Vaccine strategies to trigger HIV antibodies against the virus' high-mannose sugar patch
Official title: Adjuvant, mimicry and booster requirements for shepherding the development of neutralizing antibodies to the high-mannose patch on HIV-1
Funded at Simon Fraser University · NIH-11160591 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project tries vaccine ingredients and schedules to help people at risk of HIV make broad antibodies that target a sugar-rich patch on the virus.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Simon Fraser University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Burnaby, Canada) |
| Project start | September 1, 2017 |
| Project end | July 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $487,745 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AI134299-08 |
| Project ID | NIH-11160591 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for future trials would be adults at increased risk of HIV exposure who are willing to receive experimental vaccine doses and attend follow-up visits.
✕Less likely to help
People with active HIV infection or with certain immunosuppressive conditions may not benefit from this preventive vaccine approach.
What this research studies
Researchers are designing a vaccine component that mimics a specific sugar cluster (the high-mannose patch) on the HIV envelope and linking it to carrier proteins. They will test different adjuvants and booster schedules to guide B cells toward making broadly neutralizing antibodies against that sugar patch. The team measures antibody binding, affinity, and neutralization in laboratory and preclinical models to compare designs. Successful combinations would be candidates for future human vaccine testing.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to a vaccine that helps the immune system produce broadly neutralizing antibodies that prevent HIV infection.
How similar studies have gone: Most past vaccine attempts to induce antibodies against the high-mannose patch have largely failed, so this antigen-mimic plus adjuvant strategy is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
-
Simon Fraser University
Burnaby, Canada Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Pantophlet, Ralph Alphonso — Simon Fraser University
- Study coordinator: Pantophlet, Ralph Alphonso
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.