Personalized HIV Vaccine to Boost Your Own Protective Antibodies
Official title: Therapeutic vaccination to boost autologous neutralizing antibodies for ART free HIV Control
Funded at University of Pennsylvania · NIH-11395623 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A personalized vaccine approach aims to strengthen a person’s own antibodies after early HIV treatment to try to achieve control of the virus without ongoing ART.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R37 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pennsylvania NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Philadelphia, United States) |
| Project start | August 14, 2025 |
| Project end | July 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $881,967 |
| NIH project number | 5R37AI195421-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11395623 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with HIV who started ART early and have residual antibody responses may be candidates for future phases of this research.
✕Less likely to help
If you did not have early ART or have very low antibody responses, you might not benefit from this approach.
What this research studies
This grant proposes using individualized vaccine components to widen and improve the antibodies you already have against HIV after starting ART early. The project relies on newer vaccine technologies to create tailored Env immunogens and deliver them with mRNA-lipid nanoparticles. The goal is to promote antibody-driven control of the virus and enable a future where ART is not required. The work includes preclinical data and plans for translating findings toward human studies that could help people live without continuous therapy.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could extend ART-free control of HIV by enhancing your own antibodies.
How similar studies have gone: Previous antibody-based HIV vaccines are underway, but this proposal focuses on a personalized, autologous antibody-boosting strategy.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Bar, Katharine June — University of Pennsylvania
- Study coordinator: Bar, Katharine June
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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.