amfAR, the American Foundation for AIDS Research, supports research for HIV/AIDS understanding, treatment, prevention, and a cure. Hans-Peter Kiem, MD, PhD, is developing gene therapy to make a patient’s blood and immune system cells resistant to HIV, thanks in part to amfAR awarding him $480,000.
HIV was once considered incurable but can be controlled with medication. Researchers like Dr. Kiem are boldly exploring a cure, inspired by a special transplant that make cells HIV-resistant. The world-renowned pioneer in stem-cell and gene therapy aims to combine this knowledge with the use of CRISPR technology to protect against HIV. CRISPR stands for “Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats.” It’s a revolutionary gene editing technology that allows scientists to precisely change the DNA of organisms, including humans, plants, and animals. CRISPR technology is based on a natural defense mechanism found in bacteria, which is used to fend off viruses by storing a small piece of viral DNA within their own DNA.
Using CRISPR to edit genes precisely, the Kiem Lab is applying this protection to a person’s blood cells to fight HIV. They seek a simpler approach using a harmless virus to deliver the therapy through injections, potentially helping other conditions like sickle cell disease. The end goal is a practical and accessible HIV cure that’s akin to how cancer treatment became common. They are taking a similar leap in curing HIV and AIDS.
Burbacher spent decades researching how toxic chemicals affect children’s developing brains. Photo by Veronica Brace
Dr. Tom Burbacher’s career took him on a journey through the fascinating world of health sciences, where data from his studies advance the understanding of the causes and treatments of childhood neurodevelopmental disabilities. The Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences (DEOHS) at the University of Washington recently wrote an article about Burbacher’s many accomplishments, “Protecting children’s brains from toxic chemicals.”
Dr. Burbacher’s research at the University of Washington began in 1974 as a graduate student. He was mentored by Professor of Psychology Gene “Jim” Sackett and became part of the Washington Regional Primate Research Center, now Washington National Primate Research Center. In the laboratory established in Seattle just four years prior, Jim and Tom aimed to understand human childhood developmental disorders by studying nonhuman primates. You can read more about his 50-year journey in the American Journal of Primatology.
This research enhanced the understanding of nursery care for infant monkeys, socialization, behavior testing, and rearing conditions. It also illuminated the intricate interplay of genetic, prenatal, and environmental factors in primate development, offering best practices for nursery rearing and housing.
Moreover, the findings significantly impact the analysis of maternal substance exposure, vaccine safety, and infectious disease processes, shaping clinical decisions and deepening our knowledge of developmental and health-related risks. This research influences various aspects of child health and development, encompassing maternal medication effects, pediatric HIV/AIDS, fragile X syndrome, and stem cell-based modeling. The lab’s multidisciplinary approach continues to drive advancements in understanding pediatric diseases and potential treatments. Over 20 years, Dr. Burbacher collaborated closely with senior research scientist Dr. Kimberly “Kim” Grant, mentoring numerous undergraduates and graduate students in their lab.
Dr. Burbacher looks forward to traveling more in retirement. As professor emeritus in DEOHS, he’ll be continuing his work with Kim by managing TERIS (Teratogen Information System) a knowledge bank providing expert guidance on the pregnancy risks of medications, viruses, and vaccines.
UW Medicine Newsroom asked faculty experts to offer a summer outlook on COVID protection.
Virologist and WaNPRC Associate Director for Research, Dr. Deborah Fuller, and Immunologist Dr. Marion Pepper provide insights into the current status of COVID protection as the disease continues to impact respiratory infections.
Randy Kyes @RCKGLOBAL Just down from the Himalayas – Langtang National Park. Seems like I’ve taken a million photos during 20+ yrs of research and training in the park – but every time I see it, it’s like my first time… Thank you to Dr. Narayan Koju of NEC and the amazing students who joined us.
Training kicked off in March at Nepal Engineering College in Kathmandu with a total of 41 participants representing 10 different academic institutions throughout Nepal.
Additionally, the team was able to provide educational outreach regarding conservation biology and global health to fourth and fifth graders at the Shee Janasudhar Basic School in Swoyambhu, Kathmandu. The next stop for Kyes was Tangkoko Nature Reserve in North Sulawesi, Indonesia, for the 23rd annual field course starting back up after a four year pandemic delay.
Thank you to the school’s teachers and all our field course participants.
