Dienstag, 19. August 2008, 0:38 Uhr

Die Spanische Grippe kehrt zurück

Vielleicht. Mittlerweile haben Forscher immerhin die Antikörper isoliert:

The team was then able to isolate exceedingly rare B cells – the immune cells that produce antibodies – from eight of those samples and grow them in culture. Seven of those samples produced antibodies to a 1918 virus protein, suggesting that their immune systems were waiting on standby for a long-awaited second outbreak.

„The B cells have been waiting for at least 60 years – if not 90 years – for that flu to come around again,“ said Crowe Jr., „That’s amazing…because it’s the longest memory anyone’s ever demonstrated.“

[…] Although aging typically causes immunity to weaken, „these are some of the most potent antibodies ever isolated against a virus,“ Crowe said. „They’re the best antibodies I’ve ever seen.“

Quelle: Antibodies Resurrected from 1918 Flu Pandemic That Killed 50 Million

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Labels: Allgemein

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