Mainlining at Chambers St.

originally posted by VLM:
originally posted by SFJoe:
The details of the 1918 morbidity and mortality remain quite controversial, it must be said. Cytokine storms are currently fashionable, but CNS tropism was all the rage at one time.

Is the cytokine storm theory part of the "it was really secondary infections" story?

As I understand it, it's more of an over-reaction of the immune response, triggered by an "anitgenic shift" in the envelope proteins of influenza (hemagglutinin and neuarmindase). The major flu pandemics all involve a novel strain of influenza A such as the H1N1 variant we're now seeing. It's actually a lot like septic shock in bacterial infections.

Mark Lipton
 
originally posted by VLM:
originally posted by SFJoe:
The details of the 1918 morbidity and mortality remain quite controversial, it must be said. Cytokine storms are currently fashionable, but CNS tropism was all the rage at one time.

Is the cytokine storm theory part of the "it was really secondary infections" story?

Not really - Mark's explanation of cytokine storms is quite accurate.

The "it was really secondary infections" story has more to do with the influenza and pneumococcal neuraminidases both cleaving sialic acids on cell surfaces thereby promoting pneumococcal adhesion and invasion. Shown nicely in this graph from an experimental mouse model in: Peltola & McCullers. Ped Inf Dis J 2004:23;S87.

Picture1.png
 
originally posted by Sharon Bowman:
This thread is so not about Chambers Street.

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

The last time I was in Chambers I had to wear a mask so I didn't get swine flu from Jamie.
 
originally posted by Sharon Bowman:
This thread is so not about Chambers Street.

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

maybe one of the in-house graph guys could hook your notes up in vertical bars of multicolors?

ps - loved that muscadet tn

pps - and with your penchant for bubblies of various grapes, you really don't like mauzac all that much? i've had some interesting blanquettes...and usually stay away from the cremants...
 
Of course, the flu is coming back quite early this fall (already upticking, a couple of months ahead of typical schedule). So it will be a bit of a race with the vaccine.
 
originally posted by SFJoe:
Of course, the flu is coming back quite early this fall (already upticking, a couple of months ahead of typical schedule). So it will be a bit of a race with the vaccine.

We're finding some BNAbs from past vaccinations and infections that respond to this H1N1. Interesting.
 
originally posted by SFJoe:
You aren't hanging too much with Tony Fauci, are you? Therapeutic mAbs for flu?

My maiden aunt.

No, but my boss is a product of the same enviornment.

Broadly Neutralizing Abs. You know, those things you tell me are equivalent to fairy dust.
 
There is definitely cross-reactivity between different flu strains.

But mAbs are a mite expensive for self-limiting acute illnesses caught by tens of millions of people. The health care system is a little unhappy at $20 for a flu shot, think they want to spend $2000 each on the 10%+ that get sick?

Seems unlikely to me.

But I won't harangue.
 
originally posted by SFJoe:
There is definitely cross-reactivity between different flu strains.

But mAbs are a mite expensive for self-limiting acute illnesses caught by tens of millions of people. The health care system is a little unhappy at $20 for a flu shot, think they want to spend $2000 each on the 10%+ that get sick?

Seems unlikely to me.

But I won't harangue.

More to the point, I don't see how production could possibly be ramped up to combat the coming pandemic. As it is, vaccine production is in a footrace with the virus and that's a known technology with an established infrastructure.

Mark Lipton
 
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