MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'immunity'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 01:55:08 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5050585&cid=t_112340_87_f&fid=39261&url=http%3A%2F%2Fvactruth.com%2F2011%2F07%2F18%2Fwhat-is-it-you-dont-get-about-vaccines%2F With more parents questioning vaccines, we are starting to see Mainstream Media 'turning up the heat' on the rhetoric. Monday, July 18, 2011, the Los Angeles Times ran the following op-ed article by David Ropeik: http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-ropeik-vaccines-20110718,0,4240440.story  Public health: Not vaccinated? Not acceptable Wow! I thought. Is that draconian, fascist, or even Hitlerian-like in principle? So, I considered what a one-sentence rebuttal could be to such apparent outrageousness on the part of someone who, perhaps, does not know the ‘toxic ingredients’ in vaccines nor has studied the thousands upon thousands of VAERS reports at CDC on adverse vaccine reactions. This is what I finally came up with: No vaccine safety studies; No vaccinat... vactruth.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5050585 Mon, 18 Jul 2011 19:40:47 +0100 5050585 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5028221&cid=t_112340_87_f&fid=39261&url=http%3A%2F%2Fvactruth.com%2F2011%2F07%2F12%2Fwhy-isnt-herd-immunity-working%2F Californians have a new law regarding vaccination of children: Effective July 1, 2011, all students in grades 7 through 12 will be required to get a booster DTP [Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis (Whooping Cough)] due to outbreaks and increases for Pertussis in children. Something doesn’t make sense, I think. What’s happening to ‘herd immunity’ that supposedly is established—at least that’s the spin—through mandatory vaccination programs that have been in effect for years? First, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the vaccination rate of children entering kindergarten in the USA is over 90 percent. That means most kiddies at kindergarten age have been vaccinated for Pertussis. So why an outbreak in California? Is it that medical authorities c... vactruth.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5028221 Tue, 12 Jul 2011 08:00:01 +0100 5028221 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4960118&cid=t_112340_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F06%2F23%2Fmeditation-for-slow-learners%2F You can’t read too many health headlines anymore before you run across a story extolling meditation’s many health benefits: from calming anxiety to increasing resilience, from lowering blood pressure to building immunity. Meditation does it all! And is being embraced in practically every medical field. But what is it? I’m a bit of a slow learner, so even as I promised myself two years ago that I would start each day with 20 minutes of meditation, I am still thumbing through books trying to figure out how, exactly, you do it. I have learned much from Elisha Goldstein’s Psych Central blog, “Mindfulness and Psychotherapy.” Because I believe, on some level, that all forms of meditation are about creating space. And Elisha reminds his readers of that by continually repeating the mea... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4960118 Thu, 23 Jun 2011 10:16:50 +0100 4960118 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4951889&cid=t_112340_139_f&fid=38879&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FVirologyBlog%2F%7E3%2F7Gen_bjEBM0%2F Hosts: Vincent Racaniello and Raul Andino Vincent meets up with Raul Andino in San Francisco to discuss the RNAi-based antiviral defense system of Drosophila, the fruit fly, and how it is antagonized by viruses. Click the arrow above to play, or right-click to download TWiV #138 (53 MB .mp3, 73 minutes). Subscribe to TWiV (free) in iTunes , at the Zune Marketplace, by the RSS feed, by email, or listen on your mobile device with the Microbeworld app. Links for this episode: Antiviral immunity in Drosophila requires RNAi spread (Nature) Cricket paralysis virus antagonizes Argonaute 2 in Drosophila (Nature Struct Biol) Dicistroviridae at ViralZone TWiV on Facebook Send your virology questions and comments (email or mp3 file) to twiv@twiv.tv, or call them in to 908-312-0760. You can al... virology blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4951889 Sun, 19 Jun 2011 18:07:24 +0100 4951889 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4723789&cid=t_112340_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FuQHo05x7vAc%2F By Ilya ShapiroEveryone knows that students have First Amendment rights, that the Constitution proverbially doesn’t stop at the schoolhouse door.  Yet students in the Plano Independent School District in Texas (against whose speech code Cato previously filed a brief) were prohibited from handing out pencils with messages such as “Jesus is the reason for the season” and “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so,” or sending holiday cards to retirement homes that said “Merry Christmas.” The students, through their parents, sued the district on First Amendment grounds, and were successful through a Fifth Circuit panel ruling that “qualified immunity,” a doctrine that prevents government officials from being held personally l... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4723789 Mon, 18 Apr 2011 14:44:27 +0100 4723789 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4704629&cid=t_112340_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FSLtAhRW5GrY%2F By Ilya ShapiroFew could imagine a more troubling free speech and due process case than that of Hayden Barnes.  Barnes, a student at Valdosta State University in Georgia, peacefully protested the planned construction of a $30 million campus parking garage that was the pet project of university president Ronald Zaccari.  A “personally embarrassed” Zaccari did not take kindly to that criticism and endeavored to retaliate against Barnes — ignoring longstanding legal precedent, the Valdosta State University Student Handbook (a legally binding contract), and the counsel of fellow administrators.  Zaccari even ordered staff to look into Barnes’s academic records, his medical history, his religion, and his registration with the VSU Access Office! The district court found th... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4704629 Tue, 12 Apr 2011 12:54:06 +0100 4704629 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4636109&cid=t_112340_139_f&fid=38879&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftraffic.libsyn.com%2Ftwiv%2FTWiV121.mp3 Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Michael Katze, Michael Gale, Deborah Fuller, and Shawn Iadonato Episode #121 of the podcast This Week in Virology is a conversation about careers in virology, systems biology, innate immunity, and antiviral research recorded at the University of Washington in Seattle. Download TWiV #121 (65 MB .mp3, 90 minutes). To download, right-click or control-click on the link, then select save as. Subscribe to TWiV (free) in iTunes , at the Zune Marketplace, by the RSS feed, or by email, or listen on your mobile device with the Microbeworld app. Links for this episode: A systems biology approach to infectious disease research (mBio) Infectious Curiosity (thanks, Gopal!) Astronomy Cast (thanks, Jacob!) The Journal of Negative Results (thanks, Patricia!) Scientist Solutions... virology blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4636109 Sun, 20 Feb 2011 23:23:10 +0100 4636109 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4337918&cid=t_112340_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FRo_Zy-0hwG8%2F By Ilya ShapiroWhile all the hot constitutional action of late, on issues ranging from Obamacare to gay marriage to immigration, has been in the lower courts — or even in Congress! — the Supreme Court still goes about its daily business.  After last year’s blockbuster term, however, this term is pretty low-profile aside from a spate of First Amendment cases (funeral protests, violent video games, school choice tax credits, public financing of election campaigns, etc.).  And so it was yesterday, when Supreme Court arguments over securities law and Western water rights were overshadowed by news of cases on which the Court decided not to rule: Without comment, the Court denied an unusual request — a petition for a writ of mandamus — in the Gulf Coast global warming la... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4337918 Tue, 11 Jan 2011 18:16:41 +0100 4337918 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4158813&cid=t_112340_139_f&fid=38879&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FVirologyBlog%2F%7E3%2FTmOWer8-iJc%2F Antibodies are an important component of the host defense against viral infection. These molecules, produced 7-14 days after infection, neutralize viral infectivity, thereby limiting the spread of infection. Antibodies are thought to neutralize viral infectivity in several ways: by forming noninfectious aggregates that cannot enter cells, or by blocking virion attachment to cells or uncoating (figure). A new mechanism has just joined this list, in which antibody bound virions are degraded in the cell cytoplasm. A cytoplasmic protein called TRIM21 (tripartite motif-containing 21) was recently found to bind with high affinity to the conserved regions of antibody molecules. The presence of this activity in many mammalian species suggested that there could be ways that antibodies operate withi... virology blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4158813 Thu, 11 Nov 2010 18:34:51 +0100 4158813 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4139240&cid=t_112340_87_f&fid=39261&url=http%3A%2F%2Fvactruth.com%2F2010%2F11%2F04%2Fcolorado-state-university-plans-to-mass-vaccinate-over-10000-students%2F Conclusion In the case of Christine Adame, it was assumed that because she took her vaccination she was protected from the disease, or at least that is what she was told. Mass vaccinating the student body at Colorado State University probably is going to further complicate an already very serious situation insofar as other complications with vaccine adverse reactions, which even could be deadly, as sometimes happens in the case of Guillain Barre Syndrome. I highly recommend Neil Miller’s vaccine book, Vaccine Safety Manual for Concerned Families and Health Practitioners, for more information concerning the meningococcal disease and vaccine.  