Oct 14, 2020
"As a flu researcher," says
Stacey Schultz-Cherry, "it's frustrating to hear 'it's just flu.'"
This podcast helps listeners gain a much better understanding about
the constant effort to pin down strains for vaccines and the need
for better spillover maintenance.
She explains
Stacey Schultz-Cherry is a
member of St. Jude Faculty and specializes in flu research. Her lab
just received funding to make flu vaccines more effective for
at-risk populations, populations who experience much less efficacy
with the vaccine. But she takes this podcast opportunity to educate
listeners about the vaccine itself and influenza causes and the
microbiology of viruses.
She clears up several misunderstandings. For example, she says the
reason scientists can't just give one shot with 20 different
strains is because of the interactions between the strains. One
strain can outgrow another, for example, or your body might mount a
higher response to one component over another. But scientists are
researching how to make this possible.
She also teaches listeners about
the yearly process of sequencing strains that are out there and
taking data from around the world to make the best predictions
possible and choose the four strains it seems best to include. Why
is it so complicated? Well, she says, influenza is an RNA virus
that is segmented. So each gene has its own segment. That means in
can recombine it unpredictable ways.
Furthermore, there's something called "virus drift," with an
error-prone polymerase. This equates to a genetic drift. The
endless possible combinations are mostly not a problem for humans,
but those that do spillover cause the bird flus that are so deadly.
She also explains the nomenclature of the different strains, why
the flu vaccine can help keep you out of the hospital, and
more.
For more good influenza
resources, she suggests the CDC section on flu, the WHO pages that address the data, and
Trevor Bedford's site at Fred
Hutch. Her
lab's website also
provides information.
Available on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/2Os0myK