Breaking: PolyBio-supported researchers at MGH/Harvard have developed a microfluidic device that quantitatively measures fibrinaloid clots (microclots): tiny, abnormal clumps in the blood that may play a key role in the biology of Long COVID: polybio.org/new-microfluid… 2/ The new device technology enables rapid standardized quantification (counting) of microclot burden from small blood samples.

Dr. Morgane Bomsel is studying SARS-CoV-2 persistence in Long Covid patients’ platelets and megakaryocytes. Thus far, their early data shows that spike protein and viral RNA “can be found in at least 2/3 of the Long Covid patients’ [megakaryocytes]… this research suggests MKs may form SARS-CoV-2 reservoirs in Long Covid patients, which may produce platelets sheltering infectious SCV2.” 2/ PolyBio is supporting the continuation of Dr. Bomsel’s work to analyze platelet, megakaryocyte, and blood samples from Long COVID patients. The team is determining if persistent SCV2 infection of such cells is associated with deregulation (e.g., microclotting), changes in serotonin storage, or altered metabolism. Biological data will be correlated with patient clinical data in a multimodal analysis to define molecular targets associated with Long COVID.

polybio.org/projects/sars-…

1/ BREAKING: Infections can be major drivers of Aging Processes, new PolyBio review paper delineates

A new scientific review written by PolyBio’s core team challenges the long-held assumption that human aging unfolds in a sterile environment. The authors argue that lifelong exposure to viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites—many of which persist in tissues and nerves—can directly accelerate aging processes.

sciencedirect.com/science/articl… 2/ “Pathogens, especially herpesviruses and certain microbes, produce proteins and metabolites that disrupt immune signaling, damage mitochondria, alter gene expression, and reshape the epigenetic landscape,” says paper first author and PolyBio President Dr. Amy Proal.

1/ Breaking: PolyBio announces the appointment of Sarah Kalloch as its new Chief Operating and Innovation Officer

Sarah is a mission-driven leader with 20+ years of driving innovation at the intersection of strategy and systems change. She has started to work directly with PolyBio CEO Dr. Amy Proal & the Board of Directors to drive the Foundation’s strategic growth and operational excellence. 

polybio.org/polybio-resear… 2/ Sarah brings over two decades of leadership experience across mission-driven organizations to PolyBio. Most recently she served as Founding Executive Director of the Good Jobs Institute, where she championed scalable job-quality and operations strategies. During her tenure, the Institute partnered with more than 30 companies and investors, helping improve millions of frontline jobs.

BREAKING: Invivyd and lead researchers Dr. Amy Proal, Dr. David Putrino & Dr. Michael Peluso form SPEAR (Spike Protein Elimination and Recovery) study group to assess the effects of Monoclonal Antibody Therapy for Long COVID & COVID-19 Post-Vaccination Syndrome

investors.adagiotx.com/news-releases/… 2/ Invivyd announced today that it has formed a best-in-class clinical and translational study group, the SPEAR Study Group, with leading investigators focused on the biology and clinical disease or injury associated with chronic exposure to SARS-CoV-2 virus or mRNA vaccine-mediated spike protein.

Breaking: PolyBio’s Dr. Amy Proal clarifies infectious drivers of aging at Boston Summit

PolyBio President and Research Director Dr. Amy Proal joined the Boston Aging Code Summit this past week. The Summit brought together leading academics, entrepreneurs, and investors to share the latest breakthroughs and big ideas shaping the future of aging and longevity science.

polybio.org/polybios-dr-am… Dr. Proal participated in the “Master Switches of Aging” panel at the Summit. The other panelists included NeuroAge CEO Christin Glorioso, and quadraScope Venture’s Scientific Director José Navarro Betancourt.

BREAKING: PolyBio and WE&ME-supported study identifies two distinct ME/CFS subtypes

🧪Collaborative research uncovers immune and biomarker patterns that could help subclassify ME/CFS and guide future treatments.

polybio.org/polybio-and-we… 2/ A PolyBio-supported study published last week in the Journal of Immunology sheds new light on the myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) disease process.

academic.oup.com/jimmunol/advan…

PolyBio’s Spring Symposium is tomorrow, May 16th 11-5 ET. The event will bring together scientists from several disciplines to cover the following topics:

Viral Persistence
Clinical Trials
Tissue Pipelines
Vascular & Clotting
Immune system function
Brain & Nervous system
Long Covid gut
Cardiovascular
Microbiome
Neurodegenerative disease
Tick-borne vector-borne illness

us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regist… VIRAL PERSISTENCE

John Wherry—11:20 AM ET
T cells as biosensors of viral persistence in Long COVID

Francis Eun Lee—1:20 PM ET
Use of MENSA to identify an immune snapshot for SARS-CoV-2 persistence and herpesvirus reactivation in Long COVID

Sara Cherry—2:30 PM ET
Long COVID: Defining viral RNA reservoirs in the gastrointestinal tract

Saurabh Mehandru-2:40 PM ET
Investigating the role of SARS-CoV-2 gastrointestinal tract persistence in Long COVID
pathogenesis

Esen Sefik—3:00 PM ET
A humanized mouse model of SARS-COV-2 RNA
persistence

Steven Deeks—3:20 PM ET
The Reservoir Assay Validation and Evaluation Network (RAVEN) as a model to inform SARS-CoV-2 reservoir diagnostics

At PolyBio, our Long COVID Research Consortium & related complex chronic illness projects are moving full speed ahead. On Friday May 16 we have planned an online Symposium where PolyBio-supported researchers will present updates on their projects. The symposium schedule is below!

