Therapeutic teamwork: Coupling oncolytic viruses with immunotherapy to destroy tumor cells
This article was written for extra credit by a student in my recently concluded virology course.
by Nayan Lamba
A recent study by scientists at the Ludwig Center for Cancer Immunotherapy offers a new, multifaceted therapy for destroying tumors. A team of researchers led by Dmitriy Zamarin combined checkpoint blockade, a technique aimed at enhancing antitumor immune responses, with oncolytic viral therapy, a technique that uses viruses to kill tumor cells. By employing the two immunotherapies together, the researchers had more success in destroying tumor cells than they have had while investigating each therapy independent...
Source: virology blog - May 20, 2014 Category: Virology Authors: Vincent Racaniello Tags: Basic virology Information antitumor checkpoint blockade melanoma Newcastle disease virus oncolytic viral therapy Source Type: blogs
Unusual mortality pattern of 1918 influenza A virus
The 1918 influenza pandemic was particularly lethal, not only for the very young and the very old (as observed for typical influenza), but unexpectedly also for young adults, 20 to 40 years of age (pictured). It has been suggested that the increased lethality in young adults occurred because they lacked protective immunity that would be conferred by previous infection with a related virus. Reconstruction of the origins of the 1918 influenza virus provides support for this hypothesis.
Analysis of influenza virus genome sequences using a host-specific molecular clock together with seroarchaeology (analysis of stored sera fo...
Source: virology blog - May 2, 2014 Category: Virology Authors: Vincent Racaniello Tags: Basic virology Information 1918 pandemic H1N1 H2N2 H3N8 HA influenza seroarchaeology vaccine viral virus Source Type: blogs
Virology question of the week: why a segmented viral genome?
This week’s virology question comes from Eric, who writes:
I’m working on an MPH and in one of my classes we are currently studying the influenza virus. I’d forgotten that the genome is in 8 separate parts. Curious, I’ve been searching but can’t find any information as to why that is?
What evolutionary advantage is conferred by having a segmented genome?
Terrific question! Here is my reply:
It’s always hard to have answers to ‘why’ questions such as yours. We answer these questions from a human-centric view of what viruses ‘need’. We might not be right. But I’d guess there ...
Source: virology blog - April 22, 2014 Category: Virology Authors: Vincent Racaniello Tags: Basic virology Information evolution gene expression influenza reassortment segmented genome viral virus Source Type: blogs
Yet another avian influenza virus, H10N8, infects humans
To the collection of avian influenza viruses known to sporadically infect humans – H5N1, H7N9, H7N2, H7N3, H7N7, H9N2, and H10N7 – we can now add H10N8, recently found in two individuals in China.
Avian influenza virus H10N8 was first detected in tracheal aspirates from a 73 year old woman who was hospitalized in November 2013 for severe respiratory illness. The patient, who died, had previously visited a live poultry market. A second infection with this virus was detected in January 2014.
Virus isolated from tracheal aspirates on day 7 of illness was named A/Jiangxi-Donghu/346/2013(H10N8). Nucleotide sequence ...
Source: virology blog - February 10, 2014 Category: Virology Authors: Vincent Racaniello Tags: Basic virology Information avian influenza China H10N8 H5N1 h7n9 HA viral virus zoonosis zoonotic Source Type: blogs
TWiV 270: Homeland virology
On episode #270 of the science show This Week in Virology, Vincent and Rich discuss avian influenza virus and an antiviral drug against smallpox with Dennis and Yoshi at the ASM Biodefense and Emerging Diseases Research Meeting in Washington, DC.
You can find TWiV #270 at www.twiv.tv. (Source: virology blog)
Source: virology blog - February 2, 2014 Category: Virology Authors: Vincent Racaniello Tags: This Week in Virology antiviral ASM avian influenza biodefense emerging infections H5N1 h7n9 smallpox ST-246 virus Source Type: blogs
Changing influenza virus neuraminidase into a receptor binding protein
The hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) glycoproteins of the influenza virus particle serve distinct functions during infection. The HA binds sialic acid-containing cellular receptors and mediates fusion of the viral and cell membranes, while the NA removes sialic acids from glycoproteins. Apparently this division of labor is not absolute: influenza viruses have been identified with NA molecules that serve as receptor binding proteins.
An influenza virus was created that could not bind sialic acid by introducing multiple mutations into the HA gene. This mutant virus was not expected to be infectious, but nevertheless...
Source: virology blog - November 21, 2013 Category: Virology Authors: Vincent Racaniello Tags: Basic virology Information evolution HA hemagglutinin influenza mutation NA neuraminidase receptor binding sialidase tamiflu viral virus Source Type: blogs
Pharmalot... Pharmalittle... Good Morning
Good morning, everyone, and welcome to another working week. We hope the weekend respite was relaxing and refreshing because, as you know, the drumbeat of meetings and deadlines has now returned. This was expected, of course. Just the same, the moment calls for a cup or more of stimulation. After all, the nerves could use a little fortification. So please join us. We like to think that we do not drink alone. Meanwhile, here are some tidbits, as always. Hope you have a grand day and drop us a line if you run across something fascinating...
Ranbaxy Hopes To Sell Generics In Japan (BioSpectrum Asia)
Princeton May Use Novartis...
