Apex-guided HIV vaccination: liposome-displayed Env trimers elicit PG9-like cross-neutralizing antibodies

In a recent Nature study, Guenaga et al. demonstrated that sequential immunization with heterologous NFL-stabilized HIV envelope (Env) trimers displayed on liposomes elicited PG9-like apex-directed cross-neutralizing serum IgG responses in all six immunized rhesus macaques, with neutralization breadth reaching up to 70% across a diverse virus panel. 1 This work provides a structural and immunological proof-of-concept that rational multivalent Env trimer design can guide B-cell maturation toward broadly neutralizing antibodies targeting the glycan-shielded HIV Env apex.