Cape Town Scientists Push HIV Vaccine Trial Forward Alone

South African researchers just started enrolling people in a cutting-edge HIV vaccine trial after US funding disappeared, proving that determination can trump setbacks.

The BRILLIANT 011 trial launched in Cape Town in late January, testing a completely new approach to HIV vaccines. By mid-February, seven participants had already received their first shots at Groote Schuur Hospital's Desmond Tutu Health Foundation site.

Dr. Sheetal Kassim, who leads the trial site, explains they're testing two immunogens designed to wake up special immune cells. These cells could become broadly neutralizing antibodies, the kind that recognize HIV even when the virus mutates to hide from the immune system.

Professor Penny Moore, the virologist heading laboratory work, compares it to a talent search. The immunogens find cells with potential to become "star" antibodies that can punch through HIV's protective coating and destroy it.

The trial was supposed to start in 2025 with US backing. When that funding vanished abruptly, researchers scrambled to find new supporters rather than abandon years of work.

Twenty healthy participants will receive three shots over four months. The first two immunogens are given together, priming the immune system before booster doses strengthen the effect.

This is Phase 1, so researchers are mainly checking safety and measuring immune responses. Nobody expects a ready-to-use vaccine when the trial ends, but the data will guide future studies.

The Ripple Effect

Moore says the forced pivot created unexpected momentum. "It feels like the most coherent, involved clinical trial I've ever been involved in," she notes. "I feel like it's going to lead to big things because it's bringing so many people with it."

That energy fills the rainbow-decorated trial site, where colorful furniture brightens the old hospital building. Staff members see upwards of 40 clinical trial participants daily, managing multiple studies alongside BRILLIANT 011.

The optimism makes sense. Antiretroviral medicines can suppress HIV and keep people healthy, but the world still lacks a cure or effective vaccine after decades of research.

Several major vaccine candidates have failed in large studies over the years. Each disappointment could have ended the search, but researchers kept looking for better approaches.

This trial represents years of scientific groundwork finally reaching human testing. The immunogens have already shown they can activate the right antibody cells in earlier lab work.

The South African team's refusal to let funding challenges derail progress matters beyond this one study. It shows how scientific momentum can survive political and financial disruptions when researchers stay committed.

For the seven participants who've received their first shots and the others joining soon, they're contributing to knowledge that could eventually protect millions from HIV.

The researchers aren't making grand promises about timeline or guaranteed success, but they're moving forward with careful optimism and rigorous science.