Universal Phase Vaccine Enters Phase I Trial

[Demosthenes]

Acambis, a UK firm, has a vaccine which targets influenza-A is ready for clinical trials, which will be conducted in the U.S. Influenza-A is the strain of the virus that has been responsible for flu pandemics.

The vaccine focuses on the M2 protein of the influenza-A virus, the extracellular part (M2e) which is highly conserved in all A strains. Pre-clinical data has shown that the vaccine has been successful in inducing M2e antibodies.

By targeting the M2e protein, which is conserved by the A-strain, the company hopes that the vaccine for influenza will not have to change year to year due to mutations in the virus. The vaccine could also offer multi-year protection against the flu.

Read the entire article here: http://www.labtechnologist.com/news/ng.asp?n=78284-acambis-universal-vaccine-vaccine-influenza-adjuvant

[Thanatos]

Hmm.. this could be very beneficial. Think it'll actually work, MJ?

[Demosthenes]

No idea. According to the article, even Acambis is a bit skeptical. Not about the actual medicine behind it, but about how competitive it would be in the market. The medicine behind it sounds perfectly reasonable, though.

[Vollstrecker]

That's pretty cool, I wonder if it'd actually work on mutant strains though? If so, this is pretty damn big news.

[Demosthenes]

That's the thing about this vaccine. The M2e protein is conserved by a-strain influenza, so even the mutants would have that protein. Since the antibody specifically targets that protein it should fight off mutant strains as well. Of course if the mutant evolves and sheds itself of that protein a new vaccine would be needed it seems like.

[Vollstrecker]

Yeah, but I don't know nearly enough about that kind of thing to tell if it could survive without that protein. Biology really isn't my field, I'd have to ask my friend Bryan.

[Grav]

I asked Bryan; he said you're dumb.

Oh, that Bryan. Such a card.

[Vault Dweller]

I know that the current flu vaccines get mixed reviews. For the elderly, it can be life-saving. Professionals generally recommend it for children also.
For otherwise healthy people, though, it has a tendency to cause long-lasting cold symptoms. One of my coworkers got one a few years back and was sick for several months. The next year, he skipped the vaccination and felt fine for the whole of "flu season."

Yeah, it would be nice if they could produce a reliable vaccine to deal with influenza once and for all, but given the track record, I'm not going to hold my breath.