An Update on “Reverse Vaccinology”: The Pathway from Genomes and Epitope Predictions to Tailored, Recombinant Vaccines

Aim and Objective: Nipah virus (NiV) is a zoonotic virus of the paramyxovirus family that sporadically breaks out from livestock and spreads in humans through breathing resulting in an indication of encephalitis syndrome. In the current study, T cell epitopes with the NiV W protein antigens were predicted. Materials and Methods: Modelling of unavailable 3D structure of W protein followed by docking studies of respective Human MHC - class I and MHC - class II alleles predicted was carried out for the highest binding rates. In the computational analysis, epitopes were assessed for immunogenicity, conservation, and toxicity analysis. T – cell-based vaccine development against NiV was screened for eight epitopes of Indian - Asian origin. Results: Two epitopes, SPVIAEHYY and LVNDGLNII, have been screened and selected for further docking study based on toxicity and conservancy analyses. These epitopes showed a significant score of -1.19 kcal/mol and 0.15 kcal/mol with HLA- B*35:03 and HLA- DRB1 * 07:03, respectively by using allele - Class I and Class II from AutoDock. These two peptides predicted by the reverse vaccinology approach are likely to induce immune response mediated by T – cells. Conclusion: Simulation using GROMACS has revealed that LVNDGLNII epitope forms a more stable complex with HLA molecule and will be useful in developing the epitope-based Nipah virus vaccine.

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Prediction of Prophylactic Peptide Vaccine Candidates for Human Papillomavirus (HPV): An Immunoinformatics and Reverse Vaccinology Approach

Current Proteomics ◽

10.2174/1570164617999200505095802 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 ◽

Author(s):

Mehreen Ismail ◽

Zureesha Sajid ◽

Amjad Ali ◽

Xiaogang Wu ◽

Syed Aun Muhammad ◽

...

Keyword(s):

T Cells ◽

Human Papillomavirus ◽

T Cell ◽

Binding Affinity ◽

Cd8 T Cells ◽

Reverse Vaccinology ◽

Host Immune System ◽

T Cell Epitopes ◽

Multiple Alleles ◽

Vaccine Candidates

Background: Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is responsible for substantial morbidity and mortality worldwide. We predicted immunogenic promiscuous monovalent and polyvalent T-cell epitopes from the polyprotein of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) using a range of bioinformatics tools and servers. Methods: We used immunoinformatics and reverse vaccinology-based approaches to design prophylactic peptides by antigenicity analysis, Tcell epitopes prediction, proteasomal and conservancy evaluation, host-pathogen protein interactions, and in silico binding affinity analysis. Results: We found two early proteins (E2 and E6) and two late proteins (L1 and L2) of HPV as potential vaccine candidates. Of these proteins (E2, E6, L1 & L2), 2-epitopes of each candidate protein for multiple alleles of MHC class I and II bearing significant binding affinity (>-6.0 kcal/mole). These potential epitopes for CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells were also linked to design polyvalent construct using GPGPG linkers. Cholera toxin B and mycobacterial heparin-binding hemagglutinin adjuvant with a molecular weight of 12.5 and 18.5 kDa were used for epitopes of CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells respectively. The molecular docking indicated the optimum binding affinity of HPV peptides with MHC molecules. This interaction showed that our predicted vaccine candidates are suitable to trigger the host immune system to prevent HPV infections. Conclusion: The predicted conserved T-cell epitopes would contribute to the imminent design of HPV vaccine candidates, which will be able to induce a broad range of immune-responses in a heterogeneous HLA population.

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Prediction of the Omp16 Epitopes for the Development of an Epitope-based Vaccine Against Brucellosis

Infectious Disorders - Drug Targets ◽

10.2174/1871526518666180709121653 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

pp. 36-45 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Marzieh Rezaei ◽

Mohammad Rabbani-khorasgani ◽

Sayyed Hamid Zarkesh-Esfahani ◽

Rahman Emamzadeh ◽

Hamid Abtahi

Keyword(s):

Immune Responses ◽

B Cell ◽

Dairy Products ◽

Bioinformatics Analysis ◽

Epitope Prediction ◽

Animal Husbandry ◽

Zoonotic Diseases ◽

Recombinant Vaccines ◽

Protective Capacity ◽

Tertiary Structures

Background:Brucellosis is an infectious disease caused by Brucella bacteria that cause disease in animals and humans. Brucellosis is one of the most common zoonotic diseases transmitted from animals-to-human through direct contact with infected animals and also consumption of unpasteurized dairy products. Due to the wide incidence of brucellosis in Iran and economical costs in industrial animal husbandry, Vaccination is the best way to prevent this disease. All of the available commercial vaccines against brucellosis are derived from live attenuated strains of Brucella but because of the disadvantage of live attenuated vaccines, protective subunit vaccine against Brucella may be a good candidate for the production of new recombinant vaccines based on Brucella Outer Membrane Protein (OMP) antigens. In the present study, comprehensive bioinformatics analysis has been conducted on prediction software to predict T and B cell epitopes, the secondary and tertiary structures and antigenicity of Omp16 antigen and the validation of used software confirmed by experimental results.Conclusion:The final epitope prediction results have proposed that the three epitopes were predicted for the Omp16 protein with antigenicity ability. We hypothesized that these epitopes likely have the protective capacity to stimulate both the B-cell and T-cell mediated immune responses and so may be effective as an immunogenic candidate for the development of an epitope-based vaccine against brucellosis.

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An evidence-based systematic review on emerging therapeutic and preventive strategies to treat novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) during an outbreak scenario

Journal of Basic and Clinical Physiology and Pharmacology ◽

10.1515/jbcpp-2020-0113 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 0 (0) ◽

Author(s):

Anupama M. Gudadappanavar ◽

Jyoti Benni

Keyword(s):

Antiviral Drug ◽

Drug Repurposing ◽

Respiratory Illness ◽

World Health ◽

Recombinant Vaccines ◽

Subunit Vaccines ◽

Coronavirus Infection ◽

Novel Coronavirus ◽

Health Organization ◽

Full Length Genome

AbstractA novel coronavirus infection coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) emerged from Wuhan, Hubei Province of China, in December 2019 caused by SARS-CoV-2 is believed to be originated from bats in the local wet markets. Later, animal to human and human-to-human transmission of the virus began and resulting in widespread respiratory illness worldwide to around more than 180 countries. The World Health Organization declared this disease as a pandemic in March 2020. There is no clinically approved antiviral drug or vaccine available to be used against COVID-19. Nevertheless, few broad-spectrum antiviral drugs have been studied against COVID-19 in clinical trials with clinical recovery. In the current review, we summarize the morphology and pathogenesis of COVID-19 infection. A strong rational groundwork was made keeping the focus on current development of therapeutic agents and vaccines for SARS-CoV-2. Among the proposed therapeutic regimen, hydroxychloroquine, chloroquine, remdisevir, azithromycin, toclizumab and cromostat mesylate have shown promising results, and limited benefit was seen with lopinavir–ritonavir treatment in hospitalized adult patients with severe COVID-19. Early development of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine started based on the full-length genome analysis of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus. Several subunit vaccines, peptides, nucleic acids, plant-derived, recombinant vaccines are under pipeline. This article concludes and highlights ongoing advances in drug repurposing, therapeutics and vaccines to counter COVID-19, which collectively could enable efforts to halt the pandemic virus infection.

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