Pandemic flu strain could point way to universal vaccine

Anti-Infective Drug News

Welcome back to The Pharmaceutical News after the holidays, I hope you are all well now let’s get back into it, please read on…

Several patients infected with the 2009 H1N1 influenza strain developed antibodies (Abs) that are protective against a variety of flu strains, scientists from Emory University School of Medicine and the University of Chicago have found.

The Abs isolated from a group of patients who were infected with the 2009 H1N1 strain could guide researchers in efforts to design a vaccine that gives people long-lasting protection against a wide spectrum of flu viruses. Next, the research team is planning to examine the immune responses of people who were vaccinated against the 2009 H1N1 strain but did not become ill.

Nine patients were studied who had a range of disease severities, from a mild illness that waned after a few days to a severe case that required a two-month hospital stay, including ventilator support. Most of the participants were in their 20s or 30s. Blood samples were usually taken about ten days after the onset of symptoms.

The researchers, whose work was published in the 10th January online edition of the Journal of Experimental Medicine (10.1084/jem.20101352), identified white blood cells from the patients that made Abs against the flu virus and then isolated the Ab genes from individual cells. They used the genes to produce Abs in cell culture, a total of 86 varieties, and then tested which flu strains they reacted against. Five Abs isolated by the team could bind all the seasonal H1N1 flu strains from the last decade, the Spanish flu strain from 1918, and also a pathogenic H5N1 avian flu strain.

Some of the Abs that the team identified stick to the haemagglutinin protein. Because this part of the virus does not change as much as other regions, scientists have proposed to make it the basis of a vaccine that could provide broader protection.

The team tested whether three of the Abs that they isolated could protect mice against the 2009 H1N1 strain or two other common laboratory strains. Two Abs could protect mice against an otherwise lethal dose of any of the three strains, even when the Ab was given 60 hours after infection. However, one Ab only protected against the 2009 H1N1 strain.

The Ab that only reacted to the 2009 H1N1 strain came from the patient with the most severe illness. The Ab genes from that patient suggest that the patient had a complete lack of pre-existing immunity to H1N1 viruses.

In cases where patients experienced a milder illness, it appeared that immune cells that developed in response to previous seasonal flu shots or infections formed a foundation of response to the 2009 strain.

According to study author, Patrick Wilson, from the University of Chicago, the results are comparable to the "Holy Grail" for flu vaccine research. They demonstrate how to make a single vaccine that could potentially provide permanent immunity to all flu.

After the recent flu outbreaks and ensuing public panic, I think this research is an absolute must. A question that arises is, even if we have an effective broad-spectrum flu vaccine, will we ever have enough stocks to cope with increasing demand? We seem to have a shortage of flu vaccines every winter here in the UK, an unacceptable situation, read more here Latest Flu Death Figures

Also Read: https://www.coldfeargame.com

Self-Starter and have been writing for various beauty, lifestyle, and travel blogs. Having profound knowledge in creating Seo-optimized content. https://www.coldfeargame.com