OHSU-led research highlights promise for a universal flu vaccine

New research from Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) explores a potential universal influenza vaccine that could offer lifetime protection against evolving flu viruses. Published in *Nature Communications*, the study tested a vaccine platform on nonhuman primates using the 1918 influenza virus, rather than the current H5N1 strain. The vaccine, developed using a CMV vector to stimulate T cells, showed promising results: six of 11 primates exposed to H5N1 survived, compared to none in an unvaccinated control group.

This CMV-based approach contrasts with traditional vaccines that target the virus’s mutable outer proteins. Instead, it aims at the virus's stable internal structures. The study suggests this method could be effective against new flu variants and potentially other diseases, such as HIV and cancer. The research, supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and NIH, involved institutions like Tulane, Pittsburgh, Washington, and the Oregon National Primate Research Center.