title: Influenza B-cells protective epitope characterization: a passkey for the rational design of new broad-range anti-influenza vaccines.
abstract: The emergence of new influenza strains causing pandemics represents a serious threat to human health. From 1918, four influenza pandemics occurred, caused by H1N1, H2N2 and H3N2 subtypes. Moreover, in 1997 a novel influenza avian strain belonging to the H5N1 subtype infected humans. Nowadays, even if its transmission is still circumscribed to avian species, the capability of the virus to infect humans directly from avian reservoirs can result in fatalities. Moreover, the risk that this or novel avian strains could adapt to inter-human transmission, the development of resistance to anti-viral drugs and the lack of an effective prevention are all incumbent problems for the world population. In this scenario, the identification of broadly neutralizing monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) directed against conserved regions shared among influenza isolates has raised hopes for the development of monoclonal antibody-based immunotherapy and "universal" anti-influenza vaccines.
authors.affiliation: Microbiology and Virology Unit, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan 20132, Italy. clementi.nicola@hsr.it
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Clementi
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Criscuolo
authors.forename: Matteo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Castelli
authors.forename: Nicasio
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mancini
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Clementi
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Burioni
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology; D057134:Antibodies, Neutralizing / Q000276:immunology; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D003429:Cross Reactions / Q000276:immunology; D018985:Epitopes, B-Lymphocyte / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D019267:Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D009980:Influenza A virus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D007252:Influenza Vaccines / Q000276:immunology; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000276:immunology* / Q000517:prevention & control
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D057134:Antibodies, Neutralizing; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D018985:Epitopes, B-Lymphocyte; D019267:Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus; D007252:Influenza Vaccines; C483468:hemagglutinin, human influenza A virus