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Biotech / Medical : Biotech Valuation -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Biomaven who wrote (14634)	12/10/2004 2:23:07 PM
From: Henry Niman	Respond to of 52153

Peter, All of the human genes are greater than 99% homologous to WSN/33. WSN/33 is a human virus isolated in 1940 to study neurological problems associated with the 1918 flu pandemic. It is particularly nasty because it lacks a glycosylation site on NA. Therfore it can sequester plasminogen from plasma and use it to cleave HA0 into HA1 and HA2, facilitating entry into cells and it can grow in tissue culture (MDCK cells) If its H is swapped with the H from the 1918 pandemic vius, Brevig Mission/1/18, killing of mice is the same with either H. The swine isolates (two have 7 of 8 human genes, including H1N1) match WSN/33 with the lost glycosylation site in NA, a 16 aa deletion in NA, a 1 aa deletion in HA, conservation of receptor binding site in HA, and an amantadine resistant mutation at position 31 in M2 gene product. It differs from H1N1 in human vaccine at 60 aa positions in HA and 15 aa positions in NA (not counting the 16 aa deletion), so most born after 1933 would have limited immunity. recombinomics.com The is no doubt that the human genes in 2004 swine came from WSN/33 relatively recently.

To: Biomaven who wrote (14634)	12/10/2004 2:27:47 PM
From: Biomaven	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 52153

This week's NEJM has an article discussing the virulence of the 1918 pandemic, suggesting that key (based on a mouse model developed by Kobasa) was an over-enthusiastic immune reaction to the particular form of hemagglutinin. That suggests that some sort of immune modulation may be key. Perhaps ACE inhibitors or ARBs, but my guess is some sort of more specific cytokine blocker is needed. Steroids are always going to be a double-edged sword. Peter