Discovery of the target for antibodies protecting against influenza B

Discovery in 2012 of antibodies specifically protecting against influenza B infections. In 2012 a team led by Robert Friesen in the Crucell Vaccine Institute in close collaboration with Ian Wilson’s group at the Scripps Institute described and characterized two antibodies that neutralize all influenza B viruses in the testtube and protect against the two major types of Influenza B viruses in experimental animal models. These antibodies have the potential to prevent disease after influenza B infection and/or treat severe influenza due to influenza B viruses. The article, entitled ” Highly Conserved Protective Epitopes on Influenza B viruses ” describing these two antibodies that protected exclusively against influenza B viruses, but not against influenza A viruses, appeared in the September,14, 2012 issue of Science magazine (pg 1343- 1347).

Publication:

DREYFUS, C., LAURSEN, N.S., KWAKS, T., ZUIJDGEEST, D., KHAYAT, R.,
EKIERT, D.C., LEE, J.H., METLAGEL, Z., BUJNY, M.V., JONGENEELEN, M.,
VAN DER VLUGT, R., LAMRANI, M., KORSE, H.J., GEELEN, E., SAHIN, O., SIEUWERTS, M., BRAKENHOFF, J.P., VOGELS, R., LI, O.T., POON, L.L., PEIRIS, M., KOUDSTAAL, W., WARD, A.B., WILSON, I.A., GOUDSMIT, J.,
and FRIESEN, R.H. (2012)

Highly conserved protective epitopes on influenza B viruses.

Science 337 (6100): 1343-1348.

PubMed publication date: Sep 14, 2012
PubMed link to abstract: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=22878502

September 2012
Discoveries