scholarly journals A generalized HIV vaccine design strategy for priming of broadly neutralizing antibody responses

Science ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 366 (6470) ◽  
pp. eaax4380 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jon M. Steichen ◽  
Ying-Cing Lin ◽  
Colin Havenar-Daughton ◽  
Simone Pecetta ◽  
Gabriel Ozorowski ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
B Cells ◽  
Neutralizing Antibodies ◽  
Ex Vivo ◽  
Strong Dependence ◽  
Neutralizing Antibody ◽  
Human Antibody ◽  
Sequencing Data ◽  
Major Barrier ◽  
Precursor B Cells ◽  
Antibody Heavy Chain

Vaccine induction of broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) to HIV remains a major challenge. Germline-targeting immunogens hold promise for initiating the induction of certain bnAb classes; yet for most bnAbs, a strong dependence on antibody heavy chain complementarity-determining region 3 (HCDR3) is a major barrier. Exploiting ultradeep human antibody sequencing data, we identified a diverse set of potential antibody precursors for a bnAb with dominant HCDR3 contacts. We then developed HIV envelope trimer–based immunogens that primed responses from rare bnAb-precursor B cells in a mouse model and bound a range of potential bnAb-precursor human naïve B cells in ex vivo screens. Our repertoire-guided germline-targeting approach provides a framework for priming the induction of many HIV bnAbs and could be applied to most HCDR3-dominant antibodies from other pathogens.

scholarly journals Molecular basis for a germline-biased neutralizing antibody response to SARS-CoV-2

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah A. Clark ◽  
Lars E. Clark ◽  
Junhua Pan ◽  
Adrian Coscia ◽  
Lindsay G.A. McKay ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Antibody Response ◽  
Molecular Basis ◽  
Neutralizing Antibodies ◽  
Neutralizing Antibody ◽  
Antiviral Effect ◽  
Host Cells ◽  
Human Antibody ◽  
Angiotensin Converting Enzyme 2 ◽  
Antibody Heavy Chain ◽  
Major Target

AbstractThe SARS-CoV-2 viral spike (S) protein mediates attachment and entry into host cells and is a major target of vaccine and drug design. Potent SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies derived from closely related antibody heavy chain genes (IGHV3-53 or 3-66) have been isolated from multiple COVID-19 convalescent individuals. These usually contain minimal somatic mutations and bind the S receptor-binding domain (RBD) to interfere with attachment to the cellular receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). We used antigen-specific single B cell sorting to isolate S-reactive monoclonal antibodies from the blood of a COVID-19 convalescent individual. The seven most potent neutralizing antibodies were somatic variants of the same IGHV3-53-derived antibody and bind the RBD with varying affinity. We report X-ray crystal structures of four Fab variants bound to the RBD and use the structures to explain the basis for changes in RBD affinity. We show that a germline revertant antibody binds tightly to the SARS-CoV-2 RBD and neutralizes virus, and that gains in affinity for the RBD do not necessarily correlate with increased neutralization potency, suggesting that somatic mutation is not required to exert robust antiviral effect. Our studies clarify the molecular basis for a heavily germline-biased human antibody response to SARS-CoV-2.

scholarly journals Vaccine genetics of IGHV1-2 VRC01-class broadly neutralizing antibody precursor naïve human B cells

npj Vaccines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeong Hyun Lee ◽  
Laura Toy ◽  
Justin T. Kos ◽  
Yana Safonova ◽  
William R. Schief ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
B Cells ◽  
Neutralizing Antibodies ◽  
Neutralizing Antibody ◽  
Human Populations ◽  
Human B Cells ◽  
Class B ◽  
Gene Usage ◽  
Germline Variation ◽  
Multiple Donors ◽  
Precursor B Cells

AbstractA successful HIV vaccine eliciting broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) must overcome the hurdle of being able to activate naive precursor B cells encoding features within their germline B cell receptors (BCR) that allow recognition of broadly neutralizing epitopes. Knowledge of whether bnAb precursor B cells are circulating at sufficient frequencies within individuals in communities heavily impacted by HIV may be important. Using a germline-targeting eOD-GT8 immunogen and high-throughput droplet-based single-cell BCR sequencing, we demonstrate that large numbers of paired BCR sequences from multiple donors can be efficiently screened to elucidate precursor frequencies of rare, naive VRC01-class B cells. Further, we analyzed IGHV1-2 allelic usage among three different cohorts; we find that IGHV1-2 alleles traditionally thought to be incompatible with VRC01-class responses are relatively common in various human populations and that germline variation within IGHV1-2 associates with gene usage frequencies in the naive BCR repertoire.