After a pandemic delay, it’s great to be back in N. Sulawesi, Indonesia for our 23rd yr of field training & outreach education in Tangkoko. A wonderful, long-term collaboration with Sam Ratulangi Univ @unsrat1961, the Primate Research Center-IPB Univ @PSSP_IPB & @Wa_NPRC@uwcgfs — Randy Kyes (@RCKGLOBAL) May 13, 2023
One week into our 23rd “annual” field course in Tangkoko, Indonesia with an impressive group of 21 students from UNSRAT, UDK, and Batu Putih – great to be back (photo via drone). Will be conducting our annual outreach education program for local school children in a few days.
Engineered stem cells do not provoke dangerous heart rhythms, a problem that has thwarted efforts to date.
Chuck Murry, M.D., Ph.D., WaNPRC Core Scientist in the Gene Therapy and Regenerative Medicine Unit
Researchers at the University of Washington have developed stem cells that don’t cause dangerous heart rhythms, a hurdle in using stem cells to repair injured hearts. The team used pluripotent stem cells, which can become any cell type. Previous attempts at using stem cells to repair heart damage were successful but resulted in high heart rates initially. To address this, the researchers manipulated ion channels and genes in the stem cells and created a new stem cell line called “MEDUSA” that generates heart muscle cells that beat in sync with natural pacemaking without causing dangerous rhythms. This breakthrough could pave the way for heart regeneration.
Who would have known that a chance meeting with an Indonesian scientist in the middle of North Carolina would have led to today?
“I had just completed my PhD and started my postdoc at Wake Forest School of Medicine. This was in 1989. I happened to meet Dondin Sajuthi that summer. He had just moved from Indonesia and was starting his postdoc. He said, “We have this little deserted island where we’ve started releasing monkeys to establish a breeding population. You ought to talk to the people at the primate center at the University of Washington. They’re interested in somebody going there to monitor how the monkeys are doing.” – Dr. Randall C. (Randy) Kyes
In the field on Tinjil Island – Randy with colleague Dr. Entang Iskandar from the Primate Research Center at IPB University. Entang was a student in Randy’s very first field course in 1991. He has collaborated with Randy in every field course since. Dr. Elle Kyes, Randy’s wife and collaborator, collects mosquitos with students as part of a training exercise out in the field.
Fast-forward 30 years …plus a little more thanks to a worldwide pandemic, to this past July when Dr. Kyes and his Indonesian collaborators marked this significant milestone for Washington National Primate Research Center and it’s Global Conservation, Education and Outreach(GCEO) unit. What’s all the fuss about? This is a commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the Field Course inConservation Biology & Global Health on Tinjil Island, Banten, Java, Indonesia.
Randy, chief of the GCEO unit at WaNPRC, and his colleagues at the Primate Research Center (PSSP) at IPB University (IPB) established the field course in 1991. They chose the location to be this small island in the Indian Ocean, about 16km off the southern coast of Bantan Java. It’s also home to IPB University’s PSSP primate natural habitat breeding facility for long-tailed macaque monkeys. Tinijl forms the foundation of the programs and partnerships expanding to many other countries where issues of primate conservation and human-primate conflict and coexistence are paramount. Kyes and his collaborators have conducted 132 field courses in 8 programs countries over three decades.
In addition to the field course and outreach activities, Kyes and his many students, alumni and collaborators gathered for a special seminar in Bogor, Indonesia. File photo: Long-tailed macaque dam with twin infants on Tinjil Island – 2014.
The annual, month-long field training program in Indonesia has provided field-based educational and research opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students from IPB and other Indonesian institutions, as well as from the University of Washington and other US institutions. Additionally, participating Indonesian and US students gained unique opportunities for cultural exchange and language development, which even set the stage for future partnerships.
“The underlying premise of our field training – from the outset – has been that the long-term success of any conservation or global health program depends in large part on the ability of the local people to take leading roles in the conduct of those programs. For me, one of the most exciting outcomes from our work is seeing our field course alumni go on to positions in conservation or public health, and even having some return to teach in our courses – thus helping to promote a future generation of scientists and practitioners.” – Kyes
“The partnership with the PSSB at IPB remains the GCEO’s longest ongoing international collaboration.“
Engaging the public and sharing knowledge regarding the importance of nonhuman primate conservation is a primary goal of Dr. Kyes and the GCEO program at WaNPRC. During the past year, Kyes and his colleagues used the real-life experience of the COVID-19 pandemic as an important opportunity to educate students about the devastating human effects of zoonotic disease transmission, and to illustrate the value of translational science with nonhuman primates.
