La Jolla Institute Advances Vaccines and Lung Immunity
Scientists at the La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) are leading several research efforts to broaden protection against respiratory diseases. One program is developing universal respiratory vaccines that target conserved viral structures shared by influenza, COVID‑19 and respiratory syncytial virus, using multi‑pathway immunisation platforms such as mRNA, nanoparticle scaffolds and adjuvanted subunits. Early‑phase clinical trials are currently evaluating the safety and immune response of these combination candidates.
Separately, LJI collaborators have reported a germline‑targeting HIV vaccine that generated broadly neutralising antibodies in about 44 % of rhesus macaques, prompting the start of human trials. The approach uses a sequential "boot‑camp" of specialised injections to train naïve B cells toward effective antibody responses.
In another study, LJI researchers mapped tissue‑resident memory T cells (TRM) in human lung tissue, showing these cells can recognise and combat a range of pathogens—including influenza A, RSV, SARS‑CoV‑2 and the bacterium that causes whooping cough—while remaining undetectable in blood. The findings aim to inform future vaccines that boost lung‑resident immunity for longer‑lasting protection.
Entities: La Jolla Institute for Immunology · United States · Universal respiratory vaccine program · germline‑targeting HIV vaccine · tissue‑resident memory T cells
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Human clinical trials of the germline‑targeting HIV vaccine have begun. (International AIDS Vaccine Initiative)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Early‑phase clinical trials are evaluating safety and immunogenicity of combination respiratory vaccines. (U.S. Food and Drug Administration)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] A germline‑targeting HIV vaccine produced high levels of broadly neutralising antibodies in non‑human primates. (La Jolla Institute for Immunology and Scripps Research)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] TRM cells reside only in lung tissue and are not detectable in blood samples. (La Jolla Institute for Immunology)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Tissue‑resident memory T cells in human lungs can defend against influenza A, RSV, SARS‑CoV‑2 and Bordetella pertussis. (La Jolla Institute for Immunology and University of Liverpool)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Researchers are targeting conserved viral structures that do not mutate rapidly for universal respiratory vaccines. (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Approximately 44 % of vaccinated rhesus macaques developed broadly neutralising antibodies against HIV. (Nature)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Multi‑pathway immunisation strategies aim to protect against influenza, COVID‑19 and RSV simultaneously. (World Health Organization)