Harnessing [CD4.sub.+] T cell responses in HIV vaccine development

[CD4.sup.+] T cells can perform a panoply of tasks to shape an effective response against a pathogen. Limited attention has been paid to the potential importance of functional [CD4.sup.+] T cell responses in the context of the development of next-generation vaccines, including HIV vaccines. Many [CD4.sup.+] T cell functions are newly appreciated and only partially understood. A workshop was held as a forum to bring together a small group of experts to exchange ideas on the role of [CD4.sup.+] T cells in developing durable functional antibody responses, via follicular helper T cells, as well as on the roles of [CD4.sup.+] T cells in other aspects of protective immunity. Here we discuss whether [CD4.sup.+] T cell responses may represent a beneficial component of an efficacious HIV vaccine.
Recent findings, including the results of the RV144 Thai trial (1) and the identification of broadly neutralizing HIV antibodies in some HIV-infected individuals (2-11), have provided new hope that humans [...]