MVA-HA-1

MVA-HA-1 is an investigational modified vaccinia Ankara (MVA)-based viral vector vaccine developed by the University of Birmingham. It is designed to target the minor histocompatibility antigen HA-1 (mHAg HA-1), specifically encoding the HLA-A2-restricted cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) epitope VLHDDLLEA. MVA-HA-1 is utilized as the boost component in a heterologous DNA-MVA prime-boost vaccination regimen, following priming with the DNA vaccine pDOM-HA-1. The therapeutic strategy aims to treat leukemia by vaccinating HA-1-negative stem cell donors to generate HA-1-specific CTLs. These cells are intended for transfer to HA-1-positive leukemia patients as donor lymphocyte infusions (DLI) to enhance the graft-versus-leukemia (GvL) effect while minimizing the risk of graft-versus-host disease (GvHD).