Bronwen writes:
Dear TWIV Team,
I was very excited to listen to TWIV 1207 (Taking a Shot at Dementia) because for once I had already heard about your featured article in an Australian newspaper, which gave some interesting background to the research, highlighting yet again that scientific endeavour rarely runs in a straight line, and you often need a tough hide to be a good scientist. It was great to read that further research has been undertaken with Australian electronic health records which is awaiting peer review but had similar results. (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11230318/)
[I’m hoping this link is not paywalled, but in case it is I’ve included the text (which doesn’t have the external links) below.] https://www.smh.com.au/national/shingles-dementia-link-gives-weight-to-a-heretical-theory-20250405-p5lpf5.html
Thank you for making science accessible – your message has never been more important. I’m grateful to be living in a country where electronic records can be accessed, and science is funded and (mostly) valued, although we don’t have the same resources as the US (and cuts to your funding will also affect Australian research). And I’m also glad that through Patreon I can make a very small contribution (the cost of a cup of coffee) to your work on the other side of the world, and I encourage all your listeners to try to do the same.
Thank you also for your moving commemoration of Dickson Despommier’s life and work, and again, for all you do.
Best wishes
Bronwen
Sonrisa writes:
Hey to all but Vincent, Rich and Alan specifically,
Thanks for the paper today on the shingles vaccine. Although I am younger than the target population for Shingrex at 44, but maybe I should talk to my doctor about getting it as I have had the misfortune of experiencing shingles outbreaks twice already in my life. Once when I was only 5 and that was horrific all through my midsection (yes they confirmed it as shingles not chicken pox, I’d already had that too), and later at 22 I had a very small outbreak. Anyway that was a cool little bit of research and having listened to the recent TWIN on Herpes and Alzheimers it was fun putting the bits together.
Now for the laugh, even if you don’t share it as a pick I hope you take a short minute to watch at least one of this guy’s videos. He is a ride operator that pranks his riders, so if you need a laugh….
Thanks always for all you and the rest of the Microbe Tv team do. I personally love being able to hear interesting science from across such a wide array of topics and connect back between the different podcasts.
Cheers,
Sonrisa
Loic writes:
Dear TWiV Team,
I hope this message finds you well.
I’ve been meaning to write to you for a while, and the title of your recent episode with the word “Pluviosity” finally gave me the perfect excuse. When I saw it, I thought about the word “Pluviôse” and the French History books I read in my teens. I instantly smiled: not only because of the fascinating virology-meets-rainforest discussion, but also because, as a listener from Guadeloupe, I was reminded of the “French Republican” calendar, which replaced the Gregorian calendar during the Revolution (the same folks who gave the world the metric system ;). Pluviôse refers to the rainy month that usually spans late January to mid-February—around my birthday, in fact.
Allow me to briefly introduce myself. My name is Loïc (pronounced Low-EEK) Dragin, I am originally from Guadeloupe (a French overseas territory in the Caribbean), and I hold a PhD in Virology. After a few years as a Postdoc in Pennsylvania, then back to Guadeloupe and away from research, I am now working on reconnecting with science, particularly through the world of virology and bacteriophages, which I find absolutely fascinating, vis-à-vis their potential for science, health, agriculture etc. And since there is not much research here in the field, your podcast is a true inspiration and a key part of this journey back into the topic, Virology in general and other fields like Microbiology. For instance, when you mentioned Thiomargarita magnifica in a past episode of TWiM years ago, I nearly jumped out of my chair. That giant bacterium was discovered in the very mangroves of Guadeloupe! I was thrilled that you covered it and I want to give a special shout-out to Pr Olivier Gros, who was my microbiology teacher in Guadeloupe and a key member of the team behind that discovery. It was a proud moment for us here.
I also had the chance to meet Dr. Racaniello years ago in Hershey, and I’ve never forgotten the experience. It meant a lot to me then, and it continues to now, especially as I hear your discussions from my corner of the world. I thought you might enjoy knowing that TWiV has a regular listener from Guadeloupe—proof that your voice carries far and wide, even to places that might not often make the virology map.
Thank you for the work you do and for keeping science accessible, engaging, and very much alive.
Warm regards,
Loïc
Charles writes:
Hello Dr. Racaniello, Dr. Griffin and the rest of the TWiVers;
Not sure if this is a question for the regular TWiV or the clinical update.
Not a great day in Chapel Hill, NC. 76F (24C), which is nice, but drizzle, which is not.
I was doing something a bit dangerous last night and for the past few days. I have been thinking about the measles outbreak and what would be nice to have to help combat it. I know, a functioning HHS/CDC/FDA/NIH… would be a good start, but that is out of the question for a few years.
I came up with monoclonal antibodies for measles as being useful. The first use would be as a post exposure prophylaxis. An infected child goes to school, exposing a lot of other children. Those exposed unvaccinated people could be given a monoclonal antibody to prevent disease.
Second, and more complex, give monoclonal antibodies for measles to children under 8.5 months old (see paper discussed on TWiV 1204*) that will be traveling to an area with a measles outbreak. I think this would get around the problem of a third MMR shot and I hope would preserve the favorable dynamics of the measles vaccine given at 12 months. The complication being that a monoclonal antibody could interfere with the vaccine if given too close together.
With RFK Jr. and the Trump/Musk administration in charge, we are going to have lots of opportunities to try different treatments for measles and other infectious and preventable diseases.
Later,
Charles
*Long-term Dynamics of Measles Virus–Specific Neutralizing Antibodies in Children Vaccinated Before 12 Months of Age
