A new study sheds light on the findings of a recent trial evaluating the ability of a laboratory-made broadly neutralizing antibody (bnAb) to prevent HIV infection, pointing to approaches that could lead to more successful future antibodies and vaccines. bnAbs are naturally occurring antibodies that can neutralize multiple strains of HIV; they are considered a promising approach in HIV prevention research. A large, multicountry clinical trial evaluating a laboratory-made bnAb found that it did not significantly reduce overall HIV infections, although it showed some ability to reduce infections caused by highly sensitive strains. In the new study, researchers examined what happened in the participants who received the bnAb, discovering that there were extended periods of time when their antibody levels were too low to block less-sensitive strains of the virus. The study results suggest that more potent antibody concentrations and combinations of antibodies that attack the virus in different ways could have more success.
An international research team has identified a crucial compound in the saliva of virus-carrying mosquitoes that could lead to a new prevention strategy for multiple mosquito-borne viruses. The researchers found that when mosquitoes infected with two orthoflaviviruses, West Nile virus and Zika virus, bite, their saliva contains not only the virus but also a viral compound that promotes infection by inhibiting the body’s initial immune response that is triggered when a virus enters the skin. The findings suggest that this viral compound could be shared among other orthoflaviviruses as well and could be a promising target for a preventive vaccine against multiple viruses from this group. The researchers have developed a vaccine targeting the compound that is now being optimized for clinical evaluation.
New research from scientists in the United Kingdom highlights a new mechanism that a dangerous fungus uses to evade antifungal treatments. Candida auris is a priority pathogen that has caused outbreaks globally over the past two decades and can be highly fatal for vulnerable hospitalized patients. Current antifungal drugs work by targeting fungal cell walls, hindering the fungi from expanding. The researchers found that one way C. auris eluded treatment was by creating multiple versions of its entire genome, including a wide range of mutations in a specific gene that plays a key role in cell wall integrity. These findings point to new pathways for developing next-generation antifungals and combination antifungal regimens.