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Gong X, Wani MY, Al-Bogami AS, Ahmad A, Robinson K, Khan A. The Road Ahead: Advancing Antifungal Vaccines and Addressing Fungal Infections in the Post-COVID World. ACS Infect Dis 2024. [PMID: 39255073 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.4c00245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/12/2024]
Abstract
In impoverished nations, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a widespread occurrence of deadly fungal diseases like mucormycosis. The limited availability of effective antifungal treatments and the emergence of drug-resistant fungal strains further exacerbate the situation. Factors such as systemic steroid use, intravenous drug misuse, and overutilization of broad-spectrum antimicrobials contribute to the prevalence of hospital-acquired infections caused by drug-resistant fungi. Fungal infections exploit compromised immune status and employ intricate mechanisms to evade immune surveillance. The immune response involves the innate and adaptive immune systems, leading to phagocytic and complement-mediated elimination of fungi. However, resistance to antifungals poses a challenge, highlighting the importance of antifungal prophylaxis and therapeutic vaccination. Understanding the host-fungal immunological interactions and developing vaccines are vital in combating fungal infections. Further research is needed to address the high mortality and morbidity associated with multidrug-resistant fungal pathogens and to develop innovative treatment drugs and vaccines. This review focuses on the global epidemiological burden of fungal infections, host-fungal immunological interactions, recent advancements in vaccine development and the road ahead.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolong Gong
- Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, School of Pathology, Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2193, South Africa
| | - Mohmmad Younus Wani
- Department of Chemistry, College of Science, University of Jeddah, 21589, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdullah Saad Al-Bogami
- Department of Chemistry, College of Science, University of Jeddah, 21589, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Aijaz Ahmad
- Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, School of Pathology, Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2193, South Africa
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
| | - Keven Robinson
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
| | - Amber Khan
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
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2
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Sethi G, Varghese RP, Lakra AK, Nayak SS, Krishna R, Hwang JH. Immunoinformatics and structural aided approach to develop multi-epitope based subunit vaccine against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Sci Rep 2024; 14:15923. [PMID: 38987613 PMCID: PMC11237054 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-66858-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2024] [Accepted: 07/04/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Tuberculosis is a highly contagious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), which is one of the prominent reasons for the death of millions worldwide. The bacterium has a substantially higher mortality rate than other bacterial diseases, and the rapid rise of drug-resistant strains only makes the situation more concerning. Currently, the only licensed vaccine BCG (Bacillus Calmette-Guérin) is ineffective in preventing adult pulmonary tuberculosis prophylaxis and latent tuberculosis re-activation. Therefore, there is a pressing need to find novel and safe vaccines that provide robust immune defense and have various applications. Vaccines that combine epitopes from multiple candidate proteins have been shown to boost immunity against Mtb infection. This study applies an immunoinformatic strategy to generate an adequate multi-epitope immunization against Mtb employing five antigenic proteins. Potential B-cell, cytotoxic T lymphocyte, and helper T lymphocyte epitopes were speculated from the intended proteins and coupled with 50 s ribosomal L7/L12 adjuvant, and the vaccine was constructed. The vaccine's physicochemical profile demonstrates antigenic, soluble, and non-allergic. In the meantime, docking, molecular dynamics simulations, and essential dynamics analysis revealed that the multi-epitope vaccine structure interacted strongly with Toll-like receptors (TLR2 and TLR3). MM-PBSA analysis was performed to ascertain the system's intermolecular binding free energies accurately. The immune simulation was applied to the vaccine to forecast its immunogenic profile. Finally, in silico cloning was used to validate the vaccine's efficacy. The immunoinformatics analysis suggests the multi-epitope vaccine could induce specific immune responses, making it a potential candidate against Mtb. However, validation through the in-vivo study of the developed vaccine is essential to assess its efficacy and immunogenicity profile, which will assure active protection against Mtb.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guneswar Sethi
- Department of Predictive Toxicology, Korea Institute of Toxicology (KIT), Daejeon, Republic of Korea
- Animal Model Research Group, Korea Institute of Toxicology, 30 Baehak 1-gil, Jeonguep, Jeollabuk-do, 56212, Republic of Korea
| | | | - Avinash Kant Lakra
- Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, Faridabad, Haryana, 121001, India
| | | | - Ramadas Krishna
- Department of Bioinformatics, Pondicherry University, Puducherry, 605014, India.
| | - Jeong Ho Hwang
- Animal Model Research Group, Korea Institute of Toxicology, 30 Baehak 1-gil, Jeonguep, Jeollabuk-do, 56212, Republic of Korea.
