# B Cell Bioinformatic Supplement: HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN)

> **NIH NIH UM1** · FRED HUTCHINSON CANCER CENTER · 2024 · $330,961

## Abstract

Project Abstract
Project Title: B-Cell Bioinformatics and Analytics for the HVTN Discovery Medicine Program
This proposal outlines the scientific agenda for the HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN) Statistical and
Data Management Center (SDMC) to expand our capacity in carrying out B-cell bioinformatics and
analytics work. This effort is aimed at supporting the increasing demands of the rapidly growing HVTN
Discovery Medicine Program which is poised to evaluate more than 15 protocols in the current HVTN
grant cycle.
Given the promising outcome of several broadly neutralizing antibody (bnAb)-inducing vaccine
immunogens which have demonstrated initial success in eliciting tier 2 heterologous neutralization
antibodies and expanding HIV-1 bnAb precursors, we recognize that it is strategically crucial to evaluate
additional vaccine candidates. These candidates should pair prime and boosting immunogens carefully
selected to optimally mature B-cell responses towards broad neutralization against HIV. To accomplish
this, it is imperative to evaluate and down-select immunogens using assays that provide both cellular-
and molecular-level information about evolution of vaccine-induced B-cell repertoires. Addressing these
needs necessitates the establishment of robust and standardized computational and analytical pipelines
adapted to interrogate B-cell phenotyping (BCP) and B-cell receptor (BCR) sequencing data.
The HVTN SDMC has made significant progress since 2020 in developing various aspects of the
computational and analytical pipeline that supports its Discovery Medicine Program. However, the
SDMC’s funding has become insufficient to meet the critical strategic requirements of the program,
particularly those needed to expedite the generation of reports and datasets summarizing BCP and BCR
sequencing data to vaccine developers. These reports are critical to accelerate the design and down-
selection of boost immunogens required to continue guiding affinity maturation of vaccine-induced B-
cells toward neutralization against HIV. These reports are also central to quickly guiding programmatic
decisions from the HVTN and NIAID leaderships. This funding shortfall is primarily attributed to the
escalating complexity of research studies, the iterative nature of immunogen designs, the increased
number of studies in the pipeline, and the expectation that summaries and interpretation of these
complex laboratory data should be distributed quickly. Consequently, the HVTN SDMC is seeking
supplemental funding for Fiscal Years (FY) 2024 through 2027 to bolster the success of the HVTN
Discovery Medicine Program.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 11082695
- **Project number:** 3UM1AI068635-19S1
- **Recipient organization:** FRED HUTCHINSON CANCER CENTER
- **Principal Investigator:** Peter B. Gilbert
- **Activity code:** UM1 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $330,961
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2024-08-09 → 2026-11-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11082695

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 11082695, B Cell Bioinformatic Supplement: HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN) (3UM1AI068635-19S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-12 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/11082695. Licensed CC0.

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