Current Status of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Vaccines

Abstract

Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapies (HAARTs) have been developed to treat HIV+ individuals, increasing the quality and quantity of life of many HIV+ patients. Despite these effective strategies, human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) epidemic continues to uphold globally with 39 million infected individuals. 1 However, the HIV retrovirus integrates into the (cluster of differentiation 4) CD4+ cells’ genomes where it can persist for years in a latent stage forming HIV reservoirs throughout the body.2 Due to these reservoirs, infected individuals need to be under treatment for the rest of their lives, as HAARTs cannot fully cure HIV.3,4 As a result, preventive strategies have now been introduced in the plan to completely eradicate the HIV/AIDs endemic.5 Effective preventative strategies that decrease bodily fluids transmissions like the usage of condoms, sterile needles, abstinence, monogamy between uninfected individuals, and voluntary testing have been developed. The development of vaccines as preventative and treatment strategies against HIV has been proposed to aid in the eradication of this disease.5,6 Typically, vaccines have been successful in the disappearance of past endemics such as polio and small pox. Vaccine development for HIV began in the 1980’s.1 Two types of vaccines have been proposed: those as protection against acquisition of HIV-1 and those as treatment to cure HIV in conjunction with HAART.1,5