A Step Toward a Vaccine Against All Types of Influenza Has Been Made
U.S. scientists are testing a universal flu vaccine targeting the hemagglutinin "stem" — it protects against H1N1 and H5N1.
U.S. scientists are testing a universal flu vaccine targeting the hemagglutinin "stem" — it protects against H1N1 and H5N1.
Scientists from the United States (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases) are conducting clinical trials of a universal influenza vaccine. They evaluated its safety and its ability to elicit an immune response in healthy volunteers.
The new vaccine is designed to train the immune system to attack different types of influenza virus, including pandemic strains. The idea is that the vaccine targets a relatively invariant part of the virus. Its primary target is hemagglutinin — a protein of the influenza virus. The protein allows the virus to enter human cells. It consists of a "stem" and a "head." Most seasonal vaccines target the "head," but it constantly mutates. The new vaccine uses the "stem" as its target.
In their work, the scientists used the "stem" of the H1N1 virus protein. The result was a vaccine that protected not only against this strain but also against H5N1. According to specialists, the vaccine will work against other subtypes of "group 1" (which includes H1 and H5) as well. Going forward, they intend to test the vaccine against "group 2" viruses (which include H3 and H7).
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