Publications

A Structural Update of Neutralizing Epitopes on the HIV Envelope, a Moving Target

Parker Miller E, Finkelstein MT, Erdman MC, Seth PC, Fera D. A Structural Update of Neutralizing Epitopes on the HIV Envelope, a Moving Target. Viruses. 2021 Sep 5;13(9):1774. doi: 10.3390/v13091774. PMID: 34578355; PMCID: PMC8472920.

Abstract

Antibodies that can neutralize diverse HIV-1 strains develop in ~10-20% of HIV-1 infected individuals, and their elicitation is a goal of vaccine design. Such antibodies can also serve as therapeutics for those who have already been infected with the virus. Structural characterizations of broadly reactive antibodies in complex with the HIV-1 spike indicate that there are a limited number of sites of vulnerability on the spike. Analysis of their structures can help reveal commonalities that would be useful in vaccine design and provide insights on combinations of antibodies that can be used to minimize the incidence of viral resistance mutations. In this review, we give an update on recent structures determined of the spike in complex with broadly neutralizing antibodies in the context of all epitopes on the HIV-1 spike identified to date.