Study Suggests Universal Flu Vaccine Is Possible
A recent study has suggested that while it is possible to create a universal flu vaccine, it may be much more difficult than previously thought.
For their study, researchers isolated B cells from individuals exposed to the 2009 H1N1 virus and identified antibodies that target and neutralize a portion of the virus known as the hemagglutinin stalk, which is similar across various strains of influenza. A vaccine that targeted and accessed the stalk, researchers explained, would in theory allow for universal flu protection.
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Unfortunately, researchers noted that many of these antibodies exhibited polyreactivity, a trait that causes the cells to burn themselves out, explaining why individuals do not maintain immunity to hemagglutinin stalk epitopes. “If you make a vaccine, and an epidemic occurs, it’s going to redirect the immune response to these less conserved epitopes,” they said.