HIV-1 pseudovirion vaccine

The HIV-1 pseudovirion vaccine is an experimental virus-like particle (VLP) candidate developed for the prevention and treatment of HIV-1 infection. These pseudovirions are non-infectious, replication-incompetent particles produced in vitro using mammalian cell expression systems (such as Vero cells). The vaccine mimics the structural morphology of the wild-type HIV-1 virus but lacks the viral genome. It incorporates key structural proteins, specifically the **Gag protein** (providing the core structure) and the **Envelope glycoprotein gp160** (displayed on the surface), to elicit broad immune responses. This dual-antigen approach is designed to trigger both humoral immunity (producing neutralizing antibodies against the envelope) and cellular immunity (activating T-cell responses against internal Gag proteins). Historically evaluated in early clinical trials such as ACTG 256, the vaccine was often paired with adjuvants like alum or QS21 to enhance immunogenicity.

Other names

HIV-1 pseudovirion (gp160/p24)Immuno AG HIV-1 VLPp24/gp160 pseudovirion vaccine