New approaches to HIV treatment are on the way. They're therapeutic vaccines, not to prevent the infection, but to boost the immune system to help control the disease, and make life easier for people living with HIV.

Doctors at the annual Canadian Conference on HIV Research in Montreal today are discussing this treatment. Doctor Rafick-Pierre Sekaly says it 's important to find ways to ease the lives of people with HIV, who are using a combination of drugs called anti-retro viral therapy. But there's a downside to this treatment, side effects. Doctor Sekaly explains, "People are starting to get off drugs, get off therapies, or are less adherent to the therapies because of all the side effects."

But when a patient stops taking drugs, the amount of HIV in the body can grow out of control. So scientists are now working on an anti-HIV vaccine, to be administered along with the drugs. Tests show the vaccine boosts the immune system, so patients can go off their pills for a while. Doctor Seklay says, "In some patients, at least two out of seven patients, the virus after three or four months had not rebounded."

Looks forward to a drug holiday

That would be a relief for someone like Tom McAulay who's been living with HIV for 15 years, and living with the side effects. He'd look forward to a drug holiday. He remarks, "Your quality of life is very reduced by side effects, and the issues you're dealing with, and to be able to take a break from that allows somebody to get the focus they need to continue for a long term."

More tests needed

But a scientist who's testing an anti-HIV vaccine says it's too early to make promises. Doctor David Weiner says, "The vaccine has been well tolerated, it appears there may be some effect on boosting immune responses, but what we need to do is additional doses, additional combinations of vaccines, and really learn more about the potential of using this approach."

Clinical studies in Canada could get underway within the next six months.