CytotoxicT-cell immunity as a target for influenza vaccines

摘要

Current vaccines against influenza virus are predominantly "killed" vaccines, where the infectivity of a virus preparation is inactivated by chemical treatment.1 They function almost exclusively by inducing virus-neutralising antibody. However, due to the frequent antigenic drift and shift of influenza viruses, antibody-based vaccines elicit limited or no protective immunity against newly arising strains-eg, H5N1. The possible beneficial effects of vaccination-induced cytotoxic T (Tc) cell-mediated immunity in ameliorating disease severity of influenza in human beings has been largely ignored.