Researchers Identify New Antibodies That Could Improve Flu Vaccines
- University of Pittsburgh researchers have discovered a novel category of antibodies capable of fighting various strains of the flu virus.
- These newly identified antibodies hold the potential to develop a more comprehensive flu vaccine, offering protection against multiple flu strains.
- Although the flu may not pose a significant health threat to everyone, it remains a concern for specific demographics.
- Individuals, particularly those in high-risk categories, are advised to receive annual influenza vaccinations.
- Given the extensive diversity among influenza viruses, the existing vaccine demonstrates varying effectiveness against different strains.
For most people, getting the flu isn't usually a big deal. It makes you feel sick for about a week, but then you start feeling better.
However, some people in the European Union (EU) can get sick from the flu. This includes older folks who are 65 and up, pregnant women, kids under five years old, and people with specific health problems like heart disease, diabetes, or asthma.
That's why the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control recommends that people, especially those at higher risk, get a flu shot every year. They've noticed that more people in the EU need to be vaccinated against respiratory viruses like the flu.
The flu virus changes constantly, so scientists update the flu vaccine each year to protect against the flu types expected in the EU during the flu season.
Also, the flu virus is very diverse. For example, different influenza A viruses can be grouped into various types before being called individual strains. The flu shot works better against some of these strains and not as well against others.
Now, researchers from the University of Pittsburgh have found a new antibody that can fight multiple types of the flu virus. This discovery, published on December 21 in the PLOS Biology journal, could help create a better flu vaccine that protects against more kinds of the flu in the EU.
How Do Flu Antibodies Work?
Antibodies protect us from the flu virus, but the flu is a tricky opponent. It keeps changing to avoid these antibodies. The constant evolution of the virus makes creating vaccines that match the circulating flu strains challenging.
However, recent research has shown promise. Scientists have identified new antibodies that can simultaneously block multiple flu virus subtypes. This discovery suggests that improving flu vaccines to resist yearly changes might be more feasible than previously thought.
It's important to note that all approved influenza vaccines work by teaching our immune system to produce antibodies against the flu virus. But because the virus evolves, vaccines must be updated regularly to remain effective.
The study also highlighted that specific processes in vaccine manufacturing could introduce errors that distract the immune system from mounting the best possible defence against the flu.
Alternatives To Egg-Based Flu Vaccines
In this study, researchers were on a mission to find a new way to fight certain types of the flu, precisely the H1 and H3 flu strains. These strains have a particular protein called hemagglutinin that helps them infect our cells.
Usually, some antibodies can stop these flu strains in their tracks. However, when the hemagglutinin protein changes a bit, these antibodies can't do their job anymore.
However, the researchers made an exciting discovery. They found a new group of antibodies in people's blood that can destroy these H1 and H3 flu strains, even if the hemagglutinin protein is slightly changed.
So, what does this mean? Well, it suggests a couple of essential things. First, some can naturally make potent antibodies to fight different flu types. This tells us that making better flu vaccines might be easier than we thought.
Second, how we make some flu vaccines, like by using eggs, can sometimes make these vaccines less effective. The antibodies might get confused and target the wrong things. But there are other ways to make vaccines that don't have this issue, and the study suggests we should use those methods more often.
New Flu Antibodies Could Offer More Excellent Protection.
In addition, we spoke about this study with a family medicine expert who pointed out that the discovery of a new type of antibody for fighting the flu is a significant development. It can reduce the number of people who get sick and die from various flu viruses.
Unlike diseases such as smallpox, polio, and measles, which vaccines have controlled mainly or eliminated, the flu remains a significant health concern. This is primarily because the flu virus changes rapidly, especially in certain parts called hemagglutinin and neuraminidase. These parts give the flu its names, like H1N1 or H3N2.
The new antibodies identified in this study could target parts of the virus that don't change as quickly. If that's the case, they might offer better protection against the flu. This is why the discovery holds so much promise.
Can The Flu Be Eradicated?
Despite this research's exciting possibilities, it's important to recognise limitations to what these new antibodies can achieve through vaccines.
For instance, flu vaccines have historically been only about 50% effective in preventing severe illness or hospitalisation. While there's room for improvement in developing and giving flu vaccines, this is a reminder that finding a complete solution to influenza is a complex task.
It's also essential to understand that just having antibodies against a virus doesn't guarantee you won't get infected or sick from that virus. Our immune system has many parts, not just antibodies, that help protect us from infections.
We still don't know much about the immune system and why some people get sick while others don't, even when they've had similar vaccines and illnesses.
So, in future vaccine research, the goals include making vaccines better at preventing infections, making them more resistant to virus mutations, and encouraging more people to get vaccinated to avoid serious illness, hospitalisation, and death.
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