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Zhu L, Cui X, Yan Z, Tao Y, Shi L, Zhang X, Yao Y, Shi L. Design and evaluation of a multi-epitope DNA vaccine against HPV16. Hum Vaccin Immunother 2024; 20:2352908. [PMID: 38780076 PMCID: PMC11123455 DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2024.2352908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/05/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Cervical cancer, among the deadliest cancers affecting women globally, primarily arises from persistent infection with high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV). To effectively combat persistent infection and prevent the progression of precancerous lesions into malignancy, a therapeutic HPV vaccine is under development. This study utilized an immunoinformatics approach to predict epitopes of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) and helper T lymphocytes (HTLs) using the E6 and E7 oncoproteins of the HPV16 strain as target antigens. Subsequently, through meticulous selection of T-cell epitopes and other necessary elements, a multi-epitope vaccine was constructed, exhibiting good immunogenic, physicochemical, and structural characteristics. Furthermore, in silico simulations showed that the vaccine not only interacted well with toll-like receptors (TLR2/TLR3/TLR4), but also induced a strong innate and adaptive immune response characterized by elevated Th1-type cytokines, such as interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) and interleukin-2 (IL2). Additionally, our study investigated the effects of different immunization intervals on immune responses, aiming to optimize a time-efficient immunization program. In animal model experiments, the vaccine exhibited robust immunogenic, therapeutic, and prophylactic effects. Administered thrice, it consistently induced the expansion of specific CD4 and CD8 T cells, resulting in substantial cytokines release and increased proliferation of memory T cell subsets in splenic cells. Overall, our findings support the potential of this multi-epitope vaccine in combating HPV16 infection and signify its candidacy for future HPV vaccine development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lanfang Zhu
- Department of Immunogenetics, Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Kunming, China
| | - Xiangjie Cui
- Department of Immunogenetics, Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Kunming, China
| | - Zhiling Yan
- Department of Gynaecologic Oncology, The No. 3 Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China
| | - Yufen Tao
- Department of Immunogenetics, Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Kunming, China
| | - Lei Shi
- Department of Immunogenetics, Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Kunming, China
| | - Xinwen Zhang
- Department of Immunogenetics, Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Kunming, China
| | - Yufeng Yao
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Vaccine Research & Development on Severe Infectious Disease, Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Kunming, China
| | - Li Shi
- Department of Immunogenetics, Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Kunming, China
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Oladipo EK, Ojo TO, Elegbeleye OE, Bolaji OQ, Oyewole MP, Ogunlana AT, Olalekan EO, Abiodun B, Adediran DA, Obideyi OA, Olufemi SE, Salamatullah AM, Bourhia M, Younous YA, Adelusi TI. Exploring the nuclear proteins, viral capsid protein, and early antigen protein using immunoinformatic and molecular modeling approaches to design a vaccine candidate against Epstein Barr virus. Sci Rep 2024; 14:16798. [PMID: 39039173 PMCID: PMC11263613 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-66828-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 07/04/2024] [Indexed: 07/24/2024] Open
Abstract
The available Epstein Barr virus vaccine has tirelessly harnessed the gp350 glycoprotein as its target epitope, but the result has not been preventive. Right here, we designed a global multi-epitope vaccine for EBV; with special attention to making sure all strains and preventive antigens are covered. Using a robust computational vaccine design approach, our proposed vaccine is armed with 6-16 mers linear B-cell epitopes, 4-9 mer CTL epitopes, and 8-15 mer HTL epitopes which are verified to induce interleukin 4, 10 & IFN-gamma. We employed deep computational mining coupled with expert intelligence in designing the vaccine, using human Beta defensin-3-which has been reported to induce the same TLRs as EBV-as the adjuvant. The tendency of the vaccine to cause autoimmune disorder is quenched by the assurance that the construct contains no EBNA-1 homolog. The protein vaccine construct exhibited excellent physicochemical attributes such as Aliphatic index 59.55 and GRAVY - 0.710; and a ProsaWeb Z score of - 3.04. Further computational analysis revealed the vaccine docked favorably with EBV indicted TLR 1, 2, 4 & 9 with satisfactory interaction patterns. With global coverage of 85.75% and the stable molecular dynamics result obtained for the best two interactions, we are optimistic that our nontoxic, non-allergenic multi-epitope vaccine will help to ameliorate the EBV-associated diseases-which include various malignancies, tumors, and cancers-preventively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elijah Kolawole Oladipo
- Division of Vaccine Design and Development, Helix Biogen Institute, Ogbomoso, 210214, Nigeria
- Department of Microbiology, Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Immunology and Bioinformatics, Adeleke University, Ede, 232104, Nigeria
| | - Taiwo Ooreoluwa Ojo
- Division of Vaccine Design and Development, Helix Biogen Institute, Ogbomoso, 210214, Nigeria
- Computational Biology and Drug Discovery Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, 210214, Nigeria
| | - Oluwabamise Emmanuel Elegbeleye
- Computational Biology and Drug Discovery Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, 210214, Nigeria
| | - Olawale Quadri Bolaji
- Computational Biology and Drug Discovery Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, 210214, Nigeria
| | - Moyosoluwa Precious Oyewole
- Division of Vaccine Design and Development, Helix Biogen Institute, Ogbomoso, 210214, Nigeria
- Department of Biochemistry, Bowen University, Iwo, 232101, Nigeria
| | - Abdeen Tunde Ogunlana
- Institute of Advanced Medical Research and Training (IAMRAT), College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, 200005, Nigeria
| | - Emmanuel Obanijesu Olalekan
- Computational Biology and Drug Discovery Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, 210214, Nigeria
| | - Bamidele Abiodun
- Computational Biology and Drug Discovery Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, 210214, Nigeria
| | - Daniel Adewole Adediran
- Division of Vaccine Design and Development, Helix Biogen Institute, Ogbomoso, 210214, Nigeria
| | | | - Seun Elijah Olufemi
- Division of Vaccine Design and Development, Helix Biogen Institute, Ogbomoso, 210214, Nigeria
| | - Ahmad Mohammad Salamatullah
- Department of Food Science and Nutrition, College of Food and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University, 11, P.O. Box 2460, 11451, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohammed Bourhia
- Laboratory of Therapeutic and Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, 34000, France
| | | | - Temitope Isaac Adelusi
- Computational Biology and Drug Discovery Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, 210214, Nigeria.
- Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Connecticut Health, Farmington Ave, Farmington, CT, 06030, USA.