It could make for a better understanding of how to approach the health scare at Colorado State University. Notes: * Another very recent case of vi... vactruth.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4139240 Thu, 04 Nov 2010 23:56:42 +0100 4139240 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4134271&cid=t_112340_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FRecoveryIsSexycom%2F%7E3%2FzOcKrlCuSWw%2F Robert started drinking at age 18 and was an alcoholic by the time he entered law school. "I managed to get my degree and go to work for a Wall Street firm. After that I changed jobs every two years or less. I just couldn’t hang on to one. Nobody ever mentioned drinking to me. But I’m sure that with every job I lost, drinking was the main reason." Images of hard-headed, hard-drinking lawyers abound in popular culture. These images make a point: The professional status granted by a law degree offers no immunity from addiction. The same can be said for people in other prominent professions, such as physicians, pilots and politicians. In fact, the rate of addiction for attorneys may exceed that for the general population. In 2002, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services A... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4134271 Tue, 02 Nov 2010 16:25:00 +0100 4134271 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4060087&cid=t_112340_139_f&fid=38879&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmedia.rawvoice.com%2Fpmn_twiv%2Fwww.twiv.tv%2FTWiV102.flv Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Andrew Baker, Karl-Klaus Conzelmann, Peter Palese, and Katharina Eisenächer Episode #102 of the podcast This Week in Virology is a conversation about the RNA sensor RIG-I, adenovirus gene therapy, a universal influenza vaccine, and rabies virus, recorded in Munich, Germany at the SFB455 symposium ‘Viral offense and immune defense’. Download TWiV #102 (67 MB .mp3, 95 minutes) Subscribe to TWiV (free) in iTunes , at the Zune Marketplace, by the RSS feed, or by email, or listen on your mobile device with Stitcher Radio. Links for this episode: SFB455 Symposium scientific program Letters read on TWiV 102 Virologists having fun (YouTube video) Video of this episode – view below or download .mov (394 MB) or .wmv (506 MB) Weekly Science Picks... virology blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4060087 Mon, 11 Oct 2010 00:06:02 +0100 4060087 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3954263&cid=t_112340_87_f&fid=39260&url=http%3A%2F%2Fvaccineblogs.com%2Fresearch-synthetic-lipoid-compounds-dda%2F Step 1. Read about vaccine ingredient causing delayed-type hypersensitivity. “In 1966 Gall, in a survey of more than 100 chemicals, concluded that aliphatic compounds, containing 12 or more carbons in their chains, have outstanding adjuvant properties…Dimethyl-dioctadecyl ammonium bromide (DDA) is the only lipoid amine that has been extensively tested in many experimental systems and reviewed…In general DDA has proven to be very effective in inducing delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) (a marker for cell-mediated immunity (CMI)), humoral anditbodies and resistance to challenge with virulent viruses.” Stewart-Tull, D. (1995). The Theory and Practical Application of Adjuvants. pp 39-40 Step 2. Go to Toxnet. http://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov Slap in Dimethyl-dioctadecyl amm... Vaccine Blogs blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3954263 Fri, 10 Sep 2010 05:06:00 +0100 3954263 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3954264&cid=t_112340_87_f&fid=39261&url=http%3A%2F%2Fvactruth.com%2F2010%2F09%2F09%2Fprotecting-our-children-and-the-vaccine-program%2F Laraine C. Abbey, RN, CNS 09/09/2010 Vactruth.com Three minute summary presentation to: The Advisory Commission on Childhood Vaccines – 09/02/2010 Vaccine critics are saying we are trading vaccine preventable infectious diseases for chronic health disorders. How can we reasonably say, “Vaccines don’t cause or contribute to autism” when we don’t know what does cause autism!  And vaccine concerns are no longer just about Autism—they’re about children’s total health. Armies of parents are reporting that they took a normally developing child to the pediatrician for routine shots and their child’s health or behavior changed–never to be the same as before that visit.  Thousands upon thousands of parents report similar “coincidental” symptoms related in time t... vactruth.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3954264 Thu, 09 Sep 2010 14:44:17 +0100 3954264 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3707032&cid=t_112340_167_f&fid=38576&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.drbriffa.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F06%2F28%2Fhigher-vitamin-d-level-linked-with-reduced-risk-of-infection%2F In previous posts (here and here) I have highlighted the benefits vitamin D has with regard to improving the immune response and helping keep infections such as flu at bay. It has been mooted that the upsurge in viral infections during the winter is connected with the generally lower vitamin D levels at this time. [...] (Source: Dr John Biffa's Blog) Dr John Biffa's Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3707032 Mon, 28 Jun 2010 18:42:24 +0100 3707032 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3538092&cid=t_112340_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fdoctors-are-human-too%2F2010.05.05 It’s all too easy to try and quantify everything in medicine. We are, after all, under the widely held delusion that medicine is like physics. A thing that follows fixed, predictable mathematical models. A thing reproducible if only algorithm A is followed for this disease and algorithm B is followed for that disease. This belief is also held by the government, which doesn’t want to pay for readmissions or mistakes. Because it is believed that all things in medicine can be known from an exam, some labs, some tests, and some studies. Nevertheless, things happen. Disease are transmitted in public or by families. Medications don’t always work. Bodies change. Bodies age. Humans are non-compliant. Humans are suffering from physiologic phenomena we can’t yet comprehend. Viruse... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3538092 Thu, 06 May 2010 01:00:12 +0100 3538092 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3425047&cid=t_112340_131_f&fid=34995&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2Fgnxp%2F%7E3%2F4Fh7Dx0mlBU%2F Below I note that sex matters when it comes to evolution, specifically in the case of how sexual reproduction forces the bits of the genome to be passed back and forth across sexes. In fact, the origin of sex is arguably the most important evolutionary question after the origin of species, and it remains one of the most active areas of research in evolutionary genetics. More specifically the existence of males, who do not bear offspring themselves but seem to be transient gene carriers is a major conundrum. But that’s not the main issue in this post. Let’s take the existence of males as a given. How do sex differences play out in evolutionary terms shaping other phenotypes? Consider Bateman’s principle: Bateman’s principle is the theory that females almost always in... Gene Expression blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3425047 Wed, 31 Mar 2010 10:25:11 +0100 3425047 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3407961&cid=t_112340_139_f&fid=38879&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.virology.ws%2F013_W3310_10.wmv Download: .wmv (327 MB) | .mp4 (90 MB) Visit the virology W3310 home page for a complete list of course resources. (Source: virology blog) virology blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3407961 Fri, 26 Mar 2010 02:45:33 +0100 3407961 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3056284&cid=t_112340_139_f&fid=38879&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.virology.ws%2FCUvaccines2009.mov Today I lectured on viral vaccines in the Immunology course at the Morningside Heights campus of Columbia University. I used poliovirus and influenza virus vaccines to illustrate general principles of immunization. My thanks to the engaged students who asked excellent questions! Here is a video of my lecture. Thanks to ScreenFlow, I was able to record my audio along with the slides and post it here the same day. Next semester I’ll be teaching a new undergraduate virology course at Columbia University, and I plan to upload similar videos of each lecture – 26 in all. I’ll post more information here about that course in early 2010. Download ‘Vaccines’ video. 67 MB .mov video file 247 MB .wmv video file (Source: virology blog) virology blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3056284 Wed, 02 Dec 2009 23:18:04 +0100 3056284 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3016926&cid=t_112340_139_f&fid=38879&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FVirologyBlog%2F%7E3%2FqQsjBjTd9LQ%2F The suggestion that yearly immunization against influenza might make children more susceptible to serious disease during a pandemic has generated some controversy. Does this idea have merit? If you have read “Being older is a good defense against 2009 H1N1 influenza”, you are familiar with the concept of ‘heterosubtypic immunity’. After natural infection with influenza virus, the host produces T and B cells directed against internal proteins of the virions. These viral proteins are more conserved among different strains than the surface glycoproteins HA and NA. Upon infection with a different subtype – which occurs during a pandemic – heterosubtypic immunity could limit virus replication and reduce disease and death. Evidence for heterosubtypic immunity to influenza vir... virology blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3016926 Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:00:22 +0100 3016926 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3016941&cid=t_112340_139_f&fid=38879&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FVirologyBlog%2F%7E3%2FAAd62pyT5Ec%2F Antibodies produced by infection with a