Prof. Dan Barouch

His laboratory focuses on studying the immunology and virology of HIV-1 infection and developing novel vaccine strategies. We have demonstrated that cellular immune responses can partially control viral replication, but that the virus can readily escape from immune control. In particular, we have shown that adjuvanted DNA vaccines and viral vector-based vaccines expressing SIV antigens can elicit potent cellular immune responses that partially control pathogenic virus challenges in rhesus monkeys. These results suggest that HIV-1 vaccines that generate potent cellular immune responses may provide important benefits even if they fail to afford sterilizing immunity. We have also developed a series of rare serotype and chimeric adenovirus vector-based vaccines that overcome the critical problem of pre-existing immunity to the common adenovirus serotype 5 (Ad5) vector in the developing world. We have identified optimal rare serotype and chimeric adenovirus vectors, and we have advanced these vectors into preclinical studies and phase 1 clinical trials. My laboratory is also a key part of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Collaboration for AIDS Vaccine Discovery (CAVD), the NIH Center for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Immunology (CHAVI), and the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard.