title: DNA-based influenza vaccines as immunoprophylactic agents toward universality.
abstract: Influenza is an illness of global public health concern. Influenza viruses have been responsible for several pandemics affecting humans. Current influenza vaccines have proved satisfactory safety; however, they have limitations and do not provide protection against unexpected emerging influenza virus strains. Therefore, there is an urgent need for alternative approaches to conventional influenza vaccines. The development of universal influenza vaccines will help alleviate the severity of influenza pandemics. Influenza DNA vaccines have been the subject of many studies over the past decades due to their ability to induce broad-based protective immune responses in various animal models. The present review highlights the recent advances in influenza DNA vaccine research and its potential as an affordable universal influenza vaccine.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA.
authors.forename: Han
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Research Center, Vice President Office for Research, Qatar University, Doha 2713, Qatar.
authors.forename: Mohamed E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: El Zowalaty
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D018562:Disease Transmission, Infectious / Q000517:prevention & control*; D055808:Drug Discovery / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D007252:Influenza Vaccines / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000517:prevention & control*; D019444:Vaccines, DNA / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D007252:Influenza Vaccines; D019444:Vaccines, DNA
keywords: DNA vaccines; delivery; immunoprophylaxis; influenza; pandemics; universal; virus