An experimental mRNA HIV vaccine - the same platform used for the Covid-19 jabs - has shown promise during preliminary animal tests, according to researchers at the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).
HIV vaccine. Credit: Novikov Aleksey / Shutterstock
Credit: Novikov Aleksey / Shutterstock
Initial data shows the vaccine had the desired antibody effect against an HIV-like virus when performed on a rhesus monkey, which received an initial primer shot followed by multiple booster shots, with a reported 79% lower per-exposure risk of infection by simian-human immunodeficiency virus (SHIV) compared to unvaccinated animals.
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SHIV is used because non-human primates cannot contract HIV-1, the most widespread strain of the virus.
The results were published in Nature Medicine journal, with the tests being overseen by Moderna, one of the companies responsible for mRNA coronavirus vaccines.
“Despite nearly four decades of effort by the global research community, an effective vaccine to prevent HIV remains an elusive goal", NIAID director Anthony Fauci said. “This experimental mRNA vaccine combines several features that may overcome shortcomings of other experimental HIV vaccines and thus represents a promising approach".
The new vaccine works in a similar way to the Covid-19 vaccines, with it carrying coded information to two HIV proteins, as opposed to the coronavirus spike protein which allows the vaccine to condition immune response.
The vaccine also simulated the same response in trials with mice, which were the initial subject of the trials, the NIAID stated.
“The display of multiple copies of authentic HIV envelope protein on each VLP is one of the special features of our platform that closely mimics natural infection and may have played a role in eliciting the desired immune responses,” said Paulo Lusso, who led the trial.
The investigators used multiple virus variants in order to "preferentially activate" antibodies against different regions of the proteins.
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The researchers report that by week 58, most of the vaccinated monkeys "had developed measurable levels of neutralizing antibodies" against at least 12 strains of the virus. From week 60 onwards, both the vaccinated and control groups were exposed to SHIV.
“We are now refining our vaccine protocol to improve the quality and quantity of the VLPs produced. This may further increase vaccine efficacy and thus lower the number of prime and boost inoculations needed to produce a robust immune response. If confirmed safe and effective, we plan to conduct a Phase 1 trial of this vaccine platform in healthy adult volunteers,” Dr Lusso concluded.
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