Abstract

HIV Persistence: Pathogenesis and Eradication. The development of a safe and effective HIV vaccine remains a major global health priority and a complex problem to solve. Current efforts emphasize an ability to elicit systemic and mucosal antibody responses capable of preventing the acquisition of infection. Evidence from multiple passive transfer experiments in non-human primates, as well as from studies of immunologic correlates of modest efficacy in the RV144 Thai trial, support the notion that both neutralizing and non-neutralizing antibodies have potential to prevent infection. Major advances have been made in understanding the epitopes, structures and evolutionary pathways of broadly neutralizing antibodies, leading to new avenues to pursue for vaccine design. The extraordinary breadth and potency of some recently discovered neutralizing antibodies has generated additional interest in potential therapeutic applications, including cure strategies. There has also been a steady increase in knowledge of other types of antiviral antibodies and their effector functions that may be important for vaccines. This meeting aims to cover a range of topics including: 1) Initial virus transmission events for vaccine intervention, 2) Non-neutralizing antibody correlates of sterilizing immunity; 3) Epitopes, structures and ontogeny of broadly neutralizing antibodies; 4) Novel vaccine concepts for broadly neutralizing antibody induction; and 5) Immunotherapy. Emphasis will be placed on recent unpublished findings in key areas that hold the greatest promise for rapid progress toward an effective vaccine.