University of Montana researcher receives $10 million to develop a universal flu vaccine

UM will continue to work on developing a new universal flu vaccine thanks to a five-year, $10 million contract from the National Institutes of Health. The award was given to the director of the UM Center for Translational Medicine earlier this month to continue his team’s work on developing the vaccine. The new vaccine could be used to prevent the spread of the influenza virus infection, which was responsible for the deaths of around 80,000 people last winter, according to an Associated Press report.

Over a 10-year period, Division of Biological Sciences research professor Jay Evans worked with a team of vaccine researchers, graduate students and interns to create a new substance that can boost the body’s immune response to a wide variety of vaccines. The team’s so-called "adjuvant system" will likely improve a wide variety of flu vaccines, Evans said. An adjuvant is a compound added to a vaccine to boost a flu response, he explained.

Helena Dore / Montana Kaimin

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