The G7N1 Virus

March 2nd, 2010

Filed under: Comics, Medicine

cover, Indomitable Iron Man #1As I do every now and then, I’m going to take a throwaway line from a recent comic and use it for some idle speculation. This time, the comic in question is The Indomitable Iron Man, more specifically, “Brainchild,” the story by Duane Swierczynski and Manuel Garcia.

In the story, Pepper Potts granddaughter mentions:

“Five years ago I was one of the millions who caught G7N1. A Stark ubi-vaccine – something you were playing around with years ago – well, it saved my life.”

To me, G7N1 sounds like an influenza virus, so let’s run with that.

A little background:
Influenza A is the most pathogenic flu virus in humans. All known flu epidemics have been caused by it. Influenza A mutates rapidly, so new strains are developing all the time. The subtypes of Influenza A are named for two proteins coded by the virus: hemagglutinin and neuraminidase. Different strains of Influenza A have different versions of these proteins. So the H1N1 virus codes for hemagglutinin #1 and neuraminidase #1, H3N2 virus has hemagglutinin #3 and neuraminidase #2, and so on. So far, nine different Hs and 16 different Ns have been identified. Luckily, most strains are not pathogenic in humans — the main ones that are now are the H1N1 (swine flu), H3N2 (Hong Kong flu), and H5N1 (bird flu).

Influenza B is not as common as Influenza A. It does not mutate as quickly either, so it is not divided into subtypes. Because of the slower mutation rate, and the fact that it is can only infect a few distinct species of animals (humans, ferrets, and seals), Influenza B has never caused large epidemics.

Influenza C is even less common than Influenza B. Like Influenza B, it does not occur in more than one subtype. Generally, it causes mild disease in children, but occasionally Influenza C can cause a local outbreak, but never large epidemics.

Back to the speculation:
G7N1 — the name doesn’t fit an Influenza A virus (no “H”), but it is similar. Given the fact that the virus causes epidemics, it’s unlikely to be Influenza B or C. So it is most likely a new genus of influenza. As I mentioned, the naming pattern sounds similar to Influenza A, so maybe it started as a major mutation of A, or is suspected to have been derived from A at some point.

Also note that it is “G7” so there have been at least 7 subtypes of this heretofore unknown virus identified in about sixty years — a high mutation rate.

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8 Responses to “ The G7N1 Virus ”

  1. Anu
    March 3rd, 2010 at 7:58 am

    I think there’s something wrong with this anyway. She caught the virus and a vaccine saved her? Isn’t the point of vaccines that you don’t get the disease at all? And not used as a medicine for the actual disease? Or is an “ubi-vaccine” something totally different than a normal one?

  2. Bryan L
    March 3rd, 2010 at 9:14 am

    I don’t read the book, so I don’t know the context, but is the remark directed at Stark? So his expertise extends to biology as well as chemistry, physics, ballistics, cybernetics, metallurgy … well, actually, when I put it that way, it doesn’t sound like so much of a stretch, does it? “Pepper, cancel my morning appointments, I need to master immunology before my afternoon golf outing with Reed Richards. I’m sick of him making fun of me.”

    Ah, the Marvel Universe — where numerous geniuses master every aspect of knowledge within human experience, and quite a bit of alien science, too.

  3. Dr Archeville
    March 3rd, 2010 at 9:23 am

    What proteins start with G that would be something a nasty virus could code?

    *does a quick Wikipedia search*

    Gamma globulin?! Could this vaccine an offshoot of some of Banner’s research?

  4. Karl Withakay
    March 3rd, 2010 at 10:53 am

    It may not mutate as fast as you think.

    Maybe the 7th type is a recent mutation and is the only type to infect humans. Perhaps scientists recently discovered that the first 6 types have been around for thousands of years in an animal reservoir, not causing human disease, and some mad scientist with a head mirror created the 7th type in his evil laboratory.

    Maybe G7-N1 is some new model of droid in Star Wars.

  5. Scott
    March 3rd, 2010 at 12:51 pm
    Official Comment

    Anu,
    I caught that too, but ultimately decided that she meant that the vaccine she had previously received — while it may not have prevented the infection — at least mitigated it so it wasn’t as bad as it could have been.

    Bryan L,
    In the early Iron Man stories, Stark did his share of inventing medicines.

  6. Dr Archeville
    March 3rd, 2010 at 11:46 pm

    Another thought: the G is for “Gamma mutation-blocking.” The vaccine’s designed to prevent people from mutating into Hulk-like creatures if exposed to Gamma rays. Instead, they’ll just get cancer and die.

  7. Colin Smith
    March 4th, 2010 at 4:50 am

    I don’t have the comic before me, but is it possible that a specialist team working for Stark developed this vaccine? Tony has often had large numbers of folks working for him, often on really out-there projects. It might not be that Tony is a master at every science producing wonder-works across the board all-the-time, but rather a really good manager – as well as super-genius! – with inspiring ideas and the skill to get a team heading in the right direction. I prefer that to the idea that he’s great at EVERYTHING every moment of the day.

  8. Xenobiologista
    March 7th, 2010 at 2:50 am

    Gamma globulin is a type of antibody made by humans and other mammals, also known as immunoglobulin G (IgG for short). Not a viral protein.

    Some viruses have large outer proteins referred to as G for glycoprotein (it’s a generic name, what the glycoprotein actually is varies from virus to virus). These include rabies, which is the only virus I can think of that you can vaccinate against AFTER the victim has been exposed. Note, however, that this only works if you vaccinate them before onset of symptoms. Once they start showing symptoms it’s all over.

    As far as I know rabies doesn’t have serotypes like flu does though.

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