# Polyclonal Bi-Specific Vectored ImmunoTherapy to Functionally Cure HIV Infection

> **NIH NIH DP1** · MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL · 2024 · $1,052,100

## Abstract

Project Summary / Abstract
 This proposal describes the framework of a DP1 grant for Alejandro B. Balazs, PhD.
Dr. Balazs is currently an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School and a principal
investigator at the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT & Harvard. Dr. Balazs' research is focused on
engineering the immune system via gene transfer as a novel means of creating protection against
infectious disease. This proposal represents an entirely new research direction for his laboratory
and is focused on the creation of vectors capable of producing multi-specific polyclonal antibodies
in vivo which can neutralize both the highly-mutable HIV-1 virus as well as addictive substances.
These will test the hypothesis that engineered polyclonal immune responses can permanently
suppress HIV-1 infection more effectively than separate antibodies. The proposal aims to test this
concept by first comparing multiple designs of vectors engineered to produce multi-specific
antibodies that can both neutralize HIV in a series of cell-based assays. Designs with optimal
activity will advance to testing in both mouse and non-human primate models to identify those
with maximal expression potential in vivo. Optimal designs will be tested in animal models of HIV-
infection. These experiments aim to determine whether polyclonal engineered immune responses
can more effectively control HIV replication than multiple individual antibodies while resisting the
emergence of escape mutants to achieve a functional cure of HIV infection in people with
substance use disorders. Such a finding would have profound implications for treatment of HIV in
the context of substance use disorder offering an improved therapeutic intervention against HIV,
particularly for people who are unable to comply with existing antiretroviral drug regimens.
Moreover, this technology will also test the development of a single therapeutic intervention
targeting both HIV and addictive substances, to improve health outcomes for people living with
HIV with underlying substance use disorders, consistent with the mission of NIDA and the NIH.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10907887
- **Project number:** 1DP1DA060607-01
- **Recipient organization:** MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL
- **Principal Investigator:** Alejandro Benjamin Balazs
- **Activity code:** DP1 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $1,052,100
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-05-15 → 2029-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10907887

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10907887, Polyclonal Bi-Specific Vectored ImmunoTherapy to Functionally Cure HIV Infection (1DP1DA060607-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-28 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10907887. Licensed CC0.

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