New | Universal flu virus killer could be a step closer after breakthrough cell research

Scientists might be a step closer to finding a silver bullet that kills all flu viruses, after confirmation of the role of a type of white blood cell in fighting the disease.
In a paper published in the latest issue of journal Nature Communications, a team of Chinese and Australian researchers reported for the first time that the cells, called CD8+ T, helped flu victims recover much faster by memorising different strains of the disease.
“Our extraordinary breakthrough could lead to the development of a vaccine component that can protect against all new influenza viruses, with the potential for future development of a one-off universal flu vaccine shot,” said co-author Katherine Kedzierska, associate professor at the University of Melbourne.
Extensive studies on T-cell based vaccines have been done by many research groups around the world, and this latest study could significantly speed up the development process.
The breakthrough came after scientists observed patients with abundant and high quality CD8+ T cells during the H7N9 influenza virus outbreak in China two years ago.
The H7N9 was one of the deadliest strains of avian flu ever, with nearly all humans infected by it having to be hospitalised and one third of all patients dying.
What caught researchers’ attention was the speedy recovery of some patients, especially those discharged within two weeks.