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3
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Biswas R, Swetha RG, Basu S, Roy A, Ramaiah S, Anbarasu A. Designing multi-epitope vaccine against human cytomegalovirus integrating pan-genome and reverse vaccinology pipelines. Biologicals 2024; 87:101782. [PMID: 39003966 DOI: 10.1016/j.biologicals.2024.101782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2023] [Revised: 05/13/2024] [Accepted: 07/08/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is accountable for high morbidity in neonates and immunosuppressed individuals. Due to the high genetic variability of HCMV, current prophylactic measures are insufficient. In this study, we employed a pan-genome and reverse vaccinology approach to screen the target for efficient vaccine candidates. Four proteins, envelope glycoprotein M, UL41A, US23, and US28, were shortlisted based on cellular localization, high solubility, antigenicity, and immunogenicity. A total of 29 B-cell and 44 T-cell highly immunogenic and antigenic epitopes with high global population coverage were finalized using immunoinformatics tools and algorithms. Further, the epitopes that were overlapping among the finalized B-cell and T-cell epitopes were linked with suitable linkers to form various combinations of multi-epitopic vaccine constructs. Among 16 vaccine constructs, Vc12 was selected based on physicochemical and structural properties. The docking and molecular simulations of VC12 were performed, which showed its high binding affinity (-23.35 kcal/mol) towards TLR4 due to intermolecular hydrogen bonds, salt bridges, and hydrophobic interactions, and there were only minimal fluctuations. Furthermore, Vc12 eliciting a good response was checked for its expression in Escherichia coli through in silico cloning and codon optimization, suggesting it to be a potent vaccine candidate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rhitam Biswas
- Medical and Biological Computing Laboratory, School of Biosciences and Technology (SBST), Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore, 632014, Tamil Nadu, India; Department of Biotechnology, SBST, VIT, Vellore, 632014, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Rayapadi G Swetha
- Medical and Biological Computing Laboratory, School of Biosciences and Technology (SBST), Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore, 632014, Tamil Nadu, India; Department of Biosciences, SBST, VIT, Vellore, 632014, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Soumya Basu
- Department of Biotechnology, NIST University, Berhampur, 761008, Odisha, India
| | - Aditi Roy
- Medical and Biological Computing Laboratory, School of Biosciences and Technology (SBST), Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore, 632014, Tamil Nadu, India; Department of Biotechnology, SBST, VIT, Vellore, 632014, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Sudha Ramaiah
- Medical and Biological Computing Laboratory, School of Biosciences and Technology (SBST), Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore, 632014, Tamil Nadu, India; Department of Biosciences, SBST, VIT, Vellore, 632014, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Anand Anbarasu
- Medical and Biological Computing Laboratory, School of Biosciences and Technology (SBST), Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore, 632014, Tamil Nadu, India; Department of Biotechnology, SBST, VIT, Vellore, 632014, Tamil Nadu, India.
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4
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Roy A, Swetha RG, Basu S, Biswas R, Ramaiah S, Anbarasu A. Integrating pan-genome and reverse vaccinology to design multi-epitope vaccine against Herpes simplex virus type-1. 3 Biotech 2024; 14:176. [PMID: 38855144 PMCID: PMC11153438 DOI: 10.1007/s13205-024-04022-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Herpes simplex virus type-1 (HSV-1), the etiological agent of sporadic encephalitis and recurring oral (sometimes genital) infections in humans, affects millions each year. The evolving viral genome reduces susceptibility to existing antivirals and, thus, necessitates new therapeutic strategies. Immunoinformatics strategies have shown promise in designing novel vaccine candidates in the absence of a clinically licensed vaccine to prevent HSV-1. However, to encourage clinical translation, the HSV-1 pan-genome was integrated with the reverse-vaccinology pipeline for rigorous screening of universal vaccine candidates. Viral targets were screened from 104 available complete genomes. Among 364 proteins, envelope glycoprotein D being an outer membrane protein with a high antigenicity score (> 0.4) and solubility (> 0.6) was selected for epitope screening. A total of 17 T-cell and 4 B-cell epitopes with highly antigenic, immunogenic, non-toxic properties and high global population coverage were identified. Furthermore, 8 vaccine constructs were designed using different combinations of epitopes and suitable linkers. VC-8 was identified as the most potential vaccine candidate regarding chemical and structural stability. Molecular docking revealed high interactive affinity (low binding energy: - 56.25 kcal/mol) of VC-8 with the target elicited by firm intermolecular H-bonds, salt-bridges, and hydrophobic interactions, which was validated with simulations. Compatibility of the vaccine candidate to be expressed in pET-29(a) + plasmid was established by in silico cloning studies. Immune simulations confirmed the potential of VC-8 to trigger robust B-cell, T-cell, cytokine, and antibody-mediated responses, thereby suggesting a promising candidate for the future of HSV-1 prevention. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-024-04022-6.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aditi Roy
- Medical and Biological Computing Laboratory, School of Biosciences and Technology (SBST), Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore, Tamil Nadu 632014 India
- Department of Biotechnology, SBST, VIT, Vellore, Tamil Nadu 632014 India
| | - Rayapadi G. Swetha
- Medical and Biological Computing Laboratory, School of Biosciences and Technology (SBST), Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore, Tamil Nadu 632014 India
- Department of Biosciences, SBST, VIT, Vellore, Tamil Nadu 632014 India
| | - Soumya Basu
- Department of Biotechnology, NIST University, Berhampur, Odisha 761008 India
| | - Rhitam Biswas
- Medical and Biological Computing Laboratory, School of Biosciences and Technology (SBST), Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore, Tamil Nadu 632014 India
- Department of Biotechnology, SBST, VIT, Vellore, Tamil Nadu 632014 India
| | - Sudha Ramaiah
- Medical and Biological Computing Laboratory, School of Biosciences and Technology (SBST), Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore, Tamil Nadu 632014 India
- Department of Biosciences, SBST, VIT, Vellore, Tamil Nadu 632014 India
| | - Anand Anbarasu
- Medical and Biological Computing Laboratory, School of Biosciences and Technology (SBST), Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore, Tamil Nadu 632014 India
- Department of Biotechnology, SBST, VIT, Vellore, Tamil Nadu 632014 India
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Ahmad S, Demneh FM, Rehman B, Almanaa TN, Akhtar N, Pazoki-Toroudi H, Shojaeian A, Ghatrehsamani M, Sanami S. In silico design of a novel multi-epitope vaccine against HCV infection through immunoinformatics approaches. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 267:131517. [PMID: 38621559 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.131517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2023] [Revised: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
Infection with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) is one of the causes of liver cancer, which is the world's sixth most prevalent and third most lethal cancer. The current treatments do not prevent reinfection; because they are expensive, their usage is limited to developed nations. Therefore, a prophylactic vaccine is essential to control this virus. Hence, in this study, an immunoinformatics method was applied to design a multi-epitope vaccine against HCV. The best B- and T-cell epitopes from conserved regions of the E2 protein of seven HCV genotypes were joined with the appropriate linkers to design a multi-epitope vaccine. In addition, cholera enterotoxin subunit B (CtxB) was included as an adjuvant in the vaccine construct. This study is the first to present this epitopes-adjuvant combination. The vaccine had acceptable physicochemical characteristics. The vaccine's 3D structure was predicted and validated. The vaccine's binding stability with Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) and TLR4 was confirmed using molecular docking and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. The immune simulation revealed the vaccine's efficacy by increasing the population of B and T cells in response to vaccination. In silico expression in Escherichia coli (E. coli) was also successful.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sajjad Ahmad
- Department of Health and Biological Sciences, Abasyn University, Peshawar 25000, Pakistan; Gilbert and Rose-Marie Chagoury School of Medicine, Lebanese American University, Beirut, P.O. Box 36, Lebanon; Department of Natural Sciences, Lebanese American University, Beirut, P.O. Box 36, Lebanon
| | - Fatemeh Mobini Demneh
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Basic Health Sciences Institute, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran
| | - Bushra Rehman
- Institute of Biotechnology and Microbiology, Bacha khan University, Charsadda, Pakistan
| | - Taghreed N Almanaa
- Department of Botany and Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Nahid Akhtar
- School of Bioengineering and Biosciences, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara 144411, India
| | - Hamidreza Pazoki-Toroudi
- Department of Physiology & Physiology Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ali Shojaeian
- Research Center for Molecular Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
| | - Mahdi Ghatrehsamani
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Basic Health Sciences Institute, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran.
