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Flu News for Seniors
'Holy Grail' of Flu Vaccines Successful in St. Jude
Test
Vaccine protected animals from bird and human
influenza virus
 May 2, 2006 – Senior citizens, considered among the
most vulnerable should a bird flu pandemic erupt, may find hope in
research at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital that has discovered
that a new
vaccine protects mice and ferrets from a highly lethal avian influenza
virus.
The vaccine developed by Vical Incorporate seems to
protect against bird and human influenza, which a researcher describes
as the 'Holy Grail' of flu vaccines."
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FLU 2005-06 |
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This finding, coupled with results of previous
studies that showed protection against multiple human influenza strains,
suggests that such a vaccine would protect humans against multiple
variants of the bird and human influenza viruses, according to Richard
Webby, Ph.D., assistant member of Infectious Diseases at St. Jude.
Such a vaccine could protect humans against an H5N1
"bird flu" virus that mutates so that it adapts to humans and can
readily spread from person to person, Webby said. Flu experts and public
health officials fear that such an H5N1 variant would trigger a human
pandemic (worldwide epidemic).
Webby is scheduled to present the findings of this
study at the U.S. Public Health Service Professional Conference in
Denver, Colo., May 3 at 12:30 pm EDT.
The investigators used two versions of Vical's
multi-component, DNA-based vaccine in the studies.
One vaccine was directed against three viral
proteins: NP and M2, which are "conserved" proteins that generally do
not mutate quickly and therefore, are slow to avoid immune responses
triggered by the vaccine; and H5, a "variable" protein on the surface of
the bird and human flu viruses that is critical to their ability to
infect cells. This variable protein is known to mutate readily, thereby
foiling previous immune responses it triggered--whether due to natural
exposure or vaccination.
The other version of the vaccine contained only the
two conserved viral proteins.
In the St. Jude study, the full, three-component
vaccine (H5, NP and M2) provided complete protection in mice against
lethal challenges with a highly virulent (Vietnam/1203/2004) H5N1 avian
influenza virus. Moreover, other studies showed that a smaller version
of the vaccine containing only the NP and M2 components provided
significant protection against several strains of human influenza virus
as well as the H5N1 "bird flu" strain.
"Such cross-protection against bird and human
influenza is considered by researchers to be the 'Holy Grail' of flu
vaccines," Webby said. "By stimulating immune responses against targets
not likely to mutate, the vaccine could trigger an immune defense
against a broad range of variants of the virus.
"Even if the bird flu virus mutates so it becomes
adapted to humans, this kind of cross protection will allow the immune
system to track and attack such an emerging new variant without missing
a beat," Webby said. "We wouldn't have to wait to start developing a
vaccine against it until after the original virus mutated."
Webby's team showed that all mice and ferrets that
received the DNA vaccine survived the challenge with the virulent H5N1
strain, while those that received a "blank" vaccine control did not
survive. The vaccine also prevented weight loss in all animals
challenged with the virulent virus, suggesting that the vaccine might
also protect humans against serious flu-related sickness.
The studies included 16 mice or six ferrets in each
vaccine or control group. The DNA vaccines targeted NP and M2--with and
without the H5 avian influenza virus surface protein. All test DNA
vaccines were formulated with the company's VaxfectinTM adjuvant. An
adjuvant is an additive administered with a vaccine that has little
effect by itself, but improves the response of the immune system to the
vaccine.
Vical Incorporated, developer of the vaccine, is
located in San Diego, California.
The St. Jude study was supported by the National
Institutes of Health.
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is
internationally recognized for its pioneering work in finding cures and
saving children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases. Founded by
late entertainer Danny Thomas and based in Memphis, Tenn., St. Jude
freely shares its discoveries with scientific and medical communities
around the world. No family ever pays for treatments not covered by
insurance, and families without insurance are never asked to pay. St.
Jude is financially supported by ALSAC, its fund-raising organization.
For more information, please visit
www.stjude.org.
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Cumulative Number of Confirmed
Human Cases of Avian Influenza A/(H5N1) Reported to
WHO
As
of 27 April 2006
|
Country
|
2003 |
2004 |
2005 |
2006 |
Total |
|
cases |
deaths |
cases |
deaths |
cases |
deaths |
cases |
deaths |
cases |
deaths |
| Azerbaijan |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
8 |
5 |
8 |
5 |
| Cambodia |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
4 |
2 |
2 |
6 |
6 |
| China |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
8 |
5 |
10 |
7 |
18 |
12 |
| Egypt |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
12 |
4 |
12 |
4 |
| Indonesia |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
17 |
11 |
15 |
13 |
32 |
24 |
| Iraq |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
| Thailand |
0 |
0 |
17 |
12 |
5 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
22 |
14 |
| Turkey |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
12 |
4 |
12 |
4 |
| Viet Nam |
3 |
3 |
29 |
20 |
61 |
19 |
0 |
0 |
93 |
42 |
| Total |
3 |
3 |
46 |
32 |
95 |
41 |
61 |
37 |
205 |
113 |
Total number of cases
includes number of deaths.
WHO reports only laboratory-confirmed cases. |
|
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