The vaccine to cure every strain of flu

**dirk digler** · 12-28-2006, 11:27 PM

This is definitely great news

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/liv...n_page_id=1774

The vaccine to cure every strain of flu
by FIONA MacRAE Last updated at 22:20pm on 28th December 2006

British scientists are on the verge of producing a revolutionary flu vaccine that works against all major types of the disease.

Described as the 'holy grail' of flu vaccines, it would protect against all strains of influenza A - the virus behind both bird flu and the nastiest outbreaks of winter flu.

Just a couple of injections could give long-lasting immunity - unlike the current vaccine which has to be given every year.

The brainchild of scientists at Cambridge biotech firm Acambis, working with Belgian researchers, the vaccine will be tested on humans for the first time in the next few months.

A similar universal flu vaccine, being developed by Swiss vaccine firm Cytos Biotechnology, could also be tested on people in 2007 - and the vaccines on the market in around five years.

Importantly, the vaccines would also be quicker and easier to make than the traditional jabs, meaning vast quantities could be stockpiled against a global outbreak of bird flu.

Martin Bachmann, of Cytos, said: "You could really stockpile it. In the case of a pandemic, that would be a huge advantage.

"If you were to start making a traditional vaccine at the start of a pandemic, there is no way there would be enough."

The Government believes a bird flu pandemic is inevitable, killing 50,000 people in Britain alone.

However, it acknowledges that the bug could be much more lethal - infecting one in two people and claiming more than 700,000 lives.

Normal winter flu can also kill, claiming up to 12,000 lives a year in the UK.

Although a vaccine exists, constant changes in the virus's appearance have until now made it impossible to create just one flu vaccine. Instead a new vaccine is put together each year to protect against the particular strains circulating at that time.

In addition, the virus used in the jab is grown in hen's eggs - a time-consuming process that yields just one shot of vaccine per egg.

The new jabs would be grown in huge vats of bacterial 'soup', with just two pints of liquid providing 10,000 doses of vaccine.

Current flu vaccines focus on two proteins on the surface of the virus. However, these constantly mutate in a bid to fool the immune system, making it impossible for vaccine manufacturers to keep up with the creation of each new strain.

The universal vaccines focus on a different protein called M2, which has barely changed during the last 100 years.

The protein is found in all types of Influenza A, including the current bird flu and the virus that caused the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic which killed up to 50 million across the globe.

Normally, such vaccines would have to go through at least five years of human tests before going on the market. However, if a bird flu pandemic occurs before that, they could be made more quickly available.

Zurich-based Cytos, which is also developing anti-smoking and obesity vaccines, has showed that its version of the jab stops mice dying from a dose of flu strong enough to kill them four-times over.

The vaccinated animals were also spared the fever that normally goes along with flu.

Although it is too early to say what the effect would be in humans, an initial course of two or three shots could provide long-lasting immunity, topped up with booster shots given every five to ten years.

Dr Ashley Birkett, of Acambis, said: "It wouldn't be that one shot protects for life but you would need fewer doses over your lifetime."

In addition, the jabs could be produced in vast quantities and stockpiled ahead of a flu pandemic - or even given to people in advance.

In contrast, a traditionally-produced vaccine, matched to the specific strain of flu, would not be available until around six months after the start of the pandemic.

The new vaccines only protect against influenza A - the version of the bug responsible for pandemic flu and the most severe cases of winter flu.

However, it may also be possible to create a similar jab against influenza B, which causes a milder form of winter flu.

Professor John Oxford, Britain's leading flu expert, said the development of a universal vaccine was the "holy grail" of flu research.

He added: "If you get a M2 vaccine which protects against the whole caboodle in the same vaccine, the possibilities are huge."

But, others cautioned that there is no guarantee that the jabs would be as effective in humans as it has been in animals.

Virologist Professor Ian Jones, of the University of Reading, said: "It is an encouraging technique which may have a role to play but it is too soon to assume that it will translate into a universal vaccine in the human population."

Dr Jim Robertson, a vaccine expert from the government-funded National Institute for Biological Standards and Control, said the main advantage of a universal jab would be lasting immunity.

"If it works, it will be lovely," he said. "The best result would be that it would last for a long, long time."

Dr Ron Cutler, an infectious diseases expert from the University of East London, said: "Continual protection would be a tremendous advantage against flu."

He cautioned however, that there is no guarantee that the M2 protein will not mutate in the future - meaning the jab will have to be regularly reformulated.

Halfcan · 12-29-2006, 12:59 AM

sounds good

big nasty kcnut · 12-29-2006, 01:06 AM

Yeah right cause then they would be broke cause there no money in the cure.

Ebolapox · 12-29-2006, 01:16 AM

sweet!! now, if we could just find a way to get around those other nasty hemmorhagic fevers

BucEyedPea · 12-29-2006, 01:50 AM

Well if antibiotics can mutate why not this eventually?
But "every" strain of flu? I don't buy it.
And let's hope they don't use the crap our vaccines have in them as carriers such as known neuro-toxins like mercury and aluminum that have created bad side effects in some children per congressional hearings.

Keep your immune sytsem strong.

