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Author Topic: HIV Vaccine Using Cytomegalovirus (CMV)  (Read 32400 times)

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Offline geobee

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HIV Vaccine Using Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
« on: May 11, 2011, 12:16:30 pm »
Here are the links to the story below -- [Note: This seems like new research, but I did surf around and find a similar story from 2 years ago.  Can't tell.]

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/health-news/2011/05/11/experimental-vaccine-could-cure-hiv-aids-115875-23123219/
http://www.pamojaconsulting.co.uk/05/uncategorized/experimental-vaccine-holds-promise-for-an-hiv-cure/

The wording is almost the same.  Here's the article:

An experimental vaccine could prove to be the ultimate weapon against Aids, research suggests.
Studies indicate it has the potential to clear the body of all traces of the Aids virus, HIV.

Uniquely, the injected vaccine is carried by a persistent virus which remains in the body for life.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) enables the immune system to be constantly on the alert for HIV.

Researchers in the US used different versions of the vaccine against a monkey form of the Aids virus, SIV (Simian Immunodeficiency Virus) with outstanding results.

More than half the rhesus macaques treated responded to the point where even the most sensitive tests detected no signs of SIV.

To date, most of the animals have maintained control over the virus for more than a year, gradually showing no indication that they had ever been infected.

Unvaccinated monkeys infected with SIV went on to develop the monkey equivalent of Aids, caused by the collapse of their immune systems.

The findings suggest the vaccine could be effective enough to rid the body of immunodeficiency virus completely, according to the scientists writing in the journal Nature.

Conventional antiretroviral therapies are able to control HIV infection, but cannot clear the virus from its hiding places within the immune system’s white blood cells.

Study leader Dr Louis Picker, from Oregon Health & Science University’s Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute (VGTI), said: “The next step in vaccine development is to test the vaccine candidate in clinical trials in humans.

“For a human vaccine, the CMV vector would be weakened sufficiently so that it does not cause illness, but will still protect against HIV.”

CMV belongs to the herpes family of viruses, and like other members of the group never leaves the body once an infection has occurred.

An estimated half of all adults in the UK carry CMV but suffer no or few symptoms. The virus is spread through bodily fluids such as saliva and urine.

When symptoms do occur, they are similar to those of flu including a high temperature and swollen glands and tiredness. People with weakened immune systems can have a more severe response.

« Last Edit: May 11, 2011, 12:32:08 pm by geobee »

Offline monarc

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Re: HIV Vaccine Using Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
« Reply #1 on: May 11, 2011, 01:04:13 pm »
Wow, funny how a virus that used to be the main cause of death for people suffering from aids, could be now helping HIV being cured.

Good news that there is yet another (possible) way to tackle the virus.

Offline geobee

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Re: HIV Vaccine Using Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
« Reply #2 on: May 11, 2011, 07:13:44 pm »
A little more info from a different article.    Here's the link:

http://www.scotsman.com/news/The-cure-for-Aids-Vaccine.6766733.jp?articlepage=2

And the extra stuff that wasn't in the other articles....

Professor Robin Shattock, a professor of infection and immunity at Imperial College London, said: "The breakthrough here is in using a viral delivered vaccine that persists - essentially using an engineered virus to thwart a pathogenic virus. The tricky part will be showing it is safe and effective in humans."

Dr Wayne Koff, chief scientific officer at the International Aids Vaccine Initiative, which funded the research, said: "What's exciting about these findings is that for the first time a vaccine candidate has been able to fully control the virus in some animals.

"And surprisingly, the data suggested the possibility that the immune system could eventually eliminate the virus altogether.

"This research gives us potential clues as to how we might design an HIV vaccine for humans that would provide the same type of control. The next step is to adapt this vaccine strategy so it can be tested in human trials."

Jason Warriner, clinical director at HIV charity the Terrence Higgins Trust, said: "This is an exciting new approach, but until the vaccine has been trialled in humans, there's no way of knowing how effective it will be.

"Although this vaccine was found to be partially effective in monkeys, HIV is an incredibly complex virus, with many different strains that we are still learning about.

"While there's still no cure or vaccine, prevention is the only way of protecting yourself so you need to make sure you use condoms when having sex."

Offline MiniPozToyota

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Re: HIV Vaccine Using Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
« Reply #3 on: May 14, 2011, 04:58:26 pm »
How Long does the trails take once they have given it to humans? just wondering thanks
April 2010- tested neg.
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July 27 2011- Started Atripla
(Meds are good) needed more space to update been UD now for three years. Current down below
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Offline John2038

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Re: HIV Vaccine Using Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
« Reply #4 on: May 15, 2011, 06:24:35 am »
More than half the rhesus macaques treated responded to the point where even the most sensitive tests detected no signs of SIV.

To date, most of the animals have maintained control over the virus for more than a year, gradually showing no indication that they had ever been infected.

The findings suggest the vaccine could be effective enough to rid the body of immunodeficiency virus completely, according to the scientists writing in the journal Nature.


If that is not an breakthrough ...

Offline geobee

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Re: HIV Vaccine Using Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
« Reply #5 on: May 15, 2011, 01:59:53 pm »
I participated in an on-line chat with Drs. Deeks, Fauci, and Margolis -- heavy hitters to be sure.  We were allowed to submit questions, I asked a question re: the CMV-based virus.  And Dr. Fauci said it was a very sound, well-constructed study. 

They are currently working on creating a weaker CMV-based virus (with HIV proteins stitched in) that will still activate the immune system against HIV.  Dr. Picker (the lead scientist) said something in an article to the effect of "this work is well underway" and then something about 3-4 years until it gets into a clinical trial.

This type of vaccine is not without controversy -- giving someone a virus to solve another?  Permanently activating the immune system by introducing a second virus?   I don't really understand what is controversial myself, since most people end up being carriers of the CMV virus anyway. 

Offline John2038

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Re: HIV Vaccine Using Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
« Reply #6 on: May 15, 2011, 02:59:47 pm »
Thank you geobee.
There is no official transcript of your chat (but hey, no reasons at all to put in doubt your words), but tonight, i personnaly want to take it as granted :)

So thanks for sharing this interesring input! That things rock in Monkey. Fingers crossed for the human trial!

Offline jeezx

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Re: HIV Vaccine Using Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
« Reply #7 on: May 16, 2011, 05:52:30 pm »
this vaccine is not meant for people already infected. right?
anyway, hope they make it.

Offline John2038

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Re: HIV Vaccine Using Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
« Reply #8 on: May 19, 2011, 01:01:55 pm »
@MiniToyotaPoz
There is still a long way to go. Researchers must now reformulate the vaccine for use on humans, then test it again. The process is expected to take about eight years accordingly to the Researchers.

@jeezx
The findings suggest the vaccine could be effective enough to rid the body of immunodeficiency virus completely, according to the scientists writing in the journal Nature.

“The virus is actually attacked by the equivalent of combat troops, and it’s both suppressed and hopefully the cells that bear it are sought out and eliminated,” said Picker. “If (a person gets) infected, the infection gets handled, it gets controlled or gets eliminated. And they don’t have to worry about drugs, and they may never even know - almost certainly never know - they were infected.”

Offline mbpoz6

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Re: HIV Vaccine Using Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
« Reply #9 on: May 19, 2011, 03:12:29 pm »
@MiniToyotaPoz
There is still a long way to go. Researchers must now reformulate the vaccine for use on humans, then test it again. The process is expected to take about eight years accordingly to the Researchers.

@jeezx
The findings suggest the vaccine could be effective enough to rid the body of immunodeficiency virus completely, according to the scientists writing in the journal Nature.

“The virus is actually attacked by the equivalent of combat troops, and it’s both suppressed and hopefully the cells that bear it are sought out and eliminated,” said Picker. “If (a person gets) infected, the infection gets handled, it gets controlled or gets eliminated. And they don’t have to worry about drugs, and they may never even know - almost certainly never know - they were infected.”
Is that 8 years just to reformulate it, or 8 years to reformulate AND test on humans? And do you have a link on that where I can read about the process?

Offline Cosmicdancer

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Re: HIV Vaccine Using Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
« Reply #10 on: May 19, 2011, 03:31:22 pm »
It would be nice to know if this vaccine would eradicate an established SIV infection in monkeys if they were infected first, and then given the vaccine.  Since the monkeys were vaccinated first, then infected (and they all became infected initally although 52% showed strong indications that they were clearing the infection months later), it's not clear that it would be as effective as a therapeutic vaccine if the monkeys were vaccinated after they had an established infection.  I hope they will be testing it post-infection as well to see if they get the same results.

Also, as a preventative vaccine, even if a 52% success rate was achieved in humans, I doubt that's effective enough to lead to mass vaccinations of high risk populations.  Still, it's promising, and hopefully the vaccine can be improved upon.
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January, 2016 - Stribild, UD, 950 cd4
June, 2016 - UD, 929 cd4

Offline Tim Horn

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Re: HIV Vaccine Using Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
« Reply #11 on: May 24, 2011, 08:46:15 pm »
A concern I have is that the CMV vaccine used here was quite potent, judging by the immune response documented. Why is this a problem? Because a robust immune response to CMV may not necessarily be a good thing -- it speeds up aging of the immune system (senescence) and appears to exacerbate age-related complications in older people (click here, here, here, here and here).... two issues researchers are currently looking to remedy, not exacerbate, in people living with HIV.

The question remains, then, can researchers develop a CMV vaccine that will induce just enough immune activation to control HIV without causing untoward effects?
« Last Edit: May 24, 2011, 08:48:15 pm by Tim Horn »

Offline MiniPozToyota

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Re: HIV Vaccine Using Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
« Reply #12 on: May 24, 2011, 09:49:08 pm »
I hope some day something will come up, with this or maybe another way to make a "c", untill then I guess we can be as healthy as we can be. Im at a cd4 of 576 and june is when I test it again. Still not on meds and hopeing not to get on them, but if I do then it will be ok bc it will just help me towards controlling my virus. Thanks
April 2010- tested neg.
April 1 2011 -  CD4 346 VL 46856 22%
July 27 2011- Started Atripla
(Meds are good) needed more space to update been UD now for three years. Current down below
Jun 5 2014 - CD4 704 VL UD % 44.0

Offline monarc

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Re: HIV Vaccine Using Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
« Reply #13 on: May 25, 2011, 03:39:35 pm »
Well since 85% of people under the age of 35 already have CMV, I don't really see the problem. If I have to choose between a killer virus an a virus that causes (relatively) minor inconveniences, I'd choose the latter.

A concern I have is that the CMV vaccine used here was quite potent, judging by the immune response documented. Why is this a problem? Because a robust immune response to CMV may not necessarily be a good thing -- it speeds up aging of the immune system (senescence) and appears to exacerbate age-related complications in older people (click here, here, here, here and here).... two issues researchers are currently looking to remedy, not exacerbate, in people living with HIV.

The question remains, then, can researchers develop a CMV vaccine that will induce just enough immune activation to control HIV without causing untoward effects?

Offline lusopt

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Re: HIV Vaccine Using Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
« Reply #14 on: June 01, 2011, 05:25:54 pm »
But 8 years... i cant believe its necessary 8 years of life to start something.
15/11/06: HIV-
28/10/08: HIV +
- No Meds -
18/11/08: CD4 -650 (.......)  / -17.500 VL
01/03/09: CD4- 540 (19,6%) / - 2090 VL
17/07/09: CD4 -603 (20,1%) / - 5040 VL
27/10/09: CD4 -627 (21,5%) / - 10.896 VL
25/03/10: CD4 -609 (23,9%) / -11.602 VL
12/09/10: CD4 -555 (........) / - 55.500 VL
21/04/11: CD4 -466 (17%)   / - 50.339 VL
01/10/11: CD4 -375 (19%)   / - 73.058 VL

Started, Epzicom and Sustiva
01/02/12: CD4 -298 (23%)   / - undetectable

Offline dico

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Re: HIV Vaccine Using Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
« Reply #15 on: July 27, 2014, 02:36:20 pm »
Do somebody know when the CMV vaccine Will be tested in humans ?

Somebody here said in 2019 but I did not find anything in the Internet...


Offline Jmarksto

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Re: HIV Vaccine Using Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
« Reply #16 on: July 27, 2014, 05:28:13 pm »
In late 2013, Picker was estimating that it would take 2 years to get funding and regulatory approval for a Phase I clinical trial.  That probably means 2016 at the earliest for a trial to start.


www.aidsmeds.com/articles/aids_vaccine_conference_2042_24658.shtml
03/15/12 Negative
06/15/12 Positive
07/11/12 CD4 790          VL 4,000
08/06/12 CD4 816/38%   VL 49,300
08/20/12 Started Complera
11/06/12 CD4   819/41% VL 38
02/11/13 CD4   935/41% VL UD
06/06/13 CD4   816/41% VL UD
10/28/13 CD4 1131/45% VL 25
02/25/14 CD4   792/37% VL UD
07/09/14 CD4 1004/39% VL UD
11/03/14 CD4   711/34% VL UD
03/13/15 CD4   833/36% VL UD
04/??/15 Truvada & Tivicay
06/01/15 CD4 1100/50% VL UD
10/16/15 CD4   826/43% VL UD
??/??/2017 Descov & Tivicay
2017 VL UD, CD4 stable around 850
2018 VL UD, CD4 stable around 850

Offline geobee

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Re: HIV Vaccine Using Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
« Reply #17 on: July 27, 2014, 06:08:49 pm »
Also, he's part of a new start up company.  Presumably he's going to be looking for investors in that.  There was a 1-page website for it, but I've looked online and I can't find it.

Offline Jmarksto

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Re: HIV Vaccine Using Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
« Reply #18 on: July 27, 2014, 09:01:51 pm »
Picker will be giving an update on his research at the......wait for it......wait for it......Rotary Club luncheon in Portland on August 14.  Not exactly where we look for scientific updates, but maybe there will be some information.

https://rotarypdx.org/events/luncheons
03/15/12 Negative
06/15/12 Positive
07/11/12 CD4 790          VL 4,000
08/06/12 CD4 816/38%   VL 49,300
08/20/12 Started Complera
11/06/12 CD4   819/41% VL 38
02/11/13 CD4   935/41% VL UD
06/06/13 CD4   816/41% VL UD
10/28/13 CD4 1131/45% VL 25
02/25/14 CD4   792/37% VL UD
07/09/14 CD4 1004/39% VL UD
11/03/14 CD4   711/34% VL UD
03/13/15 CD4   833/36% VL UD
04/??/15 Truvada & Tivicay
06/01/15 CD4 1100/50% VL UD
10/16/15 CD4   826/43% VL UD
??/??/2017 Descov & Tivicay
2017 VL UD, CD4 stable around 850
2018 VL UD, CD4 stable around 850

Offline dico

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Re: HIV Vaccine Using Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
« Reply #19 on: July 28, 2014, 02:22:55 am »
Thank you all.

Offline dico

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Re: HIV Vaccine Using Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
« Reply #20 on: August 16, 2014, 05:03:38 am »
Picker will be giving an update on his research at the......wait for it......wait for it......Rotary Club luncheon in Portland on August 14.  Not exactly where we look for scientific updates, but maybe there will be some information.

https://rotarypdx.org/events/luncheons

Anybody has listened to Louis Picker? There is no script of the discussion...

Offline dico

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Re: HIV Vaccine Using Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
« Reply #21 on: August 23, 2014, 02:34:18 pm »
Nobody ?

Offline Ptrk3

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Re: HIV Vaccine Using Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
« Reply #22 on: August 23, 2014, 03:34:25 pm »
Looked all over the internet for something about the talk, a summary, news story, something, and could not find a thing anywhere, so I'm presuming nothing new was presented of any note.  Too bad.  It would be nice to get an update on the status of the research.
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Offline dico

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Re: HIV Vaccine Using Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
« Reply #23 on: August 24, 2014, 02:54:05 am »
Indeed...

Offline Jmarksto

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Re: HIV Vaccine Using Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
« Reply #24 on: August 24, 2014, 11:38:51 am »
Anybody has listened to Louis Picker? There is no script of the discussion...


I looked briefly at the rotary club site, although did not find any presentation material. I did not expect any new scientific data to be reported at the rotary club -- the real benefit of Picker presenting to that audience is to give them a basic understanding of HIV (and thus work against stigma).  We didn't expect any new science to be presented in that forum.
03/15/12 Negative
06/15/12 Positive
07/11/12 CD4 790          VL 4,000
08/06/12 CD4 816/38%   VL 49,300
08/20/12 Started Complera
11/06/12 CD4   819/41% VL 38
02/11/13 CD4   935/41% VL UD
06/06/13 CD4   816/41% VL UD
10/28/13 CD4 1131/45% VL 25
02/25/14 CD4   792/37% VL UD
07/09/14 CD4 1004/39% VL UD
11/03/14 CD4   711/34% VL UD
03/13/15 CD4   833/36% VL UD
04/??/15 Truvada & Tivicay
06/01/15 CD4 1100/50% VL UD
10/16/15 CD4   826/43% VL UD
??/??/2017 Descov & Tivicay
2017 VL UD, CD4 stable around 850
2018 VL UD, CD4 stable around 850

Offline dico

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Re: HIV Vaccine Using Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
« Reply #25 on: August 24, 2014, 08:23:44 pm »
I wanted to know when the clinical trial will finally begin. It has been six years they are working on monkeys. It has been too long

Offline zettainaoru

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Re: HIV Vaccine Using Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
« Reply #26 on: September 03, 2014, 09:12:51 pm »
Good news guys,

http://www.oregonlive.com/health/index.ssf/2014/09/oregon_health_science_universi_31.html

He received grant so the human test can begin in 2016.
And he is very confident about the results.
If he succeed it will be commercially available at 2024. Well, 10 more years. Enough time to save up my money to go to the states and get it.

His research is the one that i mostly expected!!
Why, because mass production off vaccine is easy, not that costly, and would likely fastest to reach my country.
« Last Edit: September 03, 2014, 09:19:34 pm by zettainaoru »

Offline buginme2

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Re: HIV Vaccine Using Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
« Reply #27 on: September 03, 2014, 09:55:24 pm »
Nice job to the Gates Foundation for stepping up and funding this research to the tune of >$20 million.  Thats a pretty big deal. 

I'd much prefer to be cured of my HIV from a simple vaccine than some of the other more draconian research methods that are going on right now.  That 2024 launch date is probably being optimistic.  So..10-15 more years of ARV's?  meh
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Offline zettainaoru

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Re: HIV Vaccine Using Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
« Reply #28 on: September 03, 2014, 10:02:36 pm »
Just to remember, only HALF of the monkies were cured.

I guess people that starts ARV early might be the first to be cured  (and in time all can be cured). Since I started ARV at CD4 200, I guess I must wait for the next boat.

