A preventive vaccine is an essential part of the strategy to eradicate the HIV pandemic.1 Although the search for an AIDS vaccine has led to many scientific advances, a vaccine remains out of reach. Major impediments include the protean ability of HIV to mutate rapidly and the lack of definitive correlates of vaccine protection. Over the years, a multitude of vaccine methodologies have been tested, but few have progressed to efficacy trials2–7 and only one provided evidence for protection.7 Current HIV vaccine efficacy trials aim to improve on the success of the RV144 trial7 in Thailand, which showed a modest 31·2% protection.
Original Article: [Comment] A new step towards an HIV/AIDS vaccine