Grant: Joint Canada-Israel Health Research Program

Influenza viruses are a global health concern, with millions of hospitalization cases and thousands of deaths reported annually caused by seasonal flu in addition to the pandemic threat posed by some influenza viruses. The development of novel universal therapeutic approaches for controlling influenza virus infection is urgently needed. The influenza virus hemagglutinin (HA) is the primary viral surface glycoprotein, which allows the virus to enter and infect cells, and is the primary target of current vaccination strategies and of the immune response to infection. However, we recently uncovered a new immune evasion mechanism mediated by HA that involves the interaction with inhibitory receptors on T cells and suppresses the immune response to infection. In this research program, we propose to combine our complementary expertise in viral immunity, molecular virology, and surveillance of emerging viral diseases to characterize and dissect this viral evasion mechanism and develop novel antibodies that prevent it and lead to enhanced T-cell responses for effective viral suppression. Altogether, the proposed study will shed light on novel mechanisms that enable viruses to evade immune responses, will facilitate the development of novel therapeutic approaches that will better control viral infection, and prepare us better for the next pandemic.