Antibody to Fight Influenza A Under Investigation
by Maejoy Tutor in Diseases on Aug 01, 2011
According to American researchers, they have discovered the antibody that can fight against all types of the virus influenza A.
In an article published in Science Express, the antibody showed that it could be utilized as an “emergency treatment” following several experiments on flu-infected mice.
The Medical Research Council’s National Institute for Medical Research scientists have been aware of the suggestion that several people may probably develop ‘super immunity’ to other infections if they had swine flu; and as a result they looked at about 100,000 trials of immune cells from flu-infected people or the people who had flu vaccines.
From the sample the researchers had experimented, they separated the F16 antibody that aimed at a protein originated on all the influenza A viruses’ surface which was named haemagglutinin.
The scientists made a mouse model and found that antibody injections protected the mice against dosages of H1N1 virus that could be lethal which indicates complete protection. In addition, those mice survived the flu and recovered after being exposed to the virus, especially that they were injected with antibody up until two days.
Even though their experiments resulted well, the antibody cannot be considered as a vaccine since it would require in prompting a response from the immune system.
The processes of its ability to improve its protection are still subject to investigation.
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