Register here: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regist… Amy Proal, PhD
11:00 am ET (3:00 pm UTC)

An overview of PolyBio’s complex chronic illness research & clinical trials program

Dr. Proal will detail PolyBio’s collaborative infrastructure to study and treat infection’s chronic consequences across a wide range of conditions. These include long COVID, ME/CFS and tick-borne/vector-borne illness, but also Alzheimer’s disease, cardiovascular disease, and even human aging.

1/ “[SARS-CoV-2] S1 protein leads to lower glucocorticoids,” said Dr. Matt Frank, who worked on a project to create a “multi-hit” model of Long Covid. “This may then disinhibit brain immune cells such as microglia, thereby priming these cells to subsequent inflammatory insults,” like a later bacterial or viral infection. 2/ PolyBio supported the research by Dr. Frank and team on neuroimmune priming in Long COVID. The team recently published their findings in the journal Brain, Behaviour and Immunity.

polybio.org/multiple-hit-m…

BREAKING: PolyBio-supported study reveals long-term immune and metabolic damage after COVID-19 infection

New preprint study reveals profound & long-lasting biological disruptions that can follow a SARS-CoV-2 infection, i.e. changes connected to altered metabolism & cancer-associated epigenetic changes

polybio.org/polybio-suppor… 2/ New research published by scientists from the University of California San Francisco reveals that COVID-19 can lead to significant and enduring alterations in the immune and metabolic systems of impacted individuals.

BREAKING: Chan Soon-Shiong Family Foundation donation expands PolyBio Long COVID program

Funds will support exploration of SARS-CoV-2’s potential to drive cancer, as well as continued work delineating persistence of the virus in long COVID tissue & therapies to clear persistent virus 2/ PolyBio Research Foundation is excited to announce a donation from the Chan Soon-Shiong Family Foundation. Funds will facilitate the expansion of PolyBio’s Long COVID Research Consortium (LCRC) – a global collaboration of scientists working to rapidly study and treat long COVID.

BREAKING: Development of a spike protein-specific radiolabeled antibody used with PET imaging shows presence of spike in brain & lungs of macaque monkeys 3 months post-COVID; provides new viral reservoir detection opportunity for long COVID: nature.com/articles/s4146… 2/ This PolyBio-supported project at UCSF is working to develop similar imaging methods. The goal is to detect spike protein associated with SARS-CoV-2 reservoirs throughout the body & brains of long COVID patients: polybio.org/projects/use-o…

BREAKING: Cutting-edge Recommendations Provide Treatment Path for Millions of Long COVID patients 💊

In a new report global experts outline key considerations to address persistent SARS-CoV-2; provide a roadmap to test critical new long COVID therapies: polybio.org/cutting-edge-r… 2/ Long COVID, a debilitating condition following #SARS-CoV-2 infection, continues to disable tens of millions of people globally, yet no approved treatments exist. However, long #COVID is not a mystery.

News 👉A new study published in Nature Communications has unveiled a crucial connection between chronic #infection with Cytomegalovirus (HCMV), and the development of #Alzheimer’s disease in certain individuals:

polybio.org/new-research-i… 2/ The research, led by a team of scientists at Arizona State University who are part of PolyBio's research network, suggests that in some individuals, HCMV may remain active in the #gut.

1/ PolyBio's Dr. Michael Peluso presented evidence from the PolyBio-supported Long-Term Impact of Infection with Novel Coronavirus (LIINC) study out of UCSF at 2024's Demystifying Long COVID International Conference.

Here are the highlights. 2/ Antigen Persistence in LIINC Study
• Spike antigen persistence in post-acute COVID patients detected in 13% from 3-6m, 11% from 6-10 m & 7.4% from 10-14 m after infection
• 2x higher risk of Spike persistence in hospitalized patients

We are excited to announce an $800,000 donation to Mount Sinai to support a clinical trial of the drug rapamycin in patients with long COVID. The trial will be conducted at CoRE: a clinic directed by Dr. David Putrino and PolyBio's Dr. Amy Proal:
polybio.org/polybio-suppor… 2/ "We extremely motivated to run a clinical trial for an affordable, generic drug with the potential to help long COVID patients" says Dr. Proal, who serves as PolyBio's President and Scientific Director of CoRE.

PolyBio’s Fall Symposium is fast approaching on Friday November 8!

From 11 AM to 5 PM, our partner scientists will discuss updates to their #longcovid research projects. The lightning talk schedule is as follows:

polybio.org/fall-2024-symp… Amy Proal, PhD
PolyBio Research Foundation
11:00 – 11:10 am ET (3:00- 3:10 pm UTC)
An overview of PolyBio’s complex chronic illness research & clinical trials program

PolyBio Research Foundation is excited to announce a $1M donation to UCSF.  The donation will allow the UCSF LIINC team to study #ME/CFS patients with advanced technologies, several of which have never yet been used in the field: polybio.org/1m-polybio-don…
2/ Funds for the collaboration were gifted to PolyBio from several #ME/CFS families and Kanro – a philanthropic fund to support open source #scientific research established by Vitalik Buterin, creator of Ethereum.

Yes enough already! These leads on #LongCovid disease mechanisms are HUGE, which is why we’re doing everything in our power to support the team moving forward

https://twitter.com/cjmaddison/status/1820197882101702657

2/ First we’re supporting the LIINC study, in part to serve as as a clinical sample & data core for the #LongCovid Research Consortium (LCRC), with samples shared with other international teams: polybio.org/projects/suppo…

We are excited to have supported this new study via our #LongCovid Research Consortium.  The project team are our incredible @CUBoulderBN colleagues at the University of Colorado Boulder: polybio.org/multiple-hit-m…
2/ The findings suggest that multiple infectious “hits” (#viral and #bacterial) may amplify long-term neuroinflammatory or neuroimmune symptoms in patients with #LongCovid.