scholarly journals Prophylactic and postexposure efficacy of a potent human monoclonal antibody against MERS coronavirus

2015 ◽  
Vol 112 (33) ◽  
pp. 10473-10478 ◽  
Author(s):  
Davide Corti ◽  
Jincun Zhao ◽  
Mattia Pedotti ◽  
Luca Simonelli ◽  
Sudhakar Agnihothram ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
B Cells ◽  
Neutralizing Antibodies ◽  
Human Monoclonal Antibody ◽  
Infected Individual ◽  
Chinese Hamster ◽  
Neutralizing Antibody ◽  
Emerging Viruses ◽  
Antiviral Therapies ◽  
Human Infections ◽  
First Time

Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) is a highly lethal pulmonary infection caused by a previously unidentified coronavirus (CoV), likely transmitted to humans by infected camels. There is no licensed vaccine or antiviral for MERS, therefore new prophylactic and therapeutic strategies to combat human infections are needed. In this study, we describe, for the first time, to our knowledge, the isolation of a potent MERS-CoV–neutralizing antibody from memory B cells of an infected individual. The antibody, named LCA60, binds to a novel site on the spike protein and potently neutralizes infection of multiple MERS-CoV isolates by interfering with the binding to the cellular receptor CD26. Importantly, using mice transduced with adenovirus expressing human CD26 and infected with MERS-CoV, we show that LCA60 can effectively protect in both prophylactic and postexposure settings. This antibody can be used for prophylaxis, for postexposure prophylaxis of individuals at risk, or for the treatment of human cases of MERS-CoV infection. The fact that it took only 4 mo from the initial screening of B cells derived from a convalescent patient for the development of a stable chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell line producing neutralizing antibodies at more than 5 g/L provides an example of a rapid pathway toward the generation of effective antiviral therapies against emerging viruses.

scholarly journals Evaluation of HIV-1 latency reversal and antibody-dependent viral clearance by quantification of singly spliced HIV-1 vpu/env mRNA

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hongbo Gao ◽  
Ayşe N. Ozantürk ◽  
Qiankun Wang ◽  
Gray H. Harlan ◽  
Aaron J. Schmitz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
T Cells ◽  
Neutralizing Antibodies ◽  
Ex Vivo ◽  
Viral Envelope ◽  
Latent Reservoir ◽  
Broadly Neutralizing Antibodies ◽  
Major Barrier ◽  
Hiv 1 ◽  
Reversing Agents

The latent reservoir of HIV-1 is a major barrier for viral eradication. Potent HIV-1 broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNabs) have been used to prevent and treat HIV-1 infections in animal models and clinical trials. Combination of bNabs and latency-reversing agents (LRAs) is considered a promising approach for HIV-1 eradication. PCR-based assays that can rapidly and specifically measure singly spliced HIV-1 vpu/env mRNA are needed to evaluate the induction of the viral envelope production at the transcription level and bNab-mediated reservoir clearance. Here we reported a PCR-based method to accurately quantify the production of intracellular HIV-1 vpu/env mRNA. With the vpu/env assay, we determined the LRA combinations that could effectively induce vpu/env mRNA production in CD4+ T cells from ART-treated individuals. None of the tested LRAs were effective alone. A comparison between the quantitative viral outgrowth assay (Q-VOA) and the vpu/env assay showed that vpu/env mRNA production was closely associated with the reactivation of replication-competent HIV-1, suggesting that vpu/env mRNA was mainly produced by intact viruses. Finally, antibody-mediated in vitro killing in HIV-1-infected humanized mice demonstrated that the vpu/env assay could be used to measure the reduction of infected cells in tissues and was more accurate than the commonly used gag-based PCR assay which measured unspliced viral genomic RNA. In conclusion, the vpu/env assay allows convenient and accurate assessment of HIV-1 latency reversal and bNab-mediated therapeutic strategies. Importance HIV-1 persists in individuals on antiretroviral therapy (ART) due to the long-lived cellular reservoirs that contain dormant viruses. Recent discoveries of HIV-1-specific broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNabs) targeting HIV-1 Env protein rekindled the interest in antibody-mediated elimination of latent HIV-1. Latency-reversing agents (LRAs) together with HIV-1 bNabs is a possible strategy to clear residual viral reservoirs, which makes the evaluation of HIV-1 Env expression upon LRA treatment critical. We developed a PCR-based assay to quantify the production of intracellular HIV-1 vpu/env mRNA. Using patient CD4+ T cells, we found that induction of HIV-1 vpu/env mRNA required a combination of different LRAs. Using in vitro, ex vivo and humanized mouse models, we showed that the vpu/env assay could be used to measure antibody efficacy in clearing HIV-1 infection. These results suggest that the vpu/env assay can accurately evaluate HIV-1 reactivation and bNab-based therapeutic interventions.

