Designing HIV vaccine components and delivery
Project 1: Immunogen Design and Delivery
This project develops new vaccine pieces and delivery methods to teach the immune system to make broadly neutralizing antibodies against HIV for people at risk of infection.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Scripps Research Institute, the NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (La Jolla, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11312611 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
The team is designing engineered HIV envelope trimers that target rare, early B cells that can produce broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs). They use laboratory engineering, directed in‑vitro selection, and animal models to prime those B cells and then give diverse booster immunogens to mature antibody breadth. The work focuses on V2‑apex and V3‑glycan bnAb pathways and aims to steer immune responses away from off‑target sites. If successful, these steps would build a pathway toward human vaccine trials that prompt stronger, broader anti‑HIV antibodies.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants for future trials would be people at elevated risk for HIV or volunteers willing to enroll in vaccine clinical studies.
Not a fit: People already living with established HIV infection would not expect direct benefit from a preventive vaccine approach.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could lead to a preventive HIV vaccine that produces broadly neutralizing antibodies and reduces the chance of infection.
How similar studies have performed: Related germline‑targeting vaccine approaches have shown promising immune responses in the lab and in early trials, but producing broadly protective bnAb responses in people remains unproven.
Where this research is happening
La Jolla, United States
- Scripps Research Institute, the — La Jolla, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Andrabi, Raiees Ahmad — Scripps Research Institute, the
- Study coordinator: Andrabi, Raiees Ahmad
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.