This is a research (investigational) study to find out about the safety of a new potential vaccine for HIV. This potential vaccine may eventually become a part of a sequence of three experimental vaccines that will be studied to see if they can help to protect people from HIV. HIV infection is the cause of AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome). AIDS is one of the most serious viral infections we know. This study is being done to help us find an HIV vaccine that works.~The vaccine that will be tested in this study was made from the information that the virus uses to make a small part of the HIV. This small part is called the envelope or coating around the virus. Because only the information for this one part of the virus is used in the vaccine, the vaccine cannot cause HIV infection. We make the vaccine in a test tube. The vaccine is made up of DNA. DNA is like an instruction manual that cells use to make basic building blocks called proteins. This DNA has the information that cells will use to make the envelope coat of HIV. Once the DNA is injected intramuscularly, it should tell cells to make the envelope protein. We hope the body will make an immune response against the HIV envelope coat. Our potential HIV DNA envelope vaccine is called EnvDNA.
This protocol will evaluate the safety and tolerability of the vaccine EnvDNA in healthy adults. DNA-based vaccines are being studied for the prevention of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), malaria and hepatitis. DNA vaccines have been well tolerated in human studies to date. The vaccine that will be tested in this study was made from the information that the virus uses to make a small part of the HIV. This small part is called the envelope or coating around the virus. We hope the body will make an immune response against the HIV envelope coat. Our potential HIV DNA envelope vaccine is called EnvDNA.