ADCC and functional cure in SIV infection

? DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): HIV infection has infected over 33 million people worldwide. Though highly activated anti-retroviral therapy (HAART) has been effective at controlling infection leading to a better long-term outcome for patients, it has failed to eradicat the latently reservoir. There is a critical need to develop approaches that can lead to a functiona cure. The overall objectives of this application are to evaluate therapeutic vaccination approaches to enhance the immune system mediated clearance of latently infected cells. In Specific aim 1, we will determine is therapeutic vaccine can be used to enhance B cell responses and if these responses can clear the latent virus. In Specific aim 2, we will determine if NK cell activity can be enhanced leading to better elimination of latently infected cells. Overal these studies have the potential to lead to a functional cure and better long-term outcome.