Infectious disease

Patient sample and cell culture studies identified a chimeric, broadly neutralizing antibody (bNAb) against HIV gp41 that could help treat HIV infection. Thirty-five chimeric bNAbs were engineered by swapping the heavy and light chains of memory B cell and plasma lineage bNAbs against the membrane-proximal external region (MPER) of gp41 isolated from an HIV patient. In human cell lines engineered to express HIV env proteins (HIV pseudoviruses), one of the chimeric bNAbs neutralized 206 of 208 (98%) of the pseudoviruses and 100% of 100 clade C HIV pseudoviruses, whereas 10E8, a bNAb against gp41 MPER, neutralized 97% of the pseudoviruses. Next steps could include testing the chimeric bNAb in models of HIV infection.

Alexion Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Roche market Fuzeon enfuvirtide, a HIV gp41 viral fusion inhibitor peptide analog, for HIV/AIDS...