Advancing toward a preventative HIV vaccine Across four preclinical studies, Scripps Research, IAVI, and additional collaborators make headway in stimulating the rare antibodies needed to fight HIV.
July 02, 2024
LA JOLLA, CA and NEW YORK, NY A major challenge in developing a vaccine for HIV is that the virus mutates fast very fast. Although a person initially becomes infected with one or a few HIV strains, the virus replicates and mutates quickly, resulting in a swarm of viral strains existing in a single body. But scientists at Scripps Research; IAVI; the Ragon Institute of Mass General, MIT, and Harvard; La Jolla Institute for Immunology; and additional institutions have conducted a series of preclinical trials indicating that they're potentially closer to an immunization regimen than ever before one that could produce rare antibodies that would be effective against a wide range of HIV strains.
Published in Science, Science Immunology, and Science Translation Medicine on May 16, 2024, the findings are outlined in four individual papers and build on a 2022 phase I clinical trial conducted by the nonprofit scientific research organization IAVI. The findings represent a key step forward in an immunization strategy that could protect against the virus.
All in all, these studies show that we have a good chance at creating an effective HIV vaccine we just need to keep iterating and build on these findings in future clinical trials, says co-senior author of all four studies, William Schief, PhD, who is also a Scripps Research professor; vice president for antigen design and selection, Infectious Disease Research, at Moderna, Inc.; and executive director of vaccine design at IAVIs Neutralizing Antibody Center.
The HIV vaccine strategy involves stimulating the body to produce mature broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs). bnAbs are among the immune system's key players in fighting HIV, since they can block many variants of the virus. The problem is that bnAbs produced by the human body are rare. The IAVI trial, spearheaded in part by Schief, focused on inducing the immune cells that could eventually evolve into the right bnAbs ones that could protect host cells from multiple HIV strains. These precursor immune cells, known as B cells, were stimulated with the help of a priming immunogen a customized molecule to prime the immune system and elicit responses from the correct precursor cells.
But the primer also requires additional booster immunogens to coax the immune system into producing not just precursor cells, but coveted VRC01-class bnAbs a rare and specific class of antibodies known to neutralize more than 90 percent of diverse HIV strains. Boosters are also needed for the production of BG18 another important bnAb class that binds to sugars on the HIV spike protein. That's where the new studies come in: Researchers developed immunization regimens that could prime either VRC01 or BG18 precursors, and subsequently boost those precursors further down the path toward becoming bnAbs.
The results contained in these papers are deeply exciting and further support the germline-targeting strategy to HIV vaccine development that IAVI and our partners are pursuing, says Mark Feinberg, MD, PhD, president and CEO of IAVI. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with Scripps Research and partners to advance further research building on these promising findings.
This groundbreaking science is enabled by collaboration between scientific institutions and funding partners. Without the ongoing, critical support of the Scripps Consortium for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Development (CHAVD), the Collaboration for AIDS Vaccine Discovery (CAVD), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Moderna (the manufacturer of the mRNA used in these studies), this research would not have been possible.
Priming rare antibodies
In the first study, which focused on BG18, Scripps Research scientists collaborated with co-senior authors Shane Crotty, PhD, chief scientific officer at La Jolla Institute for Immunology, and Devin Sok, PhD, former vice president of discovery and innovation at IAVI. Using a priming immunogen, they consistently primed exceptionally rare BG18 precursors in a wild-type animal model.
To confirm they were able to prime the correct precursors, the researchers then teamed up with Andrew Ward, PhD, Scripps Research integrative structural and computational biology professor and co-senior author of the study. Using cryo-EM structural analysis, they validated that the antibodies were indeed part of the BG18 class.
The fact that priming worked well in macaques suggests that it has a good chance of succeeding in humans, says co-first author, Jon Steichen, PhD, an institute investigator in the Department of Immunology and Microbiology at Scripps Research.
