Harnessing CD4 + T cell responses in HIV vaccine development

Abstract

CD4 + 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 + T cell responses in the context of the development of next-generation vaccines, including HIV vaccines. Many CD4 + 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 + T cells in developing durable functional antibody responses, via follicular helper T cells, as well as on the roles of CD4 + T cells in other aspects of protective immunity. Here we discuss whether CD4 + T cell responses may represent a beneficial component of an efficacious HIV vaccine. © 2013 Nature America, Inc. All rights reserved.