HKUMed has achieved a big breakthrough in growing needle-free, live-attenuated influenza vaccines with broad safety in opposition to human and avian virus subtypes. The novel improvements resulted in a number of patents and spectacular accolades on the fiftieth Worldwide Exhibition of Innovations Geneva 2025, together with the Saudi Innovation Excellence Prize and two Gold Medals, certainly one of which got here with Congratulations of the Jury. (From proper: Professor Leo Poon Lit-man and Dr Alex Chin Wing-hong). Credit score: The College of Hong Kong
A analysis crew led by the College of Public Well being within the LKS School of Drugs, the College of Hong Kong (HKUMed), in collaboration with the Heart for Immunology & An infection (C2i), has achieved a big breakthrough in growing broadly protecting, live-attenuated influenza vaccines (LAIV).
These revolutionary LAIV platforms supply potential to develop common influenza vaccines that induce a extra sturdy immune response in opposition to varied virus subtypes, together with each human and avian strains.
These achievements have resulted in a number of patents and accolades on the fiftieth Worldwide Exhibition of Innovations Geneva 2025, together with the Saudi Innovation Excellence Prize and two Gold Medals, certainly one of which got here with Congratulations of the Jury.
Influenza stays a significant respiratory illness, which locations a heavy burden on well being care techniques worldwide. Vaccination is probably the most environment friendly method to stop and management influenza. Present seasonal influenza vaccines, nevertheless, defend primarily in opposition to three chosen strains and require annual updates. Their efficacy can considerably decline if the circulating viruses don’t match the strains chosen every year for every hemisphere.
These vaccines additionally fail to protect in opposition to human infections attributable to animal influenza viruses, reminiscent of avian strains, which pose a possible world pandemic risk. The World Well being Group (WHO) has underscored the pressing want for a brand new era of common influenza vaccines.
The analysis crew developed two revolutionary approaches to create next-generation LAIVs. The primary technique concerned inserting a human α-1,3-galactosyltransferase gene into the genome of a human influenza virus. This modification prompts contaminated host cells to specific the α-Gal epitopes on their floor. Since people naturally produce anti-α-Gal antibodies, this could permit preexisting antibodies to acknowledge cells contaminated by the vaccine, thereby enhancing vaccine-induced immune responses, together with antibody-mediated cytotoxicity, opsonization and phagocytosis.
The analysis information confirmed that the vaccine is attenuated and isn’t pathogenic in mouse fashions. In experiments, vaccinated mice confirmed robust innate and adaptive immune responses, together with antibody and T-cell responses. These immune responses conferred broad safety in opposition to varied influenza A virus subtypes, together with human H1N1 and H3N2, and avian H5N1 strains.
The second method to growing next-generation LAIVs concerned introducing a whole lot of silent mutations to a human influenza virus, shifting its codon utilization from that of a human influenza virus to that of an avian influenza virus-like sample. This shift resulted within the attenuation of the virus in mammalian cells, making it protected to be used as an LAIV. Moreover, the mutant virus replicated completely in rooster eggs, which is essential for present efficient vaccine manufacturing processes.
With this method, the viral protein expression of the LAIV remained similar to the unique wildtype virus, offering a strong immune response in opposition to the viruses. The analysis crew efficiently generated a number of attenuated viruses with totally different human influenza virus backbones, together with H1N1 and H3N2.
The outcomes of in vitro and in vivo experiments confirmed that these viruses had been attenuated in mammalian hosts. They’ll thus be used as LAIVs to guard vaccinated mice from totally different subtypes of influenza A virus an infection, together with the human H1N1 and H3N2 viruses, in addition to the avian H5N1 and H7N9 influenza viruses.
The event of those two award-winning LAIVs represents a big development within the quest for broadly protecting and environment friendly influenza vaccines. This new era of LAIVs can each defend people from seasonal influenza viruses and handle the risk posed by rising viruses, like avian influenza viruses.
“The advantages of LAIVs lie in their intranasal administration, which has been shown to induce mucosal immune responses along the respiratory tract, providing additional protection against infection,” mentioned Professor Leo Poon Lit-man, Chair Professor of Public Well being Virology and Head of the Division of Public Well being Laboratory Sciences, College of Public Well being, HKUMed. “This needle-free delivery method alleviates the fear of vaccination, particularly in young children, so it will help mitigate vaccine hesitancy.”
These scientific breakthroughs symbolize a promising step in the direction of a future during which influenza vaccines can supply complete safety in opposition to a wide selection of viral threats. Transferring ahead, the analysis crew will leverage the worldwide platform of the Hong Kong Jockey Membership International Well being Institute (HKJCGHI) for additional growth, guaranteeing continued progress and making a worldwide impression on this important space.
“Both HKUMed and the International Vaccine Institute (IVI), one of the collaborators of the HKJCGHI, have initiated discussions and contributed intellectual input towards the vaccine development,” mentioned Professor Leo Poon Lit-man, who can also be the Co-Director of HKJCGHI. “It is anticipated that in the near future, further studies, including research work adhering to Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) standards, will be conducted through the resources of the Institute.”
Offered by
The College of Hong Kong
Quotation:
Needle-free, live-attenuated influenza vaccines with broad safety in opposition to human and avian virus subtypes (2025, Might 9)
retrieved 10 Might 2025
from https://medicalxpress.com/information/2025-05-needle-free-attenuated-influenza-vaccines.html
This doc is topic to copyright. Other than any honest dealing for the aim of personal research or analysis, no
half could also be reproduced with out the written permission. The content material is supplied for info functions solely.
