Description
The HIV-1 regulatory protein Tat is considered an attractive target for the development of a multicomponent vaccine against HIV-1 infection. This protein is considered an attractive target for the development of a multicomponent vaccine against HIV-1 infection. The protein is well conserved among isolates and thus may be less susceptible to mutation leading to the production of escape virus variants. Tat is produced early after infection and it’s essential for virus replication and infectivity. Tat protein is also immunogenic and antibody against Tat have been correlated with delayed disease progression and may exert protective effects inhibiting HIV-1 replication. Moreover, Tat is efficiently taken up by monocyte-derived dentritic cells, promoting their maturation. Finally, murine vaccination wwith a biologically active Tat protein has been shown to be safe and immunogenic.
