background: due to their similar routes of transmission, human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) and hepatitis b virus (hbv) co-infection occurs considerably. hbv infection progresses more rapidly in hiv-infected patients. therefore, hbv vaccination of all non-immune hiv infected patients is recommended. on the other hand, hiv-infected subjects have suboptimal responses to hbv vaccine. in this study...

Despite the tremendous efforts to develop a successful human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) vaccine, the quest for a safe and effective HIV vaccine seems to be remarkably long and winding. Disappointing results from previous clinical trials of VaxGen's AIDSVAXgp120 vaccine and MRKAd5 HIV-1 Gag/Pol/Nef vaccine emphasize that understanding the correlates of immune protection in HIV infection is the...

BACKGROUND Vaccine-induced antibodies to envelope proteins frequently cause HIV seroconversion in uninfected recipients of HIV vaccine candidates and may thus have an impact on the vaccinee's ability to donate blood or acquire a life insurance policy. OBJECTIVE To determine the occurrence of positive test results when commonly used HIV immunoassays are used to screen sera of HIV-uninfected vo...

The HIV pandemic is still a major global challenge, despite the widespread availability of antiretroviral drugs. An effective vaccine would be the ideal approach to bringing the pandemic to an end. However, developing an effective HIV vaccine has proven to be an elusive goal. Three major human HIV vaccine trials revealed a strong trend toward greater risk of infection among vaccine recipients v...

Despite major advances in HIV-1 therapeutics and prevention strategies, the development of a safe and effective prophylactic HIV-1 vaccine will likely be critical for ending the global HIV-1 epidemic. Yet only four HIV-1 vaccine concepts have been tested for clinical efficacy over the past 30 years. In this Commentary, we describe key hurdles facing the HIV-1 vaccine development field and outli...

  Introduction : Designing an effective vaccine against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 is a global health priority . Multi-epitope vaccines offer several potential advantages that may be promising in case of mutable divergent pathogens such as HIV-1. Herein, a multiepitopic recombinant protein containing various HIV-1 antigens was expressed in E. coli cells and its immunogenicity in combi...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the population effects of potential preventive and therapeutic vaccines in early- and late-stage epidemics in a population of homosexual men. METHODS An epidemic model was used that simulated the course of the epidemic for a population of homosexual men in San Francisco, California. Vaccine programs were evaluated by the number of cases of HIV averted, the effect on the ...

While there has been remarkable progress in understanding the biology of HIV-1 and its recognition by the human immune system, we have not yet developed an efficacious HIV-1 vaccine. Vaccine challenges include the genetic diversity and mutability of HIV-1 which create a plethora of constantly changing antigens, the structural features of the viral envelope glycoprotein that disguise conserved r...

Recent advances in HIV vaccine development have created a renaissance in the search for a safe and effective HIV vaccine. These advances include the first demonstration in human clinical trials of a vaccine candidate that provided modest levels of protection from HIV infection; a series of candidates entering into clinical trials with an improved profile of protection against SIV in non-human p...

The trademark of a viral vaccine is to elicit robust, effective and extensive immune responses against the virus. One way of demonstrating that antibodies can elicit protection is by passive administration followed by virus challenge in in vivo models. A vaccine capable of eliciting satisfactory levels of antibody against HIV-1 could prevent the establishment of infection. In the case of HIV-1 ...