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Jagtap S, Pattabiraman C, Sankaradoss A, Krishna S, Roy R. Evolutionary dynamics of dengue virus in India. PLoS Pathog 2023; 19:e1010862. [PMID: 37011104 PMCID: PMC10101646 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2022] [Revised: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023] Open
Abstract
More than a hundred thousand dengue cases are diagnosed in India annually, and about half of the country's population carries dengue virus-specific antibodies. Dengue propagates and adapts to the selection pressures imposed by a multitude of factors that can lead to the emergence of new variants. Yet, there has been no systematic analysis of the evolution of the dengue virus in the country. Here, we present a comprehensive analysis of all DENV gene sequences collected between 1956 and 2018 from India. We examine the spatio-temporal dynamics of India-specific genotypes, their evolutionary relationship with global and local dengue virus strains, interserotype dynamics and their divergence from the vaccine strains. Our analysis highlights the co-circulation of all DENV serotypes in India with cyclical outbreaks every 3-4 years. Since 2000, genotype III of DENV-1, cosmopolitan genotype of DENV-2, genotype III of DENV-3 and genotype I of DENV-4 have been dominating across the country. Substitution rates are comparable across the serotypes, suggesting a lack of serotype-specific evolutionary divergence. Yet, the envelope (E) protein displays strong signatures of evolution under immune selection. Apart from drifting away from its ancestors and other contemporary serotypes in general, we find evidence for recurring interserotype drift towards each other, suggesting selection via cross-reactive antibody-dependent enhancement. We identify the emergence of the highly divergent DENV-4-Id lineage in South India, which has acquired half of all E gene mutations in the antigenic sites. Moreover, the DENV-4-Id is drifting towards DENV-1 and DENV-3 clades, suggesting the role of cross-reactive antibodies in its evolution. Due to the regional restriction of the Indian genotypes and immunity-driven virus evolution in the country, ~50% of all E gene differences with the current vaccines are focused on the antigenic sites. Our study shows how the dengue virus evolution in India is being shaped in complex ways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suraj Jagtap
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
| | | | - Arun Sankaradoss
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
| | - Sudhir Krishna
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
- School of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Goa, Ponda, India
| | - Rahul Roy
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
- Center for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
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2
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Kaushal N, Jain S, Baranwal M. Computational design of immunogenic peptide constructs comprising multiple HLA restricted Dengue virus envelope epitopes. J Mol Recognit 2022; 35:e2961. [PMID: 35514257 DOI: 10.1002/jmr.2961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2021] [Revised: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Dengue virus (DENV) is endemic in 100 countries with ability to impact nearly 50% of world population. DENV envelope (E) protein is responsible for viral attachment to host cells and has been target of various countermeasure development efforts. The current study focuses on a consensus computational approach to identify cross-reactive, immunogenic DENV-2 E peptides displaying promiscuity with a wide array of HLA molecules. Four conserved peptides (FP-1, FP-2, FP-3 and FP-4) containing multiple CD8+ and CD4+ T cell epitopes were identified by employment of various immunoinformatics tools. FP-1, FP-2, FP-3 and FP-4 were estimated to bind with 227, 1787, 1008 and 834 HLA alleles respectively. RMSD values obtained by Molecular docking (CABS-Dock) with 20 HLA alleles (10 each of HLA class I and II) resulted into comparable RMSD values of identified epitopes with native peptides which represents the natural presentation of epitopes to HLA molecules. These peptides were also found to be part of previous experimentally validated immunogenic peptides. Further, a dengue immunogenic peptide construct was generated by linking the four peptides, an adjuvant and a 6x histidine tag. The construct showed strong binding and stability with Toll-like receptor (TLR4). Collectively, these results provide strong evidence in the support of the immunogenic potential of the dengue immunogenic peptide construct. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neha Kaushal
- Department of Biotechnology, Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology, Patiala, Punjab, India
| | - Sahil Jain
- Department of Biotechnology, Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology, Patiala, Punjab, India.,University Institute of Biotechnology, Chandigarh University, Mohali, India
| | - Manoj Baranwal
- Department of Biotechnology, Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology, Patiala, Punjab, India
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3
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Anasir MI, Poh CL. Discovery of B-cell epitopes for development of dengue vaccines and antibody therapeutics. Med Microbiol Immunol 2022; 211:1-18. [PMID: 35059822 DOI: 10.1007/s00430-021-00726-1] [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: 07/21/2021] [Accepted: 12/04/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Dengue is one of the most frequently transmitted viral infections globally which creates a serious burden to the healthcare system in many countries in the tropical and subtropical regions. To date, no vaccine has demonstrated balanced protection against the four dengue serotypes. Dengvaxia as the only vaccine that has been licensed for use in endemic areas has shown an increased risk in dengue-naïve vaccines to develop severe dengue. A crucial element in protection from dengue infection is the neutralizing antibody responses. Therefore, the identification of protective linear B-cell epitopes can guide vaccine design and facilitate the development of monoclonal antibodies as dengue therapeutics. This review summarizes the identification of dengue B-cell epitopes within the envelope (E) protein of dengue that can be incorporated into peptide vaccine constructs. These epitopes have been identified through approaches such as bioinformatics, three-dimensional structure analysis of antibody-dengue complexes, mutagenesis/alanine scanning and escape mutant studies. Additionally, the therapeutic potential of monoclonal antibodies targeting the E protein of dengue is reviewed. This can provide a basis for the design of future dengue therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohd Ishtiaq Anasir
- Virology Unit, Infectious Disease Research Centre, Institute for Medical Research, National Institutes of Health, Setia Alam, Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia
- Centre for Virus and Vaccine Research, Sunway University, 5, Jalan Universiti, 47500, Bandar Sunway, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Chit Laa Poh
- Centre for Virus and Vaccine Research, Sunway University, 5, Jalan Universiti, 47500, Bandar Sunway, Selangor, Malaysia.
