Analysing immune responses to vaccination
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Analysing humoral and cellular immune responses to vaccination during chronic infection
IRAS ID
244720
Contact name
Laura E F McCoy
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University College London
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Z6364106/2019/04/118, UCL Data Protection Office
Duration of Study in the UK
5 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Chronic HIV infection is known to impact immune responses to vaccination leading to increased susceptibility to vaccine-preventable infections. Despite the success of antiretroviral treatment (ART) for HIV in achieving near normal life expectancy, patients still achieve suboptimal responses to routine vaccinations. This is believed to be due the cumulative effect of persistent immune activation and aging on the immune responses. However, why responses to vaccination are weaker in HIV infection remains incompletely understood at a cellular and molecular level.
Studies of licensed vaccines, such as the seasonal influenza vaccine, present a valuable model to study post vaccine cellular and antibody responses. We aim to dissect the detailed molecular pathways which result in weakened immune responses in HIV-infected individuals and to identify the determinants of impaired antibody and cellular immune function. A better understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying weaker vaccine responses during chronic infection will enable us to optimise future vaccination strategies and impact design of new vaccines. Moreover, it will inform the implementation of vaccination in other groups that have sub-optimal vaccine responses such as the elderly and HIV-negative immunocompromised individuals.
REC name
South Central - Hampshire B Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
19/SC/0423
Date of REC Opinion
21 Nov 2019
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion