HIV Vaccine On The Way: Immune Responses Provide New Clues For Vaccine Development

Researchers have gathered new information which could lead to developing a potential HIV vaccine, according to a recent study at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

The research contains new information about immune responses associated with, and potentially responsible for, protection from HIV infection, which could enable researchers to develop a potential vaccine for the deadly virus, according to a news release.

In 2009, results from the RV144 trial provided the first signal of HIV vaccine efficacy - a 31 percent reduction in HIV infection among vaccinees. A team of international researchers then investigated for molecular clues to fully understand why the vaccine had a modest protective effect.

In a new outline, researchers were able to identify the types of immune responses that a preventive HIV vaccine may need to induce. In the analyses of the RV144 volunteers, the researchers found that particular vaccine induced immune responses which correlated with reduced HIV infection. They found that RV144 vaccinees produced antibodies in the immunoglobulin G (IgG) family that bind to sites within part of the HIV envelope called V1V2. These antibodies were linked to protection against acquiring HIV.

The researchers found high levels of a different type of envelope-binding antibody, known as IgA, which lacked protection against HIV infection. The evidence suggested that IgA antibodies may block the protective action of immunoglobulin G. In an experiment with monkeys, the researchers found that enhancing protective antibody activity could increase the vaccine efficiency, according to the study.

Based on the findings from human and monkey studies, the researchers believe that they can improve the efficacy of the RV144 vaccine regimen, which could have a positive effect on HIV globally.  

Related Articles 

Cancer-Causing Parasite Could Speed Up Wound Healing

Cancer Treatment: Orange Lichens, Potential Source For Anticancer Drugs

For more great science stories and general news, please visit our sister site, Headlines and Global News (HNGN).