A TCR-mimic bispecific antibody reduces HIV-1 provirus and delays viral rebound in HLA-matched humanized mice.

Abstract

Bispecific antibodies that reroute cytotoxic effectors toward infected cells are promising HIV-1 cure agents, yet existing formats bind Env and are limited by antigenic variation and Env down-regulation. We engineered a TCR-mimic single-chain diabody, HI12, that recognizes a conserved Pol-derived peptide presented by HLA-A*02:01 and evaluated its effect in HLA-matched, HIV-infected humanized mice. When administered during early antiretroviral therapy (ART), HI12 was well tolerated, activated CD8⁺ T cells, and accelerated plasma virus decay. Treatment produced three- to eightfold reductions in intact and total proviral DNA within lymph-node and splenic CD4⁺ T cells, indicating substantive reservoir clearance. After ART interruption, HI12-treated animals showed a significant delay in viral rebound compared with controls, linking reservoir reduction to improved posttherapy control. These findings provide in vivo evidence that a peptide-HLA-directed bispecific antibody can both shrink the intact HIV reservoir and defer viral recrudescence, supporting further development of TCR-mimic bispecific antibodies for cure strategies.