Optimization of a Therapeutic HIVSIV Multi-Antigen DNA Vaccine

DESCRIPTION: The HIV pandemic is one of the greatest public health challenges in history. It is estimated that 33 million people are living with HIV and 2.7 million of those are newly infected In a number of developed countries, the risk of death associated with HIV-1 infection has sharply declined due to the use of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Unfortunately, the rate of new HIV infections remains undiminished, even with the ever increasing availability of prevention programs and HAART. Forthese reasons, a vaccine that could prevent or control the spread of HIV is urgently needed. A recent study showed that a skin-delivered therapeutic DNA vaccine co-formulated with a novel adjuvant stimulated mucosal T cell responses in SIV-infected macaques and led to durable viral suppression in a subset of animals after stopping ART. These results are in striking contrast to previous therapeutic vaccines employing intramuscular delivery of DNA that failed to induce an effect or at best, induced a 1-