Dear Supporter,

Thank you for your donation to Abzyme Research Foundation to support our work building a next-generation HIV E-vaccine candidate. This gift is tax deductible, and our EIN is 27-3438658. I want to briefly share what this donation is supporting, and what comes next.

In mice and non-human primates, the HIV E-vaccine candidate previously successfully elicited broadly neutralizing antibodies directed at a conserved region of the virus’ binding protein. The magnitude and breadth of that response varied across cohorts. To optimize the immunogen to induce consistent high levels of broadly neutralizing antibodies we need to improve the structure of our vaccine.

In collaboration with the Amaro Lab at UC San Diego, we are leveraging atomic-resolution models of the HIV envelope to resolve the Neutralization-Relevant Conformation (NRC) of the target region. The balancing act is to make a shape where most of the vaccine target needs to be firmly locked into its natural shape so the immune system recognizes it well. At the same time, a few specific spots must remain flexible enough to move and form a strong bond with the natural antibodies binding site. Achieving this exact mix of rigidity and flexibility is their main scientific goal.

We expect the UCSD Amaro Lab's virtual experiments to conclude in the Winter of 2027, at which point we will build the new candidate and validate it in animal studies, before heading to human clinical trials.Your donation will support this exciting next phase of work where we build the updated candidate and validate it in animal models.

Thank you for trusting us with your support to push the boundaries of vaccine science. We are excited to share the results when they are ready!

Best,

Zachary Barnett

Founder/Executive Director

Abzyme Research Foundation

Synthesize A New HIV E-Vaccine Candidate