Single Shot Would Protect Children From HIV for Years
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Delivering a single shot of gene therapy at birth could offer children protection against HIV for years.
A study from the Tulane National Primate Research Center and California National Primate Research Center has identified the first weeks of life—when the immune system is more tolerant—may be the optimal and only window for delivering such gene therapy effectively.
"Nearly 300 children are infected with HIV each day," study author and Tulane microbiology professor Amir Ardeshir said in a statement. "This approach could help protect newborns in high-risk areas during the most vulnerable period of their lives."
HIV is primarily transmitted to children from the mother breastfeeding after birth. Antiretroviral treatments have shown success in suppressing the virus and limiting transmission (and where the right treatment is available, you can live a normal life with HIV and have an undetectable viral load).
However, adherence and accessibility to doctors both decline after childbirth, particularly in areas with more limited health care.
"This is a one-and-done treatment that fits the critical time when these mothers with HIV in resource-limited areas are most likely to see a doctor," Ardeshir said.
"As long as the treatment is delivered close to birth, the baby's immune system will accept it and believe it's part of itself."
A baby receiving an injection.
A baby receiving an injection.
comzeal/Getty Images
In the study, non-human primates received gene therapy that programs cells to continuously produce HIV-fighting antibodies. Timing this right in early life—within the first month—proved critical to the one-time treatment offering long-term protection.
"In infants, a single shot at birth kept protective antibody levels high for the entire three-plus years of the study, with no booster required," Ardeshir told Newsweek. "Based on this, we expect protection in people could cover several years as well.
"If antibody levels eventually dip, a quick 'top‑up' could be done using a different version of the delivery system to avoid the body's immunity to the first shot, including later in adulthood."
However, those in the study treated at 8–12 weeks showed a more developed and less tolerant immune system that didn't accept the treatment as effectively.
To deliver the treatment, researchers used an adeno-associated virus (AAV), a harmless virus that can help to deliver genetic code to cells. The virus was sent to muscle cells with a long lifespan and delivered instructions to produce broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs), which are capable of neutralizing multiple strains of HIV.
Previous studies found bNAbs to be effective at fighting HIV, but they required repeated infusions, which are costly and come with logistical challenges in low-resource settings.
Instead, the researchers turned these muscle cells into "micro factories" to just keep producing the antibodies.
A rhesus macaque monkey.
A rhesus macaque monkey.
Smitt/Getty Images
Newborns were found to show greater tolerance and expressed high levels of bNAbs, which successfully prevented infection during simulated breastfeeding and later exposures mimicking sexual transmission.
Older infants and juveniles were more likely to have produced anti-drug antibodies that shut down the treatment. Researchers also found that exposing fetuses to the antibodies before birth helped older infants accept the gene therapy later, avoiding the immune rejection that often occurs with age.
The researchers believe this type of one-time injection at birth could offer a more cost-effective and feasible real-world solution, while putting less burden on the mother for a follow-up visit.
"Although originally designed for babies born to mothers living with HIV, the platform can protect any newborn at substantial risk, including infants whose maternal status is unknown or whose mothers acquire HIV during breastfeeding," Ardeshir said.
"In high-prevalence regions, a universal newborn dose could be the most practical public-health approach."
Of course, further research will need to consider how the results could translate to human infants and children, who may be less susceptible to AAV-delivered treatments. The study also used one strain of simian-human immunodeficiency virus, which doesn't reflect the variety of HIV strains.
However, if successful, it's thought the treatment could dramatically reduce mother-to-child HIV transmission rates in high-risk regions like sub-Saharan Africa, where 90 percent of pediatric HIV cases can be found.
"Safety testing and clinical‑grade manufacturing are underway. A first-in-human Phase 1/2 safety trial is being planned and could begin within the next few years. If results look good and regulators agree, we could expand from there," Ardeshir explained.
"Importantly, the intramuscular [within the muscle] dose we're using is far lower than the systemic doses now being scrutinized for safety, because we are working with rather than against, the newborn immune system."
It may also be possible to adapt the therapy to protect against other infectious diseases like malaria, which disproportionately affects young children in low-income countries.
"Nothing like this was possible to achieve even 10 years ago," Ardeshir said. "This was a huge result, and now we have all the ingredients to take on HIV."
Do you have a tip on a health story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about HIV? Let us know via health@newsweek.com.
