Horse Antibodies May Help Thwart Bird Flu
Scientists in China are turning to horses to help fight bird flu.
The researchers included Jiahai Lu, PhD, of Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, China. They’re among experts worldwide working on bird flu treatments.
Writing in Respiratory Research, Lu’s team describes using parts of horse antibodies to fight H5N1, the virus that causes bird flu, in lab tests. The researchers don’t claim to have a fix for bird flu in people, but they see some potential in their horsey approach.
“Although various kinds of vaccines against H5N1 virus are under development, there is still a long way to go from bench to bedside,” write Lu and colleagues.
Help From Horses
First, the scientists prepared H5N1 virus in hen’s eggs. Next, they immunized horses to make antibodies to H5N1.
Lu and colleagues took fragments of those antibodies, mixed them with H5N1 virus, and then spread the mixture on plates holding dog cells.