Lectures and seminars Infection and Immunology Seminar: "The journey of HIV broad neutralizing antibodies from bench to cradle"

Title

"The journey of HIV broad neutralizing antibodies from bench to cradle."

Speaker

Gabriella Scarlatti, Viral Evolution and Transmission Unit, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, Milano.

Summary:

Despite significant progress in the response to HIV, vertical transmission occurs still too often. Last year 130.000 new infants acquired the infection and only half of children living with HIV receive ARV therapy. There is an obvious need for an effective intervention complementary to ARV standard of care to prevent vertical HIV transmission. Broad neutralizing antibodies may become a magical bullet. Dr Scarlatti will present the clinical trials she conducted in South Africa, the most recent results, their future plans to approach and solve the gaps and challenges to reduce infant’s HIV infection to zero. 

Recent publications by the speaker:

Grobben M, Reiss EIMM, Schriek AI, van der Straten K, Dereuddre-Bosquet N, Maisonnasse P, Rooker A, Yu C, Tejjani K, Tolazzi M, Sliepen K, Felfödiné Lévai R, Farsang A, Le Grand R, Scarlatti G, Shattock RJ, de Taeye SW, de Bree GJ, Sanders RW, van Gils MJ. Induction of HIV-1-specific antibody-mediated effector functions by native-like envelope trimers in humans. PLoS Pathog. 2025 Oct 21;21(10):e1013614. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1013614. eCollection 2025 Oct.

Pollock KM, Cheeseman HM, McFarlane LR, Day S, Tolazzi M, Turner HL, Joypooranachandran J, Shramko K, Dispinseri S, Mundsperger P, Bontjer I, Lemm NM, Coelho S, Tanaka M, Cole T, Korber B, Katinger D, Sattentau QJ, Ward AB, Scarlatti G, Sanders RW, Shattock RJ. Experimental medicine study with stabilised native-like HIV-1 Env immunogens drives long-term antibody responses but lacks neutralising breadth. EBioMedicine. 2025 Jan 2;112:105544. doi: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2024.105544. Online ahead of print. PMID: 39753033

Dispinseri S*, Secchi M*, Pirillo MF*, Tolazzi M, Borghi M, Brigatti C, De Angelis ML, Baratella M, Bazzigaluppi E, Venturi G, Sironi F, Canitano A, Marzinotto I, Tresoldi C, Ciceri F, Piemonti L, Negri D, Cara A, Lampasona V, Scarlatti G.  Neutralizing antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2 in symptomatic COVID-19 is persistent and critical for survival. Nat Commun. 2021 May 11;12(1):2670. doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-22958-8. 

Van de Perre P, Goga AE, Ngandu N, Nagot N, , Moodley D, King R, Molès J-P, Mosqueira B, Chirinda W, Scarlatti G, Tylleskär T, Dabis F, Gray G. Eliminating post-natal HIV transmission in high incidence areas: need for complementary biomedical interventions. The Lancet 2021 Apr 3;397(10281):1316-1324. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(21)00570-5.

Host

Francesca Chiodi, Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, KI