The Texas Biomedical Research Institute's researchers are working on an HIV vaccine candidate. The vaccine is injected to the mucosal lining of the rectum and vagina in order to prevent HIV entrance into the body. In the sites where the virus first enters the body's cells, the formulation then promotes antibodies against HIV. Ingeniously, the epithelium's basal cells were chosen as the vaccine's target since they continuously produce new epithelial cells to replace those that are regularly shed off. This could result in this vaccine providing long-term protection against HIV. When tested on primates, the vaccination significantly reduced viral transmission, and when vaccinated animals did contract the virus, they were considerably better able to manage the infection and shown no signs of sickness. Our best efforts to develop a reliable vaccine against HIV have failed for decades. Although anti-retroviral therapy can let persons with HIV infection lead normal lives and prevent the development of AIDS, it nevertheless necessitates lifelong adherence to these medications. However, not everyone may have access to these treatments, and access issues may arise in locations with limited resources. A vaccination that shields individuals from HIV infection in the first place and enables them to manage the virus if it does happen would be tremendously beneficial. The fact that HIV spreads across the body very quickly contributes to the problem.
In response, these researchers came up with the concept of creating a vaccine that particularly targets the mucosal lining of the rectum or vagina, which is where the virus generally enters the body. The idea is to make life difficult for the virus before it has a chance to infect the host. Marie-Claire Gauduin, a researcher engaged in the study, stated, "I had this concept as a postdoc. "I reasoned that since nobody was discussing it, it must be naive. I figured someone would have already done it because it seemed so straightforward and apparent to me. Since the vaccination is live attenuated, the viral particles inside it still have their complete genetic makeup, albeit with minor modifications to stop them from multiplying. The generated particles are referred to by the researchers as "single-cycle" vaccine viruses. These altered virus particles can enter mucosal cells but are unable to multiply and leave the cells again.The immune system can identify that these cells are "infected," therefore it produces antibodies against the virus to fight it off, preventing any actual viruses from successfully infecting the mucosa. The vaccine cleverly targets the mucosal cells that produce new cells, extending the duration of the vaccine's effectiveness. The theory is that all new epithelial cells in these areas will carry the vaccination as long as it is present in the mother cells, according to Gauduin. I didn't anticipate it working so well, but it did!
In studies on non-human primates, the vaccine candidate helped the animals avoid becoming sick in the first place. Once infected, the animals displayed improved viral control and exhibited no signs of the disease. Although it's too soon to tell if the vaccination will be effective in humans, the researchers have recently obtained funds to continue working on it.
https://www.yicare-medical.com/rapid-test/infectious-disease-tests/hiv-1-2-rapid-test-device.html