the trace of genetically modified antibodies

While the fight against Covid-19 is advancing rapidly, the fight against HIV is progressing very little. Yet the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is still fatal, has been around for a long time and still does not have a vaccine. For this last point, perhaps it could change. Scientists from Scripps Research (USA) have made a great leap forward in research on this topic thanks to genetically modified immune cells that could prevent HIV infection. The study results were published on November 17, 2020 in the journal Nature communications.

Antibodies capable of treating multiple HIV mutations simultaneously

Until now, the difficulty with HIV has been in preventing infection. Due to its rapid development in the body, it is almost impossible for conventional antibodies to stop the spread of the virus. To do this, the body should be able to produce antibodies capable of defeating several strains of the virus at the same time.

It is on this approach that the scientists of Scripps Research based themselves. Trying their experiment on mice, they were able to produce largely neutralizing antibodies also called bNAbs (to largely neutralize HIV-1 antibodies). BNAbs antibodies have the particularity of being able to attack several HIV strains at the same time. The problem is that such antibodies are still difficult to produce, only a few rare HIV patients have them.

Modify lymphocytes to make them stronger

In order to be able to develop them on a large scale, Scripps research teams realized that it was possible to use CRISPR-Cas9 genetic scissors to reprogram B cell genes so that they themselves naturally produce bNAbs antibodies. . Once the change was made, the re-injected B lymphocytes in mice were able to multiply, mature and become memory B lymphocytes and plasma cells, capable of protecting the organism for a long time. Therefore, these modified genes can produce more effective antibodies against HIV.

“This is the first time that modified B cells have been shown to create a durable antibody response in a relevant animal modelsays James Voss, a research fellow in the Department of Immunology and Microbiology at Scripps Research. In humans, the starting cells to create the vaccine could easily be obtained from a simple blood test, then developed in the laboratory before being reintroduced into the patient.. “

James Voss and his team are now trying to improve the technology so that it becomes accessible to as many people as possible. According to estimates by United Nations HIV / AIDS Program (UNAIDS), 38 million people would be infected with HIV worldwide in 2019, and more than 12 million of them would not have access to treatment.