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Bras G, Satala D, Juszczak M, Kulig K, Wronowska E, Bednarek A, Zawrotniak M, Rapala-Kozik M, Karkowska-Kuleta J. Secreted Aspartic Proteinases: Key Factors in Candida Infections and Host-Pathogen Interactions. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:4775. [PMID: 38731993 PMCID: PMC11084781 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25094775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2024] [Revised: 04/19/2024] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Extracellular proteases are key factors contributing to the virulence of pathogenic fungi from the genus Candida. Their proteolytic activities are crucial for extracting nutrients from the external environment, degrading host defenses, and destabilizing the internal balance of the human organism. Currently, the enzymes most frequently described in this context are secreted aspartic proteases (Saps). This review comprehensively explores the multifaceted roles of Saps, highlighting their importance in biofilm formation, tissue invasion through the degradation of extracellular matrix proteins and components of the coagulation cascade, modulation of host immune responses via impairment of neutrophil and monocyte/macrophage functions, and their contribution to antifungal resistance. Additionally, the diagnostic challenges associated with Candida infections and the potential of Saps as biomarkers were discussed. Furthermore, we examined the prospects of developing vaccines based on Saps and the use of protease inhibitors as adjunctive therapies for candidiasis. Given the complex biology of Saps and their central role in Candida pathogenicity, a multidisciplinary approach may pave the way for innovative diagnostic strategies and open new opportunities for innovative clinical interventions against candidiasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grazyna Bras
- Department of Comparative Biochemistry and Bioanalytics, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387 Kraków, Poland (M.Z.); (J.K.-K.)
| | - Dorota Satala
- Department of Comparative Biochemistry and Bioanalytics, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387 Kraków, Poland (M.Z.); (J.K.-K.)
| | - Magdalena Juszczak
- Department of Comparative Biochemistry and Bioanalytics, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387 Kraków, Poland (M.Z.); (J.K.-K.)
- Doctoral School of Exact and Natural Sciences, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387 Kraków, Poland
| | - Kamila Kulig
- Department of Comparative Biochemistry and Bioanalytics, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387 Kraków, Poland (M.Z.); (J.K.-K.)
| | - Ewelina Wronowska
- Department of Comparative Biochemistry and Bioanalytics, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387 Kraków, Poland (M.Z.); (J.K.-K.)
| | - Aneta Bednarek
- Department of Comparative Biochemistry and Bioanalytics, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387 Kraków, Poland (M.Z.); (J.K.-K.)
- Doctoral School of Exact and Natural Sciences, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387 Kraków, Poland
| | - Marcin Zawrotniak
- Department of Comparative Biochemistry and Bioanalytics, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387 Kraków, Poland (M.Z.); (J.K.-K.)
| | - Maria Rapala-Kozik
- Department of Comparative Biochemistry and Bioanalytics, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387 Kraków, Poland (M.Z.); (J.K.-K.)
| | - Justyna Karkowska-Kuleta
- Department of Comparative Biochemistry and Bioanalytics, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387 Kraków, Poland (M.Z.); (J.K.-K.)
