Maternal antibodies that help kill HIV and protect babies
Antibody dependent cellular cytotoxicity and HIV-1 mother to child transmission
This project looks at whether certain antibodies from mothers that trigger immune cells to kill HIV-infected cells help keep babies from getting HIV during pregnancy, birth, or breastfeeding.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Boston Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11140991 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you and your baby take part, researchers will use samples already collected from mothers and infants in mother-to-child transmission cohorts to compare antibody responses in pairs where transmission did and did not occur. Lab tests will measure antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) and other antibody functions against the HIV variants mothers carry. The team will compare viral and antibody features before and after transmission to see which antibody types are linked with protection. Findings come from analyzing blood and plasma samples and linking lab results with clinical data from the mother-infant pairs.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Pregnant or breastfeeding people with HIV and their newborns (especially those enrolled in mother-to-child transmission cohorts or receiving care through participating clinics) would be the ideal participants.
Not a fit: People already fully protected by effective antiretroviral therapy or those without HIV are unlikely to get direct benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could point to specific antibody types that protect babies and guide vaccines or antibody-based interventions to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission.
How similar studies have performed: Previous mother-to-child and passive antibody trials found that neutralizing antibodies alone did not prevent transmission, while observational data suggest ADCC-type antibodies might help, so this approach is promising but not yet proven.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Boston Medical Center — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sagar, Manish — Boston Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Sagar, Manish
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 below.