HIV-1 can be neutralized by antibodies which bind to vulnerable structures on the virus surface. One such vulnerable site is the so-called V3 glycan site of the viral envelope protein. This target structure plays a central role in virus entry into human cells and has therefore long been an important focus for the development of new immunotherapeutic and preventive approaches. However, to date, most identified antibodies have been able to effectively recognize the V3 glycan site only in a subset of HIV variants circulating worldwide.
The newly described antibody, designated 007, targets the V3 glycan site in a different manner than previously known antibodies. Unlike classical V3 antibodies, its binding does not depend on a specific sugar structure that HIV-1 frequently alters to evade the immune…