Sep 18, 2020
While Dr. Jospeh Masci could
speak on numerous specific issues in the realm of
infectious diseases microbiology, today's discussion centers on
a general exploration of virus behaviors and
characteristics.
In this podcast, he addresses
Joseph R. Masci is a clinical
professor of Medicine, Infectious Diseases, Environmental Medicine
and Public Health, and Global Health at Mount Sinai. His expertise
includes HIV/AIDS diagnosis and treatment, general
infectious diseases, tropical medicine, and emergency
preparedness.
He's currently coauthoring a book with Richard about viruses. He
begins by describing how he was inspired by the infectious disease
faculty in medical school and went on to work in the area, meeting
the AIDS crisis and bioterrorism concerns post 9/11, and now is
heavily focused on investigating COVID-19. The conversation turns
into speculations about whether viruses should be considered alive
and if that designation ultimately maters. This opens up a deep
dive into virus behaviors.
One particular characteristic
that varies by virus and therefore effects infectious disease
treatment is latency or the dormant stage. He discusses how such a
period is quite common in many viruses, commenting that HIV can
have long latency while cold viruses might hold dormancy for only a
day or two. He connects this with how the virus takes hold in human
cells and why this timing differs according to the virus
mechanisms. They also discuss what factors dictate virulence and
when passage from human to human increases or decreases the
virulent attributes with specific examples.
He adds that it's important to consider what the host contributes
to the interaction as well as other organisms and compounds. The
discussion also delves into virus origins, the nature of bacteria
and virus coevolution, signaling between viruses, and the
possibility of viruses working together with job-specific
attributes.
For more, see his NIH work and
his website at Mount Sinai: mountsinai.org/profiles/joseph-r-masci.
Available on Apple Podcasts:
apple.co/2Os0myK