A research team led by the School of Public Health at the Faculty of Medicine of the LKS, the University of Hong Kong (HKumed), in collaboration with the Immunology and Infection Center (C2I), has achieved significant advance in the development of vaccines against influenza (LAIV) attenuated live live live. These innovative Laiv platforms offer potential to develop universal influenza vaccines that induce a more robust immune response against several virus subtypes, including human and avian strains. These achievements have resulted in multiple patents and impressive praise in the 50th International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva 2025, including the Saudi Innovation Excellence Award and two gold medals, one of which came with congratulations from the jury.
Influenza remains a great respiratory disease, which imposes a great burden on health systems worldwide. Vaccination is the most efficient way to prevent and control influenza. However, current seasonal influenza vaccines protect mainly against three selected strains and require annual updates. Its effectiveness can significantly decrease if circulating viruses do not match the chosen strains every year for each hemisphere. In addition, these vaccines are not protected against human infections caused by animal influenza viruses, such as avian strains, which represent a possible threat of global pandemic. The World Health Organization (WHO) has underlined the urgent need for a new generation of universal influenza vaccines.
The research team developed two innovative approaches to create next -generation LAIVS. The first strategy involved inserting a human gene α-1,3-galactosyltransferase into the genome of a human influenza virus. This modification asks the infected host cells to express the α-gal epitopes on their surface. Since humans produce anti-α-gal antibodies, this can allow the pre-existing antibody to recognize the cells infected with the vaccine, thus improving the immune responses induced by the vaccine, including antibody-mediated cytotoxicity, opsonization and phagocytosis. The research data showed that the vaccine is attenuated and is not pathogenic in mice models. In the experiments, the vaccinated mice showed strong innate and adaptive immune responses, including the responses of antibodies and T cells. These immune responses conferred broad protection against various subtypes of influenza A virus, including H1N1 and H3N2 Human, and Avian H5N1 strains.
The second approach to develop next -generation laivs implied the introduction of hundreds of silent mutations to a human influenza virus, changing its use of codons from a human influenza virus to that of a avian influenza virus pattern. This change resulted in the attenuation of the virus in mammalian cells, which makes it safe for use as Laiv. In addition, the mutant virus was replicated perfectly in chicken eggs, which is crucial for current effective vaccine manufacturing processes. With this approach, the expression of the viral protein of the Laiv remained identical to the original wild -type virus, providing a robust immune response against viruses. The research team successfully generated several attenuated viruses with different trunks of human influenza viruses, including H1N1 and H3N2. The results of in vitro and in vivo experiments confirmed that these viruses were attenuated in mammalian guests. Therefore, they can be used as laivines to protect vaccinated mice from different subtypes of infection by the influenza A virus, including H1N1 and H3N2 Human viruses, as well as influenza viruses Avian H5N1 and H7N9.
The development of these two award -winning Laivs represents a significant advance in the search for widely protective and efficient influenza. This new generation of Laivs can protect humans from seasonal influenza viruses and address the threat raised by emerging viruses, such as avian influenza viruses. “The advantages of the LAIVS are found in their intranasal administration, which has been shown to induce immune responses from the mucosa throughout the respiratory tract, providing additional protection against infection,” said Professor Leo Poon Lit-Man, president of Virology of Public Health and Head of the Division of Public Health Laboratory Sciences, Public Health School, HKumed. “This needle delivery method relieves the fear of vaccination, particularly in young children, so it will help mitigate the vaccine vaccine.”
These scientific advances represent a promising step towards a future in which influenza vaccines can offer comprehensive protection against a wide range of viral threats. In the future, the research team will take advantage of the international platform of Hong Kong Jockey Club Global Health Institute (HKJCGHI) for greater development, ensuring continuous progress and a global impact on this life area.
“Both HKumed and the International Vaccine Institute (IVI), one of the HKJCghi collaborators, have initiated discussions and contributed to the intellectual contribution to the development of the vaccine,” said Professor Leo Poon Lit-Man, who is also the HKJCghi co-director. “It is anticipated that in the near future, more studies will be carried out, including research work that adheres to the standards of good laboratory practice (LPG), through the institute’s resources.”
The research projects were led by Professor Leo Poon Lit-Man, Daniel CK Yu Professor in Virology, President of Virology of Public Health and Head of the Division of Sciences of the Public Health Laboratory, School of Public Health, HKumed; the main managing director of the Immunology and Infection Center (C2I); Hong Kong Jockey Club Global Health Institute (HKJCGHI); and the co-director of the Hku-Pasteur research pole, HKumed. Other members included Dr. Alex Chin Wing-Hong, Public Health School, Hkumed; and the Immunology and Infection Center (C2I).