Caniels, T.G., et al. Precise targeting of HIV broadly neutralizing antibody precursors in humans. Science, 2025 Jul 31, 389(6759):eadv5572.

Caniels, T.G., et al. Precise targeting of HIV broadly neutralizing antibody precursors in humans. Science, 2025 Jul 31, 389(6759):eadv5572. PMID: 40373114

• This research focuses on a new HIV vaccine approach that targets the earliest immune cells capable of producing broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs). In a human trial, a specially designed protein triggered these rare bnAb precursors in most participants, some of whom developed the ability to neutralize HIV effectively. The work highlights how precise vaccine design can guide the immune system to attack HIV at a critical vulnerability.
• The study provides detailed immunological data for the AS01b-adjuvanted vaccine formulations, assessing B cell responses, antibody specificities, and other immunogenicity metrics. The key findings show robust immune responses characterized by specific B cell activation and antibody production, and the vaccination with the AS01b-adjuvanted immunogens elicited detectable and sometimes broad B cell responses, including the expansion of memory B cells specific for HIV Env epitopes such as the VRC01-class and the fusion peptide. 
• The results suggest that the AS01b-adjuvanted vaccine formulation successfully stimulates targeted B cell responses with the potential to generate broadly neutralizing antibodies, which is a critical goal in HIV vaccine development.

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