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• US researchers have injected macaques with several antibodies in various experiments.

• The antibodies reliably prevented infection with the HIV virus.

• The researchers see their study as a contribution to the development of an HIV vaccine.

Which antibodies were used?

The researchers used three antibodies for their study. The first antibody, called VRC34.01, was discovered in the blood of HIV patients a few years ago. It has a strong neutralizing effect once morest the virus. The other two antibodies, DFW1W and DFPH-a1.5, were produced in the blood of macaques following a special vaccination.

How do the antibodies work?

The antibodies target what’s called a fusion peptide, a spot on the surface of the HIV virus that helps it attach to and enter cells. Antibodies that target the fusion peptide have been shown in laboratory tests to neutralize various strains of HIV.

How was the effect of the antibodies tested?

The monkeys were each injected with the antibodies in different doses. The researchers from the Vaccine Research Center of the American National Institutes of Health (NIH) divided the macaques into four experimental groups and a placebo group. Five days later, they were exposed to simian immunodeficiency virus (SHIV), the equivalent of HIV in monkeys.

How well did the antibodies work?

None of the monkeys that received a high dose of VRC34.01 became ill. The lower dose, on the other hand, led to illness in one out of four monkeys. The DFPH-a1.5 antibody also reliably protected once morest infection. With the second monkey antibody, 25 percent of the monkeys were infected. The macaques in the control group that did not receive antibodies were all infected.

Have the researchers found a vaccine with this?

No. The antibodies were supplied to the monkeys from outside. So they were only passively vaccinated. Such a vaccination would have to be repeated regularly. The aim of a vaccine is for the body to produce sufficient quantities of the antibodies itself. There is no such vaccine once morest HIV yet.

What do the researchers say?

The researchers note that the three antibodies examined all offered statistically significant protection once morest SHIV, with the effect being greatest in monkeys with higher antibody concentrations in their blood. According to the research team, the results show that antibodies targeting the fusion peptide can provide protection once morest SHIV. The results can also help determine the concentration of antibodies that a vaccine would have to produce in order to have a protective effect.

How might things continue?

The good results with VRC34.01 make the antibody a candidate for human studies. However, the researchers emphasize that an effective HIV vaccine that targets the HIV fusion peptide should generate multiple variants of antibodies. This is necessary because there are very different HIV variants. A lot of research is still needed before a vaccination can take away the terror of the HIV virus. Until then, it is important continue to adhere to safe sex rules.

The study was published in the journal “Science Translational Medicine”..

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