HIV Vaccine Studies

National Institute Of Allergy And Infectious Diseases

Investigators

Linked publications, trials & patents

Abstract

Two HIV vaccine clinical protocols, VRC 020 and VRC 021, were reviewed by a panel of scientific experts during the process of intramural scientific review as per policy of the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. VRC 020 is a clinical protocol that will evaluate an epitope-focused HIV vaccine priming regimen to determine if this regimen is safe and tolerable and if it can elicit neutralizing responses to conserved epitopes (recognition sites of the immune system) of the HIV-1 fusion peptide. VRC 021 is a clinical protocol that will evaluate the safety, tolerability, and immunogenicity of two soluble HIV-1 envelope trimer vaccines. For one of these trimer vaccines, the base of the trimer was covered with glycan (complex sugar) residues to determine if the vaccine-induced immune response can be redirected to more effective, neutralizing epitopes on the surface of the envelope trimer. We will compare the responses between the two trimers, one base-covered and one not, to determine if this approach is successful in re-directing vaccine-specific immune responses. Both studies will answer novel questions in HIV vaccine research that will contribute to the goal of developing an HIV vaccine that elicits broad neutralizing responses against multiple HIV strains. The Vaccine Research Center Clinical Trials Program is preparing to begin these trials in FY2026.