Clinical Trials Investigate Potential Of Therapeutic Vaccines For People With HIV

via The AIDS Beacon

Clinical trials for several types of therapeutic HIV vaccines are currently ongoing or recruiting participants. Therapeutic HIV vaccines work by enhancing the body's natural immune response, helping to control HIV in people already infected with the virus. This is in contrast to preventative vaccines, which are used in HIV-negative individuals to prevent infection. Researchers hope therapeutic vaccines will decrease dependence on antiretroviral drugs, which must be taken for life and often have serious side effects.

"A vaccine that enhanced the body's ability to control HIV and delayed or decreased the dependence on anti-HIV drugs would be a major breakthrough for HIV treatment," said Dr. Melanie Thompson, a lead investigator of one of the HIV vaccine trials.

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