August 06, 2025
Two experimental HIV vaccines built with mRNA technology — the same approach used in COVID-19 shots — have triggered strong immune responses in people, according to results from an early-stage clinical trial.
This is only the third clinical trial ever to test mRNA vaccines against HIV. “These are the first studies, so they’re very, very important,” said Sharon Lewin, an infectious-disease physician and director of the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity in Melbourne, Australia.
Globally, about 41 million people live with HIV, and despite decades of research, no vaccine yet exists. Developing one has been especially difficult because HIV directly attacks the immune system, leaving the body unable to fully clear the virus. That means scientists must rely on extensive trial and error to design vaccine candidates that can train the body to fight back.
This is where mRNA technology offers a major advantage. Unlike traditional vaccines, which can take years to refine, mRNA vaccines can be designed and modified within months and produced at relatively low cost. They work by sending cells genetic instructions in the form of mRNA, prompting them to make proteins that mimic parts of the virus. The immune system then learns to recognize those proteins, preparing the body to defend itself if exposed to HIV.
While these early findings are not yet proof of protection, researchers say the results show mRNA could become a powerful tool in finally developing an HIV vaccine.
SOURCE: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-02439-4
CREDITS: NATURE JOURNALS