Scientists use multiple methods to examine HIV-1-antibody interactions - (May/05/2017 )

Using experimental and mathematical methods, scientists from the US and Switzerland have identified interactions between the virus HIV-1 and antibodies. These interactions can be utilized to prevent the deadly virus from spreading from person to person.
 
The study, titled “Predicting HIV-1 transmission and antibody neutralization efficacy in vivo from stoichiometric parameters,” is published online May 4, 2017 in the journal PLoS Pathogens. Study authors include Oliver Brandenberg at California Institute of Technology, Carsten Magnus and Roland Regoes at ETH Zurich, and Peter Rusert, Huldrych Günthard, and Alexandra Trkola at the University of Zürich.
 
Broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) are neutralizing antibodies which neutralize multiple HIV-1 viral strains. The potent effect of bNAbs that target the HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein trimer (Env) has opened a new avenue for therapies and vaccines. Unfortunately, the implementation of these antibodies is impeded by multiple questions. If we can better understand HIV-antibody interactions and the mucosal transmission process, it may accelerate the development of HIV management strategies.
 
The researchers started by studying how many neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) are required to neutralize each HIV-1 envolop HIV-1 Env trimer. Next, they looked into the mechanism of mucosal HIV-1 transmission. Finally, they used all previously determined parameters to model human HIV-1 sexual transmission.
 
The researchers noted that their study represents a useful tool to enhance our knowledge of virus-antibody interactions and viral mucosal transmission and may lay the foundation for future development of HIV-antibody-based therapies and vaccines.  (Cusabio offers various antibodies.

In another study, researchers from Perelman College of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, tried to develop a therapy that could potentially be used to genetically modify patients' own immune system cells as a new strategy to fight against HIV, showing benefits in mouse and in vitro cultured human cells. 
 
Taking advantage of the recent advances in CAR T technology, Leibman and her colleagues have improved on this CAR protein that has previously been clinically tested (ie, initial CAR). This protein consists of several different segments, so they systematically tailor the proteins to optimize their performance. They found that T cells that express this new CAR are more than 50-fold more effective in stopping the virus from spreading in human cells than in T cells expressing initial CARs in the laboratory.