Scientists close in finding universal flu vaccine after pandemic natural experiment

According research following in National Heart and Lung Institute at Imperial College London shows that scientist is quite close in developing a universal flu vaccine. After the researchers had studied pandemic as a genuine natural experiment as how and why some people can resist and save themselves from illness. Professor Ajit Lalvani the lead researcher explained the study, “The immune system produces these CD8 T cells in response to usual seasonal flu. Unlike antibodies, they target the core of the virus, which doesn't change, even in new pandemic strains. The 2009 pandemic provided a unique natural experiment to test whether T cells could recognise, and protect us against, new strains that we haven't encountered before and to which we lack antibodies. Our findings suggest that by making the body produce more of this specific type of CD8 T cell, you can protect people against symptomatic illness. This provides the blueprint for developing a universal flu vaccine.”