Vaccines designed to trigger broad HIV-fighting antibodies
Developing Immunogens to Elicit Broadly Neutralizing anti-HIV-1 Antibodies
Researchers are creating vaccine pieces to teach the immune system to make antibodies that can block many different strains of HIV for people at risk of infection.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | California Institute of Technology NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pasadena, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11252586 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This program brings together teams to design and test immunogens—vaccine components meant to prompt broadly neutralizing anti-HIV antibodies. The Administrative Core at Caltech coordinates the projects, tracks scientific milestones, manages budgets, and handles regulatory and material-transfer paperwork. The core organizes meetings, maintains communication across labs, and prepares protocol submissions for animal and human work as candidates advance. These coordinated steps help move promising vaccine candidates from lab tests through preclinical studies and toward possible human trials.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates for eventual trials are HIV-negative adults at risk of exposure who meet specific safety and eligibility criteria for vaccine studies, and some protocols may also include people living with HIV in targeted immunogen research.
Not a fit: People seeking immediate treatment for active HIV infection or those with advanced immune compromise are unlikely to receive direct benefit from early vaccine-development activities.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could produce vaccines that protect people against a wide range of HIV strains.
How similar studies have performed: Previous vaccine efforts have produced promising antibody responses in early-stage work, but reliably eliciting broadly neutralizing anti-HIV antibodies in people remains largely unproven.
Where this research is happening
Pasadena, United States
- California Institute of Technology — Pasadena, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Bjorkman, Pamela J — California Institute of Technology
- Study coordinator: Bjorkman, Pamela J
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.