Viral infection of vertebrates leads to the production of antibodies, and some of these can block virus infection by a process that is called neutralization. Antibodies can neutralize viral infectivity in a number of ways: they may impair virus entry into cells, and even cause degradation of the capsid in ...

The TWiV team reveals the repertoire of anti-viral antibodies in newborn humans, and a complement protein that binds the adenovirus capsid and prevents release of the viral DNA. Click arrow to play Download TWiV 544 (65 MB .mp3, 108 min) Subscribe (free): iTunes, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Show notes at microbe.tv/twiv

When we are born, our blood contains antibodies that we have inherited from our mothers. They are transferred across the placenta and provide protection from infection until IgG production begins around 15 weeks after birth. Can we exploit such antibody transfer by vaccinating pregnant mothers to protect newborns against infectious ...

The TWiV team discusses Medusavirus, isolated from a hot spring in Japan, and induction of neurodegeneration by recurrent herpes simplex virus 1 infection of mice. Click arrow to play Download TWiV 543 (65 MB .mp3, 108 min) Subscribe (free): iTunes, Google Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Show notes at microbe.tv/twiv

by Gertrud U. Rey In 1998, a British doctor named Andrew Wakefield published a paper in the British journal The Lancet. In this paper, Wakefield implied that the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine may cause developmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The paper received wide publicity, and ...