Bespoke and rapid vaccination method

2003/09/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Medikuntza

With a new method, they have vaccinated in less than a month the potential responsible for the flu epidemic next year.

Vaccines against new varieties or strains of known diseases usually take months. However, the genetic sequences of agents are becoming better known, allowing safe vaccines to be developed in a short time.

For example, for influenza vaccination, the genes of two proteins in the skin of the virus have been previously identified. The virus neutralizes antibodies with these two proteins. Then, using genetic engineering, they have created a gene that encodes the transformed protein. This part has been added the rest of the conventional virus, obtaining a harmless virus that can be used in vaccination. And all in four weeks.

Research has been conducted at the San Juda Children's Hospital in the US, and according to researchers, the method is useful for vaccination against other diseases and also against abnormal pneumonia.