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4
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Abdul Rahman NA, Mohamad Norpi AS, Nordin ML, Mohd Amin MCI, Ahmad Fuaad AAH, Muhammad Azami NA, Marasini N, Azmi F. DENV-Mimetic Polymersome Nanoparticles Bearing Multi-Epitope Lipopeptides Antigen as the Next-Generation Dengue Vaccine. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:pharmaceutics14010156. [PMID: 35057051 PMCID: PMC8781246 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14010156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2021] [Revised: 01/06/2022] [Accepted: 01/08/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Dengue remains a severe threat to public health. The safety and efficacy of the licensed dengue vaccine is not clinically satisfactory, which necessitate the need of new approach in designing an effective dengue vaccine without eliciting adverse reaction. Herein, we have designed a lipidated multi-epitope peptide vaccine (LipoDV) that can elicit highly targeted humoral and cell-mediated immune responses. To improve its immunogenicity, LipoDV was presented on the surface of MPLA-functionalized polymersome nanoparticles (PNs-LipoDV-MPLA). The as-constructed vaccine delivery platform resembles the structural morphology of DENV owing to its spherical nanoscale particle size and surface immunostimulatory properties given by LipoDV and MPLA that emulating the functional role of DENV E and prM/M proteins respectively. A proof-of-concept study demonstrated that BALB/c mice immunized with PNs-LipoDV-MPLA induced a stronger antigen-specific antibody response with an enhanced cell-mediated immunity as characterized by the elevated IFN-γ secretion in comparison to other tested vaccine candidates which possess a lesser structural trait of DENV. The DENV-mimicking nanoparticles vaccine exhibited negligible toxicity as analyzed by hemolytic test, MTT assay, histopathological examination and abnormal toxicity test on immunized mice. Collectively, our study provides a strong foundation in designing an effective peptide-based vaccine delivery platform against DENV infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nur Adilah Abdul Rahman
- Centre for Drug Delivery Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz, Kuala Lumpur 50300, Malaysia; (N.A.A.R.); (A.S.M.N.); (M.L.N.); (M.C.I.M.A.)
| | - Abdin Shakirin Mohamad Norpi
- Centre for Drug Delivery Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz, Kuala Lumpur 50300, Malaysia; (N.A.A.R.); (A.S.M.N.); (M.L.N.); (M.C.I.M.A.)
- Faculty of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Royal College of Medicine Perak, Universiti Kuala Lumpur, No. 3 Jalan Greentown, Ipoh 30450, Malaysia
| | - Muhammad Luqman Nordin
- Centre for Drug Delivery Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz, Kuala Lumpur 50300, Malaysia; (N.A.A.R.); (A.S.M.N.); (M.L.N.); (M.C.I.M.A.)
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Malaysia Kelantan, Pengkalan Chepa, Kota Bharu 16100, Malaysia
| | - Mohd Cairul Iqbal Mohd Amin
- Centre for Drug Delivery Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz, Kuala Lumpur 50300, Malaysia; (N.A.A.R.); (A.S.M.N.); (M.L.N.); (M.C.I.M.A.)
| | | | - Nor Azila Muhammad Azami
- UKM Medical Molecular Biology Institute, University Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Ya’acob Latiff, Bandar Tun Razak, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia;
| | - Nirmal Marasini
- Faculty of Medicine, School of Biomedical Science, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia;
| | - Fazren Azmi
- Centre for Drug Delivery Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz, Kuala Lumpur 50300, Malaysia; (N.A.A.R.); (A.S.M.N.); (M.L.N.); (M.C.I.M.A.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +60-3-92897487
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5
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Low ZX, OuYong BM, Hassandarvish P, Poh CL, Ramanathan B. Antiviral activity of silymarin and baicalein against dengue virus. Sci Rep 2021; 11:21221. [PMID: 34707245 PMCID: PMC8551334 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-98949-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 09/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Dengue is an arthropod-borne viral disease that has become endemic and a global threat in many countries with no effective antiviral drug available currently. This study showed that flavonoids: silymarin and baicalein could inhibit the dengue virus in vitro and were well tolerated in Vero cells with a half-maximum cytotoxic concentration (CC50) of 749.70 µg/mL and 271.03 µg/mL, respectively. Silymarin and baicalein exerted virucidal effects against DENV-3, with a selective index (SI) of 10.87 and 21.34, respectively. Baicalein showed a better inhibition of intracellular DENV-3 progeny with a SI of 7.82 compared to silymarin. Baicalein effectively blocked DENV-3 attachment (95.59%) to the Vero cells, while silymarin prevented the viral entry (72.46%) into the cells, thus reducing viral infectivity. Both flavonoids showed promising antiviral activity against all four dengue serotypes. The in silico molecular docking showed that silymarin could bind to the viral envelope (E) protein with a binding affinity of - 8.5 kcal/mol and form hydrogen bonds with the amino acids GLN120, TRP229, ASN89, and THR223 of the E protein. Overall, this study showed that silymarin and baicalein exhibited potential anti-DENV activity and could serve as promising antiviral agents for further development against dengue infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhao Xuan Low
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Medical and Life Sciences, Sunway University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Brian Ming OuYong
- Centre for Virus and Vaccine Research, School of Medical and Life Sciences, Sunway University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Pouya Hassandarvish
- Tropical Infectious Diseases Research and Education Centre, University Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Chit Laa Poh
- Centre for Virus and Vaccine Research, School of Medical and Life Sciences, Sunway University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Babu Ramanathan
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Medical and Life Sciences, Sunway University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
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6
