Purpose of review: The year 2005 saw the licensure of two DNA vaccines for veterinary use (horses and salmon), thus demonstrating that limitations of potency and delivery have been overcome for certain real-life applications. The purpose of this review is to evaluate the advances specific for application of DNA vaccines to HIV vaccines for humans.
Recent findings: The potency of DNA vaccines has been greatly increased by new formulations and delivery methods. The use of various adjuvants and immune modulators has likewise been shown to increase or specifically focus immune responses. Heterologous prime/boost strategies utilizing DNA as the priming agent followed by viral vectors or protein have been shown to be useful for increased antibody as well as cellular responses. Results from early-phase clinical trials are being utilized to direct the development of gene-based vaccines.
Summary: Recent advances in increasing the potency of DNA vaccines via novel adjuvants, formulations, and delivery systems, along with prime/boost strategies and nonhuman primate studies, are reviewed in terms of their potential for developing an HIV/AIDS vaccine for clinical usage.