| | - Samira Sanami
- Abnormal Uterine Bleeding Research Center, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran.
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Ponne S, Kumar R, Vanmathi SM, Brilhante RSN, Kumar CR. Reverse engineering protection: A comprehensive survey of reverse vaccinology-based vaccines targeting viral pathogens. Vaccine 2024; 42:2503-2518. [PMID: 38523003 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2024.02.087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024]
Abstract
Vaccines have significantly reduced the impact of numerous deadly viral infections. However, there is an increasing need to expedite vaccine development in light of the recurrent pandemics and epidemics. Also, identifying vaccines against certain viruses is challenging due to various factors, notably the inability to culture certain viruses in cell cultures and the wide-ranging diversity of MHC profiles in humans. Fortunately, reverse vaccinology (RV) efficiently overcomes these limitations and has simplified the identification of epitopes from antigenic proteins across the entire proteome, streamlining the vaccine development process. Furthermore, it enables the creation of multiepitope vaccines that can effectively account for the variations in MHC profiles within the human population. The RV approach offers numerous advantages in developing precise and effective vaccines against viral pathogens, including extensive proteome coverage, accurate epitope identification, cross-protection capabilities, and MHC compatibility. With the introduction of RV, there is a growing emphasis among researchers on creating multiepitope-based vaccines aiming to stimulate the host's immune responses against multiple serotypes, as opposed to single-component monovalent alternatives. Regardless of how promising the RV-based vaccine candidates may appear, they must undergo experimental validation to probe their protection efficacy for real-world applications. The time, effort, and resources allocated to the laborious epitope identification process can now be redirected toward validating vaccine candidates identified through the RV approach. However, to overcome failures in the RV-based approach, efforts must be made to incorporate immunological principles and consider targeting the epitope regions involved in disease pathogenesis, immune responses, and neutralizing antibody maturation. Integrating multi-omics and incorporating artificial intelligence and machine learning-based tools and techniques in RV would increase the chances of developing an effective vaccine. This review thoroughly explains the RV approach, ideal RV-based vaccine construct components, RV-based vaccines designed to combat viral pathogens, its challenges, and future perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saravanaraman Ponne
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Aarupadai Veedu Medical College and Hospital, Vinayaka Mission's Research Foundation (Deemed to be University), Kirumampakkam, Puducherry 607402, India
| | - Rajender Kumar
- Division of Glycoscience, Department of Chemistry, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, AlbaNova University Center, Stockholm 106 91, Sweden
| | - S M Vanmathi
- Mahatma Gandhi Medical Advanced Research Institute, Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth (Deemed to be University), Pondicherry 607402, India
| | - Raimunda Sâmia Nogueira Brilhante
- Medical Mycology Specialized Center, Department of Pathology and Legal Medicine, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil
| | - Chinnadurai Raj Kumar
- Mahatma Gandhi Medical Advanced Research Institute, Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth (Deemed to be University), Pondicherry 607402, India.
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Sura K, Rohilla H, Kumar D, Jakhar R, Ahlawat V, Kaushik D, Dangi M, Chhillar AK. Exploring structural antigens of yellow fever virus to design multi-epitope subunit vaccine candidate by utilizing an immuno-informatics approach. J Genet Eng Biotechnol 2023; 21:161. [PMID: 38051433 DOI: 10.1186/s43141-023-00621-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Yellow fever is a mosquito-borne viral hemorrhagic disease transmitted by several species of virus-infected mosquitoes endemic to tropical regions of Central and South America and Africa. Earlier in the twentieth century, mass vaccination integrated with mosquito control was implemented to eradicate the yellow fever virus. However, regular outbreaks occur in these regions which pose a threat to travelers and residents of Africa and South America. There is no specific antiviral therapy, but there can be an effective peptide-based vaccine candidate to combat infection caused by the virus. Therefore, the study aims to design a multi-epitope-based subunit vaccine (MESV) construct against the yellow fever virus to reduce the time and cost using reverse vaccinology (RV) approach. METHODS Yellow fever virus contains 10,233 nucleotides that encode for 10 proteins (C, prM, E, NS1, NS2A, NS2B, NS3, NS4A, NS4B, and NS5) including 3 structural and 7 non-structural proteins. Structural proteins-precursor membrane protein (prM) and envelope protein (E)-were taken as a target for B cell and T cell epitope screening. Further, various immunoinformatics approaches were employed to FASTA sequences of structural proteins to retrieve B cell and T cell epitopes. MESV was constructed from these epitopes based on allergenicity, antigenicity and immunogenicity, toxicity, conservancy, and population coverage followed by structure prediction. The efficacy of the MESV construct to bind with human TLR-3, TLR-4, and TLR-8 were evaluated using molecular docking and simulation studies. Finally, in-silico cloning of vaccine construct was performed withpBR322 Escherichia coli expression system using codon optimization. RESULTS Predicted epitopes evaluated and selected for MESV construction were found stable, non-allergenic, highly antigenic, and global population coverage of 68.03% according to in-silico analysis. However, this can be further tested in in-vitro and in-vivo investigations. Epitopes were sequentially merged to construct a MESV consisting of 393 amino acids using adjuvant and linkers. Molecular docking and simulation studies revealed stable and high-affinity interactions. Furthermore, in-silico immune response graphs showed effective immune response generation. Finally, higher CAI value ensured high gene expression of vaccine in the host cell. CONCLUSION The designed MESV construct in the present in-silico study can be effective in generating an immune response against the yellow fever virus. Therefore, to prevent yellow fever, it can be an effective vaccine candidate. However, further downstream, in-vitro study is required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kiran Sura
- Centre for Bioinformatics, M.D. University, Rohtak, Haryana, India
| | - Himanshi Rohilla
- Centre for Bioinformatics, M.D. University, Rohtak, Haryana, India
| | - Dev Kumar
- Centre for Bioinformatics, M.D. University, Rohtak, Haryana, India
| | - Ritu Jakhar
- Centre for Bioinformatics, M.D. University, Rohtak, Haryana, India
| | - Vaishali Ahlawat
- Centre for Bioinformatics, M.D. University, Rohtak, Haryana, India
- Centre for Biotechnology, M.D. University, Rohtak, Haryana, India
| | | | - Mehak Dangi
- Centre for Bioinformatics, M.D. University, Rohtak, Haryana, India.