Offline Ptrk3

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Re: HIV Vaccine Using Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
« Reply #29 on: September 03, 2014, 10:26:14 pm »
Thanks for the update, zettainaoru, and much kudos to the Gates foundation for its efforts (now I'm not so mad that Windows 8.1 is such a fuck-up).

(Obsessive) question:  though the paper says that half the monkeys were cured, was that from a single dosage of the vaccine?  In other words, for the half the monkeys for which the vaccine did not work, does giving a second dosage of the vaccine cure more, a third dosage, etc.?  Or is it a one shot deal and it either works or it doesn't the first (and only) time it is administrated?  Maybe that's what the human trials with explore.

Also, you state that since your CD4's were low and conclude, I'm presuming from your statement below, that you'd need to wait for the "next boat."  Is that true?  Did the "cured" monkeys have better CD4's--or a higher CD4 nadir--that those who were not cured by the vaccine?  Does the vaccine work in theory only on those monkeys recently infected?  Or is the paper silent on this?

Just asking if anyone knows, though maybe everything is speculative at this time.
I don't know if the paper discusses this, since the link is to the abstract only.
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Offline zettainaoru

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Re: HIV Vaccine Using Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
« Reply #30 on: September 03, 2014, 11:08:39 pm »
Yeah.. i was just assuming that my HIV reservoir is bigger since i started ARV late.
Just protecting myself from getting overexcited.

The monkeys was given the vaccine before the infection (I guess in one shot(?)). So, clearly the reservoir was soo small.

But... I dont know.... Poz people already built immune system which evolved along with the HIV mutation inside a person after they were infected.  And sadly the immune system lost to it (Except for some people that starts ARV very very early, ad elite controllers).
Our immune system already remember the virus. And probably react differently to the Vaccine. Well, Probably.

Some people that got functionally cured because they started ARV early even dont have antibody against HIV yet. But, thats another story.






Offline Ptrk3

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Re: HIV Vaccine Using Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
« Reply #31 on: September 03, 2014, 11:33:44 pm »
Thanks for responding to my questions.  I try not getting overexcited, too, and I know I obsess too much about a cure, but can't help myself yet!  I, too, was diagnosed late--little over a year ago with CD4 0f 9 and VL 111,000.  Put on Atripla right away, reached UD in about 6 weeks, CD4's rising slowly but rising.  There does seem to be a lot going on these days, so I do hope for a cure, but I need to work harder on keeping things in perspective and to be simply grateful for the medical advances so far, which have been incredible (I'm old enough to have had people I knew die in the first wave late 80's and early 90's.
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Offline dico

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Re: HIV Vaccine Using Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
« Reply #32 on: September 04, 2014, 04:20:34 am »
I'm confident about this Tcell vaccine. But it has to be combined with an antibody vaccine.

Offline Jmarksto

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Re: HIV Vaccine Using Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
« Reply #33 on: September 11, 2014, 05:34:46 pm »
Here is a Portland Business Journal article on TomegaVax, which is developing a therapeutic HIV vaccine.  Tomegavax is an outgrowth of OHSU, where Picker is working although it is not clear if Picker is part of Tomegavax or not.


http://tinyurl.com/okgz82z
03/15/12 Negative
06/15/12 Positive
07/11/12 CD4 790          VL 4,000
08/06/12 CD4 816/38%   VL 49,300
08/20/12 Started Complera
11/06/12 CD4   819/41% VL 38
02/11/13 CD4   935/41% VL UD
06/06/13 CD4   816/41% VL UD
10/28/13 CD4 1131/45% VL 25
02/25/14 CD4   792/37% VL UD
07/09/14 CD4 1004/39% VL UD
11/03/14 CD4   711/34% VL UD
03/13/15 CD4   833/36% VL UD
04/??/15 Truvada & Tivicay
06/01/15 CD4 1100/50% VL UD
10/16/15 CD4   826/43% VL UD
??/??/2017 Descov & Tivicay
2017 VL UD, CD4 stable around 850
2018 VL UD, CD4 stable around 850

Offline Jmarksto

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Re: HIV Vaccine Using Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
« Reply #34 on: September 11, 2014, 08:12:17 pm »
www.tomegavax.com


well...according to the tomegavax website Picker is part of the company
03/15/12 Negative
06/15/12 Positive
07/11/12 CD4 790          VL 4,000
08/06/12 CD4 816/38%   VL 49,300
08/20/12 Started Complera
11/06/12 CD4   819/41% VL 38
02/11/13 CD4   935/41% VL UD
06/06/13 CD4   816/41% VL UD
10/28/13 CD4 1131/45% VL 25
02/25/14 CD4   792/37% VL UD
07/09/14 CD4 1004/39% VL UD
11/03/14 CD4   711/34% VL UD
03/13/15 CD4   833/36% VL UD
04/??/15 Truvada & Tivicay
06/01/15 CD4 1100/50% VL UD
10/16/15 CD4   826/43% VL UD
??/??/2017 Descov & Tivicay
2017 VL UD, CD4 stable around 850
2018 VL UD, CD4 stable around 850

