Human monoclonal antibodies and engineered antibody domains as HIV-1 entry inhibitors.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose of review

To summarize the in-vivo efficacy of neutralizing human monoclonal antibodies against HIV-1, to discuss the recent finding that an engineered human antibody VH domain, domain antibody (dAb), exhibits exceptionally potent and broadly cross-reactive neutralizing activity against HIV-1 primary isolates by targeting a hidden conserved epitope that is not accessible by larger antibodies and to suggest the possibility of developing a novel class of potent HIV-1 inhibitors based on human dAbs.

Recent findings

HIV-1 has evolved a number of strategies to evade humoral immunity, including protecting highly conserved and important structures from the access of antibodies generated by the immune system. We have recently demonstrated that a human dAb (size approximately

SUBMITTER: Chen W 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2762325 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature