Helping gene therapy for HIV work in people who already have immunity to AAV
Overcoming pre-existing immunity to AAV to enhance AAV-based HIV immunotherapies
This project develops ways to let AAV-based gene therapy deliver long-lasting HIV-fighting antibodies to people who already have antibodies against AAV.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Florida NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Gainesville, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11228798 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers are working on AAV gene delivery that can make the body continuously produce broadly neutralizing antibodies against HIV for years. A major roadblock is that many people already have neutralizing antibodies against AAV from prior natural exposure, which can block the therapy. The team will develop and test strategies to get around or reduce those anti-AAV antibodies in the lab and in preclinical models, with the goal of enabling safe and effective AAV delivery. If successful, these approaches could allow more people to be eligible for long-acting AAV-based HIV prevention or treatment.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are people affected by or at high risk for HIV who are interested in long-acting antibody approaches and willing to undergo screening and sample collection for anti-AAV antibodies.
Not a fit: People who are not eligible for gene therapy (for example due to certain active illnesses, immune conditions, or inability to undergo screening) may not benefit from this work in the near term.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could make durable, one-time AAV antibody therapies available to more people for preventing or treating HIV.
How similar studies have performed: AAV delivery of HIV antibodies has produced long-lasting antibody expression in animal studies and early human work, but pre-existing anti-AAV antibodies have limited success and remain an active challenge.
Where this research is happening
Gainesville, United States
- University of Florida — Gainesville, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Martins, Mauricio a — University of Florida
- Study coordinator: Martins, Mauricio a
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.