TGen Talks

Alzheimer’s disease affects an estimated six million Americans. Diagnosing and treating the disease is challenging, and for families taking care of a loved one with Alzheimer’s, it’s even more difficult. Detecting and addressing the disease early on is crucial due to its progressive nature. However, Alzheimer’s symptoms can resemble those of other non-progressive conditions. 

In a recent Cells publication, a team of scientists describe using machine learning models to identify changes in RNA molecules of plasma extracellular vesicles (EVs) that may hold potential for identifying Alzheimer’s disease (AD) at its earliest stages. This is one of the first studies to show changes in the RNA molecules of plasma EVs that precede neurodegeneration and provides evidence that some of the hidden pathology taking place early in the disease is reflected in plasma EVs, where it can be accessed in a minimally invasive manner and used for biomarker development. 

On this edition of TGen Talks, study co-author and TGen Neurogenomics Division staff scientist Joanna Palade, Ph.D., discusses their findings, and how what sound like magic or a fortune teller's promise, is the goal of the scientists working to develop a simple test; one that wouldn't simply indicate whether your symptoms might progress to an Alzheimer's diagnosis, but could also estimate the timeframe for when it might occur.

Paul J. Luna, president and CEO of Helios Education Foundation, sits down with TGen Talks to discuss the transformational power of education, in particular, how internships help prepare students for future success. Helios Education Foundation supports postsecondary attainment for all students, especially low-income and underrepresented communities, in Arizona and Florida.

Earlier this month, Helios committed funding to extend the TGen Bioscience Leadership Academy (TBLA) through 2028 (see related story). TBLA spun out of TGen’s Helios Scholars Program in 2018, with a focus on supporting high-school students interested in careers in biomedical research and medicine.

In addition to the Helios-funded programs at TGen, Luna discusses Helios’ focus on helping students achieve educational success beyond high school and the importance of opening the programs to all students, regardless of background. And how rewarding it is to help students find a track to success, whatever that success may be.

Students should allow themselves to dream big, he says. Be willing to apply, be willing to say, I want to be part of that unique cohort of talented students who are going to learn and evolve and build a network and maybe, one day, find the cure for Alzheimer’s or cancer.

More than three years after the beginning of the pandemic, humans still spread COVID to one another every day, though with less severe symptoms in most cases. Scientists also know that we can spread COVID to our pets as well, because of the close relationships many of us have with our four-legged friends. While dogs CAN get COVID from humans, they don’t seem to get very SICK. So, what’s the big deal if we spread the virus to our pets?  Can dogs spread it back to humans or to other animals? TGen scientists are looking to answer these and other questions in a new study called the 1000 Canine (1K9) SARS-CoV-2 Surveillance Study … and they’re looking for dogs to participate. Hayley Yaglom, MS, MPH, a genomic epidemiologist who leads TGen North’s One Health team and the 1K9 study joins TGen Talks to discuss the study and how the information gained will help tailor guidance for public health, veterinary professionals, and people interacting with dogs in various settings.

Today, the world of biomedical science is changing how we think about disease and, certainly, how we treat it ... but did you ever wonder how discovery happens? 

  What does a lab look like? What type of equipment do they use? Who exactly is working inside? How many scientists and staff? And on what projects?

  On this episode of TGen Talks, Kristen Kaus, Manager of TGen's Education and Outreach programs, talks TGen, specifically, what guests and visitors see and hear when they go on a tour.

  While you might not learn everything modern research, you will gain an insider’s knowledge of TGen.

  She also talks about STEM education and the programs at TGen designed to foster a love of science and support students aiming for a career in bioscience. If that’s you, a TGen tour is a great way to see science in action.

For a patient diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer, there are more treatment options than ever and traditional chemotherapies that cause debilitating side effects have been all but completely replaced by immunotherapies, treatments that help a patient's own immune system better fight the disease. But in many patients, a chosen immunotherapy drug can show great promise in early treatments, yet seemingly stop working altogether as time goes by.

  In a paper that was published in Nature Medicine, TGen's Dr. Jonathan Keats explains how upwards of 65% of relapsing multiple myeloma patients could be affected by mutations that impact targeted T cell treatments.

