Scientists have claimed to have identified a compound, which they suggest will enhance the efficacy of vaccines designed against infectious diseases, including flu, HIV and herpes virus.

A team of researchers from Oxford University, Swedish and US colleges, conducted a series of experiments in mice. The mice were injected with test vaccines, which were added with a polymer called polyethyleneimine (PEI), against the infectious diseases.

The PEI has been assured to be a potent adjuvant. Adjuvant is a drug or an agent injected along with an antigen to enhance the immune response stimulated by the antigen, thus providing the body with an enhanced protection against the infection.

Researchers gave mice flu vaccine along with PEI through nasal droplet. The mice immunized with the combined vaccine were protected against deadly dose of flu, in comparison to those, who were not given the vaccine.

The study published in the journal Nature Biotechnology emphasized that even in case of mice, it is hard to attain protection against flu with single vaccination.

Lead author of the study, Professor Quentin Sattentau from Oxford’s Dunn School of Pathology, said, “PEI has the potential to be a potent adjuvant for vaccines against viruses like flu or HIV, though there are many steps ahead if it is ever to be used in humans”.