Scientists have discovered how flu-killing immunity cells can memorise strains of influenza and destroy them, raising hopes for a new type of flu vaccine to give lifelong protection against the illness.
The teams from The University of Melbourne and the Shanghai Public Health Centre in China found some patients who contacted the H7N9 bird flu in China in 2013 recovered more quickly than others.
Ninety-nine per cent of the people who got the virus were hospitalised and 30 per cent died.
Those who recovered appeared to have had an early immunity from so-called killer T-cells, Melbourne University Associate Professor Katherine Kedzierska said.
“These cells are like hit men of our immune system and they can efficiently eliminate the virus-infected cells,” she said.
“This is the first time we’ve shown that those killer T-cells are important in protecting against very serious disease very early on in the infection.”
Those who lacked the early killer T-cells had a more severe case of influenza or died.
The researchers want to use a component of those early killer T-cells to make a vaccine.
“[Then] we can provide universal immunity that will recognise a vast array of influenza strains and subtypes including new influenza viruses emerging and infecting humans,” Associate Professor Kedzierska said.
“It could lead to a one shot influenza jab for life, or [it may need] occasional boosting.
“We’re aiming for a vaccine that can recognise all the influenza strains, viruses that circulate obviously in humans, as well as in animals, birds, pigs, so we have at least some level of protection.”
Associate Professor Kedzierska said the discovery would also help doctors make early predictions about how well a patient’s immune system would respond to viruses.
“Then they can offer early interventions to patients at early risk of dying,” she said.
The findings of the research was published in the journal Nature Communications.