Offline Ptrk3

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Re: HIV Vaccine Using Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
« Reply #35 on: September 11, 2014, 08:26:30 pm »
Thanks, Jmarksto:  you seem to be quite knowledgeable about the state of "cure" research, maybe even have a scientific background/education.  Are you optimistic about the state of the research and the prospects for a "functional," if not "sterilizing" cure, in the next decade or so?
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Offline Jmarksto

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Re: HIV Vaccine Using Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
« Reply #36 on: September 12, 2014, 10:01:48 am »
Ptrk;


I have a background in the physical sciences, not so much in the life sciences, but have always been interested in science in general and enjoy learning.  I don't consider myself to be that knowledgeable on cure research -- for instance I knew nothing about the French/Chinese inactivated SIV w/bacteria research.  I do look forward to the annual pipeline report by the Treatment Action Group:


www.treatmentactiongroup.org/pipeline-report


My belief is that we all process our HIV life in different ways, like we all process everything else in different ways.  Given my interest in science I like to track the basics of scientific developments around HIV, although don't claim any great understanding.


In terms of my "optimism"...I think I will still be on treatment in ten years, however that treatment will look very different.  I am very optimistic about the research, perhaps less so about the development side of the R&D (which is even before commercialization, which I am less optimistic about). We are going to see some anti HIV gels and other products that will have a huge impact in the less developed parts of the world, and the monthly shots in development are indicative of where we are headed for treatment.


keep in mind, as Buginme said in anther thread, we are all amateurs so we are all just full of BS
03/15/12 Negative
06/15/12 Positive
07/11/12 CD4 790          VL 4,000
08/06/12 CD4 816/38%   VL 49,300
08/20/12 Started Complera
11/06/12 CD4   819/41% VL 38
02/11/13 CD4   935/41% VL UD
06/06/13 CD4   816/41% VL UD
10/28/13 CD4 1131/45% VL 25
02/25/14 CD4   792/37% VL UD
07/09/14 CD4 1004/39% VL UD
11/03/14 CD4   711/34% VL UD
03/13/15 CD4   833/36% VL UD
04/??/15 Truvada & Tivicay
06/01/15 CD4 1100/50% VL UD
10/16/15 CD4   826/43% VL UD
??/??/2017 Descov & Tivicay
2017 VL UD, CD4 stable around 850
2018 VL UD, CD4 stable around 850

Offline Ptrk3

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Re: HIV Vaccine Using Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
« Reply #37 on: September 12, 2014, 05:01:25 pm »
Thanks for your response.  I appreciate your taking the time to explain your thoughts to me and others.
HIV 101 - Basics
HIV 101
You can read more about Transmission and Risks here:
HIV Transmission and Risks
You can read more about Testing here:
HIV Testing
You can read more about Treatment-as-Prevention (TasP) here:
HIV TasP
You can read more about HIV prevention here:
HIV prevention
You can read more about PEP and PrEP here
PEP and PrEP

Offline xinyuan

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Re: HIV Vaccine Using Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
« Reply #38 on: September 13, 2014, 07:11:44 pm »
I've responded to Jmarksto's optimism over cure research many times before.

We have been burned using viral vectors in humans in the past. Only recently have we safely returned to using them, and only one gene therapy product using viral vectors is currently FDA-approved.

Also keep in mind reproducing the success of therapies in animals in humans is very low.

I'm glad that this is moving forward to human trials. Human trials will speak for themselves.

Offline dico

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Re: HIV Vaccine Using Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
« Reply #39 on: October 26, 2014, 03:44:49 am »
Hi,

I don't understand the difference between the Oregon institute of Louis Picker and Tomegavax of... Louis Picker.

One is developping a prophylactic vaccine while the second one is testing a therapeutic vaccine ?

I also do not understand why Louis Picker said the clinical trial will begin in 2016 while in thz other article CEO of Tomegavax said 2018...
.if someone has more knowledge please feel free to share.

Many thanks

Offline Jmarksto

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Re: HIV Vaccine Using Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
« Reply #40 on: October 26, 2014, 09:12:59 pm »
Dico;  I don't have specific knowledge of Dr. Picker's employment/ownership with OHSU and Tomegavx respectively, but I do understand his situation in general, which is as follows:

OHSU (Oregon Health & Science University) is a not-for-profit public institution and Dr. Picker is an employee. As an employee he gets a salary, and any additional funds brought into the institution are used to fund additional research (and perhaps clinical) functions.

