Candidate vaccines for HSV-2 have limited clinical efficacy. Our lab is performing both the clinical and laboratory evaluation of a new potential HSV-2 vaccine in both prophylactic and immunotherapeutic modes. The test compound is a non-covalent complex of a human heat shock protein (rHSC70) and a known, HLA A*0201-restricted CD8 epitope of HSV-2. The clinical phase of the trial is being carried out in conjunction with Dr. Anna Wald, Director, Virology Research Clinic. The laboratory tests are using modern techniques to detect new or augmented T-cell responses.
