1
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Weisbrod L, Capriotti L, Hofmann M, Spieler V, Dersch H, Voedisch B, Schmidt P, Knake S. FASTMAP-a flexible and scalable immunopeptidomics pipeline for HLA- and antigen-specific T-cell epitope mapping based on artificial antigen-presenting cells. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1386160. [PMID: 38779658 PMCID: PMC11109385 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1386160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The study of peptide repertoires presented by major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules and the identification of potential T-cell epitopes contribute to a multitude of immunopeptidome-based treatment approaches. Epitope mapping is essential for the development of promising epitope-based approaches in vaccination as well as for innovative therapeutics for autoimmune diseases, infectious diseases, and cancer. It also plays a critical role in the immunogenicity assessment of protein therapeutics with regard to safety and efficacy concerns. The main challenge emerges from the highly polymorphic nature of the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) molecules leading to the requirement of a peptide mapping strategy for a single HLA allele. As many autoimmune diseases are linked to at least one specific antigen, we established FASTMAP, an innovative strategy to transiently co-transfect a single HLA allele combined with a disease-specific antigen into a human cell line. This approach allows the specific identification of HLA-bound peptides using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Using FASTMAP, we found a comparable spectrum of endogenous peptides presented by the most frequently expressed HLA alleles in the world's population compared to what has been described in literature. To ensure a reliable peptide mapping workflow, we combined the HLA alleles with well-known human model antigens like coagulation factor VIII, acetylcholine receptor subunit alpha, protein structures of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, and myelin basic protein. Using these model antigens, we have been able to identify a broad range of peptides that are in line with already published and in silico predicted T-cell epitopes of the specific HLA/model antigen combination. The transient co-expression of a single affinity-tagged MHC molecule combined with a disease-specific antigen in a human cell line in our FASTMAP pipeline provides the opportunity to identify potential T-cell epitopes/endogenously processed MHC-bound peptides in a very cost-effective, fast, and customizable system with high-throughput potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luisa Weisbrod
- Recombinant Protein Discovery, CSL Innovation GmbH, Marburg, Germany
| | - Luigi Capriotti
- Analytical Biochemistry, Research and Development, CSL Behring AG, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Marco Hofmann
- Recombinant Protein Discovery, CSL Innovation GmbH, Marburg, Germany
| | - Valerie Spieler
- Recombinant Protein Discovery, CSL Innovation GmbH, Marburg, Germany
| | - Herbert Dersch
- Recombinant Protein Discovery, CSL Innovation GmbH, Marburg, Germany
| | - Bernd Voedisch
- Recombinant Protein Discovery, CSL Innovation GmbH, Marburg, Germany
| | - Peter Schmidt
- Protein Biochemistry, Bio21 Institute, CSL Limited, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Susanne Knake
- Department of Neurology, Epilepsy Center Hessen, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
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2
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Tiwari R, Singh VK, Rajneesh, Kumar A, Gautam V, Kumar R. MHC tetramer technology: Exploring T cell biology in health and disease. ADVANCES IN PROTEIN CHEMISTRY AND STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY 2024; 140:327-345. [PMID: 38762273 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apcsb.2024.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/20/2024]
Abstract
Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) tetramers stand as formidable tools within T cell biology, facilitating the exploration and comprehension of immune responses. These artificial molecules, comprising four bound MHC molecules, typically with a specified peptide and a fluorescent label, play a pivotal role in characterizing T cell subsets, monitoring clonal expansion, and unraveling T cell dynamics during responses to infections or immunotherapies. Beyond their applications in T cell biology, MHC tetramers prove valuable in investigating a spectrum of diseases such as infectious diseases, autoimmune disorders, and cancers. Their instrumental role extends to vaccine research and development. Notably, when appropriately configured, tetramers transcend T cell biology research and find utility in exploring natural killer T cells and contributing to specific T cell clonal deletions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rahul Tiwari
- Centre of Experimental Medicine & Surgery, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India
| | - Vishal Kumar Singh
- Centre of Experimental Medicine & Surgery, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India
| | - Rajneesh
- Centre of Experimental Medicine & Surgery, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India
| | - Awnish Kumar
- Centre of Experimental Medicine & Surgery, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India
| | - Vibhav Gautam
- Centre of Experimental Medicine & Surgery, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India
| | - Rajiv Kumar
- Centre of Experimental Medicine & Surgery, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India.
