Optimization of an innate immune stimulating adjuvant for an HIV DNA vaccine

DESCRIPTION: There is a growing consensus that protection against HIV infection will require BOTH antiviral antibody responses as well as polyfunctional CD4+ and CD8+ T cells with potent lytic activity. To stimulate the breadth, potency, and rate of response required, Profectus Biosciences intends to utilize its platform technologies based on electroporation of DNA vaccines combined with genetic adjuvants. As a step in that direction, a recent phase 1 clinical trial, HVTN-080, showed that electroporation incombination with our IL-12 adjuvant can double the CD4+ and CD8+ T cell response rate in vaccinees over electroporation alone1. Even with this success, we recognize that a truly effective HIV vaccine will require a regimen that can consistently provide high magnitude, long-lived responses at rates gt95% with as few booster immunizations as possible. We believe that adjuvants are a key to developing such a vaccine. Under a previous phase I SBIR, we identified a new class of genetic adjuvants that exploi