Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

HIV

Tied down by its own receptor

Nature volume 519, pages 36–37 (2015)Cite this article

Subjects

An engineered protein that binds to the envelope of HIV viruses protects monkeys against infection with a simian–human virus that causes AIDS. This gene-therapy approach might provide an alternative to elusive HIV vaccines. See Letter p.87

The past 30 years have been marked by a long and discouraging search for an effective HIV vaccine. In 2009, the 'Thai trial' of the candidate vaccine RV144 was the first to demonstrate any success, measuring a 31.2% reduction in the rate of infection, although efficacy decreased over the first year after vaccination1. The difficulty in developing a more effective vaccine has forced investigators to explore problems that are posed by other intractable pathogens, including persistence in the host, a high degree of variability of certain regions, masking of common regions, and pathogen-induced inhibition of host immunity. But on page 87 of this issue, Gardner et al.2 describe research suggesting that protection against HIV infection may be achievable through a gene-therapy approach, rather than by relying on eliciting protective immune responses by vaccination.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Get just this article for as long as you need it

$39.95

Learn more

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1: Vaccination versus gene therapy.

Notes

  1. See all news & views

References

  1. Rerks-Ngarm, S. et al. N. Engl. J. Med. 361, 2209–2220 (2009).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Gardner, M. R. et al. Nature 519, 87–91 (2015).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Dalgleish, A. G. et al. Nature 312, 763–767 (1984).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Klatzmann, D. et al. Nature 312, 767–768 (1984).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Farzan, M. et al. Cell 96, 667–676 (1999).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Hansen, S. G. et al. Nature 502, 100–104 (2013).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Johnson, P. R. et al. Nature Med. 15, 901–906 (2009).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Hoxie, J. A. Annu. Rev. Med. 61, 135–152 (2010).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nancy L. Haigwood is in the Division of Pathobiology & Immunology, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Beaverton, Oregon 97006, USA.,

    Nancy L. Haigwood

Authors
  1. Nancy L. Haigwood
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Nancy L. Haigwood.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Haigwood, N. Tied down by its own receptor. Nature 519, 36–37 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature14205

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nature14205

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing: Translational Research

Sign up for the Nature Briefing: Translational Research newsletter — top stories in biotechnology, drug discovery and pharma.

Get what matters in translational research, free to your inbox weekly. Sign up for Nature Briefing: Translational Research