Dr Gary Nabel, the chief scientific officer at Sanofi and one of the report authors, told the BBC News website: "They are more potent and have greater breadth than any single naturally occurring antibody that's been discovered".
The antibodies' ability to target different regions of the virus, which can mutate rapidly, prevented the development of infection, researchers believe.
"Combinations of antibodies that each bind to a distinct site on HIV may best overcome the defences of the virus in the effort to achieve effective antibody-based treatment and prevention", said Anthony S. Fauci, Director at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) in Maryland, US.
After years of living with HIV, a small number of patients have been found to develop "broadly neutralizing antibodies", which are powerful biological weapons that attack something basic to the virus, killing large swathes of HIV strains.
"The concept of having a single antibody that binds to three unique sites on HIV is certainly an intriguing approach for investigators to pursue".
Researchers have been working on developing these antibodies as a way to treat HIV, or even prevent the virus from infecting people.
In a study published in the USA journal Science, researchers combined three broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) - VRC01, PGDM1400, and 10E8v4 - into a three-pronged antibody to mount a stronger immune response.
VRC scientists tested this trispecific antibody in an experiment involving monkeys and two strains of SHIV. The other strain is sensitive to neutralization by PGDM1400 and the trispecific antibody but resistant to neutralization by VRC01.
Researchers infused VRC01, PGDM1400 and the trispecific to 3 groups of 8 monkeys.
Monkeys receiving either of the two antibodies individually all became infected, yet those with both antibodies conferred 100 percent protection.
Sanofi is manufacturing the trispecific antibody for use in a phase 1 clinical trial on healthy people to test the antibody's safety and pharmacokinetics beginning in late 2018 in hopes of creating a vaccine and therapies. Conversation is also underway to conduct a separate phase 1 clinical trial of the antibody in HIV-infected people.
'We're getting 99% coverage, and getting coverage at very low concentrations of the antibody'. Note: material may have been edited for length and content.
The antibodies' ability to target different regions of the virus, which can mutate rapidly, prevented the development of infection, researchers believe.
"Combinations of antibodies that each bind to a distinct site on HIV may best overcome the defences of the virus in the effort to achieve effective antibody-based treatment and prevention", said Anthony S. Fauci, Director at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) in Maryland, US.
After years of living with HIV, a small number of patients have been found to develop "broadly neutralizing antibodies", which are powerful biological weapons that attack something basic to the virus, killing large swathes of HIV strains.
"The concept of having a single antibody that binds to three unique sites on HIV is certainly an intriguing approach for investigators to pursue".
Researchers have been working on developing these antibodies as a way to treat HIV, or even prevent the virus from infecting people.
In a study published in the USA journal Science, researchers combined three broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) - VRC01, PGDM1400, and 10E8v4 - into a three-pronged antibody to mount a stronger immune response.
VRC scientists tested this trispecific antibody in an experiment involving monkeys and two strains of SHIV. The other strain is sensitive to neutralization by PGDM1400 and the trispecific antibody but resistant to neutralization by VRC01.
Researchers infused VRC01, PGDM1400 and the trispecific to 3 groups of 8 monkeys.
Monkeys receiving either of the two antibodies individually all became infected, yet those with both antibodies conferred 100 percent protection.
Sanofi is manufacturing the trispecific antibody for use in a phase 1 clinical trial on healthy people to test the antibody's safety and pharmacokinetics beginning in late 2018 in hopes of creating a vaccine and therapies. Conversation is also underway to conduct a separate phase 1 clinical trial of the antibody in HIV-infected people.
'We're getting 99% coverage, and getting coverage at very low concentrations of the antibody'. Note: material may have been edited for length and content.
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