Scientist working on vaccine that provides lifetime protection against flu

Scientists have found a way to induce antibodies to fight a wide range of influenza subtypes, an advance that could one day eliminate the need for repeated seasonal flu shots. Scientists from The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) and the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) found that a vaccine candidate can produce powerful ‘broadly neutralising antibodies’ in animal models. Scientists have found a way to induce antibodies to fight a wide range of influenza subtypes, an advance that could one day eliminate the need for repeated seasonal flu shots. “This study shows that we’re moving in the right direction for a universal flu vaccine,” said Ian Wilson, Hansen Professor of Structural Biology and chair of the Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology at TSRI. While a yearly flu shot provides some protection, subtypes not covered by the vaccine can emerge rapidly. This phenomenon was evident in the 2009 spread of the H1N1...