D. Weissman

Average Nucleotide Identity based Staphylococcus aureus strain grouping allows identification of strain-specific genes in the pangenome

This study uses ANI to group S. aureus strains and identifies strain-specific genes in the pangenome by analyzing gene distribution patterns.

Transient growth factor expression via mRNA in lipid nanoparticles promotes hepatocyte cell therapy to treat murine liver diseases

The paper demonstrates that transient mRNA-based growth factor expression in lipid nanoparticles enhances PHH engraftment and liver function in murine liver disease models.

Broadly neutralizing antibody induction by non-stabilized SARS-CoV-2 Spike mRNA vaccination in nonhuman primates

Non-stabilized SARS-CoV-2 Spike mRNA vaccination in macaques induces B cell lineages targeting conserved epitopes on Omicron variants or cross-neutralizing epitopes on Sarbecoviruses.

Targeting lipid nanoparticles to the blood brain barrier to ameliorate acute ischemic stroke

This paper develops VCAM-targeted lipid nanoparticles to enhance drug delivery to the blood-brain barrier in acute ischemic stroke, reducing infarct volume and mortality.

Development of a nucleoside-modified mRNA vaccine against clade 2.3.4.4b H5 highly pathogenic avian influenza virus

This study develops an mRNA vaccine against clade 2.3.4.4b H5 avian influenza virus and shows it is immunogenic and protective in mice and ferrets.

VEGFA mRNA-LNP promotes biliary epithelial cell-to-hepatocyte conversion in acute and chronic liver diseases and reverses steatosis and fibrosis

Evaluation of mRNA-LNP and adjuvanted protein SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in a maternal antibody mouse model

This study evaluates how maternal antibodies affect immune responses to different SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in mice, finding that mRNA-LNP and adjuvanted protein vaccines can overcome maternal antibody inhibition.

Vaccine induction of CD4-mimicking broadly neutralizing antibody precursors in macaques

This study shows that vaccinating macaques with a CD4bs-targeting immunogen elicits neutralizing bnAb precursors with structural features of CD4-mimicking antibodies.

The Regulation of Nucleic Acid Vaccine Responses by the Microbiome

This study shows the microbiome affects nucleic acid vaccine responses differently depending on the vaccine type, enhancing mRNA-LNP responses but suppressing DNA-prime/DNA-protein-boost responses.

Lipid Nanoparticle Composition Drives Delivery of mRNA to the Placenta

This study develops lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) that efficiently deliver mRNA to the placenta in vivo without toxicity, showing potential for treating placental dysfunction.

Multivalent Human Cytomegalovirus Glycoprotein B Nucleoside-Modified mRNA Vaccines Demonstrate a Greater Breadth in T cell but not Antibody Responses

This study evaluates multivalent HCMV gB mRNA vaccines in rabbits, finding increased T cell responses but no improvement in antibody breadth.

Mutation-Guided Vaccine Design: A Strategy for Developing Boosting Immunogens for HIV Broadly Neutralizing Antibody Induction

The paper demonstrates a mutation-guided vaccine strategy that induces HIV broadly neutralizing antibodies in mice by selecting for rare B cell lineage mutations.

Immunogenicity and Protective Efficacy of a SARS-CoV-2 mRNA Vaccine Encoding Secreted Non-Stabilized Spike Protein in Mice

This paper evaluates a SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine in mice, showing strong neutralizing antibody and T cell responses, better cross-neutralization against variants, and protective efficacy against infection.

Nucleoside-modified mRNA-based influenza vaccines circumvent problems associated with H3N2 vaccine strain egg-adaptation

This study compares H3N2 vaccine efficacy between mRNA-LNP and egg-based vaccines, finding that mRNA-LNP vaccines elicit better neutralizing antibodies and protection against wild-type H3N2 virus.

