B-HIVe study

B-HIVe is an innovative research project aimed at discovering and developing broad-spectrum protective antibodies derived from people living with HIV.

Respiratory tract infections remain a major cause of morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised individuals. Current immunoglobulin replacement therapy relies on donor-derived antibodies, which are largely pathogen-specific and often fail to protect against newly emerging or opportunistic respiratory pathogens. B-HIVe explores a fundamentally different strategy: harnessing naturally occurring polyreactive antibodies.

A subset of people living with chronic HIV infection develops broadly neutralising, polyreactive antibodies as a consequence of sustained immune activation. These antibodies have the unique capacity to bind multiple structurally distinct antigens. In B-HIVe, we investigate whether such antibodies can provide broad protection against important respiratory pathogens.