virus, or after immunization with viral vaccines, are effective at preventing viral disease. However humans and higher primates contains “natural antibodies” which are present in serum before viral infection. Natural antibodies can activate the classical complement pathway leading to lysis of enveloped virus particles long before the adaptive immune response is activated. Many natural antibodies are directed against the disaccharide galactose α(1,3)-galactose (α-Gal) (illustration), which is found as a terminal sugar on glycosylated cell surface proteins. Humans, apes, and Old World monkeys lack the gene encoding the enzyme galactosyltransferase, which attaches α-Gal to membrane proteins. Lower primates, most other animals, and bact... virology blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3016941 Tue, 06 Oct 2009 17:37:01 +0100 3016941 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2842499&cid=t_112340_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FbOhnex2U8s4%2F Hearings were held on both sides of the Hill last week to consider a trio of surveillance powers set to expire under PATRIOT Act sunset rules. But the stage is set for a much broader fight over the sweeping expansion of search and surveillance authority seen over the past eight years; the chairmen of both the House and Senate Judiciary Committees have announced their intention to use the occasion to revisit the entire edifice of post-9/11 surveillance law. Two major reform bills have already been introduced: Sen. Russ Feingold’s JUSTICE Act and Sen. Patrick Leahy’s USA PATRIOT Sunset Extension Act. Both would preserve the core of most of the new intelligence tools while strengthening oversight and introducing more robust checks against abuse or overreach. The JUSTICE Act, howev... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2842499 Tue, 29 Sep 2009 18:27:18 +0100 2842499 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2814396&cid=t_112340_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FSvVVRvhQsdI%2F In 1977, county attorney David Richter and assistant county attorney Joseph Hrvol worked side by side with police to investigate and “solve” the notorious murder of a former police officer in Pottawattamie County, Iowa. The prosecutors fabricated evidence and used it to charge and convict Curtis McGhee and Terry Harrington, sending them to prison for 25 years. After the convictions were overturned for prosecutorial misconduct, McGhee and Harrington sued the county and prosecutors. The defendants in that civil suit invoked the absolute immunity generally afforded prosecutors to try to escape liability. After the Eighth Circuit ruled against them, the Supreme Court agreed to review the case. On Friday, Cato joined the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the ACLU ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2814396 Mon, 21 Sep 2009 13:58:15 +0100 2814396 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2807795&cid=t_112340_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FXmpN4NVCu0U%2F Finally, we will have protection against the spreading H1N1 influenza! The Foods and Drug Administration just approved four vaccines against the swine flu virus and it looks like the vaccines will be available in a little over a month. Swine Flu H1N1 Vaccine Soon Available Clinical trials proved that the vaccines are safe and only one shot is needed to gain immunity against the virus, and that’s really great news. Most vaccines work best when, and after the booster shot is given so this means that the swine flu vaccine works more quickly than other flu vaccines. So remember, if you’re one of the following people that are in higher priority to be immunized, ask your doctor or pediatrician about its availability. I already told my doctors to call us as soon they have the vaccine so I can... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2807795 Fri, 18 Sep 2009 13:16:01 +0100 2807795 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3016947&cid=t_112340_139_f&fid=38879&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FVirologyBlog%2F%7E3%2FB_kwBKpERVk%2F During a discussion about blogging on the Coast to Coast Bio Podcast, it was suggested that science professors should spend more time writing about their research – by explaining what problems they are trying to solve, how they approach them, and why they are interesting. My goal here at virology blog is mainly to teach virology. But explaining what we do in my virology laboratory can be an effective instructional tool. About five years ago I became very interested in the innate immune response to viral infections. The innate response is considered the first line of immune defense because it is active even before infection begins. Many viral infections are halted by the innate immune system, which responds very quickly – within minutes to hours after infection. The key to innate de... virology blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3016947 Fri, 18 Sep 2009 12:00:56 +0100 3016947 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2788997&cid=t_112340_105_f&fid=34950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmedblog.