New study shows promise to make universal influenza vaccine

New Delhi, July 19: US researchers have in a new study released on Friday, suggested a promising approach to develop a universal influenza vaccine, potentially offering lifetime immunity against evolving viruses, to millions of people worldwide. The team from Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) tested a vaccine platform on non-human primates against the avian H5N1 influenza virus, using the 1918 flu virus as a template.

Remarkably, six of 11 vaccinated primates survived H5N1 exposure, while all unvaccinated primates died, revealed the study, published in the journal Nature Communications.

The platform, already in clinical trials for HIV, inserts target pathogen pieces into the cytomegalovirus (CMV), triggering an immune response from T cells. “This could actually become a vaccine in five years or less,” said Jonah Sacha, a doctoral candidate at OHSU. Unlike traditional vaccines targeting mutable virus surfaces, this approach targets stable internal proteins. “It worked because the interior protein of the virus was so well preserved,” Sacha noted. The study suggests CMV vaccines might offer long-lasting immunity against various virus variants. Co-author Douglas Reed, from the varsity, emphasised the need for quick validation and deployment of new vaccines in case of pandemics. Sacha sees this development as part of a “massive sea change within our lifetimes” in addressing infectious diseases.