Report of the Cent Gardes HIV Vaccine Conference: The B-cell response to HIV Part 2: Non-neutralizing antibodies

The Cent Gardes Conference on HIV Vaccines took place on November 5–7, 2012 at the Fondation Merieux Conference Center, Annecy, France. The aim of the meeting was to review the B cell response to human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) infection and immunization, from broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) to non-neutralizing antibodies (n-nAbs). This paper, Part 2 of the report, focuses on potentially protective n-nAbs. Evidence was presented that n-nAbs may effectively contribute to protection against HIV, as illustrated by the recent RV144 efficacy trial. They can either act as IgGs by mediating antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) involving Fc effector functions, or as IgAs, particularly dimeric IgA1s, which can inhibit virus transcytosis through monocellular epithelia and could play an important role in mucosal immunity.