Novel HIV Vaccine Primes the Immune System to Create Powerful Antibodies
Researchers from Scripps Research and IAVI carried out the first-in-human clinical trial in this field.
A novel experimental HIV vaccine developed by Scripps Research and IAVI showed promising immune system responses during its first-ever in-human clinical trial.
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The first phase of clinical trials for a revolutionary HIV vaccine is starting at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research in Seattle.
Announced by the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI), this vaccine would specifically target the human immune system and its response to HIV.
IAVI President and CEO Dr. Mark Feingberg cites “highly sophisticated and elegant vaccine science” as the key behind the trial, pulling from a decade-and-a-half of research on the inner-workings of HIV.
If this proves successful, the result could have wide-ranging positive effects that go well beyond simply finding a cure for HIV.
“This is a big moment, not just for HIV vaccines, but for vaccine science as a whole,” said Dr. Dennis Burton, scientific director of the Neutralizing Antibody Center. “If this type of vaccine engineering is successful, it can be applied more broadly, bringing about a new day in vaccinology.”
The vaccine aims to make immune responses in subjects more predictable, representing a potentially massive scientific breakthrough. Should it produce the desired results, “we can make better, more effective vaccines, not just for HIV but for other viruses, too,” added Dr. Burton.
The trial comes during a time when HIV is still a serious epidemic, with upwards of 36.9 million people affected worldwide. In 2017, 940,000 people died from AIDS-related illness, according to the latest UNAIDS fact sheet.
Scripps Research Discovery Paves Way for Better Flu Prevention, Treatment
Scripps Research Discovery Paves Way for Better Flu Prevention, Treatment
This year’s flu vaccine has been less effective in protecting people from the most common strain of the virus, compared with recent years. And once people become infected with the flu, there are few good ways to treat it.
Now scientists at The Scripps Research Institute have discovered a new aspect of the flu virus and how it interacts with antibodies in the lungs. This research could lead to a…