Swine Flu. Spanish Flu. SARS. Almost every year, it seems, there is a new virus to watch out for. Roughly thirty thousand Americans die annually from a new flu strain — meaning roughly one flu fatality for every two victims of car accidents — and there is always the possibility that we will do battle with a much deadlier strain of flu virus, such as the one cousin to the current swine flu that killed 50 million people in 1918.
Currently, our bodies’ responses are, almost literally, catch as can. The immune system has two major components. Innate immunity responds first, but its responses are generic, its repertoire built-in and its memory nonexistent. On its own, it would not be enough. To deal with chronic infection and to develop responses targeted to specific pathogens the body also relies on a second “acquired immune system” that regulates and amplifies the responses of the inbuilt system, but also allows the body to cope with new challenges. Much of its action turns on production of antibodies, each of which is individually tailored to the physical chemistry of a particular alien invader. In the best case, the immune system creates an antibody that is a perfect match to some potential threat, and, more than that, the acquired immune system maintains a memory of that antibody, better preparing the body for future invasions from the same pathogen. Ideally, the antibody in question will bind to — and ultimately neutralize or even kill — the potentially threatening organisms.
Biosingularity 