The antibody response is crucial for preventing many viral infections and may also contribute to resolution of infection. When a vertebrate is infected with a virus, antibodies are produced against many epitopes on multiple virus proteins. A subset of these antibodies can block virus infection by a process that is called neutralization. Antibodies can neutralize viral infectivity …
Hosts: Vincent Racaniello and Dick Despommier On episode #39 of the podcast “This Week in Virology”, Vincent and Dick discuss virus structure and answer listener questions. [powerpress url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/twiv/TWiV039.mp3″] Click the arrow above to play, or right-click to download TWiV #39 (37 MB .mp3, 53 minutes) Subscribe to TWiV in iTunes, by the RSS feed, or by email Links …
The immune response to viral infection comprises innate and adaptive defenses. The innate response, which we have discussed previously, functions continuously in a normal host without exposure to any virus. Most viral infections are controlled by the innate immune system. However, if viral replication outpaces innate defenses, the adaptive response must be mobilized. The adaptive …
This week’s pop quiz involves analysis of an AFP news article entitled “US company makes first batch of swine flu vaccine“. The article reports that Protein Sciences has been awarded a contract from the US Department of Health and Human Services to produce a vaccine by synthesizing the viral HA protein in insect cells. Here …
Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Alan Dove, and Eric O. Freed On episode 37 of the podcast “This Week in Virology ” (TWiV), Vincent, Alan, and Eric Freed talk about vesivirus contamination of bioreactors, pandemic influenza, maximizing the effect of vaccination by targeting children, chikungunya virus, and open access scientific journals. [powerpress url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/twiv/TWiV037.mp3″] Click the arrow above …
On episode #36 of the podcast “This Week in Virology”, Vincent, Alan, Dick, and Hamish Young discuss the 2009 influenza pandemic, first 2009 H1N1 vaccine, hunting mosquitoes with midges, vaccine-associated polio in India, and adenoviruses. [powerpress url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/twiv/TWiV036.mp3″] Click the arrow above to play, or right-click to download TWiV #36 or subscribe in iTunes or byemail.
