# Glycoantigen evolution targeting antibodies of the PGT 128 lineage

> **NIH NIH R01** · BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY · 2021 · $560,769

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
Extensive study of HIV+ individuals in recent years has brought to light many examples of antibodies that
can neutralize a broad range of HIV strains and protect against viral challenge in animal models of
infection. The portion of viral surface most commonly targeted by such antibodies is now known to be
the “high-mannose patch”: among patients producing broadly-neutralizing antibodies, 38% target this
one region of the virus. One of the most potent high mannose patch antibodies, PGT128, binds to a
particular arrangement of high-mannose glycans and conserved peptide residues. Our goal is to develop
vaccine immunogens which mimic this arrangement precisely and be used to elicit PGT128-like
antibodies.
Our approach will utilize unique directed evolution methods to develop glycoimmunogens in which
PGT128 epitope elements are correctly reconstituted. It is also possible that additional immunogens will
be required to correctly prime the immune response by stimulating germline precursors of PGT128.
Therefore, we will develop glycopeptides targeting both mature and germline PGT128 antibodies. In
collaboration with David Nemazee at Scripps, we will investigate the ability of these glycopeptides in
combination, to activate a germline PGT128 response that can mature into a response with broadly-
neutralizing PGT128-like specificity.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10062844
- **Project number:** 5R01AI090745-07
- **Recipient organization:** BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Isaac Jonathan Krauss
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $560,769
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2010-06-01 → 2022-11-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10062844

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10062844, Glycoantigen evolution targeting antibodies of the PGT 128 lineage (5R01AI090745-07). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10062844. Licensed CC0.

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