Dr. Melvin Sanicas
@vaccinologist
Physician-scientist MD MSc MBA #FIDSA #FRSPH #FRSA #FAcadMEd #TOYM Science & Medicine '21 #PAFIOO #PresidentialAward '24 #Scicomm #Immunology #GlobalHealth
NEW @ohsunews.bsky.social study: a combination of ART, broadly neutralizing antibodies + CCR5-blocking #leronlimab, started within ~3 days of #HIV #infection prevented viral rebound in newborn nonhuman primates. Intervene early. Promising. Looking forward to human #clinicaltrials. lnkd.in/p/eB3YA8YV
Grateful to the @lshtm.bsky.social for recognizing my election as a Fellow of the @idsainfo.bsky.social Infectious Diseases Society of America #FIDSA. I completed my MSc in Infectious Diseases at the #LSHTM so this recognition is especially meaningful. mailchi.mp/1e21214192b4...
NEW @mayoclinic.org @mayocliniccancer.bsky.social researchers identified TRAILshort as a potential immune “off switch” that suppresses #Tcell signaling. Blocking #TRAILshort restored immune activity, a possible target for #cancer #immunotherapy. www.linkedin.com/posts/drmelv...
A new @bostonchildrens.bsky.social study published in @nature.com found that severe #COVID19 can reactivate dormant #viruses. #Anelloviridae reactivation was associated with #longCOVID; #inflammation, not only immune suppression, may be an important trigger. www.linkedin.com/posts/drmelv...
#Malaria may cause lasting damage even after the #infection clears. Researchers found that it can deplete specialized CD163 macrophages in the #spleen, disrupting blood filtration, iron recycling and immune communication. www.linkedin.com/posts/drmelv...
New research from @rockefeller.edu suggests that low amino acid #arginine may reduce MHC-I production, weakening #Tcell recognition of cancerous and virus-infected cells. www.linkedin.com/posts/drmelv...
Mpox has NOT gone away. @who.int reports over 1,000 confirmed cases globally each month, with Madagascar now the main hotspot and #mpox clade Ib spreading locally beyond Africa. #GlobalHealth www.linkedin.com/posts/drmelv...
The #Bundibugyo #virus disease #outbreak in DRC has become the country’s largest recorded #Ebola outbreak, with 3,605 confirmed cases, 1,587 deaths and transmission across five provinces. www.linkedin.com/posts/drmelv...
Researchers at #ChibaUniversity found that tumors may hijack the #thymus by using pDCs to promote deletion of #tumor-reactive T cells. Blocking the CCR9-dependent pathway preserved CD8+ T cells & reduced tumor growth in mice. #CancerResearch #immunotherapy www.linkedin.com/posts/drmelv...
The Top 10 Emerging Technologies of 2026 span #energy, #health, materials, #AI and #cybersecurity. From personalized mRNA #cancer vaccines to quantum #drugdiscovery and post-quantum #cryptography, the #science is moving fast. Check this #WorldEconomicForum report. www.linkedin.com/posts/drmelv...
Longer, hotter seasons are reshaping #infectiousdisease risks in #Europe by supporting bacterial growth and extending #mosquito and #tick activity. @ecdc.europa.eu highlights increasing concerns: foodborne infections, #vibriosis #dengue #chikungunya #Lymedisease #TBE. #OneHealth lnkd.in/p/gbt5267i
A 20-year study of 53,100 women linked higher exposure to drinking-water disinfection byproducts with increased #uterinecancer risk. The study shows association, not causation, and water disinfection remains essential for preventing infections. www.linkedin.com/posts/drmelv...
Why does #cyclosporiasis affect some people more severely than others? The #parasite invades intestinal cells, while the immune response drives much of the #inflammation and #diarrhea. lnkd.in/p/gAugQBbU
T cells make split-second decisions at nanoscale contact points. Researchers found that PD-1 can rapidly restrict T-cell signaling and spreading, while redesigned checkpoint antibodies produced stronger T-cell activation. www.linkedin.com/posts/drmelv...
A single dose of #clesrovimab showed #RSV disease rates comparable to up to 5 monthly doses of #palivizumab in high-risk infants. In the SMART trial, medically attended RSV infection was 3.2% vs 3.4%, similar safety. Fewer injections, less burden for health systems. www.linkedin.com/posts/drmelv...
NEW @lstmnews.bsky.social study: #Malaria chemoprevention for children aged 5-15 could avert 9.1 million cases & over 20,000 deaths and improve school attendance, learning, and future productivity across 10 high-burden African countries. www.linkedin.com/posts/drmelv...
Could #sildenafil #Viagra help slow #cancer spread? New research suggests it may disrupt #cholesterol transport in cancer cells, making #metastasis more difficult. Combining it with #statins may strengthen the effect, but #clinicaltrials are still needed. www.linkedin.com/posts/drmelv...
New research links APC mutations, gut microbiome dysbiosis and invasive E. coli to colorectal cancer stemness through Hippo signalling. Invasive E. coli signatures were detected in 86% of human colorectal cancer samples. www.linkedin.com/posts/drmelv...
A new study helps explain how #EpsteinBarrVirus #EBV contributes to #multiplesclerosis #MS. People with untreated MS had about 2x the CD4+ T-cell response to EBV late-stage viral proteins while anti-CD20 therapy reduced this response. #immunology #virology www.linkedin.com/posts/drmelv...
A @columbiauniversity.bsky.social study found that sleeping about 80 minutes less per night for 6 weeks led to an average 1-pound #weightgain and more sedentary time. Findings suggest #sleep should be treated as a key part of weight management & #diabetes prevention. www.linkedin.com/posts/drmelv...
A preclinical study from @pittdeptofmed.bsky.social @news.upmc.com and the NCI found that combining #CARTcells with the targeted radiopharmaceutical [67Cu]Cu-LLP2A improved #neuroblastoma #tumor shrinkage and complete responses by 80% vs. #radiation alone. www.linkedin.com/posts/drmelv...
A @cedarssinaihsu.bsky.social study of nearly 355,000 adults linked #coffee consumption with lower risks of #cirrhosis, #livercancer and #liver-related death. Researchers stress that the observational findings do not prove causation. www.linkedin.com/posts/drmelv...
A new @feinberg.northwestern.edu mouse study suggests #ovaries do not simply become inactive after #reproduction ends. Instead, they may shift toward immune and inflammatory functions, with more collagen, immune cells & inflammatory gene activity. Human studies next. www.linkedin.com/posts/drmelv...
A @glasgow.ac.uk study of 91,292 @ukbiobank.ac.uk participants found that each extra daily hour of prolonged, uninterrupted sitting was associated with a 9% higher risk of #cancer death. Observational NOT causation. Breaking up sitting with light movement may matter www.linkedin.com/posts/drmelv...
A @universityofky.bsky.social study found that the GRN variant rs5848 may raise the risk of LATE #dementia while lowering #cancer risk. The discovery could help explain why dementia & cancer occur together less often than expected and may influence future therapies. www.linkedin.com/posts/drmelv...
Researchers at UT San Antonio are developing nontoxic bait #pellets that act like oral #vaccines for wildlife reservoir hosts, reducing Borrelia burgdorferi before #ticks can pass #Lymedisease to people & pets. A promising #OneHealth environmental prevention strategy www.linkedin.com/posts/drmelv...