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F09%2F11%2Fthe-new-gardasil-controversy%2F JAMA 8/19/09 – In case the Gardasil vaccine wasn’t already surrounded by enough controversy – now there is concern over its safety profile and the marketing practices of Merk. An article in JAMA presents the safety surveillance data for qHPV, finding that “Most of the AEFI rates were not greater than the background rates compared with other vaccines, but there was disproportional reporting of syncope and venous thromboembolic events” An accompanying editorial discusses the extensive marketing to and through medical professional organizations via the use of manufacturer – designed educational matierials (i.e. brochures, posters, etc) Some of the adverse event rates can sound pretty scary, especially the 32 reports of death and the elevated rates of VTE. B... Consider The Evidence: Med/Peds Journal Roundup blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2788997 Fri, 11 Sep 2009 20:19:57 +0100 2788997 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2741088&cid=t_112340_139_f&fid=38879&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FVirologyBlog%2F%7E3%2FXhG1BwK-CIs%2F With the looming prospect of mass immunization against influenza, it’s important to understand how vaccines work. To do this we must have a good understanding of adaptive immune defenses. Today we’ll begin a discussion of the humoral arm of the adaptive immune response – antibodies. Antibodies are large proteins produced by vertebrates that play important roles in identifying and eliminating foreign objects. The basic structural unit is composed of two heavy chains and two light chains, as shown in this diagram. Antibodies bind other molecules known as antigens. Binding occurs in a small region near the ends of the heavy and light chain called the hypervariable region (labeled only on one arm in the figure). As the name implies, this region is extremely variable, which ... virology blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2741088 Wed, 22 Jul 2009 20:16:04 +0100 2741088 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2741099&cid=t_112340_139_f&fid=38879&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FVirologyBlog%2F%7E3%2Fk58Ma4Y2Mlk%2F The immune response to viral infection comprises innate and adaptive defenses. The innate response, which we have discussed previously, functions continuously in a normal host without exposure to any virus. Most viral infections are controlled by the innate immune system. However, if viral replication outpaces innate defenses, the adaptive response must be mobilized. The adaptive defense consists of antibodies and lymphocytes, often called the humoral response and the cell mediated response. The term ‘adaptive’ refers to the differentiation of self from non-self, and the tailoring of the response to the particular foreign invader. The ability to shape the response in a virus-specific manner depends upon communication between the innate and adaptive systems. This communication i... virology blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2741099 Fri, 03 Jul 2009 14:00:11 +0100 2741099 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2473508&cid=t_112340_107_f&fid=36905&url=http%3A%2F%2Fjemmasbiologyblog.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F06%2Fdid-you-know-your-armpits-are-like.html A link to a news story detailing the diversity of bacterial populations on the skin. (Source: Jemma's Biology Blog) Jemma's Biology Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2473508 Thu, 11 Jun 2009 09:48:00 +0100 2473508 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2469547&cid=t_112340_107_f&fid=36905&url=http%3A%2F%2Fjemmasbiologyblog.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F06%2Fliving-with-hiv-and-tb.html (Source: Jemma's Biology Blog) Jemma's Biology Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2469547 Wed, 10 Jun 2009 13:12:00 +0100 2469547 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2447506&cid=t_112340_87_f&fid=34595&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnhsblogdoc.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F06%2Fcompulsory-immunisations.html ...or elseDoctors are to consider whether parents should be forced to have their children vaccinated against mumps, measles and rubella.BBCThis is the typical, provocative way in which the media tends to present problems like this. Doctors are not in a position to force anyone to do anything and nor should they be. Compulsory immunisation is a matter for our elected representatives and for Parliament.Most parents give their children all recommended immunisations. The only controversy at the moment is the MMR. A generation ago, it was the pertussis immunisation that caused controversy, but that is long forgotten. There is a measles out break at the moment. It was always going to happen. It could have been avoided.Herd immunity is a powerful argument for doctors but, for an understandably an... NHS Blog Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2447506 Tue, 02 Jun 2009 08:14:00 +0100 2447506 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2102555&cid=t_112340_117_f&fid=38158&url=http%3A%2F%2Famericanacupuncture.