Preventive HIV vaccines: Progress and challenges

Infection with HIV, which is the cause of AIDS, is a major public-health concern throughout the world, especially in developing countries. Once a person is infected with HIV, he or she remains infected for life, even with treatment. Despite the success of standard regimens, antiretroviral therapy is complicated by potential drug-drug interactions, patient nonadherence, and adverse effects. Therefore, developing a safe, effective vaccine that prevents HIV infection is the best strategy for containing the epidemic. Despite progress in vaccine development, there is still no effective vaccine for preventing HIV. Because HIV is highly diverse, it integrates into the host genome and develops ways to evade the immune system. Many roadblocks persist in the field of HIV vaccine development.