Does anyone know why this approach is "viewed as a rogue project by the immunology community"? Is it just because it's new, or is there something more fundamental that conflicts with established immunology?
Startup developing HIV/AIDS vaccine is 2nd nonprofit accepted into Y Combinator
11–20 of 135 posts
Re: Startup developing HIV/AIDS vaccine is 2nd nonprofit accepted into Y Combinator
#12So have they developed a vaccine, but they need money for trials, delivery..? How exactly would they go about and test if it works on humans? Are there people who volunteer to get infected with HIV?
For human trials of this nature, typically at-risk populations can be used, and it's seen if there's a reduction in infection rates.
Exactly. In this case, we're lucky enough to use an amazing clinic set up in Durban, South Africa, which has a ~15% prevalence rate of HIV.
Re: Startup developing HIV/AIDS vaccine is 2nd nonprofit accepted into Y Combinator
#13I don't get it, isn't the point of investing to get the investment back in many multiples? How do you get your investment back if it's a non-profit?
It's simple, it isn't an investment in the financial sense.
Re: Startup developing HIV/AIDS vaccine is 2nd nonprofit accepted into Y Combinator
#14Hey everyone! Ian Cinnamon here from the Immunity Project YC team. The crowdfunding link in the article appears broken (we're working on getting them to fix it). In the meantime, you can visit our campaign here:
https://pledge.immunityproject.org/
Re: Startup developing HIV/AIDS vaccine is 2nd nonprofit accepted into Y Combinator
#15So have they developed a vaccine, but they need money for trials, delivery..? How exactly would they go about and test if it works on humans? Are there people who volunteer to get infected with HIV?
> How exactly would they go about and test if it works on humans?
Presumably, the same as the other HIV vaccines that are in trials.
> Are there people who volunteer to get infected with HIV?
There are people who volunteer for vaccine trials. They don't need to volunteer to get infected with HIV -- basically, you get a large enough experimental and control group, study risk factors in the groups, and track infection rates, and evaluate whether, based on that, the vaccine reduces infection rates.
Re: Startup developing HIV/AIDS vaccine is 2nd nonprofit accepted into Y Combinator
#16Re: Startup developing HIV/AIDS vaccine is 2nd nonprofit accepted into Y Combinator
#17Very interesting. I noticed the article mentions that the algorithm used is "similar to the techniques of spam filtering" (paraphrasing). Would it happen to be a Bayesian Network or a logical agent?
Re: Startup developing HIV/AIDS vaccine is 2nd nonprofit accepted into Y Combinator
#18Does this mean that contracting the virus with the vaccine will give you HIV but not AIDS? What about being a carrier, would you still be a carrier?
If you're vaccinated, your body would fight off the HIV virus. You would have an upgraded immune system.
In terms of independently curing AIDS, although the vaccine has therapeutic potential, it mostly likely applies only to those particular individuals living with HIV who have normal immune systems – i.e. those successfully managed on HAART medications. The vaccine may prevent AIDS, but it will not cure AIDS.
Re: Startup developing HIV/AIDS vaccine is 2nd nonprofit accepted into Y Combinator
#19That'll never work. It has to involve social media somehow. Or apps.
Re: Startup developing HIV/AIDS vaccine is 2nd nonprofit accepted into Y Combinator
#20Lest anyone be confused by that headline, there are 6 other nonprofits in the current batch. So there is a 7-way tie for 2nd nonprofit.
Well done, pg.