18 SEPTEMBER 2020 VOLUME 22 ISSUE 36

Media Coverage

• COVID Vaccines 101: Breaking Down the Good, the Bad, and the Promise of the Frontrunners

  With hundreds of potential COVID vaccine candidates being tested around the world, here’s a quick guide to which ones you should keep an eye on — and when we could see results.

  September 17, 2020

  General

  Bhekisisa

• What are Adenovirus-Based Vaccines?

  Adenoviruses are considered as excellent vectors for delivering target antigens to mammalian hosts because of their capability to induce both innate and adaptive immune system. Currently, adenovirus-based vaccines are used against a wide variety of pathogens, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and Plasmodium falciparum.

  September 17, 2020

  HIV Vaccine

  News-Medical

• 900,000 People Living With HIV/AIDS in Nigeria Not Traceable — CiSHAN

  A group, Civil Society for HIV/AIDS in Nigeria, CiSHAN, has said about 900,000 persons living with HIV/AIDS in the country are not traceable.

  September 16, 2020

  General

  Vanguard

• HIV in Latinx Communities

  Despite over 50 million Latinx people living in the United States—and it being the fastest growing ethnic group in the United States—this group continues to be misunderstood, underrepresented, marginalized, and stigmatized.

  September 16, 2020

  General

  The Body

• South Africa Is ‘Extremely Unlikely’ to Have COVID Vaccine Results Before Next Year

  One of South Africa’s three COVID-19 vaccine trials was recently put on hold after a participant in the United Kingdom developed an unexplained illness. After an independent review, AstraZeneca’s candidate, which was considered to be a frontrunner in the field, is expected to resume locally this week. But results are still a long shot for this year, says the trial’s lead investigator.

  September 15, 2020

  General

  Bhekisisa

• Maintaining PrEP Adherence During a Pandemic

  While the world was consumed by the COVID-19 pandemic, Giffin Daughtridge got some much-needed good news. The Harvard University-based start-up the doctor cofounded, UrSure Inc., was purchased in late May by HIV testing company OraSureTechnologies. UrSure initially found success with its development of urine tests that detect adherence levels for people on pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP. Much less invasive than previous adherence tests, UrSure’s tools help ensure people at high risk of seroconverting remain HIV-negative.

  September 14, 2020

  PrEP

  HIV Plus Mag

• Pandemic vs. Pandemic: COVID-19 Hampers Fight Against HIV

  As COVID-19 swept through the South, Mel Prince watched with alarm as some of the HIV positive patients she helps in the rural Black Belt stopped showing up for lab tests and doctor’s visits.

  September 14, 2020

  General

  Washington Post

• One in Ten Gay and Bisexual Men May Share HIV PrEP Medications

  A small but significant proportion of gay and bisexual men with prescriptions for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) have been sharing their medication with others, a new study finds.

  September 14, 2020

  PrEP

  Medscape

• Real Talk at SYNChronicity 2020: Black Women Are Essential to Eliminating HIV

  Black women are just as essential to eliminating HIV as any other demographic, but their voices are frequently left out of the conversation. That erasure was made clear during two segments on Sept. 9 at the SYNChronicity 2020 conference (a.k.a. SYNC 2020), a large virtual meeting for health care and service providers that focused on HIV and related LGBTQ health issues.

  September 11, 2020

  PrEP, Treatment

  The BodyPro

• We Need to Recruit More Black Americans in Vaccine Trials

  The global race is on for a vaccine to combat the coronavirus, but the question is: Who will be included? To date, several companies have reached Phase 3 trials for an experimental vaccine — including Moderna, Pfizer, AstraZeneca and CanSino. Yet these trials have not met an important challenge: recruiting an appropriately diverse group of participants — even though COVID-19 has taken a disproportionate toll on communities of color and on Black Americans in particular.

  September 11, 2020

  General

  New York Times

• Ten Minutes with Maureen Luba, Africa Region Advocacy Advisor at AVAC, Lilongwe, Malawi

  Maureen Luba is the Africa Region Advocacy Advisor at AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition (AVAC) where she helps lead capacity building efforts around strategy development, data analytics and use for advocacy for Civil Society Organizations in Zimbabwe, Tanzania and Malawi to effectively engage in Global Fund, PEPFAR and national policy decision-making processes. She graduated from the University of Malawi with a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Administration.

  September 10, 2020

  General

  BMJ Leader

• To Fight AIDS, Uganda Finally Imports Water-Based Sex Lubricants

  Uganda government has finally allowed the importation and distribution of water-based sex lubricants, an AIDS-fighting device that officials had shunned on suspicion that they were a tool for promoting homosexuality.

  September 10, 2020

  General

  Rights Africa

Published Research

• Safeguarding Gains in the Sexual and Reproductive Health and AIDS Response Amidst COVID-19: The Role of African Civil Society

  We make a case why civil society organizations (CSOs) must vigilantly be engaged in the COVID-19 response in Africa. Lockdown disruptions, and rerouting of health funds to the pandemic, have impeded access to essential Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH), and social protection services. Compounded by pre-existing inequalities faced by vulnerable populations, poor SRH outcomes amid COVID-19 calls for CSOs' intensified demand on accountability of Governments. CSOs also rapidly close community-health facility gaps and provide safety-nets to mitigate the COVID-19 gendered impact.

