasitic infections. "Cross-talk" is a phrase scientists use for this exchange. Because parasites developed clever ways to disguise themselves, understanding this cross-talk is at the forefront of understanding pathogenicity. Dr. Pilotte addresses various ways they are looking at this signaling that might aid better diagnostics. He also addresses ways he and others work to make diagnostics less expensive and more accessible. For example, he's working on a method to increase their testing of mosquito infection by testing their excreta, or feces, for the presence of pathogen material. It's much easier and simpler to collect the mosquito feces than the mosquitoes themselves. Listen in for more smart advances scientists are using to make the world healthier.
For more about Nils Pilotte, see his researchgate page or search for him in Google scholar. Available on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/2Os0myK
Parasites are a neglected area of medicine and Rick Maizels is working to change that. But his research also lends surprising findings in the human immune response to parasites: allergy relief. With Professor Maizels' accessible language and explanations, this podcast explores an exciting step forward in both parasitology and allergy research. Listen and learn
Rick Maizels is a professor of parasitology at the University of Glasgow and gives listeners a clear lesson in the latest science of parasite research. He leads listeners into the complex interchanges of cellular and molecular immunology to explain how parasites have the ability to dampen our immune system in ways that are sometimes beneficial for us. He explains that parasites are a neglected area of medicine because they tend to infect the poorest parts of the world. Unfortunately, past research money and efforts have gone to the needs of wealthier world communities. But parasitologists are working hard to change that. As they increased this research, they noticed a reciprocal relationship between the prevalence of helminths and allergies. In other words, helminths presence is inversely related to the presence of allergies, as if parasites dampen "diseases of modernity."
Professor Maizels explains this in more detail and says there's a common theme: it involves the "good cop" of the immune cell—the regulatory T-cell. The regulatory T-cell makes sure that the immune response doesn't go into overdrive or start attacking innocuous materials like the dust mite. It turns out that the parasite can affect the host gene expression in human body with products it releases. For example, the hookworm release a protein that binds to the T-cell, instructing it to make more. The overall effect is to dampen the immune system. He discusses more studies along these lines and the effect on conditions like ulcerative colitis and celiac disease. They've also found some parasites have wound healing properties, healing and preventing infections in their entry point into the host. Harnessing these findings can address parasitic infections in poorer communities and offer therapeutics like vaccines to work for immunity against helminths. Listen in to learn about additional exciting discoveries.
For more see, Professor Maizels' lab website: maizelslab.org. Available on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/2Os0my
Can researchers better utilize our cellular powerhouses to fight infection? Yes, according to this podcast, but it's all about timing and balance. James Phelan's research into when cells utilize glycolysis and what that might achieve for infectious diseases has turned the cancer field on its head. Listen in to learn about metabolic pathway research that has therapeutic-changing potential. He addresses
James J. Phelan is a postdoctoral research fellow at Trinity College in Dublin. He spent most of his PhD work developing an expertise in cellular metabolism, specifically in the context of esophageal cancer. He explains how he carefully examined the metabolic pathways accompanying the progression from Barrett's esophagus to cancer of the esophagus. Barrett's esophagus, or intestinal metaplasia, indicates a distortion of cells and is the biggest risk factor for esophageal cancer. He found that as patients progress from this inflammatory esophageal condition to cancer, their cells use an aggressive form of metabolism called glycolysis, which involves a higher flux of cytokines and chemokines, both damaging to tissue. In other words, glycolysis is a cancer-specific form of metabolism.
He brought this findings into the infectious disease and immunology field and found that glycolysis has a contrasting role in an infectious disease context. However, it started with a similarity: as with cancer patients, infectious disease patients are burdened with high inflammation. The goal of therapeutics is to reduce inflammation, particularly with TB, one of his specialties. Here's where it gets tricky and innovative: if glycolysis as the main metabolic pathway is turned on early for TB, it will help eradicate the infection. They've found an iron binder in clinical trials for COVID-19 that can turn on glycolysis in macrophages infected with TB and clear the infection. By using this compound, they can switch on glycolysis and turn on cytokines, which are actually very harmful in the late stage of TB. But in the early stage, they are curative. He explains this surprising finding in more detail as well as therapeutic possibilities such as in vaccinations and other ways this research may help inform vaccines and the immune response.
For more, see his website at Trinity College. Available on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/2Os0myK
Curious about the pandemic's impact on the housing finance system? This podcast has the answers. Richard Koss takes listeners through every element, translating the global housing watch into an understandable format. Listeners will learn
Richard Koss is the Chief Research Officer at Recursion, a company in the big data mortgage finance field. They take enormous data sets related to the mortgage market and place that data in the cloud. Then, as part of what they call "data democratization," they provide digital tools that allow interested users to access that data to supplement policy or inform trading practices or research strategies. He says the lack of transparency before 2008 was part of the problem that lead to the global financial crisis. The importance of housing finance transparency was not lost on Recursion's founders.
As a data expert, he's also in a great position to help listeners get a handle on today's housing market and better understand the economics of global housing solutions. He explains in clear and accessible language what the market has looked like since March in structural and cyclical terms, addressing the labor and housing struggles. He explains that housing trends look a little like the 60s—we're seeing flight out of the city into the suburbs and exurbs. The big question is how long this will persist. He tells listeners what predictions the banks, big companies, and financial lenders are betting on but gives enough information to help listeners come to their own conclusions. Listen in for some great insights into current directions of housing markets.
