NEW YORK, Sept. 18, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- NYBC’s Laboratory of Viral Immunology has received a National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant to develop a mucosal universal influenza vaccine. Lanying Du., Ph.D., Co-head of the laboratory, was awarded more than $400,000 for this program.
The Laboratory of Viral Immunology at NYBC has previous experience in developing universal influenza vaccines. The NIH grant will support further development of a safe and effective mucosal universal influenza vaccine against emerging or re-emerging influenza A viruses using a bacterial spore as a vaccine delivery system.
“Influenza A viruses, particularly the highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 virus and the newly emerging, highly virulent avian-origin H7N9, continue to pose serious threats to public health and the global economy due to their pandemic potential,” said Dr. Du. “Safe and effective universal vaccines are urgently needed.”
Separately, Dr. Shibo Jiang, who has published extensively on the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) virus, has been awarded a subcontract on a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) award to his research on development of therapeutics for treatment of MERS. Dr. Jiang has authored and coauthored more than 40 peer-reviewed papers related to SARS and MERS studies. His team was the first group in the world to identify the peptidic fusion inhibitors of SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV, and to demonstrate that the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of coronavirus is an important target for developing SARS and MERS vaccines.
About Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute: Since 1964, LFKRI has led the way in blood research, breaking new ground in transfusion medicine and disease treatment and prevention. The institute is committed to furthering research efforts that support the discovery of new blood-related products, techniques, and therapies. LFKRI’s work has dramatically impacted global health, improved blood banking, nurtured a generation of scientists, and added significantly to the world’s store of biomedical knowledge. From the beginning, LFKRI has supported basic research to understand blood and disease at the molecular level as well as translational research that transforms the findings into major breakthroughs. Current research covers a wide variety of topics, including HIV, SARS, MERS and influenza prevention. With state-of-the-art laboratories and almost 100 researchers, LFKRI brings world-class research to life every day.
About New York Blood Center: New York Blood Center (NYBC) is one of the nation’s largest non-profit, community-based blood centers. For 50 years, NYBC has been providing blood, transfusion products and services to hospitals serving more than 20 million people in New York City, Long Island, the HudsonValley, New Jersey, and parts of Connecticut and Pennsylvania. NYBC is also home to the Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute and the National Cord Blood Program, the world’s largest public cord blood bank. NYBC provides medical services and programs (Clinical, Transfusion, and Hemophilia Services) through our medical professionals along with consultative services in transfusion medicine. Please visit us on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/newyorkbloodcenter. Follow us on Twitter: @NY_BloodCenter. Website: www.nybloodcenter.org.
Media Contact:
Victoria O’Neill
212.683.8100
voneill@prcg.com
SOURCE New York Blood Center
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