'DNA origami' could be key for making an effective HIV vaccine, early study hints

A close up shows two hands covered in blue latex gloves. The left is holding a small bottle containing blue liquid while the right hand uses a small syringe to pull out the liquid from the bottle.

A vaccine designed using "DNA origami" activated more of the key immune cells needed to fight HIV than did traditional vaccines built upon protein scaffolds, a new mouse study found.

"DNA origami" refers to a precisely engineered, three-dimensional scaffold made of folded DNA that can hold and display viral antigens — bits of viruses that the immune system can recognize and attack.