RNA and viral-vector vaccine to boost immune protection against HIV
Investigating the Protective Efficacy of SIV/HIV T and B cell Immunity Induced by RNA Replicons
['FUNDING_R01'] · MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL · NIH-11306069
This project develops a vaccine approach using RNA and harmless viral vectors to train the immune system to make strong T cells and antibodies to protect people from HIV.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_R01'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (BOSTON, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11306069 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
Researchers are designing a combined vaccine that uses structure-guided selection of stable HIV protein pieces together with two delivery methods — a chimpanzee adenoviral vector and lipid-nanoparticle mRNA — to stimulate both CD8+ T cells and neutralizing antibodies. The team uses structure-based network analysis to choose viral targets that are less able to mutate, with the aim of focusing immune responses on conserved regions. Early work in rhesus macaques has shown strong T cell responses to those targets and robust trimer-specific antibody responses, and the project will refine these immunogens and delivery approaches. The overall goal is to develop a preventive vaccine strategy that can move toward human testing if preclinical results are favorable.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates for future trials would be people at risk of HIV infection or healthy volunteers willing to enroll in vaccine safety and efficacy studies.
Not a fit: People already living with HIV are unlikely to benefit from this preventive vaccine approach, and individuals with severe immune compromise may not respond well.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to a preventive HIV vaccine that lowers the chance of infection by eliciting durable T cell and antibody protection.
How similar studies have performed: Adenoviral and mRNA vaccine platforms have produced promising immune responses in animal models and early human studies, but no vaccine has yet reliably prevented HIV infection in large-scale trials.
Where this research is happening
BOSTON, UNITED STATES
- MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL — BOSTON, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: GAIHA, GAURAV DAS — MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL
- Study coordinator: GAIHA, GAURAV DAS
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.
Conditions: Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome Virus, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome Virus