Think outside the Icosahedron

Virology Ideas

I was a virologist for 19 years.  I am no longer a practicing virologist, having been furloughed after Katrina. 

Here, I list some of the more creative virological ideas I had.  I have been carrying these around in my wallet, on a hand scrawled slip of paper, for a long time.  I have given up on ever bringing these to fruition, or making money off them.  I know I may never get credit for these, but just remember, you heard it here first.  However, I think these are creative ideas that someday may be realized.  I offer these as a service to humanity (violin music swells here).  Actually, I would like to get credit if any of this pans out, but life is fickle.

 

1. A new kind of anti-viral.  SINDI.  Or SI-DI.  RNA viruses evolve rapidly.  DI are “defective interfering” particles.  These occur naturally.  They are short, replicating or replicable pieces of RNA.  SI are nonviral, also naturally occurring, “small interfering” RNAs. These are small RNAs that are complementary to other RNAs. The siRNAs serve to regulate other cellular RNAs.  Since their discovery, they have been used therapeutically to block harmful RNAs.   My idea is to combine these two.  Put an SI inside a DI and use it as an antiviral, specifically targeted towards a pathogenic virus.  Then as the self-replicating DI expands, its SI portion kills the virus.
2. “Virdefleq” A new kind of virus detection system.  Non PCR based.  You have a nucleic acid duplex containing your viral target sequence (must be known).  One end of one strand has a fluorochrome and the end of the other strand has a specific quencher.  No target, your Nucleic acid duplexes, no fluorescence.  Add patient sample.  If the target is there, it binds and disrupts the duplex, yielding fluorescence.  Therefore, presence of virus in patient specimen equal fluorescence signal. Simple, but I don’t think it’s been done.  I wrote this up and submitted it to the Technology transfer committee. They liked it and recommended that the lawyers look at it. Then Katrina hit and …..
3. When I submitted the poliovirus receptor to the Human Leukocyte Differentiation Antigen Workshop, it was screened against many cell types.  PVR was named CD155.  In the process, it was found to be expressed on Hematopoietic stem cells, CD34 + cells.  We confirmed these results AND showed that poliovirus replicates in those cells.  This opens the possibility that a (highly modified) Poliovirus could be used to deliver gene therapy to stem cells.  However, our work was not finished when Katrina hit….
4. Viruses to cure evil.  By evil, I mean genes that mediate senseless violence.  Candidate genes have been identified (Xp11.23, 11p15.5, 17q11.1-q12, xq28, 20pter-p12).  These are genes, which have variants that mediate psychiatric disorders, such as “impulsive aggression,” “suicidality in relation to stressful life evens.”  Gene therapy will reach a point in which human somatic genes can be targeted for knock-out. Viruses may be the vectors.  RNA against evil!!!