HIVACAT

EUROPEAN REFERENCE PROJECT FOR THE FIGHT AGAINST AIDS

The development of an effective vaccine is the only affordable and sustainable way to halt the HIV pandemic. In response to this challenge, the programme “HIVACAT” has been created with the aim to design, develop and test potential HIV candidates in human clinical trials.

HIVACAT is made up of two of the most important and well established AIDS research centres in Spain, AIDS Research Institute IrsiCaixa at the Germans Trias i Pujol (Can Ruti) Hospital, and the AIDS & Infectious Diseases Research Centre in Barcelona’s Clinic Hospital. HIVACAT will carry out the development of the new vaccine against HIV alongside ESTEVE and with the help and support of the Obra Social La Caixa, Health & Innovation, Universities and Companies Departments of the Catalan Autonomous Government Companies, and the Fundació Clínic.

Both centers carry out their research program with the help of 5000 patients that benefit from the quick incorporation of the new treatments discovered by the centers themselves and the innovation obtained at international level, therefore being the first to provide the new drugs. HIVACAT is to have 8 research groups and a team of 60 scientists trained at internationally renowned research centers such as the University of Harvard in the US, the Pasteur Institute in Paris or the Royal Free Hospital in London.

In Spain the Project will be lead by Dr. Bonaventura Clotet from the Germans Trias i Pujol Hospital and Dr. Josep Maria Gatell the Clínic Hospital. However, also worth a mention is the recent incorporation of researcher Christian Brander from the University of Harvard (Boston, USA), who left his place at the University to join the AIDS Research Institute IrsiCaixa as the HIVACAT coordinator.

The HIVACAT Research Project is structured into different basic research lines. On one hand, the design of immunogens, on the other, the study of the two main immune system solutions in the fight against the virus (immunity made easier by cells and by antibodies), and finally, clinical studies to evaluate these solutions.

These lines of work are strengthened by a cross-platform of an experimental techniques validation between participating centers. It is also involved in a number of collaborations with other Spanish and International research teams in the context of a “global initiative” in order to find and effective vaccine.

The program tackles some of the current roadblocks in HIV vaccine design, including the incomplete knowledge of host immune control of HIV, viral sequence diversity and adequate vaccine vector design. Through extensive national and international collaborations and the stature of its members, the program is well integrated in the global effort for the development of a HIV vaccine.

The program is structured in 8 highly interactive lines of investigation that address topics of cellular and humoral immunity to HIV and their relationship with viral control, assess the impact of viral sequence diversity and host genetics on vaccine immunogen design and study the function of dendritic cells as vaccine carriers. It contains a straightforward path to design preventative vaccine approaches and select the most promising candidates for clinical trials. The work is strongly supported by a unique patient access and the demonstrated ability of the two centers to conduct extensive clinical trials and cohort-based studies.

These eight lines include:

Built on the premise that a HIV vaccine is possible and attainable, the HIVACAT program is structured into these 8 different work lines, coordinated by the scientific director, to consolidate existing data, enhance collaboration between the participating centers and to increase synergies among the different lines.

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