BC-LA--Tulane-Flu Grant/137
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Researchers at Tulane seeking better ways to fight the flu
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Researchers at Tulane University may soon have a more effective way to fight the flu, thanks to a $1.6 million grant from the National Institutes of Health.
The New Orleans Advocate reports (http://bit.ly/1ixGGqS) Tulane immunologist Elizabeth Norton is working with a team of researchers to create a better flu vaccine. As part of that effort, they're testing two compounds that stimulate the immune system.
The "new generation proteins," as researchers call them, can boost a vaccine's effectiveness and help protect high-risk populations such as the elderly. Called LTA and LTA1, they can also be used in smaller doses to stretch a limited vaccine supply, a benefit researchers say is "critical" when dealing with a pandemic flu.
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Information from: The New Orleans Advocate, http://www.neworleansadvocate.com
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