Neutralization titer biomarker for antibody-mediated prevention of HIV-1 acquisition

The Antibody Mediated Prevention trials showed that the broadly neutralizing antibody (bnAb) VRC01 prevented acquisition of human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) sensitive to VRC01. Using AMP trial data, here we show that the predicted serum neutralization 80% inhibitory dilution titer (PT80) biomarker—which quantifies the neutralization potency of antibodies in an individual’s serum against an HIV-1 isolate—can be used to predict HIV-1 prevention efficacy. Similar to the results of nonhuman primate studies, an average PT80 of 200 (meaning a bnAb concentration 200-fold higher than that required to reduce infection by 80% in vitro) against a population of probable exposing viruses was estimated to be required for 90% prevention efficacy against acquisition of these viruses. Based on this result, we suggest that the goal of sustained PT80 <200 against 90% of circulating viruses can be achieved by promising bnAb regimens engineered for long half-lives. We propose the PT80 biomarker as a surrogate endpoint for evaluatinon of bnAb regimens, and as a tool for benchmarking candidate bnAb-inducing vaccines

Dissolution rates of pure nonionic surfactants

10.1021/la9913497Langmuir16125276-5283LANG

Symmetric Powers of Elliptic Curve L-Functions

The conjectures of Deligne, Be\u\i linson, and Bloch-Kato assert that there should be relations between the arithmetic of algebro-geometric objects and the special values of their $L$-functions. We make a numerical study for symmetric power $L$-functions of elliptic curves, obtaining data about the validity of their functional equations, frequency of vanishing of central values, and divisibility of Bloch-Kato quotients.Comment: Accepted to ANTS-VI