Scientists at the La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology in San Diego, CA examined 58 influenza strains and detailed 600 antibody and T-cell epitopes in an attempt to identify common antigenic sites.
"If we can find shared epitopes, it may be possible to develop an influenza vaccine with greater cross-protection for many different viruses," said Alessandro Sette, director of the Center for Infectious Disease at the institute.
The researchers found hundreds of epitopes that are similar from strain to strain, but only one that appears to be ideal for a vaccine that would be effective against multiple strains. Interestingly, only a few of the 600 epitopes studied around the world are sites found on the avian flu virus, H5N1.
The article is published in the January 2nd edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Source:
San Diego Union-Tribune, January 2, 2007