How HIV antibodies and NK cells team up to kill infected cells
Official title: HIV antibodies and NK cell ADCC: nanometer-scale tracking of immune synapse dynamics.
Funded at San Diego Biomedical Research Institute · NIH-11163540 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers compare how different HIV antibodies guide natural killer (NK) cells to find and kill HIV-infected cells to help people living with HIV.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | San Diego Biomedical Research Institute NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Diego, United States) |
| Project start | September 17, 2021 |
| Project end | August 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $492,820 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AI167646-06 |
| Project ID | NIH-11163540 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants would be people living with HIV who can provide blood samples for laboratory immune studies.
✕Less likely to help
People not living with HIV or those seeking immediate changes to their clinical care are unlikely to benefit directly from this laboratory-focused research.
What this research studies
From a patient's perspective, scientists will use ultra-high-resolution microscopes to watch how antibody-coated HIV envelope proteins and NK cell receptors interact at the immune synapse. The team will make different antibody arrangements and track how the NK cell receptor FcγRIIIa and other molecules move and cluster during killing. Most work is done in the laboratory with cells and immune complexes, but the goal is to reveal which antibody geometries trigger the strongest NK-cell responses. These findings are intended to inform the design of better antibody therapies and vaccines against HIV.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to antibody therapies or vaccines that recruit NK cells more effectively to clear HIV-infected cells.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work shows antibodies can trigger NK-cell ADCC and some therapies exploit Fc functions, but nanometer-scale live tracking of immune synapses is a newer approach with limited prior clinical translation.
Where this research is happening
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San Diego Biomedical Research Institute
San Diego, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Murin, Charles Daniel — San Diego Biomedical Research Institute
- Study coordinator: Murin, Charles Daniel
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.