Understanding how antibody protection works using 3D protein structures
Official title: Structure-based Sieve Analysis to Understand the Impact of Antibody-Mediated Immunity
Funded at Henry M. Jackson Fdn for the Adv Mil/med · NIH-11470978 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers will build a 3D-based method to see which viral features relate to prevention by antibodies, using data from people in HIV vaccine and monoclonal antibody trials.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Henry M. Jackson Fdn for the Adv Mil/med NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Bethesda, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2026 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $317,272 |
| NIH project number | 1R21AI203571-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11470978 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are individuals at risk for HIV who participated in or could participate in future antibody- or vaccine-based prevention trials.
✕Less likely to help
People not at risk for HIV or those not involved in antibody- or vaccine-based prevention studies may not benefit.
What this research studies
This project will create a structure-based sieve analysis pipeline that uses predicted HIV protein structures to compare key 3D features across viral sequences from trial participants. It will define structural elements, develop methods to measure 3D similarity, and apply the framework to past vaccine and antibody prevention trials to identify biomarkers of protection. The work leverages AlphaFold3 to model thousands of HIV-1 proteins and tests the approach on RV144 and AMP trial data. The goal is to uncover new insights into how antibody responses contribute to preventing infection and to provide a reusable analytical framework for future studies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could benefit from improved understanding of how antibodies protect against HIV, informing vaccine design and antibody-based prevention strategies.
How similar studies have gone: Previous sieve analyses used linear sequences; this project extends that work to 3D structures and has potential for new biomarkers.
Where this research is happening
-
Henry M. Jackson Fdn for the Adv Mil/med
Bethesda, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Rolland, Morgane — Henry M. Jackson Fdn for the Adv Mil/med
- Study coordinator: Rolland, Morgane
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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.