Drift of the HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein gp120 toward increased neutralization resistance over the course of the epidemic: a comprehensive study using the most potent and broadly neutralizing monoclonal antibodies

Abstract

Extending our previous analyses to the most recently described broadly neutralizing monoclonal antibodies (bNAbs) we confirm a drift of HIV-1 clade B variants over two decades toward higher resistance to bNAbs targeting almost all the identified gp120 neutralizing epitopes. In contrast, the sensitivity to bNAbs targeting the gp41 MPER remained stable, suggesting a selective pressure on gp120 preferentially. Despite this evolution, selected combinations of bNAbs remain capable to neutralize efficiently most of the circulating variants