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3
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Wan YTR, Koşaloğlu‐Yalçın Z, Peters B, Nielsen M. A large-scale study of peptide features defining immunogenicity of cancer neo-epitopes. NAR Cancer 2024; 6:zcae002. [PMID: 38288446 PMCID: PMC10823584 DOI: 10.1093/narcan/zcae002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2023] [Revised: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 01/31/2024] Open
Abstract
Accurate prediction of immunogenicity for neo-epitopes arising from a cancer associated mutation is a crucial step in many bioinformatics pipelines that predict outcome of checkpoint blockade treatments or that aim to design personalised cancer immunotherapies and vaccines. In this study, we performed a comprehensive analysis of peptide features relevant for prediction of immunogenicity using the Cancer Epitope Database and Analysis Resource (CEDAR), a curated database of cancer epitopes with experimentally validated immunogenicity annotations from peer-reviewed publications. The developed model, ICERFIRE (ICore-based Ensemble Random Forest for neo-epitope Immunogenicity pREdiction), extracts the predicted ICORE from the full neo-epitope as input, i.e. the nested peptide with the highest predicted major histocompatibility complex (MHC) binding potential combined with its predicted likelihood of antigen presentation (%Rank). Key additional features integrated into the model include assessment of the BLOSUM mutation score of the neo-epitope, and antigen expression levels of the wild-type counterpart which is often reflecting a neo-epitope's abundance. We demonstrate improved and robust performance of ICERFIRE over existing immunogenicity and epitope prediction models, both in cross-validation and on external validation datasets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yat-tsai Richie Wan
- Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby, DK 28002, Denmark
| | - Zeynep Koşaloğlu‐Yalçın
- Center for Infectious Disease and Vaccine Research, La Jolla Institute of Immunology, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Bjoern Peters
- Center for Infectious Disease and Vaccine Research, La Jolla Institute of Immunology, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Morten Nielsen
- Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby, DK 28002, Denmark
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4
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Magazine N, Zhang T, Bungwon AD, McGee MC, Wu Y, Veggiani G, Huang W. Immune Epitopes of SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein and Considerations for Universal Vaccine Development. Immunohorizons 2024; 8:214-226. [PMID: 38427047 PMCID: PMC10985062 DOI: 10.4049/immunohorizons.2400003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Despite the success of global vaccination programs in slowing the spread of COVID-19, these efforts have been hindered by the emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 strains capable of evading prior immunity. The mutation and evolution of SARS-CoV-2 have created a demand for persistent efforts in vaccine development. SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein has been the primary target for COVID-19 vaccine development, but it is also the hotspot of mutations directly involved in host susceptibility and virus immune evasion. Our ability to predict emerging mutants and select conserved epitopes is critical for the development of a broadly neutralizing therapy or a universal vaccine. In this article, we review the general paradigm of immune responses to COVID-19 vaccines, highlighting the immunological epitopes of Spike protein that are likely associated with eliciting protective immunity resulting from vaccination in humans. Specifically, we analyze the structural and evolutionary characteristics of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein related to immune activation and function via the TLRs, B cells, and T cells. We aim to provide a comprehensive analysis of immune epitopes of Spike protein, thereby contributing to the development of new strategies for broad neutralization or universal vaccination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Magazine
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA
| | - Tianyi Zhang
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA
| | - Anang D. Bungwon
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA
| | - Michael C. McGee
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA
| | - Yingying Wu
- Department of Mathematics, University of Houston, Houston, TX
| | - Gianluca Veggiani
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA
- Division of Biotechnology and Molecular Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA
| | - Weishan Huang
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
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5
