A preventative HIV vaccine is likely to require broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) able to recognize diverse circulating viruses from across the world. Such antibodies have not yet been elicited by vaccination. However some HIV-1-infected individuals naturally mount bNAb responses during chronic infection, suggesting a need for prolonged maturation towards breadth. Longitudinal studies of how bNAbs develop may provide a template for immunogen design, by defining the interplay between antibodies and HIV envelope evolution. Understanding how certain members of an antibody lineage mature towards breadth, whereas others become evolutionary dead-ends, provides insights for vaccine strategies. Similarly, studies of donors who fail to develop bNAbs despite equivalent levels of antigenic stimulation will highlight potential roadblocks. Overall, this presentation will highlight the dynamic relationship between virus and antibody in shaping breadth, with implications for HIV immunogen design.
CROI Conference
