CTNPT 020: Therapeutic HIV vaccine with early HAART treatment initiation

About the Study

Though combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) can eliminate most of the HIV in a person living with HIV, small amounts of the virus persist, known as a viral reservoir. This pilot trial sought to understand if increasing the immune response against HIV using a vaccine delivered via electroporation (or a pulse of electricity) can reduce the viral reservoir.

Background

Viral reservoirs are made up of HIV that is able to avoid eradication by cART. Typically, viral reservoirs are contained within immune cells (CD4 T cells) in the blood and gut. Recent studies have suggested that the immune response while on cART can become defective which could be another reason for the persistence of HIV within the body.

To combat the formation and persistence of these viral reservoirs researchers have begun searching for strategies to enhance the effectiveness of the immune system specifically for HIV. One of these approaches is using therapeutic vaccines. By introducing a small amount of HIV DNA directly into cells, these vaccines trigger an increase in immune response specific to that virus. This increase in HIV-specific immune response may help the body attack the remaining HIV in the system and reduce the viral reservoir.