Careers
Contact Us

There are many types of vaccines, but all generally work by teaching the immune system to recognize and fight back against a disease-causing microorganism. Some vaccines are designed to help the immune system prevent people from getting a disease and are called preventive vaccines. Others are therapeutic vaccines, designed to help people who already have a disease to clear it from their body. Currently, there are no effective HIV vaccines of either kind.

Studies at the HVTN focus on preventive vaccines. Vaccines used in HVTN studies are made in the lab. Because we do not use the actual virus, you cannot get HIV from being in one of our studies.

Vaccine Designs: 1) Whole-inactivated / inactivated HIV; 2) synthetic peptide / laboratory-made piece of protein; 3) recombinant viral vector / another virus carries pieces of HIV; 4) mRNA / mRNA carries pieces of HIV; 5) DNA / DNA carries pieces of HIV; 6) broadly neutralizing antibodies / binds to and neutralizes HIV; 7) virus-like particles / same shape as HIV, insides changed; 8) recombinant bacterial vector / bacteria used to carry pieces of HIV; 9) recombinant sub-unit / HIV protein made in a lab; 10) live-attenuated / weakened HIV
Vaccine Designs: 1) Whole-inactivated / inactivated HIV; 2) synthetic peptide / laboratory-made piece of protein; 3) recombinant viral vector / another virus carries pieces of HIV; 4) mRNA / mRNA carries pieces of HIV; 5) DNA / DNA carries pieces of HIV; 6) broadly neutralizing antibodies / binds to and neutralizes HIV; 7) virus-like particles / same shape as HIV, insides changed; 8) recombinant bacterial vector / bacteria used to carry pieces of HIV; 9) recombinant sub-unit / HIV protein made in a lab; 10) live-attenuated / weakened HIV Illustration by Lisa Donohue

Protein Vaccines

Protein vaccines are most often made up of either pieces of HIV protein or whole proteins that have been copied from HIV. The protein alone cannot cause disease. The human immune system recognizes the protein as a “foreign invader” and creates an immune response to it. If the person were exposed to HIV in the future, their body would recognize HIV because of the vaccine and would be able to fight back more effectively.

DNA Vaccines

A DNA vaccine uses copies of a small number of HIV genes that are inserted into pieces of DNA called plasmids. The HIV genes will prompt the body to produce proteins that look like the ones found in real HIV. After vaccination, the body’s immune system may respond to the HIV-like proteins and fight the real virus if the vaccinated person is later exposed to it.

Viral Vector Vaccines

Vectors are carriers – just as a plane or truck delivers its cargo, a vector carries genes copied from HIV and delivers them to the cells in your body. These viral vectors are modified in the lab so that they don’t cause disease in people.

For a viral vector vaccine, non-HIV viruses are used to carry genes that tell the body to make some HIV proteins. The genes are inserted into the vector, which carries them into the body's cells. Then, as with a DNA vaccine, the HIV genes will tell the body to make proteins like the ones found in real HIV. After vaccination, the body’s immune system may respond to the proteins, and fight against HIV if a person is exposed to it in the future.