HIV vaccine ingredients and antibody testing core

Immunogen and Antibody Core

NIH-funded research University of California at Davis · NIH-11248838

This project makes improved HIV vaccine components and lab tests to help vaccines teach people's immune systems to make broader, more protective antibodies.

Quick facts

Grant typeP01 program project
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionUniversity of California at Davis NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Davis, United States)
Project IDNIH-11248838 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

If you participate, researchers will design and produce advanced HIV envelope proteins (called SOSIP trimers) and fusion-peptide virus-like particles that mimic parts of the virus. They will look at how these ingredients interact with helper T cells and B cells to try to guide antibody responses toward broader protection. The core will also test human blood samples to measure binding, neutralizing, and Fc-effector antibody functions. These materials and results will support linked projects developing vaccine approaches you might be invited to try in future trials.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal participants include people living with HIV or volunteers enrolled in HIV vaccine studies who can provide blood samples for antibody testing.

Not a fit: People needing immediate clinical treatment for active HIV infection or those not eligible for research blood draws are unlikely to receive direct medical benefit from this preclinical vaccine development work.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help produce vaccines that trigger broadly neutralizing antibodies able to protect against many HIV strains.

How similar studies have performed: Stabilized Env SOSIP trimers have reliably induced strain-specific neutralizing antibodies in animals and early human work, but methods to consistently produce broadly neutralizing antibodies remain largely unproven.

Where this research is happening

Davis, 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.
Conditions Acquired Immune Deficiency SyndromeAcquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome VirusAcquired Immunodeficiency SyndromeAcquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome Virus
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 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.