THE MOLECULAR-STRUCTURE OF HUMAN-ANTIBODIES SPECIFIC FOR THE HUMAN-IMMUNODEFICIENCY-VIRUS

The molecular structure of human antibodies that are specific for huma n immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) are of increasing interest as AIDS research progresses toward passive immunotherapeutics in the maintenan ce and prevention of infection. In recent years a number of human, HIV -specific hybridomas and EBV-transformed B cell lines, as well as a co mbinatorial library, have been developed and characterized at the mole cular level. These sources have provided valuable information on the i mmunoglobulin heavy- and light-chain variable-region gene usage and th e extent and appearance of somatic mutation in a disease where the imm une system is under constant stimulation over a long period of time. I n this article we review the current data available on the molecular s tructure of these antibodies.