**DaneMcCloud** · 12-29-2006, 02:05 AM

I never take penicillin, flu shots or allergy shots. The best way to fight disease is to nourish and excerise your body properly so that it can fight diseases naturally.

The worst part about a cure "to the common cold" or to influenza and cancer is that there are enough poor and starving people in the world as it is; with such a cure, people are going to outlive current life expectancy? Why???

88TG88 · 12-29-2006, 02:10 AM

does it get u high ?

BucEyedPea · 12-29-2006, 02:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

I never take penicillin, flu shots or allergy shots. The best way to fight disease is to nourish and excerise your body properly so that it can fight diseases naturally.

I agree in the main for things like flus and colds. I stay away from overusing antibiotics myself and let my kid's fevers run thier natural course since it's the body's way of killing off what it bad. It's when they rise too quickly there can be some problems.

**007** · 12-29-2006, 04:05 AM

Give it time. It will cause cancer.

KChiefer · 12-29-2006, 04:36 AM

While I understand ppls scepticisim, just remember that vaccines have erraticated many horrible diseases like polio and small pox. While freaking out over a common flu is overreacting, scoffing at this article is near-sighted. I hope you won't keep this attitude if a real epidemic of bird flu hits for your kids and elders sake.

boogblaster · 12-29-2006, 06:13 AM

Will it bring-back a Woody....

chagrin · 12-29-2006, 06:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BucEyedPea

Well if antibiotics can mutate why not this eventually?
But "every" strain of flu? I don't buy it.
And let's hope they don't use the crap our vaccines have in them as carriers such as known neuro-toxins like mercury and aluminum that have created bad side effects in some children per congressional hearings.

Keep your immune sytsem strong.

Does everything have to be a fuckin lecture with you?

kepp · 12-29-2006, 08:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BucEyedPea

Well if antibiotics can mutate why not this eventually?
But "every" strain of flu? I don't buy it.
And let's hope they don't use the crap our vaccines have in them as carriers such as known neuro-toxins like mercury and aluminum that have created bad side effects in some children per congressional hearings.

Keep your immune sytsem strong.

Mercury-free flu shots are available. And, I'm guessing that not everyone can just "keep their immune system strong."

kepp · 12-29-2006, 08:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Guru

Give it time. It will cause cancer.

Yep, I can see it now: "Studies find that when laboratory rats are given three times their body weight of the vaccine twice a day for 33 weeks, they develop cancer."

Simplex3 · 12-29-2006, 08:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

I never take penicillin, flu shots or allergy shots. The best way to fight disease is to nourish and excerise your body properly so that it can fight diseases naturally.

The worst part about a cure "to the common cold" or to influenza and cancer is that there are enough poor and starving people in the world as it is; with such a cure, people are going to outlive current life expectancy? Why???

I have to agree. People are supposed to die. It's part of the cycle and shouldn't be f**ked with.

And for those of you who will try and give that BS "what if it was your family" argument, I include them.

