HIV Vaccine Development: Current Scenario and Future Prospects

The search for a preventive vaccine that can halt the global pandemic is the ultimate goal of HIV research. Development of a vaccine against HIV-1 has been plagued by many insurmountable challenges. Different vaccine concepts have been tested to overcome these challenges. Experimental vaccines that showed promise in preclinical studies were advanced into clinical trials. Yet, human trials proved to be a huge disappointment until the results of the RV144 trial in Thailand. This trial not only provided the first evidence of a modest efficacy, but also valuable insights on the possible immunologic correlates of vaccine protection. Currently, the HIV vaccine research landscape has been rejuvenated by two major developments. On one hand, there has been a resurgence of interest in T cell-based vaccines with the promising results obtained using a recombinant cytomegalovirus vector vaccine. On the other hand, the discovery of more than a hundred broadly neutralizing antibodies from cohorts of HIV-infected individuals has led to the development of antibody-based preventive vaccines. Innovations in the design of vaccines, vaccination strategies and clinical trial programs will be necessary to accelerate the search for a prophylactic HIV vaccine. This article reviews the current status of HIV vaccine research and provides a roadmap to future efforts in vaccine development.