Timing is everything in delivery of HIV vaccine candidate

Optimal mode and timing of vaccine delivery is crucial to the success of an HIV vaccine candidate, scientists say. Although the treatment landscape for HIV changed drastically following the emergence of antiretroviral therapy, there is still no cure. AVERT estimates that 36.7 million individuals around the globe are living with HIV and 40% are unaware of their status. Scientists continue to search for new ways to develop a safe and effective vaccine against the virus. In a study published in Immunity, investigators demonstrated the importance of optimizing the model and timing of vaccine delivery to reliably induce a neutralizing antibody response. The results of the study showed that administering the vaccine candidate subcutaneously and increasing the time intervals between immunizations improved the efficacy of the vaccine and reliably induced neutralizing antibodies. “This study is an important staging point on the long journey toward an HIV vaccine,” said investigator Dennis R. Burton, PhD. “The vaccine...