Determining the structure of a human antibody that can block
multiple types of flu viruses is helping scientists understand
how it works, advancing the field of vaccine development. The
study was published in one of the top scientific journals this
week. Scientists from The Scripps Research Institute and Sea
Lane Biotechnologies have solved the co-crystal structure of a
human antibody that can neutralize influenza viruses in a unique
way. The antibody recognizes the crucial structure that flu
viruses use to attach to host cells, even though previously this
structure had been thought too small for an antibody to grab
effectively. The immune protein manages to hit this precise spot
by using just a small part of its target-grabbing apparatus. In
so doing, it can neutralize a broad range of dangerous flu
viruses. “This highly focused binding to the receptor binding
site using only a single loop on the antibody has never been
seen before, and it’s really fascinating; it gives us some good
ideas about designs for v