In vivo B cell engineering to produce anti-HIV antibodies; plus Ovid, Stealth and more

Tel Aviv University researchers described in Nature Biotechnology an approach to engineer B cells in vivo to produce anti-HIV antibodies. After delivering two adeno-associated viral (AAV) vectors, one coding for Cas9 and the other for a broadly neutralizing anti-HIV antibody, the study authors observed editing of B cells that led to memory retention and antibody secretion with titers up to 6.8 µg ml⁻¹ in mice.

The broadly neutralizing antibody used in the study, 3BNC117, is in Phase II development by The Rockefeller University and Gilead Sciences Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD) to prevent or treat HIV infection. At least six other broadly neutralizing anti-HIV antibodies are in preclinical to Phase II, according to BioCentury’s BCIQ database...