Researchers may have demonstrated a novel way to safeguard us from some of the world’s deadliest viruses. By genetically engineering immune cells, which will make more effective antibodies, they usually have defended mice from a potentially lethal lung virus. Precisely the same strategy can work in humans against diseases, which are why there are not any vaccines. Though, vaccines typically contain a disabled microbial invader or shards of their molecules. They stimulate immune cells known as B cells to crank out antibodies that target the pathogen. Not every person who receives a vaccine gains protection, however. Some patients’ antibodies are not up to snuff, for example. Moreover, researchers have not been able to develop vaccines against some microbes, such for example HIV additionally the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), that causes lung infections mainly in children and folks with impaired immune systems.

To find out whether transplanting the modified cells could prevent infections, the scientists injected the genetically engineered B cells or control cells into mice and then exposed the animals to RSV. Five days later, the lungs of this control mice teemed utilizing the virus. However, the lungs of mice that had received the engineered cells contained almost no RSV, the researchers report today in Science Immunology. As soon as the researchers injected the modified B cells into mice with defective immune systems—a common problem in bone marrow recipients, who will be prone to RSV—the rodents could fight off the virus 82 days later.