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Flu shots under investigation
News & Comment
Master of disguise Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease, can do more than just change its spots. Investigators from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention made the recent discovery, which was reported in PNAS. The researchers found that, as the Lyme disease tick feeds, the spirochete population in the blood diversifies. Various combinations of surface proteins can be found on individual cells in the population. It was previously thought that one set of surface proteins was expressed in the tick gut and another in the host, but the new evidence shows the story is more complex. The results might also explain why cultured B. burgdorferi is less able to evade the host’s immune response than bacteria delivered by the tick vector. AV http://www.EurekAlert.com/
Microbiology still relevant The general public has probably never been more aware of the microbial world than they are today, which is why Martin Dworkin of the University of Minnesota finds it ironic that many universities are ‘submerging’ microbiology programs within cellular, molecular and general biology departments and degrees. Even in the age of bioinformatics and genetic engineering, microbiologists arguably have an important role to play. Dworkin will discuss the issue at the ASM’s 8th Annual Conference on Undergraduate Education in Microbiology, to be hosted at the University of Central Florida this May. AV http://www.asm.org/
Yellow fever threat An epidemic of yellow fever is threatening the population of Guinea. The first case was identified in September and a vaccination campaign was launched at the end of October, 2000. Officials believed that the epidemic affected only one region and that 600 000 doses of vaccine provided through UNICEF and WHO would be sufficient. However, the latest figures indicate that 493 cases have been identified in several areas throughout the country, and exposure to these cases affects ~1.5 million people. A minimum of
TRENDS in Microbiology Vol.9 No.3 March 2001
111
1 million doses of vaccine were required but stocks of vaccine around the world were insufficient to meet demands and it was not possible to vaccinate any new regions. Dwindling stocks are seen as a warning of worse things to come, and international aid organization Doctors Without Borders is calling on the international community to produce enough vaccine to allow a rapid response to outbreaks of yellow fever. CK http://id.medscape.com/31561.rhtml?srcmp =id-122200)
influenza vaccine from the same Quebec company, Biochem Pharma. A vaccine produced by a different Canadian company was used in a number of other provinces and has had few complications. The investigation is taking place in the midst of a heated debate over Ontario’s newly implemented universal flu vaccine program. Most Western countries only target high-risk groups; Ontario is one of the first jurisdictions in the world to attempt universal vaccination. AV http://www.cbc.ca
A pox on your mouse!
It’s not easy being green
Australian scientists investigating mousepox for use in pest control were recently shocked to discover they had engineered a killer virus. The mousepox virus was being used as a vehicle for mouse egg proteins, intended to stimulate an antibody response in injected mice. An insertion in the viral genes was made to increase IL-4 secretion and thus boost the immune response of the mice. Unexpectedly, the genetically altered virus managed to completely suppress cell-mediated immunity in the mice and was therefore uncharacteristically virulent. A normally effective mousepox vaccine was protective in only half of vaccinated mice later exposed to the altered virus. There are concerns that smallpox could be similarly engineered to produce a deadly bioweapon, a possibility that the Australian researchers want the scientific community and general public to be aware of. AV http://www.newscientist.com
The debut of ANDi, the first genetically modified non-human primate (reported in Science), sparked global controversy. ANDi, whose name reads inserted DNA backwards, is a rhesus monkey that carries the gene for green fluorescence protein (GFP). Researchers from the Oregon Health Sciences University used a viral vector to deliver the gene to unfertilised monkey eggs. Inside the oocytes, the GFP gene was reverse-transcribed and inserted into the maternal chromosomes. The eggs were then fertilised and implanted in rhesus females. ANDi was born to a surrogate mother on October 2, 2000. Although ANDi does not exhibit green fluorescence, possibly owing to his youth or because his body might not produce enough GFP, DNA and RNA analysis indicate that the marker gene is present. The Oregon researchers say the mutation technique could be used to insert disease genes into rhesus monkeys to create primate models for experimental therapies. AV http://www.scienceonline.org
Flu shots under investigation Health officials are trying to determine why >1100 Canadians suffered strange reactions to their autumn shots. Symptoms included red eyes, facial swelling and respiratory problems, severe enough in some cases for hospital admission. Investigators believe an undetected protein in the flu vaccine could have caused the allergic reactions. Most of those affected live in British Columbia and Quebec, provinces which obtained the
Microalgae with enormous potential Hawaiian biotech company Aquasearch and the University of Hawaii have joined forces in drug development. They hope to create novel pharmaceuticals based on chemicals produced by oceanic microalgae. The microalgae, found mainly in the Pacific Ocean basin, are proving to be a vast and untapped source of useful bioactive compounds. Under the recent agreement, Aquasearch will create compound libraries from chemicals
