The hunt for a vaccine has been under way for three decades, but because of the pathogen's shape-shifting abilities it has proved difficult.
But the new technique bypasses the immune system entirely and instead alters the genome with an injection so that cells produce molecules capable of neutralising HIV.
In a paper published on Wednesday in the Nature journal, researchers say the technique was used to protect rhesus macaques from repeated injections of HIV and the simian immunodeficiency virus.
Researchers say it "can function like an effective HIV-1 vaccine."
HIV attacks specific immune cells when it enters the body, and the immune system is damaged as the virus copies itself repeatedly.
If left untreated, the progressive weakening will lead to AIDS.
The HIV virus typically latches onto two protein structures on the surface of target white blood cells, called CD4 and CCR5.
The new technique encourages the body to create an antibody-like molecule which tricks the HIV virus into latching onto it, instead of the target protein structures.
Scientists at the Scripps Research Institute in California, which was behind the study, say they want to proceed to human tests within a year.
By Ruchi Singh
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com
