-
Medicine: Nosing ahead
October 1, 2012 Editor 0
AS THE newly identified coronavirus that has just turned up in London re-emphasises (see article), new diseases—and new versions of old diseases—can appear suddenly, apparently from nowhere. Developing and deploying vaccines against such novelties takes time. If a lethal strain of flu, or something else equally deadly, were to emerge, that delay could cost a lot of lives. A second line of defence that took effect immediately would therefore be desirable. And, as they report in Molecular Pharmaceutics, David Jackson of the University of Melbourne and his colleagues think they may have found one. They are working on a way to create a universal virus shield at the point of entry used by most respiratory viruses: the nose.A traditional vaccine works by stimulating what is known as the adaptive immune system.
This is the part that adjusts itself to pathogens encountered by the body, and crafts specific responses to them. But the immune system has a second, generic arm, known as the innate immune system, that is activated immediately by a pathogenic challenge. It was this that Dr Jackson proposed to enlist.His tool was a molecule called Pam2Cys, which he knew binds to receptors that activate the innate immune system. This molecule can be made artificially, so it would be…
Related Posts
Gender in delivery of contagious bovine pleuropneumonia vaccine: Lessons from Kenya
[News & Analysis] Tropical Medicine: Surprising New Dengue Virus Throws a Spanner in Disease Control Efforts
IVI announces the prequalification of innovative cholera vaccine by the World Health Organization
Weakened malaria parasites form basis of new vaccine strategy
- Kenyan AIDS vaccine work boosts African research
The Prescriptions of Dr. Sachs
Categories: The Economist
Tags: diseases-and, innate immune system, vaccine
Mini-trees could bring ‘next green revolution’ Cross-Divisional Innovation in the Large Corporation: Thoughts and Evidence on Its Value and the Role of the Early Stages of Innovation
Subscribe to our stories
Recent Posts
- Entrepreneurial Alertness, Innovation Modes, And Business Models in Small- And Medium-Sized Enterprises December 30, 2021
- The Strategic Role of Design in Driving Digital Innovation June 10, 2021
- Correction to: Hybrid mosquitoes? Evidence from rural Tanzania on how local communities conceptualize and respond to modified mosquitoes as a tool for malaria control June 10, 2021
- BRIEF FOCUS: Optimal spacing for groundnuts in smallholder farming systems June 9, 2021
- COVID-19 pandemic: impacts on the achievements of Sustainable Development Goals in Africa June 9, 2021
Categories
Archives
Popular Post-All time
- A review on biomass-based... 1k views
- Apply Now: $500,000 for Y... 814 views
- Can blockchain disrupt ge... 809 views
- Test Your Value Propositi... 763 views
- Prize-winning projects pr... 727 views