Have scientists found HIV's Achilles heel and could it lead to an HIV vaccine?

A new study shows progress. 

More after the jump.

New York City health officials are again encouraging “men, regardless of H.I.V. status, who regularly have intimate contact with other men through a Web site, digital application or at a bar or party," to get a standard vaccination for meningitis. 

As we've previously reported, a unique strain of bacterial meningitis is currently making the rounds. There have been 22 known cases in NYC since 2010, with seven resulting in death and four contractions of the disease this year. Each of these cases have been men. 

More after the jump.

As if we didn't have enough to worry about, Queerty brought it to our attention that a San Diego gay man inadvertantly transmitted smallpox to another man after a sexual encounter. Smallpox was officially eradicated in 1980.

What's next? The Bubonic plague? Rinderpest??

To be fair it's a "smallpox related virus," but still. 

More after the jump.

In an exciting development, Canadian scientists are ready to test what’s being described as a “unique” type of vaccine that could potentially prevent HIV infection.

More after the jump!

A new study published in Clinical Infectious Diseases reveals that Gardasil, the HPV vaccine, might also prevent anal cancer in gay men, a group at high risk of developing the disease. 

There are dozens of HIV vaccines currently on trial around the world, but the first to use a dead virus cell to jumpstart the immune system has just been approved by the FDA for human testing. Details follow. 

A major hurdle short-circuiting the efficacy of the many Holy Grail HIV vaccine trials of the past few years might have been cleared by researchers at Caltech and UCLA. Details follow.

Sunday mornings are usually reserved for mimosas and walks of shame. But when we uncharacteristically got out of bed and onto our laptops this morning to do some work we were elated to learn some encouraging news on the Interwebs coming out of Spain regarding HIV. Read more about it after the jump.

That's right, folks. The research being done by the Spanish Superior Scientific Research Council (CSIC) is aiming to make the human immune system stronger so that the presence of the HIV virus isn't as impactful on the body. Details after the jump.

Today, some good news is coming out of the 6th International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Pathogens, Treatment, and Prevention in Rome. Researchers with the U.S.-based VirxSys Corporation announced some encouraging findings with their vaccine trial in monkeys. More after the jump.

Scientist have discovered, for the first time, that a vaccine completely protected monkeys against infection with SIV (a virus related to HIV that infects the monkeys). Details after the jump.

Speaking about vaccine research, our friends at Abzyme Research Foundation (ARF) are launching a series of grassroots fundraising efforts to get people talking about a promising new HIV vaccine. Find out about the Taste For Change events after the jump.