The flu vaccine could get a much-needed boost

More than 700,000 Americans were hospitalized due to illnesses associated with the seasonal flu during the 2014 –15 flu season, according to federal estimates. A radical new approach to vaccine development at UCLA may help lower that figure for future flu seasons.The scientists used leading-edge genomics to identify and eliminate the virus ’s defense mechanisms, enabling them to develop a vaccine “candidate” — meaning that it must still undergo evaluation and approval by the FDA — that in animals has been proven to be safe and highly effective against influenza.In the study, which was published  in the journal Science, the engineered influenza virus induced strong immune responses in animals. While further research will be needed, the UCLA scientists are hopeful that their approach could lead to a new, more effective vaccine that can be taken as a nasal spray at home, rather than as an in jection by a health professional.UCLA HealthRen Sun“Because the variations of seasonal influenza viruses can be unpredictable, current vaccines may not provide effective protection against them," said Ren Sun, a professor of molecular and medical pharmacology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and the study’s senior author. “Previous pandemics and recent outbreaks of avian influenza highlight the need to develop vaccines that offer broader, more effective protection.”The key to the new vaccine is an understanding of the interactions between the virus and in...
Source: UCLA Newsroom: Health Sciences - Category: Universities & Medical Training Source Type: news