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Oxford University researchers and local company work together to accelerate HIV vaccine research

17 Jun 2005 - 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 Oxford company. ProImmune Ltd has donated reagents based on its Pro5® MHC Pentamer technology to researchers at the MRC Human Immunology Unit for a vaccine development programme. The vaccine is being tested in clinical trials sponsored by the Medical Research Council.
 
Dr Tomas Hanke, leading the project at the MRC Human Immunology Unit, commented: "We are extremely grateful to ProImmune for this generous donation. We expect that, having access to these reagents will facilitate our research into maximizing 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."
 
The Pro5® MHC (Major Histocompatibility Complex) Pentamers are used to detect and separate T cells 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.