The experimental vaccine HVTN-044 is a DNA plasmid vaccine that encodes the proteins Gag, Pol and Nef from Clade B HIV-1, and the Env protein from Clades A, B and C HIV-1. This vaccine will be combined with a DNA plasmid cytokine adjuvant, which produces the protein IL-2/Ig.

The genes that are carried by the plasmid are expected to produce 4 different proteins normally made by HIV: Gag, Pol and Nef. There are also 3 genes that will make the Env protein, one each from subtype A, B and C.

These man-made genes are a tiny part of the information in HIV. It is impossible to get HIV infection or AIDS from HVTV-044. Vaccine research on it and others is conducted at Columbia University, NYC, NY; the University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD and the Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA. However, DNA vaccines have performed poorly.

Go to the AIDS Vaccine Clearinghouse--AVAC http://www.aidsvaccineclearinghouse.org/