1918 Flu Survivors Still Have Immunity

(August 19, 2008) - Millions were killed during an influenza (Read about "Influenza") pandemic in 1918. The people who survived though still have protection, indicating that the immune system (Read about "The Immune System") has a very long memory.

New research has discovered that infection and natural exposure to the 1918 influenza virus made survivors immune to the disease for the remaining of their lives. Antibodies produced by cells isolated from these survivors served as an effective therapy to protect mice from the highly lethal 1918 infection. An estimated 50 million people were killed by the 1918 flu pandemic worldwide.

The study entitled "Neutralizing antibodies derived from the B cells of 1918 influenza pandemic survivors," was released for advanced online publication by the journal Nature.

"Ninety years after survivors encountered the 1918 pandemic influenza virus, we collected antibody-producing B cells from them, and successfully isolated B cells that produce antibodies that block the viral infection," said contributing author Dr. Christopher Basler, PhD. "The antibodies produced by these cells demonstrated remarkable power to block 1918 flu virus infection in mice, proving that, even nine decades after infection with this virus, survivors retain protection from it."

"Our findings show that survivors of the pandemic have highly effective, virus neutralizing antibodies to this powerful virus, and humans can sustain circulating B memory cells to viruses for up to 9 decades after exposure," said Dr. Tshidi Tsibane. "These findings could serve as potential therapy for another 1918-like virus."