Immunoglobulin gamma (IgG) antibodies are produced by the immune system after exposure to HIV. There are four different types of IgG naturally produced in response to infection; however, the contribution of each of these subclasses to preventing HIV infection has been unknown. In a new study published in Science Translational Medicine, researchers from the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard studied the potential for different IgG antibodies to prevent HIV transmission in a humanized mouse model. They found that different IgG subclasses provide different amounts of protection against vaginal HIV transmission, which has implications for prophylactic interventions and vaccine development.