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Fumagalli MJ, Figueiredo LTM, Aquino VH. Linear and Continuous Flavivirus Epitopes From Naturally Infected Humans. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021; 11:710551. [PMID: 34458161 PMCID: PMC8387565 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.710551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2021] [Accepted: 07/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
This manuscript is an up-to-date review of experimentally validated linear and continuous epitopes identified from arbovirus members of the Flavivirus genus. We summarized 153 immunoreactive peptides from the Dengue virus, Zika virus, Japanese encephalitis virus, West Nile virus, and tick-borne encephalitis virus described in studies published from 1989 to 2020. We included peptides from structural (envelope, capsid, and pre-membrane) and nonstructural (Ns1–5) viral proteins that demonstrated relevant immunoreactivity with antibodies from naturally infected or vaccinated humans. We included peptides that demonstrated relevant reactivity features, such as indicators of disease severity related to immunological or immunopathological outcomes, differential or group diagnostic markers, immunotherapy candidates, and potential for vaccine formulation. The majority of immunoreactive peptides were described for DENV probably due to its long-lasting impact on human health and the lack of efficient vaccines and therapeutic methods. Immune landscape data regarding linear immunoreactive and continuous flavivirus peptides are still scarce, and a complete and more detailed map remains to be elucidated. Therefore, this review provides valuable data for those investigating the antibody response against flavivirus infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcilio Jorge Fumagalli
- Virology Research Center, Medical School of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | | | - Victor Hugo Aquino
- Laboratory of Virology, Department of Clinical Analyses, Toxicology and Food Sciences, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
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7
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High-Throughput Screening Assays for Dengue Antiviral Drug Development. METHODS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY (CLIFTON, N.J.) 2021; 2296:279-302. [PMID: 33977455 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1358-0_17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Dengue is an arthropod-borne viral disease that has become endemic and a global threat in over 100 countries. The increase in prevalence would require a long-term measure to control outbreaks. Sanofi Pasteur has licensed the tetravalent dengue vaccine (Dengvaxia) in certain dengue endemic countries. However, the efficacy of the vaccine is limited against certain dengue serotypes and can only be used for individuals from the age from 9 to 45 years old. Over the years, there has been intense research conducted on the development of antivirals against dengue virus (DENV) through either inhibiting the virus replication or targeting the host cell mechanism to block the virus entry. However, no approved antiviral drug against dengue is yet available. In this chapter, we describe the dengue antiviral development workflow including (i) prophylactic, (ii) virucidal, and (iii) postinfection assays that are employed in the antiviral drug screening process against DENV. Further, we demonstrate different methods that can be used to enumerate the reduction in virus foci number including foci-forming unit reduction assay (FFURA), estimation of viral RNA copy number through quantitative real-time PCR, and a high-throughput enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)-based quantification of virus particles.
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8
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Robleda-Castillo R, Ros-Lucas A, Martinez-Peinado N, Alonso-Padilla J. An Overview of Current Uses and Future Opportunities for Computer-Assisted Design of Vaccines for Neglected Tropical Diseases. Adv Appl Bioinform Chem 2021; 14:25-47. [PMID: 33623396 PMCID: PMC7894434 DOI: 10.2147/aabc.s258759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Accepted: 01/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Neglected tropical diseases are infectious diseases that impose high morbidity and mortality rates over 1.5 billion people worldwide. Originally restricted to tropical and subtropical regions, changing climate conditions have increased their potential to emerge elsewhere. Control of their impact suffers from shortages like poor epidemiological surveillance or irregular drug distribution, and some NTDs still lack of appropriate diagnostics and/or efficient therapeutics. For these, availability of vaccines to prevent new infections, or the worsening of those already established, would mean a major breakthrough. However, only dengue and rabies count with approved vaccines at present. Herein, we review the state-of-the-art of vaccination strategies for NTDs, setting the focus on third generation vaccines and the concept of reverse vaccinology. Its capability to address pathogens´ biological complexity, likely contributing to save developmental costs is discussed. The use of computational tools is a fundamental aid to analyze increasingly large datasets aimed at designing vaccine candidates with the highest, possibly, opportunities to succeed. Ultimately, we identify and analyze those studies that took an in silico approach to find vaccine candidates, and experimentally assessed their immunogenicity and/or protection capabilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raquel Robleda-Castillo
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Hospital Clínic - University of Barcelona, Barcelona, 08036, Spain
| | - Albert Ros-Lucas
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Hospital Clínic - University of Barcelona, Barcelona, 08036, Spain
| | - Nieves Martinez-Peinado
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Hospital Clínic - University of Barcelona, Barcelona, 08036, Spain
| | - Julio Alonso-Padilla
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Hospital Clínic - University of Barcelona, Barcelona, 08036, Spain
