Collaboration for AIDS Vaccine Discovery (CAVD): Harnessing Innate Immunity to Enhance the Immunogenicity of HIV Vaccines
Experimental evidence has found that vaccine adjuvants trigger specific molecular pathways of the innate immune system, ultimately shaping the long-term adaptive immunity that defines vaccine-induced protection against infection. In an effort to accelerate HIV vaccine development, we have formed a partnership with several academic, biotech, and industry leaders to understand how innate immunity can enhance vaccine-induced immunity. Using systematic multiparameter flow cytometric and genomic approaches, we aim to identify the aspects of innate immunity targeted by current and novel adjuvants and vectors in vitro and in vivo and determine the impact of these innate responses on the subsequent HIV vaccine-induced T-cell and antibody responses. The most promising new concepts identified will be subsequently tested in a human clinical trial using the most relevant adjuvants and vectors.
