Improving antibody responses to HIV vaccines using next-generation humanized mice
Characterizing antibody responses to HIV-1 vaccination in next-generation immune humanized mice
Testing whether new humanized mouse models help vaccines produce stronger, more human-like antibodies against HIV for people affected by or at risk for HIV.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Vanderbilt University Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Nashville, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11301837 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From a patient perspective, researchers are building better 'humanized' mice that carry parts of the human immune system so vaccine responses in the lab look more like what happens in people. They will give candidate HIV vaccines to these mice and measure the strength and specificity of the antibodies that form. The team engineered the mice to include human HLA molecules and reduced mouse MHC to improve T cell and B cell interactions needed for good antibody responses. Results will guide which vaccine approaches are most likely to work in humans and help prioritize candidates for future clinical testing.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People living with HIV or at high risk for HIV who want to support vaccine research or may later be eligible for vaccine trials informed by this work; note the project itself focuses on laboratory models rather than enrolling patients for treatment.
Not a fit: Individuals seeking immediate therapeutic benefit or direct enrollment in a clinical vaccine trial will not receive direct medical benefit from this lab-based mouse model research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could speed up identification of HIV vaccine candidates that elicit protective human-like antibody responses, bringing promising vaccines closer to clinical trials.
How similar studies have performed: Previous humanized mouse models have enabled important HIV research but often produced weak vaccine antibody responses, so this approach builds on prior work but remains experimental.
Where this research is happening
Nashville, United States
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center — Nashville, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Goettel, Jeremy Allen — Vanderbilt University Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Goettel, Jeremy Allen
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.