Nerdy McLovin'

Hmmm....

I remember once upon a long long LOOOONG time ago I took Virology. And I remember being absolutely fascinated and astounded by the diversity with which viruses function. Essentially, DNA/RNA (nucleic acids) inherently program the most simplistic protection mechanisms that are seemingly "taken for granted" by host organisms (like multicellular organisms). For example, our body utilizes antigen-antibody recognition for a vast majority of cellular interactions. The complementary domains of proteins that interact and make love to each other produces an offspring of responses of which we have just a basic understanding. In the immune system, such binding elicits an ocean of responses ranging from increased cytokine production to production of bradykinin (responsive for pain) and even increases in body temperature caused by such "feverish" activity!

Yeah, we know how these proteins interact - how they bind, and thereby change structural motifs, and how such changes effect downstream responses. But most of us only get the chance to study one little pixel of the image that is a cell. In all that is complex and great, in everything that we as scientists attempt to study and understand what it all means, we often forget the beauty of complementary domains.

It is this immensely awe-inspiring event that is taken to full advantage by a virus in invading a host. Simply this. If anything, we as humans may attribute (as we so often do) "cleverness" in the form that is the virus. The nucleic acid encodes for what is perhaps THE prime example of the phrase survival of the fittest...the only things an organism needs to propagate are:

1) a host in which it can replicate
2) a way to get in.

This is essentially everything a virus is equipped with. Although all the classes of viruses that exist are fairly complex in structure, each part serves one of the above mentioned core purposes. A virus carries inside it nucleic acid, encoding a few essential proteins for replication in a host, surrounded by a barrier, which serves to not only protect but at same time is the mode of entry for just about every virus known to date. The very same nucleic acid encodes certain proteins which "MIRACULOUSLY" happen to display complementary domains to proteins in host organisms.

All that remains....is some McLovin'. ...

...

Ok that went too far...but *HAHA* :P

I say ALLL OF THE ABOVE in reference to this article that I've been instinctively waiting to come to light (in some respect or another it already has over the years):

http://www.technologyreview.com/Biotech/20363/

"In its experiment, the team transplanted glioblastoma--the most common and aggressive form of human brain cancer--into the brains of mice. Prior to transplantation, researchers genetically engineered the tumor cells to express a red marker, which, once inside the brain, would show up in laser microscopy scans. Similarly, Van den Pol inserted a green marker in VSV cells and injected the virus intravenously through the tail. Within a few days, researchers observed that the green virus found its way to the brain and selectively infiltrated red tumor masses and individual tumor cells, while avoiding normal cells. Van den Pol says that as the virus infects tumors, cancerous cells start to turn green, swelling up until they eventually burst."

The scientists claim that the mechanism of action may be the compromised immune status of tumorigenic tissue. But I am quite certain a specific "proteinaceous" marker permits VSV to specifically target the tumor cells. After all...if the experiment was done in immunocompromised rats, wouldn't you expect some other weakened tissues to be subjected to viral attack as well? (perhaps this team didn't study this?) Anyway, the article also concludes that the trial will be carried out with rats with normal immune responses (not immunosuppressed). (btw...the only reason the rats did not have an efficient immune system was b/c the researchers wanted to decrease rejection of the tumor transplant by the host)

Aaaanywho. *shifty eyes*

Quote of the day: "I'm a humanoid too. If you kewl with me, then I look past the void in you."