  On this episode, you'll hear about a study that found how these cancer cells were mutating to evade the very drugs prescribed to fight them. The findings could help clinicians and patients choose from among a variety of T cell therapies for multiple myeloma to find treatments that best match a patient’s available tumor targets.

  Dr. Keats also discusses his broader work in multiple myeloma and plans for a rapid sequencing center that will place valuable genomic-informed data in the hands of treating physicians in just 48 hours.

  All this and more on TGen Talks.

The phrase "gut health" has become quite a buzzword in recent years, and researchers like this month's guest will tell you quite candidly that we have a lot to learn about the community of microorganisms that live INSIDE the human body. But one thing seems to be clear. The human being with a "healthy gut" is far better able to fight a cancer diagnosis than the human with poor gut health. Regardless the current standard for a healthy human microbiome, the data being compiled on this relatively new topic is vast. One TGen researcher is uniquely qualified to analyze and manage such data, and is doing so at TGen North. Dr. Greg Caporaso is a bioinformatician-- with expertise in both computer science and the human microbiome. On this episode of TGen talks, he explains how his study of this important body system started not in a pre-med class, but in the computer lab.

Most of us had a summer job when we were in high school or college, and if we were lucky, we had one that helped us make meaningful decisions about college or a career. 
 

At TGen, summer interns in the Helios Scholars at TGen program work alongside researchers on projects that are much more than “just” eight weeks of full-time hours inside a lab. Many Scholars choose a field of research they will pursue for an entire career.
  

On this episode of the TGen Talks, we connect with Heather Mead, Ph.D., a research assistant professor in TGen’s Pathogen and Microbiome Division. A former Helios Scholar who describes the eight-week internship as life changing and encouraged her to begin a second career in research, one that has seen her come full circle as today she mentors Helios Scholars, helping them find and follow their passion … all while conducting research and coordinating projects around Tuberculosis, Valley Fever, COVID and more.

What if you could take a simple test to find out just how susceptible you are to Covid19, the Flu, or any other virus? What if you could test your exposure and immunity to EVERY virus known to mankind using a single drop of blood?

The technology is here, now. And at TGen, researchers are using it to understand the human immune response and predict and track the next global outbreak.

What's more, the human immune system not only protects us from viruses and pathogens, it can help prevent the onset of deadly diseases triggered by those infections. This month's podcast is an introduction to something called PepSeq (pep-seek), a breakthrough technology that allows scientists at TGen to detect infections by – and immunity to – the entire human virome.

This month, our host Karie Dozer sits down for a personal conversation with Maria Fundora, who is neither a scientist nor a clinician. She's a businesswoman from Alpharetta, Georgia, a restauranteur and founder of Purple Pansies, a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising awareness and funds for pancreatic cancer research.

And like most nonprofits that support research, there's a story about how it all began, and most often in whose memory.

Maria's mother passed away from pancreatic cancer in 2007, inspiring Maria to start Purple Pansies. The organization began with $3,500 raised on Mother's Day in 2008. Maria chose the name Purple Pansies because purple represents pancreatic cancer and pansies symbolize resilience. Initially, Purple Pansies held two annual events, a community gathering and a gala in Maria's restaurant.

It wasn't until 2010 that Maria learned about TGen. Impressed by TGen's approach, Maria established a partnership that to date has raised millions.

All this and more with Maria Fundora on TGen Talks.

When treating cancer patients, physicians are often faced with tough choices.  Treatment options like radiation can often come with unpleasant, for some, unbearable side-effects. Doctors walk a fine line between stopping the growth of cancer cells and giving cancer cells the very thing they need to grow and spread.  

  City of Hope and TGen physician-scientist Yun Rose Li, M.D., Ph.D., has been called trailblazing and innovative by the NIH in her research into oxidative stress and its effects on cancer cells. Dr. Li is using a five year, nearly $2 million grant to study how manipulating oxidative stress can improve the outcomes of her patients with genitourinary cancers.  

  Recruited for her research while still a resident at UC San Francisco, Dr. Li is quickly proving it no longer takes a lifetime in cancer research to make a difference in the lives of patients.