Researchers use engineered immune cells to combat deadly viruses in mice

Engineered immune cells may provide a novel way to protect at-risk populations from life-threatening viruses, according to a new study published on 17 May in Science Immunology. So far, the effects have only been demonstrated in mice, but the method could potentially to be translated to humans to produce immunity to diseases for which no therapies currently exist. Most vaccines contain tiny particles of the virus that stimulate the immune system to produce antibodies against the target pathogen. But sometimes the antibodies produced by the body are just not up to scratch. For this and other possible reasons, vaccinations are not always effective. In other cases, researchers have been unable to develop vaccines against some common viruses. For instance, vaccinations against infections such as respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), HIV, influenza virus, and Epstein-Barr virus, which pose a significant threat to certain demographics like children and the elderly, are not yet available despite...