Channels • 2022 • Volume 6 • Number 2 Page 1 Channels Vol. 6 No. 2 (2022): 1–26 ISSN 2474-2651 © 2022, Nathan E. Adam, licensed under CC BY-NC-ND (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/) Evaluation of the Humoral/Fcmediated Immune Responses to an Adenovirus-26 Viral Vector/gp140 Subunit Combined Vaccine Regimen as a Prophylactic HIV-1 Nathan E. Adam Biology The Global Need for an HIV-1 Vaccine n order to understand the relevance of a prospective, prophylactic HIV-1 (Human Immunodeficiency Virus type-1) vaccine, as well as the context in which it is being developed and assessed, it is crucial to first have a general understanding of the current, world-wide HIV-1 pandemic. According to data on HIV.gov, it is currently estimated that around 38 million people were infected with both HIV-1 and HIV-2 as of 2019 (though most of these infections are due to HIV-1). Around 1.8 million of these infected individuals (also as of 2019) were children. Additionally, 1.7 million of these overall 38 million were calculated to have become infected during 2019 alone. Fortunately, however, this yearly rate of new infections has decreased a total of 23% since 2010. Regardless, it is also estimated that around 690,000 individuals died, in 2019, due to complications/opportunistic pathogen infections related to HIV/AIDS - down by about 60% since 2004, but still illustrating the urgent need for a preventative vaccine against HIV infection. (“The Global HIV/AIDS Epidemic”, 2020). Most of the noticeable decrease in HIV-related infections has been largely attributed to the effectiveness of PrEP (Pre-exposure Prophylaxis) treatments, such as the well-known medication called Truvada©, which has been measured to reduce the risk of acquiring HIV1 by an impressive >90%. Oral preventative medications, like Truvada©, appear then - at least at first glance - to negate the need for further research into developing a prophylactic HIV1 vaccine. Afterall, scientists have been attempting to develop a preventative HIV-1 vaccine for well over 35 years now. Why bother attempting to discover an elusive vaccine strategy against HIV-1, especially when an existing medication seems to be fulfilling that niche already? The reason for the continued interest in a prophylactic vaccine, despite the I
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