This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. An effective HIV/AIDS vaccine will have to elicit both virus-specific neutralizing antibodies and cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) responses. Marginal immunogenicity and pre-existing anti-vector immunity are likely to limit the effectiveness of the vaccine constructs currently being evaluated. Better vector systems will therefore be needed to induce anti-HIV-1 cellular immunity and prime for neutralizing antibody responses. The attenuated, non-pathogenic Mycobacterium bovis BCG has features that make it attractive as a potential HIV-1 vaccine vector. BCG has been successfully used as a vaccine for tuberculosis (TB) and leprosy, and can be readily engineered to stably express transgenes. Recombinant BCG vaccines (rBCG) have demonstrated immunogenicity and conferred protection against various infectious agents in murine models.