HIV-specific cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTL) are believed to play a key part in the control of
virus levels throughout HIV infection. An important goal of a potential prophylactic vaccine
against HIV is therefore to elicit a strong CTL response which is broadly cross-reactive
against a diverse range of HIV strains. We have detected HIV-specific CTL in two groups of
highly-exposed but persistently seronegative female sex workers in Africa which show
extensive cross-reactivity between different viral sequences. In a small group of women …