HIV Vaccines: What are we Learning from Failure?

Despite extraordinary advances in understandingthe genetic regulation of HIV, host restriction factors,and immune responses to the virus, the scientificcommunity has failed so far to develop an effectivevaccine for HIV. Suggestions and hope that vaccineable to induce T-cell responses could protect fromdisease were principally derived from studies in nonhumanprimates. In this model, vaccination with T-cellvaccines resulted in decreased primary and chronicplasma virus levels, and when sufficient animals werestudied, delayed disease progression. However, ithas also become clear that protection from diseasein most animals is not long lasting and eventually SIVreplication resumes and causes overt AIDS.