A remarkable genetic shift in a transmitted/founder virus broadens antibody responses against HIV-1.

ABSTRACT: A productive HIV-1 infection in humans is often established by transmission and propagation of a single transmitted/founder (T/F) virus, which then evolves into a complex mixture of variants during the lifetime of infection. An effective HIV-1 vaccine should elicit broad immune responses in order to block the entry of diverse T/F viruses. Currently, no such vaccine exists. An in-depth study of escape variants emerging under host immune pressure during very early stages of infection might provide insights into such a HIV-1 vaccine design. Here, in a rare longitudinal study involving HIV-1 infected individuals just days after infection in the absence of antiretroviral therapy, we discovered a remarkable genetic shift that resulted in near complete disappearance of the original T/F virus and

SUBMITTER: Jain S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11018346 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature