Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1992. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
VACCINES AGAINST ACQUIRED IMMUNODEFICIENCY SYNDROME (AIDS)
The Human Retroviruses. Gallo RC and Jay G, eds. San Diego, Academic Press, p. 389-405, 1991.. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE ICDB/92678736 Bolognesi DP; Center for AIDS Res., Duke Univ. Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710
Abstract:
The science of vaccinology has been mainly empirical, being based largely on trial and error using various formulations of the disease-causing organism itself. However, a vaccine against the AIDS virus will depend heavily on the depth of knowledge of HIV/host interactions at the molecular level and the use of technological advances to produce an efficacious and safe end product. The problem of developing a safe and effective AIDS vaccine is discussed, including general features of HIV pertinent to vaccine design; general features of the immune responses to HIV during natural infection; properties of the HIV envelope important for vaccine design; neutralizing epitopes; epitopes associated with cellular immunity; antibodies that enhance virus infectivity; epitopes that mimic products of normal cellular genes; immunosuppressive effects of the HIV envelope; and recent progress in vaccine development. The morbidity and mortality associated with HIV-1, together with uncertainty of vaccine efficacy against this virus generally precludes the use of conventional vaccine strategies employing live-attenuated or even killed preparations, which have been successful with other viruses. On the basis of the what is not known about the HIV envelope, the emphasis should be directed toward constructing immunogens containing the different categories of epitopes that induce protective immunity against the virus and its infected target cells. By inference, such preparations should exclude the regions of the virus that elicit undesirable responses. Thus, domains representing targets for neutralizing antibodies, antibody-directed cellular cytotoxicity, and cytotoxic lymphocytes should continue to be refined. All regions responsible for molecular mimicry with host products, immunosuppressive sequences, or regions of HIV that bind to normal cell surface molecules (and might induce anti-idiotype antibodies) need to be identified. While the envelope of HIV may be the primary target of immune attack, other viral components are likely to be equally important. Given the unprecedented obstacles that HIV presents toward development of a vaccine, it can be anticipated that multiple arms of the immune system will need to be activated in order to achieve a protective immune response to infection. (75 Refs)
Keywords: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/*IMMUNOLOGY/PREVENTION & CONTROL Antigens, CD4/IMMUNOLOGY AIDS Vaccines/ADMINISTRATION & DOSAGE/*IMMUNOLOGY Human HIV/*IMMUNOLOGY HIV Antibodies/BIOSYNTHESIS HIV Envelope Protein gp120/IMMUNOLOGY HIV-1/IMMUNOLOGY Immunity, Cellular/IMMUNOLOGY Vaccines, Synthetic/IMMUNOLOGY MONOGRAPH REVIEW
AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.
Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1992. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
