Wednesday, April 9, 2014 - 11:00pm
Abstract:
We will describe a new method for design of
carbohydrate HIV vaccines, which combines organic synthesis and
directed evolution techniques. This work originates from the
observation that some HIV positive individuals produce antibodies
which are broadly neutralizing and protective against HIV infection.
One such antibody, 2G12, recognizes and binds to a cluster of
carbohydrates on the viral envelope protein gp120. Our goal is to
develop synthetic carbohydrate clusters which closely mimic the viral
carbohydrate cluster, and which might thus elicit a 2G12-like antibody
response when used as a vaccine. In order to design carbohydrate
clusters which closely mimic gp120, we have developed evolution-based
strategies, in which immobilized 2G12 is used to recognize and fish
out the best glycocluster mimics of gp120 from amongst large libraries
of ~10 trillion different glycosylated peptide- or DNA structures. The
glycocluster structures obtained by these methods are recognized by
antibody 2G12 as strongly as is the viral protein itself, and are thus
of great interest for vaccine studies.
We will describe a new method for design of
carbohydrate HIV vaccines, which combines organic synthesis and
directed evolution techniques. This work originates from the
observation that some HIV positive individuals produce antibodies
which are broadly neutralizing and protective against HIV infection.
One such antibody, 2G12, recognizes and binds to a cluster of
carbohydrates on the viral envelope protein gp120. Our goal is to
develop synthetic carbohydrate clusters which closely mimic the viral
carbohydrate cluster, and which might thus elicit a 2G12-like antibody
response when used as a vaccine. In order to design carbohydrate
clusters which closely mimic gp120, we have developed evolution-based
strategies, in which immobilized 2G12 is used to recognize and fish
out the best glycocluster mimics of gp120 from amongst large libraries
of ~10 trillion different glycosylated peptide- or DNA structures. The
glycocluster structures obtained by these methods are recognized by
antibody 2G12 as strongly as is the viral protein itself, and are thus
of great interest for vaccine studies.
Speaker:
Prof Isaac Krauss
Institution:
Brandeis
Location:
RH 104