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Kumari S, Kessel A, Singhal D, Kaur G, Bern D, Lemay-St-Denis C, Singh J, Jain S. Computational identification of a multi-peptide vaccine candidate in E2 glycoprotein against diverse Hepatitis C virus genotypes. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2023; 41:11044-11061. [PMID: 37194293 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2023.2212777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/11/2022] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) is estimated to affect nearly 180 million people worldwide, culminating in ∼0.7 million yearly casualties. However, a safe vaccine against HCV is not yet available. This study endeavored to identify a multi-genotypic, multi-epitopic, safe, and globally competent HCV vaccine candidate. We employed a consensus epitope prediction strategy to identify multi-epitopic peptides in all known envelope glycoprotein (E2) sequences, belonging to diverse HCV genotypes. The obtained peptides were screened for toxicity, allergenicity, autoimmunity and antigenicity, resulting in two favorable peptides viz., P2 (VYCFTPSPVVVG) and P3 (YRLWHYPCTV). Evolutionary conservation analysis indicated that P2 and P3 are highly conserved, supporting their use as part of a designed multi-genotypic vaccine. Population coverage analysis revealed that P2 and P3 are likely to be presented by >89% Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) molecules from six geographical regions. Indeed, molecular docking predicted the physical binding of P2 and P3 to various representative HLAs. We designed a vaccine construct using these peptides and assessed its binding to toll-like receptor 4 (TLR-4) by molecular docking and simulation. Subsequent analysis by energy-based and machine learning tools predicted high binding affinity and pinpointed the key binding residues (i.e. hotspots) in P2 and P3. Also, a favorable immunogenic profile of the construct was predicted by immune simulations. We encourage the scientific community to validate our vaccine construct in vitro and in vivo.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shweta Kumari
- University Institute of Biotechnology, Chandigarh University, Mohali, Punjab, India
| | - Amit Kessel
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Divya Singhal
- University Institute of Biotechnology, Chandigarh University, Mohali, Punjab, India
| | - Gurpreet Kaur
- Department of Biotechnology, Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology, Patiala, Punjab, India
| | - David Bern
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Claudèle Lemay-St-Denis
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
- PROTEO, The Québec Network for Research on Protein, Function, Engineering and Applications, Québec, QC, Canada
- CGCC, Center in Green Chemistry and Catalysis, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Jasdeep Singh
- University Institute of Biotechnology, Chandigarh University, Mohali, Punjab, India
| | - Sahil Jain
- University Institute of Biotechnology, Chandigarh University, Mohali, Punjab, India
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
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9
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Ahmad S, Nazarian S, Alizadeh A, Pashapour Hajialilou M, Tahmasebian S, Alharbi M, Alasmari AF, Shojaeian A, Ghatrehsamani M, Irfan M, Pazoki-Toroudi H, Sanami S. Computational design of a multi-epitope vaccine candidate against Langya henipavirus using surface proteins. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2023:1-18. [PMID: 37713338 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2023.2258403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 09/17/2023]
Abstract
In July 2022, Langya henipavirus (LayV) was identified in febrile patients in China. There is currently no approved vaccine against this virus. Therefore, this research aimed to design a multi-epitope vaccine against LayV using reverse vaccinology. The best epitopes were selected from LayV's fusion protein (F) and glycoprotein (G), and a multi-epitope vaccine was designed using these epitopes, adjuvant, and appropriate linkers. The physicochemical properties, antigenicity, allergenicity, toxicity, and solubility of the vaccine were evaluated. The vaccine's secondary and 3D structures were predicted, and molecular docking and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were used to assess the vaccine's interaction and stability with toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4). Immune simulation, codon optimization, and in silico cloning of the vaccine were also performed. The vaccine candidate showed good physicochemical properties, as well as being antigenic, non-allergenic, and non-toxic, with acceptable solubility. Molecular docking and MD simulation revealed that the vaccine and TLR4 have stable interactions. Furthermore, immunological simulation of the vaccine indicated its ability to elicit immune responses against LayV. The vaccine's increased expression was also ensured using codon optimization. This study's findings were encouraging, but in vitro and in vivo tests are needed to confirm the vaccine's protective effect.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sajjad Ahmad
- Department of Health and Biological Sciences, Abasyn University, Peshawar, Pakistan
- Department of Computer Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
- Gilbert and Rose-Marie Chagoury School of Medicine, Lebanese American University, Beirut, Lebanon
- Department of Natural Sciences, Lebanese American University, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Shahin Nazarian
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Akram Alizadeh
- Nervous System Stem Cells Research Center, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran
| | - Maryam Pashapour Hajialilou
- School of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology (IUST), Tehran, Iran
| | - Shahram Tahmasebian
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran
| | - Metab Alharbi
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdullah F Alasmari
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ali Shojaeian
- Research Center for Molecular Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
| | - Mahdi Ghatrehsamani
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Basic Health Sciences Institute, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran
| | - Muhammad Irfan
- Department of Oral Biology, College of Dentistry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Hamidreza Pazoki-Toroudi
- Physiology Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Samira Sanami
- Nervous System Stem Cells Research Center, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran
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10