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Krishnan G S, Joshi A, Akhtar N, Kaushik V. Immunoinformatics designed T cell multi epitope dengue peptide vaccine derived from non structural proteome. Microb Pathog 2021; 150:104728. [PMID: 33400987 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2020.104728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2020] [Revised: 12/20/2020] [Accepted: 12/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Dengue viral disease has been reported as an Aedes aegypti mosquito-borne human disease and causing a severe global public health concern. In this study, immunoinformatics methods was deployed for crafting CTL T-cell epitopes as dengue vaccine candidates. The NS1 protein sequence of dengue serotype 1 strain retrieved from the protein database and T-cell epitopes (n = 85) were predicted by the artificial neural network. The conserved epitopes (n = 10) were predicted and selected for intensive computational analysis. The machine learning technique and quantitative matrix-based toxicity analysis assured nontoxic peptide selection. Hidden Markov Model derived Structural Alphabet (SA) based algorithm predicted the 3D molecular structure and all-atom structure of peptide ligand validated by Ramachandran-plot. Three-tier molecular docking approaches were used to predictthe peptide - HLA docking complex. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulation study confirmed the docking complex was stable in the time frame of 100ns. Population coverage analysis predicted the interaction epitope interaction with a particular population of HLA. These results concluded that the computationally designed HTLWSNGVL and FTTNIWLKL epitope peptides could be used as putative agents for the multi CTL T cell epitope vaccine. The vaccine protein sequence expression and translation were analyzed in the prokaryotic vector adapted by codon usage. Such in silico formulated CTL T-cell-based prophylactic vaccines could encourage the commercial development of dengue vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sunil Krishnan G
- Domain of Bioinformatics, School of Bio-Engineering and Bio-Sciences, Lovely Professional University, Punjab, India.
| | - Amit Joshi
- Domain of Bioinformatics, School of Bio-Engineering and Bio-Sciences, Lovely Professional University, Punjab, India.
| | - Nahid Akhtar
- Domain of Bioinformatics, School of Bio-Engineering and Bio-Sciences, Lovely Professional University, Punjab, India.
| | - Vikas Kaushik
- Domain of Bioinformatics, School of Bio-Engineering and Bio-Sciences, Lovely Professional University, Punjab, India.
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10
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Tilocca B, Britti D, Urbani A, Roncada P. Computational Immune Proteomics Approach to Target COVID-19. J Proteome Res 2020; 19:4233-4241. [PMID: 32914632 PMCID: PMC7640973 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.0c00553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Progress of the omics platforms widens their application to diverse fields, including immunology. This enables a deeper level of knowledge and the provision of a huge amount of data for which management and fruitful integration with the past evidence requires a steadily growing computational effort. In light of this, immunoinformatics emerges as a new discipline placed in between the traditional lab-based investigations and the computational analysis of the biological data. Immunoinformatics make use of tailored bioinformatics tools and data repositories to facilitate the analysis of data from a plurality of disciplines and help drive novel research hypotheses and in silico screening investigations in a fast, reliable, and cost-effective manner. Such computational immunoproteomics studies may as well prepare and guide lab-based investigations, representing valuable technology for the investigation of novel pathogens, to tentatively evaluate specificity of diagnostic products, to forecast on potential adverse effects of vaccines and to reduce the use of animal models. The present manuscript provides an overview of the COVID-19 pandemic and reviews the state of the art of the omics technologies employed in fighting SARS-CoV-2 infections. A comprehensive description of the immunoinformatics approaches and its potential role in contrasting COVID-19 pandemics is provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruno Tilocca
- Department
of Health Sciences, University “Magna
Graecia” of Catanzaro, Catanzaro 88100, Italy
| | - Domenico Britti
- Department
of Health Sciences, University “Magna
Graecia” of Catanzaro, Catanzaro 88100, Italy
| | - Andrea Urbani
- Department
of Basic Biotechnological Sciences, Intensivological and Perioperative
Clinics, Università Cattolica del
Sacro Cuore, Roma 00168, Italy
- Dipartimento
di Scienze di laboratorio e infettivologiche, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli, Roma 00168, Italy
| | - Paola Roncada
- Department
of Health Sciences, University “Magna
Graecia” of Catanzaro, Catanzaro 88100, Italy
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Chan Y, Jazayeri SD, Ramanathan B, Poh CL. Enhancement of Tetravalent Immune Responses to Highly Conserved Epitopes of a Dengue Peptide Vaccine Conjugated to Polystyrene Nanoparticles. Vaccines (Basel) 2020; 8:vaccines8030417. [PMID: 32722368 PMCID: PMC7563452 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines8030417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2020] [Revised: 06/17/2020] [Accepted: 06/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Vaccination remains the major approach to the prevention of dengue. Since the only licensed live attenuated vaccine (LAV) lacked efficacy against all four serotypes, other vaccine platforms, such as synthetic peptide vaccines, should be explored. In this study, four multi-epitope peptides (P1-P4) were designed by linking a universal T-helper epitope (PADRE or TpD) to the highly conserved CD8 T cell epitope and B cell epitope (B1 or B2) against all four DENV serotypes. The multi-epitope peptides were conjugated to polystyrene nanoparticles (PSNPs) and four nanovaccines (NP1-NP4) were constructed. Mice immunized with NP1-NP4 elicited significantly higher titers of IgG and neutralizing antibodies when compared to immunization with naked P1-P4. The immune responses in mice immunized with peptide vaccines were compared with nanovaccines using ELISA, ELISPOT, and a neutralization test based on FRNT50. Among the four conjugated peptide nanovaccines, NP3 comprising the TpD T-helper epitope linked to the highly conserved B1 epitope derived from the E protein was able to elicit significant levels of IFN-γ and neutralizing antibodies to all four dengue serotypes. NP3 is a promising tetravalent synthetic peptide vaccine, but the selection of a more effective CD8+ T cell epitope and adjuvants to further improve the immunogenicity is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanqi Chan
- Centre for Virus and Vaccine Research, School of Science and Technology, Sunway University, Subang Jaya 47500, Malaysia; (Y.C.); (S.D.J.)
