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The challenges of eliciting neutralizing antibodies to HIV-1 and to influenza virus.

Karlsson Hedestam GB, Fouchier RA, Phogat S, Burton DR, Sodroski J, Wyatt RT

Department of Microbiology, Tumour and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden.

The ability to elicit broadly neutralizing antibody responses against HIV-1 is a crucial goal for a prophylactic HIV-1 vaccine. Here, we discuss the difficulties of achieving broad HIV-1 neutralization in the context of both the effective annual human influenza virus vaccine and the need to develop a pandemic influenza vaccine. Immunogen-design strategies are underway to target functionally conserved regions of the HIV-1 envelope glycoproteins, and similar strategies might be applicable to pandemic influenza virus vaccine development. Efforts to develop broadly neutralizing vaccines against either HIV-1 or influenza virus might establish a paradigm for future vaccines against highly variable pathogens.

Published 16 January 2008 in Nat Rev Microbiol, 6(2): 143-55.
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