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Paul B, Alam J, Hossain MMK, Hoque SF, Bappy MNI, Akter H, Ahmed N, Akter M, Ali Zinnah M, Das S, Mia MM, Parvej MS, Sarkar S, Ghosh H, Hasan M, Ashour HM, Rahman MM. Immunoinformatics for Novel Multi-Epitope Vaccine Development in Canine Parvovirus Infections. Biomedicines 2023; 11:2180. [PMID: 37626677 PMCID: PMC10452229 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11082180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Revised: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Canine parvovirus (CPV-2) is one of the most important pathogens of dogs of all ages, causing pandemic infections that are characterized by fatal hemorrhagic enteritis. The CPV-2 vaccine is recommended as a core vaccine for pet animals. Despite the intensive practice of active immunization, CPV-2 remains a global threat. In this study, a multi-epitope vaccine against CPV-2 was designed, targeting the highly conserved capsid protein (VP2) via in silico approaches. Several immunoinformatics methods, such as epitope screening, molecular docking, and simulation were used to design a potential vaccine construct. The partial protein sequences of the VP2 gene of CPV-2 and protein sequences retrieved from the NCBI were screened to predict highly antigenic proteins through antigenicity, trans-membrane-topology screening, an allergenicity assessment, and a toxicity analysis. Homologous VP2 protein sequences typically linked to the disease were identified using NCBI BLAST, in which four conserved regions were preferred. Overall, 10 epitopes, DPIGGKTGI, KEFDTDLKP, GTDPDDVQ, GGTNFGYIG, GTFYFDCKP, NRALGLPP, SGTPTN, LGLPPFLNSL, IGGKTG, and VPPVYPN, were selected from the conserved regions to design the vaccine construct. The molecular docking demonstrated the higher binding affinity of these epitopes with dog leukocyte antigen (DLA) molecules. The selected epitopes were linked with Salmonella enterica flagellin FliC adjuvants, along with the PADRE sequence, by GGS linkers to construct a vaccine candidate with 272 nucleotides. The codon adaptation and in silico cloning showed that the generated vaccine can be expressed by the E. coli strain, K12, and the sequence of the vaccine construct showed no similarities with dog protein. Our results suggest that the vaccine construct might be useful in preventing canine parvoviral enteritis (CPE) in dogs. Further in vitro and in vivo experiments are needed for the validation of the vaccine candidate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bashudeb Paul
- Department of Anatomy and Histology, Faculty of Veterinary, Animal and Biomedical Sciences, Sylhet Agricultural University, Sylhet 3100, Bangladesh
| | - Jahangir Alam
- Animal Biotechnology Division, National Institute of Biotechnology, Dhaka 1349, Bangladesh
| | | | - Syeda Farjana Hoque
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221, USA
| | - Md. Nazmul Islam Bappy
- Department of Animal and Fish Biotechnology, Faculty of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Sylhet Agricultural University, Sylhet 3100, Bangladesh
| | - Hafsa Akter
- Department of Biochemistry and Chemistry, Faculty of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Sylhet Agricultural University, Sylhet 3100, Bangladesh
| | - Nadim Ahmed
- Faculty of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Sylhet Agricultural University, Sylhet 3100, Bangladesh
| | - Margia Akter
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary, Animal and Biomedical Sciences, Sylhet Agricultural University, Sylhet 3100, Bangladesh
| | - Mohammad Ali Zinnah
- Department of Microbiology and Public Health, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University, Gazipur 1706, Bangladesh
| | - Shobhan Das
- Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA 30458, USA
| | - Md. Mukthar Mia
- Department of Poultry Science, Faculty of Veterinary, Animal and Biomedical Sciences, Sylhet Agricultural University, Sylhet 3100, Bangladesh
| | | | - Sonjoy Sarkar
- Department of Anatomy and Histology, Faculty of Veterinary, Animal and Biomedical Sciences, Sylhet Agricultural University, Sylhet 3100, Bangladesh
| | - Hiren Ghosh
- Institute for Infection Prevention and Hospital Epidemiology, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, 79106 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Mahmudul Hasan
- Department of Pharmaceuticals and Industrial Biotechnology, Faculty of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Sylhet Agricultural University, Sylhet 3100, Bangladesh
| | - Hossam M. Ashour
- Department of Integrative Biology, College of Arts and Sciences, University of South Florida, St. Petersburg, FL 33701, USA
| | - Md. Masudur Rahman
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary, Animal and Biomedical Sciences, Sylhet Agricultural University, Sylhet 3100, Bangladesh
- ABEx Bio-Research Center, Dhaka 1230, Bangladesh
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11
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Salod Z, Mahomed O. Mapping Potential Vaccine Candidates Predicted by VaxiJen for Different Viral Pathogens between 2017-2021-A Scoping Review. Vaccines (Basel) 2022; 10:1785. [PMID: 36366294 PMCID: PMC9695814 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines10111785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Revised: 10/16/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Reverse vaccinology (RV) is a promising alternative to traditional vaccinology. RV focuses on in silico methods to identify antigens or potential vaccine candidates (PVCs) from a pathogen's proteome. Researchers use VaxiJen, the most well-known RV tool, to predict PVCs for various pathogens. The purpose of this scoping review is to provide an overview of PVCs predicted by VaxiJen for different viruses between 2017 and 2021 using Arksey and O'Malley's framework and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. We used the term 'vaxijen' to search PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, EBSCOhost, and ProQuest One Academic. The protocol was registered at the Open Science Framework (OSF). We identified articles on this topic, charted them, and discussed the key findings. The database searches yielded 1033 articles, of which 275 were eligible. Most studies focused on severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), published between 2020 and 2021. Only a few articles (8/275; 2.9%) conducted experimental validations to confirm the predictions as vaccine candidates, with 2.2% (6/275) articles mentioning recombinant protein expression. Researchers commonly targeted parts of the SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein, with the frequently predicted epitopes as PVCs being major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I T cell epitopes WTAGAAAYY, RQIAPGQTG, IAIVMVTIM, and B cell epitope IAPGQTGKIADY, among others. The findings of this review are promising for the development of novel vaccines. We recommend that vaccinologists use these findings as a guide to performing experimental validation for various viruses, with SARS-CoV-2 as a priority, because better vaccines are needed, especially to stay ahead of the emergence of new variants. If successful, these vaccines could provide broader protection than traditional vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zakia Salod
- Discipline of Public Health Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4051, South Africa
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12