12-28-2006, 11:27 PM
dirk digler Please squeeze Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Clinton, MO Casino cash: $3284644	The vaccine to cure every strain of flu This is definitely great news http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/liv...n_page_id=1774 The vaccine to cure every strain of flu by FIONA MacRAE Last updated at 22:20pm on 28th December 2006 British scientists are on the verge of producing a revolutionary flu vaccine that works against all major types of the disease. Described as the 'holy grail' of flu vaccines, it would protect against all strains of influenza A - the virus behind both bird flu and the nastiest outbreaks of winter flu. Just a couple of injections could give long-lasting immunity - unlike the current vaccine which has to be given every year. The brainchild of scientists at Cambridge biotech firm Acambis, working with Belgian researchers, the vaccine will be tested on humans for the first time in the next few months. A similar universal flu vaccine, being developed by Swiss vaccine firm Cytos Biotechnology, could also be tested on people in 2007 - and the vaccines on the market in around five years. Importantly, the vaccines would also be quicker and easier to make than the traditional jabs, meaning vast quantities could be stockpiled against a global outbreak of bird flu. Martin Bachmann, of Cytos, said: "You could really stockpile it. In the case of a pandemic, that would be a huge advantage. "If you were to start making a traditional vaccine at the start of a pandemic, there is no way there would be enough." The Government believes a bird flu pandemic is inevitable, killing 50,000 people in Britain alone. However, it acknowledges that the bug could be much more lethal - infecting one in two people and claiming more than 700,000 lives. Normal winter flu can also kill, claiming up to 12,000 lives a year in the UK. Although a vaccine exists, constant changes in the virus's appearance have until now made it impossible to create just one flu vaccine. Instead a new vaccine is put together each year to protect against the particular strains circulating at that time. In addition, the virus used in the jab is grown in hen's eggs - a time-consuming process that yields just one shot of vaccine per egg. The new jabs would be grown in huge vats of bacterial 'soup', with just two pints of liquid providing 10,000 doses of vaccine. Current flu vaccines focus on two proteins on the surface of the virus. However, these constantly mutate in a bid to fool the immune system, making it impossible for vaccine manufacturers to keep up with the creation of each new strain. The universal vaccines focus on a different protein called M2, which has barely changed during the last 100 years. The protein is found in all types of Influenza A, including the current bird flu and the virus that caused the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic which killed up to 50 million across the globe. Normally, such vaccines would have to go through at least five years of human tests before going on the market. However, if a bird flu pandemic occurs before that, they could be made more quickly available. Zurich-based Cytos, which is also developing anti-smoking and obesity vaccines, has showed that its version of the jab stops mice dying from a dose of flu strong enough to kill them four-times over. The vaccinated animals were also spared the fever that normally goes along with flu. Although it is too early to say what the effect would be in humans, an initial course of two or three shots could provide long-lasting immunity, topped up with booster shots given every five to ten years. Dr Ashley Birkett, of Acambis, said: "It wouldn't be that one shot protects for life but you would need fewer doses over your lifetime." In addition, the jabs could be produced in vast quantities and stockpiled ahead of a flu pandemic - or even given to people in advance. In contrast, a traditionally-produced vaccine, matched to the specific strain of flu, would not be available until around six months after the start of the pandemic. The new vaccines only protect against influenza A - the version of the bug responsible for pandemic flu and the most severe cases of winter flu. However, it may also be possible to create a similar jab against influenza B, which causes a milder form of winter flu. Professor John Oxford, Britain's leading flu expert, said the development of a universal vaccine was the "holy grail" of flu research. He added: "If you get a M2 vaccine which protects against the whole caboodle in the same vaccine, the possibilities are huge." But, others cautioned that there is no guarantee that the jabs would be as effective in humans as it has been in animals. Virologist Professor Ian Jones, of the University of Reading, said: "It is an encouraging technique which may have a role to play but it is too soon to assume that it will translate into a universal vaccine in the human population." Dr Jim Robertson, a vaccine expert from the government-funded National Institute for Biological Standards and Control, said the main advantage of a universal jab would be lasting immunity. "If it works, it will be lovely," he said. "The best result would be that it would last for a long, long time." Dr Ron Cutler, an infectious diseases expert from the University of East London, said: "Continual protection would be a tremendous advantage against flu." He cautioned however, that there is no guarantee that the M2 protein will not mutate in the future - meaning the jab will have to be regularly reformulated.
Posts: 66,252

12-29-2006, 12:59 AM	#2
Halfcan In Search of a Life Join Date: Aug 2005 Casino cash: $7327995	sounds good
Posts: 43,200

12-29-2006, 01:06 AM	#3
big nasty kcnut The pizza king of kansas Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Somewhere in the u.s.a. Casino cash: $1650900	Yeah right cause then they would be broke cause there no money in the cure. __________________ When it's grim, be the grim reaper and go get it. Adopt a chiefs Travis Kelce. You woke up the wrong mother****er!
Posts: 18,818

12-29-2006, 01:16 AM	#4
Ebolapox remember, remember Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: como Casino cash: $2119903	sweet!! now, if we could just find a way to get around those other nasty hemmorhagic fevers
Posts: 26,427

12-29-2006, 01:50 AM	#5
BucEyedPea Gimme My Berries Back! Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: None of your business Casino cash: $3499963	Well if antibiotics can mutate why not this eventually? But "every" strain of flu? I don't buy it. And let's hope they don't use the crap our vaccines have in them as carriers such as known neuro-toxins like mercury and aluminum that have created bad side effects in some children per congressional hearings. Keep your immune sytsem strong.
Posts: 161,714

12-29-2006, 02:05 AM	#6
DaneMcCloud Supporter Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: Hollywood, CA Casino cash: $10053648	I never take penicillin, flu shots or allergy shots. The best way to fight disease is to nourish and excerise your body properly so that it can fight diseases naturally. The worst part about a cure "to the common cold" or to influenza and cancer is that there are enough poor and starving people in the world as it is; with such a cure, people are going to outlive current life expectancy? Why???
Posts: 88,960

12-29-2006, 02:10 AM	#7
88TG88 don't tell me about collage Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Los Angeles Casino cash: $10009184	does it get u high ?
Posts: 6,274

12-29-2006, 04:05 AM	#9
007 Shaken. Not stirred. Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: London Casino cash: $14060126 VARSITY	Give it time. It will cause cancer. __________________ My dear girl, there are some things that just aren’t done. Such as, drinking Dom Perignon ’53 above the temperature of 38 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s just as bad as listening to the Beatles without earmuffs.
Posts: 65,554

12-29-2006, 04:36 AM	#10
KChiefer Fantastic Planeteer Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Champaign, IL Casino cash: $10006721	While I understand ppls scepticisim, just remember that vaccines have erraticated many horrible diseases like polio and small pox. While freaking out over a common flu is overreacting, scoffing at this article is near-sighted. I hope you won't keep this attitude if a real epidemic of bird flu hits for your kids and elders sake. Last edited by KChiefer; 12-29-2006 at 04:46 AM..
Posts: 4,943

12-29-2006, 06:13 AM	#11
boogblaster MVP Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Verdigris Valley Campsite Casino cash: $10004900	Will it bring-back a Woody.... __________________ WR or S please
Posts: 10,305