Antibody Translational Research Program

Faridabad, Haryana, India

Senior Scientist Ranajoy Mullick loads a sample onto an agarose gel for electrophoresis at the laboratory of the Antibody Translational Research Program in Faridabad, Haryana, India

The HIV Vaccine Translational Research (HVTR) Laboratory was established in 2012 as a joint initiative between the Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI) — an autonomous body of the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India — and IAVI. Closely linked with a global network of laboratories supported by IAVI, including the IAVI Neutralizing Antibody Center (NAC) for technical guidance, technology transfer support, global partner linkages, and trainings, the program is primarily focused on (a) studying the genetic and functional diversities of majorly circulating HIV-1 clade C in India (compared to the strain circulating in Africa) that will inform the selection of combinations of broadly neutralizing monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) as region-specific prevention products and (b) discovery and characterization of novel mAbs against HIV-1 and SARS-CoV-2, with particular reference to ones majorly circulating in India and globally.

THSTI and IAVI expanded their collaboration in 2019 to establish the Antibody Translational Research Program (ATRP). The objective of ATRP is to enable the discovery and translation of broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) for diseases of mutual concern to IAVI, THSTI and DBT that are affordable, applicable, and accessible to low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), and, subsequently, serve as a Center of Excellence (CoE) to help address the global burgeoning disease burden, in alignment with IAVI’s NAC and the Indian government’s efforts to create regional CoEs.

The ATRP — based at the NCR Biotech Science Cluster in Faridabad, in the National Capital Region of Delhi, India — comprises an interdisciplinary group of scientists from IAVI and THSTI with unique capabilities and multifaceted experience, which enable it to drive antibody research. The program focuses on setting up technologies, assays, and protocols, expanding relevant skill sets in the areas of antibody discovery, characterization, and translation, and promoting industry collaboration on promising prevention products against HIV and COVID-19. It also continues its efforts to establish strategic partnerships with leading academic and industry partners in India and across the globe, with a special emphasis on building capacity and facilitating indigenous scientific innovation in and between LMICs. IAVI’s NAC continues to work collaboratively with scientists at the ATRP to develop innovative tools, technologies, and avenues of collaboration that could be of significant benefit for advancing the development of solutions for a wide range of global health threats, including tuberculosis (TB), neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) and emerging infectious diseases (EIDs).

Globally, multiple products (antibodies and vaccines) and novel delivery systems have entered early phase trials for diseases of concern for LMICs, e.g., HIV vaccines and HIV bnAbs. However, given the diversity of the virus, it is imperative to have products that are suitable against circulating strains. The ATRP leverages the platform established to assess the suitability of immunogens and antibodies that will be appropriate for both India and Africa. Further, given India’s manufacturing prowess, these immunogens can be indigenously manufactured and tested in clinical trials for potential introduction in the country.

Below are some of the achievements brought to the fore by the ATRP and the innovative global and national partnerships it has fostered through the years.

Products

In 2021, the ATRP successfully isolated two novel COVID-19 monoclonal antibodies, making it the first in India (and an LMIC) to do so. This has been taken into manufacturing in collaboration with an Indian industrial partner for product development. The ATRP currently also has two projects at the proof-of-concept stage, including the isolation and identification of two novel HIV mAbs from within India, and the design and patenting of fully cleaved envelope trimers as immunogens.

Technologies and platforms

The ATRP has established 13 technology platforms in India for HIV & COVID-19 antibody and HIV vaccine research, including peripheral blood mononuclear cell isolation, cryopreservation, thawing and transportation for B-cell biology studies, sanger sequencing for HIV virus profiling, and flow cytometer-based technology for antigen-specific single memory B cells sorting, among others.

Patents

The ATRP has filed four Indian patents — COVID-19 Antibody (2021), Engineered HIV-1 Envelope Immunogen (2019), Engineered Recombinant Protein Antigen (2017), and Isolated Nucleotide Sequence for the Prevention of HIV-1 Infection (2016). It has also been awarded two international patents for its discovery of HIV-1 Clade C Envelope Glycoproteins (2016) and a Trimeric Envelope Immunogen (2016).

Publications

The team has published over 20 publications in high-impact journals.

The investigators at the program are as follows: