Why They Can't Make an HIV Vaccine (They're Trying!)

A lot of very smart people have been working for a very long time on vaccines for HIV/AIDS, and they've come up empty. Thanks to broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) and mRNA vaccine technology, that might be changing. Here's why we don't have a vaccine for HIV/AIDS yet.

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[cbw]

I've participated in an HIV vaccine safety trial! I want to see this happen in my lifetime.

[rhyanrose]

What a beautiful time we live in. There was a time where HIV was only said in whispered tones, and a diagnosis of it meant you should start making funeral plans. Now, we have so many methods of both HIV prevention and treatment. While there's still some stigma, we've come a long way. I am so grateful to the scientists who have saved so many lives through their hard work and not letting social pressures get in the way of creating things that matter and making life better for everyone. I hope we're able to find that vaccine, but until we are, I'm still so thankful HIV doesn't mean what it did in the 80s/90s. We're so blessed to have come this far and we have many more discoveries ahead!

[Megaman]

I lost my mother to HIV leading to AIDS in January of 2012. She was diagnosed with it in the early 90's after my brother was born, contracting it from her ex-heroin addict boyfriend (who HAD been clean for quite a long time) relapsing, getting it himself unknowingly, and eventually giving it to my mother. She was given 10 years to live, at most. As time went on, drugs obviously got better and better. Slowly extending her life as they improved. Giving her, not only that 10 years expectancy (At seemingly perfect health) as well as an additional 10 years.

I'm super glad that people who are contracting it these days are now able to continue living a relatively normal life. But hearing about it is always bittersweet to me. She was just a little too early to be able to fully live out the rest of her life and I miss her dearly.

[MarkTolmanMA]

PrEP has made a huge difference in our lives. If you don't know about it, and are sexually active, you should learn about it ASAP.

[imorca]

I really appreciate that the presenter took a slower pace than most of the SciShow videos. This is a complicated topic, and giving us a few more microseconds to process as we listen makes an important difference in our comprehension.

[parthpatel]

It’s been truly gratifying watching Scishow over the years. I didn’t expect them to cover literally exactly the field of work I’m in. You guys did a fantastic job translating the esoteric science to a digestible and informative format for general audiences. I’ve literally met and chatted with and work for some of the authors in the papers you cited. I really want to share this video with them if I get the chance.

[thoughtfuldevil]

Even if they did make one, millions of Americans wouldn't take it.

[chillsahoy]

The fact that in my lifetime HIV has gone from being a death sentence, to being something that you can manage long-term and have a fairly normal life, it gives me hope that if a vaccine is possible, we'll get there. It's proof of concept that if we put enough attention, resources and time to tackle a problem, we CAN solve it!

[hongjunbai]

I work on HIV-1 vaccine design. This is a really great summarization of where we are right now.

[TheNigelThornberry]

I’m currently part of a broadly neutralizing antibody (germline targeting) vaccine trial. I believe that it’s the trial mentioned in the video. We just got news that the first stage was surprisingly successful and are moving forward with boosters!

[TV-xmps]

Besides vaccines and antibiotics, HIV is one of the major success stories of medicine. Never before has a deadly disease been understood so quickly and specifically targeted with medication to turn it from a death-sentence into a chronic but not lethal disease.

[aaronkumpula]

I like the new changes in direction for Scishow! The new background sets are very attractive and I notice the gentler vocal tone of a lot of the new videos. I assume it’s for an updated demographic? Feels like a more mature video style overall!

[TechnicalTyler]

I pray I see a cure in my lifetime. As a person who’s been undetectable for years, it weighs heavy on you, people look at you differently when they know. It’s hard, but we’ll get through.

[peq_]

To all the people participating in trials and/or even just helping inform people, know that you are help save MILLIONS of lives.

[capt.bart.roberts]

HPV was a real killer of young woman when I started working. My better half is a nurse at our local HIV hospice.

[BaldAndCurious]

Reading the title: maybe boosting the body's immune response to something that attacks the body's immune response, is, to put it mildly, very very hard?

[teenygozer]

I want something that will kill herpes, which lives forever in your nerves once infected. I was infected at my baptismal, only 2 months old, and have come to realize I've had "long herpes" my whole sickly life.

[nayminhtet]

1:58 HIV taking sugar coating to ultimate level. 😂😂 😅😢

[arseniohutagalung]

was diagnozed in 2020, I'm on my ARV Treatment :) I feel so healthy now. FYI, my viral load level is Undetectable ^_^ Yeaay!

[ArykSapien]

The setbacks are unfortunate, but i’m still optimistic about HIV MRNA vaccines in the future. Can’t wait for an MRNA common cold vaccine.