Researchers from Sweden and China have discovered a molecule that could pave the way for a ground-breaking flu vaccine, after it gave mice significant protection against many different influenza virus strains.
The flu, caused by influenza viruses, causes hundreds of thousands of deaths annually, but currently vaccines need to be constantly updated due to the frequent genetic changes of the viruses, making the development of a universal vaccine challenging.
In a study conducted at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, scientists showed that E10 - a small fragment of an antibody isolated from an alpaca at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science in Lanzhou - was able to bind to a protein on the surface of various influenza types after being injected into mice that had been exposed to human influenza viruses.
Davide Angeletti, the lead researcher of the study published in Nature Communications, said: “It's rare to find a molecule capable of protecting against so many different influenza viruses.”
E10 treatment also reduced the viral load in the mice’s lungs and protected critical organs and, even the viruses that mutated, in an attempt to evade the molecule, lost their ability to grow and cause infection.
Before clinical applications, the molecule must be tested in more animal species (see the EARA article on infectious diseases) and undergo clinical trials to ensure it is both safe and effective.