New influenza vaccines are required every autumn, because the viruses constantly change the components to which our immune protection responds. Medical research is focusing on universal vaccines that target more stable parts of the viruses. This new generation of broadly neutralising antibodies is particularly important for controlling life-threatening viral infections such as influenza, HIV or hepatitis. Researchers at BRICS (Braunschweig Integrated Centre of Systems Biology), a joint facility of the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) and the Technische Universität Braunschweig, used computer simulations to identify new strategies that promote the natural formation of broadly neutralising antibodies in lymph nodes. Discovering this new selection mechanism calls into question the theory of “original antigenic sin”, and could be used in the future to design and test innovative therapies and vaccination protocols. The results have been published in the renowned scientific journal Cell Reports. Involved BRICS research group: Systems Immunology.
