Universal vaccine against influenza virus

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26670228
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Virology
• Research Institution: Institute of Physical and Chemical Research
• Principal Investigator: Fukuyama Hidehiro 国立研究開発法人理化学研究所, 統合生命医科学研究センター, 上級研究員 (70303956)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): NAGATA Takashi 京都大学, エネルギー理工学研究所, 准教授 (10415250) ; SUENAGA Atsushi 国立研究開発法人産業技術総合研究所, 創薬分子プロファイリング研究センター, 招聘研究員 (90415191)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: ワクチン

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Annual flu vaccination protects from seasonal influenza virus infection but doesn’t fully have effects on emerging new viruses such as avian H5 influenza virus. Vaccine against broad spectrum of influenza virus strains is ideal. Twenty years ago, a Japanese scientist isolated a “universal antibody” in the first time in the world. This antibody can block infections of several influenza virus strains. Using this unique antibody as a template, we design artificial peptide antigen in silico for universal vaccine. We expect that this antigen can induce the universal antibody-like antibodies to protect from various influenza virus strains. We gained a proof-of-concept data that some of synthetic peptides bind to the universal antibody and could induce neutralizing antibodies against two influenza virus strains.

Free Research Field

免疫