ProImmune has donated reagents based on its Pro5 MHC pentamer technology to researchers at the MRC Human Immunology Unit for a vaccine development programme
Scientists in Oxford, developing a vaccine for HIV, hope to be able to accelerate the testing of the vaccine thanks to a donation of vital research reagents by a local company.
ProImmune, a provider of research reagents and services for immune monitoring, has donated reagents based on its Pro5 MHC pentamer technology to researchers at the Medical Research Council (MRC) Human Immunology Unit for a vaccine development programme.
The vaccine is being tested in clinical trials sponsored by the Medical Research Council.
Commenting on the donation, Nikolai Schwabe, CEO of ProImmune, said: "We are very pleased to be able to support this important research.
"The reagents we are providing will allow the researchers to accurately measure and obtain a very detailed profile of the immune system response triggered by the vaccine.
"HIV is a massive global health concern and the importance of vaccine research cannot be understated".
Tomas Hanke, leading the project at the MRC Human Immunology Unit, added: "We are extremely grateful to ProImmune for this generous donation.
"We expect that, having access to these reagents will facilitate our research into maximising induction of T cell responses and help us in the development of an effective HIV-1 vaccine.
"The data generated through the use of ProImmune's MHC Pentamers will be extremely valuable for monitoring the effectiveness of new vaccine design approaches and help us ensure our research is going in the best direction".
Since Aids was first reported in 1981, an estimated total of 60 million people have become infected with HIV, of whom 22 million have died.
Unlike other diseases that affect the developing world, such as malaria, the Aids epidemic kills people at the peak of their productive age, crippling national economies and leaving millions of orphaned and stigmatised children.
The development of a safe, effective, widely accessible prophylactic vaccine is urgently needed.
The Pro5 MHC (major histocompatibility complex) pentamers are used to detect and separate T cells (a type of immune system cell) from blood samples, according to the specific disease cells that they recognise, enabling the precise and quantitative tracking of immune system responses.
The technology can be used to sensitively and accurately monitor the immune system response to new drugs and vaccines, as well as in research to better understand a wide-range of human diseases including cancer and infections.
