Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is so common that almost all children are infected before the age of two. There are vaccines and therapies have been developed from the antibodies produced by people who have had RSV, but they aren't effective against all the many strains of RSV. New research in China is looking at a population of people who may have a better range of antibodies- pediatricians.
It is known among medical professionals that pediatricians catch colds and other respiratory diseases from their patients quite often early in their careers, but not so much as time goes on. A team at the Children’s Hospital of Chongqing Medical University took blood from ten pediatricians who had been on the job for more than ten years, and found 56 kinds of antibodies that may be of use in the fight against RSV and other respiratory illnesses, such as the common cold. These antibodies were up to 25 times better at preventing illness than existing therapies. Read more about this research at NewScientist. -via kottke
(Image credit: Oequihua)
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