Background
A number of studies have suggested that CD8 T cells play an important role in control of HIV/SIV replication. Recently, it has been shown that CD8 T cells taken from HIV-positive long term non-progressors are more efficiently cytotoxic than those from rapid progressors. We therefore endeavored to test vaccine adjuvants for their ability to generate antigen specific CD8 T cells with a significant capacity for cytolytic degranulation. The adjuvants tested for this purpose were IL-12 and IL-28B.