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4
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Choudhury A, Kumar P, Nafidi HA, Almaary KS, Wondmie GF, Kumar A, Bourhia M. Immunoinformatics approaches in developing a novel multi-epitope chimeric vaccine protective against Saprolegnia parasitica. Sci Rep 2024; 14:2260. [PMID: 38278861 PMCID: PMC10817918 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-52223-z] [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: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 01/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Saprolegnia parasitica is responsible for devastating infections in fish and poses a tremendous threat to the global aquaculture industry. Presently, no safe and effective control measures are available, on the contrary, use of banned toxic compounds against the pathogen is affecting humans via biomagnification routes. This pioneering study aims to design an effective multi-epitope multi-target vaccine candidate against S. parasitica by targeting key proteins involved in the infection process. The proteins were analyzed and linear B-cell epitopes, MHC class I, and class II epitopes were predicted. Subsequently, highly antigenic epitopes were selected and fused to a highly immunogenic adjuvant, 50S ribosomal protein L7/L12, to design a multi-epitope chimeric vaccine construct. The structure of the vaccine was generated and validated for its stereochemical quality, physicochemical properties, antigenicity, allergenicity, and virulence traits. Molecular docking analyses demonstrated strong binding interactions between the vaccine and piscine immune receptors (TLR5, MHC I, MHC II). Molecular dynamics simulations and binding energy calculations of the complexes, further, reflected the stability and favorable interactions of the vaccine and predicted its cytosolic stability. Immune simulations predicted robust and consistent kinetics of the immune response elicited by the vaccine. The study posits the vaccine as a promising solution to combat saprolegniasis in the aquaculture industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhigyan Choudhury
- Department of Animal Science, Kazi Nazrul University, Asansol, West Bengal, 713 340, India.
| | - Pawan Kumar
- Toxicology and Computational Biology Group, Centre for Bioinformatics, Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak, 124 001, India
| | - Hiba-Allah Nafidi
- Department of Food Science, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, Laval University, Quebec City, QC, 2325G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Khalid S Almaary
- Department of Botany and Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud University, P. O. Box 2455, 114 51, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | | | - Ajit Kumar
- Toxicology and Computational Biology Group, Centre for Bioinformatics, Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak, 124 001, India.
| | - Mohammed Bourhia
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ibn Zohr University, 700 00, Laayoune, Morocco
- Laboratory of Chemistry-Biochemistry, Environment, Nutrition, and Health, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University Hassan II, B. P. 5696, Casablanca, Morocco
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5
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Nguyen TL, Kim H. Designing a Multiepitope Vaccine against Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus: Immunoinformatics and Computational Approaches. ACS OMEGA 2024; 9:1092-1105. [PMID: 38222668 PMCID: PMC10785064 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c07322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2023] [Revised: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
Eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV) is a significant threat to human and animal populations, causing severe encephalitis, often leading to long-term neurological complications and even mortality. Despite this, no approved antiviral treatments or EEEV human vaccines currently exist. In response, we utilized immunoinformatics and computational approaches to design a multiepitope vaccine candidate for EEEV. By screening the structural polyprotein of EEEV, we predicted both T-cell and linear B-cell epitopes. These epitopes underwent comprehensive evaluations for their antigenicity, toxicity, and allergenicity. From these evaluations, we selected ten epitopes highly suitable for vaccine design, which were connected with adjuvants using a stable linker. The resulting vaccine construct demonstrated exceptional antigenic, nontoxic, nonallergenic, and physicochemical properties. Subsequently, we employed molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations to reveal a stable interaction pattern between the vaccine candidate and Toll-like receptor 5. Besides, computational immune simulations predicted the vaccine's capability to induce robust immune responses. Our study addresses the urgent need for effective EEEV preventive strategies and offers valuable insights for EEEV vaccine development. As EEEV poses a severe threat with potential spread due to climate change, our research provides a crucial step in enhancing public health defenses against this menacing zoonotic disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Truc Ly Nguyen
- Department
of Agricultural Biotechnology and Research Institute of Agriculture
and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Heebal Kim
- Department
of Agricultural Biotechnology and Research Institute of Agriculture
and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
- Interdisciplinary
Program in Bioinformatics, Seoul National
University, Seoul 08826, Republic
of Korea
- eGnome,
Inc., Seoul 05836, Republic of Korea
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6
