# MECHANISMS REGULATING AVIAN INFLUENZA VIRUS INFECTIONS IN HUMANS

> **NIH NIH R01** · ST. JUDE CHILDREN'S RESEARCH HOSPITAL · 2020 · $192,433

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
Avian influenza viruses (AIVs) are associated with more severe disease but less transmissibility after infection
of humans than are seasonal influenza viruses. Animal models and limited studies of single or small clusters of
AIV human cases have been utilized to understand the underlying mechanisms with varying success and
inference. Hampering scientific progress to a substantial degree has been the historically sporadic nature of
human AIV cases, making comparative and extensive prospective studies unfeasible. The emergence of the
H7N9 AIV in China has now changed this. These H7N9 cases are associated with a predictable spatial and
temporal pattern that makes it feasible to consider a cohort study. Here, we propose to conduct a longitudinal
study to identify the immunological and virological hallmarks of AIV infections in humans. Our study
will test two hypotheses: 1) severe disease caused by H7N9 AIVs is a consequence of a lack of early cross-
protective CD8+ T-cell responses, and, 2) replication of AIVs in the mammalian host limits virus population
diversity which in turn limits onwards transmission. Southern China is a particularly important region for human
cases of AIV due to its high density of humans and domestic poultry. Our proposed study site at the First
Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, which is also a designated National Reference Center for
Respiratory Diseases, is perfectly suited for this study. The completion of the above aims will lead to the most
comprehensive analysis of AIV infections in humans to date and also to a direct side-by-side comparison with
seasonal influenza. Critical cross training of US and Chinese scientists will also be a major milestone leading
to improved global public health research capacity.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9851788
- **Project number:** 5R01AI128805-04
- **Recipient organization:** ST. JUDE CHILDREN'S RESEARCH HOSPITAL
- **Principal Investigator:** RICHARD John WEBBY
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $192,433
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-02-16 → 2022-01-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9851788

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9851788, MECHANISMS REGULATING AVIAN INFLUENZA VIRUS INFECTIONS IN HUMANS (5R01AI128805-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9851788. Licensed CC0.

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