Influence of the broadly neutralizing antibody VRC01 on HIV breakthrough virus populations in antibody-mediated prevention trials

C Carolyn Williamson C Chivonne Moodley C Craig A. Magaret E Elena E. Giorgi (Vaccine and Infectious Diseases Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center) M Morgane Rolland (U.S. Military HIV Research Program, Center for Infectious Disease Research, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research) D Dylan H. Westfall (Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center) A Anna Yssel W Wenjie Deng R Raabya Rossenkhan N Nonhlanhla N. Mkhize L Lennie Chen H Hong Zhao T Tanmoy Bhattacharya A Alec Pankow B Ben Murrell T Talita York A Asanda Gwashu-Nyangiwe N Nonkululeko Ndabambi R Ruwayhida Thebus P Paula Cohen B Bronwen Lambson H Haajira Kaldine S Sinethemba Bhebhe M Michal Juraska H Hongjun Bai (U.S. Military HIV Research Program, Center for Infectious Disease Research, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research) A Allan C. deCamp M Maurine D. Miner J James Ludwig C Cindy Molitor N Nicolas Beaume D David Matten Y Yunda Huang L Lily Zhang D Daniel B. Reeves B Bryan Mayer S Shelly T. Karuna J John A. Hural L Lynn Morris D David Montefiori R Roger E. Bumgarner P Penny L. Moore P Paul T. Edlefsen S Srilatha Edupuganti (Emory Vaccine Center, Emory University School of Medicine) N Nyaradzo Mgodi M M. Juliana McElrath (Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center) M Myron S. Cohen L Lawrence Corey (Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center) P Peter B. Gilbert J James I. Mullins

Abstract

Abstract In the antibody mediated prevention (AMP) trials, the broadly neutralizing antibody (bNAb) VRC01 demonstrated protective efficacy against susceptible HIV strains. To understand how VRC01 shaped breakthrough infections, deep sequencing was performed on 172 participants (>100,000 gag-Δpol and rev-env-Δnef sequences), at diagnosis and over time, in the placebo and treatment arms of the African (HVTN703/HPTN081; NCT02568215) and Americas/Europe (HVTN704/HPTN085; NCT02716675) cohorts. A high frequency of multilineage infections was detected (38%), including co-infection with both VRC01 sensitive and resistant viruses. This high frequency is largely accounted for by low-abundance lineages. Although VRC01 does not significantly affect the genetic transmission bottleneck compared to placebo, higher VRC01 doses trend towards greater VRC01 neutralization differences among co-infecting lineages. Two-thirds of multilineage infections showed evidence of recombination at the diagnostic timepoint. In the treatment group there is evidence of recombinant viruses preferentially inheriting resistance-associated mutations. This study provides critical insights into viral genetic and antigenic diversity that needs to be targeted to achieve protection, and highlights the role of recombination in facilitating escape.

Article Details

Volume / Issue Vol. 17, Issue 1
Published April 03, 2026
ISSN 2041-1723
Publisher Nature Portfolio

Journal Info

Nature Communications

Nature Portfolio

ISSN: 2041-1723 Open Access Life Sciences

Authors (49)

C

Carolyn Williamson

C

Chivonne Moodley

C

Craig A. Magaret

E

Elena E. Giorgi

Vaccine and Infectious Diseases Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center

M

Morgane Rolland

U.S. Military HIV Research Program, Center for Infectious Disease Research, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research

D

Dylan H. Westfall

Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center

A

Anna Yssel

W

Wenjie Deng

R

Raabya Rossenkhan

N

Nonhlanhla N. Mkhize

L

Lennie Chen

H

Hong Zhao

T

Tanmoy Bhattacharya

A

Alec Pankow

B

Ben Murrell

T

Talita York

A

Asanda Gwashu-Nyangiwe

N

Nonkululeko Ndabambi

R

Ruwayhida Thebus

P

Paula Cohen

B

Bronwen Lambson

H

Haajira Kaldine

S

Sinethemba Bhebhe

M

Michal Juraska

H

Hongjun Bai

U.S. Military HIV Research Program, Center for Infectious Disease Research, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research

A

Allan C. deCamp

M

Maurine D. Miner

J

James Ludwig

C

Cindy Molitor

N

Nicolas Beaume

D

David Matten

Y

Yunda Huang

L

Lily Zhang

D

Daniel B. Reeves

B

Bryan Mayer

S

Shelly T. Karuna

J

John A. Hural

L

Lynn Morris

D

David Montefiori

R

Roger E. Bumgarner

P

Penny L. Moore

P

Paul T. Edlefsen

S

Srilatha Edupuganti

Emory Vaccine Center, Emory University School of Medicine

N

Nyaradzo Mgodi

M

M. Juliana McElrath

Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center

M

Myron S. Cohen

L

Lawrence Corey

Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center

P

Peter B. Gilbert

J

James I. Mullins