Human trials of a messenger RNA HIV vaccine begin

The first doses of a vaccine against VIH using messenger RNA technology have been administered to humans, US biotech company Moderna and the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative announced Thursday.

The so-called phase 1 trial Despite four decades of research, scientists have yet to develop a vaccine against this disease that kills hundreds of thousands of people every year.

However, the recent successes of messenger RNA technology, which has enabled the development of COVID-19 vaccines in record time, including the one from Moderna, have raised hopes.

The target of the vaccine being tested is (bnAb), capable of acting against the numerous circulating variants of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.

The vaccine aims to educate the B cells, which are part of our immune system, to produce these antibodies.

To do this, the trial will test the injection of an initial immunogen, that is, a substance capable of eliciting an immune response, and a booster immunogen injected later. They will be delivered via messenger RNA technology.

“The is widely considered a target for HIV vaccination, and this is a first step in that process.”says the statement.

“Other immunogens will be needed to guide the immune system on the right path, but this combination of a booster and an enhancer could be the first key component of a potential HIV vaccine regimen,” said David Diemert, lead scientist on the trial at one of the four centers where the trial is being conducted, George Washington University.

The immunogens used were developed by the organization of scientific investigation International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) and the Scripps Research Institute, with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the US National Institute of Infectious Diseases (NIAD), and Moderna.

Last year, a first trial, in which messenger RNA was not used, but instead tested the first immunogen, showed that . The next step was to collaborate with Moderna.

“Given the speed with which messenger RNA vaccines can be produced, this platform offers a more flexible and responsive approach to testing and designing a vaccine,” the statement states.

“The search for an HIV vaccine is long and difficult, and having new tools in terms of immunogens and platform could be key to moving forward quickly,” said Mark Feinberg, director of IAVI.

In 2020, 37.7 million people were living with HIV in the world and 680 thousand people died from AIDS-related illnesses in 2020. Since the beginning of the epidemic, 36.3 million have lost their lives due to this cause, according to UNAIDS.

In Peru, some 87,000 people live with HIV and about 70,000 are receiving treatment. Some 800 Peruvians die each year from AIDS-related illnesses, according to the Minsa.

With information from AFP