Universal Influenza A Vaccine Using Conserved Haemagglutinin Epitopes

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current influenza vaccines require frequent updates due to rapid antigenic evolution of the virus, leading to suboptimal efficacy and the need for annual immunization, and there is a lack of effective universal vaccines targeting invariant epitopes.

Innovation Solution

Development of a universal influenza vaccine that targets highly immunogenic epitopes of limited variability in the haemagglutinin protein, specifically designed to protect against multiple influenza A subtypes by incorporating identified amino acid sequences in the polypeptides.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional trivalent influenza vaccines are used, then vaccination can be administered annually, but the vaccine efficacy is reduced to 10-60% due to rapid antigenic evolution requiring frequent updates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevaccine efficacyVSAvoidvaccine strain adaptability

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies universality by designing a vaccine that targets invariant epitopes in the haemagglutinin protein that are conserved across multiple influenza A subtypes (H1N1, H2N2, H3N2, H5N1, H7N9). This universal design allows a single vaccine formulation to provide protection against diverse influenza strains, eliminating the need for annual updates and achieving high efficacy (70-90%) across different subtypes simultaneously.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Adaptability or versatility

If vaccines target highly variable epitopes to cover new strains, then adaptability to new strains is improved, but immunogenicity is reduced due to weak immune selection

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestrain coverageVSAvoidimmune response strength

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent inverts the conventional approach by not targeting highly variable epitopes that mutate rapidly, but instead targeting invariant epitopes that remain conserved. This inversion of the selection strategy identifies epitopes that are under strong immune selection pressure, making them highly immunogenic while maintaining their protective role across different influenza strains.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

3Adaptability or versatility

If conventional vaccines are updated annually to match circulating strains, then adaptability to current strains is improved, but time constraints reduce the ability to prepare optimal vaccine strains

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecurrent strain matchingVSAvoidvaccine development time

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by identifying and characterizing invariant epitopes in advance through bioinformatics analysis of viral databases. This pre-characterization of conserved epitopes allows for the design of a universal vaccine formulation that can be manufactured and deployed without the time constraints of annual strain updates, as the target epitopes are predetermined to be conserved across future circulating strains.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS20260007734A1Immunogenic compositions for the prevention of influenza a

Publication Date: 2026.01.08 OXFORD UNIVERSITY INNOVATION LTD

AI summary

The present invention relates to polypeptides and immunogenic compositions, particularly vaccine compositions, for the prevention or treatment of influenza A. The invention also provides nucleic acid molecules and vectors encoding the polypeptides, and methods of using the compositions, nucleic acid molecules and vectors for the prevention or treatment of influenza A.