Skip to main content

Home/ WSU Virology/ Group items tagged microbiology

Rss Feed Group items tagged

Casey Finnerty

For Young Scientists, A Wild Ride - 0 views

  •  
    This article discusses the drama behind the scenes of the debate over publication of the H5N1 transmissibility studies and the effect it had on young scientists carrying out the work.
Casey Finnerty

Reassessing Flu Shots as the Season Draws Near - NYTimes.com - 3 views

  • “I say, ‘Use this vaccine,’ ” he said. “The safety profile is actually quite good. But we have oversold it. Use it — but just know it’s not going to work nearly as well as everyone says.”
  • “Not having evidence doesn’t prove it doesn’t work; we just don’t know,” said Dr. Roger Thomas, a Cochrane Collaboration coordinator for the University of Calgary in Alberta, who was an author of both of the reviews. “The intelligent decision would be to have large, publicly funded independent trials.”
  • “Does it work as well as the measles vaccine? No, and it’s not likely to. But the vaccine works,” Dr. Joseph Bresee, chief of epidemiology and prevention in the C.D.C.’s influenza division, said. And research is advancing to improve the effectiveness of the vaccine.
  • ...3 more annotations...
  • Another option for those who want to reduce their risk of influenza and flulike infections may be simply this: Wash your hands more often. There is good evidence this works.
    • Sarah Muncy
       
      Whaaa? Wait, what? That's like selling elephant insurance. Sure, we can't PROVE it's working, but that doesn't mean it's NOT. Is this true? I never imagined data wasn't there to show vaccines work to this degree- I'm so confused.
  • “It does not protect as promoted. It’s all a sales job: it’s all public relations.”
Casey Finnerty

New Infection, Not Relapse, Brings Back Symptoms of Lyme Disease, Study Finds - NYTimes... - 4 views

  • a new study finds that repeat symptoms are from new infections, not from relapses.
    • Sarah Muncy
       
      But why are the patient so susceptible to getting the infections over and over again?
  • Dr. Steere acknowledged that symptoms, sometimes disabling ones, do linger for months after treatment in as many as 10 percent of patients. Doctors do not know why. But, Dr. Steere said, “antibiotics are not the answer.”
  •  
    Great question! I was wondering the same thing. I think the answer is actually in Chap. 6 of Cann! (Toward the end. Ask me again if you are unsure.) It's all in that little book, isn't it?!!!
Matthew Marshall

Dengue: a continuing global threat : Article : Nature Reviews Microbiology - 0 views

  •  
    Follow up research subsequent to viewing Dr. Eva Harris's Lecture, Dengue Fever: Breaking Epidemic Cycles. Research focused on mechanisms behind severe dengue forms DHF and DSS. Figure 1 in paper is from this article.
Sarah Muncy

A Breakthrough Against Leukemia Using Altered T-Cells - NYTimes.com - 1 views

  • To perform the treatment, doctors remove millions of the patient’s T-cells — a type of white blood cell — and insert new genes that enable the T-cells to kill cancer cells. The technique employs a disabled form of H.I.V. because it is very good at carrying genetic material into T-cells. The new genes program the T-cells to attack B-cells, a normal part of the immune system that turn malignant in leukemia.
  • The T-cells home in on a protein called CD-19 that is found on the surface of most B-cells
  • cytokine-release syndrome, or cytokine storm
  • ...5 more annotations...
  • Dr. June knew that a drug could lower IL-6
  • tocilizumab
  • the altered T-cells persist in the bloodstream
  • The researchers are not entirely sure why the treatment works, or why it sometimes fails.
  • It is not clear whether a patient’s body needs the altered T-cells forever. The cells do have a drawback: they destroy healthy B-cells as well as cancerous ones, leaving patients vulnerable to certain types of infections, so Emma and the other patients need regular treatments with immune globulins to prevent illness.
    • Sarah Muncy
       
      I was wondering when they'd get to the consequences of killing off the B cells- that's huge.
  •  
    That's so funny- I just saw the update email and Dr. Finnerty also saw this topic (a different article) and posted it, too!)
1 - 20 of 135 Next › Last »
Showing 20 items per page