scholarly journals HIV-1 Antibody Neutralization Breadth Is Associated with Enhanced HIV-Specific CD4+T Cell Responses

2015 ◽  
Vol 90 (5) ◽  
pp. 2208-2220 ◽  
Author(s):  
Srinika Ranasinghe ◽  
Damien Z. Soghoian ◽  
Madelene Lindqvist ◽  
Musie Ghebremichael ◽  
Faith Donaghey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
T Cells ◽  
T Cell ◽  
B Cells ◽  
Hiv Infection ◽  
Neutralizing Antibodies ◽  
T Cell Responses ◽  
Neutralizing Antibody ◽  
Antibody Activity ◽  
Cell Responses

ABSTRACTAntigen-specific CD4+T helper cell responses have long been recognized to be a critical component of effective vaccine immunity. CD4+T cells are necessary to generate and maintain humoral immune responses by providing help to antigen-specific B cells for the production of antibodies. In HIV infection, CD4+T cells are thought to be necessary for the induction of Env-specific broadly neutralizing antibodies. However, few studies have investigated the role of HIV-specific CD4+T cells in association with HIV neutralizing antibody activity in vaccination or natural infection settings. Here, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of HIV-specific CD4+T cell responses in a cohort of 34 untreated HIV-infected controllers matched for viral load, with and without neutralizing antibody breadth to a panel of viral strains. Our results show that the breadth and magnitude of Gag-specific CD4+T cell responses were significantly higher in individuals with neutralizing antibodies than in those without neutralizing antibodies. The breadth of Gag-specific CD4+T cell responses was positively correlated with the breadth of neutralizing antibody activity. Furthermore, the breadth and magnitude of gp41-specific, but not gp120-specific, CD4+T cell responses were significantly elevated in individuals with neutralizing antibodies. Together, these data suggest that robust Gag-specific CD4+T cells and, to a lesser extent, gp41-specific CD4+T cells may provide important intermolecular help to Env-specific B cells that promote the generation or maintenance of Env-specific neutralizing antibodies.IMPORTANCEOne of the earliest discoveries related to CD4+T cell function was their provision of help to B cells in the development of antibody responses. Yet little is known about the role of CD4+T helper responses in the setting of HIV infection, and no studies to date have evaluated the impact of HIV-specific CD4+T cells on the generation of antibodies that can neutralize multiple different strains of HIV. Here, we addressed this question by analyzing HIV-specific CD4+T cell responses in untreated HIV-infected persons with and without neutralizing antibodies. Our results indicate that HIV-infected persons with neutralizing antibodies have significantly more robust CD4+T cell responses targeting Gag and gp41 proteins than individuals who lack neutralizing antibodies. These associations suggest that Gag- and gp41-specific CD4+T cell responses may provide robust help to B cells for the generation or maintenance of neutralizing antibodies in natural HIV-infection.

scholarly journals Reprogramming the antigen specificity of B cells using genomeediting technologies

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
James E. Voss ◽  
Alicia Gonzalez-Martin ◽  
Raiees Andrabi ◽  
Roberta P. Fuller ◽  
Ben Murrell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
B Cells ◽  
B Cell ◽  
Cytidine Deaminase ◽  
Variable Region ◽  
Neutralizing Antibody ◽  
Surface Expression ◽  
Affinity Maturation ◽  
Cell Surface Expression ◽  
Human Antibody ◽  
Antigen Specificity

We have developed a method to introduce novel paratopes into the human antibody repertoire by modifying the immunoglobulin genes of mature B cells directly using genome editing technologies. We used CRISPR-Cas9 in a homology directed repair strategy, to replace the heavy chain (HC) variable region in B cell lines with that from an HIV broadly neutralizing antibody, PG9. Our strategy is designed to function in cells that have undergone VDJ recombination using any combination of variable (V), diversity (D) and joining (J) genes. The modified locus expresses PG9 HC which pairs with native light chains resulting in the cell surface expression of HIV specific B cell receptors (BCRs). Endogenous activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) in engineered cells allowed for Ig class switching and generated BCR variants with improved anti-HIV neutralizing activity. Thus, BCRs engineered in this way retain the genetic flexibility normally required for affinity maturation during adaptive immune responses.

scholarly journals Broad and potent neutralizing human antibodies to tick-borne flaviviruses protect mice from disease

