Author: Mark A. Turner, Katharine Cheng, Saskia de Wildt, Heidrun Hildebrand, Sabah Attar, Paolo Rossi, Donato Bonifazi, Adriana Ceci, Joana Claverol, Begonya Nafria, Carlo Giaquinto

Published in: British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology

Abstract: Paediatric drug development faces several barriers. These include fragmentation of stakeholders and inconsistent processes during the conduct of research. This review summarises recent efforts to overcome these barriers in Europe.

Authors: Bollen P, Freriksen J, Konopnicki D, Weizsäcker K , et al; on behalf of the Pharmacokinetics of ANtiretroviral agents in HIV-infected pregNAnt women Network

Published in: Clin infect Dis. 2020;26.ciaa006

Background Pharmacokinetic and efficacy data on dolutegravir in pregnant women living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are still limited but needed to support its use as one of the preferred antiretroviral agents.

Authors: Bukkems V, Necsoi C, Hidalgo Tenorio C, et al. PANNA Network

Published in: Clin infect Dis. 2020; 24;ciaa488.

Abstract This phase-IV study investigated the influence of pregnancy on the pharmacokinetics of elvitegravir/cobicistat in 14 HIV-1-positive women. The results support the recommendation against elvitegravir/cobicistat use during pregnancy, as the elvitegravir Ctrough was reduced by 77%,

Authors: Bollen P,  Moore CL ,  Mujuru H et al; the ODYSSEY trial team

Published in: LANCET HIV. 2020;8:e533-e544

Authors: Vasconcelos MK, Epalza C, Renk H, Tagarro A, Bielicki JA

Published in: Lancet Infect Dis. 2020;24

In their Comment, the International Severe Acute Respiratory and Emerging Infection Consortium (ISARIC) clinical characterisation group outline how harmonisation of clinical characterisation studies is achieved through their collaborative resource-sharing and data-sharing platform. We fully agree with both the importance of international harmonisation and the authors’

Authors: De Rossi A, Dalzini A, Ballin G, Dominguez-Rodriuguez S, Rojo P, Foster C, Palma P, Sessa L, Nastouli E, Pahwa S, Rossi P, Giaquinto C, EPIICAL Consortium

Published in: 23rd International AIDS Conference, July 6th-10th, 2020

Background: HIV infection is linked to premature senescence, with increased risk of aging-associated illnesses. Early ART has been associated with a reduced HIV reservoir in HIV-perinatally infected children (PHIV),

Authors: Ruggiero A, Cotugno N, Domínguez-Rodríguez S,  Zicari S, Rinaldi S, Zangari P, Tagarro A, Foster C, De Rossi A, Nastouli E, Luzuriaga K, Giaquinto C, Rossi P, Pawha S, Palma P, on behalf of the EPIICAL consortium.

Published in: 23rd Virtual International AIDS Conference, July 6th-10th, 2020

Background The role of T-bet, an immune factor involved in adaptative and innate response,

Authors: Domínguez-Rodríguez S, Tagarro A, Serna Pascual M, Otwombe K, Violari A, Fernández S, Nhampossa T, Lain M,  Vaz P , Behuhuma NO, Danaviah S, Dobbels E, Barnabas S, Cotugno N, Zangari P, Palma P, Oletto A,  Nardone A, Nastouli E, Spyer M, Kuhn L, Rossi P, Giaquinto C, Rojo P on behalf of EPIICAL consortium.

Published in: 23rd international AIDS Conference, July 6th-10th 2020

Background In perinatally HIV infected children,

Authors: Palma P, McManus M, Cotugno N, Rocca S, Rossi P, Luzuriaga K

Published in: Lancet HIV. 2020;7(5):e359-e365

Abstract Several assays have been developed to measure and characterise the replication-competent HIV-1 reservoir, which constitutes the barrier to cure. To date, the application of these assays to studies in children and in limited-resource settings has been minimal,

Authors: Soriano-Arandes A, Frick MA, García López-Hortelano M, et al.

