This Week in Virology TWiV 1266: Clinical update with Dr. Daniel Griffin
Nov 1, 2025
Dr. Daniel Griffin, an infectious disease clinician, provides an insightful clinical update on various viral infections. He discusses how mRNA vaccines may enhance cancer therapies and reveals new meta-analysis findings on COVID-19, RSV, and influenza vaccines. Dr. Griffin also highlights rising measles cases and H5N1 outbreaks in poultry. He addresses long COVID treatments, vaccine effectiveness against severe illness, and the limitations of wastewater surveillance for RSV, all while encouraging public health awareness.
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mRNA Vaccines Boost Cancer Immunotherapy
- COVID-19 mRNA vaccines can sensitize tumors to immune checkpoint blockade and markedly improve survival in some cancer patients.
- The effect appears linked to type I interferon signaling and was reproduced in mouse melanoma and lung cancer models.
Vaccination Can Make Tumors Targetable
- Tumors evade immune attack by expressing proteins like PD-L1 and CTLA-4 that inactivate T cells, which immune checkpoint inhibitors block.
- Vaccination can increase PD-L1 on tumors and convert non-candidates into candidates for checkpoint therapy.
Vaccinate To Lower Post-Viral Heart Risks
- Get influenza and COVID vaccines to reduce not only infection but downstream cardiovascular events like heart attack and stroke.
- Vaccination lowers the absolute risk of post-viral coronary events, especially in middle-aged and older adults.
