- WASHINGTON (ANI) -- Potency
of vaccines can now be increased by building in a human gene that activates
the immune system.
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- Scientists from the National Institute of Allergy and
Infectious Diseases in Bethesda, US, are hoping that their discovery could
boost the potency of jabs for both adults and children.
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- Viral vaccines work by presenting a harmless version
of the virus to the immune system to help prepare it for a genuine infection.
The virus can either be dead, or "attenuated" - weakened so it
cannot cause disease in humans.
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- Attenuated vaccines work well because the immune system
generates a more complete response if presented with a live virus as opposed
to a dead one. However, sometimes it is necessary to weaken the live virus
so much that it no longer presents a decent target to the immune system.
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- The researchers believe that they have found a way of
priming the immune system to respond better even to the weakened virus,
says a BBC report.
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- They do this by genetically modifying the virus so that
it carries a human gene. This gene, called GM-CSF, is a growth factor that
stimulates the immune system.
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- Monkeys inoculated with a modified virus produced between
three and six times more antibodies than those given just the attenuated
virus.
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- Comment
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- From Frances
- 12-14-2
-
- GREAT...They aren't having enough fun modifying plant
and animal genes, now they
- want to modify viral genes as well. It's just a matter
of time...
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