Combining genomic and epidemiological data to compare the transmissibility of SARS-CoV-2 variants Alpha and Iota.

SARS-CoV-2 variants shaped the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic and the discourse around effective control measures. Evaluating the threat posed by a new variant is essential for adapting response efforts when community transmission is detected. In this study, we compare the dynamics of two variants, Alpha and Iota, by integrating genomic surveillance data to estimate the effective reproduction number (Rt) of the variants. We use Connecticut, United States, in which Alpha and Iota co-circulated in 2021. We find that the Rt of these variants were up to 50% larger than that of other variants. We then use phylogeography to show that while both variants were introduced into Connecticut at comparable frequencies, clades that resulted from introductions of Alpha were larger than those resulting from Iota introductions. By monitoring the dynamics of individual variants throughout our study period, we demonstrate the importance of routine surveillance in the response to COVID-19

Challenges and approaches for the development of safer immunomodulatory biologics

Immunomodulatory biologics are a class of agents that render their therapeutic effect via modulating or harnessing immune responses. Despite their therapeutic efficacy in complex conditions including cancer and autoimmune diseases, there is a growing concern about their unwanted adverse events including infections, malignancy, cytokine release syndromes, anaphylaxis, hypersensitivity and immunogenicity. In this article, we assess the safety issues associated with immunomodulatory biologics and discuss the key approaches to understand, predict and mitigate adverse events associated with their use