Antibodies Derived from the 1918 Flu Pandemic: Still Potent?

Ninety-plus years after the 1918 influenza pandemic, we are just beginning to understand the naturally occurring adaptive immunity of those who were in contact with this devastating virus. As researchers probe survivors of the flu pandemic, all of whom are approaching or have attained centenarian status, what are we learning about their long-lasting immunity to this virus? Can we explain why these people survived this expansive outbreak, just as relatives and friends around them perished? Dr. James Crowe, Jr., professor of microbiology and immunology, and director of the Vanderbilt Program for Vaccine Sciences at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, and one of the researchers leading this expansive project, shares some of the tricks that his team has used to make these antibodies in this fascinating discussion with Dr. Mark Nolan Hill.