Delivery of GM-CSF to Protect against Influenza Pneumonia.

Background: Since adaptive immunity is thought to be central to immunity against influenza A virus (IAV) pneumonias, preventive strategies have focused primarily on vaccines. However, vaccine efficacy has been variable, in part because of antigenic shift and drift in circulating influenza viruses. Recent studies have highlighted the importance of innate immunity in protecting against influenza.

Protecting against post-influenza bacterial pneumonia by increasing phagocyte recruitment and ROS production.

Seasonal and especially pandemic influenza predispose patients to secondary bacterial pneumonias, which are a major cause of deaths and morbidity. Staphylococcus aureus is a particularly common and deadly form of post-influenza pneumonia, and increasing staphylococcal drug resistance makes the development of new therapies urgent. We explored an innate immune-mediated model of the lung to define novel mechanisms by which the host can be protected against secondary staphylococcal pneumonia after sub-lethal influenza infection.