Reference
Ardeshir, A., O'Hagan, D., Mehta, I., Shandilya, S., Hopkins, L. L. J., Adamson, L., Kuroda, M. J., Hahn, P. A., da Costa, L. A. B., Fuchs, S. P., Martinez-Navio, J. M., Gardner, M. R., Van Rompay, K. K. A., Magnani, D. M., Lifson, J. D., Gao, G., Farzan, M., Desrosiers, R. C., Das, J., & Martins, M. A. (2025). Determinants of successful AAV-vectored delivery of HIV-1 bNAbs in early life. Nature. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-09330-2
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
2 hours ago
- Newsweek
Trump Brushes Off Major Success From First Term: 'Long Time Ago'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. President Donald Trump on Wednesday brushed off what is widely considered to be among the biggest uncontested successes of his first term while reacting to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s move to pull $500 million in funding for next-generation mRNA-based vaccines to tackle viruses like Covid, H5N1 and the flu. "You were the driving force behind Operation Warp Speed, these mRNA vaccines that are the gold standard," a reporter asked Trump during a White House event on Wednesday. Operation Warp Speed was a 2020 public-private partnership, initiated by the first Trump administration, aimed at accelerating the development and distribution of a COVID-19 vaccine. At the time, it was almost universally accepted that an effective vaccine for the coronavirus was at least 18 months to two years away. Trump's operation did it in less than a year. "Now, your health secretary is pulling back all the funding for research, he's saying that the risks outweigh the benefits, which puts him at odds with the entire medical community, and with you," the reporter continued. "What's going on?" "Research on what?" Trump asked. "Into mRNA vaccines," she clarified. "Well, we're going to look at that," the president replied. "We're talking about it and they're doing a very good job, and you know, that is a pass." Trump went on to briefly acknowledge the success of Operation Warp Speed before dismissing it. "Operation Warp Speed was, whether you're a Republican or Democrat, considered one of the most incredible things ever done in this country," the president said. "The efficiency, the way it was done, the distribution, everything about it has been amazing." Then he added: "But, you know, that was now a long time ago. And we're onto other things, but we are speaking about it. We have meetings about it ... we're looking for other answers to other problems, to other sicknesses and diseases and I think we're doing really well." This is a breaking news story. Updates to follow.
2 hours ago
RFK Jr. cancels at least $500M in mRNA vaccine funding. What are the implications?
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced this week it is beginning a "coordinated wind-down" of federally funded mRNA vaccine development. This includes terminating awards and contracts with pharmaceutical companies and universities and canceling 22 investment projects worth nearly $500 million. While some final-stage contracts will be allowed to be completed, no new mRNA-based projects will be initiated, the HHS said. "We reviewed the science, listened to the experts, and acted," Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in a press release on Tuesday. "The data show these vaccines fail to protect effectively against upper respiratory infections like COVID and flu. We're shifting that funding toward safer, broader vaccine platforms that remain effective even as viruses mutate." Infectious disease experts told ABC News that mRNA technology has been very successful in preventing severe disease, hospitalization and deaths, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, potentially affecting our preparedness for future pandemics. Ending mRNA vaccine development may also squash enthusiasm for technology that has been hailed as a potential promise for cancer and HIV vaccines. "It's an excellent technology. It saved millions of lives and did it in a remarkably safe manner," Dr. Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, told ABC News. "I think it's an unscientific move, a move that goes against existing science." Affecting future pandemic preparedness Last year, the federal government awarded Moderna $176 million to help expedite the development of an mRNA-based bird flu vaccine. Earlier this year, the vaccine manufacturer received an additional $590 million to speed up the development. However, in its press release, the HHS said it was cancelling the award, which has been issued by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, to Moderna and the University of Texas Medical Branch. Dr. Peter Hotez, a professor of pediatrics and molecular virology at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, told ABC News the wind-down is a blow to pandemic preparedness. During the COVID-19 pandemic, mRNA technology demonstrated its ability to scale up vaccine production quickly. "The message to the companies will clearly be that they can no longer rely on the U.S. government for supporting any mRNA vaccine work, which is unfortunate, or even tragic, because the mRNA platform is one of the few that we have for pandemic threats in terms of something that we can make a vaccine for very quickly," he said. "So what, what Mr. Kennedy's and HHS' actions are doing is weakening our pandemic preparedness and weakening our biosecurity." The HHS also said it was terminating contracts with Emory University and Tiba Biotech. Researchers had been working on using mRNA technology to develop a nasal influenza vaccine. Emory has also been working on a dry powder inhaled mRNA-based treatment for influenza and COVID with TFF Pharmaceuticals, funded by BARDA. It's unclear if this is one of the 22 contracts that have been canceled. Hotez said COVID-19 and influenza can have very severe consequences and that it's incorrect for Kennedy