Meeting report summarising the outcome of the EDUFLUVAC workshop on “Experimental animal models for universal influenza vaccines” has been published in Vaccine
A major challenge in influenza research is the selection of an appropriate animal model that accurately reflects the disease and the protective immune response observed in humans. A workshop organised by the EDUFLUVAC consortium, a European Union funded project coordinated by the European Vaccine Initiative, brought together experts from the influenza vaccine community with the aim to discuss the current knowledge and future perspectives for testing broadly reactive influenza vaccines in animal models. The programme included a diversity of models from well-established and publicly accepted models to cutting edge, newly developed animal models as well as ex-vivo approaches and human models.
The audience concluded that different vaccine approaches may require evaluation in different animal models, depending on the type of immune response induced by the vaccine. Further collaboration, communication and effective networking are needed for success in establishment of harmonised and standardised pre-clinical models for evaluation of new influenza vaccines.
Reference: Workshop report: Experimental animal models for universal influenza vaccines. D'Alessio F, Koopman G, Houard S, Remarque EJ, Stockhofe N, Engelhardt OG. Vaccine. 2018 Oct 16. pii: S0264-410X(18)31390-2. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2018.10.024