HIV vaccine breakthrough in monkeys

Using an immune system gene in a vaccine appears to have helped bring the HIV virus under control, according to new research.

The study, undertaken by a team from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, discovered that the use of the gene in a vaccine provided macaque monkeys with greater protection against simian HIV than those using an unmodified variation.

As a result of their findings, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the researchers hope they have proved that the effectiveness of using DNA vaccines to fight HIV can be boosted by modifying them.

Senior author of the report, Dr David B Weiner, said: "DNA vaccine technology has great promise for the development of vaccines and immune therapeutics for a variety of infectious diseases and cancers."

However, he warned that "improving the immune potency of this platform is critical for further development in humans."

While previous HIV vaccines experienced success when tested on monkeys, ScienceCentral.com reported that they have gone on to be ineffective when tested on humans.

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