Scientists are now developing a vaccine that can fight against multiple flu strains. The two teams of researchers involved in the study revealed that they are now one step closer to creating the universal flu vaccine.
The vaccine under development is sometimes called by experts as the holy grail in immunology. Since the viruses easily mutate into higher strains, the path will not be easy for the researchers. In order to realize their visions, the teams made use of the part of the virus that does not undergo mutation which is the stem.
In their initial studies, they experimented in mice, ferret and monkey which displayed enhanced immunity against viruses like the H1N1 swine flu and the H5N1 avian flu after receiving a good amount of dosage of the said vaccine.
The two studies of the two teams focused on reconstructing the molecules of the stem of the virus studied. Researcher Dr Walter Orenstein stated that, "The technique is promising and a step in the right direction. It should be studied further and hopefully will be successful."
The conducted initial experiments offered potential results which can be very beneficial for human kind. The researchers are aiming to create a one shot cure for all types of strains. If successful, the vaccine can help people develop antibodies that will combat many kinds of diseases.
When taking the universal vaccine, the body will receive a small dosage of virus. In this way, the immune system of the body will be trained to fight similar viruses.
One of the authors of the study Ian Wilson expressed his excitement for the progress of the study. He states, "The [experimental] designs were different, but the end results were very similar and highly complementary. It's a promising first step, and it's very exciting to see this research come to fruition."
The two studies were successfully published in the Nature and Science journal.
