Preventing AIDS but not HIV-1 infection with a DNA vaccine.
Although there has been some success in treating human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) patients with triple drug therapy (highly active antiretroviral therapy or HAART), the best hope for combating AIDS (the disease caused by HIV) could be a combination of drug therapy and vaccination, according to Shen and Siliciano in their Perspective. A new study in rhesus monkeys treated with a DNA vaccine (Barouch et al.) demonstrates that a powerful vaccine-induced CD8(+) cytolytic T cell response reduces the amount of virus in the blood to very low levels preventing the drastic decrease in CD4(+) T helper cells and subsequent immunodeficiency. As the Perspective authors explain, vaccinating HIV patients that are receiving HAART may enable HIV levels to be permanently brought under control such that the drug treatment can eventually be stopped.
Shen
X
X
Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
Siliciano
R F
RF
D016915:AIDS Vaccines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000276:immunology; D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D018450:Disease Progression; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000276:immunology; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy* / Q000821:virology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D009500:Neutralization Tests; D018449:SAIDS Vaccines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016097:Simian Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy / Q000821:virology; D015302:Simian Immunodeficiency Virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology; D014611:Vaccination; D019444:Vaccines, DNA / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019562:Viral Load; D014766:Viremia; D014779:Virus Replication
D016915:AIDS Vaccines; D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D015483:HIV Antibodies; D007376:Interleukin-2; D018449:SAIDS Vaccines; D019444:Vaccines, DNA