Category: Vaccines
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Coverage of some subjectively selected presentations from the recent CROI meeting in Atlanta, in addition to the prior post on the case report of a potentially functionally cured infant. Gene Modification of Virus-Specific CD4 T Cells Patrick Younan from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center delivered an interesting talk about transplantation of gene-modified stem cells in…
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When it comes to susceptibility to HIV infection, not all CD4 T cells are created equal. There are a variety of factors that have been shown to influence how readily HIV gains entry and replicates, with the best-described distinction being between activated CD4 T cells, which are highly susceptible, and resting CD4 T cells, which…
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In November 2011, the laboratory of Nobel laureate David Baltimore published encouraging results from humanized mouse studies of an approach to HIV prevention they have named vectored immunoprophylaxis (assigned the slightly uncomfortable acronym VIP). The strategy involves the use of adeno-associated virus (AAV) as a vector to deliver genes that make broadly neutralizing antibodies against HIV…
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Among the many tasks of the immune system, the responsibility for recognizing and killing virus-infected cells falls largely to the subset of CD8 T cells designated cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTL). Whether CD4 T cells (traditionally called just “helper” cells) can exert cytotoxic functions has historically been controversial, but over the past decade studies have convincingly documented the…
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T follicular helper cells (TFH) are a subset of CD4 T cells that reside almost exclusively in the lymph nodes, where they specialize in helping B cells generate antibodies. In a testament to the complexity and difficulty of studying the immune system, TFH were only identified as a discrete subset of CD4 T cells at…
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In prior posts I’ve written about research from the laboratories of Mario Ostrowski and Doug Nixon looking at the effect of HIV infection on human endogenous retrovirus (HERV) protein expression. This work, led by Brad Jones and Keith Garrison, has shown that the liberating effects of the HIV Vif protein can cause normally inactive HERV…
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The AIDS Vaccine 2012 conference took place in Boston September 9–12, organized by the Global HIV/AIDS Vaccine Enterprise, the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard, and the Havard Center for AIDS Research. Webcasts of all the conference sessions are now available online, and the abstracts have been posted as a a supplement to the…
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In the early 1990s, the research group of Frank Plummer at the University of Manitoba drew considerable attention—and some controversy—when they reported that, among a large cohort of female sex workers in Nairobi, a subset showed evidence of resistance to HIV infection. The evidence emerged over the course of a long-term study that found that…
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Following on the heels of the prior post, a new paper published online today in the Journal of Infectious Diseases confirms that uncircumcised MSM with pre-existing antibody responses to Ad5 experienced an enhanced risk of HIV acquisition in the STEP trial. Importantly, however, this study documents that the effect has waned over time. J Infect…
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In September 2007, the HIV vaccine field received an unexpected setback when it was announced that the phase IIb efficacy trial of a candidate developed by Merck was being stopped early due to lack of efficacy. The trial was conducted by the HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN) and was referred to as the STEP study.…