Broad Cross-Reactivity of HIV-1 Neutralizing Antibody

Passive immunization with broadly neutralizing antibodies is a promising approach for preventionand treatment of HIV-1 infection. We have generated an HIV-1 neutralizing human antibody which bindsto the principal neutralizing determinant (PND) of the envelope glycoprotein gp12O. The antibody showsstrong binding to diverse laboratory isolates as well as good neutralization ability for some of theseisolates. Like other Mabs of this class, our antibody is limited in binding to a few HIV-l subtypes. Wewill study to broaden the reactivity of the antibody through a novel combination of molecular modellingand use of the antibody phage display system. In a Phase II study, promising clones with increasedreactivity will be analyzed in more detail for biological activity. This analysis will also lead to furtherrefinement of our approach.