Update on HIV Vaccine Research Strategies

Despite the many challenges facing the development of a safe and effective HIV vaccine (many of which we've discussed previously), we continue to be interested observers in the status of HIV vaccine research, cognizant of the incredible benefits a vaccine would bring.

The latest New England Journal of Medicine includes a review article by NIAID Director Dr. Anthony Fauci and researcher Dr. Margaret Johnston titled "An HIV Vaccine -- Evolving Concepts."

It's a science-laden paper, but its conclusion reflects the increasingly modest hopes for a potential first-generation HIV vaccine. Johnston and Fauci describe a different type of vaccine, one that would alter the common understanding of the protection vaccines provide and create additional implementation concerns along with the potential for tremendous benefits...

" A vaccine that conforms to the classic paradigm of viral vaccines remains the goal of efforts to develop an HIV vaccine. Such a vaccine would induce immune responses that prevented the establishment of HIV infection by clearing virus before latent viral reservoirs were produced. This goal may not be realized with first-generation vaccines. The development of an HIV vaccine may diverge from the classic paradigm for viral vaccines. There is optimism that even a less-than-perfect vaccine could benefit both individual recipients and the at-risk community. By blunting the initial burst of viremia and reducing virus levels, such a vaccine could prolong the disease-free period and also reduce transmission. If licensed, such a vaccine will have to be delivered as part of a comprehensive, multifaceted, prevention program."