Prospects for therapeutic T-cell vaccine strategies for HIV cure

This review article aims to summaries the advances in T-cell vaccination as a component of HIV cure strategies. Recent clinical trials of therapeutic vaccination showing small but intriguing efficacy signals, provide the field with the data necessary to embark on informed combination strategies that build on these advances. The review focusses on aspects of T-cell immunogen design and vector use for vaccination, and discusses the effects of adjuvants and combination strategies on vaccine-induced immunity and their impact on virus control in people with HIV who undergo an analytical treatment interruption.

Vaccine-induced virus-specific T-cell immunity has been linked to relative control of viral replication in several recent clinical trials. Different immunogen concepts have also entered clinical trials, but for only a few are there immunogenicity and efficacy data available. New initiatives that leverage innate immune mechanisms show some interesting prospect to improve antiviral immunity. The available data also indicate that the preexisting T-cell immunity plays an important role in the strength and breadth of the vaccine-induced immunity.

With some efficacy data supporting the role of antiviral T-cell immunity, strategies that improve this response further can be delineated and incorporated into future, more potent combination approaches.