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F01%2Fg00d-bacteria-and-probiotics.html Your comments are always appreciated. Visit http:\\www.drneedles.com for more information on controversial medical subjects. Visit htttp:\\americanacupuncture.com for alternative medical information  and related subjects. DO WE NEED PROBIOTICS TO STAY HEALTHY? Recently companies have been putting healthy bacteria, called probiotics, in our foods the thought is that if we more good bacteria, they will boost our health by taking care of the bad bacteria.  Probiotics are now put in over 230 products as yogurt, juices, muffins, dietary supplements and even pizza.  Not all provide the health benefits that are claimed, and their clinical studies are very small,or absent.  The results are far from convincing.   Most are designed for colon problems. Half of all humans carried the H.Pylori st... Dr. Needles Medical Blogs blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2102555 Tue, 13 Jan 2009 20:29:00 +0100 2102555 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2090935&cid=t_112340_160_f&fid=38218&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwaronwarts.com%2F2008%2F11%2Fa-vaccine-for-boys-to-help-girls%2F As a parent of a school-age daughter, I haven’t decided what to think about the new cervical cancer vaccine. That’s why I was interested to learn the shot may soon be given to boys primarily to benefit girls. Merck’s Gardasil vaccine is approved for use in girls and women, ages 9 to 26, to protect them against the human papillomavirus, or H.P.V., which causes cervical cancer. Girls can be vaccinated when they are as young as 9, although it’s recommended for 11- and 12-year-olds, before they are sexually active. But as my colleague Jan Hoffman reported yesterday in the Sunday Style section of The Times, the vaccine could be approved by 2009 for boys as well. Although Gardasil also protects against genital warts, which are not life-threatening, the primary reason to extend approval ... War On Warts blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2090935 Sat, 29 Nov 2008 01:51:35 +0100 2090935 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1985324&cid=t_112340_107_f&fid=36905&url=http%3A%2F%2Fjemmasbiologyblog.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F11%2Fbody-farm.html (Source: Jemma's Biology Blog) Jemma's Biology Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1985324 Sun, 23 Nov 2008 14:40:00 +0100 1985324 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1985326&cid=t_112340_107_f&fid=36905&url=http%3A%2F%2Fjemmasbiologyblog.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F11%2Fneutrophil-phagocytosis.html (Source: Jemma's Biology Blog) Jemma's Biology Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1985326 Sun, 23 Nov 2008 14:23:00 +0100 1985326 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1429391&cid=t_112340_107_f&fid=36905&url=http%3A%2F%2Fjemmasbiologyblog.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F05%2Fimmune-sysytem-game.html Have a go at this game. let me know what you think (Source: Jemma's Biology Blog) Jemma's Biology Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1429391 Thu, 08 May 2008 10:34:00 +0100 1429391 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1391297&cid=t_112340_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F275429250%2F The US Supreme Court has asked the Solicitor General to comment on what is becoming a very closely watched case over sovereign immunity, which protects states - including state universities - from being sued for patent infringement in the federal court system. The concept is contentious, though, because state universities can sue others for patent infringement. In other words, they can have it both ways. A little-known company, Biomedical Patent Management, is arguing that such immunity is not only unwarranted, but also unfair. Biomedical filed its petition earlier this year to the Supreme Court after a federal appeals court ruled in favor of the University of California in a patent dispute. The outcome has potentially far-reaching ramifications for various industries, notably drugmakers a... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1391297 Tue, 22 Apr 2008 14:11:34 +0100 1391297 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1296196&cid=t_112340_107_f&fid=36905&url=http%3A%2F%2Fjemmasbiologyblog.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F03%2Fhiv.html Check out the following links for more information on HIVThe biology of HIV from the BBC A video about HIV replication. (Source: Jemma's Biology Blog) Jemma's Biology Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1296196 Tue, 11 Mar 2008 13:12:00 +0100 1296196 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1296211&cid=t_112340_107_f&fid=36905&url=http%3A%2F%2Fjemmasbiologyblog.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F03%2Fhiv-infection.html This is a clear animation of how HIV enters a cell and how the virus replicates within a cell. It is a bit complicated in places but i like the graphics. (Source: Jemma's Biology Blog) Jemma's Biology Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1296211 Sun, 09 Mar 2008 16:34:00 +0100 1296211 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1296213&cid=t_112340_107_f&fid=36905&url=http%3A%2F%2Fjemmasbiologyblog.