Published in: Pathogens 2020;9(5):E352

Background: Zika virus (ZIKV) infection has been associated with congenital microcephaly and other neurodevelopmental abnormalities. There is little published research on the effect of maternal ZIKV infection in a non-endemic European region. We aimed to describe the outcomes of pregnant travelers diagnosed as ZIKV-infected in Spain,

Authors: Dhummakupt A, Rubens JH, Andeson T, et al.

Published in: JCI Insight. 2020;5(4)

Abstract The HIV latent reservoir in resting memory CD4+ T cells precludes cure. Therapeutics to reactivate and eliminate this reservoir are in clinical trials in adults, but not yet in pediatric populations. We determined, ex vivo,

Authors: L. Hill, E. Jacqz-Aigrain, V. Elie, W. Zhao, M. Clements, M. Turner, I. Lutsar, P. Heath, E. Roilides, S. Walker, M. Sharland

Published in: 30th European Congress on Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID), April 2020

Authors: L. Hill, M. Clements, M. Turner, I. Lutsar, E. Jacqz-Aigrain, P. Heath, E. Roilides, S. Walker, M. Sharland

Published in: 30th European Congress on Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID), April 2020

Authors: V. Matheeussen, K. Loens, K. Jacobs, P. Horby, H. Goossens, M. Kohns Vasconcelos, M. Sharland, M. De Jong, M. P. G. Koopmans, P. Fraaij, M. Ieven

Published in: 30th European Congress on Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID), April 2020

Background: The management of infants admitted to hospital with sepsis-like syndrome (SLS) without apparent focus remains challenging.

Authors: M. Kohns Vasconcelos; on behalf of the PED-MERMAIDS Study Group

Published in: 30th European Congress on Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID), April 2020

Background: Recently, major aetiology and outcome studies on paediatric acute respiratory tract infections (ARI) have been reported from LMICs. In contrast, studies using standardised protocols across Europe are lacking.

Authors: E. Barbieri, D. Bottigliengo, P. Costenaro, A. Marzollo, M. Petris, M. Pierobon, G. Biddeci, C. Giaquinto, A. Biffi, D. Donà

Published in: 30th European Congress on Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID), April 2020

Background: Febrile neutropenia (FN) is an acute potentially life-threatening oncological complication which should be treated promptly with antibiotics. With the spread of antibiotic resistance,

Authors: P. Costenaro, A. Cantarutti, E. Barbieri, A. Scamarcia, A. Oletto, P. Sacerdoti, R. Lundin, L. Cantarutti, C. Giaquinto, D. Dona’

Published in: 30th European Congress on Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID), April 2020

Background: Despite national and international efforts to promote appropriate antibiotic prescribing, Italian paediatric antimicrobial prescription rates are among the highest in Europe,

Authors: Hill LF, Turner MA, Lutsar I, et al; NeoVanc Consortium.

Published in: Trials. 2020;21(1):329

Authors: Giovanetti M, Faria NR, Lourenco J, et al.

Published in:  Cell Rep. 2020;30(7):2275-2283

Abstract Zika virus (ZIKV) has caused an explosive epidemic linked to severe clinical outcomes in the Americas. As of June 2018, 4,929 ZIKV suspected infections and 46 congenital syndrome cases had been reported in Manaus,

Authors: Dhummakupt A, Reubens JH, Anderson T, et al.

Published: Poster presented at 27th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, March 8th –11th, 2020 – Boston.

Abstract The HIV latent reservoir in resting memory CD4+ T cells prevents cure. Novel therapies to reactivate and eliminate the reservoir are in clinical trials in adults, but not yet in pediatric populations.

Authors: Schröter J, Anelone A,  Yates A, de Boer RJ;  on behalf of the EPIICAL Consortium

Published in: J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2020;83(5):522-529

Background Interventions aiming for an HIV cure would benefit from rapid elimination of virus after the onset of antiretroviral therapy (ART), by keeping the latent HIV reservoir small.

