Scientists Move Closer to a Lasting Flu Vaccine by Carl Zimmer. The New York Times. October 30, 2012.
The basic obstacle to a lasting flu vaccine is that immune system's B and T cells must learn how to develop a specific response to the unique characteristics of the flu prevalent for the season. To circumvent that problem scientists at Oxford University are developing a T cell-based flu vaccine that targets parts of the virus that change little from year to year. Other researchers are focusing on antibody-based broad-spectrum flu vaccine. They have discovered that certain antibodies can attach to the flu virus protein in a variety of locations thus facilitating the search for a long-lasting flu vaccine.
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