Spatial structure alters the site frequency spectrum produced by hitchhiking

This study shows spatial structure changes the site frequency spectrum from hitchhiking, revealing distinct frequency regimes near and far from a selective sweep.

mRNA-based vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 do not stimulate interferon stimulatory gene expression in individuals affected by Aicardi Goutieres Syndrome.

This study investigates whether mRNA-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccines induce interferon responses in individuals with Aicardi Goutieres Syndrome (AGS) and finds no significant increase in interferon signatures.

Investigating the evolutionary origins of the first three SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern

This study investigates the evolutionary origins of the first three SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern, finding that they likely evolved within long-term infections in single individuals through multiple mutations.

Modified E2 glycoprotein of hepatitis C virus enhances pro-inflammatory cytokines and protective immune response in mice

This study modifies the HCV E2 glycoprotein to reduce CD81 binding, enhancing pro-inflammatory cytokines and protective immune response in mice.

Targeted nanocarriers coopting pulmonary leukocytes for drug delivery to the injured brain

This paper demonstrates a strategy for targeted drug delivery to the injured brain by loading drugs onto pulmonary leukocytes using ICAM-targeting nanocarriers, showing increased brain uptake and therapeutic effect in a mouse model.

Breadth of SARS-CoV-2 Neutralization and Protection Induced by a Nanoparticle Vaccine

This study shows a nanoparticle vaccine induces broad neutralizing antibodies against multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants and protects non-human primates and mice from viral challenges.

Lipid nanoparticles delivering constitutively active STING mRNA as a novel anti-cancer therapeutic approach

This study uses mRNA lipid nanoparticles to deliver an active STING mutant to treat STING-deficient cancers, enhancing immune response and inducing cancer cell death.

Combinatorial mRNA vaccination enhances protection against SARS-CoV-2 delta variant

This study shows that combining mRNA vaccines targeting the SARS-CoV-2 spike and nucleoprotein proteins enhances protection against the delta variant in animal models.

Ability of nucleoside-modified mRNA to encode HIV-1 envelope trimer nanoparticles

This study shows that nucleoside-modified mRNA can encode HIV-1 Env trimer nanoparticles that induce bnAb precursor B cell expansion and neutralizing activity in mice.

Chimeric spike mRNA vaccines protect against Sarbecovirus challenge in mice

This study shows chimeric spike mRNA vaccines protect mice against multiple Sarbecovirus strains, including variants and zoonotic viruses, better than standard SARS-CoV-2 vaccines.

SARS-CoV-2 vaccination induces neutralizing antibodies against pandemic and pre-emergent SARS-related coronaviruses in monkeys

This study shows that SARS-CoV-2 vaccines induce neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-1, SARS-CoV-2, and batCoVs in monkeys.

Lipid nanoparticle encapsulated nucleoside-modified mRNA vaccines elicit polyfunctional HIV-1 antibodies comparable to proteins in nonhuman primates

This study compares the immunogenicity of mRNA-LNP vaccines to protein vaccines in nonhuman primates, finding comparable or superior HIV-1 antibody responses.

Inferring transmission bottleneck size from viral sequence data using a novel haplotype reconstruction method

This paper introduces a novel haplotype reconstruction method to infer viral transmission bottleneck size from sequence data, finding that most influenza A transmission events involve 1-13 viral particles.

HCMV glycoprotein B nucleoside-modified mRNA vaccine elicits antibody responses with greater durability and breadth than MF59-adjuvanted gB protein immunization

This study compares gB mRNA-LNP vaccine with gB protein vaccines, finding that mRNA-LNP elicits more durable and broadly reactive antibodies against HCMV glycoprotein B.

Why Are CD8 T Cell Epitopes of Human Influenza A Virus Conserved?

This paper investigates why CD8 T cell epitopes of influenza A virus are conserved, proposing mechanisms that explain their persistence despite potential escape variants.

The expected time to cross extended fitness plateaus

The paper analyzes the time required for populations to cross fitness plateaus with multiple mutations and shows how population size and recombination affect this process.