Vaccines aimed to protect against many different flu strains
Development of vaccination strategies to elicit broadly protective immunity against influenza
Developing new flu vaccines designed to give longer-lasting protection against many different flu strains for people at risk of the flu.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Rockefeller University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11139532 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers are redesigning the flu virus surface protein called hemagglutinin (HA) to steer the immune system toward parts that are shared across many flu strains. They create 'mosaic' HA proteins that reduce responses to the variable head and highlight the conserved stalk, then test those immunogens in the lab and in preclinical models and with human-derived samples. The team measures B cell and antibody responses to see if those changes produce broader, longer-lived protection instead of narrow, strain-specific immunity. If successful, this approach could form the basis of a universal flu vaccine that works against seasonal and pandemic strains.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates for later-stage trials would include adults at risk for influenza or healthy volunteers willing to receive an investigational flu vaccine.
Not a fit: People who are not eligible for vaccine trials—such as some young infants, certain pregnant people, or individuals with severe immune system disorders—may not directly benefit from participation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to a universal flu vaccine that prevents many seasonal and pandemic influenza infections and reduces hospitalizations and deaths.
How similar studies have performed: Approaches that focus immune responses on the conserved HA stalk have shown promise in animal studies and some early human work, but a truly universal flu vaccine has not yet been achieved.
Where this research is happening
New York, United States
- Rockefeller University — New York, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ravetch, Jeffrey Victor — Rockefeller University
- Study coordinator: Ravetch, Jeffrey Victor
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.