HIV Vaccines: Adaptive Immunity and Beyond

Keystone Symposia, Silverthorne CO

Investigators

Abstract

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Support is requested for a Keystone Symposia meeting entitled HIV Vaccines: Adaptive Immunity and Beyond, organized by Nicole Frahm, Susan W. Barnett and Galit Alter. The meeting will be held in Banff, Alberta, Canada from March 9-14, 2014. The HIV vaccine field has undergone dramatic changes over the last several years: from the failure of the promising MRKAd5-HIV-1 vaccine to provide any protection from acquisition or disease progression to the first demonstration that an HIV vaccine can actually show efficacy with a regimen that was predicted to fail in RV144. Following these developments, the field has turned from T-cell based vaccines favored for the late nineties/early 2000s back to antibody-inducing strategies, although with a reduced focus on broadly neutralizing antibodies since these were not detected in RV144 vaccines. This meeting aims at bringing the cellular and humoral factions together to work on a holistic approach to HIV vaccination: induction of antibodies - both binding and neutralizing - to prevent infection; a safety net of CD8 T-cell responses to control viral replication in those hosts that do become infected; and CD4 T cell help for both effector arms. In addition, we seek to provide a better understanding of the interplay of innate immune responses and the resulting adaptive response, as well as a closer look at the signals that are crucial for the induction of long-lasting memory responses. This comprehensive approach to vaccinology will be complemented by a thorough portrayal of HIV transmission, both from the viral perspective as well as the portal of entry; and by a closer look of how vaccines interact with the host's genetic profile. Taken together, this meeting will bring scientists from all denominations together to tackle the design of a new generation of highly effective HIV vaccines. Opportunities for interdisciplinary interactions will be significantly enhanced by the concurrent meeting on HIV Pathogenesis - Virus vs. Host, which will share opening and closing keynote addresses and two plenary sessions with this meeting.