The vaccine that protects against multiple types of flu and has proved its effectiveness in mice and monkeys, the scientists created. Department of Science “Gazety.Ru” talks about the latest developments in the fight against influenza.
The main problem in the development of vaccines against influenza is that the virus is constantly mutating, with new strains of the disease are resistant to the old vaccines. This leads to the fact that the
people are forced to do flu shots each year, and doctors often do not have time to create products that protect against rapidly propagating the new “version” of influenza.
Moreover, affecting animal influenza viruses are also able to mutate and be transmitted to humans – so were known to all swine and avian influenza. Although the virus can be treated and timely diagnosis and prognosis in the absence of complications is very favorable in some cases, the disease can be fatal.
Scientists have for a long time have been working on the creation of drugs that can be used to fight several strains of the virus. Just two prestigious scientific journal – Science and Nature Medicine – published articles of research groups, led by Antonietta Impagliatstso from the Institute of vaccines company Crucell Leiden Harry Neybelom and Barney Graham of the National Institutes of Health USA. Scientists have made a major breakthrough in the development of vaccines against many strains of influenza virus, being able to detect the specific antibodies of a wide spectrum of action.
The research team Neybela Harry and Barney Graham created a vaccine that was able to save the test mice from death when exposed to a lethal dose of the avian flu virus H5N1. Unique is that the vaccine was created based on the hemagglutinin protein of the virus of swine influenza H1N1. Hemagglutinin – a substance that provides the ability of the virus to attach to the host cell and remains intact in any mutation of the virus. The success of scientists says that the
can hemagglutinin be an ideal target for a universal flu vaccine: if the protein is not affected by the mutations necessary to create a drug that would act exactly in the hemagglutinin, protecting healthy cells from exposure to the virus and preventing the development of disease.
This hypothesis was proved by the work of the research group Antonietta Impagliatstso.
She and her colleagues infected mice by various strains of influenza virus, and then removed from their body produces in response to the virus antibodies. Then again, these antibodies were administered infected rodents, and the researchers observed how the body will react to such treatment.
As a result, experts have managed to isolate the antibodies CR8071 and CR9114, which were able to neutralize all types of influenza virus serovariantami A and B. Type A viruses cause most extensive epidemic of influenza mutates at a high speed (avian and swine influenza are exactly for this category), and type B viruses are more resistant, mutate and spread more slowly in a limited area. Such “superpowers” of antibodies due to the following factors: they work on the part of the influenza virus, which is not altered by mutations, namely – on the hemagglutinin.
Tests on mice and monkeys have demonstrated the efficacy of antibodies: the body of rodents managed to fully cope with the influenza virus, and monkeys symptoms appeared much weaker than normal.
Scientists do not hide the fact that they still have a lot of work – in particular, the need to understand how the vaccine will be work in the case of a man, and if she had hidden side effects. But in any case, according to the study authors, their achievement significantly closer to the creation of humanity is a universal flu vaccine.
However, the vaccine – is not the only means by which scientists offer us defend against disease. So, a few weeks ago the journal PLOS Pathogens published a study a group of American researchers led by Jacob Yount from Ohio State University, who have found a potential way to get the body to defend yourself against all types of flu.
The human body is able to produce a special protein called IFITM3. The process of its production run in the event that a person becomes infected with influenza virus. IFITM3 attracted the attention of scientists because it is able to deal with absolutely all variants of the disease. The protein is the virus and inhibit its ability to reproduce, thereby reducing the aggressiveness of the disease. Scientists have suggested:
If you get the body to produce IFITM3 not after infection, and before him, the man will acquire a natural immunity to all strains of the virus.
The researchers realized that this can be achieved by suppressing the activity of the enzyme NEDD4, which usually – when the body is in a healthy state – does not produce proteins IFITM3. Experiments on mice have shown that inhibition of the enzyme in the body of the embryo is impossible, as a result of an embryo does not survive until birth. At the moment, scientists are working to solve the question of when it is necessary and possible to influence NEDD4, that it does not lead to side effects and at the same time did not prevent the development of protein.
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