How the immune system blocks hepatitis C and what a vaccine should do
Correlates of protective immunity to HCV and rational vaccine design
['FUNDING_OTHER'] · EMORY UNIVERSITY · NIH-11400152
This project looks at how past hepatitis C infections help some people build immune cells and antibodies that stop long-term infection, to guide a vaccine for people at high risk such as young people who inject drugs.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_OTHER'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | EMORY UNIVERSITY (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (ATLANTA, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11400152 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
I would be followed over time with regular blood samples taken before, during, and after hepatitis C infection and if I get reinfected. Researchers will measure memory CD4+ T cells, HCV-specific B cells, and broadly neutralizing antibodies to see which immune features track with clearing the virus. The team will use long-term samples from a Montreal cohort of people who inject drugs and compare those who clear infections to those who become chronically infected. Findings will be used to suggest immune targets a future vaccine should reproduce.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are people at elevated risk for hepatitis C—for example adolescents and young adults who inject drugs—who are willing to provide blood samples over time and be followed before, during, and after infection or reinfection.
Not a fit: People with no risk of HCV exposure or those not willing to provide longitudinal samples are unlikely to directly benefit from participating.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could identify immune responses a vaccine should trigger to prevent chronic hepatitis C, helping protect people at high risk from persistent infection.
How similar studies have performed: Prior research shows memory T cells help clear reinfection but vaccines that only produced T cell responses did not prevent chronic infection, and antibody-focused protection remains less tested, so this work builds on but extends prior findings.
Where this research is happening
ATLANTA, UNITED STATES
- EMORY UNIVERSITY — ATLANTA, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: GRAKOUI, ARASH — EMORY UNIVERSITY
- Study coordinator: GRAKOUI, ARASH
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.