Scientists from the University of Chicago and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City have found the antibodies that protect against H7N9 avian flu have been isolated to individuals who received a seasonal flu shot.
Researchers examined 83 antibodies — from 28 vaccinated individuals — that reacted with H3N2, a common flu strain. They found that 7 percent of the antibodies also reacted against H7 strains, despite the absence of an H7 strain in the vaccines administered to the subjects.
Additionally, three of the antibodies neutralized the H7N9 avian flu strain completely. Despite the promising reactions of the antibodies, the researchers were unable to ascertain why the antibodies are produced in relatively low amounts, warranting additional research into the antibodies' processes.
The findings indicate the antibodies may potentially play a role in developing new therapies for fighting a wide array of influenza stains, according to co-senior author Patrick Wilson, PhD.
"We have clear evidence that a normal immune response to flu vaccination offers protection against dangerous and highly unique strains of influenza such as H7N9," said Dr. Wilson. "We now need to develop ways of amplifying this response."
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