TWiV 1243: Capitalism, COVID, and cancer

This Week in Virology

Vincent Racaniello

Vincent, Microbe, Medicine, Microbiology, Racaniello, Infection, Virus, Virology, Pathogen, Infectious, Twiv, Science & Medicine

4.8 • 2.2K Ratings

🗓️ 10 August 2025

⏱️ 113 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

TWiV discusses the latest worrisome Executive Order on oversight of federal grantmaking, RFK Jr winds down mRNA viral vaccine development, Lenacapavir, a drug for AIDS prevention and treatment, and how respiratory virus infections awaken dormant metastatic breast cancer cells in lungs. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Alan Dove, Rich Condit and Brianne Barker Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts, RSS, email Become a patron of TWiV! Links for this episode Support science education at MicrobeTV Oversight of Federal grantmaking (Whitehouse.gov) Grantmaking gets a Christofascist (Rasmussen Retorts) HHS winds down mRNA vaccine development (HHS) Lives saved by COVID vaccines (JAMA) Lenacapavir review (Bicochem Pharm) UNAIDS urges Gilead to lower price of lenacapavir (UNAIDS) Gilead and price gouging (Wikipedia) Respiratory virus infections awaken metastatic breast cancer (Nature) Letters read on TWiV 1243 Timestamps by Jolene Ramsey. Thanks! Weekly Picks Brianne – Xkcd: Geologic Periods Rich – Old Man’s War by John Scalzi Alan – The Broken Earth trilogy by N. K. Jemisin Vincent – Cacio e pepe: Good Food pasta recipe sparks fury in Italy Listener Pick Linda – DNA captured in air could identify life forms Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees Send your virology questions and comments to [email protected] Content in this podcast should not be construed as medical advice.

Transcript

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0:00.0	This Week in Virology, the podcast about viruses, the kind that make you sick.
0:10.3	From MicrobTV, this is Twib.
0:13.7	This week in Virology, episode 1243, reported on August 8th, 2025.
0:22.3	I'm Vincent Rackeniello, and you're listening to the podcast,
0:25.5	All About Viruses.
0:27.5	Joining me today from Western Massachusetts, Alan Dove.
0:31.1	Good to be here, and it is a gorgeous summer day here in Western Mass.
0:35.9	Clear blue skies, 80 Fahrenheit, 27C, light, wind,
0:41.7	just absolutely lovely. The only downside is we haven't had rain in a long time and we're
0:46.5	not expected to get rain anytime soon. Here in Chelsea, it's also 27C and sunny, not a cloud
0:53.3	in the sky.
0:55.0	It's going to be like that through Wednesday.
0:58.2	How about that?
1:00.7	Nice.
1:01.1	Also joining us from Madison, New Jersey, Brian Barker.
1:04.3	Hi, great to be here.
1:05.6	As I'm sure no one will be surprised, it is the same here.
1:14.2	Also, 80 Fahrenheit, not a cloud in the sky, and just a lovely day.
1:29.9	Wow. And from Austin, Texas, Rich Condit. Hi, everybody. Well, Alan said it was a gorgeous summer day where he was. I will tell you that it is a summer day here, which is by definition, not gorgeous.
1:33.8	It is clear blue skies and all of that, but it's 99 degrees.
1:36.4	And I get tired of that after a while.
1:38.6	But it's a dry, right?
	...

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