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Mashraqi MM, Alzamami A, Alturki NA, Almasaudi HH, Ahmed I, Alshamrani S, Basharat Z. Chimeric vaccine design against the conserved TonB-dependent receptor-like β-barrel domain from the outer membrane tbpA and hpuB proteins of Kingella kingae ATCC 23330. Front Mol Biosci 2023; 10:1258834. [PMID: 38053576 PMCID: PMC10694214 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2023.1258834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Kingella kingae is a Gram-negative bacterium that primarily causes pediatric infections such as septicemia, endocarditis, and osteoarticular infections. Its virulence is attributed to the outer membrane proteins having implications in bacterial adhesion, invasion, nutrition, and host tissue damage. TonB-dependent receptors (TBDRs) play an important role in nutrition and were previously implicated as vaccine targets in other bacteria. Therefore, we targeted the conserved β-barrel TBDR domain of these proteins for designing a vaccine construct that could elicit humoral and cellular immune responses. We used bioinformatic tools to mine TBDR-containing proteins from K. kingae ATCC 23330 and then predict B- and T-cell epitopes from their conserved β-barrel TDR domain. A chimeric vaccine construct was designed using three antigenic epitopes, covering >98% of the world population and capable of inciting humoral and adaptive immune responses. The final construct elicited a robust immune response. Docking and dynamics simulation showed good binding affinity of the vaccine construct to various receptors of the immune system. Additionally, the vaccine was predicted to be safe and non-allergenic, making it a promising candidate for further development. In conclusion, our study demonstrates the potential of immunoinformatics approaches in designing chimeric vaccines against K. kingae infections. The chimeric vaccine we designed can serve as a blueprint for future experimental studies to develop an effective vaccine against this pathogen, which can serve as a potential strategy to prevent K. kingae infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mutaib M. Mashraqi
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Najran University, Najran, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ahmad Alzamami
- Clinical Laboratory Science Department, College of Applied Medical Science, Shaqra University, AlQuwayiyah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Norah A. Alturki
- Clinical Laboratory Science Department, College of Applied Medical Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Hassan H. Almasaudi
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Najran University, Najran, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ibrar Ahmed
- Alpha Genomics Private Limited, Islamabad, Pakistan
- Group for Biometrology, Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS), Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Saleh Alshamrani
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Najran University, Najran, Saudi Arabia
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7
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Kaur G, Chawla S, Kumar P, Singh R. Advancing Vaccine Strategies against Candida Infections: Exploring New Frontiers. Vaccines (Basel) 2023; 11:1658. [PMID: 38005990 PMCID: PMC10674196 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11111658] [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: 08/28/2023] [Revised: 10/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Candida albicans, along with several non-albicans Candida species, comprise a prominent fungal pathogen in humans, leading to candidiasis in various organs. The global impact of candidiasis in terms of disease burden, suffering, and fatalities is alarmingly high, making it a pressing global healthcare concern. Current treatment options rely on antifungal drugs such as azoles, polyenes, and echinocandins but are delimited due to the emergence of drug-resistant strains and associated adverse effects. The current review highlights the striking absence of a licensed antifungal vaccine for human use and the urgent need to shift our focus toward developing an anti-Candida vaccine. A number of factors affect the development of vaccines against fungal infections, including the host, intraspecies and interspecies antigenic variations, and hence, a lack of commercial interest. In addition, individuals with a high risk of fungal infection tend to be immunocompromised, so they are less likely to respond to inactivated or subunit whole organisms. Therefore, it is pertinent to discover newer and novel alternative strategies to develop safe and effective vaccines against fungal infections. This review article provides an overview of current vaccination strategies (live attenuated, whole-cell killed, subunit, conjugate, and oral vaccine), including their preclinical and clinical data on efficacy and safety. We also discuss the mechanisms of immune protection against candidiasis, including the role of innate and adaptive immunity and potential biomarkers of protection. Challenges, solutions, and future directions in vaccine development, namely, exploring novel adjuvants, harnessing the trained immunity, and utilizing immunoinformatics approaches for vaccine design and development, are also discussed. This review concludes with a summary of key findings, their implications for clinical practice and public health, and a call to action for continued investment in candidiasis vaccine research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gurpreet Kaur
- Department of Biotechnology, Chandigarh College of Technology (CCT), Chandigarh Group of Colleges (CGC), Landran, Mohali 140307, India
| | - Sonam Chawla
- Department of Biotechnology, Jaypee Institute of Information Technology, Sector 62, Noida 201309, India; (S.C.)
| | - Piyush Kumar
- Department of Biotechnology, Jaypee Institute of Information Technology, Sector 62, Noida 201309, India; (S.C.)
| | - Ritu Singh
- Department of Biotechnology, Jaypee Institute of Information Technology, Sector 62, Noida 201309, India; (S.C.)
