ViroBlogy

See on Scoop.it – Virology News

A new vaccine strategy could make flu shots cheaper, safer, and easier to produce.

…scientists at the Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute (Germany’s Federal Research Institute for Animal Health), and biotech company CureVac in Tübingen have … designed a piece of mRNA encoding the hemagglutinin of the influenza strain H1N1. Cells use mRNA to shuttle the information contained in the genome from the nucleus into the periphery of the cell, where it is translated into a protein. By injecting synthetic mRNA into the skin of mice, the researchers coaxed the animals’ cells into producing the virus protein themselves. This elicited an immune response that later protected the animals from infection with otherwise lethal doses of influenza virus, the researchers reported online on 25 November in Nature Biotechnology.

Yessss….welll….ummmmm….  No, it wouldn’t be cheaper: RNA is EXPENSIVE to make under any circumstances.  And there is a published alternative that would probably be MUCH easier: encapsidating mRNA made in cells via an alphavirus vector, in Tobacco mosaic virus coat protein!

Virology. 2007 Feb 20;358(2):321-33. Epub 2006 Oct 2.
Assembly of trans-encapsidated recombinant viral vectors engineered from Tobacco mosaic virus and Semliki Forest virus and their evaluation as immunogens.
Smith ML, Corbo T, Bernales J, Lindbo JA, Pogue GP, Palmer KE, McCormick AA.

See on www.wired.com

See on Scoop.it – Virology News

Note: number 1 is the article on “In vitro evolution of H5N1 avian influenza virus toward human-type receptor specificity” – that you read about here first.

ViroBlogy: serving the virology community…B-)  Thank @MicrobeTweets!

Pandemic flu graphic courtesy of Russell Kightley Media

See on top25.sciencedirect.com

See on Scoop.it – Virology News

“In the third quarter of 2012, we announced that we had successfully produced significantly more than 10 million doses of H1N1 influenza VLP vaccine at our commercial-scale facility in North Carolina and completed the DARPA project. In addition, we announced FDA authorization to initiate a Phase I clinical trial with IDRI for an H5N1 VLP vaccine to explore the possibility of enhanced protection with one dose of vaccine, continued development of the quadrivalent seasonal flu vaccine, and signed a commercial agreement with Philip Morris Products for influenza vaccines in China,” said Andy Sheldon, President and Chief Executive Officer of Medicago. “In 2013, we expect to see results from at least three clinical trials, which would reinforce our position with governments and companies to secure revenues and grant opportunities.”

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/11/09/4974415/medicago-announces-2012-third.html#storylink=cpy

Still Going Green: the sensible thing to do.

See on www.sacbee.com

See on Scoop.it – Virology News

“This is a concise, highly accessible introduction to medical virology, incorporating essential basic principles as well as a systematic review of viruses and viral diseases. It pays particular attention to developments in anti-viral therapy that are becoming increasingly effective in modern medicine. It is an ideal textbook for the information-overloaded student and an invaluable everyday companion for the busy professional who needs a good understanding of the current state of medical virology.

In keeping with the highly successful format of other Illustrated Colour Texts, it presents the subject as a series of succinct 2 page ‘learning units’, using a superb collection of clear illustrations and clinical photographs, concise yet comprehensive text and key point boxes to aid quick access to information and examination preparation.

So whether you are a medical student, junior doctor, medical scientist, trainee in infectious diseases or student on another allied medical course, this book is here to make your life easier! It will also provide a very solid foundation for any who plan to delve deeper into this fascinating field.”

It gives me great pelasure to be able to hype a book by colelagues from South Africa – and an eBook at that, given that it is available at a substantial discount for Kindle!  I shall be downloading it soonest.  Nice one, guys!

See on www.amazon.com

See on Scoop.it – Virology News

The great northwest of the U.S.is known for its natural beauty.  It’s also a high-tech region with a highly educated public – …(To vaccinate, or not to vaccinate…a report that suggests you should:

See on www.vaccinews.net

See on Scoop.it – Virology News

MELBOURNE researchers have developed cows’ milk that can defend human cells against HIV.

Lead researcher, University of Melbourne’s Marit Kramski said they vaccinated pregnant cows – which cannot contract human immunodeficiency virus – with an HIV protein [Env?] and studied the first milk produced by the cow after birth.

HIV cases in Australia on the rise

Dr Kramski said this first milk, called colostrum, produced milk high in antibodies to protect its newborn against disease.

The researchers were able to inhibit the virus from infecting cells when “combing the virus cells with milk” [sic – I think they mean combining the virus with milk containing antibodies].

I think this is very interesting, and has potential for trial in monkeys – not humans, because there is the little problem of the antibodies that would go into a virucidal cream being from cows – meaning they would elicit an immune response, unlike the humanised anti-HIV monoclonals being made in plants by the Fraunhofer Institute.

Still, using cow’s milk is an inventive thing to do – and sounds like a very cheap source of antibodies.  Except that colostrum is ONLY produced immediately after birth of a calf, so it will nothing like as cheap as milk.

See on www.heraldsun.com.au

See on Scoop.it – Virology News

“During the pandemic [Influenza A(H1N1)pdm09] period in 2009-2010, an influenza A (Inf-A) virus with H1N2 subtype (designated as A/Eastern India/N-1289/2009) was detected from a 25 years old male from Mizoram (North-eastern India).

The outcome of this full genome study revealed a unique reassortment event where the N-1289 virus acquired it’s HA gene from a 2009 pandemic H1N1 virus with swine origin and the other genes from H3N2-like viruses of human origin.

Conclusions
This study provides information on possibility of occurrence of reassortment events during influenza season when infectivity is high and two different subtypes of Inf Aviruses co-circulate in same geographical location.”

This is interesting, and soberign news: it shows how easily this sort of thing can happen; it is perhaps fortunate that both the NA of the new virus came from a circulating type, as otherwise the virus could have spread as far and been as serious as the new H1N1.

I thank Russell Kightley for the reassortant influenza virus graphic.

See on www.virologyj.com

See on Scoop.it – Virology and Bioinformatics from Virology.ca

“The history of click-speaking Khoe-San, and African populations in general, remains poorly understood. We genotyped ∼2.3 million SNPs in 220 southern Africans and found that the Khoe-San diverged from other populations ≥100,000 years ago, but structure within the Khoe-San dated back to about 35,000 years ago. Genetic variation in various sub-Saharan populations did not localize the origin of modern humans to a single geographic region within Africa; instead, it indicated a history of admixture and stratification. We found evidence of adaptation targeting muscle function and immune response, potential adaptive introgression of UV-light protection, and selection predating modern human diversification involving skeletal and neurological development. These new findings illustrate the importance of African genomic diversity in understanding human evolutionary history.”

Ex Africa, semper aliquid novi…or old, in this case!

See on www.sciencemag.org

See on Scoop.it – Virology and Bioinformatics from Virology.ca

“With a nod to the movie Contagion, The Gemini Virus is a vivid (the audience will become mysophobia agoraphobic), exhilarating lethal virus thriller. Part of the fun is the reactions of people as some welcome the biblical End of Days while others blame the government. Fast-paced from the first cough and sneeze, the storyline never takes a respite as the Gemini Virus goes viral.”

A pity that geminiviruses (the real ones) only infect plants, isn’t it?

Geminivirus graphic courtesy of Russell Kightley Media

See on themysterygazette.blogspot.fr