Source: Pharmalot - November 18, 2013 Category: Pharma Commentators Authors: esilverman Source Type: blogs
Dr James LeFanu writes
There is rather more than is immediately apparent in the recent grudging acknowledgement that the swine flu vaccine increased the risk of the serious sleeping disorder narcolepsy fourteen-fold – and that those affected (mainly children) are entitled to compensation.As many will recall, the threatened swine flu “pandemic” of 2009 proved something of a non-event, with only 10 per cent of the predicted number of cases and a miniscule mortality rate of 0.0005 per cent.This discrepancy between the dire warnings and what turned out to be among the mildest flu outbreaks of the past 100 years prompted an inquiry by...
Source: PharmaGossip - November 18, 2013 Category: Pharma Commentators Authors: insider Source Type: blogs
Influenza A viruses in bats
It is well known that aquatic birds are a major reservoir of influenza A viruses, and that pandemic human influenza virus strains of the past century derive viral genes from this pool. The recent discovery of two new influenza A viruses in bats suggests that this species may constitute another reservoir with even greater genetic diversity.
A new influenza virus had previously been isolated from little yellow-shouldered bats (Sturnira lilium) in Guatemala. Three of 316 rectal swabs were positive when tested by a pan-influenza polymerase chain reaction assay. Viral sequences were also detected in liver, intestine, lung, an...
Source: virology blog - November 13, 2013 Category: Virology Authors: Vincent Racaniello Tags: Basic virology Information Artibeus planirostris bat genetic diversity influenza virus pandemic Sturnira lilium viral zoonosis Source Type: blogs
Hepatitis B viruses in bats
Hepatitis B virus (HBV, illustrated) is a substantial human pathogen. WHO estimates that there are now 240,000,000 individuals chronically infected with HBV worldwide, of which 25% will die from chronic liver disease or hepatocellular carcinoma. The hepatitis B virus vaccine is highly effective at preventing infection. Because there are no known animal reservoirs of the virus, it is believed that HBV could be globally eradicated. The recent finding of HBV in bats raises the possibility of zoonotic introduction of the virus.
Serum and liver samples from 3,080 bats from Panama, Brazil, Gabon, Ghana, Germany, Papua New Guinea...
Source: virology blog - October 18, 2013 Category: Virology Authors: Vincent Racaniello Tags: Basic virology Information bat hepadnaviridae hepatitis b virus hepatocellular carcinoma liver viral zoonosis Source Type: blogs
NIH and Other Public Private Partnerships to Research Treatments for Multiple Diseases
Over the past few weeks, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has made a number of important announcements regarding collaborations with industry as well as the funding of several new research initiatives. Below is a summary of these stories.
NIH Partners With Eli Lilly and Others on Rare Diseases
FierceBiotechResearch reported that NIH selected four (4) new preclinical drug development studies to uncover new therapies for rare diseases. The projects will be funded through the Therapeutics for Rare and Neglected Diseases (TRND) program under NIH's National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, NCATS, whic...
Source: Policy and Medicine - October 4, 2013 Category: Health Medicine and Bioethics Commentators Authors: Thomas Sullivan Source Type: blogs
Incidence of asymptomatic human influenza A(H5N1) virus infection
When virologists Fouchier and Kawaoka were isolating avian influenza H5N1 viruses that could transmit among ferrets by aerosol, there was consternation from some quarters that such viruses might escape from the laboratory and cause a pandemic in humans. Part of the fear came from the fact that the case fatality ratio for human infections with the H5N1 virus exceeds 50%. This number could be substantially higher than the lethality ratio, which is the number of symptomatic cases divided by the total number of infections. Divining the latter number has been difficult. Results of a meta-analysis published in 2012 suggest that...
Source: virology blog - October 1, 2013 Category: Virology Authors: Vincent Racaniello Tags: Basic virology Information asymptomatic avian Bangladesh case fatality ratio fouchier influenza A(H5N1) kawaoka mortality ratio viral virus Source Type: blogs
Incidence of asymptomatic human influenza A(H5N1) virus infection
When virologists Fouchier and Kawaoka were isolating avian influenza H5N1 viruses that could transmit among ferrets by aerosol, there was consternation from some quarters that such viruses might escape from the laboratory and cause a pandemic in humans. Part of the fear came from the fact that the case fatality ratio for human infections with the H5N1 virus exceeds 50%. This number could be substantially higher than the lethality ratio, which is the number of symptomatic cases divided by the total number of infections. Divining the latter number has been difficult. Results of a meta-analysis published in 2012 suggest that...
Source: virology blog - October 1, 2013 Category: Virology Authors: Vincent Racaniello Tags: Basic virology Information asymptomatic avian Bangladesh case fatality ratio fouchier influenza A(H5N1) kawaoka mortality ratio viral virus Source Type: blogs
Fouchier vs the Dutch government on influenza H5N1 research
From Martin Enserink at ScienceInsider:
Virologist Ron Fouchier has suffered a loss in a legal battle with the Dutch government over the publication of his controversial H5N1 influenza research. On Friday, a Dutch district court ruled that the government was right to ask Fouchier to obtain an export license before sending two hotly debated papers out for publication.
Readers of this blog will remember the furor sparked by Fouchier’s experiments in 2011 in which he developed an avian influenza H5N1 isolate that could transmit among ferrets by aerosol. When Fouchier was ready to publish the results, the Dutch governmen...
Source: virology blog - September 27, 2013 Category: Virology Authors: Vincent Racaniello Tags: Basic virology Commentary Information aerosol avian influenza H5N1 biological weapon Erasmus MC export license ferret fouchier transmission viral virus Source Type: blogs
