Sneha Singhal, Jaypee Institute of information technology, Noida
Oxford University researchers have announced that volunteers have received the first HIV (Human immunodeficiency) vaccination to find an effective cure for the virus. It has been 40 years since an effective HIV vaccine has been discovered. Trials are underway to develop an effective vaccine against HIV. The first vaccinations were administered as a part of the trial.
The University of Oxford in the United Kingdom has conducted a phase-one clinical trial that started on Monday, the last week. Researchers injected the first doses of a possible HIV vaccine into volunteers. The European Aids Vaccine Initiative has undertaken a study called HIV-CORE 0052 where the vaccine was administered to 13 HIV-negative adults in their twenties to sixty-five years of age who are considered not at high risk of infection. There will be an additional booster dose four weeks later, and scientists hope that this could be a crucial step towards defeating this disease.
Mechanism of action of the vaccine:
As a mosaic vaccine, the vaccine could be used anywhere around the world and target a wide spectrum of HIV-1 strains. The HIVconsvX vaccine aims to activate T cells and direct them to infected areas. On the other hand, previous HIV vaccine candidates relied on B-cells to produce antibodies. Vaccines can be used worldwide as they combine the antibodies for many HIV strains.
Tomas Hanke, the trial’s lead researcher and Professor of Vaccine Immunology at the University of Oxford’s Jenner Institute, said that this trial marks the start of evaluating this novel vaccine strategy for HIV prevention and cure. By April of next year, researchers expect to report the trial results. Without treatment, HIV can wreak havoc on the immune system and develop into AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome), which can be life-threatening.
What does the first volunteer have to say?
In the Oxford phase 1 trial, a human rights student at the University of Oxford, Danilo Garrido Alves, volunteered after seeing a Facebook advertisement. He was the first person to receive the immunization. A modest contribution to human rights is his goal, and he is pleased to be part of what could be a historic moment in medical history by participating in it. Danilo said that even though he only received two shots and to be a (tiny) part of a potential groundbreaking thing for humanity, he feels very privileged.
Conclusion:
The purpose is to assess whether the vaccine is safe and capable of activating the immune system during phase one of the trial. By 2020, according to a U.N report suggested, the number of people infected with HIV would have dropped to 500,000. In contrast, more than 1.5 million new cases were reported last year. In the United States, AIDS first became clinically apparent on June 5, 1981, with five cases. The current prevalence of HIV infection in the United States is estimated at 1.2 million. Among those who have it, 1 in 7 are unaware they have it. HIV-positive individuals are at risk of developing AIDS, the most advanced stage of HIV infection. However, just having HIV does not guarantee that a person will develop AIDS.
Also read: New insights into malarial vaccine made of live parasites
References:
- Bagot, M. (2021, July 6). First HIV vaccines given to Oxford trial volunteers in fresh hope for 40 year fight. Mirror. https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/first-hiv-vaccines-given-volunteers-24473264
- Team, W. W. (2021, July 6). HIV vaccine trial begins at Oxford after 40 years since the first reported case of AIDS. WION. https://www.wionews.com/science/hiv-vaccine-trial-begins-at-oxford-after-40-years-since-the-first-reported-case-of-aids-396399
2 thoughts on “HIV vaccine trials re-initiated at Oxford after 40 years”