Membrane Env liposome vaccine to prompt broad HIV-fighting antibodies
Leveraging membrane Env liposome vaccine design to elicit multi-target cross-neutralization of HIV
This project tries to teach the immune system to make powerful, wide-ranging antibodies against HIV using a new liposome-based vaccine approach.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Scripps Research Institute, the NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (La Jolla, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11285426 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers are designing membrane Env liposome vaccines that present engineered HIV proteins to prime the immune system to make broadly neutralizing antibodies. They use germline-targeting changes to engage rare B cells and test responses in engineered mice and rhesus macaque models before any human work. The team will focus on multiple vulnerable sites on the virus, including the CD4-binding site and the fusion peptide, to seek cross-protection against diverse HIV strains. Results will guide whether this vaccine design could move into human testing.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates would be people at risk for HIV infection or volunteers willing to take part in future vaccine trials once human testing begins.
Not a fit: People already living with chronic, well-managed HIV infection are unlikely to gain direct benefit from this preclinical vaccine research in the near term.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could lead to a vaccine that protects people against many different strains of HIV by producing broadly neutralizing antibodies.
How similar studies have performed: Other germline-targeting vaccine efforts have shown promising immune responses in animal models and early human priming studies, but this specific membrane liposome approach is relatively new and experimental.
Where this research is happening
La Jolla, United States
- Scripps Research Institute, the — La Jolla, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Zwick, Michael B — Scripps Research Institute, the
- Study coordinator: Zwick, Michael B
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.