TWiV explains that a recent report suggesting that the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein inhibits V(D)J recombination in vitrowould not impact immunity after infection or vaccination, and describes the isolation of remdesivir resistant mutants in cells in culture, and the emergence of amino acid changes in the spike protein identical to those in variants of concern, in the …
A TWiV duo reviews how SARS-CoV-2 attacks the olfactory mucosa but spares the olfactory bulb, vaccination with BNT162b2 induces virus-specific stem cell memory T cells, and development of an oral protease inhibitor for the treatment of COVID-19. Click arrow to playDownload TWiV 829 (67 MB .mp3, 112 min)Subscribe (free): iTunes, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Show notes at microbe.tv/twiv
In COVID-19 clinical update #88, Dr. Griffin covers vaccine protection among US veterans, absence of long COVID in vaccinated who are infected, single dose of REGEN-COV monoclonal antibody cocktail provides long term protection, and Pfizer protease inhibitor Paxlovid is 89% effective in preventing hospitalization or death. Show notes at microbe.tv/twiv
Did you know that the innate immune DNA sensor TLR9 is on the membrane of red blood cells? I didn’t know that. To learn about why it’s there, listen to Immune episode #50. In that episode we review evidence that toll-like receptor 9 on the surface of red blood cells binds DNA, leading to uptake …
Multiple vaccines have been developed that have made substantial contributions to controlling the COVID-19 pandemic, but where are the antivirals? Only repurposed drugs have been used and not with much success. That situation seems about to change with the authorization of drugs that target the RNA polymerase (Molnupiravir) and a viral protease (Paxlovid). Molnupiravir is …
Influenza B viruses, unlike influenza A viruses, do not cause pandemics. There are many non-human animal reservoirs of influenza A viruses which provide gene segments that go towards making reassortant viruses that can infect humans. Influenza B viruses do not appear to have an animal reservoir other than humans – they have been isolated from …
