HIV-1 T-cell immunogen (HTI)

The HIV-1 T-cell immunogen (HTI) is a synthetic vaccine construct designed to elicit robust cellular immune responses against conserved regions of the HIV-1 proteome (Mothe et al., 2015). Unlike traditional vaccines that target the highly variable envelope protein to induce antibodies, this immunogen incorporates 16 segments from internal viral proteins such as Gag, Pol, Vif, and Nef (Bailon et al., 2022). These segments are selected based on their high conservation across different HIV-1 subtypes and their association with natural viral control in "HIV controllers"—individuals who manage the virus without medication (Brander & Mothe, 2018). By focusing the T-cell response on these essential viral regions, the immunogen aims to prevent viral escape and provide long-term suppression of the virus. It is primarily developed as a therapeutic vaccine to achieve a functional cure, potentially allowing patients to maintain low viral loads without daily antiretroviral therapy (AELIX Therapeutics, 2023). Clinical trials have shown that delivery via viral vectors (e.g., MVA, ChAdOx1) or DNA platforms is safe and effectively induces polyfunctional CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell responses (Mothe et al., 2015; Bailon et al., 2022).

Other names

HIVACAT T-cell immunogenHTIConserved HIV-1 epitopesHIV-1 polyepitope immunogen

Induction of HIV-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell responses against conserved viral epitopes to suppress viral replication.