  September 18, 2020

  General

  International Journal of Infectious Diseases

• Standardized Metrics Can Reveal Region-Specific Opportunities in Community Engagement to Aid Recruitment in HIV Prevention Trials

  Standardized metrics and data collection aid meaningful comparisons of optimal community engagement methods for trial enrollment. Internet strategies had better success in the Americas/Switzerland than in sub-Saharan African countries. Data are essential in outreach staff efforts to improve screening-to-enrollment ratios.

  September 17, 2020

  General

  PLOS One

• HIV/AIDS Research in Africa and the Middle East: Participation and Equity in North-South Collaborations and Relationships

  It is essential to foster more balance in research output, avoid the concentration of resources that reproduces the global North-South model on the African continent, and focus the research agenda on local priorities. To accomplish this, the global North should strengthen the transfer of research skills and seek equity in cooperative ties, favoring the empowerment of African countries. These efforts should be concentrated in countries with low scientific activity and high incidence and prevalence of the disease.

  September 17, 2020

  General

  Globalization and Health

• A V H 1–69 Antibody Lineage From an Infected Chinese Donor Potently Neutralizes HIV-1 by Targeting the V3 Glycan Supersite

  Here, we investigated the bNAb response to the V3 glycan supersite in an HIV-1–infected Chinese donor by Env-specific single B cell sorting, structural and functional studies, and longitudinal analysis of antibody and virus repertoires. Monoclonal antibodies 438-B11 and 438-D5 were isolated that potently neutralize HIV-1 with moderate breadth, are encoded by the VH1-69 germline gene, and have a disulfide-linked long HCDR3 loop.

  September 16, 2020

  Antibody Related Research

  Science Advances

• Impact of Attitudes and Beliefs on Antiretroviral Treatment Adherence Intention Among HIV-Positive Pregnant and Breastfeeding Women in Zambia

  Compared to behavioral beliefs, attitudes about ART were more influential for intention to adhere. This knowledge will help inform effective and appropriate ART counseling for pregnant and breastfeeding women at different points along their ART time course.

  September 16, 2020

  Treatment

  BMC Public Health

• CD4 + T Cell-Mimicking Nanoparticles Broadly Neutralize HIV-1 and Suppress Viral Replication through Autophagy

  This TNP-mediated autophagy inhibited viral release and reduced cell-associated HIV-1 in a dose- and phospholipase D1-dependent manner. Genetic or pharmacological inhibition of autophagy ablated this effect. Thus, we can use TNP as therapeutic agents to neutralize cell-free HIV-1 and to target HIV-1 gp120-expressing cells to decrease the HIV-1 reservoir.

  September 15, 2020

  General

  mBio

• The PrEPARE Pretoria Project: Protocol for a Cluster-Randomized Factorial-Design Trial to Prevent HIV With PrEP Among Adolescent Girls and Young Women in Tshwane, South Africa

  The study findings, if efficacious across the outcomes, will be incorporated into the gender-focused HIV prevention intervention toolkit and disseminated to inform multilevel prevention approaches.

  September 15, 2020

  PrEP

  BMC Public Health

• Protocol Development for HMU! (HIV Prevention for Methamphetamine Users), a Study of Peer Navigation and Text Messaging to Promote Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Adherence and Persistence Among People Who Use Methamphetamine...

  It is important to include the opinions and insights of populations most impacted by HIV to develop PrEP interventions with the greatest chance of success. Our formative work generated several recommendations that were incorporated into the interventions and protocol development for our ongoing study.

  September 14, 2020

  PrEP

  JMIR Formative Research

• A Review of HIV Pre-exposure Prophylaxis Streamlining Strategies

  Making PrEP care less burdensome will be an important part of bringing it to scale. Text message interventions have proven efficacy and merit broad adoption. Encouraging preliminary evidence for other strategies indicates the importance of building a stronger evidence base to clarify the effect of each strategy. Ongoing development of an evidence base should not delay the use of these promising strategies; instead, it calls for careful consideration for how each program may best match its environment to facilitate PrEP prescribing and use.

  September 13, 2020

  PrEP

  Current HIV/AIDS Reports

• Sharing Objective Measures of Adherence to a Vaginal Microbicide Promotes Candor About Actual Use and Bolsters Motivation to Prevent HIV

  Findings suggest a role for biomarker feedback in future clinical trials as well as other clinical contexts where biomarkers may be monitored, to motivate disclosure of actual adherence and movement toward HIV prevention.

  September 12, 2020

  Microbicides

  AIDS and Behavior

• Are We There Yet? Short-Course Regimens in TB and HIV: From Prevention to Treatment of Latent to XDR TB

  The goal of short-course regimens for TB is to enhance treatment completion without compromising efficacy. Particularly among patients with HIV, studying these shortened regimens and integrating them into clinical care are of urgent importance. There are now multiple short-course regimens for latent infection and active disease that are safe and effective among patients with HIV.

  September 12, 2020

  Treatment

  Current HIV/AIDS Reports

• HIV Pre-exposure Prophylaxis Medication Sharing Among HIV-Negative Men Who Have Sex With Men

  Increasing numbers of MSM use daily oral PrEP medication. In this study, more than 1 in 10 current PrEP users shared their PrEP medication. Regular assessment of the extent and the context of PrEP medication sharing could aid clinicians in creating messages to discourage medication sharing while promoting prescribed and clinically monitored use of PrEP. This study is limited by its use of self-reported information from MSM living in 3 US cities.

  September 11, 2020

  PrEP

  JAMA Network Open

• Ending the Epidemic of HIV/AIDS by 2030: Will There Be an Endgame to HIV, or an Endemic HIV Requiring an Integrated Health Systems Response in Many Countries?

  So far, the rate of drop in "AIDS-related deaths" is on track whereas the rate of drop in new HIV infections is off track to achieve Project 2030. Even if Project 2030 was achieved, HIV would be an endemic health problem. Hence, HIV prevention and control programs cannot close down for the foreseeable future. This rather demands a paradigm shift from a fully vertical to an integrated health systems response, which provides services according to disease burden towards universal health coverage. This will ensure the sustainability of HIV services in the post-2030 era.

  September 10, 2020

  General

  International Journal of Infectious Diseases

• Mind the Gap: HIV Prevention Among Young Black Men Who Have Sex with Men

  We have the tools to effectively prevent HIV transmission and acquisition among YBMSM, but we have not yet effectively implemented these tools for this priority population. To end the epidemic, we must tailor and adapt HIV prevention strategies to meet the unique intersecting needs, identities, and social contexts of YBMSM.

  September 10, 2020

  General

  Current HIV/AIDS Reports

• Bringing the Path Toward an HIV-1 Vaccine Into Focus

  Historically, vaccination represents the most cost-effective, scalable, and lasting public health intervention for the eradication of infectious disease; thus, developing a safe and effective HIV-1 vaccine is a global health imperative. Importantly, an HIV-1 vaccine will be part of a multimodal array of HIV-1 prevention tools, and work on alternative preventive approaches should be extended and further developed until an effective vaccine becomes available.

  September 10, 2020

  HIV Vaccine

  PLOS Pathogens

• Interest in Long-Acting Injectable Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (LAI PrEP) Among Women in the Women's Interagency HIV Study (WIHS): A Qualitative Study Across Six Cities in the United States

  ew women expressed interest in PrEP and when prompted to choose a regimen, 55 percent would prefer LAI, 10 percent daily pills, and 33 percent said they would not take PrEP regardless of formulation. Perceived barriers included: (1) the fear of new—and perceived untested—injectable products and (2) potential side effects (e.g., injection-site pain, nausea). Facilitators included: (1) believing shots were more effective than pills; (2) ease and convenience; and (3) confidentiality. Future studies should incorporate women’s LAI PrEP-related experiences to facilitate uptake.

  September 10, 2020

  PrEP

  AIDS and Behavior

• A Zigzag but Upward Way to Develop an HIV-1 Vaccine

  To date, hundreds of clinical trials for HIV-1 vaccines have been tested. However, there is no HIV-1 vaccine available yet, mostly because the immune correlates of protection against HIV-1 infection are not fully understood. Currently, a variety of recombinant viruses-vectored HIV-1 vaccine candidates are extensively studied as promising strategies to elicit the appropriate immune response to control HIV-1 infection.

  September 8, 2020

  HIV Vaccine

  Vaccines

• Modeling an Integrated HIV Prevention and Care Continuum to Achieve the Ending the HIV Epidemic Goals

  Reaching the US Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) 75 percent incidence reduction goals by their target dates will require immediate and substantial improvements in HIV screening, PrEP, and ART care retention. Meeting these EHE goals in target jurisdictions like Atlanta will be possible only by addressing the HIV service needs of black MSM.

  September 8, 2020

  PrEP, Treatment

  AIDS

• Changes in Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Estimated Diagnosis Rates of Heterosexually-acquired HIV Infection among Heterosexual Males in the United States, 2014-2018

  Despite the decrease, disparities remain. Tailored, effective strategies and interventions are needed to address the social and structural factors associated with HIV risk among heterosexual Black men and to promote continued progress towards reducing disparities.

  September 4, 2020

  General

  JAIDS

• Exploring the Engagement of Racial and Ethnic Minorities in HIV Treatment and Vaccine Clinical Trials: A Scoping Review of Literature and Implications for Future Research

  Based on the findings of this review, we recommend that future clinical trials engage community stakeholders in all stages of the research process through community-based participatory research approaches and promote culturally and linguistically appropriate recruitment and retention strategies for marginalized populations overly impacted by HIV.

  September 3, 2020

  HIV Vaccine

  AIDS Patient Care and STDs

• Block and Lock HIV Cure Strategies to Control the Latent Reservoir

  This review focuses on the current research of novel “block and lock” approaches being explored to generate an HIV cure via induction of epigenetic silencing. We will also discuss potential future therapeutic delivery and the challenges associated with progressing “block and lock” cure approaches as these move toward clinical trials.

  August 14, 2020

  Cure

  Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology

Announcements