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Magazine N, Zhang T, Bungwon AD, McGee MC, Wu Y, Veggiani G, Huang W. Immune Epitopes of SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein and Considerations for Universal Vaccine Development. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.10.26.564184. [PMID: 37961687 PMCID: PMC10634854 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.26.564184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Despite the success of global vaccination programs in slowing the spread of COVID-19, these efforts have been hindered by the emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 strains capable of evading prior immunity. The mutation and evolution of SARS-CoV-2 have created a demand for persistent efforts in vaccine development. SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein has been the primary target for COVID-19 vaccine development, but it is also the hotspot of mutations directly involved in host susceptibility and immune evasion. Our ability to predict emerging mutants and select conserved epitopes is critical for the development of a broadly neutralizing therapy or a universal vaccine. In this article, we review the general paradigm of immune responses to COVID-19 vaccines, highlighting the immunological epitopes of Spike protein that are likely associated with eliciting protective immunity resulting from vaccination. Specifically, we analyze the structural and evolutionary characteristics of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein related to immune activation and function via the toll-like receptors (TLRs), B cells, and T cells. We aim to provide a comprehensive analysis of immune epitopes of Spike protein, thereby contributing to the development of new strategies for broad neutralization or universal vaccination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Magazine
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA
| | - Tianyi Zhang
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA
| | - Anang D. Bungwon
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA
| | - Michael C. McGee
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA
| | - Yingying Wu
- Department of Mathematics, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA
| | - Gianluca Veggiani
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA
- Division of Biotechnology and Molecular Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA
| | - Weishan Huang
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
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6
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Kim JY, Cha H, Kim K, Sung C, An J, Bang H, Kim H, Yang JO, Chang S, Shin I, Noh SJ, Shin I, Cho DY, Lee SH, Choi JK. MHC II immunogenicity shapes the neoepitope landscape in human tumors. Nat Genet 2023; 55:221-231. [PMID: 36624345 DOI: 10.1038/s41588-022-01273-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Despite advances in predicting physical peptide-major histocompatibility complex I (pMHC I) binding, it remains challenging to identify functionally immunogenic neoepitopes, especially for MHC II. By using the results of >36,000 immunogenicity assay, we developed a method to identify pMHC whose structural alignment facilitates T cell reaction. Our method predicted neoepitopes for MHC II and MHC I that were responsive to checkpoint blockade when applied to >1,200 samples of various tumor types. To investigate selection by spontaneous immunity at the single epitope level, we analyzed the frequency spectrum of >25 million mutations in >9,000 treatment-naive tumors with >100 immune phenotypes. MHC II immunogenicity specifically lowered variant frequencies in tumors under high immune pressure, particularly with high TCR clonality and MHC II expression. A similar trend was shown for MHC I neoepitopes, but only in particular tissue types. In summary, we report immune selection imposed by MHC II-restricted natural or therapeutic T cell reactivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeong Yeon Kim
- Department of Bio and Brain Engineering, KAIST, Daejeon, Republic of Korea.,Penta Medix Co., Ltd., Seongnam-si, Republic of Korea
| | - Hongui Cha
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyeonghui Kim
- Department of Bio and Brain Engineering, KAIST, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Changhwan Sung
- Department of Bio and Brain Engineering, KAIST, Daejeon, Republic of Korea.,Graduate School of Medical Science and Engineering, KAIST, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Jinhyeon An
- Department of Bio and Brain Engineering, KAIST, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyoeun Bang
- Department of Bio and Brain Engineering, KAIST, Daejeon, Republic of Korea.,Penta Medix Co., Ltd., Seongnam-si, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyungjoo Kim
- Penta Medix Co., Ltd., Seongnam-si, Republic of Korea.,Department of Life Science, Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jin Ok Yang
- Department of Bio and Brain Engineering, KAIST, Daejeon, Republic of Korea.,Korea Bioinformation Center, KRIBB, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Suhwan Chang
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Incheol Shin
- Department of Life Science, Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.,Natural Science Institute, Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung-Jae Noh
- Penta Medix Co., Ltd., Seongnam-si, Republic of Korea
| | - Inkyung Shin
- Penta Medix Co., Ltd., Seongnam-si, Republic of Korea
| | - Dae-Yeon Cho
- Penta Medix Co., Ltd., Seongnam-si, Republic of Korea.
| | - Se-Hoon Lee
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea. .,Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Samsung Advanced Institute of Health Science and Technology, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
| | - Jung Kyoon Choi
- Department of Bio and Brain Engineering, KAIST, Daejeon, Republic of Korea. .,Penta Medix Co., Ltd., Seongnam-si, Republic of Korea.
