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Review
. 2019 Jul;14(4):318-324.
doi: 10.1097/COH.0000000000000556.

Neutralizing antibodies for HIV-1 prevention

Boris Julg  1   2 , Dan H Barouch  1   2
Affiliations
Review

Neutralizing antibodies for HIV-1 prevention

Boris Julg et al. Curr Opin HIV AIDS. 2019 Jul.

Abstract

Purpose of review: In the absence of a protective vaccine against HIV-1, passive immunization using novel broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) is an attractive concept for HIV-1 prevention. Here, we summarize the results of preclinical and clinical studies of bNAbs, discuss strategies for optimizing bNAb efficacy and lay out current pathways for the development of bNAbs as prophylaxis.

Recent findings: Passive transfer of second-generation bNAbs results inpotent protection against infection in preclinical animal models. Furthermore, multiple bNAbs targeting different epitopes on the HIV-1 envelope trimer are in clinical evaluation and have demonstrated favorable safety profiles and robust antiviral activity in chronically infected individuals. The confirmation that passive immunization with bNAb(s) will prevent HIV-1 acquisition in humans is pending and the focus of ongoing investigations. Given the global diversity of HIV-1, bNAb combinations or multispecific antibodies will most likely be required to produce the necessary breadth for effective protection.

Summary: Encouraging results from preclinical and clinical studies support the development of bNAbs for prevention and a number of antibodies with exceptional breadth and potency are available for clinical evaluation. Further optimization of viral coverage and antibody half-life will accelerate the clinical implementation of bNAbs as a critical tool for HIV-1 prevention strategies.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of interest

The authors have no conflicts of interest.

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