After a ‘promising’ experiment on animals, scientists have said that possibly within the next five years Flu One to protect once morest all kinds of The vaccine may be available.
The influenza virus is constantly changing, so a new vaccine is needed every year to control it.
However, researchers in the US say their ‘innovative’ method targets the part of the virus that doesn’t mutate.
Early experiments on monkeys showed that vaccine technology based on a 100-year-old virus produced an ‘effective immune response’ once morest the modern strain.
The researchers say their work raises hope that a vaccine might be developed that would provide lifelong immunity once morest the virus.
“It’s exciting because in most cases this kind of basic science research advances science very slowly, it can be something in 20 years,” says Jonah Sascha, a professor at Oregon Health and Science University in the US. It might actually become a vaccine in five years or less.’
Current flu vaccines target proteins on the surface of the virus called spike proteins.
But spike proteins can evolve to evade antibodies that are produced by the body’s immune system to defend once morest viruses.
Professor Sasha says the flu virus is ‘always evolving into the next variant and we’re always following where the virus has been, not where it’s going.’
For the study, published in the journal Nature Communications, researchers used a vaccine technology originally developed to fight HIV.
It works by using a harmless herpes virus, called cytomegalovirus (CMV), that transfers a piece of genetic code from the flu virus to the body’s cells to mimic the infection.
The vaccine platform is designed to target the core of the virus, which, unlike the spike protein, does not change over time, the researchers say.
The research team tested the vaccine on 11 monkeys infected with H5N1 (H5N1)—a bird flu virus that experts believe has the potential to become the next human pandemic.
But this technology was based on a deadly virus from a century ago, which killed around 50 million people worldwide.
Researchers say six monkeys vaccinated once morest the 1918 Spanish flu survived when given the more modern H5N1.
In contrast, unvaccinated monkeys in the control group died of the disease following being infected with the H5N1 virus, he added.
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The scientists say their approach targets a specific type of immune cell in the lungs called effector memory T cells, which are capable of recognizing proteins in the virus’ core that do not evolve.
‘There is no doubt that we are at the beginning of a new era in the fight once morest infectious diseases.’
‘It worked because the internal protein of the virus was very well conserved,’ said Prof Sasha. So much so that even following almost 100 years of evolution, the virus might not change its most important parts.’
The research also raises the possibility of developing a vaccine once morest H5N1 in humans, the team said.
Douglas Reed, associate professor of immunology at the University of Pittsburgh’s Vaccine Research Center in the US, said: ‘If a deadly virus like H5N1 infects humans and causes a pandemic, we need to ensure that a new vaccine is approved and available as soon as possible. need to be made.’
The researchers say their vaccine technology, which has been licensed by immunology company Wire Biotechnology, might also work once morest other viruses such as SARS-CoV-2, which causes Covid-19, and provide long-term protection. Can provide immunity.
Professor Sasha said: ‘This is a revolutionary change in our lives. There is no doubt that we are at the beginning of a new era in the fight once morest infectious diseases.’
The research was supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the US National Institutes of Health.
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2024-07-20 18:43:54
