Report of the 2014 Cent Gardes HIV Vaccine Conference - Part 1: Neutralizing Antibodies; Fondation Mérieux Conference Center, Veyrier du Lac, France, 5-7 October 2014

The 2014 Cent Gardes Conference took place on October 5-7 at the Fondation Mérieux Conference Center, on the shores of the Annecy Lake. The aim of the meeting was to review progress in the field of HIV vaccines during the last two years and to explore the promising avenues of future research. The identification of broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) able to neutralize a majority of circulating HIV strains has encouraged hopes for a highly effective “universal” HIV vaccine. Analysis of B-cell maturation that leads to the production of bNAbs, however, appears extremely complex, and not easily reproduced by classical active immunization. The use of bNAbs for passive immunization is thus being explored as an alternative, either for immunotherapy or prophylaxis. Their delivery by a recombinant adenovirus-associated virus (AAV), also known as vector immunoprophylaxis, has demonstrated proof-of-concept in animal models and is now in early stage clinical trials. Other approaches were discussed at the meeting, such as eliciting long-lasting T cell or mucosal immunity. In spite of remarkable progress, the quest for an efficacious HIV vaccine remains a daunting challenge.