A vaccine to protect against many strains of hepatitis C

Broadly Effective HCV Vaccine

NIH-funded research Scripps Research Institute, the · NIH-11332401

Working to design vaccine pieces that teach the immune system to make antibodies that can block many different types of hepatitis C for people at risk.

Quick facts

Grant typeP01 program project
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionScripps Research Institute, the NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (La Jolla, United States)
Project IDNIH-11332401 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

This program at Scripps is engineering parts of the hepatitis C virus that the immune system can recognize and respond to. Researchers will map the structures of viral envelope proteins, design vaccine antigens that highlight conserved antibody targets, and test those designs in preclinical animal models to measure antibody responses. The effort includes two main research projects supported by administrative and scientific cores to speed lab work and data analysis. If lab and animal results are promising, the work could move toward human testing in the future.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: This work is aimed at people at ongoing risk for hepatitis C infection, such as people who inject drugs, people with frequent healthcare exposures, or communities with high HCV prevalence.

Not a fit: People who already cleared hepatitis C with antiviral treatment may not receive direct benefit from this vaccine research in the short term.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, the vaccine approach could prevent new hepatitis C infections by producing broad, long-lasting antibody protection against diverse viral strains.

How similar studies have performed: There is no approved HCV vaccine yet, though antibody-focused vaccine strategies have shown encouraging results in laboratory and animal studies and remain under development.

Where this research is happening

La Jolla, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Last reviewed 2026-06-10 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.