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Traditional influenza vaccines target the globular outer region of the viral hemagglutinin protein. This part of the protein constantly changes, necessitating different vaccines each year. Moreover, producers of annual vaccines do not always accurately predict the dominant circulating strains for the coming winter.
In the past few years, several laboratories have described “broadly neutralizing” antibodies to a region of the stem of the hemagglutinin protein. The stem region doesn't change frequently and is similar across all flu viruses (JW Gen Med Sep 28 2010). Two new reports from different international groups describe additional antibodies of this type. One research team identified the first such antibody to neutralize group 2 flu virus…