Tomegavax is a private company, of which both Dr. Picker and OHSU have significant ownership. This is the vehicle for both Dr. Picker and OHSU to commercialize the opportunity. I would expect to see any licensing (of either the prophylactic or therapeutic) to big pharma (which is likely if/when this goes to market) to be done through Tomegavax.

http://tinyurl.com/lwegf2m

In other words, Tomegavax is a way for Dr. Picker to take a piece of the pie, which he couldn't do as an employee at a public institution.
03/15/12 Negative
06/15/12 Positive
07/11/12 CD4 790          VL 4,000
08/06/12 CD4 816/38%   VL 49,300
08/20/12 Started Complera
11/06/12 CD4   819/41% VL 38
02/11/13 CD4   935/41% VL UD
06/06/13 CD4   816/41% VL UD
10/28/13 CD4 1131/45% VL 25
02/25/14 CD4   792/37% VL UD
07/09/14 CD4 1004/39% VL UD
11/03/14 CD4   711/34% VL UD
03/13/15 CD4   833/36% VL UD
04/??/15 Truvada & Tivicay
06/01/15 CD4 1100/50% VL UD
10/16/15 CD4   826/43% VL UD
??/??/2017 Descov & Tivicay
2017 VL UD, CD4 stable around 850
2018 VL UD, CD4 stable around 850

Offline geobee

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Offline dico

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Re: HIV Vaccine Using Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
« Reply #42 on: October 27, 2014, 03:35:10 am »
Thank you very much. I have a better visibility now.

Offline dico

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Re: HIV Vaccine Using Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
« Reply #43 on: October 29, 2014, 09:49:24 am »
Research for Prevention conference opens with real hope for an HIV vaccine
Gus Cairns
Published: 29 October 2014
“There’s only one Berlin patient still. But by this time next year he will at least be joined by 40-50 Portland monkeys.”  This was vaccine researcher Louis Picker, summarising in quotable form why the outlook for the development of an effective HIV vaccine is brighter than it has been for years, in a Satellite session in advance of the HIV Research for Prevention conference (R4P) in Cape Town, which opens fully today.

Picker was speaking about his research into a vaccine which created a lot of interest before and at last year’s AIDS Vaccine conference in Barcelona (the R4P conference results from a merger between the annual AIDS Vaccine conferences and the biennial Microbicides conferences). Picker said that by next year, this number of monkeys infected with SIV, the monkey equivalent of HIV, who were also previously given a ‘replicating vector’ vaccine, will have had no detectable HIV anywhere in their bodies for more than 70 weeks – and that probably means not one single infected cell.

The rationale behind Picker’s vaccine is explained in last year’s report but in brief, it uses HIV genes packaged inside a vector – a shell of protein derived from the envelope of another virus, in this case cytomegalovirus (CMV), a ubiquitous virus of the herpes family. The vaccine works not by preventing SIV infection but by stimulating such a strong, broad immune reaction to the virus that replication in the infected monkey is suppressed, often to undetectable levels, with infected cells eventually being cleared completely.

This vaccine stimulates the cellular or CD8 branch of the immune system – the one that kills off infected cells rather than directly targeting viruses. Picker told Aidsmap why CMV is such an ideal candidate for such a vaccine,

“Firstly we know that CMV is unlikely to be dangerous. Nearly everyone has it already. Secondly, despite this, they can be infected with successive strains. Thirdly, it has evolved to generate an immune response in the body that is exactly right – it’s not one that’s strong enough to get the body eliminate it (such strong reactions cause the majority of symptoms in viral illnesses) but is just strong enough to stimulate cells to keep turning out new copies of CMV and, in the case of our vaccine, new SIV antigens. It is both harmless yet persistent, which is its strategy for survival and is what you need.”

He also seen no reason why it should not work in humans – “We have in fact given monkeys a vaccine based on human CMV and that worked too.”

The biggest mystery remains why some monkeys did not respond to the vaccine. But in the latest group of experimental animals, the odds have shifted slightly: whereas in previous groups the success rate was exactly 50%, in the most recent batch to be vaccinated, 16 out of 27 responded (nearly 60%). All but two of the monkeys who have responded to the vaccine have so far eventually lost every sign of viral infection. There were two ‘breakthrough’ infections, though in one case the monkey never developed a detectable blood plasma viral load, just immune signs that it still had viral replication occurring somewhere at a very low level.  

This vaccine, if it worked in humans, could also probably deal with re-infection with HIV.

As is well known from cases where people get treatment very early, like the “Mississippi baby”, and from bone marrow transplant recipients, HIV can seem to disappear entirely from the body and the person can become HIV-negative in an antibody test – but, off treatment, the virus has so far always eventually reappeared often after a considerable gap in time – well over two years in the Mississippi case. The one exception is Timothy Ray Brown, the ‘Berlin patient’, in whom an accidental immune reaction similar to the one engineered by Picker’s vaccine may have mopped up residual HIV-infected cells.