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Behmard E, Abdulabbas HT, Abdalkareem Jasim S, Najafipour S, Ghasemian A, Farjadfar A, Barzegari E, Kouhpayeh A, Abdolmaleki P. Design of a novel multi-epitope vaccine candidate against hepatitis C virus using structural and nonstructural proteins: An immunoinformatics approach. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0272582. [PMID: 36040967 PMCID: PMC9426923 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0272582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infects the liver and causes chronic infection. Several mutations in the viral genome have been associated with drug resistance development. Currently, there is no approved vaccine against the HCV. The employment of computational biology is the primary and crucial step for vaccine design or antiviral therapy which can substantially reduce the duration and cost of studies. Therefore, in this study, we designed a multi-epitope vaccine using various immunoinformatics tools to elicit the efficient human immune responses against the HCV. Initially, various potential (antigenic, immunogenic, non-toxic and non-allergenic) epitope segments were extracted from viral structural and non-structural protein sequences using multiple screening methods. The selected epitopes were linked to each other properly. Then, toll-like receptors (TLRs) 3 and 4 agonists (50S ribosomal protein L7/L12 and human β-defensin 2, respectively) were added to the N-terminus of the final vaccine sequence to increase its immunogenicity. The 3D structure of the vaccine was modeled. Molecular dynamics simulations studies verified the high stability of final free vaccines and in complex with TLR3 and TLR4. These constructs were also antigenic, non-allergenic, nontoxic and immunogenic. Although the designed vaccine traits were promising as a potential candidate against the HCV infection, experimental studies and clinical trials are required to verify the protective traits and safety of the designed vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esmaeil Behmard
- School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Fasa University of Medical Sciences, Fasa, Iran
| | - Hussein T. Abdulabbas
- Department of Medical Laboratory Techniques, Faculty of Health and Medical Techniques, Imam Ja’afar Al-Sadiq University, Al Muthanna, Iraq
| | | | - Sohrab Najafipour
- School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Fasa University of Medical Sciences, Fasa, Iran
| | - Abdolmajid Ghasemian
- Noncommunicable Diseases Research Center, Fasa University of Medical Sciences, Fasa, Iran
- * E-mail: (PA); (AK); (AG)
| | - Akbar Farjadfar
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Fasa University of Medical Sciences, Fasa, Iran
| | - Ebrahim Barzegari
- Medical Biology Research Center, Health Technology Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Amin Kouhpayeh
- Department of Pharmacology, Fasa University of Medical Sciences, Fasa, Iran
- * E-mail: (PA); (AK); (AG)
| | - Parviz Abdolmaleki
- Department of Biophysics, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
- * E-mail: (PA); (AK); (AG)
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13
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Designing of multi-epitope chimeric vaccine using immunoinformatic platform by targeting oncogenic strain HPV 16 and 18 against cervical cancer. Sci Rep 2022; 12:9521. [PMID: 35681036 PMCID: PMC9184633 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-13442-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Cervical cancer is the most common gynaecological cancer and reaches an alarming stage. HPVs are considered the main causative agents for cervical cancer and other sexually transmitted infections across the globe. Currently, three prophylactic vaccines are available against HPV infections with no therapeutic values. Due to a lack of effective therapeutic and prophylactic measures, the HPV infection is spreading in an uncontrolled manner. Next-generation of vaccine is needed to have both prophylactic and therapeutic values against HPV. Here first time we have designed a multi-epitope chimeric vaccine using the most oncogenic strain HPV 16 and HPV 18 through an immunoinformatic approach. In this study, we have used the L1, E5, E6 and E7 oncoproteins from both HPV 16 and HPV 18 strains for epitope prediction. Our recombinant chimeric vaccine construct consists, selected helper and cytotoxic T cell epitopes. Our computational analysis suggests that this chimeric construct is highly stable, non-toxic and also capable of inducing both cell-mediated and humoral immune responses. Furthermore, in silico cloning of the multi-epitope chimeric vaccine construct was done and the stabilization of the vaccine construct is validated with molecular dynamics simulation studies. Finally, our results indicated that our construct could be used for an effective prophylactic and therapeutic vaccine against HPV.
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14
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Aslam S, Ashfaq UA, Zia T, Aslam N, Alrumaihi F, Shahid F, Noor F, Qasim M. Proteome based mapping and reverse vaccinology techniques to contrive multi-epitope based subunit vaccine (MEBSV) against Streptococcus pyogenes. INFECTION, GENETICS AND EVOLUTION : JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR EPIDEMIOLOGY AND EVOLUTIONARY GENETICS IN INFECTIOUS DISEASES 2022; 100:105259. [PMID: 35231667 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2022.105259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2021] [Revised: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Streptococcus pyogenes is a root cause of human infection like pharyngitis, tonsillitis, scarlet fever, impetigo, and respiratory tract infections. About 11 million individuals in the US suffer from pharyngitis every year. Unfortunately, no vaccine against S. pyogenes is available yet. The purpose of this study is to create a multiepitope-based subunit vaccine (MEBSV) targeting S. pyogenes top four highly antigenic proteins by using a combination of immunological techniques and molecular docking to tackle term group A streptococcal (GAS) infections. T-cell (HTL & CTL), B-cell, and IFN-γ of target proteins were forecasted and epitopes having high antigenic properties being selected for subsequent research. For designing of final vaccine, 5LBL, 9CTL, and 4HTL epitopes were joined by the KK, AAY, and GPGPG linkers. To enhance the immune response, the N-end of the vaccine was linked by adjuvant (Cholera enterotoxin subunit B) with a linker named EAAAK. With the addition of adjuvants and linkers, the construct size was 421 amino acids. IFN-γ and B-cell epitopes illustrate that the modeled construct is optimized for cell-mediated immune or humoral responses. The developed MEBSV structure was assessed to be highly antigenic, non-toxic, and non-allergenic. Moreover, disulphide engineering further enhanced the stability of the final vaccine protein. Molecular docking of the MEBSV with toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) was conducted to check the vaccine's compatibility with the receptor. Besides, in-silico cloning has been carried out for credibility validation and proper expression of vaccine construct. These findings suggested that the multi-epitope vaccine produced might be a potential immunogenic against Group A streptococcus infections but further experimental testing is required to validate this study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sidra Aslam
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, Government College University Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Usman Ali Ashfaq
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, Government College University Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Tuba Zia
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, Government College University Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Nosheen Aslam
- Department of Biochemistry, Government College University Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Faris Alrumaihi
- Department of Medical Laboratories, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Qassim University, Buraydah 51452, Saudi Arabia
| | - Farah Shahid
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, Government College University Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Fatima Noor
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, Government College University Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Qasim
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, Government College University Faisalabad, Pakistan.
