Three-in-One Antibody Protects Monkeys from HIV-Like Virus | NIH: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Three-in-One Antibody Protects Monkeys from HIV-Like Virus | NIH: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2017

Three-in-One Antibody Protects Monkeys from HIV-like Virus

Diagram of the three-in-one HIV antibody. The blue, purple and green segments each bind to a unique site on the virus. Credit: NIAID

A three-pronged antibody made in the laboratory protected monkeys from infection with two strains of SHIV, a monkey form of HIV, better than individual natural antibodies from which the engineered antibody is derived, researchers report in Science today. Created and tested by investigators from NIAID and Sanofi, the three-pronged antibody also stopped a greater number of HIV strains from infecting cells in the laboratory more potently than natural, single antibodies. This new broadly neutralizing antibody binds to three different critical sites on HIV, making it harder for the virus to dodge. 

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