Washington DC, Jan. 31 -- The antibodies target a stable part of the bird flu virus, ensuring that the immune protection can resist new variants and offer long-term protection against the globally spreading airborne infection. It helps in preventing severe bird flu in monkeys.

A prophylactic antibody-based immune therapy protects monkeys against severe disease caused by H5N1 avian flu, University of Pittsburgh and NIH Vaccine Research Center researchers report in Science.

The broadly neutralizing antibody, which recognizes a relatively stable region of the bird flu virus, is less prone to losing its efficacy than antibodies targeting influenza's more mutation-prone structures.

This feature ensures that the immune protection can withsta...