AIDS Vaccine Development: Challenges and Opportunities

The HIV/AIDS pandemic is the most devastating global public health crisis since the great plagues of the Middle Ages, with more than 14,000 new HIV infections and 8,000 deaths due to AIDS every day. Although successful vaccines have been developed for most common childhood diseases, the development of a vaccine against the AIDS virus is a much greater challenge. More than 20 years after the discovery of the virus, the goal of a licensed and globally accessible vaccine is still several years away. AIDS Vaccine Development reviews the scientific challenges that have impeded the search for an effective AIDS vaccine and discusses current novel research that is accelerating progress. In a series of mini-reviews by the world's leading experts in AIDS vaccine research, the book provides essential reading for everyone interested in the current progress and future direction of AIDS vaccine development.