Control of SHIV-89.6P-infection of cynomolgus monkeys by HIV-1 Tat proteinvaccine

Vaccine strategies aimed at blocking virus entry have so far failed to indu ce protection against heterologous viruses. Thus, the control of viral infe ction and the block of disease onset may represent a more achievable goal o f human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) vaccine strategies. Here we show that vaccination of cynomolgus monkeys with a biologically active HIV-1 Tat prot ein is safe, elicits a broad (humoral and cellular) specific immune respons e and reduces infection with the highly pathogenic simian-human immunodefic iency virus (SHIV)-89.6P to undetectable levels, preventing the CD4(+) T-ce ll decrease. These results may provide new opportunities for the developmen t of a vaccine against AIDS.