Steichen was also co-first author on a second study, in which mice were modified to produce a low frequency of BG18 precursors. Scripps Research and IAVI scientists, along with the team of co-senior author Facundo Batista, PhD, associate director and scientific director of the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard, used priming methods similar to the ones used in the first paper. However, a key difference was that this time, they also administered one of two boost immunogens using RNA technology. This resulted in boosting the primed B cells to adapt to recognize more native-like versions of HIV.
This study showed that we can start to walk the B cells along toward bnAb development, Steichen explains.
Supercharging the immune system into action
For the third study, Schief and his team worked with IAVI scientists, wherein they primed a mouse model with the same immunogen used in the 2022 IAVI clinical trial. This resulted in mice that produced VRC01-class precursor B cells similar to those found in people. But the researchers a
Most recent headlines
09/11/2025
Dalet today announced a transformative leap forward for media operations: Agentic Artificial Intelligence (AI) that unifies the Dalet ecosystem under one natura...
15/10/2025
One of humanity's most profound questions continues: Is there any place in our galaxy suitable for life beyond Earth? NASA intends to find out, with the hel...
15/10/2025
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({ content_source:......
15/10/2025
Scality, a global leader in cyber-resilient storage software for the AI era, today announced the advancement of its comprehensive AI ecosystem certification pro...
15/10/2025
The Hollywood Professional Association (HPA) today unveiled key highlights of the 2026 HPA Tech Retreat, scheduled for Feb. 15 19 at the Westin Rancho Mirage Go...
15/10/2025
At NAB Show New York 2025 (Stand 244), Interra Systems will showcase the future of media QC, monitoring, and captioning, highlighting its award-winning, AI- and...
15/10/2025
Grass Valley today announced that RMC BFM, part of the CMA-CGM Group and France's third-largest private media group, has chosen Grass Valley's productio...
15/10/2025
Appear, the global leader in live production technology, will demonstrate how its powerful hardware and software innovations are shaping the future of hybrid, s...
15/10/2025
Rakim to Join Berklee's Hip-Hop Hall of Fame at Signature Series Concert The rap icon becomes the latest inductee, following luminaries such as Roxanne Sh...
15/10/2025
Berklee Brings Live Music to the Head of the Charles Student artists will perform on multiple riverfront stages during the 60th anniversary of the world's...
15/10/2025
CobbTV, the government access television channel for Cobb County, Ga. recently acquired an automated playout system from Pebble, a global provider of automation...
15/10/2025
OSLO, Norway Appear, the global leader in live production technology, will demonstrate how its powerful hardware and software innovations are shaping the future...
15/10/2025
NEW YORK The NBA is making major changes to the NBA App and NBA TV as it takes control of them from TNT Sports, which has long managed the league's digital ...
15/10/2025
SAN MATEO, Calif. In what promises to be a major expansion of interactive features and personalized content on the DirecTV platform, the operator and Glance hav...
15/10/2025
SAN JOSE, Calif. Roku has launched changes to its user interface (UI) that the streaming platform says will better showcase original programming on the platform...
15/10/2025
LOS ANGELES Software-defined data storage and data services provider OpenDrives has elevated Alex Dunfey to chief technology officer, responsible for driving th...
15/10/2025
Back to All News
Revenge Series The Resurrected' Captivates Audiences Across Asia
Entertainment
15 October 2025
GlobalTaiwan
Link copied to clipboard
...
15/10/2025
Back to All News
Bringing the Best in VFX and Virtual Production Together as Eyeline
Jeffrey Shapiro
CEO, Eyeline
Business
15 October 2025
GlobalCanadaInd...
15/10/2025
Deployed by Astound Business Solutions, Harmonic's Primary Distribution Solution Ensures Outstanding Video Quality and Seamless Ad Insertion at the Edge
SA...
15/10/2025
Collaboration extends a trusted relationship as RMC BFM invests in scalable, fut...
15/10/2025
Series coming in 2026 stars Tom Vaughan-Lawlor, Justine Mitchell and Jason O'Mara released today
RT today released first look images of new comedy-drama ...