| | - Seyed Davoud Jazayeri
- Centre for Virus and Vaccine Research, School of Science and Technology, Sunway University, Subang Jaya 47500, Malaysia; (Y.C.); (S.D.J.)
| | - Babu Ramanathan
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Science and Technology, Sunway University, Subang Jaya 47500, Malaysia;
| | - Chit Laa Poh
- Centre for Virus and Vaccine Research, School of Science and Technology, Sunway University, Subang Jaya 47500, Malaysia; (Y.C.); (S.D.J.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +60-3-74918622
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Kerkhof K, Falconi-Agapito F, Van Esbroeck M, Talledo M, Ariën KK. Reliable Serological Diagnostic Tests for Arboviruses: Feasible or Utopia? Trends Microbiol 2019; 28:276-292. [PMID: 31864844 DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2019.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2019] [Revised: 11/14/2019] [Accepted: 11/15/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Infections with arthropod-borne viruses are increasing globally as a result of climate and demographic changes, global dispersion of insect vectors, and increased air travel. The similar symptomatology of arboviral diseases and the cocirculation of different arboviruses in Africa, Asia, and South America complicate diagnosis. Despite the high sensitivity and specificity of molecular diagnostic tests, their utility is limited to the short viremic phase of arbovirus infections, and therefore the diagnosis of infection is frequently missed in clinical practice. Conversely, the duration of antibody responses provides a wider window of opportunity, making diagnosis more dependent on IgM/IgG detection. This review discusses the issues underlying the low specificity of antibody-detection assays, and addresses the challenges and strategies for discovering more specific biomarkers to enable a more accurate diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen Kerkhof
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Unit of Virology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Francesca Falconi-Agapito
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Unit of Virology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium; Molecular Epidemiology Laboratory, Instituto de Medicina Tropical Alexander von Humboldt, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Marjan Van Esbroeck
- Department of Clinical Sciences, National Reference Center for Arboviruses, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Michael Talledo
- Molecular Epidemiology Laboratory, Instituto de Medicina Tropical Alexander von Humboldt, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Kevin K Ariën
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Unit of Virology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium; Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
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Bahrami AA, Payandeh Z, Khalili S, Zakeri A, Bandehpour M. Immunoinformatics: In Silico Approaches and Computational Design of a Multi-epitope, Immunogenic Protein. Int Rev Immunol 2019; 38:307-322. [PMID: 31478759 DOI: 10.1080/08830185.2019.1657426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Immunoinformatics is a new critical field with several tools and databases that conduct the eyesight of experimental selection and facilitate analysis of the great amount of immunologic data obtained from experimental researches and helps to design and introducing new hypothesis. Given these visages, immunoinformatics seems to be the way that develop and progress the immunological research. Bioinformatics methods and applications are successfully employed in vaccine informatics to assist different sites of the preclinical, clinical, and post-licensure vaccine enterprises. On the other hand, the progression of molecular biology and immunology caused epitope vaccines have become the focus of research on molecular vaccines. Moreover, reverse vaccinology could improve vaccine production and vaccination protocols by in silico prediction of protein-vaccine candidates from genome sequences. B- and T-cell immune epitopes could be predicted by immunoinformatics algorithms and computational methods to improve the vaccine design, protective immunity analysis, assessment of vaccine safety and efficacy, and immunization modeling. This review aims to discuss the power of computational approaches in vaccine design and their relevance to the development of effective vaccines. Furthermore, the various divisions of this field and available tools in each item are introduced and reviewed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Armina Alagheband Bahrami
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Zahra Payandeh
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Saeed Khalili
- Department of Biology Sciences, Shahid Rajaee Teacher Training University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Alireza Zakeri
- Department of Biology Sciences, Shahid Rajaee Teacher Training University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mojgan Bandehpour
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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Amrun SN, Yee W, Abu Bakar F, Lee B, Kam Y, Lum F, Tan JJL, Lim VWX, Watthanaworawit W, Ling C, Nosten F, Renia L, Leo Y, Ng LFP. Novel differential linear B-cell epitopes to identify Zika and dengue virus infections in patients. Clin Transl Immunology 2019; 8:e1066. [PMID: 31372218 PMCID: PMC6659153 DOI: 10.1002/cti2.1066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2019] [Revised: 06/09/2019] [Accepted: 06/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Recent Zika virus (ZIKV) outbreaks challenged existing laboratory diagnostic standards, especially for serology-based methods. Because of the genetic and structural similarity of ZIKV with other flaviviruses, this results in cross-reactive antibodies, which confounds serological interpretations. METHODS Plasma from Singapore ZIKV patients was