A vaccine that trains killer T cells to target stable parts of HIV
Harnessing Highly Networked HLA-E-Restricted CTL Epitopes to Achieve a Broadly Effective HIV Cure
This project is making a vaccine that teaches your immune system's killer T cells to attack parts of HIV that rarely change, aiming to help people living with HIV control or clear the virus.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Massachusetts General Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11291792 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers are using a computer-guided method that finds parts of HIV proteins that are tightly connected and unlikely to mutate away. They have identified five such pieces that are presented to the immune system by HLA-E, a version of the immune-presenting molecule that is nearly identical across people. The team will design a vaccine made from those five HLA-E‑restricted pieces and test whether it elicits strong cytotoxic T cell responses. Early work will involve lab and animal studies and could progress to human trials if the results are promising.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates would be people living with HIV who are interested in immune-based cure approaches, including those on antiretroviral therapy who might later enroll in vaccine trials.
Not a fit: People without HIV would not benefit, and those with severely weakened immune systems who cannot mount strong T cell responses may not gain from this approach.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could produce a broadly effective vaccine that helps people living with HIV control or potentially clear the virus without lifelong antiretroviral therapy.
How similar studies have performed: Related strategies that drive MHC‑E–restricted T cell responses have shown promise in animal models, but this specific HLA‑E epitope vaccine approach is novel and has limited human testing so far.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Massachusetts General Hospital — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Gaiha, Gaurav Das — Massachusetts General Hospital
- Study coordinator: Gaiha, Gaurav Das
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.