title: HIV broadly neutralizing antibody targets.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To provide an update on neutralizing antibody targets in the context of the recent HIV-1 envelope trimer structure, describe new antibody isolation technologies, and discuss the implications of these data for HIV-1 prevention and therapy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Recent advances in B-cell technologies have dramatically expanded the number of antibodies isolated from HIV-infected donors with broadly neutralizing plasma activity. These, together with the first high-resolution crystal and cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structures of a cleaved, prefusion HIV-1 trimer, have defined new regions susceptible to neutralization. This year, three epitopes in the gp120-gp41 interface were structurally characterized, highlighting the importance of prefusion gp41 as a target. Similar to many other broadly neutralizing antibody epitopes, these new antibodies define a target that is also highly glycan dependent. Collectively, the epitopes for broadly neutralizing antibodies now reveal a continuum of vulnerability spanning the length of the HIV-1 envelope trimer.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Progress in the last year has provided support for the use of rationally stabilized whole HIV-1 trimers as immunogens for eliciting antibodies to multiple epitopes. Furthermore, the increasing number of broad and potent antibodies with the potential for synergistic/complementary combinations opens up new avenues for preventing and treating HIV-1 infection.
authors.affiliation: aCentre for HIV and STIs, National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS) bFaculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg cCentre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA), University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa.
authors.forename: Constantinos Kurt
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Wibmer
authors.forename: Penny L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.forename: Lynn
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Morris
mesh_terms: D057134:Antibodies, Neutralizing / Q000276:immunology*; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000276:immunology*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D057134:Antibodies, Neutralizing; D015483:HIV Antibodies