The Henry M. Jackson Foundation

Developing an effective HIV vaccine is a momentous challenge. An exceptionally wide range of candidate HIV vaccines have been tested, yet many were poorly immunogenic, and of the select few that advanced into efficacy trials, only one demonstrated any efficacy. Here we report the results of the largest-scale cross-protocol immunogenicity comparison to date: 13 HIV vaccine trials (including 36 vaccine regimens) conducted across nine countries worldwide, strengthened by standardized trial designs, validated assays in centralized laboratories, and harmonized immunogenicity endpoints - providing an objective approach to identify the HIV vaccine candidate(s) with the best immunogenicity. A polyvalent DNA prime + protein boost regimen (HVTN 124) including Env immunogens of four subtypes, matched between prime and boost, achieved the best anti-V1V2 antibody responses by a large margin and also induced high CD4+ T-cell responses - two key immune responses implicated in HIV vaccine protection. Our results provide strong support to test this promising HIV vaccine design in more advanced phase clinical trials and will also guide the future design of additional HIV vaccines.Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01799954..Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02109354..Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02404311..Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02207920..Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02296541..Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03284710..Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02915016..Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02997969..Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03122223..Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03409276..Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02968849..Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03060629..Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00223080..

Background: The Processing of Positive Memories Technique (PPMT) is a novel intervention designed to reduce posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms by enhancing the retrieval and processing of positive autobiographical memories (AM). While initial findings of pilot PPMT studies are promising, further refinement of PPMT is needed to optimize its effectiveness and applicability.Objective: To support this goal, the current study gathered feedback from treatment recipients on the components, format, and feasibility of PPMT with the aim to identify potential areas of modification.Method: Seventy-five trauma survivors (M_age = 30.45 years; 74.7% women) completing all five PPMT sessions provided quantitative and qualitative feedback on PPMT.Results: Quantitative data analyses indicated that most participants were satisfied with the PPMT protocol (e.g. positive AM definition, number of elicited positive AMs and PPMT sessions, time devoted to processing positive AMs, preference for individual sessions); and found PPMT to be feasible (e.g. acceptable, easy to learn, good treatment adherence, comprehension, and retention). Qualitative data further highlighted specific benefits, barriers, areas of modification, and implementation preferences for PPMT. Suggestions to refine PPMT included reducing the frequency of listening to the positive AM audio-recordings, clarifying the rationale of how PPMT addresses posttraumatic symptoms, integrating PPMT with trauma-focused interventions, focusing on positive AMs of events unrelated to the trauma and those occurring post-trauma, providing a rationale for and practice in using the present tense in narratives, incorporating emotion regulation skills, being more flexible in the number of sessions, and providing practice in recalling positive AMs.Conclusion: Overall, PPMT was perceived as a promising therapeutic intervention for trauma survivors, with good feasibility indicators.Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT06680193.

Nipah virus (NiV) is a highly virulent zoonotic virus classified as a priority pathogen and biohazard. In 2014, an outbreak of NiV-like disease in the Province of Sultan Kudarat, Mindanao, Philippines resulted in a 53% case fatality rate. Here, we identified wildlife bat hosts of NiV by conducting monthly serological surveillance of flying foxes and other native frugivorous bat species across Luzon. We estimated 13.92% NiV seroprevalence in native flying foxes. We also detected NiV neutralizing activity in some flying fox sera and identified factors such as age and seasonality as drivers of high anti-NiV antibody levels. In contrast, less than 10% NiV seroprevalence was detected in R. amplexicaudatus, C. luzoniensis, and P. jagori bats, and these bats have no detectable neutralizing antibodies. This is the first serological description of NiV in native flying foxes in the Philippines, highlighting a major wildlife host in an understudied region.