This Week in Virology TWiV 1263: Dementia vaccine?
Oct 19, 2025
The ongoing measles outbreak in the US raises public health concerns, fueled by vaccination gaps. Experts discuss the need for a hepatitis C vaccine and delve into how genetic variations impact antibody responses. A study links varicella zoster reactivation to increased dementia risk, suggesting that vaccination can significantly reduce this risk, especially in older adults and women. Hosts highlight innovative uses of AI in bioinformatics and share fun recommendations, including a live reef camera and neck pain relief exercises.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
HCV Diversity Challenges Vaccine Design
- Hepatitis C virus shows huge genetic diversity focused in envelope proteins, complicating vaccine design.
- Vaccine candidates must target conserved functional sites or include multivalent antigens to elicit cross-reactive antibodies.
Host Biology Shapes Antibody Responses
- Host factors like sex and prior interferon treatment strongly influence antibody binding to HCV envelope proteins.
- Females had higher binding responses than males, implying host genetics and biology shape humoral immunity.
Specific E2 Changes Alter Neutralization
- Viral polymorphisms and glycosylation sites in E1/E2 associate with altered antibody binding and neutralization.
- Identified residues cluster near known neutralizing antibody sites, guiding vaccine epitope selection.
