New Australian research showing the way to producing a universal flu vaccine published Wednesday in the US scientific journal PLoS ONE. For a copy of the paper, click here.
BRIEFING DETAILS:
DATE: Wed 29 April 2009
START TIME: 10:30am AEST
DURATION: 40 min
VENUE: Online
Until now flu vaccines have had to play catch-up with the influenza virus, able to inoculate only against already known strains, and as this week’s swine flu outbreak shows, influenza is a clever and constantly mutating virus.
This research has found that a single dose of the new vaccine protected mice against the lethal H5N1 and gave cross protection against other influenza mutations. The vaccine, which is administered nasally, differs from previous flu vaccines in that it works on two levels - it can prevent infection by known viruses and can activate the immune system to fight new strains. Though several years away from commercialisation, this new type of flu vaccine could become an important part of frontline pandemic flu treatment.
Join co-author Dr Mohammed Alsharifi to hear more about the research. Vaccine expert Professor Anton Middelberg will also address this briefing to comment on the research and to update journalists on the current flu vaccination situation in Australia and how it is likely to be affected by the swine flu outbreak.
SPEAKERS
Dr Mohammed Alsharifi, is co-author of the research and RRC Research Fellow in Microbiology and Infectious Diseases at the Institute of Medical and Veterinary Science and Senior Lecturer at the School of Medicine, University of Adelaide
Professor Anton Middelberg from the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, University of Queensland, is an expert on vaccine nanotechnology for pandemic response
PRESENTATIONS
Full Briefing (WebEx)
View here
Mohammed Alsharifi’s Presentation
Bio & Abstract (pdf) | Listen (mp3)
Anton Middelberg’s Presentation
Bio (pdf) | Listen (mp3)
Q&A Session
Listen (mp3)
For further information, please contact the AusSMC on 08 8207 7415 or email us