Newly discovered antibody recognizes many strains of flu virus
Some vaccines are once-in-a-lifetime; others need a booster shot
or two to maintain their potency. And then there's the flu
vaccine, which only lasts a year. Strains of influenza virus
change so much from year-to-year that new vaccines must be
developed annually to target the strains of virus that are most
likely to cause illness. But Howard Hughes Medical Institute
(HHMI) scientists have now discovered a human antibody that
recognizes many different flu strains. Understanding more about
this antibody may help scientists design a longer-lasting
vaccine against the influenza virus. To find the new antibody,
Stephen C. Harrison, an HHMI investigator at Harvard Medical
School and Children's Hospital, Boston, took advantage of the
diversity of the human immune system. When given the flu
vaccine, every person's body will produce slightly different
antibodies, which are immune system molecules that recognize and
remember pathogens, such as viruses. Anti