UPDATED (see bottom)
# 2820
Researchers at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (Dana-Farber), Burnham Institute for Medical Research (Burnham) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have reported the identification of human monoclonal antibodies (mAb) that work against a wide range of influenza viruses, including the H5N1 bird flu virus.
These antibodies work against many strains of influenzas because they target a highly conserved stem region of H5 type hemagglutinin (HA), which effectively `gums up the works', and prevents the virus's entry into a cell.
The stem, or stalk, of the HA portion of the virus changes very little over time, and is consistent across many (but not all) influenza strains. By targeting this relatively static area of the virus, the treatment is unlikely to be stymied by future mutations.
This is not a vaccine. For now, this is being looked at as a treatment, or as a prophylaxis, against influenza.
A single injection should provide about 3 weeks of protection. It would not confer permanent immunity.
There are hopes that these discoveries may also end up in vaccine technology as well, although that appears much further down the road.
As it is, human trials of these monoclonal antibodies may not begin until 2011, although that schedule could be sped up if a pandemic were to break out.
In the press release on the Burnham Institute's website, Scientists Identify Human Monoclonal Antibodies Effective Against Bird and Seasonal Flu Viruses, one of the lead researchers described its uses:
“There are clear settings where human monoclonal antibodies can be used strategically for both the prevention and early treatment of influenza infection and disease,” said Wayne A. Marasco, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of medicine at Dana-Farber and Harvard Medical School. “At-risk individuals, such as first responders and medical personnel, exposed family members and coworkers and patients who cannot make antibodies because of pre-existing medical conditions or advanced age, could all benefit from this new type of therapy.”
Maggie Fox of Reuters brings us more details in her report.
Antibodies protect against bird flu and more
Sun Feb 22, 2009 1:01pm EST
By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor
WASHINGTON, Feb 22 (Reuters) - Researchers have discovered human antibodies that neutralize not only H5N1 bird flu but other strains of influenza as well and say they hope to develop them into lifesaving treatments.
The antibodies -- immune system proteins that attach to invaders such as viruses -- also might be used to protect front-line workers and others at high risk in case a pandemic of flu broke out, the researchers said.
In tests on mice the viruses neutralized several types of influenza A viruses, including the H5N1 avian influenza virus, the researchers reported in Sunday's issue of the journal Nature Structural & Molecular Biology.
"We were surprised and actually delighted to find that these antibodies neutralized a majority of other influenza viruses, including the regular seasonal (H1N1 strain of) flu," Robert Liddington of the Burnham Institute for Medical Research in La Jolla, California, told reporters in a telephone briefing.
UPDATE:
While this is promising research that may, in time, lead to major advances in the fight against influenza - many newspaper headlines around the world are over-hyping this story just a tad.
Here are just a few of the headlines of the past 8 hours.
Breakthrough as scientists develop one-shot jab that WILL beat flu The Daily Mail - Health 01:53
Thankfully, the body of most of these articles contain disclaimers and modifiers that temper expectations. But if one just takes in the headline, one would come away convinced that a universal `jab' for influenza is just around the corner.
Not to put too much of a damper on all this, but it is worth noting that so far, they've only conducted studies on mice.
There will need to be more animal testing, probably on ferrets, and if that is successful then human trials may commence in a couple of years.
But even if testing goes as planned, the cost of manufacturing monoclonal antibodies remains a major obstacle. Hopefully technological advances over the next few years will solve that problem, but there are no guarantees of that.
This is an important breakthrough, and I applaud the researchers involved in this study. And perhaps it will result in a universal jab for influenza in the next few years. I hope so.
But an awful lot of things will have to go right, before that becomes a reality.
