title: Harnessing the protective potential of HIV-1 neutralizing antibodies.
abstract: Recent biological, structural, and technical advances are converging within the HIV-1 vaccine field to harness the power of antibodies for prevention and therapy. Numerous monoclonal antibodies with broad neutralizing activity against diverse HIV-1 isolates have now been identified, revealing at least five sites of vulnerability on the envelope (Env) glycoproteins. While there are practical and technological barriers blocking a clear path from broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAb) to a protective vaccine, this is not a dead end. Scientists are revisiting old approaches with new technology, cutting new trails through unexplored territory, and paving new roads in the hopes of preventing HIV-1 infection. Other promising avenues to capitalize on the power of bNAbs are also being pursued, such as passive antibody immunotherapy and gene therapy approaches. Moreover, non-neutralizing antibodies have inhibitory activities that could have protective potential, alone or in combination with bNAbs. With a new generation of bNAbs, and a clinical trial that associated antibodies with reduced acquisition, the field is closer than ever to developing strategies to use antibodies against HIV-1.
authors.affiliation: Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, Georgia, 30322, USA.
authors.forename: S Abigail
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, 30322, USA; Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, Georgia, 30322, USA.
authors.forename: Cynthia A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Derdeyn
keywords: HIV-1 neutralizing antibodies; antibody-mediated protection; antibody-mediated therapy; broadly neutralizing antibody; human immunodeficiency virus type 1