This Week in Virology » multiple sclerosis

TWiV 26: Poxviruses

Vincent Racaniello — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 02:07:26 +0000

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Alan Dove, and Rich Condit

Vincent, Alan, and Rich Condit converse about induction of polyomavirus replication in multiple sclerosis patients treated with the MS drug Tysabri, the extent of human polyomavirus infection, selection of influenza vaccines for the 2009-10 season, cowpox virus transmission from animals to humans, vaccinia-like virus infecting humans and cattle in Brasil, and poxviruses.

Click the arrow above to play, or right-click to download TWiV #26 (52 MB .mp3, 75 minutes)

Links for this episode:

JC virus, Tysabri, PML, and mefloquine at virology blog
Seroepidemiology of polyomaviruses in human
Next season’s influenza virus vaccines and how they are selected
Cell-culture propagated smallpox vaccine
Cowpox tranmission from rats to humans (Germany and France) and from cats to humans in Italy
Vaccinia-like virus infecting cows and humans in Brasil
When good vaccines go wild (review)
Mosquito Map (thanks Duncan)
Pfeiffer & Kirkegaard paper on quasispecies and virulence in mice

Science blog of the week: Coevolvers by Devin Drown
Science podcast pick of the week: QuackCast
Science book of the week: Listen to the Music: The Life of Hilary Koprowski by Roger Vaughan

Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@twiv.tv

Subscribe to TWiV in iTunes, by the RSS feed, or by email

TWiV 23: Extreme virology

Vincent Racaniello — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 02:02:25 +0000

Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dick Despommier, and Alan Dove

Vincent, Dick, and Alan review a new macaque model for HIV-1 infection, a possible role for Epstein-Barr virus in multiple sclerosis, accidental release of H5N1 by a vaccine company, resistance of frogs to virus infection, and extreme virology – the biggest and smallest viruses and viral genomes.

Click the arrow above to play, or right-click to download TWiV #23 (34 MB .mp3, 49 minutes)

Links for this episode:

Harold Varmus on The Daily Show
Macaque model for HIV-1 infection (photo of pig-tailed macaque)
Possible role of Epstein-Barr virus in multiple sclerosis
Accidental distribution of H5N1 influenza virus by pharmaceutical company
Major histocompatibility class I marker and frog resistance to viral infection
Smallest virion and DNA genome: Circovirus
Largest virion and DNA genome: Mimivirus
Biggest RNA genome: (we forgot to mention on the show!) Coronavirus SW1
List of viral genome lengths at NCBI
Sputnik virophage
Papers for Macintosh and iPhone

Science blog of the week: H5N1 by Croft
Science podcast pick of the week: MicrobeWorld video
Science book of the week: Autism’s False Prophets by Paul A. Offit, MD (podcast with Dr. Ginger Campbell)

Send your virology questions and comments to twiv@twiv.tv.

Subscribe to TWiV in iTunes, by the RSS feed, or by email.