Common cold
British scientists say they have made a discovery that could defeat the common cold. Up to now they thought that antibodies could only fight viral infections outside of cells. Now they have proof that antibodies can destroy viruses even after they have invadedhuman cells. Antibodies can hang on to viruses as they enter cells.
Normally the virus would copy itself many times and take over control of the cell. The antibody in the cell however can trigger an action that causes a protein to get rid of bad substances, before the virus is able to cause damage.
The Cambridge scientists who made the discovery said it would possibly take years to find the right drugs to treat viral infections and that it may not work on all viruses.
Viruses are the world’s biggest killers. They are very hard to treat and kill more people than cancer. There are about 200 viruses that can cause a normal cold.
antibody = a substance produced by your body to fight off a disease
cancer =very serious disease in which cells in one part of the body starts to grow in a way that is not normal
cause = lead to
common cold = an illness in which your throat hurts and you have problems breathing
copy = duplicate
damage = destruction
defeat = to win against
destroy = wipe out, kill
discovery = to find out something that nobody has known about before
drugs = medicine
hang on to = go in together with
infection = a disease that affects a part of your body and is caused by bacteria or a virus
invade = enter, attack
proof = facts that show that something is true
protein = one of the natural substances that exist in food and which your body needs to grow and stay healthy
scientist = a person who is trained in science and works in a laboratory
substance = material
treat = to try to cure an illness
trigger = cause, set off
viral = from a virus
Vaccines – antibodies that protect us from diseases
Vaccines are substances that help the body fight off diseases and illnesses. In the past they have helped save millions of lives around the world.
Diseases are often caused by bacteria or viruses that attack the human body. A vaccine is a dead or very weak form of such a virus. When you get a vaccination from your doctor the body it gets used to these weaker viruses and can produce antibodies which stay active for a long time. When the real virus or bacteria attack, the body becomes immune and can defend itself.
People can get their vaccinations in many forms. Very often the vaccine is injected into your body, but vaccines are also taken by mouth or are inhaled.
Although many vaccines protect you throughout your life, some provide immunity for only a certain time. Vaccines against the flumust be administered every year, because the flu virus can change or may appear in a different form.
Most people already have a certain amount of immunity in their bodies. It is passed to them from their mother. However, these antibodies do not protect a baby for a long time, so that many vaccines are given to infants in their first years.
Some illnesses only occur in certain areas. If you travel, for example, to tropical regions, you should get vaccines to protect you fromyellow fever, malaria or hepatitis.
Vaccines have saved the lives of millions of people in the past and virtually eradicated many diseases. Smallpox, for example, was once one of the world’s most serious diseases, which killed millions every year. By the end of the 1970s smallpox had disappearedcompletely because nearly everyone was vaccinated.
The first vaccines were created towards the end of the 18th century. An English scientist, Edward Jenner, carried out experiments with cowpox, a milder form of smallpox. He found out that people who got cowpox rarely got ill from smallpox. In France, Louis Pasteurdeveloped a weak form of rabies to protect people from dog bites. In the 20th century polio has been wiped out completely.
Today there are vaccines for many illnesses. The most common are the flu, cholera, the plague , hepatitis. Although vaccination is widely available and a part of the regular health program in almost all industrial countries, there are still countries, especially in the Third World where people die of serious diseases. About three million children each year are killed by diseases that could have been prevented. In developing countries almost two thirds of all children are not vaccinated. The World Health Organization is fighting to provide vaccines for these children.
administer = give
although = while
antibody = substance that your body produces to fight a disease
bacteria = very small living organisms, which can cause a disease or an illness
cause = reason for
century = a period of a hundred years
certain = special
certain amount = here: a little bit of
create = make
defend = protect
develop = grow
developing countries = poor countries in Africa and Asia
disappear = to go away completely
eradicate = to make something disappear; kill off
especially = above all
flu = common illness that makes you feel weak and tired; it gives you a sore throat, a runny nose and makes you cough a lot
hepatitis = disease of the liver
however = but
immune = you cannot get a disease
immunity = being protected from a disease
infant = baby or very young child
inhale = to breathe in
occur = happen
plague = infectious disease that produces high fever and swollen spots on your body; it often leads to death
provide = give, offer
rabies = very dangerous disease that infects dogs and other animals; you can catch it if you are bitten by an infected animal
rarely = seldom; not very often
scientist = a person who is trained in science and works in a laboratory
serious = very dangerous
smallpox = a serious disease that can cause spots which leave marks on your skin
substance = material
throughout = in all of
vaccination = protection through a vaccine
virtually = practically, almost, nearly
virus = very small living things that can cause infectious illnesses
widely available = here: you can get it almost everywhere
wipe out = to make something go away completely
yellow fever = dangerous tropical disease that makes you skin turn yellow