Phase I clinical trial of an intranodally administered mRNA-based therapeutic vaccine against HIV-1 infection

iHIVARNA Consortium

Research output: Contribution to journalA1: Web of Science-articlepeer-review

Abstract

Objective: The efficacy of therapeutic vaccines against HIV-1 infection has been modest, New inerts to redirect responses to vulnerable sites are urgently needed to improve these results.

Design: We performed the first-in-human clinical trial with naked mRNA (IFIIVARNA) combining a dendritic cell activation strategy (TriMix:CD40L+CD70+caTLR4 RNA) with a novel HIV immunogen sequences (HTI immunogen).

Methods: A dose escalation, phase I clinical trial was performed in 21 chronic HIV-1-infected patients under ART who received three intranodal doses of mRNA (weeks 0, 2 and 4) as follow: TriMix-100g, TriMix-300g, TriMix-300g with HTI 300g, TriMix-300 g with HTI-600g, TriMix-300g with HTI-900g. Primary end-point was safety and secondary exploratory end-points were immunogenicity, changes in viral reservoir and transcriptome.

Results: Overall, the vaccine was secure and well tolerated. There were 31 grade 1/2 and 1 grade 3 adverse events, mostly unrelated to the vaccination. Patients who received the highest dose showed a moderate increase in T-cell responses spanning HTI sequence at week 8, In addition, the proportion of responders receiving any dose of HTI increased from 31% at w0 to 80% postvaccination. The intervention had no impact on caHIV-DNA levels, however, cal-IIV-RNA expression and usVL were transiently increased at weeks 5 and 6 in the highest dose of iHIVARNA, and these changes were positively correlated with HIV-1-specific-induced immune responses.

Conclusion: This phase I dose-escalating trial showed that iHIVARNA administration was safe and well tolerated, induced moderate HIV-specific T-cell responses and transiently increased different viral replication readouts. These data support further exploration of iHIVARNA in a phase II study. Copyright (C) 2018 The Authon(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.

Original languageEnglish
JournalAIDS
Volume32
Issue number17
Pages (from-to)2533-2545
Number of pages13
ISSN0269-9370
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2018

Keywords

  • HIV
  • HIVACAT immunogen
  • naked mRNA
  • therapeutic vaccine
  • TriMix
  • GAMMA ELISPOT ASSAY
  • PRECLINICAL EVALUATION
  • DIRECT-INJECTION
  • SAFETY
  • CARE
  • IMMUNOGENICITY
  • IMMUNIZATION
  • PREVENTION
  • RESERVOIR
  • EFFICACY

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