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Universal vaccine: the first antibody was found to combat all types of flu

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The first antibody that combats all flu viruses, including A (H1N1) causing swine flu, was isolated by a team of researchers from Britain and Switzerland, the discovery is considered an important step in developing a "universal vaccine".

Antibody - called FI6 - isolated by researchers at the National Institute for Medical Research Mill Hill, London, and the Institute for Research in Biomedicine, interacted with all subtypes of flu A virus, experts said one British - Sir John Skehel according bbc.co.uk.

Study results from experiments on mice, published in Science Express, showed that this antibody can be used as "emergency treatment".

"We hope that eventually (no antibody) are used as treatment by injection to stop the infection," said Skehel.

Professor Antonio Lanzavecchia, director of the Institute for Research in Biomedicine, said that "FI6 an option for a significant new treatment", the "first and only antibody that targets all known subtypes of influenza A virus."

The antibody has been administered to laboratory mice at intervals up to two days after being infected with swine flu A (H1N1), in lethal doses, and proved fully effective in combating infection. Mice survived and were cured.

It is, however, only antibodies that could contribute to the development of a vaccine in a few years, said Skehel.

On the other hand, specialists in virology catalogs discovery as "an important step forward," hoping that will be developed as "universal vaccine" against flu as the virus changes every year and need a new vaccine.

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2011.29.07