to mischaracterize them as harmless upper respiratory infections. "COVID and flu are not [only] upper respiratory infections," he said. "The reason we develop vaccines for COVID and flu is because they cause systemic illness and lower respiratory infections and cardiovascular illness. … This is part of the anti-vaccine playbook, to diminish the severity of the illness, and to say something like influenza or COVID is an upper respiratory infection, it's just very, very misleading." Cancer vaccines, HIV treatments mRNA technology has also been hailed as a potential vector for providing personalized cancer treatments and protection against HIV transmission. In February, a small preliminary study published in the journal Nature found a personalized mRNA vaccine may reduce the risks of pancreatic cancer returning after surgery. Additionally, a University of Florida study found an experimental mRNA vaccine paired with anticancer drugs boosted an anti-tumor response. Meanwhile, earlier this month, an early-stage clinical trial found two mRNA vaccine candidates triggered a strong immune response against HIV. Results from the trial showed that 80% of participants who received one of two vaccine candidates produced antibodies. Although antiretroviral therapy has been the standard treatment for HIV infection, and is effective in preventing transmission, it is hard to scale up worldwide due to its costs, making mRNA vaccines to be anti-HIV vaccine strategy, researchers from the U.S., Germany and Romania wrote in a commentary in June 2022. It's unclear if any of the BARDA contracts are specifically for cancer vaccines or HIV vaccine development, but Hotez said the real damage is denigrating mRNA technology. "What he's done is he's caused uncertainty among the American people about the safety and effectiveness of mRNA for any condition, including cancer," he said. "And in fact, mRNA technology is probably the most exciting technology we have now for cancer and also other non-communicable illnesses. … Even though he may not be canceling any cancer vaccine contracts through BARDA, it may have collateral deleterious in terms of squashing enthusiasm for the technology." Offit added that mRNA is not brand-new technology. mRNA was discovered independently by two teams in 1961, including French and American molecular biologists. Breakthroughs in developing mRNA vaccines began in the early 2000s, eventually leading to the development of COVID-19 vaccines in 2020. This makes the technology primed for being used in other avenues, such as cancer vaccines, Offit said. "We now know a lot about mRNA," he said. "We know a lot about its safety. We know a lot about its safety in young children, including babies. We know a lot about it regarding gene therapy. We know a lot about this safety in terms of pregnant people, where that's often not the case with new technology." Offit went on, "So you have this background of information that enables you to move forward in a number of areas, involving babies or involving pregnant women. But there was an attempt by this administration to squelch that, to sit on all that for no good reason other than a political reason."
Newsweek
3 hours ago
- Newsweek
French Bulldog's Reaction to Smelling Again After Surgery Delights Internet
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A video of a dog's reaction to smelling food for the first time after surgery melted people's hearts. A French bulldog named Kygo recently underwent surgery for a condition known as brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome, or BOAS. The surgery helps alleviate the breathing difficulties of brachycephalic dog breeds—like English bulldogs, pugs and Boston terriers—an article from the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine said. The "nose job" surgery, as his owners called it on the dog's TikTok account @ involved opening his nostrils, reducing the soft palate and then removing laryngeal saccules to prevent further obstructions. And 24 hours postsurgery, Kygo's entire life changed as he rediscovered his sense of smell. In last week's TikTok video, which amassed over 7.5 million views and 1.6 million likes, Kygo intently sat next to his owners as they ate. He looked up with eyes full of amazement because the food smells wafted through his nostrils for the very first time since surgery. Screenshots from a TikTok video of a French bulldog smelling food for the first time after nose surgery. Screenshots from a TikTok video of a French bulldog smelling food for the first time after nose surgery. @ He wasn't begging for a nibble of their food, as many dogs might have done. Instead, he tilted his head higher, embracing all the delicious aromas in a new way he hadn't experienced before. His nostrils flared in and out in amazement. Now, he's a smelling machine and can't get enough whiffs of everything around him. Newsweek reached out to the owners via email for additional information and comment. What Do the Comments Say? With over 5,770 comments, the TikTok video started a debate among viewers. Many fell in love with Kygo's precious reaction, calling him the "goodest sniffer." "Sniffing in HD now," wrote a viewer, while another pointed out: "The way he looked at you after the first sniff was like, 'Omg, you right!'" A third user commented: "He looks like he's suspicious about his newfound sense of smell." However, others believed this clip shined a light on the dangers of breeding dogs. They claimed the surgery could have been avoided. "The fact we have to perform this surgery on some breeds in the first place is HIGHLY upsetting," a person said. The article from Cornell said BOAS is a genetic condition, and these dogs, which have difficulty breathing, require surgical therapy or have a hypoplastic trachea, should not be considered for breeding. Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@ with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
