Tuesday, January 25, 2011

If you survived Swine Flu, you may now have super immunity, reports National Institute of Health

A study published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine (http://jem.rupress.org/content/208/1/181) indicates that people previously exposed to Swine Flu (H1N1) may have a super immunity to multiple strains of the flu, reports the National Institute of Health (http://www.niaid.nih.gov/news/newsreleases/2011/Pages/H1N1Bcell.aspx).

Thus, the potential for developing a "pan influenza vaccine" is theoretically possible.

According to the report on the National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Diseases website: "The investigators speculate that multiple exposures to seasonal influenza viruses and influenza vaccines over the years have given rise to memory cells that recognize the conserved regions of the virus. After a person is infected with 2009 H1N1, these cells become the source of antibody-producing plasmablasts. While broadly neutralizing antibodies have rarely been seen in people after exposure to seasonal viruses or vaccines, this study suggests that the outcome of 2009 H1N1 infection is different. Overall, the study shows that 2009 H1N1 can induce broadly protective human antibodies that bind to parts of the influenza virus that vary little from strain to strain, providing a potential immune target for use in a universal influenza vaccine."

And, mice used in experiments were found to be protected from lethal doses of Swine Flu and two other strains of flu. Thank goodness the mice are safe!

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