The Antibodiome—Mapping the Humoral Immune Response to HIV

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The design of an HIV vaccine remains an elusive but top priority. Data from the non-human primate model and the first moderately protective HIV vaccine trial (RV144) point to a role for qualitative changes in humoral immune functions in protection from infection. Here, we review the current understanding of the antibody response throughout HIV infection, the known correlates of protection, and current strategies to manipulate antibodies to put an end to the epidemic. RECENT FINDINGS: Recent studies point to innate immune-recruiting antibody function in preventing infection as well as controlling viremia following infection. These data have begun to inform next-generation design of HIV vaccines and antibody therapies by uncovering new viral targets and antibody architectures to improve potency and breadth. SUMMARY: Emerging data illustrate a role for innate immune recruiting-antibodies in conferring protection against HIV infection as well as promoting viral control and clearance, offering an unprecedented opportunity to modulate and improve antibody function to fight HIV more effectively.