Scientists at the La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology have made a new discovery about how the body responds to viruses. Researchers say the finding could make it easier to develop vaccines. KPBS Reporter Kenny Goldberg has more.
Researchers at the La Jolla Institute made the discovery when they were studying how the smallpox vaccine works. It was thought to get an effective antibody response, B cells were the critical element. But as it turns out, researchers found that B cells and CD4 T cells must attack the same part of the virus. Immunologist Shane Crotty says his finding is not the magic answer.
Crotty: But we think that this is a critical piece of knowledge to have along the way for being able to generally design vaccines in a rational way.
Dr. Crotty says he'll soon test the new discovery on a complicated disease for which there is no vaccine: tuberculosis.
Kenny Goldberg, KPBS News.
