# Messenger RNA Immunogens for initiation of protective HIV non-neutralizing antibodies

> **NIH NIH U19** · DUKE UNIVERSITY · 2024 · $3,846,023

## Abstract

While HIV-1 broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) provide potent protection from HIV-1, to date they have
been difficult to induce in the setting of vaccination. A second type of HIV-1 envelope (Env) antibodies that are
easy to induce are termed non-neutralizing antibodies (NNAbs) (because they are not bnAbs), or called
effector antibodies, because they mediate a myriad of potentially protective anti-HIV-1 effector mechanisms.
One of the 5 Phase IIb HIV-1 vaccine efficacy trials (ALVAC/AIDSVAX in RV144) showed an estimated
vaccine efficacy of 31%, with a correlate of decreased transmission risk of polyfunctional antibodies that
mediate FcR-anti-HIV-1 activities including C1 and V2-targeted ADCC. Currently there are two vaccine
efficacy trials ongoing to test the ability of an ALVAC-C, bivalent C/C gp120 boost (HVTN 702) and rAd26
prime, gp140 protein boost (HVTN 705) with hopes of inducing protective NNAbs. HVTN 702 has two wildtype
(WT) gp120 Envs as boosts, and HVTN 705 has one WT Env as boost. However, neither trial utilitize
strategies for inducing a breadth of NNAbs with boosting Env design. Thus, a key goal of current HIV-1
vaccine development is to develop the simplest and most effective vaccine that induces polyfunctional NNAbs
should either of the current efficacy trials fail to improve on RV144.
 Our overall goals are 1) to develop an ADCC mosaic multivalent Env immunogen to follow an ALVAC-C
prime; and 2) to produce ADCC mosaic Env gp120s under current good manufacturing practices (CGMP)
conditions, perform toxicity studies, and prepare an investigational new drug application (IND) for testing in an
HVTN Phase I clinical trial in man.
 Overall Specific Aim 1. Develop and produce a trivalent ADCC mosaic Env immunogen that can
follow an ALVAC-C prime and test them in the Animal Core in an ADCC mediating NNAb-unmutated
common ancestor (UCA) VH + VL mouse model and in a transmitted/founder (TF) tier 2, R5 SHIV
rhesus macaque study (RMs) (Drew Weissman, Project Lead; Barton Haynes, Co-I)
 Overall Specific Aim 2. Produce CGMP trivalent ADCC mosaic mRNA gp120 immunogens. (Thomas
Denny Project Lead; Maureen Maughan, Project Co-I)
.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10547799
- **Project number:** 5U19AI142596-05
- **Recipient organization:** DUKE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Barton F. Haynes
- **Activity code:** U19 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $3,846,023
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-01-11 → 2025-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10547799

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10547799, Messenger RNA Immunogens for initiation of protective HIV non-neutralizing antibodies (5U19AI142596-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10547799. Licensed CC0.

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