Groundbreaking trials of a new HIV vaccine… Leave a comment
A vaccine against the disease has been challenging to design earlier since the virus mutates rapidly. Moderna is hopeful that its new technology platform can help in targeting HIV like never before.
This is number 8 in Interesting Engineering’s series showcasing the best innovations of 2022. Check back to discover more about groundbreaking AI, unique solar panels, new 3D printing methods, and much more.
How does Moderna’s HIV vaccine work?
Like its COVID-19 vaccine, Moderna’s HIV vaccine works on the mRNA technology platform. Here, a small string of mRNA sequences is injected inside the cells, which then uses the cellular machinery to produce a protein belonging to the viral envelope. This way, the cell is never exposed to infecting virus, nor does the vaccine cause an infection.
Instead, the protein produced by the host cell is used to train the body’s immune response and prepare antibodies to neutralize the infection. Moderna’s HIV vaccine uses a laboratory-made mRNA sequence, referred to as eOD-GT8 60mer. Designed by researchers of the Scripps Research Institute, the protein generated using this sequence evokes an immune response from B cells to generate broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs), a defining characteristic of an effective vaccine.
The vaccine has been trialed in the U.S., where it evoked a response in 97 percent of the healthy volunteers who signed up to get the vaccine. A Phase I trial was also initiated in Africa this year.
