Duke researchers achieve breakthrough in HIV vaccine development

DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) -- Scientists at Duke University's Human Vaccine Institute have made a significant advance in the quest for an HIV vaccine, successfully developing a vaccine candidate that could help the immune system produce antibodies needed to fight the virus.

The research team, led by Dr. Mihai Azoitei, associate professor at the Duke Human Vaccine Institute and the Department of Cell Biology, has created an immunogen -- a substance that provokes an immune response -- that effectively guides immune cells to develop into broadly neutralizing antibodies, a critical component for HIV protection.

"When we administered our vaccine candidates, mice were able to produce the type of antibodies that we hope to further stimulate and develop to protect against the virus," Azoitei told ABC11.

The Durham-based researchers used sophisticated computational modeling and structural analysis to enhance their immunogen's effectiveness. Their innovative approach focused on increasing the frequency of specific mutations that the immunogen could trigger, ultimately leading to better antibody production.

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The team validated its findings through multiple testing methods, including biochemical analysis and trials in three different humanized mouse models specifically designed for evaluating HIV vaccine candidates. The results showed that the immunogen successfully activated diverse precursors of what's known as an HIV V3-glycan broadly neutralizing antibody -- antibodies that target a crucial vulnerability in the virus's outer envelope.

While these results mark an important milestone in HIV vaccine research, there remains a years-long road ahead. Scientists still need to develop additional vaccine doses to boost immune response and elicit similar protective antibodies for other regions of HIV. The research team plans to conduct further testing in primates and humans to validate its findings.

The groundbreaking research, featured on the cover of Science Translational Medicine, was supported by funding from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the National Institute of Health. The project represents another significant contribution from Duke's respected medical research community to the global fight against HIV/AIDS.