Title:  Human immune responses to influenza viral infection

Principal Investigator:  Mary Co, M.D.                                               

Sponsor:  University of Massachusetts Medical School Center for Infectious Disease and Vaccine Research.

Purpose of Research

According to the Centers for Disease Control, outbreaks of influenza occur during the winter months and have been associated with approximately 36,000 deaths per year in the United States during 1990-1999.  The annual worldwide influenza epidemics and the threat of a new deadly disease represent a major public health concern.

The goal of this research is to find out how the body’s immune system responds to an influenza viral infection either by natural infection or by receiving the “flu” vaccination.  Studies will be done on the subject’s blood to see if their body develops antibodies or T-lymphocytes that recognize the virus or other viruses that are closely related.