A new gene discovery has been flagged as providing new hope for improving the treatment of the flu and some diseases including cancer.

This announcement came as The New Daily received confirmation that almost one million extra flu vaccine doses will be distributed nationwide by mid-July to compensate for this year’s unprecedented demand.

Discovered by CSIRO scientists, the new gene – C6 – has been found to play a critical role in regulating levels of inflammation in the body. More specifically it produces proteins involved in infectious diseases, such as influenza, cancer and diabetes.

When someone is infected with the flu, the virus targets certain genes to make copies of itself and spread throughout the body.

Dr Andrew Bean, research team leader at the CSIRO, told The New Daily that if researchers can identify which genes the flu virus “hijacks” or targets – potentially the C6 gene – then it could pave the way to new treatments that block the virus from accessing that gene, preventing it from spreading into other cells.

The flu vaccine is adapted every year as the virus adapts. Photo: Getty

“Inflammation is an important aspect of fighting off viruses,” he said.

“Getting this balance right is really important and that’s what C6 does. If we have too little inflammation, we may not get appropriate protection.

“But if we have too much inflammation, it can cause damage to the body. For example, too much inflammation in the lungs can make it hard to breathe.”

Dr Bean said that if scientists can manipulate C6 then they could control aspects of inflammation associated with some viruses.

“The discovery of C6 paves the way for us to get a better understanding of the role of C6 in infections and to develop new therapies to protect us against viruses like the flu,” he said.

“Some people also may have defects in their immune genes that can make them more susceptible to certain infections and diseases.

“We have existing therapies where the products of certain genes can be ‘turned down’. So the levels of C6 could be altered.”

One million new flu vaccine doses to come this month

Last year’s flu season was labelled the “worst on record”, affecting 217,000 Australians and it killed at least 73 people.

One victim was a 40-year-old Melbourne mother of three who died from the flu despite having been vaccinated.

As a point of comparison, there were just 74 confirmed flu cases in NSW for the week ending June 17, compared to 453 cases this time last year, according to the latest Influenza Surveillance Weekly Report.

Dr Tony Bartone, vice-president of the Australian Medical Association, told The New Daily that the increased awareness led to an unprecedented demand this year.

“There has been a 30 to 35 per cent increase in demand for flu shots this year,” he said.

“Unfortunately no one predicted this and the available supplies have been stretched.

“I’ve been reassured by the health department that there are almost one million doses that will be made available to the market nationally in early July.

“My advice is to keep in touch with your local doctor about when supplies are coming into stock. Many are creating waiting lists.”

Western Australia has already ordered more flu vaccine supplies, according to AAP reports.

A spokesman for the federal Department of Health said about 11 million vaccines will be made available this year, compared to 8.3 million in 2017.

“The arrival of these doses has been staged, with distribution to immunisation providers occurring as the supplies have become available,” he said.

CSIRO is asking the public to help name the new gene.