Newark Star-Ledger chronicles HIV vaccine efforts

It's been several months since we pointed to a story updating the quest for an HIV vaccine. This lengthy feature in today's Newark Star-Ledger is worth reading. Titled "AIDS at 25: For scientists in search of a vaccine, the elusive and ever-deadly HIV virus is a mystery that may never be solved," the story opens with a similar pessimism:

"After 25 years and countless billions of research dollars, some of the nation's top scientists say a vaccine that provides absolute immunity against the virus that causes AIDS -- the best hope of curbing the worst epidemic of our time -- may never happen.

Despite breakthroughs in treatments for people already infected with HIV, researchers have hit one obstacle after another in efforts to develop a vaccine, long considered the holy grail of AIDS research. The science, they say, is just too hard."

The story includes extensive quotes from several prominent HIV vaccine researchers, particularly Ron Desrosiers (Harvard and elsewhere) and Emilio Emini (currently at Wyeth, previously at IAVI and Merck). There's a surprising level of scientific detail for a newspaper piece, outlining many of the obstacles impeding the development of a safe and effective vaccine.