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Published online 18 August 2008 | Nature | doi:10.1038/news.2008.1045
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Remembrance of viruses past
Long-lived survivors of the 1918 flu pandemic may hold the key to defeating future outbreaks.
Nearly a century after the 1918 influenza pandemic claimed 50 million lives, survivors continue to produce powerful antibodies against the virus, researchers have found.
These antibodies have now been isolated from their nonagenarian hosts and could be exploited to defend against future outbreaks.
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As the parent of a vaccine injured child, one has to wonder why we don't test for antibodies in the same manner as Dr.Altschuler's team before we pump 10-12 booster vaccine shots into these children. Maybe the reason is that the vaccine manufacturers wouldn't make as much money and just maybe we might have less children suffering from Autism and other diseases brought on by pumping up to 50 vaccines in babies and children before the age of 6.
I agree completely with Robyne Rohde. In addition, I wonder why the researchers, who are engaged in the war against flu "viruses", do not take into account the fact that exclusively in such as infection (i.e.,flu) the spleen does not increase local antibody synthesis, as it occurs in all other tissues producing antibodies, like breast, BALT, GALT, lever, CALT (Cerebral Associated Lymphoid Tissue, I discovered: see my website www.semeioticabiofisica.it), appendix, a.s.o. At this point, it seems to me a paradox that human body, so intelligent to produce antibodies in different, selective way, continues in a lot of aged person to synthesize antibodies against an "old" flu virus type, rather than to protect the same individuals against bacterias and cancer!
The first comment reflects an unfamiliarity with modern immunology and the way the human responses work...only those who have been exposed to a given disease agent will show antibodies to it, and the only point of testing would be to see if they had had an inapparent infection - not impossible, but more of a hassle than vaccinating, to be honest! And over 50 vaccinations?? I have done the EPI immunisations on my kids plus some extras, and it's nothing like that many. And as for the paradox of continuing to produce antibodies against an "old" virus rather than protecting against bacterias [sic] and cancer: sorry, but that's what happens when you thoroughly immunise someone against something - by having the infection , in this case!
The reference by Ed to Dr. Stagnaro's "bacterias [sic]" is a bit puerile. Because his comment sounded interesting, I looked him up with Google; Sergio Stagnaro, Specialist in Blood, Gastrointestinal, and Metabolic Diseases. Researcher in Biophysical Semeiotics. Via Erasmo Piaggio 23/8 16o37 Riva Trigoso (Genova) Italia Hey Ed, how fluent is your Italian? Is it as good as Dr. Stagnaro's English? And for that matter, how good is your science, I mean beyond experimenting on your children?
Mr Stagnaro's comment about the "intelligence" of the body reflects a lack of understanding of the basic principles that govern the organisation of complex systems. These systems (of which the human body is an example) do not exhibit teleology or intention, they simply change due to adaptation and selection by the environment. The human body does not produce the molecules that are "convenient", but those whose synthesis is feasible given the organism's chemical make-up. With respect to Anne's comment, I want to clarify that the words "bacterium"(plural "bacteria") are not English but Latin, and that a search for peer-reviewed scientific publications by Mr Stagnaro failed to return any document.