Scientists discover ‘super antibody’ potential for universal flu vaccine

Read Time:2 Minute, 0 Second

A new ‘super antibody’

could be the answer to yearly flu threat

Researchers are claiming they have discovered a ‘super antibody’ the first antibody which can fight all types of the influenza A virus. The results of the study are published in Science Express.

Experiments on flu-infected mice, showed the antibody could be used as an “emergency treatment”. It is hoped the development will lead to a “universal vaccine” – currently a new vaccine has to be made for each winter as the virus changes. Virologists described the finding as a “good step forward”.

super antibody fights all flu
A universal flu shot has long been a goal for scientists

 

Super Antibody – Human Source

Many research groups around the world are trying to develop a universal vaccine. They need to attack something common to all influenza which does not change or mutate.

It has already been suggested that some people who had swine flu may develop ‘super immunity’ to other infections.

Scientists from the Medical Research Council’s National Institute for Medical Research at Mill Hill in the UK and their colleagues in Switzerland looked at more than 100,000 samples of immune cells from patients who had flu or a flu vaccine.

They isolated an antibody – called FI6 – which targeted a protein found on the surface of all influenza A viruses called haemagglutinin.

Sir John Skehel, MRC scientist at Mill Hill, said: “We’ve tried every subtype of influenza A and it interacts with them all.

“We eventually hope it can be used as a therapy by injecting the antibody to stop the infection.”

Professor Antonio Lanzavecchia, director of the Institute for Research in Biomedicine, Switzerland, said: “As the first and only antibody which targets all known subtypes of the influenza A virus, FI6 represents an important new treatment option.”

When mice were given FI6, the antibody was “fully protective” against a later lethal doses of H1N1 virus.

Mice injected with the antibody up to two days after being given a lethal dose of the virus recovered and survived.

This is only the antibody, however, not the vaccine. A vaccine would need to trigger the human body’s immune system to produce the antibody itself.

super antibody flu vaccine
 
Flu is a dangerous threat to millions of senior citizens and young children every winter, and it’s race against time to produce a vaccine to combat the latest strain. This discovery of a super antibody is a major breakthrough.
 

About Post Author

Holte Ender

Holte Ender will always try to see your point of view, but sometimes it is hard to stick his head that far up his @$$.
Happy
Happy
0 %
Sad
Sad
0 %
Excited
Excited
0 %
Sleepy
Sleepy
0 %
Angry
Angry
0 %
Surprise
Surprise
0 %
0 0 votes
Article Rating
Subscribe
Notify of

1 Comment
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
JuneBug
12 years ago

I am very likely to get the flu every winter, shot or not, but I am not a young kid or a vulnerable old person, so I have the strength to handle it. I say bravo to the scientists who making the intellectual effort to help those who are at risk.

earth asteroid stalker follower Previous post Planet Earth has its own stalker in following asteroid
apple richer than the usa Next post Apple is richer than the USA
1
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x