screened longitudinally for antibody responses and neutralising capacities against ZIKV. Samples from healthy controls, ZIKV patients and DENV patients were further assessed using ZIKV and DENV peptides of precursor membrane (prM), envelope (E) or non-structural 1 (NS1) viral proteins in a peptide-based ELISA for epitope identification. Identified epitopes were re-validated and diagnostically evaluated using sera of patients with DENV, bacteria or unknown infections from Thailand. RESULTS Long-lasting ZIKV-neutralising antibodies were elicited during ZIKV infection. Thirteen potential linear B-cell epitopes were identified, and of these, four common flavivirus, three ZIKV-specific and one DENV-specific differential epitopes had more than 50% sensitivity and specificity. Notably, ZIKV-specific peptide 26 on domain I/II of E protein (amino acid residues 271-288) presented 80% sensitivity and 85.7% specificity. Importantly, the differential epitopes also showed significance in differentiating non-flavivirus patient samples. CONCLUSION Linear B-cell epitope candidates to differentiate between ZIKV and DENV infections were identified, providing the first step towards the design of a much-needed serology-based assay.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siti Naqiah Amrun
- Singapore Immunology NetworkAgency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)Singapore CitySingapore
| | - Wearn‐Xin Yee
- Singapore Immunology NetworkAgency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)Singapore CitySingapore
| | - Farhana Abu Bakar
- Singapore Immunology NetworkAgency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)Singapore CitySingapore
| | - Bernett Lee
- Singapore Immunology NetworkAgency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)Singapore CitySingapore
| | - Yiu‐Wing Kam
- Singapore Immunology NetworkAgency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)Singapore CitySingapore
| | - Fok‐Moon Lum
- Singapore Immunology NetworkAgency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)Singapore CitySingapore
| | - Jeslin JL Tan
- Singapore Immunology NetworkAgency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)Singapore CitySingapore
| | - Vanessa WX Lim
- Communicable Diseases CentreInstitute of Infectious Diseases and EpidemiologyTan Tock Seng HospitalSingapore CitySingapore
| | - Wanitda Watthanaworawit
- Shoklo Malaria Research UnitMahidol‐Oxford Tropical Medicine Research UnitFaculty of Tropical MedicineMahidol UniversityMae SotThailand
| | - Clare Ling
- Shoklo Malaria Research UnitMahidol‐Oxford Tropical Medicine Research UnitFaculty of Tropical MedicineMahidol UniversityMae SotThailand
| | - Francois Nosten
- Shoklo Malaria Research UnitMahidol‐Oxford Tropical Medicine Research UnitFaculty of Tropical MedicineMahidol UniversityMae SotThailand
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global HealthNuffield Department of MedicineUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
| | - Laurent Renia
- Singapore Immunology NetworkAgency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)Singapore CitySingapore
| | - Yee‐Sin Leo
- Communicable Diseases CentreInstitute of Infectious Diseases and EpidemiologyTan Tock Seng HospitalSingapore CitySingapore
- Lee Kong Chian School of MedicineNanyang Technological UniversitySingapore CitySingapore
- Saw Swee Hock School of Public HealthNational University of SingaporeSingapore CitySingapore
| | - Lisa FP Ng
- Singapore Immunology NetworkAgency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)Singapore CitySingapore
- National Institute of Health ResearchHealth Protection Research Unit in Emerging and Zoonotic InfectionsLiverpoolUK
- Institute of Infection and Global HealthUniversity of LiverpoolLiverpoolUK
- Department of BiochemistryYong Loo Lin School of MedicineNational University of SingaporeSingapore CitySingapore
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15
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Verma M, Bhatnagar S, Kumari K, Mittal N, Sukhralia S, Gopirajan At S, Dhanaraj PS, Lal R. Highly conserved epitopes of DENV structural and non-structural proteins: Candidates for universal vaccine targets. Gene 2019; 695:18-25. [PMID: 30738967 PMCID: PMC7125761 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2019.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2018] [Revised: 01/22/2019] [Accepted: 02/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Dengue is a severe emerging arthropod borne viral disease occurring globally. Around two fifths of the world's population, or up to 3.9 billion people, are at a risk of dengue infection. Infection induces a life-long protective immunity to the homologous serotype but confers only partial and transient protection against subsequent infection caused by other serotypes. Thus, there is a need for a vaccine which is capable of providing a life- long protection against all the serotypes of dengue virus. In our study, comparative genomics of Dengue virus (DENV) was conducted to explore potential candidates for novel vaccine targets. From our analysis we successfully found 100% conserved epitopes in Envelope protein (RCPTQGE); NS3 (SAAQRRGR, PGTSGSPI); NS4A (QRTPQDNQL); NS4B (LQAKATREAQKRA) and NS5 proteins (QRGSGQV) in all DENV serotypes. Some serotype specific conserved motifs were also found in NS1, NS5, Capsid, PrM and Envelope proteins. Using comparative genomics and immunoinformatics approach, we could find conserved epitopes which can be explored as peptide vaccine candidates to combat dengue worldwide. Serotype specific epitopes can also be exploited for rapid diagnostics. All ten proteins are explored to find the conserved epitopes in DENV serotypes, thus making it the most extensively studied viral genome so far.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mansi Verma
- Sri Venkateswara College, South Campus, University of Delhi, New Delhi 110021, India; Molecular Biology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Delhi, Delhi 110007, India.
