Grant: Operating Grant: Industry-partnered Collaborative Research - Rx&D partner

Influenza viruses constitute a serious threat to mankind through yearly epidemics affecting 10-20% of the Canadian population and occasional pandemics as shown by the rapid spread of the pandemic 2009 H1N1 virus throughout the world. Besides general public health measures and vaccines, antivirals have an important role in the management of influenza infections by decreasing the number and/or the severity of influenza cases. However, antiviral drug resistance can seriously limit the efficacy of prophylactic or therapeutic antiviral interventions. In this research proposal, we seek to optimize antiviral treatment through a better knowledge of the mechanisms of drug resistance as well as to assess new therapeutic modalities for influenza infections including combination antiviral therapy and agents that modulate the immune response to influenza viruses.