Effects of intra-uterine HIV exposure on antibody functionality and B cell development

Infants born to mothers living with HIV are more likely to succumb to infectious diseases compared to their HIV-unexposed counterparts. Higher mortality rates and severe infections occur more often among HIV-exposed uninfected infants (iHEU). Although reasons for this outcome are likely to be multifactorial, I propose that immunological impairment due to intrauterine HIV/ART exposure is the strongest contributing factor. To better understand the relationship between intrauterine HIV exposure and infant immunity, I will evaluate and compare B cell maturation and antibody function between iHEU and HIV-unexposed infants receiving common childhood vaccines. The findings from this study will highlight B cell immunological pathways that lead to the production of less efficient antibody effector functions. These pathways could be targeted to improve the design and development of vaccines that are capable of inducing protective immune responses including among the vulnerable iHEU population.