| | - Shradha Bhatnagar
- Sri Venkateswara College, South Campus, University of Delhi, New Delhi 110021, India
| | - Kavita Kumari
- Sri Venkateswara College, South Campus, University of Delhi, New Delhi 110021, India
| | - Nidhi Mittal
- Sri Venkateswara College, South Campus, University of Delhi, New Delhi 110021, India
| | - Shivani Sukhralia
- Sri Venkateswara College, South Campus, University of Delhi, New Delhi 110021, India
| | - Shruthi Gopirajan At
- Sri Venkateswara College, South Campus, University of Delhi, New Delhi 110021, India
| | - P S Dhanaraj
- Sri Venkateswara College, South Campus, University of Delhi, New Delhi 110021, India
| | - Rup Lal
- Molecular Biology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Delhi, Delhi 110007, India
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16
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Zhao D, Han K, Huang X, Zhang L, Wang H, Liu N, Tian Y, Liu Q, Yang J, Liu Y, Li Y. Screening and identification of B-cell epitopes within envelope protein of tembusu virus. Virol J 2018; 15:142. [PMID: 30223850 PMCID: PMC6142368 DOI: 10.1186/s12985-018-1052-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2018] [Accepted: 09/05/2018] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Tembusu virus is a newly emerging flavivirus that caused egg-drop syndrome in ducks in China. TMUV envelope protein is a major structural protein locates at the surface of tembusu virus particle. During tembusu virus infection, envelope protein plays a pivotal role in induction of neutralizing antibody. However, B cell epitopes within envelope protein have not been well studied. Method A series of 13 peptides derived from E protein of tembusu virus were synthesized and screened by Dot blot with tembusu virus-positive duck serum. Potential B-cell epitopes were respectively fused with GST tag and expressed in E. coli. The immunogenicity and protective efficiency of epitopes were assessed in ducks. Results Dot blot assay identified the peptides P21 (amino acids 301–329), P23 (amino acids 369–387), P27 (amino acids 464–471) and P28 (amino acids 482–496) as potential B-cell epitopes within the envelope protein of tembusu virus. Immunization of prokaryotically expressed epitopes elicited specific antibodies in ducks and the specific antibody elicited by P21, P27 and P28 could neutralized tembusu virus. In addition, protective test suggested that P21 and P27 could completely protect immunized ducks from TMUV challenge. Conclusion Four potential B cell epiotpes within tembusu virus envelope protein were identified and analyzed in vitro and in vivo. It was demonstrated that two of them (P21 and P27) could elicit neutralizing antibodies in ducks and offer complete protection against tembusu virus challenge. This findings will contribute to the development of epitope vaccine for tembusu virus prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongmin Zhao
- Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 50 Zhongling Street, Nanjing City, Jiangsu Province, 210014, People's Republic of China. .,Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biological Engineering and Technology, Ministry of Agriculture, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China.
| | - Kaikai Han
- Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 50 Zhongling Street, Nanjing City, Jiangsu Province, 210014, People's Republic of China.,Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biological Engineering and Technology, Ministry of Agriculture, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Xinmei Huang
- Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 50 Zhongling Street, Nanjing City, Jiangsu Province, 210014, People's Republic of China.,Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biological Engineering and Technology, Ministry of Agriculture, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Lijiao Zhang
- Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 50 Zhongling Street, Nanjing City, Jiangsu Province, 210014, People's Republic of China.,Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biological Engineering and Technology, Ministry of Agriculture, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Huili Wang
- Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 50 Zhongling Street, Nanjing City, Jiangsu Province, 210014, People's Republic of China.,Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biological Engineering and Technology, Ministry of Agriculture, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Na Liu
- Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 50 Zhongling Street, Nanjing City, Jiangsu Province, 210014, People's Republic of China.,Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biological Engineering and Technology, Ministry of Agriculture, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Yujie Tian
- Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 50 Zhongling Street, Nanjing City, Jiangsu Province, 210014, People's Republic of China.,Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biological Engineering and Technology, Ministry of Agriculture, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Qingtao Liu
- Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 50 Zhongling Street, Nanjing City, Jiangsu Province, 210014, People's Republic of China.,Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biological Engineering and Technology, Ministry of Agriculture, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Jing Yang
- Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 50 Zhongling Street, Nanjing City, Jiangsu Province, 210014, People's Republic of China.,Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biological Engineering and Technology, Ministry of Agriculture, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuzhuo Liu
- Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 50 Zhongling Street, Nanjing City, Jiangsu Province, 210014, People's Republic of China.,Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biological Engineering and Technology, Ministry of Agriculture, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Yin Li
- Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 50 Zhongling Street, Nanjing City, Jiangsu Province, 210014, People's Republic of China.,Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biological Engineering and Technology, Ministry of Agriculture, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China
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Zhao D, Han K, Zhang L, Wang H, Tian Y, Huang X, Liu Q, Yang J, Liu Y, Li Y. Identification and immunogenic evaluation of T cell epitopes based on tembusu virus envelope protein in ducks. Virus Res 2018; 257:74-81. [DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2018.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2018] [Revised: 09/06/2018] [Accepted: 09/17/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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18
