HIV vaccines: Back to basics?

With the recent linkurl:failure;http://www.the-scientist.com/blog/display/53633/ of HIV vaccine clinical trials, the HIV/AIDS research community has resolved to concentrate more on the basic science behind the disease, shifting the main focus from vaccine product development towards immunology and virology research, they said at a meeting in Maryland held today (March 25). "We need to turn the knob towards discovery," said linkurl:Anthony Fauci,;http://www.the-scientist.com/blog/display/53845/ director of NIH's National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), which convened a linkurl:summit;http://hivsummit.dgimeetingsupport.com/ on HIV vaccine research and development, which was webcast from a Bethesda hotel. One suggestion that came from speakers and the audience, which consisted of world leaders in HIV/AIDS research: Bring new blood into HIV vaccine research by supporting young investigators. "We really do need new and novel ideas," said Carl Dieffenbach, director of NIAID's Division of Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome. But how? Many of the scientists who spoke at the summit called on the NIAID...