2021 ◽  
Vol 218 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marianna Agudelo ◽  
Martin Palus ◽  
Jennifer R. Keeffe ◽  
Filippo Bianchini ◽  
Pavel Svoboda ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Antibody Response ◽  
Neutralizing Antibodies ◽  
Natural Infection ◽  
Specific Treatment ◽  
Neutralizing Antibody ◽  
Hemorrhagic Fever ◽  
Human Antibody ◽  
Lateral Ridge ◽  
Tick Borne Encephalitis Virus ◽  
Domain Iii

Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) is an emerging human pathogen that causes potentially fatal disease with no specific treatment. Mouse monoclonal antibodies are protective against TBEV, but little is known about the human antibody response to infection. Here, we report on the human neutralizing antibody response to TBEV in a cohort of infected and vaccinated individuals. Expanded clones of memory B cells expressed closely related anti-envelope domain III (EDIII) antibodies in both groups of volunteers. However, the most potent neutralizing antibodies, with IC50s below 1 ng/ml, were found only in individuals who recovered from natural infection. These antibodies also neutralized other tick-borne flaviviruses, including Langat, louping ill, Omsk hemorrhagic fever, Kyasanur forest disease, and Powassan viruses. Structural analysis revealed a conserved epitope near the lateral ridge of EDIII adjoining the EDI–EDIII hinge region. Prophylactic or early therapeutic antibody administration was effective at low doses in mice that were lethally infected with TBEV.

scholarly journals Sex disparities and neutralizing antibody durability to SARS-CoV-2 infection in convalescent individuals

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alena J. Markmann ◽  
Natasa Giallourou ◽  
D. Ryan Bhowmik ◽  
Yixuan J. Hou ◽  
Aaron Lerner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Neutralizing Antibodies ◽  
Neutralizing Antibody ◽  
Antibody Responses ◽  
Human Antibody ◽  
Antibody Titers ◽  
Sex Disparities ◽  
Binding Antibody ◽  
Male Sex ◽  
Antibody Levels ◽  
First Time

AbstractThe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has now caused over 2 million deaths worldwide and continues to expand. Currently, much is unknown about functionally neutralizing human antibody responses and durability to SARS-CoV-2. Using convalescent sera collected from 101 COVID-19 recovered individuals 21-212 days after symptom onset with forty-eight additional longitudinal samples, we measured functionality and durability of serum antibodies. We also evaluated associations between individual demographic and clinical parameters with functional neutralizing antibody responses to COVID-19. We found robust antibody durability out to six months, as well as significant positive associations with the magnitude of the neutralizing antibody response and male sex. We also show that SARS-CoV-2 convalescent neutralizing antibodies are higher in individuals with cardio-metabolic comorbidities.SignificanceIn this study we found that neutralizing antibody responses in COVID-19 convalescent individuals vary in magnitude but are durable and correlate well with RBD Ig binding antibody levels compared to other SARS-CoV-2 antigen responses. In our cohort, higher neutralizing antibody titers are independently and significantly associated with male sex compared to female sex. We also show for the first time, that higher convalescent antibody titers in male donors are associated with increased age and symptom grade. Furthermore, cardio-metabolic co-morbidities are associated with higher antibody titers independently of sex. Here, we present an in-depth evaluation of serologic, demographic, and clinical correlates of functional antibody responses and durability to SARS-CoV-2.

scholarly journals Detection and activation of HIV broadly neutralizing antibody precursor B cells using anti-idiotypes

2019 ◽  
Vol 216 (10) ◽  
pp. 2331-2347 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tara Bancroft ◽  
Blair L. DeBuysscher ◽  
Connor Weidle ◽  
Allison Schwartz ◽  
Abigail Wall ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
B Cells ◽  
Neutralizing Antibody ◽  
Subunit Vaccines ◽  
Human B Cells ◽  
Immunodeficiency Virus ◽  
Protective Antibodies ◽  
Broadly Neutralizing Antibody ◽  
Precursor B Cells ◽  
Hiv 1

Many tested vaccines fail to provide protection against disease despite the induction of antibodies that bind the pathogen of interest. In light of this, there is much interest in rationally designed subunit vaccines that direct the antibody response to protective epitopes. Here, we produced a panel of anti-idiotype antibodies able to specifically recognize the inferred germline version of the human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) broadly neutralizing antibody b12 (iglb12). We determined the crystal structure of two anti-idiotypes in complex with iglb12 and used these anti-idiotypes to identify rare naive human B cells expressing B cell receptors with similarity to iglb12. Immunization with a multimerized version of this anti-idiotype induced the proliferation of transgenic murine B cells expressing the iglb12 heavy chain in vivo, despite the presence of deletion and anergy within this population. Together, our data indicate that anti-idiotypes are a valuable tool for the study and induction of potentially protective antibodies.

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