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7
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Garcia Alvarez HM, Koşaloğlu-Yalçın Z, Peters B, Nielsen M. The role of antigen expression in shaping the repertoire of HLA presented ligands. iScience 2022; 25:104975. [PMID: 36060059 PMCID: PMC9437844 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.104975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2022] [Revised: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) presentation of peptides is a prerequisite of T cell immune activation. The understanding of the rules defining this event has large implications for our knowledge of basic immunology and for the rational design of immuno-therapeutics and vaccines. Historically, most of the available prediction methods have been solely focused on the information related to antigen processing and presentation. Recent work has, however, demonstrated that method performance can be boosted by integrating information related to antigen abundance. Here we expand on these later findings and develop an extended version of NetMHCpan, called NetMHCpanExp, integrating information on antigen abundance from RNA-Seq experiments. In line with earlier works, the model demonstrates improved performance for both HLA ligand and cancer neoantigen epitope prediction. Optimal results are obtained by use of sample-specific abundance information but also reference datasets can be applied with a limited performance drop. The developed tool is available at https://services.healthtech.dtu.dk/service.php?NetMHCpanExp-1.0.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heli M Garcia Alvarez
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas, Universidad Nacional de San Martín, CP 1650 San Martín, Argentina
| | - Zeynep Koşaloğlu-Yalçın
- Center for Infectious Disease and Vaccine Research, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, La Jolla, 92037 CA, USA
| | - Bjoern Peters
- Center for Infectious Disease and Vaccine Research, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, La Jolla, 92037 CA, USA.,Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, 92093 CA, USA
| | - Morten Nielsen
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas, Universidad Nacional de San Martín, CP 1650 San Martín, Argentina.,Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800 Lyngby, Denmark
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8
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da Silva MK, Azevedo AAC, Campos DMDO, de Souto JT, Fulco UL, Oliveira JIN. Computational vaccinology guided design of multi-epitope subunit vaccine against a neglected arbovirus of the Americas. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2022; 41:3321-3338. [PMID: 35285772 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2022.2050301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Mayaro virus (MAYV) is an arbovirus found in the Americas that can cause debilitating arthritogenic disease. Although it is an emerging virus, the only current approach is vector control, as there are no approved vaccines to prevent MAYV infection nor therapeutics to treat it. In search of an effective vaccine candidate against MAYV, we used immunoinformatics and molecular modeling to attempt to identify promiscuous T-cell epitopes of the nonstructural polyproteins (nsP1, nsP2, nsP3, and nsP4) from 127 MAYV genomes sequenced in the Americas (08 Bolivia, 72 Brazil, 04 French Guiana, 05 Haiti, 20 Peru, 04 Trinidad and Tobago, and 14 Venezuela). For this purpose, consensus sequences of 360 proteins were used to identify short protein sequences that can bind to MHC I class (MHC II). Our analysis revealed 56 potential MHC-I/TCD8+ (29 MHC-II/TCD4+) epitopes, but only 6 (16) TCD8+ (TCD4+) epitopes showed high antigenicity and conservation, non-allergenicity, non-toxicity, and excellent population coverage. Finally, classical and quantum mechanical calculations (QM:MM) were used to improve the quality of the docking calculations, with the QM part of the simulations performed using the density functional theory formalism (DFT). These results provide insights for the advancement of diagnostic platforms, vaccine development, and immunotherapeutic interventions.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Karolaynne da Silva
- Departamento de Biofísica e Farmacologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil
| | | | | | - Janeusa Trindade de Souto
- Departamento de Microbiologia e Parasitologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil
| | - Umberto Laino Fulco
- Departamento de Biofísica e Farmacologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil
| | - Jonas Ivan Nobre Oliveira
- Departamento de Biofísica e Farmacologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil
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9
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Methodological advances in the design of peptide-based vaccines. Drug Discov Today 2022; 27:1367-1380. [DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2022.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2021] [Revised: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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10
