HIV Specific Neutra™ Antibody Products

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a lentivirus that specifically compromises immune function, standing as a global health challenge. This pathogen selectively attacks CD4⁺ T lymphocytes-essential elements in cellular immunity-through molecular mechanisms that disrupt normal immune regulation. Structurally, the virion displays an approximately spherical morphology with a 120nm diameter, containing dual positive-strand RNA sequences. These genetic elements, which orchestrate viral replication through structural and regulatory gene expression, reside within a distinctive conical protein shell. Current epidemiological data distinguish two viral types: HIV-1 demonstrates broader geographical distribution and heightened transmission efficiency, whereas HIV-2 shows regional predominance in West Africa with reduced clinical severity. Viral cellular specificity arises from preferential binding interactions with CD4 surface receptors, a characteristic determining host cell susceptibility.

Fig. 1 The HIV virion.Distributed under CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wiki, without modification.

AIDS

The terminal stage of untreated HIV infection manifests as acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), marked by critical depletion of CD4⁺ lymphocytes. This immunological collapse enables opportunistic pathogens and malignancy development. Clinical presentations exhibit considerable heterogeneity, though common indicators encompass profound body mass reduction, prolonged febrile states exceeding 30 days, and multi-regional lymph node enlargement. Transmission primarily occurs through exposure to infectious biological fluids (seminal, vaginal, or blood components), during unprotected sexual practices, percutaneous exposures through shared injection equipment, or vertical transmission pathways including intrapartum exposure and breastfeeding. Emerging research indicates viral load concentrations directly correlate with transmission likelihood across different exposure routes.

HIV Life Cycle

HIV replicates through sequential exploitation of host cells:

• Viral attachment to CD4 receptors and co-receptors
• Membrane fusion enabling RNA entry into the cytoplasm
• Reverse transcriptase converting RNA to DNA
• Integrase-mediated DNA integration into the host genome
• Host machinery producing viral components
• New virion assembly and budding from cell surface

This lifecycle permits both active replication and latent infection phases through integrated proviral DNA.

Fig. 2 The HIV replication cycle.Distributed under CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wiki, without modification.

Mechanism of HIV Infection

HIV preferentially infects CD4⁺ helper T lymphocytes, immune cells critical for organizing defense responses. These cells become primary targets due to abundant CD4 receptor expression. As a retrovirus, HIV stores genetic information in RNA rather than DNA. Within host cells, error-prone reverse transcription generates mutation-prone DNA copies. These frequent genetic changes facilitate immune system evasion and antiretroviral drug resistance. The newly formed viral DNA integrates permanently into host cell chromosomes, redirecting cellular resources to produce viral particles. This parasitic relationship ultimately destroys infected lymphocytes while propagating new HIV copies.

Anti-HIV Neutralizing Antibodies

The immune system naturally produces antibodies against HIV surface proteins, though these rarely achieve complete viral neutralization. Two primary obstacles exist: HIV's rapid mutation rate and protective envelope glycoproteins. Neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) that successfully bind viral envelope components can block cellular entry. Broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) show particular promise by targeting conserved regions across multiple HIV strains. Current research focuses on developing bnAb-based vaccines and therapies, with several clinical trials investigating engineered antibody combinations to overcome HIV's adaptive defenses.

Fig. 3 Several strategies of stimulating nAb responses towards bnAb generation.¹

Creative Biolabs provides high-quality anti-HIV neutralizing antibody products, designed for use in various applications, including ELISA, Flow cytometry, Bloking, Neutralization and Functional assays, etc.

REFERENCE

1. Timofeeva, Anna, Sergey Sedykh, and Georgy Nevinsky. "Post-immune antibodies in HIV-1 infection in the context of vaccine development: a variety of biological functions and catalytic activities." Vaccines 10.3 (2022): 384. Distributed under Open Access license CC BY 4.0, without modification.