Abstract
The current pandemic caused by the new influenza A(H1N1) virus of swine origin and the current pandemic threat caused by the highly pathogenic avian influenza A viruses of the H5N1 subtype have renewed the interest in the development of vaccines that can induce broad protective immunity. Preferably, vaccines not only provide protection against the homologous strains, but also against heterologous strains, even of another subtype. Here we describe viral targets and the arms of the immune response involved in protection against influenza virus infections such as antibodies directed against the hemagglutinin, neuraminidase and the M2 protein and cellular immune responses directed against the internal viral proteins.
Highlights
Influenza epidemics are the cause of three to five million cases of severe illness every year and approximately 250,000 to 500,000 of these cases are fatal
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends annual vaccination of these subjects, which is an effective measure to protect them against influenza and its complications [1]
Because antibodies against these viruses are virtually absent in the human population, these viruses may cause pandemic outbreaks of influenza affecting a substantial proportion of the human population
Summary
Influenza epidemics are the cause of three to five million cases of severe illness every year and approximately 250,000 to 500,000 of these cases are fatal. The genome of influenza viruses consists of eight gene segments of negative sense RNA and since these viruses lack proofreading activity during their replication, they can accumulate mutations under selective pressure This way, influenza viruses can escape from recognition by virus-neutralizing antibodies that are induced by previous infections or vaccinations. In addition to the small gradual antigenic changes of currently circulating influenza virus strains (antigenic drift), occasionally new influenza viruses of novel subtypes are introduced into the human population. Wild aquatic birds are the natural reservoir of all subtypes of influenza from which there is spillover to other (domestic) birds and mammalian species, like pigs, horses and men [4] Because antibodies against these viruses are virtually absent in the human population, these viruses may cause pandemic outbreaks of influenza affecting a substantial proportion of the human population. We discuss influenza virus proteins as targets for the induction of protective immunity against these viruses with emphasis on those proteins that are targets for the induction of heterosubtypic immunity
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