AIDS Vaccine Basics is comprised of our popular Primer series, textbook-like chapters of about 800 words each that aim to translate the complex world of AIDS vaccine science into simple but informative language. Here you will find deftly written explanations on how different AIDS vaccine strategies work, what cells comprise the different arms of the human immune system, and how to interpret the results of AIDS vaccine trials. The page contains a searchable key that allows readers to track down Primer topics dating back to 2003.
Understanding Informed Consent
VAX-3(6)-June-2005
How does the informed consent process work in vaccine trials?
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Understanding DNA Vaccines
VAX November 2012
What are the major challenges that AIDS researchers have faced in developing DNA vaccines and how are recent advances helping them overcome these challenges?
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Understanding Community Advisory Boards
VAX-3(5)-May-2005
What role do Community Advisory Boards have in vaccine trials?
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Understanding How Researchers Visualize the HIV Spike
VAX September 2012
What tools are researchers using to bring HIV’s Envelope protein into focus and what have they learned about its structure?
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Understanding Research Voluntary Counseling and Testing
VAX-3(4)-April-2005
How is voluntary counseling and testing provided to volunteers in clinical research or vaccine trials?
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Understanding the Impact of PrEP on AIDS Vaccine Trials
Vax June 2012
How have recent data on the antiretroviral drug Truvada and its possible approval as an HIV prevention drug affected the design of AIDS vaccine trials?
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Understanding the Complexities of Adenoviral Vector Vaccines
Vax March 2012
What are the potential advantages and disadvantages of using vectors derived from the adenovirus—which causes the common cold—as vehicles for AIDS vaccine candidates?
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Understanding Clinical Research Studies
VAX-3(3)-March-2005
What information can clinical research studies provide?
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Understanding How Viral Vector-based AIDS Vaccine Candidates are Manufactured
Vax January 2012
What are some of the challenges in developing viral vector-based vaccine candidates and how are scientists trying to overcome these challenges?
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Understanding Pre-existing Immunity
VAX-3(2)-February-2005
What is pre-existing immunity to a vaccine vector?
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Understanding the Effects of Hormonal Contraception on HIV Transmission
VAX November 2011
What are the risks and benefits of using hormonal contraception in HIV prevention trials?
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Understanding the Rationale for Combination Prevention Trials
Vax September 2011
What are the potential benefits of and complications with studying multiple prevention strategies in combination?
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Understanding Vaccine Adjuvants
VAX-2(9)-October-2004
How are vaccine immune responses strengthened?
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Understanding How Adjuvants Boost Immune Responses
Vax July 2011
What have researchers learned about the use of substances called adjuvants that can augment the response to vaccination?
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Understanding Viral Vectors
VAX-2(8)-September-2004
Why use viral vectors for AIDS vaccines?
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Understanding HIV's Envelope Protein
Vax March 2011
What are the challenges to understanding this protein’s structure and how would revealing its structure impact the design of possible HIV vaccine candidates?
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Understanding How Broadly Neutralizing Antibodies Evolve
Vax January 2011
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Understanding Adaptive Clinincal Trial Designs
VAX November 2010
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Understanding the Sexual Transmission of HIV
VAX-2(5)-June-2004
How does sexual transmission happen and how can it be blocked by vaccines or microbicides?
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Understanding the Costs and Benefits of AIDS Vaccine Efficacy Trials
VAX September 2010
Why are late-stage trials so expensive and why is it important to invest in them?
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