Doherty Institute’s ‘substantial’ discovery on influenza B virus

The key to a “universal” flu vaccine may have just been discovered by an Australian research team — and it could put an end to the need for annual jabs.

Australian researchers may have found the key to a “universal” flu vaccine that could spell the end of annual jabs.

The team from the Peter Doherty Institute of Infection and Immunity in Melbourne announced a crucial discovery they hope can lead to longer-lasting protection against the influenza B virus.

Led by Professor Katherine Kedzierska, the team identified nine fragments from influenza B viruses that the immune system consistently recognised. They say this may help develop a new generation of T cell-based vaccines.

“After the virus is cleared, T cells establish long-term immunological memories,” Professor Kedzierska said. “So when we encounter the next infection, these cells can still recognise those unchanged parts of the virus and combat the infection. They remember it.”

Just over 250,000 Australians reported the flu last year with 376 deaths. Almost half had the lesser known and little understood influenza B virus.

Internationally respected immunologist Professor Katherine Kedzierska in her lab at the Doherty Institute. Picture: David Caird

Professor Kedzierska, who heads the Human T cell Laboratory at the Doherty Institute, is one of the world’s top immunologists. She is also known as one of the ‘Corona Queens’ for her work with two University of Melbourne researchers who mapped the immune response in Covid-19.

With this new research, Professor Kedzierska and her team may also have helped discover the holy grail: a flu vaccine that does not need to be reformulated every year to protect against new strains of the virus and one that could be given just two or three times in a lifetime to provide immunity.

The research was published on Tuesday in the journal Nature Communications.

Killer T cells are immune cells that can kill foreign cells including cancer cells and those infected with a virus. The Doherty researchers discovered how they target influenza B viruses to combat infection.

The team wrote this virus is often underestimated but it can cause significant illness and death.

“In our study we sought to define immunity to influenza B viruses,” Professor Kedzierska said.

“Our main aim was to identify small influenza B fragments that remain unchanged throughout the virus history and that trigger strong killer T cell immune responses.”

The influenza B virus can cause substantial problems, especially for children. Picture: Supplied

The study’s co-first author is University of Melbourne Graduate Researcher Tejas Menon also from the Doherty Institute.

Mr Menon said that the influenza B virus was often underestimated but it could cause significant illness and death, accounting for 12 per cent of the fatalities caused by the flu in Australia last year.

“It is a substantial problem and causes morbidity and mortality, especially in children, so that is why we designed this study,” Mr Menon said.

The team worked in collaboration with Monash University to identify the new fragments.

“It is a significant advancement in our understanding of influenza B immunity,” Mr Menon said.

The Peter Doherty researchers are hopeful the discovery can lead to a universal flu vaccine that does not to be reformulated every year. Picture: Supplied

“Identifying the specific parts of the influenza B virus that killer T cells recognise was like searching for a needle in a haystack.”

Professor Kedzierska said the discovery, “brings us a step closer to what we call the universal influenza vaccine.

“Many groups around the world are searching for immune responses that are directed towards such unchanged parts of the virus and we have now contributed to this knowledge, which is very exciting,” she said.

Professor Kedzierska said it was timely to remind Australians to get vaccinated, saying the current influenza vaccine was still the best way to combat the annual influenza epidemics, especially for high risk groups.