Until a few months ago, the general population did not know what an mRNA-type vaccine was, however, the rise of vaccines as a tool to fight the COVID-19 pandemic has put this term on everyone’s lips, since those developed by Moderna and Pfizer use this technique against SARS-CoV-2. Now the US biotech company Moderna has announced that it will begin human trials of its mRNA HIV vaccine.
And it seems that messenger RNA technology could have many uses and could be used to fight other diseases. According to the statement released by Moderna, its new clinical trial is possible thanks to the collaboration with the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI), a non-profit scientific organization, and with Scripps Research, a medical research center .
The first doses of this experimental vaccine will be administered at four centers in the United States where 56 healthy, HIV-negative adults are enrolled and will participate in the trial. The objective to be achieved with this study is to check whether a series of changes occur in the immune system that could protect against the development of AIDS caused by the HIV virus and to validate its safety, which will be controlled during the six months after the last injection.
A hope 40 years after the first case of AIDS
What the authors want to test is whether administration of these vaccines with mRNA-delivered stimulators and enhancers of HIV immunogens could induce a range of B-cell responses and guide their early maturation into the creation of broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs). The induction of bnAbs is considered a goal of HIV vaccination and this is the first advance in that process. The immunogens being tested in these injections are based on technology that instructs cells to make proteins against the disease-causing pathogen.
The purpose of the study is to find out if a series of changes occur in the immune system that could protect against HIV
“At Moderna, we believe that mRNA offers a unique opportunity to address critical unmet public health needs around the world. We believe this program in partnership with IAVI and Scripps Research is an important step in our mission to harness the potential of mRNA to improve human health,” said Dr. Stephen Hoge, company president of Moderna.
“We are pleased to be part of this effort that aims to induce the next step in B cell maturation towards the goal of generating antibodies that can neutralize a wide range of HIV variants. Immunogens will be needed to guide the immune system down this path, but this combination of priming and boosting could be the key first element of an eventual HIV immunization regimen,” said David Diermert, principal investigator of the trial.
For his part, Mark Feinberg, president of IAVI, has stated that “the search for an HIV vaccine has been long and challenging, and having new tools in terms of immunogens and platforms could be the key to achieving rapid and effective progress. ”. If it is shown that this vaccine is effective and safe for people, we would be facing a great step in the fight against HIV, because since the first case of AIDS was detected -40 years ago- there have been many investigations on the subject that have failed.
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