The HIV epidemic in Latin America: accomplishments and challenges on treatment and prevention
In conclusion, accomplishments have been made though challenges for fully addressing the HIV epidemic persist. The impact of both treatment and PrEP will be limited by the availability and prompt use of all services, including HIV testing. (Source: Current Opinion in HIV and AIDS)
Source: Current Opinion in HIV and AIDS - August 5, 2019 Category: Infectious Diseases Tags: CONCENTRATED EPIDEMICS: Edited by Sheena McCormack, Rachel Baggaley and Kevin M. DeCock Source Type: research
The arc of HIV epidemics in sub-Saharan Africa: new challenges with concentrating epidemics in the era of 90–90–90
Purpose of review
The aim of this review is to examine the emerging results from the HIV universal test and treat (UTT) cluster-randomized trials in sub-Saharan Africa, discuss how expanding access to HIV clinical services is likely to reshape the arc of HIV epidemics, and consider implications for HIV prevention and control strategies in the coming decade.
Recent findings
The effect of universal HIV testing followed by immediate antiretroviral treatment (ART) on community-level HIV incidence remains unclear upon completion of five randomized trials. Only two of the four trials that measured HIV incidence found signif...
Source: Current Opinion in HIV and AIDS - August 5, 2019 Category: Infectious Diseases Tags: CONCENTRATED EPIDEMICS: Edited by Sheena McCormack, Rachel Baggaley and Kevin M. DeCock Source Type: research
Evolving HIV epidemics: the urgent need to refocus on populations with risk
Purpose of review
To explore the comparative importance of HIV infections among key populations and their intimate partners as HIV epidemics evolve, and to review implications for guiding responses.
Recent findings
Even as concentrated epidemics evolve, new infections among current and former key population members and their intimate partners dominate new infections. Prevalent infections in the general population grow primarily because of key population turnover and infections among their intimate partners. In generalized epidemic settings, data and analysis on key populations are often inadequate to assess the impact...
Source: Current Opinion in HIV and AIDS - August 5, 2019 Category: Infectious Diseases Tags: CONCENTRATED EPIDEMICS: Edited by Sheena McCormack, Rachel Baggaley and Kevin M. DeCock Source Type: research
Editorial: Concentrated epidemics: time for a rethink
No abstract available (Source: Current Opinion in HIV and AIDS)
Source: Current Opinion in HIV and AIDS - August 5, 2019 Category: Infectious Diseases Tags: CONCENTRATED EPIDEMICS: Edited by Sheena McCormack, Rachel Baggaley and Kevin M. DeCock Source Type: research
Editorial introductions
No abstract available (Source: Current Opinion in HIV and AIDS)
Source: Current Opinion in HIV and AIDS - August 5, 2019 Category: Infectious Diseases Tags: EDITORIAL INTRODUCTIONS Source Type: research
Vaccinal effect of HIV-1 antibody therapy
Purpose of review
The review recalls recent findings regarding the induction of vaccinal effects by HIV-1 broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) and highlights potential therapeutic strategies to exploit such immunomodulatory properties.
Recent findings
Studies in different animal models have shown that mAbs can generate long-lasting protective immunity. Induction of this vaccinal effect by HIV-1 bNAbs has also been more recently reported in animal models of HIV-1 infection. Notably, bNAbs treatment of macaques infected with the chimeric simian-human immunodeficiency virus (SHIV) improved both humoral and cellular ad...
Source: Current Opinion in HIV and AIDS - June 3, 2019 Category: Infectious Diseases Tags: BROAD NEUTRALISING AND NON-NEUTRALISING ANTIBODIES: Edited by Hugo Mouquet and Olivier Schwartz Source Type: research
Neutralizing antibodies for HIV-1 prevention
Purpose of review
In the absence of a protective vaccine against HIV-1, passive immunization using novel broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) is an attractive concept for HIV-1 prevention. Here, we summarize the results of preclinical and clinical studies of bNAbs, discuss strategies for optimizing bNAb efficacy and lay out current pathways for the development of bNAbs as prophylaxis.
Recent findings
Passive transfer of second-generation bNAbs results inpotent protection against infection in preclinical animal models. Furthermore, multiple bNAbs targeting different epitopes on the HIV-1 envelope trimer are in clini...
Source: Current Opinion in HIV and AIDS - June 3, 2019 Category: Infectious Diseases Tags: BROAD NEUTRALISING AND NON-NEUTRALISING ANTIBODIES: Edited by Hugo Mouquet and Olivier Schwartz Source Type: research
Vaccine-induced V1V2-specific antibodies control and or protect against infection with HIV, SIV and SHIV
Purpose of review
In humans, only one independent immunologic correlate of reduced risk of HIV infection has been identified: a robust antibody (Ab) response to the V1V2 domain of the gp120 envelope (Env) protein. In recent years, the presence and level of V1V2-specific Abs has also been correlated with protection from SIV and SHIV infections. Here, we review the multitude of studies showing the in-vivo protective effects of V1V2 Abs and review their immunologic characteristics and antiviral functions.
Recent findings
Structural and immunologic studies have defined four epitope families in the V1V2 domain: one epitope...
Source: Current Opinion in HIV and AIDS - June 3, 2019 Category: Infectious Diseases Tags: BROAD NEUTRALISING AND NON-NEUTRALISING ANTIBODIES: Edited by Hugo Mouquet and Olivier Schwartz Source Type: research
Presentation of HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein trimers on diverse nanoparticle platforms
Purpose of review
We will discuss recent advances in the development of nanoparticle vaccines presenting HIV-1 envelope trimer vaccines and the immunological mechanisms by which they act.
