The Quest for an HIV-1 Vaccine - Moving Forward

The challenges in the development of a prophylactic HIV-1 vaccine are unprecedented in the history of vaccinology. But there are reasons for optimism, and indeed, several promising vaccine concepts are currently moving toward clinical efficacy trials. Vaccines have historically been the most effective biomedical interventions for controlling global infectious diseases. The development of a safe and effective vaccine against human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) is therefore a critical research priority. Although other HIV-1 prevention efforts based on behavioral risk reduction, male circumcision, topical microbicides, preexposure prophylaxis, and treatment as prevention have had substantial effects on HIV-1 transmission rates, it is likely that a vaccine will be required to end the global HIV-1 epidemic. The challenges in the development of a prophylactic HIV-1 vaccine, however, are unprecedented in the history of vaccinology. First, HIV-1 exhibits tremendous ...