Teaching B cells to make powerful HIV-blocking antibodies
In vivo engineering of B cells for the secretion of HIV broadly neutralizing antibodies
This project uses gene editing to reprogram your B cells so they can produce long-lasting antibodies that block many strains of HIV.
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-11232304 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers use precise gene-editing tools (CRISPR) to insert genes for broadly neutralizing HIV antibodies into a person’s own B cells so those cells act as antibody factories. They deliver the editing tools directly to target cells using AAV-based vectors and then give HIV Env vaccines to trigger the engineered B cells to expand and mature. In early work, this approach produced durable, switched antibody responses in mice after vaccination. The goal is to generate sustained antibody levels from a small number of edited B cells to control or prevent HIV over the long term.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults living with HIV or people at high risk for HIV who meet safety and eligibility criteria for an experimental gene-therapy trial would be the likely candidates.
Not a fit: People with severe immune suppression, certain blood disorders, active infections, pregnancy, or those unwilling to accept gene-therapy procedures may not be eligible or benefit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could provide long-lasting HIV protection or control from your own immune cells rather than repeated antibody injections.
How similar studies have performed: Giving bnAbs directly or using AAV to deliver antibody genes has shown promise in animals and some human work, but directly editing B cells inside the body is a novel approach that has so far succeeded only in animal studies.
Where this research is happening
La Jolla, United States
- Scripps Research Institute, the — La Jolla, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Voss, James Even — Scripps Research Institute, the
- Study coordinator: Voss, James Even
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.