Background: The cortisol awakening response (CAR) is a pivotal component of the body’s stress response, yet its dynamics under repeated acute stress and its interplay with immune biomarkers remain inadequately understood. Methods: This study examined 80 second-year military medical students undergoing a 5-day intensive surgical simulation designed to elicit stress responses. Salivary samples were collected daily upon waking and 30 min thereafter to measure cortisol and a panel of cytokines using bead-based multiplex ELISA. Results: Analysis revealed a significant blunting of the CAR on the third day of training (p = 0.00006), followed by a recovery on the fourth day (p = 0.0005). Concurrently, specific cytokines such as CXCL1 (r = 0.2, p = 0.0005), IL-6 (r = 0.13, p = 0.02), IL-10 (r = 0.14, p = 0.02), and VEGF-A (r = 0.17, p = 0.003) displayed patterns correlating with the CAR, with increased strength of associations observed when assessing cytokine levels against the CAR of the preceding day (CXCL1 r = 0.41, p = 0.0002. IL-6 r = 0.38, p = 0.0006. IL-10 r = 0.3, p = 0.008. VEGF-A r = 0.41, p = 0.0002). Conclusions: These results suggest a temporal relationship between stress-induced cortisol dynamics and immune regulation. The CAR pattern demonstrated in this study may represent induction of and recovery from psychological burnout. Moreover, the observed cytokine associations provide insight into the mechanisms by which stress can influence immune function. The results may have broader implications for managing stress in high-performance environments, such as military and medical professions, and for identifying individuals at risk of stress-related immune suppression.

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) causes progressive immune dysfunction and, if untreated, can lead to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Although combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) effectively suppresses viral replication and has substantially improved outcomes for people living with HIV (PLWH), it does not eradicate persistent viral reservoirs and requires lifelong treatment. Consequently, research continues to explore immunotherapeutic strategies that may enhance antiviral immunity and contribute to HIV-1 prevention, remission, or eradication. Natural killer (NK) cells have emerged as promising candidates in HIV-1 research because of their innate cytotoxic activity, functional diversity, adaptability, and expression of receptors involved in antiviral responses, including the NKG2 receptor family and CD16. Several NK cell-based immunotherapeutic approaches are currently under investigation, with varying mechanisms and potential applications. This review examines the current landscape of NK cell immunotherapies for HIV-1 and highlights approaches demonstrating the greatest potential relevance to HIV-1 vaccine development, including a proposed conceptual model. A PubMed literature search was conducted using terms including “NK cells,” “HIV,” “HIV vaccine,” and “NK immunotherapies.” Current evidence suggests that several NK cell-based strategies demonstrate promising antiviral activity and supports continued investigation of NK cell immunotherapies for HIV-1 treatment and prevention, particularly approaches that may inform the development of an effective HIV-1 vaccine.