14/10/2025
SVG Europe Summit 2025: All Sessions Now Available to Watch on SVG PLAYNetworking event that preceded IBC2025 shone a light on elite live sports innovation acro...
14/10/2025
SVG Sit-Down: Author Rich Podolsky on Writing Madden & Summerall: How They Revo...
14/10/2025
SVG All-Stars: Michael Reiners, Coordinating Producer, FloRacingThe Illinois State grad steers a vast schedule of motorsports events at tracks across the countr...
14/10/2025
Content protection: Getting the right management for your DRM By Neal Romanek
Friday, October 10, 2025 - 10:11
Print This Story
Eluvio power the EPCR'...
14/10/2025
As League Takes Over Ops, NBA TV and NBA App Add 60 Games, Weekday Studio Show, ...
14/10/2025
Time and effort: World's largest student-led broadcast prepares to go On Air...
14/10/2025
(L-R) Guest, Kimberly Robinson Jones, Geeta Gandbhir, Pamela Dias, and Takema Ro...
14/10/2025
Lossless ist jetzt mit Spotify Premium verf gbar.
Verlustfreies Audio war eine...
14/10/2025
La qualit Lossless est disponible sur Spotify Premium.
Le format sans perte de...
14/10/2025
For the seventh edition of Spotify and FC Barcelona's artist jersey series, ...
14/10/2025
Spotify is committed to bringing the best listening experience to all our users, and that includes parents and families. That's why we're expanding mana...
14/10/2025
Since its debut, the Spotify Original podcast Caso 63 has been more than just a story; it's been a cultural sensation. The science fiction thriller captivat...
14/10/2025
Desde su debut, el podcast original de Spotify Caso 63 ha sido mucho m s que una historia: se ha convertido en un fen meno cultural. Este thriller de ciencia fi...
14/10/2025
Lossless p Spotify Premium r h r.
Lossless-ljud har varit en av de mest efterl ngtade funktionerna p Spotify och nu, ntligen, har den b rjat rullas ut til...
14/10/2025
Early next year, your favorite video podcasts are getting a bigger stage. Spotify and Netflix are teaming up to bring sports, culture, lifestyle, and true crime...
14/10/2025
Last week, the 4th global Safety Day took place at all SGL Carbon sites.
This years Safety Day focused on hazardous substances. Various information events, wor...
14/10/2025
From bowser to basket, 9 in 10 Aussies are feeling the impact of rising prices
26% of households earn over $160k, but are still concerned about rising prices...
14/10/2025
New players take a bite out of big bank share as consumers increasingly value tr...
14/10/2025
56% of Aussies are looking for a coastal holiday, while 40% are planning a road ...
14/10/2025
51% of Aussies want a hybrid car and 36% want a full EV
Toyota leads the market
75% research online before a new car purchase
Sydney - October 14, 2025 - Aus...
14/10/2025
Unilever leads the market
Beverages, smartphones, and food dominate category sp...
14/10/2025
Top insurance advertisers
Biggest growth categories
Sector ad spend up 4.7...
14/10/2025
WAYNE, Pa. Private-equity firm Saothair Capital Partners said it has completed the acquisition of GatesAir through a newly-formed affiliate....
14/10/2025
Media Excel, a leading provider of encoding and transcoding solutions, today announced that Space Norway, a leading provider of satellite services and operator ...
14/10/2025
Jason Tyler has joined ZTransform, a leader in media environment innovation, as Inside Sales and Procurement Manager bringing commercial and operational focus t...
14/10/2025
14 10 2025 - Media release Tiny toys, big missions: Knee High Spies launches on ABC this November
Knee High Spies
Kids, assemble! The ABC and Screen Australi...
14/10/2025
Wuppertal October 14, 2025
University of Arizona Scales Up Broadcast Capabilit...
14/10/2025
Abu Dhabi, UAE October 14, 2025: Space42 (ADX: SPACE42), the AI-powered SpaceT...
Advancing toward a preventative HIV vaccine Across four preclinical studies, Scripps Research, IAVI, and additional collaborators make headway in stimulating the rare antibodies needed to fight HIV.
