In vitro autologous vaccine development to activate HIV reservoirs
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A pilot in vitro study to examine autologous cloned viral vaccination as a method of reactivating HIV reservoirs.
IRAS ID
141660
Contact name
Sarah Fidler
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Imperial College London
Research summary
Researchers in the field of HIV cure have shown that in addition to current anti–retroviral therapy (ART) other ways of encouraging the immune system may be required to help clear the HIV reservoir. This study is going to try and design a new HIV “vaccine” that will be made by scientists from stored samples of blood from a time before a patient started ART. In those same patients that are now on treatment the virus will be controlled by the drugs and the patients’ immune system will be strong. This study would like to test if we can activate the immune system to remove the reservoir cells. Using a new research laboratory approach this study will test if the investigators can design a vaccine based on the patient’s own virus. The research team will then take additional blood samples to see if this vaccine can encourage the immune cells to react better and in a stronger way to the patient’s own virus in a test tube. Patients will continue on their ART throughout this study as this will give them the best chance of having a strong immune system.
REC name
London - Westminster Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
14/LO/0623
Date of REC Opinion
14 Jul 2014
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion