Thirty-five million people worldwide are currently living with HIV-1/AIDS. Broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) have been isolated from some patients with HIV-1, and these antibodies recognize and inhibit a range of HIV-1 variants. Strategies to enhance the potency and breadth of these bnAbs have the potential to inform the development of an effective HIV-1 vaccine. A new study in the Journal of Clinical Investigation reveals that increasing the stability of an HIV-1-targeting bnAb improves efficacy. James Crowe and colleagues at Vanderbilt University used computational software to design variants of a previously isolated HIV-1 bnAb. One of these variant antibodies was able to neutralize multiple HIV-1 strains, including strains that are resistant to the naturally occurring form of this bnAb. The increased ability of the computer-designed bnAb variant was due to enhanced stability. The results of this study provide important insight into factors that improve bnAb potency and may lead to more successful HIV-1 vaccines.
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TITLE: Redesigned HIV antibodies exhibit enhanced neutralizing potency and breadth
AUTHOR CONTACT: James E. Crowe, Jr. Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA E-mail: james.crowe@vanderbilt.edu
View this article at: http://www.jci.org/articles/view/80693?key=f204b4071a10707f0f4e
ACCOMAPNYING COMMENTARY:
TITLE: Honing a harder-hitting hammerhead improves broadly neutralizing antibody breadth and potency
AUTHOR CONTACT: George K. Lewis University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA E-mail: glewis@ihv.umaryland.edu
View this article at: http://www.jci.org/articles/view/82057?key=c5da9f97c70c1af0ee7d
Journal
Journal of Clinical Investigation