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Kumari R S, Sethi G, Krishna R. Development of multi-epitope based subunit vaccine against Mycobacterium Tuberculosis using immunoinformatics approach. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2023:1-20. [PMID: 37880982 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2023.2270065] [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: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 10/07/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023]
Abstract
The etiological agent of tuberculosis (TB), Mycobacterium tuberculosis, is a deadly pathogen that adapts to thrive within the host. Since 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has had colossal health, societal, and economic consequences, which have affected the reporting of new incidences and mortality cases of TB. As per the WHO 2022 report, 10.6 million people were diagnosed with TB, and 1.6 million died worldwide. The increase in resistant strains of tuberculosis is making it more burdensome to reach the End TB strategy. A reliable and efficient TB vaccine that may avert both primary infection and recurrence of latent TB in adults and adolescents is of the utmost importance. In this study, we used computational techniques to predict the ability of HLA molecules to display epitopes for six TB proteins (PPE68, PE_PGRS17, EspC, LDT4, RpfD, and RpfC) to design the multi-epitope subunit vaccine. From the aimed proteins, the potential B-cell, helper T lymphocyte (HTL), and cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) epitopes were predicted and linked together with LPA adjuvant, and the vaccine was designed. The vaccine's physicochemical analysis demonstrates that it is non-allergic, non-toxic, and antigenic. Then, the vaccine structure was predicted, improved, and verified to yield the optimal structure. The developed vaccine's binding mechanism with distinct immunogenic receptors (Tlr2 and MHC-II) was assessed utilizing molecular docking. The molecular dynamic simulation and MMPBSA analysis were performed to comprehend the complexes' dynamics and stability. The immune simulation was utilized to anticipate the vaccine's immunogenic attributes. In silico cloning was employed to demonstrate the efficient expression of the designed vaccine in E. coli as a host. Moreover, in vitro and in vivo animal testing is required to determine the efficacy of the in silico developed vaccine.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Savita Kumari R
- Department of Bioinformatics, Pondicherry University, Puducherry, India
| | - Guneswar Sethi
- Department of Bioinformatics, Pondicherry University, Puducherry, India
- Department of Predictive Toxicology, Korea Institute of Toxicology (KIT), Republic of Korea
| | - Ramadas Krishna
- Department of Bioinformatics, Pondicherry University, Puducherry, India
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9
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Khan MAS, Miah MI, Rahman SR. A comprehensive immunoinformatic analysis of chitin deacetylase's and MP88 for designing multi-epitope vaccines against Cryptococcus neoformans. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2023:1-16. [PMID: 37723882 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2023.2258410] [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: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 09/20/2023]
Abstract
Cryptococcus neoformans causes life-threatening pneumonia and meningitis and is regarded as one of the leading killers of immunocompromised individuals. There is currently no vaccine against this pathogen. Recently, WHO placed it at the top among the critical priority groups in the fungal priority pathogens to accelerate the development of effective treatments. Numerous studies suggested the potential of subunit vaccines to overcome the challenges associated with live and inactivated whole-cell vaccines. Therefore, this study exploited integrated reverse vaccinology and immunoinformatic approach to construct and characterize multi-epitope vaccines targeting chitin deacetylases (Cda1, Cda2, Cda3) and MP88 of C. neoformans. 4 CTL, 8 HTL and 6 B cell epitopes were fused with different adjuvants and appropriate linkers to design two multi-epitope vaccines (VC1 and VC2). Both chimeric constructs were predicted to be highly antigenic, non-allergenic, non-toxic, soluble and had satisfactory physicochemical properties. Molecular docking and binding free energy calculation revealed strong binding interactions between vaccine constructs and human TLRs (TLR-2 and TLR-4). Classical MD Simulation and Normal mode analysis verified the stability of the vaccine-TLR complex in the biological environment. Codon adaptation, cloning and in silico expression suggested the efficient expression of recombinant vaccine proteins in E. coli. Both candidates also generated robust immune profiles comprising innate, adaptive and humoral immune responses. Taken together, experimental validations of our findings through extensive in vitro and in vivo testing might provide an effective vaccine for prophylactic control of C. neoformans.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Md Ibrahim Miah