Picker illustrated this by showing how SIV apparently disappeared completely from a group of monkeys who were treated with antiretroviral (ARV) drugs almost immediately after infection. No replicating virus (RNA, as opposed to viral genes, DNA) was found in them by any method and in two monkeys from whom the researchers extracted large number of T-cells (30 million each), they found exactly one copy of SIV DNA in one monkey and four in another. These hard-to-eliminate cells are ones that lie deep in the follicles (crevices) of the lymph nodes and are not detected by the normal CD8 cells that eliminate virally-infected cells.

Picker then did an experiment that could not be done on a human – he injected these cells into HIV-negative monkeys – all of whom developed typical SIV infections with high viral loads, showing that SIV and HIV ‘rebounds’ may potentially be generated by possibly only one infected cell.

However when he did the same thing to monkeys that had received the CMV vaccine, none of them developed infections.

The CMV vaccine may also be useful in chronic infection. There are two ongoing experiments in chronically-infected monkeys that have been put on ARV drugs and given the vaccine. These will be taken off the drugs in a treatment interruption so see if - as Picker predicts-  they are able to stay off ARVs for a while. He told Aidsmap that he does not expect the complete clearance of infection seen in monkeys vaccinated prior to infection, as viral diversity and the number of infected cells is so much greater in chronic infection, but he does expect prolonged treatment breaks to be achievable.

If these experiments go well then human trials of the CMV vaccine could begin by 2016.


Offline geobee

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Re: HIV Vaccine Using Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
« Reply #45 on: October 29, 2014, 12:02:25 pm »
Dico --

That was a very exciting post!  It looks like he's got a real shot at a preventative vaccine, but maybe not a therapeutic one.  It'll be very interesting to see what happens with the group of monkeys that were infected, given the vaccine, and then go on an STI.

Picker seems brilliant to me.  Take a persistent vaccine, cross it with HIV.  Generate antibodies forever against any resurgence of HIV.  How cool is that.

Offline Almost2late

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Re: HIV Vaccine Using Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
« Reply #46 on: October 30, 2014, 02:18:18 pm »
The link : http://www.aidsmap.com/Research-for-Prevention-conference-opens-with-real-hope-for-an-HIV-vaccine/page/2917363/
This appears very promising.. and the fact that so many hiv vaccine research going on around the world, I think were getting close.

Offline dico

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Re: HIV Vaccine Using Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
« Reply #47 on: October 30, 2014, 05:27:45 pm »
It is the ONLY therapeutics that worked consistently in pre clinical trials.

Some therapeutics were successful in curing some monkeys in the past, but they always worked for a tiny proportion that had a low viral set points (Tat Oyi vaccine cured 7 monkeys,  Cal-1 gene therapy fonctionaly cured 6 mice, PGT121 antibody injection cured 2 monkeys).

But this CMV vaccine cured nearly 60% of the monkeys. This vaccine is unique as it cured until now 60 monkeys.

Offline Almost2late

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Re: HIV Vaccine Using Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
« Reply #48 on: October 31, 2014, 03:28:47 pm »
It is the ONLY therapeutics that worked consistently in pre clinical trials.

Some therapeutics were successful in curing some monkeys in the past, but they always worked for a tiny proportion that had a low viral set points (Tat Oyi vaccine cured 7 monkeys,  Cal-1 gene therapy fonctionaly cured 6 mice, PGT121 antibody injection cured 2 monkeys).

But this CMV vaccine cured nearly 60% of the monkeys. This vaccine is unique as it cured until now 60 monkeys.
I didn't know this, thanks and when they say its a "CMV" vaccine, does that mean they're using Cytomegalovirus in the vaccine?

Offline Jmarksto

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Re: HIV Vaccine Using Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
« Reply #49 on: November 13, 2015, 10:38:52 am »
Here is a story in our local rag about Dr. Picker, with a video explaining the process and some info on timing of trials.  The headline is sensationalistic, but we are used to that....


www.oregonlive.com/health/index.ssf/2015/11/superstar_scientist_dr_louis_p.html
03/15/12 Negative
06/15/12 Positive
07/11/12 CD4 790          VL 4,000
08/06/12 CD4 816/38%   VL 49,300
08/20/12 Started Complera
11/06/12 CD4   819/41% VL 38
02/11/13 CD4   935/41% VL UD
06/06/13 CD4   816/41% VL UD
10/28/13 CD4 1131/45% VL 25
02/25/14 CD4   792/37% VL UD
07/09/14 CD4 1004/39% VL UD
11/03/14 CD4   711/34% VL UD
03/13/15 CD4   833/36% VL UD
04/??/15 Truvada & Tivicay
06/01/15 CD4 1100/50% VL UD
10/16/15 CD4   826/43% VL UD
??/??/2017 Descov & Tivicay
2017 VL UD, CD4 stable around 850
2018 VL UD, CD4 stable around 850

 


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