Universal HIV vaccine: the objectives are clear…

Scientists have found an opportunity to create a common vaccine against all HIV strains

RIA NewsMosaic vaccine, which includes several proteins from different strains of the human immunodeficiency virus, will help create a common vaccine against all types of HIV, according to an article published in the journal Cell (Protective Efficacy of a Global HIV-1 Mosaic Vaccine against Heterologous SHIV Challenges in Rhesus Monkeys; press release Researchers Design Global HIV Vaccine That Shows Promise in Monkeys can be read on the website of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center – VM).

The genetic diversity of HIV is very high, and this is an obstacle to the development of an effective vaccine. However, Dan Barouch from Beth Israel Medical Center in the USA and his colleagues proved that the mosaic vaccine will help create an immune response against a large number of HIV virus strains.

The researchers studied the immunogenicity, that is, the ability to influence the production of protective antibodies in the body, of a mosaic vaccine consisting of the proteins gag, pol and env, which are part of HIV. Scientists have introduced a vaccine to 36 rhesus monkeys to create artificial immunity in them. Next, the researchers infected the animals with a hybrid monkey and human immunodeficiency virus and tested how the vaccine works.

As a result, five monkeys died in the control group of 12 macaques, and none of the "immunized" animals died, although by the end of the study most of them had actually become infected. At the same time, the researchers note, the dose of the injected virus was much higher than a person can actually get – nevertheless, the probability of the disease decreased by 87-90% every time monkeys were exposed to this difficult virus to neutralize, and the level of protection against it was the higher the more antibodies fought against it.

The authors of the article suggest that on the basis of a mosaic vaccine, it will be possible to develop a "common" vaccine that would protect against all HIV strains. But to confirm this assumption, further experiments will be required, including on volunteers. "The clinical aspects of the data obtained are not yet known – it will be necessary to test the effectiveness of (the vaccine) in humans," the researchers noted.

Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru25.10.2013