Vaccine’s unique protein designed to start process of building powerful antibodies against AIDS virus
Since 2013, Dr. Leo Stamatatos has been developing a different kind of HIV vaccine intended to train a person’s immune system to mount a powerful antibody response against the virus that causes AIDS.
Now, after nine years of refinement at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, it is nearly ready for its first phase of testing in human volunteers.
The trial, which will be run by the Hutch-based HIV Vaccine Trials Network under the name HVTN 301, will enroll 52 participants at six sites across the U.S., including at the Vaccine Trials Unit in Seattle. Pending approvals by review boards at those sites, enrollment in the trials could begin in early July.
Aside from assuring the safety of the vaccine, the trial will analyze how B cells — the antibody-making blood cells in the immune systems of participants — respond to the vaccine’s ingredients. The most important is a tiny protein, or immunogen, engineered by Stamatatos and his team.
“It is great to see this immunogen enter clinical trials,” said Dr. Larry Corey, the Fred Hutch virologist who is principal investigator for HVTN. “And it is great to see the creativity of Leo’s group in building this vaccine candidate.”
Read the full story at Fred Hutch.
Source : Fred Hutch
Get involved
Are you living with HIV/AIDS? Are you part of a community affected by HIV/AIDS and co-infections? Do you work or volunteer in the field? Are you motivated by our cause and interested to support our work?
Subscribe
Stay in the loop and get all the important EATG updates in your inbox with the EATG newsletter. The HIV & co-infections bulletin is your source of handpicked news from the field arriving regularly to your inbox.