Scientific synergy between prophylactic and therapeutic HIV vaccines—prevention and cure

On January 13, 2026, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), convened a virtual workshop to examine how advances in preventive and therapeutic HIV research can be leveraged synergistically to develop immune-based strategies to protect against HIV infection and/or disease progression. The primary objective was to review data from leading prevention trials conducted in people living without HIV and to assess how emerging strategies might be translated and evaluated in clinical studies involving people living with HIV to inform both prevention and therapeutic intervention development. Participants discussed recent immunogen design, immune monitoring, and intervention approaches relevant to both prevention and therapeutic-directed research. Here, we summarize the key findings presented at the workshop and identify scientific priorities and knowledge gaps to accelerate the development of effective immune-based strategies against HIV.