Source: Jennifer Shike, Farmer Journal’s Pork, 2 July 2020, photo credit: The Chronical of Education
A human antibody can provide pigs protection against the 2009 H1N1 pandemic strain of human influenza, according to new research at The Pirbright Institute in collaboration with Inovio Pharmaceuticals.
“This finding indicates that the antibody could also be effective at treating human influenza infections and demonstrates that the pig is an excellent model for assessing antibody therapies,” a Pirbright release said.
The use of antibodies to provide protection and reduce symptoms of influenza continues to be a popular area of study. Although several influenza antibodies have progressed to clinical trials based on their success in small animals such as ferrets and mice, the outcome has been disappointing as no antibodies have shown therapeutic effect in humans, Pirbright reports.
However, research published in the Journal of Immunology establishes that the 2-12C human antibody can neutralise the H1N1 2009 flu pandemic virus in pigs. The amount of virus and signs of infection in the lungs were both reduced in pigs that received treatment, the release said.
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The South African Pork Producers’ Organisation (SAPPO) coordinates industry interventions and collaboratively manages risks in the value chain to enable the sustainability and profitability of pork producers in South Africa.
