New HIV Vaccine Achieves Unprecedented Success in Preclinical Primate Study
New HIV vaccine shows unprecedented success in preclinical study
Our team at La Jolla Institute for Immunology and Scripps Research developed a groundbreaking HIV vaccine that successfully trains immune cells to produce broadly neutralizing antibodies in primates. By reversing the natural maturation process of B cells, we turned rare immune responses into common ones, marking the best antibody response ever recorded in this setting. Human trials have now commenced to test if this approach can finally protect people from HIV infection.
This has been one of those Apollo moon mission-type projects, where there is an exceptional goal and the team has to accomplish a myriad of discoveries and inventions along the way.
- iandanforth
The most interesting point of the article for me is that this vaccine appears to be a series of shots which act as a curriculum for the immune system. Each one slightly different and targeting a different stage of B-cell development. I've never thought of vaccine series working like that, so it was a new and impressive idea.
- RGS1811
While HIV vaccine research is an exciting field, it's worth pointing out that halting HIV transmission is, practically speaking, a solved problem with oral and injectable reverse transcriptase inhibitors. The ongoing loss of life and health due to HIV could be stopped if we cared enough to invest resources in wide-scale PrEP availability and public health education. Waiting for an HIV vaccine is the domain equivalent of hoping fusion power will solve our energy needs. Other solutions exist already; we just have to use them.
- croemer
The actual paper - never trust press releases from authors' institutions: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-026-10837-5
Peer review files: https://media.springernature.com/original/springer-static/es...
Independent article covering it: https://cen.acs.org/pharmaceuticals/vaccines/hiv-vaccine-can...
- khalic
Phase I trials happening now. Godspeed to them. It’s where most HIV vaccines die
- jonplackett
Can anyone explain why the body doesn’t just naturally make lots of These broadly neutralising antibodies?
It seems like they’d be so useful - so there must be a good reason there aren’t lots of them normally?
- AndrewDucker
Tested on rhesus macaques. Worked well for 44% of them.
It's a positive step, but still a fair way off for humans.
- nerdjon
I have to admit that given how many times we have been here, I struggle with being excited about any news about a HIV vaccine until we see results from humans. Just way too many times of hope.
That being said, I don't understand enough to parse this very buzzword heavy release. Is this fundamentally different than the every 6 month vaccine we have now and is a more traditional vaccine or is it just continuing on that trend?
- alightsoul
I am sure in some countries this vaccine will be made mandatory for all teenagers because the assumption is they will have unprotected sex, even if you're a loner.