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Rajčáni J, Szathmary S. Peptide Vaccines: New Trends for Avoiding the Autoimmune Response. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018. [DOI: 10.2174/1874279301810010047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Background:Several marketed antiviral vaccines (such as that against hepatitis virus A and/or B, influenza virus, human papillomavirus, yellow fever virus, measles, rubella and mumps viruses) may elicit various autoimmune reactions.Results:The cause of autoimmune response due to vaccination may be: 1. the adjuvant which is regularly added to the vaccine (especially in the case of various oil substrates), 2. the specific viral component itself (a protein or glycoprotein potentially possessing cross-reactive epitopes) and/or 3. contamination of the vaccine with traces of non-viral proteins mostly cellular in origin. Believing that peptide vaccines might represent an optimal solution for avoiding the above-mentioned problems, we discuss the principles of rational design of a typical peptide vaccine which should contain oligopeptides coming either from the selected structural virion components (i.e.capsid proteins and/or envelop glycoproteins or both) or from the virus-coded non-structural polypeptides. The latter should be equally immunogenic as the structural virus proteins. Describing the feasibility of identification and design of immunogenic epitopes, our paper also deals with possible problems of peptide vaccine manufacturing. The presented data are in part based on the experience of our own, in part, they are coming from the results published by others.Conclusion:Any peptide vaccine should be able to elicit relevant and specific antibody formation, as well as an efficient cell-mediated immune response. Consequently, the properly designed peptide vaccine is expected to consist of carefully selected viral peptides, which should stimulate the receptors of helper T/CD4 cells as well as of cytotoxic (T/CD8) lymphocytes.
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19
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Reginald K, Chan Y, Plebanski M, Poh CL. Development of Peptide Vaccines in Dengue. Curr Pharm Des 2018; 24:1157-1173. [PMID: 28914200 PMCID: PMC6040172 DOI: 10.2174/1381612823666170913163904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2017] [Revised: 08/30/2017] [Accepted: 09/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Dengue is one of the most important arboviral infections worldwide, infecting up to 390 million people and causing 25,000 deaths annually. Although a licensed dengue vaccine is available, it is not efficacious against dengue serotypes that infect people living in South East Asia, where dengue is an endemic disease. Hence, there is an urgent need to develop an efficient dengue vaccine for this region. Data from different clinical trials indicate that a successful dengue vaccine must elicit both neutralizing antibodies and cell mediated immunity. This can be achieved by designing a multi-epitope peptide vaccine comprising B, CD8+ and CD4+ T cell epitopes. As recognition of T cell epitopes are restricted by human leukocyte antigens (HLA), T cell epitopes which are able to recognize several major HLAs will be preferentially included in the vaccine design. While peptide vaccines are safe, biocompatible and cost-effective, it is poorly immunogenic. Strategies to improve its immunogenicity by the use of long peptides, adjuvants and nanoparticle delivery mechanisms are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Chit Laa Poh
- Address correspondence to this author at the Research Centre for Biomedical Sciences, School of Science and Technology, Sunway University, 5 Jalan University, Bandar Sunway, 47500 Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia; Tel: +60-3-7491 8622 ext. 7338; E-mail:
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20
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Fleith RC, Lobo FP, Dos Santos PF, Rocha MM, Bordignon J, Strottmann DM, Patricio DO, Pavanelli WR, Lo Sarzi M, Santos CND, Ferguson BJ, Mansur DS. Genome-wide analyses reveal a highly conserved Dengue virus envelope peptide which is critical for virus viability and antigenic in humans. Sci Rep 2016; 6:36339. [PMID: 27805018 PMCID: PMC5090869 DOI: 10.1038/srep36339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2016] [Accepted: 10/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Targeting regions of proteins that show a high degree of structural conservation has been proposed as a method of developing immunotherapies and vaccines that may bypass the wide genetic variability of RNA viruses. Despite several attempts, a vaccine that protects evenly against the four circulating Dengue virus (DV) serotypes remains elusive. To find critical conserved amino acids in dengue viruses, 120 complete genomes of each serotype were selected at random and used to calculate conservation scores for nucleotide and amino acid sequences. The identified peptide sequences were analysed for their structural conservation and localisation using crystallographic data. The longest, surface exposed, highly conserved peptide of Envelope protein was found to correspond to amino acid residues 250 to 270. Mutation of this peptide in DV1 was lethal, since no replication of the mutant virus was detected in human cells. Antibodies against this peptide were detected in DV naturally infected patients indicating its potential antigenicity. Hence, this study has identified a highly conserved, critical peptide in DV that is a target of antibodies in infected humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renata C Fleith
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil
| | - Francisco P Lobo
- Department of General Biology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Paula F Dos Santos
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil
| | - Mariana M Rocha
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil
| | - Juliano Bordignon
- Laboratory of Molecular Virology, Instituto Carlos Chagas, Curitiba, Brazil
| | - Daisy M Strottmann
- Laboratory of Molecular Virology, Instituto Carlos Chagas, Curitiba, Brazil
| | - Daniel O Patricio
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil
| | | | | | - Claudia N D Santos
- Laboratory of Molecular Virology, Instituto Carlos Chagas, Curitiba, Brazil
| | | | - Daniel S Mansur
- Laboratory of Immunobiology, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil
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