- Department of Microbiology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh
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10
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Inácio MM, Moreira ALE, Cruz-Leite VRM, Mattos K, Silva LOS, Venturini J, Ruiz OH, Ribeiro-Dias F, Weber SS, Soares CMDA, Borges CL. Fungal Vaccine Development: State of the Art and Perspectives Using Immunoinformatics. J Fungi (Basel) 2023; 9:633. [PMID: 37367569 DOI: 10.3390/jof9060633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Revised: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Fungal infections represent a serious global health problem, causing damage to health and the economy on the scale of millions. Although vaccines are the most effective therapeutic approach used to combat infectious agents, at the moment, no fungal vaccine has been approved for use in humans. However, the scientific community has been working hard to overcome this challenge. In this sense, we aim to describe here an update on the development of fungal vaccines and the progress of methodological and experimental immunotherapies against fungal infections. In addition, advances in immunoinformatic tools are described as an important aid by which to overcome the difficulty of achieving success in fungal vaccine development. In silico approaches are great options for the most important and difficult questions regarding the attainment of an efficient fungal vaccine. Here, we suggest how bioinformatic tools could contribute, considering the main challenges, to an effective fungal vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moisés Morais Inácio
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia 74605-170, Brazil
- Estácio de Goiás University Center, Goiânia 74063-010, Brazil
| | - André Luís Elias Moreira
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia 74605-170, Brazil
| | | | - Karine Mattos
- Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande 79070-900, Brazil
| | - Lana O'Hara Souza Silva
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia 74605-170, Brazil
| | - James Venturini
- Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande 79070-900, Brazil
| | - Orville Hernandez Ruiz
- MICROBA Research Group-Cellular and Molecular Biology Unit-CIB, School of Microbiology, University of Antioquia, Medellín 050010, Colombia
| | - Fátima Ribeiro-Dias
- Laboratório de Imunidade Natural (LIN), Instituto de Patologia Tropical e Saúde Pública, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia 74001-970, Brazil
| | - Simone Schneider Weber
- Bioscience Laboratory, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Food and Nutrition, Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande 79070-900, Brazil
| | - Célia Maria de Almeida Soares
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia 74605-170, Brazil
| | - Clayton Luiz Borges
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia 74605-170, Brazil
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11
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Secreted Aspartyl Proteinases Targeted Multi-Epitope Vaccine Design for Candida dubliniensis Using Immunoinformatics. Vaccines (Basel) 2023; 11:vaccines11020364. [PMID: 36851241 PMCID: PMC9964391 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11020364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2022] [Revised: 01/28/2023] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Candida dubliniensis is an opportunistic pathogen associated with oral and invasive fungal infections in immune-compromised individuals. Furthermore, the emergence of C. dubliniensis antifungal drug resistance could exacerbate its treatment. Hence, in this study a multi-epitope vaccine candidate has been designed using an immunoinformatics approach by targeting C. dubliniensis secreted aspartyl proteinases (SAP) proteins. In silico tools have been utilized to predict epitopes and determine their allergic potential, antigenic potential, toxicity, and potential to elicit interleukin-2 (IL2), interleukin-4 (IL4), and IFN-γ. Using the computational tools, eight epitopes have been predicted that were then linked with adjuvants for final vaccine candidate development. Computational immune simulation has depicted that the immunogen designed emerges as a strong immunogenic candidate for a vaccine. Further, molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation analyses revealed stable interactions between the vaccine candidate and the human toll-like receptor 5 (TLR5). Finally, immune simulations corroborated the promising candidature of the designed vaccine, thus calling for further in vivo investigation.
