EDITORIAL
URRENTCOPINION

HIV vaccines moving forward
Stephen J. Kent a and Jerome H. Kim b

We are pleased to present this issue of Current
Opinion on HIV/AIDS devoted to HIV vaccines.
Despite progress made in treatment, pre-exposure
prophylaxis, circumcision, and novel formulationsof antiviral compounds, an HIV vaccine is stillneeded to achieve lasting control the HIV pandemic. Developing a safe and effective HIV vaccine
is a global research priority. The collective works
present many of the broad approaches directed
toward establishing what constitutes effectiveimmunity to HIV and how to go about evaluating
vaccines that achieve protective immunity.
As editors, we were excited that so many of oureminent colleagues were willing to share theirinsights and views on this critically important topic.
A sense of optimism comes through the articles
herein. Thoughtful and interesting theories andexperimental results are outlined toward solving
many of the obstacles facing the field. Much of
the full gamut of HIV vaccine science is discussed,from immune responses, novel concepts, preclinicalwork, through to efficacy trials. We believe there
will be something here for all readers interested in
HIV vaccinology.
The HIV vaccine field has been reenergized with
the initiation of multiple efficacy trials in recent
months and more in the wings. Efficacy trials
represent the end result of large bodies of basic
research, preclinical research, and early phaseclinical trials. Important, sometimes hard, lessons
have been learned from all efficacy trials to date. We
look forward to the successful completion of the
new efficacy trials and their eagerly anticipatedresults and implications.
Preclinical macaque models are beautifully outlined by Del Prete and colleagues (pp. 546–554).
The advantages, disadvantages, and choices facedby researchers are presented very well. Acute HIV
infection is studied both by Robb and colleagues(pp. 555–560), with recent data from key humancohorts summarized, as well as by Lewis (pp. 561–568), who focused on key innate and functional
antibody responses in this critical window.
Broadly neutralizing antibody approaches arethoughtfully presented by Penny Moore and colleagues (pp. 569–575) and a brief review of thehuman and animal data of broadly neutralizing antibody infusion are presented by Pantaleo and Levy

(pp. 576–584). The implications of recent advancesin adjuvants on humoral immunity are nicely presented by Alving and colleagues (pp. 585–592).
Some of the innovative approaches to induce
various aspects of T-cell immunity are reviewed byStreeck (pp. 593–600). The work leading up (andobstacles) of the next generation of early phaseclinical trials is very well discussed by Safrit and Koff(pp. 601–606).
Recent results and implications from HIV
vaccine efficacy trials are reviewed by Excler andMichael (pp. 607–613). Marovich and Russell(pp. 614–619) discuss in detail efficacy trials
planned of poxvirus prime/protein boost combinations. Innovative aspects of the design andanalysis of future efficacy trials is carefully laidout by Gilbert and colleagues (pp. 620–627). Finally,
Pantaleo and Levy (pp. 576–584) review the challenges and novel therapies being considered in thedevelopment of therapeutic vaccines.
Overall, this issue encompasses many of the keyquestions facing the HIV vaccine field in 2016 and wehope readers will consider how to incorporate advances in related fields to their own studies of HIVvaccines. Collaborating onmultiprongedapproached
to preventing HIV with vaccines and other technologies are likely to yield the most rapid advances.
Acknowledgements
We thank Leanne Kelly for excellent editorial assistance.
Financial support and sponsorshipNone.
Conflicts of interest
There are no conflicts of interest.
aDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology, Peter Doherty Institute for
Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne, Parkville; Melbourne
Sexual Health Clinic and Infectious Diseases Department, Alfred Hospital, Monash University Central Clinical School, Carlton; ARC Centre ofExcellence in Convergent Bio-Nano Science and Technology, Universityof Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia and bInternational Vaccine
Institute, Seoul, South Korea
Correspondence to Stephen J. Kent, Department of Microbiology andImmunology, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Universityof Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia. E-mail: skent@unimelb.edu.auCurr Opin HIV AIDS 2016, 11:545
DOI:10.1097/COH.0000000000000323

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