Professor Dondin Sajuthi, DVM, PhD (October 27, 1954 – July 5, 2021)
Over the past two years, the unprecedent virus caused many challenges and even delayed the 30th anniversary celebration. Even more notably, COVID virus was responsible for taking the life of that very same Indonesian scientist that Randy met so many years ago, Dr. Dondin Sajuthi. “He was like a brother to me,” Kyes said. “He was someone who’s always watching out for you, always taking care of you, always helping you in one way or another. Even if you didn’t know. He was behind the scenes trying to make things workout for you and that’s something that I will always remember.”
The Washington National Primate Research Center (WaNPRC) is home to researchers and dedicated professionals advancing scientific and medical breakthroughs and providing compassionate care for laboratory monkeys. Unique among the National Primate Research Centers (NPRC) is the WaNPRC’s unit on Global Conservation, Education and Outreach (GCEO) whose reach extends beyond Seattle to countries half a world away.
With a promising approach to drive brain repair and recovery following a stroke, University of Washington neuroengineer Azadeh Yazdanhas earned the American Heart Association (AHA) Career Development Award. Yazdan’s neural engineering technologies and new brain stimulation-based therapies have the potential to help restore function and movement in people who have had a stroke – something that happens every 40 seconds in the United States.
“We’re combining novel neural technologies with advanced artificial intelligence and machine learning to precisely stimulate neural activity to rewire the brain,” said Yazdan, the Washington Research Foundation Innovation Assistant Professor of Neuroengineering in the departments of bioengineering and of electrical and computer engineering.
UW neuroengineer Azadeh Yazdan’s new approach to treating stroke stimulates effective connectivity across multiple networked brain regions.
Professor Michele A. Basso, the new Director of the Washington National Primate Research Center. Property of WaNPRC, permission required for reproduction.
In the USA, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) supports seven National Primate Research Centers (NPRCs), distributed across the country. As we can see by this investment, the NIH strongly values primate research, recognizing its vital role in scientific and biomedical advances. These advances benefit everyone, including those opposed to animal research.
The Washington National Primate Research Center (WaNPRC) is one of these seven sites, and it recently obtained a new director who we were keen to speak with.
Speaking of Research interviewed Professor Michele A. Basso, the new director of WaNPRC to hear her vision for primate research at the Center and across the United States. Read More
A fourth COVID vaccine could become available soon here in the U.S. An FDA advisory panel has just voted to approve the Novavax vaccine. The FDA and the CDC would both need to sign off on it though before shots get into arms.
This works differently than the two mRNA vaccines and the Johnson and Johnson vaccine. But how effective is it at stopping COVID? Deborah Fuller is a vaccine developer and microbiologist at the University of Washington. She runs her own vaccine lab at the school and serves as Associate Director for Research at the Washington National Primate Research Center.
They are among 120 new members and 30 international members to the National Academy of Sciences this year. Election “recognizes achievement in science by election to membership, and — with the National Academy of Engineering and the National Academy of Medicine — provides science, engineering, and health policy advice to the federal government and other organizations,” according to an announcement May 3 by the academy.
Buffalo is noted for her research on the neural mechanisms behind learning and remembering. She studies how a system of structures in the brain, including the hippocampus and its surrounding cortical regions, set up new memories and how this system functions during memory retrieval. These structures are the first to be affected in Alzheimer’s disease. Lesions within these structures are associated with profound memory deficits. Her work may help improve the understanding of what foreshadows the onset Alzheimer’s and other dementias. She has a particular interest in how the brain maps surroundings, because getting lost in familiar locations is a common early symptom of Alzheimer’s. Buffalo earned her doctoral degree at the University of California, San Diego and did postdoctoral training in neuropsychology at the National Institute of Mental Health. She received the 2011 Troland Research Award for her innovative studies from the National Academy of Sciences. Read more
amfAR, the American Foundation for AIDS Research, supports research for HIV/AIDS understanding, treatment, prevention, and a cure. Hans-Peter Kiem, MD, PhD, is developing gene therapy to make a patient’s blood and immune system cells resistant to HIV, thanks in part to amfAR awarding him $480,000.