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15
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Zafar S, Ajab H, Mughal ZUN, Ahmed zai J, Baig S, Baig A, Habib Z, Jamil F, Ibrahim M, Kanwal S, Asif Rasheed M. Prediction and evaluation of multi epitope based sub-unit vaccine against Salmonella typhimurium. Saudi J Biol Sci 2022; 29:1092-1099. [PMID: 35197778 PMCID: PMC8847936 DOI: 10.1016/j.sjbs.2021.09.061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2021] [Revised: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 09/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Salmonella enteric serovar Typhimurium is the most common enteric pathogen in humans and animals. Consumption of contaminated food or water triggers inflammation that allows Salmonella to spread into the gut and causes gastrointestinal diseases. The infection spreads by intestinal invasion, phagocyte internalization and subsequent dissemination in many other patients. This research used TolA, a Salmonella typhimurium membrane protein, to computationally design a multi-epitope vaccine against the pathogen. Complete consistency of the candidate vaccine was checked In silico, and molecular dynamics simulations confirmed the vaccine's stability. According to docking report, the vaccine has a good affinity with toll-like receptors. In silico cloning and codon optimization techniques improved the vaccine's efficacy in Salmonella typhimurium manifestation process. The candidate vaccine induced an efficient immune response, as determined by In silico immune simulation. Computational studies revealed that the engineered multi-epitope vaccine is structurally stable, capable of eliciting particular immunological reactions, and therefore a candidate for a latent Salmonella typhimurium vaccine. However, wet lab studies and further investigations are required to confirm the results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samavia Zafar
- Department of Biosciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Sahiwal Campus, Sahiwal, Pakistan
| | - Huma Ajab
- Department of Chemistry, COMSATS University Islamabad, Abbottabad Campus, Abbottabad, Pakistan
| | | | - Jawaid Ahmed zai
- Department of Physiology, University of Sindh Jamshoro, Pakistan
| | - Sofia Baig
- Institute of Environmental Sciences and Engineering (IESE), National University of Sciences and Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Ayesha Baig
- Department of Biotechnology, COMSATS University Islamabad, Abbottabad Campus Abbottabad, Pakistan
| | - Zeshan Habib
- Livestock Production Research Institute (LPRI) Bahadurnagar, Okara, Livestock & Dairy Development Department, Punjab, Pakistan
| | - Farrukh Jamil
- Department of Biosciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Sahiwal Campus, Sahiwal, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Ibrahim
- Department of Biosciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Sahiwal Campus, Sahiwal, Pakistan
| | - Sumaira Kanwal
- Department of Biosciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Sahiwal Campus, Sahiwal, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Asif Rasheed
- Department of Biosciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Sahiwal Campus, Sahiwal, Pakistan
- Corresponding author.
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16
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Umar A, Haque A, Alghamdi YS, Mashraqi MM, Rehman A, Shahid F, Khurshid M, Ashfaq UA. Development of a Candidate Multi-Epitope Subunit Vaccine against Klebsiella aerogenes: Subtractive Proteomics and Immuno-Informatics Approach. Vaccines (Basel) 2021; 9:vaccines9111373. [PMID: 34835304 PMCID: PMC8624419 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines9111373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2021] [Revised: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Klebsiella aerogenes is a Gram-negative bacterium which has gained considerable importance in recent years. It is involved in 10% of nosocomial and community-acquired urinary tract infections and 12% of hospital-acquired pneumonia. This organism has an intrinsic ability to produce inducible chromosomal AmpC beta-lactamases, which confer high resistance. The drug resistance in K. aerogenes has been reported in China, Israel, Poland, Italy and the United States, with a high mortality rate (~50%). This study aims to combine immunological approaches with molecular docking approaches for three highly antigenic proteins to design vaccines against K. aerogenes. The synthesis of the B-cell, T-cell (CTL and HTL) and IFN-γ epitopes of the targeted proteins was performed and most conserved epitopes were chosen for future research studies. The vaccine was predicted by connecting the respective epitopes, i.e., B cells, CTL and HTL with KK, AAY and GPGPG linkers and all these were connected with N-terminal adjuvants with EAAAK linker. The humoral response of the constructed vaccine was measured through IFN-γ and B-cell epitopes. Before being used as vaccine candidate, all identified B-cell, HTL and CTL epitopes were tested for antigenicity, allergenicity and toxicity to check the safety profiles of our vaccine. To find out the compatibility of constructed vaccine with receptors, MHC-I, followed by MHC-II and TLR4 receptors, was docked with the vaccine. Lastly, in order to precisely certify the proper expression and integrity of our construct, in silico cloning was carried out. Further studies are needed to confirm the safety features and immunogenicity of the vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahitsham Umar
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, Government College University Faisalabad, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan; (A.U.); (A.H.); (A.R.); (F.S.)
| | - Asma Haque
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, Government College University Faisalabad, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan; (A.U.); (A.H.); (A.R.); (F.S.)
| | - Youssef Saeed Alghamdi
- Department of Biology, Turabah University College, Taif University, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia;
| | - Mutaib M Mashraqi
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Science, Najran University, Najran 61441, Saudi Arabia;
| | - Abdur Rehman
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, Government College University Faisalabad, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan; (A.U.); (A.H.); (A.R.); (F.S.)
| | - Farah Shahid
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, Government College University Faisalabad, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan; (A.U.); (A.H.); (A.R.); (F.S.)
| | - Mohsin Khurshid
- Department of Microbiology, Government College University Faisalabad, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan;
| | - Usman Ali Ashfaq
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, Government College University Faisalabad, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan; (A.U.); (A.H.); (A.R.); (F.S.)
