Science Spotlight: Building defenses against H5 bird flu

A group of avian influenza viruses known as subtype H5 presents a dual challenge: they are both highly pathogenic and genetically diverse, making vaccine design and pandemic preparedness challenging. Now, four separate groups have published therapeutic strategies to combat H5N1 virus clade 2.3.4.4b, the highly pathogenic strain currently circulating.

A team led by Mathilde Richard at Erasmus University Rotterdam created a high-resolution antigenic map of avian influenza A subtype H5 using a large collection of historical, recent and current A(H5) influenza viruses. The authors of the Nature article then identified and engineered “central” vaccine antigens to be immunogenic and centrally located within the antigenic space of H5 viruses.  Vaccination with the antigens induced broadly reactive antibody responses in ferrets, protecting against challenge from two genetically and antigenically distinct H5 influenza viruses...