Antibodies From Survivors Point to New Bird Flu Therapy - Works on mice

[NNN0LHI]

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/B/BIRD_FLU?SITE=ILKAN&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Blood donated by four survivors of bird flu seems to harbor a potent protection against the deadly virus. Scientists have long suspected that culling immune-system molecules from survivors could provide a new therapy for the hard-to-treat H5N1 flu strain. Monday, an international team of researchers reported the first evidence, albeit from tests in mice, that it really may work.

If the research pans out, it could be possible to stockpile these antibodies, the immune system's search-and-destroy force, as an additional way to treat or even prevent H5N1 in case the worrisome flu strain ever mutates to spark a worldwide epidemic. snip

At Switzerland's Institute for Research in Biomedicine, Dr. Antonio Lanzavecchia created a way to cull antibody-producing cells from the blood and keep them churning out the molecules in laboratory dishes. snip

Mice given the non-H5N1 antibodies died. The H5N1-targeting antibodies protected mice, both when they were administered as a vaccine-like preventive or after infection. Importantly, they worked against both the same 2004 strain that the people had survived and against a different H5N1 strain that circulated in 2005.

[TZ]

1. thats good that its effective agaisnt several strains

Thanks for posting this. This is encouraging.

[necso]

2. Antibodies (antibody-producing cells) from those who

have survived some disease can be highly effective when used in others.

I remember reading about some deadly (local) disease outbreak in Africa, where the doctor, when he saw no other option, transfused blood from the recovered to the sick with good results.

Given how long it takes manufacture a vaccine, disease variation rates and acquired drug resistance, etc, this route (using cells from the recovered to produce antibodies) may be the best way to deal with some pandemics/diseases.

However, I have reservations about the recovered becoming a commodity in desperate circumstances.

...

There are often multiple contexts that something can be viewed in.

And the obvious or first-to-mind context (perspective) isn't necessarily the one intended.

[iamjoy]

3. I Would Do It

If there was a disease with an abnormally high mortality rate and I had some antibody to help others survive it, I would willingly give my time and blood to save others.

Financial compensation - I wouldn't want any, just a guarantee that no one was making big profits off of me being their vaccine/cure incubator. And that any treatment would be provided based on need, not ability to pay.

Such fantasies I have.

[necso]

4. My reservations are more about

"taking" than "giving" (or selling for that matter).

There are rumors, from time to time, about organ-snatching (specifically, killing people for their organs). And growing antibodies is not as quick as a transfusion.

Add these things together and it can make an ugly picture.