AIDS, which is caused by the virus called HIV, is among the deadliest diseases faced by human beings. This disease, which has killed millions of people since its first appearance in the 1980s, weakens the immune system and damages the body’s resistance. That’s why scientists have been trying to develop a vaccine against the disease for many years.
Now there has been an important development in this regard. The US-based pharmaceutical company Moderna, which also develops a COVID-19 vaccine, and the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative announced that they have started human trials for the HIV vaccine they have developed. In the news, it was stated that mRNA technology was used in this vaccine, just like in the COVID vaccine.
Tests will be performed on 56 healthy adults
According to the statements made by the authorities, clinical trials of the vaccine started on Thursday. Experts reported that the first dose was administered to volunteers from the George Washington University School of Medicine in Washington, the capital of the USA.
Noting that 56 HIV-negative adults will take part in the phase 1 studies, the authorities stated that 48 of these people will receive one or two doses of mRNA vaccine. Later, it was stated that a reminder dose would be administered to 32 of this group. It was stated that only the reminder dose would be applied to the remaining eight people. In addition, Moderna announced that it will observe the entire group for six months and plans to study immune responses at the molecular level to see if the vaccine is effective.
This vaccine, which was developed thanks to the mRNA technology used in the COVID-19 vaccine; It is planned to transform B cells, which are part of the immune system, into antibodies known as bnAbs, which are thought to be effective against the disease. In addition, it is stated that this technology can be used in vaccines to be developed against other deadly diseases such as malaria and may lead to important developments in the medical world.
47350
