hsp70-vaginal vaccine

Cervico-vaginal hsp70-gp140 conjugate vaccine against HIV / AIDS

Mucosal immunology and mucosal vaccines are a key research interest in the Institute. Prof David Lewis was lead participant for the Institute's role as a clinical site for the evaluation and testing of novel vaccine strategies to deliver antigens via mucosal surfaces in the 5th Framework programme "MUCIMM".

Following the successful completion of 'MUCIMM' the Institute has again been selected as the sole clinical test site for Phase 1 vaccine trials of TB and HIV mucosal vaccines in the €15 million "MUVAPRED" integrated programme from 2004 - 2009. A total of €1.1 million is earmarked to the Institute to conduct up to 5 clinical trials . Prof David Lewis is sub-project coordinator for human studies, GMP and clinical trials within the MUVAPRED integrated programme. For further information contact Prof David Lewis or see the MUVAPRED website.

The third MUVAPRED vaccine to be introduced into a Phase 1 clinical trial coordinated by the Institute (Chief Investigator Prof David Lewis) will be a cervico-vaginal vaccine composed of a subunit HIV env Clade C antigen conjugated to hsp70 developed by Professor Thomas Lehner at KCL, and Prof Mahavir Singh at LIONEX, with 40 volunteers undergoing a vaginal prime-boost protocol. GMP manufacture by BIOMEVA and toxicology testing by LPT Hamburg is complete, and a trial funded by the EUROPRISE FP7 Network Of Excellence is scheduled for Q4 2010 at St George's.

Related publications

Bogers WM, Bergmeier LA, Oostermeijer H, ten Haaft P, Wang Y, Kelly CG, Singh M, Heeney JL, Lehner T. CCR5 targeted SIV vaccination strategy preventing or inhibiting SIV infection. Vaccine. 2004 Aug 13;22(23-24):2974-84.

Bogers WM, Bergmeier LA, Ma J, Oostermeijer H, Wang Y, Kelly CG, Ten Haaft P, Singh M, Heeney JL, Lehner T. A novel HIV-CCR5 receptor vaccine strategy in the control of mucosal SIV/HIV infection. AIDS. 2004 Jan 2;18(1):25-36.