Identification of Broadly HIV-1 Neutralizing Antibodies (bNAb) in HIV-infected Patients in Mbeya, Tanzania.

Michael Hoelscher

Status: Active, not recruiting

Conditions: HIV/AIDS

Study type: Observational

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03334552

LMU-IMPH-bNAb

Details and patient eligibility

About

In natural HIV disease, a small fraction (1-2%) of infected individuals develops exceptionally high titres of HIV-1 neutralizing serum activity. Antibodies isolated from these individuals have been shown to be highly active against a broad range of different HIV strains and are therefore called broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs). These antibodies are in fact able to prevent (S)HIV infection in animal models and therefore of great interest for the development of an HIV vaccine. Information of neutralizing antibodies in patients from Africa is still scarce and would be of great value in the development of adapted HIV vaccine strategies in these regions. This study aims to investigate African HIV-infected individuals, who have developed neutralizing antibodies using highly specialized laboratory methodologies.

Enrollment: 500 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

1. Voluntary and informed consent
2. ≥18 years of age
3. Documented HIV infection.
4. Willing to consent to active tracing including home tracing

Exclusion criteria

1. Deficiency, rendering it difficult, if not impossible, to take part in the study or understand the information provided. This includes alcoholism, drug dependency as well as psychiatric illnesses, suicidal tendencies or any other inability.
2. Prisoners
3. If within the discretion of the investigator study participation would possibly add not acceptable risk or burden to patient (e.g. significant health deficiencies, social harm)
4. Unlikely to comply with protocol as judged by the principal investigator or his designate