First-of-its-kind Mesa research center is asking for the public’s help on vaccine research

PHOENIX — Community members in the city of Mesa now have the opportunity to take part in advancing modern medicine. 

Centricity Research is a clinical research center that uses already manufactured vaccines and tests them through participant studies to gather evidence on efficacy, dosage requirements, and antibody levels. 

“What we’re trying to do is look at common diseases that affect the community that there’s no really good treatment for and be able to come up with new medications that pharmaceutical industries are using and try to see if these work and are more effective than the current treatments,” Dr. Kenneth Boren, Principal Investigator for Centricity Research told KTAR News 92.3FM. 

Boren said they’re looking at vaccine research for COVID-19, the flu, and other diseases such as diabetes and obesity.  

Centricity is working to put several different viruses or antigens into one shot that would create antibodies, reducing the likelihood of contracting certain diseases. 

“One common thing we have to do every year is to get that flu shot, and so it looks like we’re probably going to have to get a COVID shot as well, so why not put them together and see if we can reduce it to one shot,” Boren said. 

Boren added the center is working on RSV vaccines, a potentially serious respiratory illness that can lead to pneumonia or bronchiolitis. 

The center is looking for residents 55 and older to participate in upcoming studies involving flu shots, the single-dose COVID vaccine and RSV treatments. 

“Some of these trails last five years, and we’ll recruit for maybe six months or a year, but then we’ll follow patients for five years,” Boren said. 

No medical expenses will be incurred throughout the study, and participants will be compensated for their time and travel. 

Follow @OatleyTasler