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Rickenbach C, Gericke C. Specificity of Adaptive Immune Responses in Central Nervous System Health, Aging and Diseases. Front Neurosci 2022; 15:806260. [PMID: 35126045 PMCID: PMC8812614 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.806260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2021] [Accepted: 12/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The field of neuroimmunology endorses the involvement of the adaptive immune system in central nervous system (CNS) health, disease, and aging. While immune cell trafficking into the CNS is highly regulated, small numbers of antigen-experienced lymphocytes can still enter the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)-filled compartments for regular immune surveillance under homeostatic conditions. Meningeal lymphatics facilitate drainage of brain-derived antigens from the CSF to deep cervical lymph nodes to prime potential adaptive immune responses. During aging and CNS disorders, brain barriers and meningeal lymphatic functions are impaired, and immune cell trafficking and antigen efflux are altered. In this context, alterations in the immune cell repertoire of blood and CSF and T and B cells primed against CNS-derived autoantigens have been observed in various CNS disorders. However, for many diseases, a causal relationship between observed immune responses and neuropathological findings is lacking. Here, we review recent discoveries about the association between the adaptive immune system and CNS disorders such as autoimmune neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases. We focus on the current challenges in identifying specific T cell epitopes in CNS diseases and discuss the potential implications for future diagnostic and treatment options.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Rickenbach
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Zurich, Schlieren, Switzerland
| | - Christoph Gericke
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Zurich, Schlieren, Switzerland
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11
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Nilsson JB, Grifoni A, Tarke A, Sette A, Nielsen M. PopCover-2.0. Improved Selection of Peptide Sets With Optimal HLA and Pathogen Diversity Coverage. Front Immunol 2021; 12:728936. [PMID: 34484239 PMCID: PMC8416060 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.728936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2021] [Accepted: 07/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The use of minimal peptide sets offers an appealing alternative for design of vaccines and T cell diagnostics compared to conventional whole protein approaches. T cell immunogenicity towards peptides is contingent on binding to human leukocyte antigen (HLA) molecules of the given individual. HLA is highly polymorphic, and each variant typically presents a different repertoire of peptides. This polymorphism combined with pathogen diversity challenges the rational selection of peptide sets with broad immunogenic potential and population coverage. Here we propose PopCover-2.0, a simple yet highly effective method, for resolving this challenge. The method takes as input a set of (predicted) CD8 and/or CD4 T cell epitopes with associated HLA restriction and pathogen strain annotation together with information on HLA allele frequencies, and identifies peptide sets with optimal pathogen and HLA (class I and II) coverage. PopCover-2.0 was benchmarked on historic data in the context of HIV and SARS-CoV-2. Further, the immunogenicity of the selected SARS-CoV-2 peptides was confirmed by experimentally validating the peptide pools for T cell responses in a panel of SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals. In summary, PopCover-2.0 is an effective method for rational selection of peptide subsets with broad HLA and pathogen coverage. The tool is available at https://services.healthtech.dtu.dk/service.php?PopCover-2.0.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas Birkelund Nilsson
- Department of Health Technology, Section for Bioinformatics, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Alba Grifoni
- Center for Infectious Disease and Vaccine Research, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Alison Tarke
- Center for Infectious Disease and Vaccine Research, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, La Jolla, CA, United States
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Alessandro Sette
- Center for Infectious Disease and Vaccine Research, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Morten Nielsen
- Department of Health Technology, Section for Bioinformatics, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
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12
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Bovay A, Fuertes Marraco SA, Speiser DE. Yellow fever virus vaccination: an emblematic model to elucidate robust human immune responses. Hum Vaccin Immunother 2021; 17:2471-2481. [PMID: 33909542 PMCID: PMC8475614 DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2021.1891752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
