Pinpointing weak spots in the Kaposi sarcoma herpesvirus to help create a vaccine
Official title: Defining Critical Sites of Vulnerability and Correlates of Protection to Kaposi Sarcoma Associated Herpesvirus to Inform Vaccine Design
Funded at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center · NIH-11164636 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers will map where protective antibodies attach to the Kaposi sarcoma–associated herpesvirus and test whether those antibodies can block infection, aiming to help people at risk for Kaposi sarcoma, especially people living with HIV.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Seattle, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2024 |
| Project end | July 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $768,047 |
| NIH project number | 5U01CA295050-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11164636 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for contributing samples or being future trial participants would include people living with HIV, people known to carry KSHV, and groups with higher KSHV exposure such as men who have sex with men or residents of high-prevalence regions.
✕Less likely to help
People without KSHV exposure risk or those seeking immediate treatment for existing Kaposi sarcoma are unlikely to gain direct clinical benefit from this preclinical and laboratory-focused work.
What this research studies
This project uses stored blood and immune-cell samples from people with and without Kaposi sarcoma to see which antibodies stop the virus. Scientists will make viral surface proteins in the lab and remove specific antibodies from blood samples to find the ones that matter. They will isolate individual neutralizing antibodies and study their structures to find exact vulnerable sites on the virus. Promising antibodies will be tested in a small animal model to see if they can prevent infection and guide vaccine design.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could guide development of a vaccine that prevents KSHV infection and reduces Kaposi sarcoma and related cancers, especially for people with HIV and in high-prevalence regions.
How similar studies have gone: Antibody-mapping and monoclonal antibody approaches have helped vaccine design for other viruses, but clear protective targets for KSHV are still largely unproven and this work is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
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Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center
Seattle, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Mcguire, Andrew — Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center
- Study coordinator: Mcguire, Andrew
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Precision 3D Imaging to Monitor Kaposi Sarcoma (KS) with SkinScan3D
A new portable 3D imaging tool called SkinScan3D will help doctors measure KS skin lesions more accurately and quickly, especially in people living with HIV.
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Precision 3D Imaging to Track Kaposi Sarcoma (KS) with SkinScan3D
A new 3D imaging tool called SkinScan3D helps doctors monitor Kaposi sarcoma lesions more accurately and quickly, especially in settings with high KS burden like East Africa and in U.S. clinics with HIV patients.
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Kaposi Sarcoma care and research in Africa during ART era
A collaborative program to better understand and improve diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of Kaposi sarcoma for people living with HIV in Zambia and Tanzania.
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Kaposi Sarcoma in Africa: ART Era Research Network
A collaborative program in Africa and the United States will study Kaposi sarcoma in people living with HIV on ART to improve diagnosis, treatment, and prevention.
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Kaposi Sarcoma in Africa in the ART Era
This grant supports research to improve how Kaposi sarcoma is detected, treated, and understood in people living with HIV in Zambia and Tanzania during ART, with collaboration between African hospitals and a U.S. center.
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Faster detection and connection to care for people with HIV who develop Kaposi sarcoma in East Africa
This project aims to speed up finding people with HIV diagnosed with Kaposi sarcoma in East Africa and help them get linked to care more quickly.
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.