Vaccine Elicitation of HIV-1 Neutralizing Antibodies Against Both V2 Apex and Fusion Peptide in Rhesus Macaques.

ABSTRACT: Broadly neutralizing antibodies targeting multiple sites of HIV-1 Env vulnerability can be induced by infection, but simultaneous elicitation of neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) against multiple epitopes has not yet been achieved by vaccination. In this study, we designed a dual-epitope vaccine targeting both fusion peptide (FP) and V2 apex and evaluated its capacity to induce NAbs against both epitopes in rhesus macaques. This vaccine combined an FP conjugate with a cocktail of engineered Env trimers with enhanced V2 apex recognition and increased antigen retention in lymph nodes. Immunization of macaques with the dual-epitope vaccine elicited >1000-fold higher autologous tier 2-neutralization titers than the wildtype Env trimer and enhanced heterologous NAb breadth. Both FP and V2-apex mon

SUBMITTER: Duan H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12621788 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature