Influenza

Viruses are a major health risk, but what if we could fight them using other viruses? Scientists in Berlin have created virus shells that mimic the target cells that the flu virus latches onto in the lungs, preventing them from causing infection.

A new study is shedding light on the idea that someone's year of birth can affect susceptibility to different subtypes of the flu, with researchers taking advantage of a rare flu season to uncover rapid shifts in infection trends associated with age.

Viruses are difficult to kill – most of the drugs and chemicals that do are also harmful to human health. But now, scientists have developed a new virucidal substance derived from sugar, making it deadly to a wide range of viruses but safe for us.

Phase 2 human trial results have been published demonstrating the efficacy of an oral form of the influenza vaccine. The trial compared the pill to the most commonly used injectable flu vaccine and found it as safe and effective as its counterpart.

The flu virus mutates quickly and unpredictably, making it hard to develop effective vaccines. Now, researchers have created a drug that protects mice against six different strains of the flu, potentially paving the way for a universal flu vaccine.

New research has found the ketogenic diet can protect from influenza infection in mice. Whilst experts are calling the study intriguing, many are also cautioning these animal results are not transferable to humans.

Recent trials have shown a new flu vaccine skin patch to be effective at boosting immunity against the virus.

The over-prescription of antibiotics is a major problem in the world today, leading to the dramatic rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. New research is suggesting not only are antibiotics ineffective for individuals suffering from influenza, but they can worsen the initial viral infection.

In extreme cases the flu virus can actually reshape the structure of the lungs. Now, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have discovered a major part of that restructuring that until now had gone unnoticed – “taste bud cells” seem to grow in the lungs after a severe case of the flu.

Researchers from the University of Michigan have discovered a new symbiotic relationship we have with bacteria in our noses and throats, some of which may help fight off the flu virus.

Every year, the world enters an arms race with the flu. Creating a universal flu vaccine would give us the upper hand for the foreseeable future, and a new study from Oxford has identified a way to make that possible.

A new study led by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania has demonstrated the efficacy of a new universal flu vaccine. Having been proven impressively effective in animal tests, the team hopes to move the vaccine into human trials within the next couple of years.