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Gene Therapy May Protect Against Flu

Posted by samzenpus on from the shields-up dept.

sciencehabit writes "In 2009, a global collaboration of scientists, public health agencies, and companies raced to make a vaccine against a pandemic influenza virus, but most of it wasn't ready until the pandemic had peaked. Now, researchers have come up with an alternative, faster strategy for when a pandemic influenza virus surfaces: Just squirt genes for the protective antibodies into people's noses. The method—which borrows ideas from both gene therapy and vaccination, but is neither—protects mice against a wide range of flu viruses in a new study."

2 of 72 comments (clear)

  1. Good. For 3 months. by gnoshi · · Score: 5, Interesting

    It isn't quite as simple as 'squirt genes for the protective antibodies into people's noses'.
    It is 'squirt a non-replicating virus into people's noses, so the virus can stick the DNA for the protective antibodies into cells'.

    It's a pretty good trick. The cells will start producing the antibody, but they will not pass this property on to subsequent cell generations. That means there is a pretty limited lifespan.
    That can make it really good for pandemics, especially if it is fast to generate. However, for longer-term protection you really still need vaccines.

  2. This is not "squirt genes" by GenieGenieGenie · · Score: 5, Informative

    This is "squirt AAV" or Adeno-Associated Virus, or better - rAAV for recombinant. The virus does what viruses do and delivers the genes encoding your gene of interest, in this case a gene encoding a broad antibody that is effective against many different flu virus strains.

    This is a big difference, especially if you're trying to sell it out to Average Joe and his mother in law. "Here, let me just squirt this genetically engineered virus into your nose for a second...".

    One more thing I don't get - why are they reporting a 2011 paper today?