Recent research on DNA vaccines shows significant advances in the treatment of HIV but also of hepatocellular carcinoma, one of the deadliest cancers. These findings represent a major breakthrough in the use of RNA and DNA vaccines.
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Although curing HIV remains the exception rather than the rule, significant advances have been made in vaccine research, particularly those that use DNA as the main component. Meanwhile, hepatocellular carcinoma, an aggressive form of liver cancer and one of the deadliest cancers in the world, is also the focus of this groundbreaking research. These studies have tested innovative DNA vaccines against these two devastating diseases and the initial results are extremely promising. They were published in the journal Molecular therapy nucleic acids.
Very promising results for HIV and…
The principle of nucleic acid vaccines is based on a strategy where the body produces the targeted antigen itself. This production initiates the creation of specific antibodies as part of the adaptive immune response. A major challenge in this process is getting the DNA into the right place in the cell. It was necessary to develop a new vector, a means of transport. Vector 704 was designed by the authors. It was tested in two distinct pathological contexts: HIV infection in mice and hepatocellular carcinoma in macaques.
In mice, the use of the 704 vector and the appropriate DNA sequence triggered a robust immune response, generating antibodies that block the interaction between HIV and the CD4 protein on lymphocytes. The next step will be to test the safety of the HIV vaccine in primates.
…for liver cancer
Concerning hepatocellular carcinoma, the vector proved effective in macaques presenting an immunological profile similar to that of patients suffering from this cancer. Thanks to vector 704, an intense innate immune response was triggered, inducing the production of specific antibodies and lymphocytes.
These encouraging results pave the way for clinical trials on humans starting next year. In addition, this approach, highly adaptable and easy to produce, could be applied to other infectious diseases or pathologies requiring activation of the immune system.
