title: Antibody-based candidate therapeutics against HIV-1: implications for virus eradication and vaccine design.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The currently available anti-HIV-1 drugs can control the infection but do not eradicate the virus. Their long-term use can lead to side effects and resistance to therapy. Therefore, eradication of the virus has been a major goal of research. Biological therapeutics including broadly neutralizing monoclonal antibodies (bnAbs) are promising tools to reach this goal. They could also help design novel vaccine immunogens potentially capable of eliciting bnAbs targeting the HIV-1 envelope glycoproteins (Envs).
  
  
  METHODS
  We review HIV-1 bnAbs and their potential as candidate prophylactics and therapeutics used individually, in combination, or as bispecific fusion proteins. We also discuss their potential use in the 'activation-elimination' approach for HIV-1 eradication in infected patients receiving antiretroviral treatment as well as current vaccine design efforts based on understanding of interactions of candidate vaccine immunogens with matured bnAbs and their putative germline predecessors, and related antibody maturation pathways.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Exploration of HIV-1 bnAbs has provided and will continue to provide useful knowledge that helps develop novel types of biotherapeutics and vaccines. It is possible that bnAb-based candidate therapeutics could help eradicate HIV-1. Development of vaccine immunogens capable of eliciting potent bnAbs in humans remains a fundamental challenge.
authors.affiliation: National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Protein Interactions Group, Miller Drive, Building 469, Room 144, Frederick, MD 21702, USA. chenw3@mail.nih.gov
authors.forename: Weizao
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Tianlei
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ying
authors.forename: Dimiter S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Dimitrov
mesh_terms: D016915:AIDS Vaccines / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004197:Disease Reservoirs; D015195:Drug Design; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015699:HIV Envelope Protein gp120 / Q000276:immunology; D015700:HIV Envelope Protein gp41 / Q000276:immunology; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy* / Q000821:virology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D016915:AIDS Vaccines; D015483:HIV Antibodies; D015699:HIV Envelope Protein gp120; D015700:HIV Envelope Protein gp41; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic