Abstract

Certain human pathogens avoid elimination by our immune system by rapidly mutating the surface protein sites targeted by antibody responses, and consequently they tend to be problematic for vaccine development. The behavior described is prominent for a subset of viruses--the highly antigenically diverse viruses--which include HIV, influenza, and hepatitis C viruses. However, these viruses do harbor highly conserved exposed sites, usually associated with function, which can be targeted by broadly neutralizing antibodies. Until recently, not many such antibodies were known, but advances in the field have enabled increasing numbers to be identified. Molecular characterizations of the antibodies and, most importantly, of the sites of vulnerability that they recognize give hope for the discovery of new vaccines and drugs.

Links

Publisher Full Text

Authors

Burton DR, Poignard P, Stanfield RL, Wilson IA

Institution

Department of Immunology and Microbial Science and International AIDS Vaccine Initiative Neutralizing Antibody Center, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA. burton@scripps.edu

Source

Science (New York, N.Y.) 337:6091 2012 Jul 13 pg 183-6

MeSH

AIDS Vaccines
Animals
Antibodies, Neutralizing
Antibodies, Viral
Antigenic Variation
Drug Discovery
HIV Antibodies
HIV Infections
HIV-1
Hepacivirus
Hepatitis C
Humans
Influenza Vaccines
Influenza, Human
Models, Molecular
Orthomyxoviridae
env Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus

Pub Type(s)

Journal Article
Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Review

Language

eng

PubMed ID

22798606