Scientists promise soon to create a single vaccine against influenza – BBC Russian

Michelle Roberts Editor of Science, Bi-bi-si

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Image caption Experts recommend is not to abandon the annual vaccination

Scientists said they approached close to a vaccine that will protect people from any kind of flu for life. Earlier tests of the vaccine on animals have given encouraging results.

The two teams of American scientists independently achieved success due to the method in which the pass gets a steady part of the virus.

The new facility will eliminate the people need to be vaccinated every year because of the constant mutations of the virus. Now doctors have focused in the fight is on mutating part.

Works, confirming the success of the concept of a vaccine have been published in the journal “Science” (Nature) and “Biomedical” (Nature Medicine).

Now scientists have to figure out how the vaccine will act on the person.

Experts recommend is not to abandon the annual vaccination, as it is still the best way to protect against infection.

The usual vaccine flu targets the molecule on the surface of the flu virus, but the problem is that they are constantly modified.

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Image caption The influenza virus is constantly mutating

The influenza virus can be represented in the form of a ball sticking out of a lollipop. Candy change every year, but the bars are the same.

To create a universal vaccine, scientists have chosen as a target of these sticks.

Many groups have tried to find a similar tool, but do it It was not easy. Anyway scientists touched himself “candy”, ie the molecule hemagglutinin.

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Image caption The flu virus is easy to imagine a ball sticking out of his lollipops

Creating a drug that would hit precisely this does not change the sticks, would mean that a vaccine could deal effectively with all forms of the virus.

The expert on influenza research, John Oxford of the University of London, said that the work American scientists can become a “red day calendar” for science.

“This is a huge step up from what has been done before. Animal tests have given good results – not only in mice but also in ferrets and primates. Also conducted experiments with avian influenza H5N1 “, – he said.

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Image caption If successful, the method of a single injection would be sufficient that the person no longer had the flu never

In turn, Professor vaktsionologii Oxford University Sara Gilbert said it was an interesting study, but a new vaccine must be tested in a clinical setting to determine its effects on humans.

“This will be the next step and take several years. So it is too early to say that we have the best vaccine against the flu, “- she added.