HIV/AIDS
HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) infects various cells from the immune system; it destroys or deteriorates their functions and progressively the whole immune system collapses, leaving the human body defenseless against infections. HIV is the virus that leads to AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome), which is the last stage of HIV infection.
HIV is found in bodily fluids: blood, sperm, vaginal secretions and breast milk. It is generally transmitted through sexual contacts and more rarely through contaminated blood and the use of contaminated needles. It can be transmitted from mother to child during baby delivery and breastfeeding.
With over 25 million victims, it is the fourth cause of mortality worldwide, and the leading cause of death in sub-Saharan Africa. In 2007, the number of people living with HIV was estimated at 33 million. That same year 2.7 million new people were infected with the virus and 2 million deaths were caused by HIV1.
Mymetics HIV/AIDS Preventive Vaccine
Most HIV infections are sexually transmitted2 through direct contact of a mucosal membrane infected. Therefore, mucosal tissues represent the primary HIV entry door, as for many other pathogens. Mymetics’ vaccine targets earlier transmission and infection events that take place at the mucosal level during the first minutes or hours following exposure to HIV.
Observations made on certain persons that are naturally resistant to HIV-13 infection, and in particular, an identified group of prostitutes in Kenya and Cambodia, revealed that despite their exposure to multiple HIV-1 positive individuals, they remain HIV-1 negative. This natural resistance is linked to the presence of mucosal antibodies against the HIV-1 present in their vaginal secretions. Similar resistance was also noted in males that have mucosal antibodies in their genital and rectal secretions4.
Mymetics’ aim is to transpose the mucosal antibody response in the vaccine design, therefore reproducing Mother Nature. Mymetics’ preventive HIV-1 vaccine formulation triggers not only blood antibodies but also mucosal antibodies, whereas all the other vaccine candidates are aimed only at the production of blood antibodies.
As a result, Mymetics' vaccine stimulates a defense mechanism effectively blocking entry of the virus at the mucosal level, the gateway of human infections.
Status and Next Steps
Latest results:
Mymetics performed a 12 months pre-clinical trial at ILAS (Institute of Animal Laboratory Science) in Beijing, China.
The study involved several groups of female Chinese macaques, which received multiple challenges with the live virus. The results could not have been more convincing: The group that was vaccinated with Mymetics’ preventive HIV vaccine candidate showed 100% protection, while the non-vaccinated control group was fully infected. These ground breaking scientific results have been presented at key world leading HIV congresses and have triggered strong attention from the HIV scientific community and foundations. See more
Next steps:
Mymetics is preparing for a follow-up study with Dr. Chris Miller, of the University of California, Davis, mainly sponsored through grants.
In parallel Mymetics has received approval to start it’s Phase I human clinical trial in Belgium. See more
References
1 UNAIDS, World Health Organization. 2008 Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic (2008). Report available here.
2 Chin J. The AIDS Pandemic: the collision of epidemiology with political correctness. Oxford: Radcliffe Publishing (2007)
3 There are two species of HIV known to exist: HIV-1 and HIV-2. HIV-1 is the virus that was initially discovered and the cause of the majority of HIV infections globally. HIV-2 has a relatively poor transmission capability.
4 Bomsel M. HIV-1 gp41-specific monoclonal mucosal IgAs derived from highly exposed but IgG-seronegative individuals block HIV-1 epithelial transcytosis and neutralize CD4 + cell infection: an IgA gene and functional analysis. Nature: Mucosal Immunology (2009). Article available here.