How vaccines grown in eggs can divert some antibodies from the target virus الفيروس

The scientists who did this work studied the responses influenza antibodies for several years. They made a startling discovery: it seems that the antibodies bind not only to the influenza virus, but also to any viruses that the laboratory can present to them.

Since antibodies react very specifically with Various pathogens, so this pattern was somewhat unusual. But upon closer examination, the scientists realized after the fact that the antibodies were not reacting to viruses, but rather to chicken eggs used in the laboratory in which the viruses were grown, specifically in a part called ‘allantoid’.

The antibodies target a sugar molecule, known as a glycan, but with a modified version found in eggs, but not known to be expressed in humans. “For this reason, humans can produce antibodies against this sulfur-modified glycan.‘, the authors of this paper, published in June in la revue mBio.

What are the effects on health?

“Growing vaccines in eggs is the old method because they are cheap and can grow many viruses.said Gina Gotthmiler, Ph.D. at the University of Chicago and the study’s lead researcher.

“We are now seeing that these antibodies bind to this glycan which means that the vaccinated people produce a response against this component of the egg that is not associated with the virus at all,” She adds.

However, the effects of these antibodies on human health are still unknown, although there is no evidence so far that their presence has any negative effect. “A lot of people do flu vaccine Every year side effects are extremely rare, so there is no reason to suspect that they may cause any problems‘, reassures Gina Gotthmiler.