Virology
How the Viruses Within Us Protect Us From Other Viruses
By Gertrud U. Rey | | Basic virology, Gertrud Rey
by Gertrud U. Rey Did you know that eight percent of the human genome consists of DNA sequences that are derived from retroviruses? These “endogenous retroviruses” (ERVs) represent concrete evidence for retroviral infections that occurred in our ancestors. Although ERVs have no viral activity, an accumulating body of evidence suggests that they are not entirely …
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Why Do Some Viruses Have a Seasonal Cycle?
By Gertrud U. Rey | | Basic virology, Gertrud Rey
by Gertrud U. Rey Have you ever wondered why some viruses circulate primarily in the winter and others are more prevalent in the summer? Although we don’t have a clear answer to this question, a combination of factors is likely responsible. Work done in the field of respiratory viruses suggests that these viruses can …
Why We Can’t Eradicate Polio
By Gertrud U. Rey | | Basic virology, Gertrud Rey
by Gertrud U. Rey In 1988 the World Health Organization, Rotary International, UNICEF, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention passed the initiative to eradicate polio globally by the year 2000. We are now 23 years past this deadline, and it is increasingly clear that this goal will likely never be achieved. Smallpox …
A Long-Awaited Vaccine
By Gertrud U. Rey | | Basic virology, Gertrud Rey
by Gertrud U. Rey Almost sixty years have passed since the initial formalin-inactivated respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine caused enhanced disease in children when they were subsequently infected with the virus. Since then, RSV has continued to be a substantial public health threat to infants, young children, and older people. Although progress in developing a …
There Is Something to Be Gained From Gain of Function Experiments
By Gertrud U. Rey | | Basic virology, Gertrud Rey
by Gertrud U. Rey In recent years, the phrase “gain of function” and its abbreviation “GoF” have attained a sinister connotation that is coupled with a general mistrust toward scientists who engage in this type of experimentation. This public perception is grounded in a basic misunderstanding of what constitutes GoF and a lack of appreciation …
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An mRNA Vaccine to Treat Cancer
By Gertrud U. Rey | | Basic virology, Gertrud Rey
by Gertrud U. Rey There are several highly effective vaccines that block infection by human papillomaviruses (HPVs) and thereby prevent the cervical, anogenital, and head and neck cancers caused by these viruses. However, none of these vaccines are effective for the treatment of established HPV-induced tumors. The success of the COVID-19 messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines …
David Tuller
Trial By Error: Celine Corsius–In Memorium
By David Tuller, DrPH Céline Corsius, a 32-year-old from the Netherlands, died through euthanasia on September 18th after suffering with ME for 22 years. For the last seven years, she was confined to her bed, lying in the dark. Even so, her health situation continued to deteriorate. She was cared for by her parents, Iselle …
Trial By Error: David Putrino on New Nature Study of Long Covid Immune Profiling
By David Tuller, DrPH I’ve posted two past interviews with David Putrino (here and here) about long Covid, ME/CFS, and related issues. Dr Putrino, a neuroscientist and physical therapist, is director of rehabilitation innovation at the Mt Sinai Health System in New York. Early in the pandemic, he began seeing patients with prolonged symptoms following …
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Trial By Error: Media Notes–Hasan Presses Fauci on Long Covid; Rehmeyer on Psych Diagnoses; Washington Post Explores Backstory of Recent Study
By David Tuller, DrPH MSNBC anchor Mehdi Hasan can be a bulldog as an interviewer. He recently pressed Dr Anthony Fauci on the US government’s flat-footed response to the wave of long Covid cases. Dr Fauci came across as somewhat on the defensive and acknowledged that progress has been slow. He agreed that clinical trials …
Trial By Error: An Interview with Yale’s Akiko Iwasaki
By David Tuller, DrPH Akiko Iwasaki, a professor of immunobiology at the Yale School of Medicine, is a leading investigator into long Covid and has recently been tapped to lead a new Center for Infection & Immunity. She was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 2018, the National Academy of Medicine in 2019, …
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Trial By Error: A Physiotherapist’s Guide to Understanding and Managing ME/CFS
By David Tuller, DrPH A new book, A Physiotherapist’s Guide to Understanding and Managing ME/CFS, has arrived at a timely moment. With so many long Covid patients being diagnosed with ME or ME/CFS, it is essential that physiotherapists—or physical therapists, in the US—grasp the essentials of the disease, and in particular the existence of post-exertional …
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Trial By Error: My Talk at Cambridge Last October on “Epidemiological Sleight-of-Hand: The Troubling Case of ‘Medically Unexplained Symptoms'”
By David Tuller, DrPH I gave a talk at Cambridge University last October called “Epidemiological Sleight-of-Hand: The Troubling Case of ‘Medically Unexplained Symptoms.'” More accurately, I gave the same talk on two successive days—October 18th and 19th–because of video malfunctions on the first day. I thought I’d written a post about it, but when I …