Investigating how B cells respond to HIV vaccines in infants
Official title: Core C: B Cell Core
Funded at Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill · NIH-11059125 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how babies' immune systems create special antibodies to fight HIV, by giving infant macaques certain vaccines and tracking how their immune responses develop over time, with the hope of improving future HIV vaccines for young people.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chapel Hill, United States) |
| Project start | June 1, 2023 |
| Project end | March 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $252,829 |
| NIH project number | 5P01AI178377-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11059125 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for participation or benefit from this research would be infants and young children at risk of HIV infection.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are older than 21 years or those who are not at risk for HIV may not receive any benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research focuses on understanding the development of broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) in infants, particularly how their unique immune systems generate diverse antibody responses to HIV. The study will involve immunizing infant macaques with specific HIV vaccine candidates and analyzing the resulting B cell and antibody responses over time. Researchers will utilize advanced techniques like single-cell RNA sequencing to characterize the evolution of these immune responses and their relationship with innate immunity and microbial interactions. The goal is to enhance future HIV vaccine strategies, especially for young populations.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to improved HIV vaccines that are more effective in eliciting strong immune responses in infants.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown promise in understanding B cell responses to HIV, but this specific approach focusing on infants is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
-
Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: De Paris, Kristina — Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
- Study coordinator: De Paris, Kristina
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.