By preventing infectious diseases, vaccines contribute substantially to public health. Besides, they offer great opportunities to investigate human immune responses. This is particularly true for live-attenuated virus vaccines which cause resolving acute infections and induce robust immunity. The fact that one can precisely schedule the time-point of vaccination enables complete characterization of the immune response over time, short-term and over many years. The live-attenuated Yellow Fever virus vaccine strain YF-17D was developed in the 1930's and gave rise to the 17D-204 and 17DD vaccine sub-strains, administered to over 600 million individuals worldwide. YF vaccination causes a systemic viral infection, which induces neutralizing antibodies that last for a lifetime. It also induces a strong T cell response resembling the ones of acute infections, in contrast to most other vaccines. In spite of its use since 1937, learning how YF vaccination stimulates such strong and persistent immune responses has gained substantial knowledge only in the last decades. Here we summarize the current state of knowledge on the immune response to YF vaccination, and discuss its contribution as a human model to address complex questions on optimal immune responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amandine Bovay
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Silvia A Fuertes Marraco
- Department of Oncology, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Daniel E Speiser
- Department of Oncology, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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13
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Vittrup DM, Laursen ACL, Malon M, Soerensen JK, Hjort J, Buus S, Svensson J, Stensballe LG. Measles-mumps-rubella vaccine at 6 months of age, immunology, and childhood morbidity in a high-income setting: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Trials 2020; 21:1015. [PMID: 33303011 PMCID: PMC7727227 DOI: 10.1186/s13063-020-04845-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Measles is a highly contagious and serious infection. Before the introduction of vaccination, measles caused yearly epidemics putting vulnerable children at risk of brain damage and death. Despite safe and cost-effective vaccines, measles remains a leading cause of death in children globally. Due to insufficient vaccine coverage and low levels of in utero transferred antibodies from vaccinated mothers, outbreaks of measles in Denmark and other high-income countries are observed at increasing frequency. The current vaccine was introduced in Denmark in 1987 as a one-shot measles-mumps-rubella vaccine at 15 months, a timing chosen to avoid inhibition of the infant's immune response by maternal antibodies. One generation later, the MMR vaccinated mothers have lower antibody levels compared to the naturally infected, and their infants are already susceptible at 6 months of age or earlier, thus increasing the risk of epidemics. METHODS The Danish MMR trial is a double-blind randomized clinical trial recruiting between March 2019 and December 2021 with last patient last visit in February 2022. Altogether N = 6500 infants aged 6 months will be randomly assigned to intramuscular vaccination with routine MMR (M-M-R VaxPro) or placebo (solvent only). According to the Danish Childhood vaccination program, all infants will receive a routine MMR vaccination at 15 months of age. At randomization, 1 month later, and 1 month after routine MMR vaccination at 15 months of age, a blood sample is drawn from app. 10% (N = 600) of the population. Additionally, hair, saliva, and urine are sampled at randomization. The co-primary study outcomes are immunogenicity 1 month after MMR vaccination at 6 months of age assessed as plaque-reduction neutralization test, and incidence of infectious disease hospitalizations from randomization to 12 months of age. Six weeks post randomization, all participants are interviewed regarding adverse events. TRIAL REGISTRATION The trial is registered in the EU Clinical Trials Registry. EudraCT registration number: 2016-001901-18 . Registered on 14 February 2017.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorthe Maria Vittrup
- The Child and Adolescent Department, The University Hospital Herlev, Borgmester Ib Juuls Vej 25D, 4. Sal, 2730 Herlev, Denmark
| | - Anne Cathrine Lund Laursen
- The Child and Adolescent Clinic, The Juliane Marie Center, The Danish National University Hospital “Rigshospitalet”, Copenhagen, Capital Region of Denmark Denmark
| | - Michelle Malon
- The Child and Adolescent Clinic, The Juliane Marie Center, The Danish National University Hospital “Rigshospitalet”, Copenhagen, Capital Region of Denmark Denmark
| | - Jesper Kiehn Soerensen
- The Child and Adolescent Clinic, The Juliane Marie Center, The Danish National University Hospital “Rigshospitalet”, Copenhagen, Capital Region of Denmark Denmark
| | - Jakob Hjort
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Soren Buus
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jannet Svensson
- The Child and Adolescent Department, The University Hospital Herlev, Borgmester Ib Juuls Vej 25D, 4. Sal, 2730 Herlev, Denmark
| | - Lone Graff Stensballe
- The Child and Adolescent Clinic, The Juliane Marie Center, The Danish National University Hospital “Rigshospitalet”, Copenhagen, Capital Region of Denmark Denmark
- Rigshospitalet, The Juliane Marie Center, Blegdamsvej 9, 2100 Copenhagen East, Denmark
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