By coaxing the HIV-1 protein to reveal a hidden portion of its protein coat, scientists at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School have provided a newly detailed picture of how protective, or so-called broadly neutralizing, antibodies block HIV-1 infection. In a study in the January issue of Immunity, the investigators report that the discovery may help researchers overcome two of the main stumbling blocks that have arisen on the road to an HIV vaccine: the fact that the virus’s envelope protein -- the target for any antibody-based vaccine -- varies greatly from one viral strain to the next and is strewn with sugar molecules, which make it difficult for the immune system to select the virus for destruction. The paper will be posted on the journal’s web site on Jan. 10 in advance of the print publication.
