Researchers at the Rochester Victory Alliance are seeking 80 pairs of identical or fraternal twins aged 18-50 years old for their Twins Study also called HVTN 082. By studying the twins immune response to two experimental HIV vaccines, scientists hope to determine the role of genetics in vaccination responses. By better understanding this role researchers say, new vaccines could be designed with a greater potential to fight HIV.
The role of genetics in immune response and vaccinations
The trial which is being sponsored by Division of AIDS (DAIDS), within the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is being implemented by a collaboration of scientists under the umbrella of the HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN), which will run the trial. Researchers know that the genes a person receives from their parents may influence how their immune system responds to HIV vaccines. "What we don't know," says Hvtn.org, "is what this influence looks like."
By using fraternal and identical twins for the study, scientists hypothesize that the same genetic makeup of identical twins will provide the same response. Researchers don't expect to see this response between fraternal twins whose genetic makeup is different. By studying the two groups simultaneously, a greater understanding of the role of genetics could in theory, pave the way for the design of HIV vaccines that are more effective.
What does the HIV Twin Study involve?
The study which is currently being held in Boston, San Francisco and Seattle involves different combinations of 2 experimental HIV vaccines called VRC-HIVDNA016-00-VP (DNA vaccine) and VRC-HIVADV014-00-VP (adenoviral vector vaccine). Both vaccines contain pieces of man-made HIV DNA that researchers say are, "Impossible to get HIV infection or AIDS from," and do not contain "Live HIV, killed HIV, or HIV-infected cells."
HVTN reports the trial could take up to two years for complete study results. Twins that choose to participate in the the study will need to provide:
- a full medical history
- a history of sexual activity and drug use
- routine blood and urine samples
Twins will also be monitored on a regular basis by clinical staff for vaccination side-effects and will always have the option to withdraw from the study.
In 2009, a six year vaccine study in Thailand conducted by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), concluded with mixed results. Scientists successfully discovered their first immunization against HIV. Unfortunately the vaccine proved to be only 31% effective against "Reducing the risk of HIV infection among the 16,000 healthy volunteers in the study," says Alice Park of Time magazine in her Oct. 12, 2009 article, "Spotlight: AIDS Vaccine." Unfortunately continues Park, "That's nowhere near the 70%-to-80% rate that most public-health experts say is the minimum needed for an immunization to be judged worthwhile."
Without clinical trials and studies however, scientists would never be able to focus in on what could contribute to the development of a successful HIV vaccine. Half the battle of scientific research involves ruling out hypotheses and narrowing the widened gap of uncertainty. With genetics playing such a large role in many diseases and illnesses, the new twins HIV vaccine trial could be the key to introducing an effective HIV immunization. For further information on the HVTN 082 clinical trials, visit the Twins Study website at Hvtn.org.
Note: All sources accessed Feb. 11, 2011.
Elizabeth Batt - Elizabeth Batt is a former large animal nurse, certified NREMT, lover of equines and conservationist.
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