Immunoprophylaxis against mother-to-child transmission of HIV-1.

The article focuses on the prevention of mother-to-child-transmission (MTCT) of HIV-1. The rate of MTCT without specific intervention and with an extended time of breast feeding is given. Experiments on passive immunization have indicated that antibodies can protect against HIV-1 infection in animal models. A paper published in "PLoS Medicine"addresses the question of whether human anti-HIV monoclonal antibodies might be useful in South Africa as reagents to prevent MTCT of subtype C viruses.