Vectored ImmunoProphylaxis with VRC07 Protects BLT Humanized Mice from Vaginal Transmission of Founder HIV

Abstract

Recently, a number of antibodies capable of broadly neutralizing HIV have been isolated from HIV infected patients, stimulating efforts to elicit their production in naive individuals. As an alternative to vaccination, we recently described vectored immunoprophylaxis (VIP) as an approach capable of generating high serum concentrations of a desired monoclonal antibody in mice following a single intramuscular injection of a specialized adeno associated viral vector (AAV). Mice that received VIP encoding b12, VRC01 or VRC07 antibodies demonstrated long-term circulating antibody expression in serum, and VIP-treated humanized mice exhibited remarkable protection against high dose, intravenous challenge with CXCR4-tropic HIV. However, most human infections are initiated by transmission of CCR5-tropic strains through mucosal tissues.

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