Novel Flu Vaccine Offers Broad Protection Against Multiple Flu Viruses

A potentially effective mucosal vaccine platform has been developed to encourage broad, protective immunity against multiple influenza virus infections.

For the platform, researchers at the Institute for Biomedical Sciences at Georgia State University used cell-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) in an upside- down approach to expose various human and avian influenza hemagglutinins (HAs) on the EV surfaces. The inverted HA stalk tends to result in cross-protective influenza immunity, while avoiding strain-specific immunity by concealing the highly variable HA head.  

In the study, the researchers assessed cellular and mucosal immune responses elicited by multiple HA EV vaccines administered via the mucosal route in mice. They concluded that immunization with this vaccine platform evoked cross-reactive antibodies against influenza HA stalks and viruses, robust virus-specific cellular immune responses and a balanced Th1/Ths2 immune profile.