Herpes and HIV Vaccine

An experimental herpes vaccination has found success in animal trials. The vaccine of cytomegalovirus, belonging to the herpes family, is said to allow the immune system to remain constantly alert to the HIV virus.  This breakthrough could mean that in time we will remove all traces of HIV from an infected body. 

The vaccine has been tested on monkeys and now the human trials will commence.  More than half of the monkeys treated showed no signs of the virus when tested. Since then most of the monkeys have remained in control of the virus one year on and they show no signs that they had ever been infected with the virus.

Scientists hope that this finding, published in Nature, will one day lead to an approved HIV vaccine. A spokesperson for the Terrence Higgins Trust said that despite this finding, we should not be too hopeful as HIV is such a complex virus. Like hepatitis, there are many forms and strains in existence.