Jan 9, 2022

What does the body of evidence have to say on the topic of the immune system? Plus: the omicron variant and its accompanying public health measures, and we go over what happens when scientists try to fulfill one of the promises of science: replicating results.

Block 1:

(2:46) Immunity: what it does, self versus non-self, antigens, HLA, innate versus adaptive, fever, skin

Block 2:

(12:07) Immunity: Geert Vanden Bossche, eosinophils, neutrophils, G-CSF, immune boosters, vitamin C, antibodies, T and B cells, immune memory, vaccines

Block 3:

(30:40) Omicron, public health measures, and booster doses

Block 4:

(48:34) Reproducibility of cancer studies

* Jingle by Joseph Hackl

* Theme music: “Fall of the Ocean Queen“ by Joseph Hackl.

* Assistant researcher: Nicholas Koziris

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References:

1) Driving doggos: https://www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-15864761

2) Explanatory videos on the immune system: https://www.osmosis.org/learn/Introduction_to_the_immune_system

3) Understanding how vaccines work: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/hcp/conversations/understanding-vacc-work.html

4) Understanding how COVID-19 vaccines work: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/different-vaccines/how-they-work.html

5) Cochrane review on vitamin C for the common cold: https://www.cochrane.org/CD000980/ARI_vitamin-c-for-preventing-and-treating-the-common-cold

6) Measles vaccine information: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/healthy-living/canadian-immunization-guide-part-4-active-vaccines/page-12-measles-vaccine.html#p4c11a4 and https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/diseases-conditions/measles-rubella-surveillance/2021/week-46.html

7) Interview with Dr. Paul Offit for New York Mag’s Intelligencer: https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2021/12/omicron-dr-paul-offit-is-skeptical-of-boosters-for-all.html

8) Brian Nosek paper 1: https://elifesciences.org/articles/67995

9) Brian Nosek paper 2: https://elifesciences.org/articles/71601

10) New Scientist article: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2300455-investigation-fails-to-replicate-most-cancer-biology-lab-findings/

11) Amgen’s paper on the lack of replicability of cancer research: https://www.nature.com/articles/483531a

12) Jonathan’s paper on circulating microRNA signatures for cancer: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5528532/

Music Credits:

Just Deep 2 by Sascha Ende®

Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/312-just-deep-2

License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license