Strategies in therapy and immunoprophylaxis of human immunodeficiency virus infection

In designing antiviral drugs and therapeutic schemes some basic considerations should be taken into account: 1. RNA viruses and especially HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) respond to environmental changes with evading mutations, hence, the high degree of variability of these viruses. All drugs interfering with viral functions will presumably give rise to resistant variants. 2. Approaches using cytotoxic peptides may induce adverse immune responses. Vaccines may elicit neutralizing antibodies, cellular cytotoxic responses, or both. The limitations of subunit vaccines or oligopeptides in eliciting cell mediated cytotoxicity in all vaccinees are outlined. Recent developments and the suitability of the SIV mac/rhesus monkey model are reviewed. The importance of adjuvants is indicated.