IMMUNE-RESPONSE AGAINST HUMAN-IMMUNODEFIC IENCY-VIRUS ENVELOPE GLYCOPROTEIN - DOES GLYCOSYLATION BEHAVE AS A SHIELD OR AS ACHILLES HEEL

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) envelope glycoprotein (Env) is one of the major targets for the immune response and anti-Env antibodies w ere reported to provide protection in vivo and in vitro against HIV in fection. Its unusual highly glycosylated state has not gone unnoticed and it has offered a unique opportunity to study the influence of the glycosylation on the immunological properties of a glycoprotein. Some answers already obtained suggest attractive possibilities. How do carb ohydrate moieties act on the antigenicity of a glycoprotein ? It is po ssible to alter the glycosylation in order to improve the anti-HIV imm une response?