HIV vaccines.
A prophylactic vaccine for HIV-1 is badly needed. Despite 20 years of effort, it is still a long way off. However, considerable progress has been made in understanding the problem. The virus envelope has evolved to evade neutralizing antibodies in an extraordinary way, yet a vaccine that can stimulate such antibodies remains the best hope. Anti-HIV-1 T cell responses are evaded by continuous mutation of the virus. Vaccine strategies that concentrate on stimulating T cell immunity will at best generate broadly reactive and persisting T cell responses that can suppress virus without preventing infection, limiting or preventing the damage the virus causes. The SIV macaque models give encouragement that this is possible, but they need further understanding. Therapeutic vaccination should also be considered.
MRC Human Immunology Unit, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford OX3 9DS UK. andrew.mcmichael@ndm.ox.ac.uk
Andrew J
AJ
McMichael
D016915:AIDS Vaccines / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008251:Macaca; D018448:Models, Immunological; D009500:Neutralization Tests; D018449:SAIDS Vaccines / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology
D016915:AIDS Vaccines; D018449:SAIDS Vaccines