American Lung Association Expands Research Into Universal Flu Shot

Today, the American Lung Association Research Institute announced that it has expanded its research into a universal influenza (flu) vaccine by awarding a $200,000 grant to Texas Biomedical Research Institute.

The funding will support a Texas Biomedical Research Institute project led by Luis Martinez-Sobrido, PhD, titled: “A universal live‐attenuated influenza vaccine based on single‐cycle infectious influenza A virus.” This additional funding supplements the original project, “Development of a Universal Flu Vaccine,” which the Lung Association helped fund with a $500,000 grant in 2023. 

“Over the last few months, we have been seeing rising cases of the flu nationwide, and are hearing from our physicians that people are getting really sick. On top of that, last year, only 45% of adults got a flu shot,” said Harold Wimmer, President and CEO of the American Lung Association. “During flu seasons, families need to stay healthy to go to work, school and attend family gatherings. While a seasonal flu shot is recommended for everyone over 6 months, the possibility of a universal flu shot could help protect more people from the changing flu strains.”

The flu is a serious and highly contagious respiratory illness that can affect anyone. Each year before flu season, scientists predict which influenza strains are likely to be most common in the upcoming months and select three or four of these strains to be included in that season’s flu vaccine. While this strategy has been effective in significantly reducing severe flu illness and death, the disease continues to be a significant health burden. Last flu season, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that there were around 40 million influenza illnesses, 470,000 flu hospitalizations, and between 28,000 deaths due to the flu.

Dr. Martinez-Sobrido is working on a new approach to developing a safe, effective universal flu vaccine. The approach aims to use a so-called “single-cycle virus” as part of a live-attenuated vaccine. 

“We call it single cycle because we genetically engineered the virus so that it is only able to replicate once but cannot produce infectious virus. This combination makes it more effective than current inactivated vaccines and safer to use compared to other live-attenuated vaccines,” Dr. Martinez-Sobrido said.

This approach also promises to be more effective by including multiple influenza virus strains in one vaccine, prompting a broader and more robust immune response. 

In 2023, The American Lung Association Research Institute announced a three-year, $500,000 grant to Texas Biomed to help accelerate its efforts to develop a universal flu vaccine. The new grant will help Texas Biomed expand on its research. Dr. Martinez-Sobrido expressed his gratitude for the continued support from the American Lung Association for flu vaccine research.

“This is an approach I started working on many years ago, but the COVID-19 pandemic and other factors delayed the research. I am grateful to finally be able to move this idea for a universal flu vaccine forward in collaboration with the American Lung Association,” he said.

This funding was provided by the American Lung Association Research Institute, which aims to address the urgent and critical lung health challenges in our country. The Accelerator Program collaborates with government, non-profits and private industry to dramatically accelerate existing research to revolutionize lung health discovery and innovation. Learn more at Lung.org/research.