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F03%2Fimmune-response.html (Source: Jemma's Biology Blog) Jemma's Biology Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1296213 Sun, 09 Mar 2008 16:17:00 +0100 1296213 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1252655&cid=t_112340_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F240115719%2F 12 cases of measles have been reported in the San Diego area, all in children who were not vaccinated due to their being too young, or due to their parents choosing not to vaccinate them. A story last week in the San Diego Union-Tribune noted that more and more parents have been exercising their right under California law not to vaccinate their children, in part because “they fear that vaccines may be linked to autism.” The San Diego Union-Tribune narrates how the measles infection may have spread from one child to another—from an infected child sneezing or coughing at a charter school, a health clinic, at a Whole Foods or a Trader Joe’s store—-and underscores how readily the disease can be spread, and can be caught. In England and Wales, there were 971 cases ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1252655 Sat, 23 Feb 2008 23:00:50 +0100 1252655 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1218233&cid=t_112340_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F231607932%2F Last October, a federal appeals court in Washington reignited a heated debate over patent infringement that may now be headed to the US Supreme Court. At issue is sovereign immunity, which protects states - including state universities - from being sued for patent infringement in the federal court system. Yet, state universities can sue others for patent infringement. In other words, they can have it both ways. And so a little-known company, Biomedical Patent Management, is hoping the Supremes will hear its argument that such immunity is not only unwarranted, but unfair. The company’s lawyers recently filed a request, known as a petition for writ of certiorari, for the court to hear its case, which has potentially far-reaching ramifications for industries, notably drugmakers and biot... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1218233 Fri, 08 Feb 2008 13:35:49 +0100 1218233 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=894220&cid=t_112340_87_f&fid=35057&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.orlandosentinel.com%2Ffeatures_healthblog%2F2007%2F09%2Fscientists-desc.html Call it "mimi" for short. The mimivirus is one of the newly discovered instigators of the common cold. For many years now, we've blamed rhinoviruses and adenoviruses for triggering the sneezing, coughing, congestion, runny nose and other annoying symptoms of... (Source: Health Check the Blog) Health Check the Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=894220 Mon, 24 Sep 2007 11:00:00 +0100 894220 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=837451&cid=t_112340_87_f&fid=34865&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thecancerblog.com%2F2007%2F09%2F03%2Fthought-for-the-day-the-mighty-mushroom%2F Filed under: Diets, Cancer prevention foods, Thought for the DayNow I advise everyone to take all food-related recommendations with a grain of salt, because what first may appear healthy may not be in the long run -- and what is once deemed unhealthy may one day turn into a health food, like coffee.Now, here's something new to think about:It turns out the average mushroom may have healing powers. A new study out of Tufts University found that white button mushrooms help boost the body's natural immunity against tumors and viruses.Source: Woman's Day, September 12, 2007Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments (Source: The Cancer Blog) The Cancer Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=837451 Mon, 03 Sep 2007 04:00:00 +0100 837451 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=546356&cid=t_112340_87_f&fid=35057&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.orlandosentinel.com%2Ffeatures_healthblog%2F2007%2F04%2Ftai_chi_could_b.html It's been many years since I got my first glimpse of tai chi being carried out by a group of slow-motion exercisers in a San Francisco park. It was beautiful. And a new study says it's also helpful in reducing... (Source: Health Check the Blog) Health Check the Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=546356 Mon, 16 Apr 2007 11:10:00 +0100 546356 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2515220&cid=t_112340_117_f&fid=35760&url=http%3A%2F%2Frdoctor.com%2Fsymptoms_disease%2Findex.php%3Foption%3Dcom_content%26task%3Dview%26id%3D97%26Itemid%3D2 System: Skin Subject: Lupus Abstract: Lupus has the name ⌠great imitator.Website: www.kavokin.com (http://www.kavokin.com/) (Source: RDoctor Medical Syndication) RDoctor Medical Syndication blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2515220 Thu, 03 Aug 2006 09:34:12 +0100 2515220