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Moderna’s HIV vaccine has officially begun human trials

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Re: Moderna’s HIV vaccine has officially begun human trials

#61

Post by ipnon »

tacLog wrote: post #53
unnouinceput wrote: post #26

Quoted post unavailable.

It's important to remember that any community can spread it. Needle sharing among intravenous drug users comes to mind. However, you can't deny that HIV has struck a generational blow upon the LGBTQ+ community. If this works it will be the end to an era of fear. Many will remember those that where lost and wish this only happened sooner. A new reason to celebrate is underselling the impact this will have.

It seems to me like lumping lesbians and the queer into this calculus is a little insensitive because it was almost exclusively gay men and trans women who bore the brunt. I'm sure this press release ran by a publicist who said, "we have to use all the letters or else we'll get torn to shreds on Twitter."

Re: Moderna’s HIV vaccine has officially begun human trials

#62

Post by mlyle »

siver_john wrote: post #57
f6v wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I’m not familiar with vaccine tech. Can’t you grow the peptide of interest and package it in a traditional vaccine?

Strictly speaking you can, and not knowing the exact reasons this approach is moved to human trials where others have not, I can only conjecture. However, the mRNA vaccine may be more stable in a way that makes it easier to make or store or for entrance into the body. Not to mention purification steps may be easier. You don't need to make this in some exotic cell line which creates a protein soup you have to purify.…

> this approach is moved to human trials where others have not, I can only conjecture.

Actually, a whole lot of recombinant approaches have moved to human trials (along with viral vector approaches). They early ones showed no efficacy; the newer ones we just don't know (yet).

The main benefit of mRNA is iteration: you can try a whole lot of different protein mixes and see what works best in an animal model. A secondary benefit is that the sustained churning out of proteins for a few days seems to generate a much broader antibody response, making getting some of those elusive bnAbs more likely.

A big problem with killed HIV vaccines and purified fragments of HIV is that growing virus in human immune cells is extraordinarily costly, and you really wouldn't want to have some live HIV leak through your purification process. So this is why we're mostly talking about other approaches to make proteins (viral vectors, recombinant DNA in bacteria and other cells, mRNA vaccines, etc)

Re: Moderna’s HIV vaccine has officially begun human trials

#63

Post by f6v »

emiliobumachar wrote: post #32
hn_throwaway_99 wrote: post #10

As I understand it, the reason an HIV vaccine has been so difficult to create is that HIV mutates so easily. I understand the basics behind how mRNA vaccines are generated, but I don't understand why this approach would be expected to have any more success in evading the high mutation potential of HIV than other vaccine types. After all, it was even a concern with new coronavirus variants that the original Moderna va…

I definitely don't have any knowledge on the topic. Here are my crackpot opinions: 1) Maybe many or most infected have a single strain each, and a targeted vaccine to each's strain could work as a treatment, similarly to the tetanus and rabies vaccines. Even if not a full cure, could be a way to halt the disease progression with lower cost and side effects than the current treatments available. 2) HIV spreads relativ…

Regarding your second point, isn’t HIV a preventable disease? In the areas where the prevalence is in double digits, people don’t seem to be using condoms or taking other precautions. Why would they be taking vaccine every year?

Re: Moderna’s HIV vaccine has officially begun human trials

#64

Post by f6v »

abeppu wrote: post #12

I'm a bit confused by the timing of this. Here's a press release from only a couple months ago, in which a Moderna partnership on an mRNA vaccine showed some benefit in macaques, but mostly in delaying infection (i.e. most macaques in the treatment group still got SHIV). Only two of seven in the treatment group actually remained uninfected. It sounded like researches wanted to refine and validate their protocol befor…

It’s hot tech, maybe driven by the desire to pump share prices.

Re: Moderna’s HIV vaccine has officially begun human trials

#66

Post by hcarvalhoalves »

hn_throwaway_99 wrote: post #10

As I understand it, the reason an HIV vaccine has been so difficult to create is that HIV mutates so easily. I understand the basics behind how mRNA vaccines are generated, but I don't understand why this approach would be expected to have any more success in evading the high mutation potential of HIV than other vaccine types. After all, it was even a concern with new coronavirus variants that the original Moderna va…

If there's less spread of any given variant (because of vaccines), you indirectly decrease the chance of mutation no? A virus doesn't mutate outside a host.

Re: Moderna’s HIV vaccine has officially begun human trials

#67

Post by techdragon »

solarkraft wrote: post #43
thesis wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not sure why you’re being downvoted all much… well actually no it’s pretty obvious. I think you’re right though. The current Covid-19 vaccines are proven to lose efficacy over time. Will the same thing happen with this one as well? It’s a good question.

> well actually no it’s pretty obvious If you think they're right you may not understand why the comment is being down voted. > The current Covid-19 vaccines are proven to lose efficacy over time. Will the same thing happen with this one as well? Like with any vaccine: Probably. > It’s a good question It's pretty besides the point. To recycle my car brakes analogy: They also lose efficacy over time, yet are widely co…

Thanks for the breaks analogy, it’s one I intend on using when talking to people I. The real world. It’s a good one given how basically everyone has either dealt with or understands this basic yet essential car maintenance issue and the nature of the appropriate response.

Re: Moderna’s HIV vaccine has officially begun human trials

#68

Post by Jenk »

Vrondi wrote: post #27
spamizbad wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

One reason is that mRNA vaccines can be developed much faster than traditional vaccines. So the idea is you have a better chance of "outrunning" a strain.

Quoted post unavailable.

you'd rather the long term effects of HIV?

What a bizzarely banal thing to post.

Re: Moderna’s HIV vaccine has officially begun human trials

#69

Post by abletonlive »

epgui wrote: post #59
ausudhz wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not to mention the long term effects of COVID are known and way worst that what a vaccine can give you. Vaccine are building an immune response, they're not drugs that try to cope the symptoms (eg. Panadol) and they are the safest drugs out there. Is so interesting how people eat Panadol and many other drugs like candies (without reading the KNOWN side effects - which are also nasty), while they focus so much on thin…

Exactly this. I would rather take the "most unsafe" vaccine of the last 30 years than take an Advil. (I am a biochemist)

Could you elaborate on why you wouldn't take advil?

Re: Moderna’s HIV vaccine has officially begun human trials

#70

Post by 8f2ab37a-ed6c »

I wonder if we'll see HSV also addressed by this new wave of mRNA vaccines, or if it's just not top of mind for companies and researchers due to its "mostly benign" nature. At least until one's immune system starts to weaken with advanced age and it starts to cause all sorts of problems, but perhaps by then it gets swept under the "problems of aging" rug.
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