Two recent papers published online at scienceexpress.org describe studies of antibodies claimed to interfere with infection of host cells by a wide range of HIV-1 strains. These studies strongly suggest that the evolutionary potential of the humoral immune response may be necessary to combat the diversity of HIV-1 antigens that results from the extraordinary pace [...]
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In previous posts, I discussed, respectively, the use of selection to generate an antibody of potential value in treating influenza A virus infections (1) and the relevance of protein dynamics to the evolution of protein function (2). A recent paper in Science (3) offers evidence suggesting that internal protein dynamics play a crucial role in [...]
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According to both academic lore and history (Paulos, 1985; Ryerson, 2004), the late Sidney Morgenbesser, a professor of philosophy at Columbia and a renowned conversationalist and wit, was once listening to an Oxford colleague, J. L. Austin, lecturing on the philosophy of language. The eminent Professor Austin proceeded to claim that while a double negative [...]
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What are the consequences of the disappearing human microbiota?
by Martin J. Blaser and Stanley Falkow
in Nature Reviews Microbiology doi:10.1038/nrmicro2245
Who are we? From prions and organelles up through neighborhoods and nation-states, we are groups of groups of groups. In this thoughtful, provocative paper Blaser and Falkow remind us that 90% of our cells are non-human. Vertebrates [...]
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Diseases, human history and co-evolution with pathogens
Peter Gluckman and Tatjana Buklijas
Liggins Institute, The University of Auckland, New Zealand
Leprosy and kuru may at first glance seem to be diseases with little in common, except, perhaps, their large historical significance, declining prevalence and the fact that both affect only humans. Although leprosy is chronic and poorly [...]
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I recently saw the movie, “The Blind Side,” based on a book of almost the same name (“The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game”) by author, Michael Lewis. The reference to “evolution” in the book title refers to the adaptations necessitated in the (American) game of football on the offensive line, especially at the left tackle [...]
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Sanitizing the hygiene hypothesis:
Health lessons from human co-evolution with microorganisms
Report from a Workshop led by
Kathleen Barnes, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University and
Erika von Mutius, Professor of Pediatrics, University Children’s Hospital, Munich
One of five workshops in a conference on
Evolution and Diseases of Modern Environments
Organized by Randolph Nesse, at the Berlin Charité, October 13-14, 2009
In conjunction [...]
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Hedging against Antiviral Resistance During the Next Current Influenza Pandemic
Commentary on: J.T. Wu, G.M. Leung, M. Lipsitch, B. S. Cooper, and S. Riley 2009. Hedging against Antiviral Resistance during the Next Influenza Pandemic Using Small Stockpiles of an Alternative Chemotherapy. PloS Medicine. Online ahead of print 4/30/09. http://www.plos.org/press/plme-06-05-wu.pdf
Eight days ago we received the first [...]
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Commentary on: M. Ackermann, B. Stecher, N. E. Freed, P. Songhet, W.-D. Hardt, and M. Doebeli (2008) Self-destructive cooperation mediated by phenotype noise. Nature 454:987-9
One of the most exciting developments in microbial population biology over the past few years is the recognition that high levels of phenotypic noise – in which genetically identical microbes express [...]
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Autism is traditionally considered as a severe disorder involving some combination of repetitive behavior and restricted interests, deficits in social reciprocity and language, and mental retardation. But there is a long tradition of counterpoint to such disabilities, in so-called savant skills in fields that range from mathematical calculation and memory to art and music (Heaton [...]
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A recent article by Hood and Jenkins provides an overview of a May 2007 Meeting on Evolutionary Medicine organized by Diddahally Govindaraju, Peter Byers and Stephen Stearns and hosted by the National Evolutionary Synthesis Center.
SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: “Evolutionary Medicine: A Powerful Tool for Improving Human Health (article title)”, url: “http://evmedreview.com/?p=104″ });
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In 2005 Sarkis Mazmanian and colleagues showed that a single polysaccharide from an intestinal commensal, Bacteroides fragilis, could largely correct the subnormal and functionally distorted development of the immune system that occurs in germ-free mice (Mazmanian et al. 2005). More recently they have shown, using three different models of intestinal inflammation, that the same polysaccharide, [...]
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Do worms protect us against autoimmune diseases? The epidemiological evidence is strongly suggestive. Ethiopian, Brazilian, Venezuelan, and Gambian adults have less asthma when infected with nematodes; Gabonese schoolchildren with schistosomiasis have fewer allergic reactions to dust mites than do those who are not so infected, and children living on farms in Germany have fewer allergies [...]
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Posted in Article review, Defenses, Infection on Jun 5th, 2008
It is pretty obvious that fever is useful. Work by Kluger and others has shown that increased temperatures decrease mortality during infection. Even for lizards! (When infected they crawl to warmer places.)
The mystery has been how fever works. Can higher body temperature alone inhibit pathogen growth? It seems unlikely that changing temperature by just a [...]
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