Polyclonal B cell responses to conserved neutralization epitopes in a subset of HIV-1-infected individuals.

ABSTRACT: A small proportion of HIV-infected individuals generate a neutralizing antibody (NAb) response of exceptional magnitude and breadth. A detailed analysis of the critical epitopes targeted by broadly neutralizing antibodies should help to define optimal targets for vaccine design. HIV-1-infected subjects with potent cross-reactive serum neutralizing antibodies were identified by assaying sera from 308 subjects against a multiclade panel of 12 "tier 2" viruses (4 each of subtypes A, B, and C). Various neutralizing epitope specificities were determined for the top 9 neutralizers, including clade A-, clade B-, clade C-, and clade A/C-infected donors, by using a comprehensive set of assays. In some subjects, neutralization breadth was mediated by two or more antibody specificities. Although anti

SUBMITTER: Tomaras GD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3194956 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature