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Scientists modified E. coli with parts of the HIV virus to develop a successful vaccine
Last reviewed: 02.07.2025
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Nikolay Shcherbak, an associate professor of biology at Örebro University, has just returned to Sweden after attending a conference in South Africa, where he presented research that increases the chances of developing an HIV vaccine. Together with other researchers, he genetically modified the probiotic bacterium E. coli to include part of the HIV virus.
The article is published in the journal Microbial Cell Factories.
"Using cutting-edge technology, we insert DNA sequences into a specific location in the bacteria. We use a part of the HIV virus that is not infectious but still causes the body to produce neutralizing antibodies," says Shcherbak.
E. coli bacteria live in the intestines of humans and other animals, and some variants of them cause various types of infections. However, there are also beneficial variants of these bacteria that can help improve the gut flora. One such bacteria, the probiotic E. coli Nissle strain, was used by the Örebro researchers in their study.
"The bacteria we use are sold as dietary supplements in Germany, but as far as I know they are not available in Sweden. These supplements are recommended for people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or other stomach disorders."
HIV is a virus that can cause the fatal immunodeficiency disease AIDS, for which there is no cure. However, there are drugs to treat HIV that allow infected people to live without symptoms or the risk of transmitting the disease.
"An HIV-infected person must take antiretroviral drugs for the rest of their life, and their cost may be unaffordable for everyone. Researchers have been developing a vaccine for many years, but unfortunately, it is not a priority for pharmaceutical companies," says Shcherbak.
If the bacteria developed at Örebro University result in an approved pharmaceutical product, it could be taken in tablet form. Vaccines in tablet form have significant advantages over vaccines that need to be injected. Tablets are easier and more convenient to use, and they do not need to be stored at low temperatures, as some COVID-19 vaccines do.
Homologous modeling of the recombinant OmpF-MPER protein. Top (A) and side (B) views of the OmpF protein trimer from E. coli K-12 strain (based on 6wtz.pdb). Top (C) and side (D) views of the predicted OmpF-MPER protein from EcN-MPER, homology modeling performed on the 6wtz.pdb structure using the SWISS-MODEL tool. The location of the MPER sequence is indicated in green. Source: Microbial Cell Factories (2024). DOI: 10.1186/s12934-024-02347-8
In many previous attempts to use bacteria to produce vaccines, researchers have used antibiotic resistance genes to maintain genetic modifications in bacteria. However, this method can lead to negative consequences such as antibiotic resistance, which is a growing global public health problem. Using CRISPR/Cas9 technology, researchers from Örebro have created stable genetic modification in probiotic bacteria without the need for antibiotic resistance genes.
Shcherbak sees no risks in using genetically modified bacteria. However, more research, including animal testing, is needed before the technology can be tested on humans and a vaccine can see the light of day.
"It takes at least a couple of years to prepare and get ethical approvals. Under normal conditions, drug development takes about ten years," says Shcherbak.