Editor's Summary
6 September 2007
Double-barrelled vaccines
Many effective vaccines act by inducing neutralizing antibodies, and this approach is a top priority in work on HIV vaccines. But a new study suggests that anti-HIV antibodies are most effective when they act in two ways: through neutralization — killing the virus outright and blocking its entry into T cells — and by killing infected cells. The use of engineered versions of a neutralizing human antibody that protects against HIV in a monkey model shows that protection is dependent not only the antibody's neutralizing activity, but also on its interaction with Fc receptors on effector cells, which may act to reduce virus yield from infected cells. This work suggests that the best results might be achieved with vaccines that recruit both neutralizing antibodies and cell-mediated immunity via agents such as macrophages and cytokinins, rather than antibodies.
News and Views: HIV/AIDS: Allied responses
The main function of neutralizing antibodies is to block viral entry into host cells. But, for maximal protection against HIV, such antibodies must call upon other elements of the immune system to help with the job.
John R. Mascola
doi:10.1038/449029a
Letter: Fc receptor but not complement binding is important in antibody protection against HIV
Ann J. Hessell, Lars Hangartner, Meredith Hunter, Carin E. G. Havenith, Frank J. Beurskens, Joost M. Bakker, Caroline M. S. Lanigan, Gary Landucci, Donald N. Forthal, Paul W. H. I. Parren, Preston A. Marx & Dennis R. Burton
doi:10.1038/nature06106
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