Scientists have spent decades attempting to develop a vaccine for HIV, with limited success. Now, research published in Nature this week (September 21) suggests that the solution to achieving effective protection may partially lie in how the vaccine is delivered. By breaking the initial dose of a vaccine into multiple, escalating doses over the course of nearly two weeks, a team of researchers from the La Jolla Institute for Immunology was able to generate a longer-lasting immune response in rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) and higher levels of neutralizing antibodies following a booster dose when compared with a traditional, one-shot approach.
There are still many steps to be taken before this can be translated into HIV treatment for humans, says Elizabeth Connick, who studies HIV pathogenesis and cure strategies at the University of Arizona College of Medicine and was not involved in this study. For example, she says it’s crucial to ...