- Correspondence:
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17
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Sufyan M, Shahid F, Irshad F, Javaid A, Qasim M, Ashfaq UA. Implementation of Vaccinomics and In-Silico Approaches to Construct Multimeric Based Vaccine Against Ovarian Cancer. Int J Pept Res Ther 2021; 27:2845-2859. [PMID: 34690620 PMCID: PMC8524215 DOI: 10.1007/s10989-021-10294-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
One of the most common gynecologic cancers is ovarian cancer and ranked third after the other two most common cancers: cervical and uterine. The highest mortality rate has been observed in the case of ovarian cancer. To treat ovarian cancer, an immune-informatics approach was used to design a multi-epitope vaccine (MEV) structure. Epitopes prediction of the cancer testis antigens (NY-ESO-1), A-Kinase anchor protein (AKAP4), Acrosin binding protein (ACRBP), Piwi-like protein (PIWIL3), and cancer testis antigen 2 (LAGE-1) was done. Non-toxic, highly antigenic, non-allergenic, and overlapping epitopes were shortlisted for vaccine construction. Chosen T-cell epitopes displayed a robust binding attraction with their corresponding Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) alleles demonstrated 97.59% of population coverage. The vaccine peptide was established by uniting three key constituents, comprising the 14 epitopes of CD8 + cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs), 5 helper epitopes, and the adjuvant. For the generation of the effective response of CD4 + cells towards the T-helper cells, granulocyte–macrophage-colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) was applied. With the addition of adjuvants and linkers, the construct size was 547 amino acids. The developed MEV structure was predicted to be antigenic, non-toxic, non-allergenic, and firm in nature. I-tasser anticipated the 3D construction of MEV. Moreover, disulfide engineering further enhanced the stability of the final vaccine protein. In-silico cloning and vaccine codon optimization were done to analyze the up-regulation of its expression. The outcomes established the vaccine’s immunogenicity and safety profile, besides its aptitude to encourage both humoral and cellular immune responses. The offered vaccine, grounded on our in-silico investigation, may be considered for ovarian cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Sufyan
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Farah Shahid
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Faiza Irshad
- Environment Biotechnology Lab, Institute of Botany, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Anam Javaid
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Qasim
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Usman Ali Ashfaq
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
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18
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Integrated Core Proteomics, Subtractive Proteomics, and Immunoinformatics Investigation to Unveil a Potential Multi-Epitope Vaccine against Schistosomiasis. Vaccines (Basel) 2021; 9:vaccines9060658. [PMID: 34208663 PMCID: PMC8235758 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines9060658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2021] [Revised: 06/13/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Schistosomiasis is a parasitic infection that causes considerable morbidity and mortality in the world. Infections of parasitic blood flukes, known as schistosomes, cause the disease. No vaccine is available yet and thus there is a need to design an effective vaccine against schistosomiasis. Schistosoma japonicum, Schistosoma mansoni, and Schistosoma haematobium are the main pathogenic species that infect humans. In this research, core proteomics was combined with a subtractive proteomics pipeline to identify suitable antigenic proteins for the construction of a multi-epitope vaccine (MEV) against human-infecting Schistosoma species. The pipeline revealed two antigenic proteins-calcium binding and mycosubtilin synthase subunit C-as promising vaccine targets. T and B cell epitopes from the targeted proteins were predicted using multiple bioinformatics and immunoinformatics databases. Seven cytotoxic T cell lymphocytes (CTL), three helper T cell lymphocytes (HTL), and four linear B cell lymphocytes (LBL) epitopes were fused with a suitable adjuvant and linkers to design a 217 amino-acid-long MEV. The vaccine was coupled with a TLR-4 agonist (RS-09; Sequence: APPHALS) adjuvant to enhance the immune responses. The designed MEV was stable, highly antigenic, and non-allergenic to human use. Molecular docking, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, and molecular mechanics/generalized Born surface area (MMGBSA) analysis were performed to study the binding affinity and molecular interactions of the MEV with human immune receptors (TLR2 and TLR4) and MHC molecules (MHC I and MHC II). The MEV expression capability was tested in an Escherichia coli (strain-K12) plasmid vector pET-28a(+). Findings of these computer assays proved the MEV as highly promising in establishing protective immunity against the pathogens; nevertheless, additional validation by in vivo and in vitro experiments is required to discuss its real immune-protective efficacy.
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Sanami S, Azadegan-Dehkordi F, Rafieian-Kopaei M, Salehi M, Ghasemi-Dehnoo M, Mahooti M, Alizadeh M, Bagheri N. Design of a multi-epitope vaccine against cervical cancer using immunoinformatics approaches. Sci Rep 2021; 11:12397. [PMID: 34117331 PMCID: PMC8196015 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-91997-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2021] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Cervical cancer, caused by human papillomavirus (HPV), is the fourth most common type of cancer among women worldwide. While HPV prophylactic vaccines are available, they have no therapeutic effects and do not clear up existing infections. This study aims to design a therapeutic vaccine against cervical cancer using reverse vaccinology. In this study, the E6 and E7 oncoproteins from HPV16 were chosen as the target antigens for epitope prediction. Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) and helper T lymphocytes (HTL) epitopes were predicted, and the best epitopes were selected based on antigenicity, allergenicity, and toxicity. The final vaccine construct was composed of the selected epitopes, along with the appropriate adjuvant and linkers. The multi-epitope vaccine was evaluated in terms of physicochemical properties, antigenicity, and allergenicity. The tertiary structure of the vaccine construct was predicted. Furthermore, several analyses were also carried out, including molecular docking, molecular dynamics (MD) simulation, and in silico cloning of the vaccine construct. The results showed that the final proposed vaccine could be considered an effective therapeutic vaccine for HPV; however, in vitro and in vivo experiments are required to validate the efficacy of this vaccine candidate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samira Sanami
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Azadegan-Dehkordi
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Basic Health Sciences Institute, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran
| | - Mahmoud Rafieian-Kopaei
- Medical Plants Research Center, Basic Health Sciences Institute, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran
| | - Majid Salehi
- Department of Tissue Engineering, School of Medicine, Shahroud University of Medical Sciences, Shahroud, Iran
| | - Maryam Ghasemi-Dehnoo
- Medical Plants Research Center, Basic Health Sciences Institute, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran
| | - Mehran Mahooti
- Department of Biotechnology, Iranian Research Organization for Science and Technology, Tehran, Iran
| | - Morteza Alizadeh
- Department of Tissue Engineering, School of Medicine, Shahroud University of Medical Sciences, Shahroud, Iran.
| | - Nader Bagheri
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Basic Health Sciences Institute, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran.
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Mahmood M, Javaid A, Shahid F, Ashfaq UA. Rational design of multimeric based subunit vaccine against Mycoplasma pneumonia: Subtractive proteomics with immunoinformatics framework. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2021; 91:104795. [PMID: 33667723 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2021.104795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2020] [Revised: 02/14/2021] [Accepted: 02/27/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Mycoplasma pneumoniae is the prevalent cause of acquired respiratory infections around the globe. A multi-epitope vaccine (MEV) must be developed to combat infections of M. pneumoniae because there is no specific disease-modifying treatment or vaccination is present. The objective of this research is to design a vaccine that targets M. pneumoniae top five highly antigenic proteins using a combination of immunological techniques and molecular docking. T-cell (HTL & CTL), B-cell, and IFN-γ of target proteins were forecasted and highly conservative epitopes were chosen for further study. For designing of final vaccine, 4LBL, 7CTL, and 5HTL epitopes were joined by linkers of KK, AAY, and GPGPG. The N-end of the vaccine was linked to an adjuvant (Cholera enterotoxin subunit B) with a linker named EAAAK to enhance immunogenicity. After the addition of adjuvants and linkers, the size of the construct was 395 amino acids. The epitopes of IFN-γ and B-cells illustrate that the model construct is optimized for cell-mediated immune or humoral responses. To ensure that the final design is safer and immunogenic, properties like non-allergens, antigenicity, and various physicochemical properties were evaluated. Molecular docking of the vaccine with the toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) was conducted to check the compatibility of the vaccine with the receptor. Besides, in-silico cloning was utilized for validation of the credibility and proper expression of the vaccine. Furthermore, to confirm that the multi-epitope vaccine created is protective and immunogenic, this research requires experimental validation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marvah Mahmood
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Anam Javaid
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Farah Shahid
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Usman Ali Ashfaq
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan.
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