Ted Ross, Ph.D., Principal Investigator of the Center for Influenza Vaccine Research for High-Risk Populations (CIVR-HRP) and Global Director of Vaccine Development at Cleveland Clinic, was featured across multiple media platforms highlighting a promising approach to improved vaccines that protect against a range of seasonal and emerging influenza strains.
The Ross lab recently published a notable research article in the Journal of Virology analyzing an intranasal universal influenza vaccine candidate made of eight computationally optimized broadly reactive antigens (COBRAs). COBRA methodology uses computers to design custom proteins that represent a swath of influenza strains across flu seasons to create vaccines that better represent the genetic diversity of influenza viruses in nature. Antibodies elicited by COBRA vaccination will therefore recognize viral proteins from a wide variety of influenza virus strains and subtypes to better protect against seasonal and zoonotic influenza viruses. The COBRA vaccine characterized in the Journal of Virology contains a mixture of viral surface proteins, including hemagglutinins from five influenza A subtypes, one from influenza B, and neuraminidases from two influenza A subtypes.
When testing in ferrets, a useful model for approximating influenza infection in humans, findings indicate the COBRA vaccine candidate protects against severe infection from multiple influenza subtypes, including seasonal and pre-pandemic strains. These research advances could alleviate the need for annual flu shots and potential risks from viruses circulating in animals.
This impactful work and other foundational research was highlighted by the Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute, The American Society for Microbiology, SciTechDaily, and a local news outlet. Check out these stories to learn more about the COBRA candidate and how CIVR-HRP researchers are helping fight influenza.