HIV-1 nIg: Antibodies to GBV-C E2 Protein & HIV Vaccine Design

The below ("Antibodies to GBV-C Virus Inhibit HIV" HIVandHepatitis.com
(10/14/03) Hewitt R ) sent to me by George Carter of FIAR ( FIAR:
Foundation for Integrative AIDS Research
Address:http://www.aidsinfonyc.org/fiar/ ) indicates that Antibodies to
GBV-C E2 Protein may inhibit HIV-1 Replication.

The article concludes with:

["The investigators are now trying to learn what epitopes (protein
pieces) on HIV are the targets for these neutralizing antibodies."]

Defining any epitopes of HIV-1 that the GBV-C E2 antibodies cross react
with could be very informative regarding how to design the nIg component
of an effective Therapeutic and Preventative HIV-1 Vaccine.

Anyone seeing further material on this which they can share would be
most appreciated.

Peace Be With Us!

Jesse Creel
Vaccine Research Advocate
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 41st Annual Meeting of the Infectious Diseases Society of America
September 14 - 17, 2003, Chicago, IL

Antibodies to GBV-C Virus Inhibit HIV
By Ross Hewitt, MD

Dr. Jinhua Xiang presented data on GBV-C virus, which is closely related
to hepatitis C virus. GBV-C causes persistent infection but no apparent
disease.
Infection with GBV-C virus occurs in 1.8% of healthy blood donors and
15-40% of HIV positive patients.

It has previously been shown that HIV positive patients who are also
GBV-C positive have improved survival. Antibody to E2 protein of GBV-C
virus may be able to explain this effect. Could this antibody interact
with HIV directly to decrease HIV replication?

The investigators incubated HIV with E2 antibodies
prior to attempting to culture them. E2 antibody inhibited both R5 and
X4 viruses in culture. Monoclonal antibody to E2 also showed a rising
percent of HIV inhibition that was dose-related. This was true for many
different E2 antibodies.

The E2 effect was not seen with cells, suggesting that the effect was
due to direct interaction with HIV particles.

The investigators are now trying to learn what epitopes (protein pieces)
on HIV are the target for these neutralizing antibodies.
10/14/03

Reference
J Xiang and others. Antibodies to GBV-C Virus Inhibit HIV. Abstract LB
11 (oral). 41st Annual Meeting of the Infectious Diseases Society of
America (41st IDSA). October 9 -12, 2003, San Diego, CA.

Antibodies to GBV-C Virus Inhibit HIV
Address:http://www.hivandhepatitis.com/2003icr/41_IDSA/documents/101503_d.html
 

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