Recent findings
The multivalent presentation of Env trimers on nanoparticles is a promising strategy to increase Env immunogenicity. Recent studies have shed light on how Env nanoparticles increase lymph node trafficking and germinal center formation by using the lectin-mediated complement pathway and enhancing the interaction with naïve B cells. Meanwhile, research on different nanoparticle platforms has resulted in improved design...
Source: Current Opinion in HIV and AIDS - June 3, 2019 Category: Infectious Diseases Tags: BROAD NEUTRALISING AND NON-NEUTRALISING ANTIBODIES: Edited by Hugo Mouquet and Olivier Schwartz Source Type: research
Targeting broadly neutralizing antibody precursors: a naïve approach to vaccine design
Purpose of review
It is believed that broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) will be an important component of an effective HIV-1 vaccine. Several immunogens have been designed that can target specific precursor B cells as a first step in a vaccine strategy to elicit bNAbs.
Recent findings
Germline-targeting immunogens have been developed that specifically engage precursors of reproducible classes of anti-HIV antibodies, such as VRC01-class and apex-directed bNAbs. However, these precursors represent only a small portion of the immune repertoire and any antigen will inherently present off-target epitopes to the immun...
Source: Current Opinion in HIV and AIDS - June 3, 2019 Category: Infectious Diseases Tags: BROAD NEUTRALISING AND NON-NEUTRALISING ANTIBODIES: Edited by Hugo Mouquet and Olivier Schwartz Source Type: research
Coevolution of HIV-1 and broadly neutralizing antibodies
Purpose of review
Exploring the molecular details of the coevolution of HIV-1 Envelope with broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) in infected individuals over time provides insights for vaccine design. Since mid-2017, the number of individuals described in such publications has nearly tripled. New publications have extended such studies to new epitopes on Env and provided more detail on previously known sites.
Recent findings
Studies of two donors – one of them an infant, the other with three lineages targeting the same site – has deepened our understanding of V3-glycan-directed lineages. A V2-apex-directed line...
Source: Current Opinion in HIV and AIDS - June 3, 2019 Category: Infectious Diseases Tags: BROAD NEUTRALISING AND NON-NEUTRALISING ANTIBODIES: Edited by Hugo Mouquet and Olivier Schwartz Source Type: research
Correlates of broadly neutralizing antibody development
Purpose of review
Broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) are considered a key component of an effective HIV-1 vaccine, but despite intensive efforts, induction of bnAbs by vaccination has thus far not been possible. Potent bnAb activity is rare in natural infection and a deeper understanding of factors that promote or limit bnAb evolution is critical to guide bnAb vaccine development. This review reflects on recent key discoveries on correlates of bnAb development and discusses what further insights are needed to move forward.
Recent findings
An increasing number of parameters have been implicated to influence bnAb d...
Source: Current Opinion in HIV and AIDS - June 3, 2019 Category: Infectious Diseases Tags: BROAD NEUTRALISING AND NON-NEUTRALISING ANTIBODIES: Edited by Hugo Mouquet and Olivier Schwartz Source Type: research
HIV-1 antibodies in prevention of transmission
Purpose of review
To present the data that suggest that antibodies to HIV may prevent HIV-1 infection.
Recent findings
Many human monoclonal broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) have been isolated over the last decade. Numerous experiments of passive immunization in nonhuman primate models have allowed to accumulate strong evidences that bnAbs, opposed to nonneutralizing antibodies, are the best candidates to prevent HIV-1 infection. bnAbs counteract HIV-1 by both blocking the virus at the portal of entry and clearing rapidly viral foci established at distance after dissemination of the virus following infection. C...
Source: Current Opinion in HIV and AIDS - June 3, 2019 Category: Infectious Diseases Tags: BROAD NEUTRALISING AND NON-NEUTRALISING ANTIBODIES: Edited by Hugo Mouquet and Olivier Schwartz Source Type: research
A role for antibodies in natural HIV control
Purpose of review
Rare patients naturally control HIV replication without antiretroviral therapy. Understanding the mechanisms implicated in natural HIV control will inform the development of immunotherapies against HIV. Elite controllers are known for developing efficient antiviral T-cell responses, but recent findings suggest that antibody responses also play a significant role in HIV control. We review the key studies that uncovered a potent memory B-cell response and highly functional anti-HIV antibodies in elite controllers, and explore the mechanisms that may account for the distinct properties of their humoral res...
Source: Current Opinion in HIV and AIDS - June 3, 2019 Category: Infectious Diseases Tags: BROAD NEUTRALISING AND NON-NEUTRALISING ANTIBODIES: Edited by Hugo Mouquet and Olivier Schwartz Source Type: research
Systems serology for decoding infection and vaccine-induced antibody responses to HIV-1
Purpose of review
Experimental and analytical advances have enabled systematic, high-resolution studies of humoral immune responses, and are beginning to define mechanisms of immunity to HIV.
Recent findings
High-throughput, information-rich experimental and analytical methods, whether genomic, proteomic, or transcriptomic, have firmly established their value across a diversity of fields. Consideration of these tools as trawlers in ‘fishing expeditions’ has faded as ‘data-driven discovery’ has come to be valued as an irreplaceable means to develop fundamental understanding of biological systems. Collectively, ...
Source: Current Opinion in HIV and AIDS - June 3, 2019 Category: Infectious Diseases Tags: BROAD NEUTRALISING AND NON-NEUTRALISING ANTIBODIES: Edited by Hugo Mouquet and Olivier Schwartz Source Type: research
