narcolepsy link to the vaccine against pandemic influenza becomes clearer

narcolepsy link to the vaccine against pandemic influenza becomes clearer -

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Summary

pandemic H1N1 09 has left a troubling legacy in Europe: More than 1,300 people who received a vaccine against influenza developed narcolepsy, an incurable, debilitating disease that causes extreme daytime drowsiness, sometimes accompanied by weakness sudden muscle in response to strong emotions such as laughter or anger. The manufacturer, GlaxoSmithKline, has recognized the connection, and some patients and their families have already received compensation. But how the vaccine might have triggered the condition was unclear. In an article Science Translational Medicine this week, the researchers propose a possible explanation. They show that the vaccine, called Pandemrix triggers antibodies that can also bind to a receptor in the brain cells which help regulate drowsiness. The work strongly suggests that Pandemrix, which has been given to more than 30 million Europeans, triggered an autoimmune reaction leading to narcolepsy in some people who are genetically at risk.

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