Influenza Cure?

The reason current vaccines are only effective for a short period of time is that the antibodies tend to break down, making additional injections necessary. But a new approach, using the gene-editing tool known as CRISPR, could someday make people immune to the flu, requiring antibodies to be injected only once.

The technique involves editing the DNA of B cells – the white blood cells in the human immune system that are responsible for creating antibodies. In an initial study on 15 mice, the method provided a full 82 days of protection against a virus known as RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) – the most common cause of bronchiolitis and pneumonia in children.

In addition to RSV and influenza, the researchers believe that the modified B cells could be programmed to fight other diseases, including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). Although much research remains to be done, such a breakthrough could prevent thousands of hospital visits, deaths and disabilities each year.