This was declared by the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative at the 13th World AIDS Conference. Developed in partnership between researchers at England's Oxford University and the University of Nairobi, the vaccine is one of several being studied. The genesis of the vaccine is a curious phenomenon observed among some people active in Nairobi's sex trade. Of some 2,000 prostitutes studied, about 5 percent were found to have developed a natural resistance to the disease. The very first exposure wasn't able to cause infection, but was able to prime their immune system and that the women's T-cell production increased significantly.
T cells are key cells that coordinate immune system response.
HIV focuses its attack on these cells, disarming the body's ability to fight disease. Usually, the body doesn't recognize the virus quickly enough to produce enough of the T cells needed for an effective defense. Its hoped that once somebody has been given the vaccine, they will respond vigorously by producing T cells. The first vaccine trial is scheduled to begin within six to eight weeks in the United Kingdom. It will move to Africa by year's end.