HIGHLY SYNERGISTIC NEUTRALIZATION OF HIV THROUGH COMBINATIONS OF MONOCLONAL AND POLYCLONAL ANTIBODIES

摘要

Compositions for neutralizing HIV include (i) a polyclonal mixture of anti-HIV antibodies derived from a plurality of human donors who carry HIV but are free of clinical symptoms associated therewith and (ii) at least one HIV-neutralizing monoclonal antibody. In preferred embodiments, the MAb is an anti-gp120 MAb, an anti-gp41 MAb, or a combination thereof. The composition is administered to immunocompromised individuals to reduce the quantity of circulating virus, or utilized in vitro to process HIV-infected blood for retransfusion. The utility of the invention stems from the surprising discovery that a combination of a polyclonal anti-HIV mixture with a neutralizing MAb produces a substantial synergistic effect in neutralizing HIV.