With Support from the Simons Foundation, Researchers Uncover Clues About How HIV Virus Mutates
A new study published in Cell Host Microbe led by researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center completely maps all mutations that help the HIV virus evolve away from a single broadly neutralizing antibody, known as PGT151. Broadly neutralizing antibodies are immune molecules that bind to viruses and can block them from spreading in the body.
To get at the question of how broadly neutralizing antibodies affect HIV mutation, evolutionary biologist Dr. Jesse Bloom teamed up with HIV researcher Dr. Julie Overbaugh and doctoral student Adam Dingens. The mutations they uncovered are a mix of those that had been discovered in previous studies as well as some newly discovered sites.