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Comparative Genomics of Histoplasma capsulatum and Prediction of New Vaccines and Drug Targets. J Fungi (Basel) 2023; 9:jof9020193. [PMID: 36836308 PMCID: PMC9963733 DOI: 10.3390/jof9020193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2022] [Revised: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Histoplasma capsulatum is a thermodymorphic fungus that causes histoplasmosis, a systemic mycosis that presents different clinical manifestations, ranging from self-limiting to acute lung infection, chronic lung infection and disseminated infection. Usually, it affects severely immunocompromised patients although immunocompetent patients can also be infected. Currently, there are no vaccines to prevent histoplasmosis and the available antifungal treatment presents moderate to high toxicity. Additionally, there are few options of antifungal drugs. Thus, the aim of this study was to predict possible protein targets for the construction of potential vaccine candidates and predict potential drug targets against H. capsulatum. Whole genome sequences from four previously published H. capsulatum strains were analyzed and submitted to different bioinformatic approaches such as reverse vaccinology and subtractive genomics. A total of four proteins were characterized as good protein candidates (vaccine antigens) for vaccine development, three of which are membrane-bound and one is secreted. In addition, it was possible to predict four cytoplasmic proteins which were classified as good protein candidates and, through molecular docking performed for each identified target, we found four natural compounds that showed favorable interactions with our target proteins. Our study can help in the development of potential vaccines and new drugs that can change the current scenario of the treatment and prevention of histoplasmosis.
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Chechi JL, da Costa FAC, Figueiredo JM, de Souza CM, Valdez AF, Zamith-Miranda D, Camara AC, Taborda CP, Nosanchuk JD. Vaccine development for pathogenic fungi: current status and future directions. Expert Rev Vaccines 2023; 22:1136-1153. [PMID: 37936254 DOI: 10.1080/14760584.2023.2279570] [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: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Fungal infections are caused by a broad range of pathogenic fungi that are found worldwide with different geographic distributions, incidences, and mortality rates. Considering that there are relatively few approved medications available for combating fungal diseases and no vaccine formulation commercially available, multiple groups are searching for new antifungal drugs, examining drugs for repurposing and developing antifungal vaccines, in order to control deaths, sequels, and the spread of these complex infections. AREAS COVERED This review provides a summary of advances in fungal vaccine studies and the different approaches under development, such as subunit vaccines, whole organism vaccines, and DNA vaccines, as well as studies that optimize the use of adjuvants. We conducted a literature search of the PubMed with terms: fungal vaccines and genus of fungal pathogens (Cryptococcus spp. Candida spp. Coccidioides spp. Aspergillus spp. Sporothrix spp. Histoplasma spp. Paracoccidioides spp. Pneumocystis spp. and the Mucorales order), a total of 177 articles were collected from database. EXPERT OPINION Problems regarding the immune response development in an immunocompromised organism, the similarity between fungal and mammalian cells, and the lack of attention by health organizations to fungal infections are closely related to the fact that, at present, there are no fungal vaccines available for clinical use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jéssica L Chechi
- Laboratório de Fungos Dimórficos Patogênicos, Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, SP, SP, Brazil
| | - Felipe A C da Costa
- Laboratório de Fungos Dimórficos Patogênicos, Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, SP, SP, Brazil
- Laboratório de Micologia Médica (LIM-53), Departamento de Dermatologia, Instituto de Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, SP, SP, Brazil
| | - Julia M Figueiredo
- Laboratório de Fungos Dimórficos Patogênicos, Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, SP, SP, Brazil
| | - Cássia M de Souza
- Laboratório de Fisiologia e Biologia Molecular de Fungos, Departamento de Microbiologia, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Londrina, Brazil
- Instituto Carlos Chagas, Fundação Oswaldo, Cruz (Fiocruz), Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Alessandro F Valdez
- Departments of Medicine (Division of Infectious Diseases) and Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Daniel Zamith-Miranda
- Departments of Medicine (Division of Infectious Diseases) and Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Aline C Camara
- Laboratório de Fungos Dimórficos Patogênicos, Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, SP, SP, Brazil
- Laboratório de Micologia Médica (LIM-53), Departamento de Dermatologia, Instituto de Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, SP, SP, Brazil
| | - Carlos P Taborda
- Laboratório de Fungos Dimórficos Patogênicos, Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, SP, SP, Brazil
- Laboratório de Micologia Médica (LIM-53), Departamento de Dermatologia, Instituto de Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, SP, SP, Brazil
| | - Joshua D Nosanchuk
- Departments of Medicine (Division of Infectious Diseases) and Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
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