http://tim.trends.com 0966-842X/01/$ – see front matter © 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Master of disguise Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease, can do more than just change its spots. Investigators from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention made the recent discovery, which was reported in PNAS. The researchers found that, as the Lyme disease tick feeds, the spirochete population in the blood diversifies. Various combinations of surface proteins can be found on individual cells in the population. It was previously thought that one set of surface proteins was expressed in the tick gut and another in the host, but the new evidence shows the story is more complex. The results might also explain why cultured B. burgdorferi is less able to evade the host’s immune response than bacteria delivered by the tick vector. AV http://www.EurekAlert.com/
Microbiology still relevant The general public has probably never been more aware of the microbial world than they are today, which is why Martin Dworkin of the University of Minnesota finds it ironic that many universities are ‘submerging’ microbiology programs within cellular, molecular and general biology departments and degrees. Even in the age of bioinformatics and genetic engineering, microbiologists arguably have an important role to play. Dworkin will discuss the issue at the ASM’s 8th Annual Conference on Undergraduate Education in Microbiology, to be hosted at the University of Central Florida this May. AV http://www.asm.org/
Yellow fever threat An epidemic of yellow fever is threatening the population of Guinea. The first case was identified in September and a vaccination campaign was launched at the end of October, 2000. Officials believed that the epidemic affected only one region and that 600 000 doses of vaccine provided through UNICEF and WHO would be sufficient. However, the latest figures indicate that 493 cases have been identified in several areas throughout the country, and exposure to these cases affects ~1.5 million people. A minimum of
TRENDS in Microbiology Vol.9 No.3 March 2001
111
1 million doses of vaccine were required but stocks of vaccine around the world were insufficient to meet demands and it was not possible to vaccinate any new regions. Dwindling stocks are seen as a warning of worse things to come, and international aid organization Doctors Without Borders is calling on the international community to produce enough vaccine to allow a rapid response to outbreaks of yellow fever. CK http://id.medscape.com/31561.rhtml?srcmp =id-122200)
influenza vaccine from the same Quebec company, Biochem Pharma. A vaccine produced by a different Canadian company was used in a number of other provinces and has had few complications. The investigation is taking place in the midst of a heated debate over Ontario’s newly implemented universal flu vaccine program. Most Western countries only target high-risk groups; Ontario is one of the first jurisdictions in the world to attempt universal vaccination. AV http://www.cbc.ca
A pox on your mouse!
It’s not easy being green
Australian scientists investigating mousepox for use in pest control were recently shocked to discover they had engineered a killer virus. The mousepox virus was being used as a vehicle for mouse egg proteins, intended to stimulate an antibody response in injected mice. An insertion in the viral genes was made to increase IL-4 secretion and thus boost the immune response of the mice. Unexpectedly, the genetically altered virus managed to completely suppress cell-mediated immunity in the mice and was therefore uncharacteristically virulent. A normally effective mousepox vaccine was protective in only half of vaccinated mice later exposed to the altered virus. There are concerns that smallpox could be similarly engineered to produce a deadly bioweapon, a possibility that the Australian researchers want the scientific community and general public to be aware of. AV http://www.newscientist.com
The debut of ANDi, the first genetically modified non-human primate (reported in Science), sparked global controversy. ANDi, whose name reads inserted DNA backwards, is a rhesus monkey that carries the gene for green fluorescence protein (GFP). Researchers from the Oregon Health Sciences University used a viral vector to deliver the gene to unfertilised monkey eggs. Inside the oocytes, the GFP gene was reverse-transcribed and inserted into the maternal chromosomes. The eggs were then fertilised and implanted in rhesus females. ANDi was born to a surrogate mother on October 2, 2000. Although ANDi does not exhibit green fluorescence, possibly owing to his youth or because his body might not produce enough GFP, DNA and RNA analysis indicate that the marker gene is present. The Oregon researchers say the mutation technique could be used to insert disease genes into rhesus monkeys to create primate models for experimental therapies. AV http://www.scienceonline.org
Flu shots under investigation Health officials are trying to determine why >1100 Canadians suffered strange reactions to their autumn shots. Symptoms included red eyes, facial swelling and respiratory problems, severe enough in some cases for hospital admission. Investigators believe an undetected protein in the flu vaccine could have caused the allergic reactions. Most of those affected live in British Columbia and Quebec, provinces which obtained the
Microalgae with enormous potential Hawaiian biotech company Aquasearch and the University of Hawaii have joined forces in drug development. They hope to create novel pharmaceuticals based on chemicals produced by oceanic microalgae. The microalgae, found mainly in the Pacific Ocean basin, are proving to be a vast and untapped source of useful bioactive compounds. Under the recent agreement, Aquasearch will create compound libraries from chemicals
http://tim.trends.com 0966-842X/01/$ – see front matter © 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.