Dr. Sang-Moo Kang, a flu vaccine researcher and professor in the Institute for Biomedical Sciences at Georgia State University, is available to discuss the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recent report on the flu. According to the CDC, this year’s flu season may be deadlier than usual and the current flu vaccine is a poor match to a new virus that is circulating.
Dr. Kang holds a Ph.D. in microbiology and immunology from the University of Alabama. His research is focused on designing and developing effective vaccines against viral diseases, including influenza virus.
For more information about Dr. Kang: http://biomedical.gsu.edu/profile/kang/. Information about Dr. Kang's work on a universal flu vaccine:
Researchers Discover Method to Make One-Time Flu Vaccine Researchers from Georgia State University have discovered a new process to make a one-time, universal influenza vaccine. Dr. Sang-Moo Kang, a professor in the Institute for Biomedical Sciences at Georgia State University, and his colleagues are making the one-time flu vaccine using recombinant engineering technology. The vaccines use a small fragment of the virus that doesn’t vary among different strains of the flu virus. Their findings appear in the journals Molecular Therapy and Antiviral Research. Scientists and health officials must alter flu vaccines every year to match expected strains, but shortages can result. A one-time flu vaccine would prevent shortages. In addition, simple supplementation with a one-time flu vaccine was found to overcome current strain-specific protection. This one-time flu vaccine would make it easier to induce a good immune response. Because it only uses a fragment of the virus and mimics the virus particles, it would be safer for people with weakened immune systems, such as young children and the elderly. The research is supported by the National Institutes of Health.
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