Children's Medical Center Corporation

Harvard College

Howard Hughes Medical Institute

Gary H Frey

Bing Chen

Stephen C Harrison

Jia Chen

Isolated, antigenic polypeptides including a pre-hairpin intermediate conformation of gp41 and vectors encoding such polypeptides are provided. Exemplary pre-hairpin intermediate conformations of gp41 include an oligomerization domain; a heptad repeat 2 motif; and a membrane-proximal external region, where the polypeptide lacks a heptad repeat 1 motif, and where the isolated, antigenic polypeptides elicit production of a broadly neutralizing antibody against HIV when injected into a subject. Antibodies that bind to a pre-hairpin intermediate conformation of gp41 and methods of making antibodies a that bind to pre-hairpin intermediate conformation of gp41 are also provided. Vaccines against a pre-hairpin intermediate conformation of gp41, as well as methods of treating subjects infected with HIV, preventing HIV infection, and inhibiting HIV-mediated activities are also provided. Methods of screening compounds that bind to an isolated, pre-hairpin intermediate conformation of gp41 are further provided.

Antigenic polypeptides comprising pre-hairpin intermediate conformations of HIV-1 GP41

Isolated, antigenic polypeptides including a prehairpin intermediate conformation of gp41 and vectors encoding such polypeptides are provided. Antibodies that bind to a prehairpin intermediate conformation of gp41 and methods of making antibodies a that bind to prehairpin intermediate conformation of gp41 are also provided. Vaccines against a prehairpin intermediate conformation of gp41, as well as methods of treating subjects infected with HIV, preventing HIV infection, and inhibiting HIV-mediated activities are also provided. Methods of screening compounds that bind to an isolated, prehairpin intermediate conformation of gp41 are further provided.

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Nashua, NH, United States of America

Gary H Frey