Researchers from the University of Missouri School of Medicine have taken one step closer to a universal vaccine for the flu that works year after year.
When the immune system sees a new strain of a familiar virus, it typically focuses on the parts it “remembers” most, even if those regions have changed.
“In our vaccine model, we targeted specific but distinct regions of the protein on the surface of the influenza virus. These regions are called epitopes,” said study author Henry Wan. “The model included different versions of epitopes in hopes of redirecting how the immune system responds. We found that the vaccine approach helped the immune system target more variants of the virus, leading to broader protection.”
The epitopes help the immune system see the flu virus differently, and it learns to respond with more coordination between the different types of immune cells. Some of the epitopes are also not as likely to change, which could make flu vaccines more reliable or even help create a universal flu vaccine.
“Right now, current influenza vaccines primarily trigger immune responses to the entire protein, especially in the highly variable region, instead of focusing on parts that don’t change much,” Wan said. “So, when changes happen—which is likely—the immune system may not respond effectively or activate its ‘memory’ after re-exposure.”
If targeting epitopes works in humans, this method could be adopted to fight other fast-changing viruses, like COVID-19 or RSV.
“These upper respiratory infections are a major public health concern and contribute to thousands of deaths per year,” Wan said. “Anything we can do to improve the influenza vaccine can help save lives and keep people out of the hospital.”
Data from University of Missouri-Columbia