Influenza Vaccine Development

National Institute Of Allergy And Infectious Diseases

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

Improvements in vaccines against influenza that increase breadth and duration of protection would improve worldwide ability to combat seasonal changes in influenza viruses (drift) and appearance of new pandemic strains (shift). This study aims to develop new platforms and vaccination strategies against influenza. Nanoparticles, DNA and adenoviral vectored vaccines have been developed against multiple seasonal and pandemic strains of influenza, including recently identified H1N1, H7N9, H5N1 avian flu and seasonal flu. In addition, studies are ongoing to identify and optimize vaccine antigens to present conserved regions of the influenza virus hemagglutinin (HA) in order to develop a vaccine that provides more universal protection. Testing has been conducted to evaluate candidates, as well as adjuvants to boost immune response, and determine the optimal strategies for immunization. Several candidates showed promising results and testing is continuing, using DNA and DNA prime with inactivated vaccine boost or nano particles displaying full length, stem, and/or receptor binding domain HA antigens.