Authors: Dominguez-Rodriguez S, Rojo P, Lain MG,  Barnabas S, Lopez-Varela E, Otwombe K, Danaviah S, Nastouli E, Serna-Pasqual M, Gianuzzi V, Giaquointo C, Kuhn L, Tagarro A on behalf of the EPIICAL Consortium

Published in: 27th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, March 8th –11th, 2020 – Boston.

Authors: Sconza R, Plotnikova Y, Plynsky A, Rozenberg V, Thorne C

Published in: 10th International Workshop on HIV & Women, 6th – 7 th March 2020, Boston, MA

Authors: Crichton S, Jesson J, Aké-Assi MH, Belfrage E, Davies MA, Pinto J, Teasdale C, Van Lam N, Vreeman R, Wanless S, Williams P, Yotebieng M, Leroy V, Goodall R on behalf of the CIPHER Global Cohort Collaboration

Published in: 27th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, March 8th –11th, 2020 – Boston.

Authors: Zicari S, Doria M, Domínguez-Rodríguez S, Cotugno N, Tagarro A, Rojo P, Nastouli E, Gartner K, Klein N, Foster C, Pahwa S, De Rossi A, Giaquinto C, Rossi P,  Palma P, for the EPIICAL consortium

Published in: 27th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, March 8th –11th, 2020 – Boston.

Authors: Tagarro A, Domínguez-Rodríguez S, Violari A, Cotton M, Mhampossa T, Klein N, Ramsagar N, Van Rensburg AJ, Behuhuma O, Vaz P,  Oletto A, Palma P, Rossi P, Rojo P, on behalf of the EPIICAL Consortium

Published in:  27th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, March 8th –11th, 2020 – Boston.

Authors: Gärtner K, Gkouleli T, Byott M, Heaney J, Spyer MJ, DeRossi A, Persaud D, Palma P, Giaquinto C, Rojo P, Foster C, Marcelin AG, Rossi P, Nastouli E, for the EPIICAL consortium

Published in:  27th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, March 8th –11th, 2020 – Boston.

Authors: Gärtner K, Gkouleli T, Heaney J, Grant P, Dominguez-Rodriguez S, Busby E, O’Sullivan D, Spyer MJ, Foster C, Rojo P, Persaud D, DeRossi A, Huggett J, Nastouli E, for the EPIICAL consortium

Published in:  27th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, March 8th –11th, 2020 – Boston.

Authors: Waalewijn H, Mujuru HA, Amuge P, Cotton M, Bollen P, Chan M, Ali S, Variavan E, Makumbi S, Colbers A, Gibb D, Ford D, Burger D, Turkova A, and the ODYSSEY-trial team

Published in:  27th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, March 8th –11th, 2020 – Boston.

Authors: Waalewijn H, Mujuru HA, Amuge P, Cotton M, Bollen P, Chan M, Ali S, Variavan E,Makumbi S, Colbers A, Gibb D, Ford D, Burger D, Turkova A, and the ODYSSEY-trial team

Published in: Oral presentation at 27th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, March 8th –11th, 2020 – Boston.

Authors: Crichton S , Collins  IJ, Turkova A, Ene L, Galli L, Marczynska M, Navarro M, Naver L, Noguera-Julian A, Plotnikova Y, Scherpbier H, Volokha A, Voronin E, Judd A; on behalf of the European Pregnancy and Paediatric Infections Cohort Collaboration (EPPICC)

Published in: 27th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, March 8th –11th, 2020 – Boston.

Abstract

Background: The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends abacavir as the preferred/alternative backbone for 1st line regimens in children with HIV from age 28 days.

Authors: Thorne C, Rasi V, Aebi-Popp K, Ene L, Floridia M, Mendoza-Palomar N, Prieto L, Ragone L, Sconza R, CGiaquinto C, Vannappagari V; for the Dolomite-EPPICC study group

Published in: Oral presentation at 27th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, March 8th –11th, 2020 – Boston.

Abstract

BACKGROUND • In 2018,

Authors: Jackson C, Bamford A, Crichton S, Goodall R,Goulder P, Klein N, Marques L, Paioni P, Riordan A, Spoulou V, Vieira VA, Collins IJ. On behalf of The European Pregnancy and Paediatric Infections Cohort Collaboration (EPPICC) study group

Published in:  27th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, March 8th –11th, 2020 – Boston.

