Virology
TWiV 336: Brought to you by the letters H, N, P, and Eye
By Vincent Racaniello
On episode #336 of the science show This Week in Virology, the TWiVsters explore mutations in the interferon pathway associated with severe influenza in a child, outbreaks of avian influenza in North American poultry farms, Ebolavirus infection of the eye weeks after recovery, and Ebolavirus stability on surfaces and in ...
Designer viruses for killing tumor cells
By Vincent Racaniello
A major goal of viral oncotherapy - the use of viruses to destroy tumors - is to design viruses that kill tumor cells but not normal cells. Two adenoviruses provide perfect examples of how this specificity can be achieved. Adenovirus CG0070, designed to treat bladder cancer, and adenovirus Oncorine, for ...
Virology for planet Earth
By Vincent Racaniello
It is the first week in May, which means that the spring semester has just ended at Columbia University, and my annual virology course is over. Each year I teach an introductory undergraduate virology course that is organized around basic principles, including how virus particles are built, how they replicate, how they cause ...
TWiV 335: Ebola lite
By Vincent Racaniello
On episode #335 of the science show This Week in Virology, the TWiVumvirate discusses a whole Ebolavirus vaccine that protects primates, the finding that Ebolavirus is not undergoing rapid evolution, and a proposal to increase the pool of life science researchers by cutting money and time from grants. You can ...
A new cell receptor for rhinovirus
By Vincent Racaniello
Rhinovirus is the most frequent cause of the common cold, and the virus itself is quite common: there are over 160 types, classified into 3 species. The cell receptor has just been identified for the rhinovirus C species, which can cause more severe illness than members of the A or B ...