CD4 and AIDS: In drug-naïve patients, therapeutic vaccines are expected to contain infection (i.e. low to undetectable plasma viral load and CD4+ T cell preservation), preventing progression to disease as well as virus transmission, while in cART-treated patients therapeutic vaccination is expected to intensify the efficacy of cART, thus supporting a more effective immune restoration and virological control, particularly in poor immunological responders or cART non-compliant patients, preventing progression to AIDS-related as well as non AIDS-related diseases and virus transmission.