Authors: Rinaldi S, Pallikkuth S, de Armas L, Pahwa R, Dominguez S, Cotugno N, Rojo Conejo P, Nastouli E, Gartner K, Klein N, Foster C, De Rossi A, Carlo Giaquinto C, Rossi P, Palma P, Pahwa S and EPIICAL Consortium

Published in:  27th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, March 8th –11th, 2020 – Boston.

Authors: Lain MG, Vaz P, Ismael N,  Cantarutti A, Porcu G, Palma P, Cotugno N, Bila D, Rinaldi S,  Pallikkuth S, Pahwa R, Taibo E, Esmeralda Karajeanes E, Giaquinto C, Pahwa S.

Published in:  27th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, March 8th –11th, 2020 – Boston.

Authors: Morris SE, Dziobek-Garrett L, Yates AJ and the EPIICAL consortium

Published in: BMC Bioinformatics 2020;21(1):52

Background HIV/AIDS is responsible for the deaths of one million people every year. Although mathematical modeling has provided many insights into the dynamics of HIV infection, there is still a lack of accessible tools for researchers unfamiliar with modeling techniques to apply them to their own clinical data.

Authors: Ades AE, Thorne C, Soriano-Arandes A, et al.

Published in: Lancet Infect Dis. 2020 Feb 18

Abstract: Our understanding of congenital infections is based on prospective studies of women infected during pregnancy. The EU has funded three consortia to study Zika virus, each including a prospective study of pregnant women.

Authors: Celia C.

Published in: Oral presentation at 3rd international Conference on Zika Virus and aedes related infections, February 13th – 16th, 2020– Washington DC, USA.

Authors: Webster-Kerr K.

Published in: Oral presentation at 3rd international Conference on Zika Virus and aedes related infections, February 13th – 16th, 2020– Washington DC, USA.

Authors: Lue A.

Published in: Oral presentation at 3rd international Conference on Zika Virus and aedes related infections, February 13th – 16th, 2020– Washington DC, USA.

Authors: Cotugno N, Morrocchi E, Rinaldi S, et al; EPIICAL Consortium.

Published in: AIDS. 2020 Feb 3.

Objective To investigate long-term persistence of HIV-specific lymphocyte immunity in perinatally HIV-infected children treated within the first year of life.

Design Twenty perinatally HIV-infected children who received ART therapy within the first year of life (early treated) and with stable viral control (>5 years) were grouped according to their serological response to HIV.

Authors: Warris A, Pana ZD, Oletto A, et al. EUROCANDY study group.

Published in: Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2020;39(2):114-120

Background Data on Candida bloodstream infections in pediatric patients in Europe are limited. We performed a retrospective multicenter European study of the epidemiology and outcome of neonatal and pediatric candidemia.

Materials and methods All first positive blood cultures from patients ≤ 18 years of age with candidemia were registered.

Authors: Pereira Gusmão Maia Z, Mota Pereira F, do Carmo Said RF, et al.

Published in: Emerg Microbes Infect. 2020;9(1):53-57

Abstract Between June 2017 and August 2018, several municipalities located in Bahia state (Brazil) reported a large increase in the number of patients presenting with febrile illness similar to that of arboviral infections.

Authors: Donà D, Barbieri E, Daverio M, Lundin R, Giaquinto C, Zaoutis T, Sharland M

Published in: Antimicrob Resist Infect Control.2020;9:3

Background Antibiotics are the most common medicines prescribed to children in hospitals and the community, with a high proportion of potentially inappropriate use. Antibiotic misuse increases the risk of toxicity, raises healthcare costs, and selection of resistance.

Authors: S. Rinaldi, V. Dinh, S. Pallikkuth, L. De Armas, R. Pahwa, N. Cotugno, E. Nastouli, C. Foster, P. Palma, S. Pahwa

Published in: Poster presented at 9^th International Workshop on HIV Persistence during Therapy; December, 2019; Miami, FL