The journal Science published a perspective on Oct. 6, by two leading HIV investigators highlighting the next frontier of HIV prevention – broadly neutralizing antibodies or bnAbs.

Antibodies to HIV can be found in 25 percent of people living with the virus who are not on treatment, wrote perspective co-author Myron Cohen, MD, associate director of the UNC CFAR. These broadly neutralizing antibodies are now being tested for HIV prevention in the Antibody Mediated Prevention (AMP) study.

The AMP study will test the efficacy of antibody VRC01 in patients. Participants in the study will be given an intravenous infusion of the VRC01 antibody or a placebo 10 times, once every eight weeks.

Men who have sex with men, transgender women, and transgender men who have sex with men are eligible for the study. AMP is being conducted in North America, South America, and Africa. UNC is a site.

To learn more about bnAbs, read the perspective in Science. To watch a presentation Cohen gave about bnAbs on Oct. 13, visit our Friday Morning Conference archives.