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Hidden Immune Cells in the Lung Could Lead to Better Flu Vaccines

Monday, August 31, 2026

Influenza continues to cause major illness each year in the United States, leading to more than 35,000 deaths annually. Children, older adults, pregnant individuals, people with weakened immune systems, and those with chronic conditions such as heart disease, metabolic disorders, and cancer are especially vulnerable.

Vaccination remains the most effective way to prevent flu infection, but current vaccines do not always stop the virus from taking hold in the respiratory tract. Now, new research appearing in Nature Immunology suggests that a previously overlooked group of immune cells in the lungs may help change that.

After infection or vaccination, the immune system forms long-lived “memory” cells that can respond quickly if the virus returns. In the lungs, a specialized type of immune cell called tissue-resident memory T cells acts as a first line of defense at the site where viruses enter the body.

“These cells are positioned right where infection begins, so they can react immediately and help limit viral spread,” said Minsoo Kim, PhD, a professor of Microbiology and Immunology at University of Rochester Medicine and lead author of the study. “They are a central goal for next-generation vaccine design because they provide fast, local protection in the respiratory tract.”

However, most current flu vaccines—especially those given by injection—do not reliably build strong immune memory in the airways, leaving a gap in protection against initial infection and transmission.