This vaccine provides protection against different strains and subtypes of the flu virus. It would provide long-term protection and avoid annual vaccination.
- A vaccine offering protection against all forms of influenza is being developed in the United States
- Phase 1 clinical trial successfully completed
Will there be a universal flu vaccine? A product has just successfully passed the phase I clinical trial. The results of this research have been published in the specialist journal NatureMedicine. The vaccine being tested provides immune protection against different strains and subtypes of the flu virus.
Target another part of the virus
The vaccine used today against influenza targets haemagglutinin (HA), an antigen that is found on the surface of the virus and regularly mutates. For this reason, it must be reformulated every year. For more than twenty years, researchers have been trying to develop a solution capable of protecting us against different forms of the virus, so that we no longer need to be vaccinated every year. The seasonal vaccine targets a part of the haemagglutinin, called the globular head. “Unfortunately the virus is able to escape neutralization by mutating this part of the hemagglutinin through a process called antigenic drift., explains one of the main authors of this study, Peter Palese. These transformations of the virus make the vaccine effective only against certain strains of the virus, and require frequent reformulations. In this trial from Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, scientists looked at another part of hemagglutinin. The vaccine is directed “to the proximal portion of the HA protein, the stem domain, which has been shown to largely neutralize various strains of influenza virus in animal models and humans“, specifies the researcher. This new target of the vaccine makes it possible to neutralize different types of influenza virus.
A strong immune response for 18 months
The phase I clinical trial was conducted with 65 people in the United States: the vaccine provided a strong immune response for 18 months. “This phase of our clinical work helps us a lot in understanding the immune response, in terms of longevity.“, specifies Florian Krammer, co-author of the study. Other trials will be carried out, those of phase II and phase III, to precisely evaluate the effectiveness of this vaccine against influenza. “This universal vaccine could be particularly beneficial in low- and middle-income countries, which do not have the resources or the logistics to vaccinate their population against influenza every year.“, enthuses Dr. Adolfo Garcia-Sastre, co-author.
The vaccine, the best protection against the flu
Each year, seasonal flu is responsible for 650,000 deaths worldwide, according to the world health organization. I’Pastor Institute estimates that between 10 and 15,000 deaths are attributable to this virus every year in France. The most vulnerable people are those over 65, pregnant women, young children, and all people with chronic illnesses. “The most effective way to guard against disease or a serious outcome is vaccination.”says the WHO.
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