Design of Structured gp41 N-heptad Repeat Peptides as HIV-1 Vaccine Candidates

摘要

Efforts to develop an HIV-1 vaccine have focused on conserved structural elements which are the target of broadly neutralizing monoclonal antibodies (mAb). In recent years we have validated the N-heptad repeat (NHR) region of gp41 as a potential vaccine target, based on the identification of mAb D5 which binds to a highly conserved hydrophobic pocket on the NHR coiled-coil [1]. To identify a candidate vaccine, able to elicit a D5-like antibody response, we designed a series of constructs in which the gp41 NHR is presented as highly structured trimeric coiledcoils. Here we review the evolution of our immunogen design, and report preliminary results on their immunological properties.