RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Pre-existing gender-based disparities in academia may have worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic. Being cited as an expert source in newspaper articles about COVID-19 may increase an individual's research or leadership profile. In addition, visibility in a newspaper article is an important component of representation in academia. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether women were underrepresented as COVID-19 expert sources in print newspapers in the USA. DESIGN: We undertook a cross-sectional study of English-language newspaper articles that addressed the COVID-19 pandemic and that were published in the top 10 most widely read newspapers in the USA between April 1 and April 15, 2020. MAIN MEASURES: We extracted the names of all people cited as expert sources and categorized the gender of each expert source based on pronoun usage within the article or on a business, university, or organization website. The professional role of each expert was assigned based on their description in the article. KEY RESULTS: Of 2297 expert sources identified, 35.9% (95% confidence interval [CI] 33.9-37.8%; n = 824) were women and 63.7% were men (95% CI 61.8-65.7%; n = 1464). This result was similar when considering unique experts in each newspaper and for all included newspapers; of the 1738 unique experts per newspaper, 34.6% were women (95% CI 32.3-36.8%; n = 601), and of the 1593 unique experts in all newspapers, 36.5% were women (95% CI 34.1-38.9%; n = 581). Of articles with multiple experts referenced (n = 374), 102 cited only men experts (27.3%) and 44 cited only women experts (11.8%). Women were underrepresented as experts as Healthcare Workers and Professionals, Non-STEM Experts, Public Health Leaders, and STEM Scientists. There were no differences in the proportion of women experts between newspapers or between different regions of the USA. CONCLUSIONS: Altogether, our findings support that men academics outnumber women as COVID-19 experts in newspaper articles.
Asunto(s)
COVID-19 , Estudios Transversales , Femenino , Personal de Salud , Humanos , Masculino , Pandemias , SARS-CoV-2RESUMEN
The amplified myeloma centrosome has been identified as a therapeutic target. The present study explored the expression and prognostic significance of the centrosome-associated protein PLK1 in myeloma and the effect of BI 2536, a potent and selective inhibitor of PLK1, on myeloma cells. High plasma cell expression of PLK1 protein in myeloma patient bone marrow biopsies is an independent adverse prognostic factor (HR=2.3, p=0.003 unadjusted; HR=1.9, p=0.03 in multivariable model). BI 2536 inhibits myeloma cell lines at nanomolar concentrations, and is therapeutic for xenografts in NOD/SCID mice. PLK1 inhibition is a potential new strategy for the treatment of multiple myeloma.
Asunto(s)
Proteínas de Ciclo Celular/antagonistas & inhibidores , Proteínas de Ciclo Celular/genética , Mieloma Múltiple/diagnóstico , Mieloma Múltiple/tratamiento farmacológico , Mieloma Múltiple/genética , Inhibidores de Proteínas Quinasas/uso terapéutico , Proteínas Serina-Treonina Quinasas/antagonistas & inhibidores , Proteínas Serina-Treonina Quinasas/genética , Proteínas Proto-Oncogénicas/antagonistas & inhibidores , Proteínas Proto-Oncogénicas/genética , Adulto , Anciano , Anciano de 80 o más Años , Animales , Antineoplásicos/farmacología , Antineoplásicos/uso terapéutico , Biomarcadores de Tumor/genética , Proteínas de Ciclo Celular/metabolismo , Resistencia a Antineoplásicos/genética , Femenino , Regulación Neoplásica de la Expresión Génica/efectos de los fármacos , Humanos , Masculino , Ratones , Ratones Endogámicos NOD , Ratones SCID , Persona de Mediana Edad , Pronóstico , Inhibidores de Proteínas Quinasas/farmacología , Proteínas Serina-Treonina Quinasas/metabolismo , Proteínas Proto-Oncogénicas/metabolismo , Estudios Retrospectivos , Bibliotecas de Moléculas Pequeñas/química , Bibliotecas de Moléculas Pequeñas/farmacología , Resultado del Tratamiento , Células Tumorales Cultivadas , Ensayos Antitumor por Modelo de Xenoinjerto , Quinasa Tipo Polo 1RESUMEN
The B/plasma cell transcription factor Oct2 and its co-activator Bob1 activate the immunoglobulin heavy chain (IgH) gene enhancer. IgH translocations occur in the majority of myeloma cases, leading to overexpression of genes juxtaposed to the IgH enhancers. We hypothesized that Oct2 and Bob1 are determinants of disease behavior and potential therapeutic targets in myeloma. Oct2 and Bob1 gene expressions were measured in CD138+ plasma cells and CD138-cells from bone marrow samples from patients with myeloma (n = 37); gene expression of Oct2 and Bob1 was higher in CD138+ than in CD138-cells (p < 0.0001). Oct2 and Bob1 protein expressions were assessed in bone marrow tissue microarrays from patients with myeloma (n = 169) with fluorescent immunohistochemistry, and correlated to patient survival. High Oct2 protein expression correlated with reduced survival (hazard ratio [HR] 1.74, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.11-2.73, p = 0.0164), whereas high Bob1 protein expression correlated with increased survival (HR 0.46, 95% CI 0.29-0.71, p = 0.0008). Oct2 should be explored as a potential selective therapeutic target in myeloma.