For more about his company and their take on housing markets, see recursionco.com. Available on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/2Os0myK
"Nothing replicates with nucleic acid and evolves through natural selection and is not alive, so I think it's time for viruses to join the pantheon of life," says Dr. White, bringing a fresh perspective to the topic of whether viruses should be considered living or nonliving. Press play to learn why he says viruses are "perfect" parasites, and to explore the following:
Dr. Richard Allen White III is a virologist and the owner of Raw Molecular Systems (RMS), LLC. His current work is focused on diagnostics and biotherapeutics to combat COVID-19, as well as repurposing bacteriophage to tackle multidrug resistance. He provides unique insight on a handful of compelling questions about viruses, which leads to a discussion of how viruses take over the host's macrophages and trigger cell-to-cell infection, a phage Vibrio that's triggered by a quorum-sensing molecule, viral modification and what it means, virus and host cell interactions, viral evolution and how a virus changes over time, viral tropism, current treatments for the rabies virus, how viruses hold the key to wiping out the growing threat of multidrug-resistant organisms, and more.
Tune in, and learn about Dr. White's company by visiting https://www.rawmolecularsystems.com/. Available on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/2Os0myK
Tiny microbes make a huge difference in our health. These internal ecological systems utilize communication or signaling to maintain this health, effecting immune system function. This podcast shares an important discovery in this communication that influences receptivity to cancer treatment. Listen and learn
Dr. Kathy McCoy is a professor in the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology at the University of Calgary and the director of the International Microbiome Centre. Her research is focused on interactions between the microbiome and immune system and she shares an exciting just-published study that presents a key finding in cancer treatment. Specifically, her research asked how gut microbes play a rule in influencing or regulating the efficacy of immune checkpoint blockade therapy or cancer immunotherapy. She says that scientists have known for a few years that our microbiome is associated with immunotherapy success or lack thereof, but needed more information to make a difference in treatment.
Here's the big idea behind her findings: while researchers have known there's a microbial immune conversation, they now know that it's a three-way conversation rather than a two-way conversation. In addition to the microbes and immune system players, metabolites sent out by microbes have a say; furthermore, this conversation gets enhanced by cancer immunotherapy. More specifically, they found that one of these metabolites, inosine, binds to a receptor present on T-cells and causes a signal transduction cascade that makes that T-cell turn on an anti-tumor response—it makes the cytokines necessary to attack cancer cells. If a patient doesn't have this metabolite, the immunotherapy may not work as well. The hope is researchers can figure out how to encourage this metabolite in patients. Listen in for more details about this study and about its life-changing implications.
For more, see her lab website: kathymccoylab.ca. Available on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/2Os0myK
Curious about science's latest effort to reverse aging? This podcast describes attainable treatments and the science behind theses gene therapy processes: Elizabeth Parrish discusses BioViva's anti-aging gene therapy products and research. Even better, she brings a different perspective—she has had viral vector gene therapy herself. Listen and learn
Elizabeth Parrish is a returning guest and CEO of BioViva, a leader in health regenerative gene therapy. She takes listeners on a tour of anti-aging science, offering interesting and intelligent descriptions of available therapies and exciting future treatments in the works. She begins by describing four specific therapies BioViva offers through Integrated Health Systems: telomerase gene-inducement, myostatin inhibitors, mitochondrial improvement, and klotho gene therapy. Respectively, these address anti-aging, muscle growth, energy production, and organ systems and dementia issues.
The process for how they accomplish these therapies is better than science fiction. Essentially, they use a viral vector that has had its pathogenesis removed. They fill this vector with the gene therapy and a promotor, which regulates the amount of gene delivered. These therapies are introduced into the body through various ways, but most frequently through an IV drip. She adds that clients will need to take an immune suppressant before and after this therapy, though usually it is on the milder side and tends to be prednisone or something similar. What really makes this interview interesting is Elizabeth's ability to explain how the biology behind this therapy works, why telomere length makes a difference, and how this turns on health-inducing genes without actually changing a person's DNA. In other words, it's not genetic engineering for extending life spans, it's gene therapy for enhancing and strengthening what the body already has.
For more about the company, see bioviva-science.com. Available on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/2Os0myK
This podcast offers insight into how scientists keep our best animal friends safe, and in turn, their human companions. Because humans can get parasites from dogs and other animals, we are part of this equation. Italian scientist Domico Otranto teaches listeners
Domenico Otranto (DVM, PhD, Diplomate EVPC, FRES) is a full professor of Animal Parasitic Diseases in the Department of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Bari in southern Italy. While he mainly works on parasites of zoonotic concern, he also concentrates on when these become human parasitic diseases. This means he studies vector-born diseases that transmit pathogens to vertebrate hosts. Such vectors include flies, ticks, and other bugs and worms that feed on the host and transmit these pathogenic parasites. They often have primary and secondary hosts. Such parasites present a particular problem in Mediterranean regions because of the climate.
He has a special focus on leashmania, which is transmitted through sand flies. Dogs are the main host for leishmania, but it can also infect cats, rodents, and humans. He explains the challenges to fighting this parasite and explains why prevention of sand fly biting is actually the best approach. Furthermore, controlling it in dogs is an important step in preventing it in humans. Finally, he places these concerns in a socio economic context. Parasitic diseases are more typically problematic in the poorest countries. Therefore, his work is inspired by a social commitment to improve the quality of life and health in these areas. Available on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/2Os0myK
Our TOPPODCAST Picks 
